Homebuilders Bylaws and Policies

The following bylaws provide rules for conduct, duties of board members, and assessment of general policies.  Bylaws and policies serve as an agreement among members and are adopted, amended, debatable, and changeable. 

General membership:  Homebuilders support group is for Christian families who home school their children.  No profession of faith is required for membership, yet members clearly agree that Homebuilders is a Christian group that expressly supports the Biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.  God calls us to lives of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word, and deed. We are to reserve sexual activity to the sanctity of marriage, a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.  We believe that homosexuality is sinful and immoral, as is any sexual activity outside of the sanctity of marriage between a Man and a Woman. Homebuilders has no connection with state or federal education nor does it receive any government subsidies and thus is not a forum for information about government-funded education programs. To become a member of Homebuilders, both parents (legal guardians) must sign the current membership application form and pay a non-refundable donation, the amount determined annually by the board.  No person who is a registered sex-offender will be allowed membership.  All parents (legal guardians) who apply for membership will have their names run through the national sex offender data base. 

Membership Fees and Refunds:

Homebuilders is a ministry to the private homeschool community.  Registrations are not refundable after your enrollment in Homebuilders.  There is no partial reimbursement should you need to withdraw from our membership group.  Our one-time registration fee is $15; non-refundable.  The fees to participate in Homebuilders are not a profit making venture. All expenses are used for the purpose of running our group efficiently and paying to cover our group’s expenses.  The Board is not paid an income, but sees this homeschool ministry as an opportunity to serve families seeking to follow the Lord’s leading to homeschool their children.

Graduation:  Homebuilders who are high school seniors may participate in our graduation ceremony if they have been a member of Homebuilders for the two consecutive years prior to their graduation.  The board reserves the right to make exceptions to this rule based on extenuating circumstances.  A written request for exception would need to be submitted to the board no later than 4 months before the graduation ceremony.

Sub-groups:   Sub-group leaders must be current members of Homebuilders.  Sub- groups are advised to have their own membership application forms specific to their group, although this does not replace the obligation of signing the Homebuilders member release form.  Sub- groups may develop their own policies and directions for participation. 

Charter Schools:  Homebuilders does not regulate or enforce any one method of teaching or philosophy of education to its member families.  Christian Homeschool  Education  Association (CHEA), of which Homebuilders is a support group, does not support or encourage public charter schools, realizing the fracturing impact on home schooling and statist philosophy of education that undermines the home school community. The board of Homebuilders, therefore, likewise, does not support or encourage public charter schools.  However, in a spirit of friendship, we welcome charter school members to join Homebuilders with the hope of educating all our families of the clear benefits of private home schooling. 

Board Member Qualifications:  A Homebuilders board member must be nominated by an existing board member and agreed upon by all current board members.  The person must have home schooled their children for at least two years, must have no connection with public education, must belong to HSLDA and CHEA, must be a professing Christian who publicly professes faith in Christ to other board members, and must be unanimously approved by the existing board members.    

The following questions, although not exhaustive in content, are to be answered by a prospective board member:

Who is Jesus Christ and how did you come to know Him?  How do you describe your current relationship with Jesus?  How do you teach your children about Jesus?  How would you describe your church involvement?  How much time are you willing to devote to the Homebuilders board?

Job Description for Board Members

Secretary:  keeps meeting minutes (or designates substitute) at board meetings. 

Moderator: oversees meeting agenda; controls flow and organization of board meetings.

New Member/CHEA Contact: receives and responds to inquiries from new or prospective members; name published to online Homebuilders website and to CHEA website; serves as liaison with CHEA for any issues regarding group membership.

Records Keeper:  keeps hard copies of signed membership forms for up to 5 years, or appoints another member to do so; adds new member names to membership group roster and keeps it current.

Membership Coordinator:  Receives membership applications; Runs name through sex offender website; sends invitation to new member to join Adventure Kids; emails a Homebuilders welcome to new member; gives donations for membership to treasurer for deposit.

Treasurer:  receives all checks and monies, deposits to bank account, keeps books and bank account, manages all financial transactions and reimbursements; keeps group CHEA membership current; transfers duties to the next treasurer upon retirement. 

Co-Treasurer: assists treasurer as needed.

Number of Board Members:  The board must consist of at least 3 and no more than 7 qualified Homebuilders parents.  Maintaining an odd number of board members provides decisiveness and fair judgment when voting to settle an issue in discussion.   

Policy Implementation:  Policies and procedures are gained in a spirit of unity, as each board member seeks wisdom through prayer.  On the occasion a decision is not reached unanimously, a majority vote decides the issue.  At times the board may need outside counsel, including from CHEA and HSLDA, prayerfully considered but not absolute unless agreed upon by all the board members.  No board member has the freedom to individually make or enforce policy, or seek outside counsel without the agreement of the other board members.  

Dismissal from the Board:  Board membership does not have a term of limitations, but a board member may resign for reasons of a change in job, health, or for any personal reason.  A member may be dismissed if he or she proves unable to work cooperatively or if some area of life proves incompatible with the general aims and beliefs of CHEA, including but not limited to moral, spiritual, or educational philosophy, whereas dismissal occurs at the discretion and majority vote of the other board members.   

The Statements, Policies, and Bylaws were reviewed and approved September 24, by the current board members, as follows:  

Mrs. Nellie Beatty, Mrs. Sarah Ark, Mrs. Ofelia Borge, Mrs. Jill Combs, Mrs. Heidi Bronner, Mrs. Cheri Lamb, and Mrs. Jami Wilson.