NETCACHE Charter
Current as of results of NETCACHE General meeting on December 3, 2013
Article I
Name
The name of the organization shall be North East Tarrant County Association of Christian Home Educators (also known as NETCACHE).
Article II
Purpose
The primary purpose of NETCACHE is to provide Christian-based adventure, character, and leadership programs. Such programs include Trail Life USA, American Heritage Girls and similar opportunities.
Article III
Membership
NETCACHE shall be composed of families who support a parents' right to direct the upbringing and education of their children and desire to affiliate for the purposes of providing Christian based adventure, character, and leadership programs.
Members shall be diligent to ensure the integrity of the organization by encouragement of NETCACHE leaders and being vigilant to hold NETCACHE leadership accountable to this charter.
Members who either cease to support NETCACHE's requirement of Christian leadership, or the inclusion of Christian practices and beliefs in NETCACHE programs, shall be removed from NETCACHE membership and programs by a unanimous vote of all Board members. Board members who are not present for the vote shall cast their vote in absentia.
Article IV
Board Members and Meetings
There shall be at least five NETCACHE board members that shall oversee the organization's programs.
Board members shall meet the following qualifications:
- Board members must agree with and support the statement of beliefs in Article VI of this charter.
- Board members shall initially consist of the following:
Craig Burgess, Lewis Oglevie, Ron Orr, Jim Sutton & Roy Wickham.
Board members will appoint a chairman who will serve at the board's pleasure.
The chairman shall provide the oversight for NETCACHE in conjunction and cooperation with the board.
Board members shall be responsible for chartering tasks, organizational policy and vision leadership for NETCACHE programs.
Board members shall protect the integrity of NETCACHE programs by appropriate board actions that are biblical and redemptive.
Board members bear responsibility and accountability for NETCACHE finances, which must be provided to all board members, and be available through any board member to the organization's membership.
When a board vacancy exists, members may provide a recommendation for a replacement board member. The board member must be accepted by the other board members when a majority of NETCACHE members have presented a signed petition to any of the existing board members recommending a replacement board member for a vacant board position. If NETCACHE membership does not provide a recommendation to replace a vacant board position within a reasonable time (1 month minimum), the board may at its discretion appoint and accept a board member from the membership with the consent of a majority of board members. All board vacancies must be announced to NETCACHE members before the "reasonable time" clock begins.
Members of NETCACHE are welcome at board meetings. Non members of NETCACHE may attend board meetings with the majority consent of board members.
Article V
Execution and Amendment
This charter shall become effective upon approval by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting at a general meeting called for that purpose. Amendments to the NETCACHE charter shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at a general meeting called for that purpose.
Article VI - Requisite Beliefs of Board Members
General Beliefs
- God is one Being, Who eternally exists as three Persons (i.e., Father, Son and Holy Spirit). All of the Persons are equal in power and glory (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
- The Bible is the divinely inspired and only infallible, authoritative Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
- Jesus Christ is fully God and man (John 1:1,4), born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18), and sinless in His life (Hebrews 4:15). He rose bodily from the grave (John 20:1-9, 24-31; Acts 2:24) and now reigns with the Father (Acts 2:33; Hebrews 10:12). He will return visibly and personally to earth both in salvation and judgment (Acts 1:11; Hebrews 9:28; Matthew 24:30).
- All humans are sinful by nature (Romans 3:23; 5:12) and can only be forgiven by the expression of trust in Jesus as Savior (John 3:16) brought about by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7).
- We believe in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit by Whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8:1-17).
- We affirm Scripture's authority to speak on current issues of our day whether the issues are sociological, scientific, educational or political in nature.
Family
- We believe the family serves a crucial role in presenting the eternal truths of Scripture in contrast to non-Christian belief systems.
- We believe that the family is the basic governmental, social and spiritual unit created by God. In it the child gradually learns self-government, social relationships, and develops a relationship to the Creator and Savior (Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20).
- We understand the biblical definition of family to mean one adult male married to one adult female with their natural or adopted children. We recognize the exception of a single adult parent. In accordance with this biblical doctrine, NETCACHE shall not extend membership to persons who are in opposition to this biblical understanding in order to protect the integrity, reputation and members of NETCACHE.
Parental Rights and Responsibility in Education
- We believe the ultimate responsibility for the education of children belongs to parents (Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:1-25; 4:1-4; Ephesians 6:4). Thus, we believe this is an inalienable right given by God which the State can neither create, destroy, nor alter. Parents may allow another to teach some of the cognitive information that children need to know, but all education must be under the control and supervision of the parents.
- We believe education in the home to be the best form of education, but we recognize that many parents cannot educate at home for valid reasons, therefore, we support the right of parents to direct the education of their children according to their needs and convictions.
Nature of Education
- We believe that all education is religious in nature since one's view of the world is involved in teaching (Proverbs 2:1-8; 3:1-2; 6:20-23; Matthew 28:18-20). Every discipline of knowledge, whether it be subjects such as mathematics, science, or history, will have as its final reference point a theistic or humanistic view of reality (Colossians 1:15-20; 2:8-15), and there is no neutral academic discipline.
- Thus, we believe that all social, physical and cognitive knowledge should have as its beginning the fear of God and as its end, the Glory of God (Proverbs 1:7; Romans 11:33-36).
Policies
Firearms
Trail Life: Persons using or possessing firearms must comply with all local, state and federal laws and official Trail Life policies during all Trail Life activities.
American Heritage Girls: Persons using or possessing firearms must comply with all local, state and federal laws during all AHG activities.
Membership Fee Waivers
The board may elect by majority vote to waive family annual membership fees for the following conditions:
1. A person who is not a NETCACHE member is requested by a NETCACHE family member to act as a mentor for an American Heritage Girls Stars and Stripes candidate.
2. A person provides essential services to the NETCACHE organization on a continuing basis and does not have any children registered in any chartered NETCACHE program.
3. A family financial hardship which is presented to all the board members for consideration of a waiver on a year-by-year basis.
The NETCACHE Board membership manager shall document board approved nominees for waived annual membership fees on the protected NETCACHE website. Documentation shall be placed on the website as soon as possible after a board decision to waive membership fees.
The NETCACHE board shall review and vote on the status of any waiver when knowledge of a change in any of the conditions authorizing the waiver is brought to the attention of any board member.