LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
     
Statement of Purpose

What We Believe

Field Trips and Activities

Important Contacts

Open House Photos

Guest Book Page

Independent Study Programs

By-Laws

Leadership Opportunities

Service Opportunities

Policies

Leadership Application

 

BRANCHES functions because of the prayers of its members and their volunteer efforts. All of these opportunities use assistants as needed. Our policy is that if a need must be addressed, God will raise up the leader. Programs will be cancelled if no leaders or organizers emerge.


A. SELECTION OF LEADERSHIP
1. Those in leadership hold a position of responsibility and service, not authority. Leaders consist of home educating parents who volunteer to serve the general membership as the Lord directs and gifts, and who meet the requirements of leadership.

2. Each Spring the membership is notified of the needs in leadership for the following year. Leadership Applications are available at the Spring Business Meeting and on this web site. Persons interested in leadership submit the completed and signed application to the Chaircouple (or the CHEA Liaison in the event there is no Chaircouple) by the designated deadline.

3. At the Spring Leaders Meeting, the Leadership Council reviews the Applications to determine if applicants meet the requirements and to select persons to fill vacant positions.

4. Once the school year has begun and if positions of leadership are still vacant, applications are submitted to the Chaircouple for prayerful review and approval.

B. LEADERSHIP COUNCIL POSITIONS
* CHAIRCOUPLE oversees the functioning of BRANCHES, ensures that everything is being completed as Leaders have agreed to do, compiles agendas for Business and Leadership meetings, and provides spiritual and practical leadership at BRANCHES meetings.

* CHEA LIAISON COUPLE acts to keep communications open between BRANCHES and CHEA, communicates with home schoolers referred from CHEA, encourages participation in the annual CHEA Bay Area Conference, and assumes Chaircouple responsibilities in the absense of a Chaircouple.

* TREASURER collects and deposits into the BRANCHES checking account all monies received; writes checks for any expenses incurred by BRANCHES; keeps accounting records; provides financial reports at Business and Leadership Meetings, and submits financial records for review annually to a member who is not a Leader..

* MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY develops, distributes, receives, and processes Membership Sign-up forms; produces the BRANCHES Confidential Directory; edits the BRANCHES Handbook (on paper and/or for this web site) as directed by the Leadership Council; notifies BRANCHES Leaders of members who are interested in various events, meetings, or services under their jurisdiction; takes, writes up and distributes Minutes of Business and Leadership meetings; creates an email group list as backup for the Email Secretary; and creates, duplicates, and distributes any brochures or other literature about or for BRANCHES.

* FIELD TRIP COORDINATOR & ASSISTANT oversee the scheduling and planning of all BRANCHES Field Trips.

* PARK DAY COORDINATORS set up the schedule for Park Days, take charge of the meetings, and make announcements at Park Day.

* MOM'S NIGHT OUT COORDINATOR sets the dates for monthly get-togethers, chooses places for holding the meetings, and plans topics or themes for discussion and/ or activities.

* DAD'S FELLOWSHIP COORDINATOR arranges meetings for the BRANCHES homeschool dads, seeks to provide a forum to discuss the dads' roles in the homeschool process, encourages prayer at the meetings, and provides an opportunity for Christian fellowship.

* PARENTS PRAYER GROUP COUPLE leads a monthly prayer meeting for the attending members to pray for their children, for themselves as teachers and administrators, for any school concerns, and for BRANCHES’ needs as a group..

* WEB SITE HOST maintains and updates the BRANCHES web site.

* NEWSLETTER EDITOR compiles and publishes a Newsletter for distribution to the membership ten times each school year (September through June), and maintains the Master Calendar.

* TEEN GROUP COORDINATOR oversees the direction of the Teen Group, sets dates for meetings and events, helps the teens plan their events and service projects, and ensures that the group meets in a loving and supportive Christian environment.

* EMAIL SECRETARY maintains a group email list of all BRANCHES members who want to receive email alerts and reminders; receives, monitors, and sends out notices via email; and responds to email inquiries on the BRANCHES email address.

* KEEPERS OF THE FAITH LEADERS oversee the functioning of their specific clubs. Keepers of the Faith is a group formed for the purpose of providing a solid framework for establishing and maintaining a Christian learning environment while children learn skills of caring for their environment. The purpose is to allow each child to achieve without competing against each other. Keepers promotes parent-child relationships, family, and God's design for men and women. The groups within Keepers of the Faith include: Contenders of the Faith for boys ages 6-16, Pebbles for girls ages 6-7, Stepping Stones for girls ages 8-12, and Keepers at Home for girls ages 13-18. At present, BRANCHES has clubs for Contenders of the Faith and Stepping Stones.

C. REQUIREMENTS OF LEADERSHIP
1. Be a regular, active attendee and/or member of a Christian, Bible-teaching church.
2. Agree with and sign the BRANCHES Statement of Faith.
3. Have been an active participant and supporter of BRANCHES for at least one year. The Chaircouple is required to have been active participants and supporters of BRANCHES for at least two years.
4. Have at least one year homeschooling experience with students Kindergarten or above.
5. Commit to serve a two-year term, ending on June 30 of the second term.
6. Rotate out of any leadership position at least every six years for a Sabbatical year. The Chaircouple will rotate out after two years, but will be able to fill other leadership positions for up to six years.
7. Read the Job Description(s) for the position(s) being sought.
8. Affirm that none of their children are enrolled in, nor are they in leadership in, nor employed by a public school program which functions as a home school ISP. Also affirm that they are not enrolled in, in leadership in, nor employed by a home education group or organization which does not operate as a Christian organization and whose purpose is to support and/ or influence home education.
9. Submit a resignation to the Chaircouple if at any time they are unable to fulfill their responsibilities to BRANCHES or if they no longer meet these requirements. Submit suggestions for a replacement to the Chaircouple.

D. DUTIES OF LEADERSHIP
1. Oversee the carrying out of the Statement of Purpose and the functioning of BRANCHES.
2. Oversee and complete the responsibilities of the specific job(s) for which appointed.
3. Attend all Business and Leaders Meetings.
4. Read and abide by the BRANCHES By-Laws & Policies.
5. Annually review and, if needed, revise the Job Description(s) for the job(s) held and submit the revisions to the Membership Secretary prior to the Spring Business Meeting.

POINTS OF ORDER
1. The Leadership Council evaluates the By-Laws and Policies annually, appealing to the Lord for His direction and wisdom. Changes may be proposed by the membership at large, but will be voted on by the Leaders.
2. A quorum includes at least one of the Chaircouple and a minimum of four other Leaders.
3. Each Leader will have one vote on decisions, regardless of how many positions s/he holds.
4. Votes on foreknown topics will be accepted by proxy if a Leader is unable to attend a meeting, however proxy votes are discouraged and cannot be used to establish a quorum.
5. Once a quorum has been met, policy decisions require a simple majority of the leadership present, while removal of a Leader requires a two-thirds vote of all Leaders.

 

 

 

John 15:5