LC: 16. RIGHTS OF PERSONNEL IN A SERVICE HOME
A. Due to the nature of Service Homes, those volunteering to be Service Home members must understand that while they are members of a Service Home they may need to relinquish specific rights granted by the "Charter of Responsibilities and Rights," if deemed necessary by the continental office. The specific rights which may need to be relinquished are:
The personnel of Service Homes retain all of their rights in the Charter, except the specific ones listed below. Any other right, other than those listed below in A.1-7, may not be withdrawn by the CRO. So Service Home personnel still retain their Right of Mobility, Rights of Parents, financial rights and so forth.
If they wish to remain part of the Service Home, they must be willing to relinquish all of the seven rights specified below, and actually relinquish the ones that the CRO says are necessary in that given situation.
The CRO may allow some of the Service Homes to retain certain of these rights listed below, but retains the authority to withdraw these rights at any time it deems it necessary, depending on the need. The CRO may in some situations decide that the Homes can make any decisions relating to their rights guaranteed in the Charter, but before the decisions are implemented, they should inform the CRO.
Being in a Service Home is purely voluntary, so if anyone does not wish to be in a Service Home and relinquish the specified rights, they do not have to be. Members in a Service Home still retain their Right of Mobility and therefore they are free to depart at any time they wish, simply by giving 30 days notice just as if they were leaving any other Home.
Following then is the list of rights, which those in Service Homes must be willing to relinquish, and must relinquish if the CRO deems it necessary.
1. Determine by prayer, discussion, debate and voting the basic nature, goals, direction and activities of the Home.
The CRO may allow the Home to decide Home goals, direction and activities as long as their decisions don't interfere with the service they are providing. It just depends on the situation and how greatly involved the CRO chooses to be, or how much they feel they need to influence the situation.
2. Freely elect officers of the Home in which they reside.
In the case of Service Homes, the CRO has the authority to appoint the Home shepherds if he or she chooses to. Or the CRO may allow the Home to vote in the Home teamwork of their choice from among their members. Or the CRO may choose to appoint one person on the teamwork and let the Home elect the other two. It is a CRO decision how the Service Home's leadership is to be structured.
3. Bring up any matter in the appropriate Home council meeting, and have the matter brought to a vote.
a) Nevertheless, members may bring up and vote on any matters that do not contravene the basic nature, goals, direction and activities of the Service Home.
Members of a Service Home do not completely give up their right to bring up and vote on matters in Home council meetings. They only lose the right to bring up and decide upon any matters that may contravene the basic nature, goals, direction and activities of the Home. For instance, members of a LIM Home may not lose their right to discuss a wide range of matters and vote for certain changes in the Home. But they do not have the right to vote to start inviting visitors over to the Home without the approval of the CRO, because it contravenes the basic nature of the Home. Neither can they vote on financial expenditures which would contravene the basic nature and activities of the Home or impede their production and services to the field.
4. Choose to move the Home to a new location.
5. Choose to disband the Home.
6. Determine the personnel make-up of the Home.
7. Revoke the Home membership of any person residing in it.
In a Service Home, the personnel, location of the Home and the decision to keep open or close the Home all come under the jurisdiction and authority of the CRO. Also, the Home cannot vote members out of the Home. However, this is not to say the CROs overseeing such Service Homes wouldn't be open to suggestions and ideas that the members may have about any such matters.
B. The continental office can at any time withdraw permission for any member to remain in a Service Home.
The CRO may, without the agreement of the members of the Home, revoke the membership of anyone in a Service Home. But if they do take such a decision, then it must be with the following stipulations:
1. If permission is withdrawn, the departure is to be governed as follows:
a) Forgive the member of responsibility for any portion of the Home's debts and liabilities.
b) Allow sufficient time for the member to engage in fundraising activities on a regular basis for the purpose of raising a reasonable amount of finances to facilitate their move to another Home or the setting up of their own Home. "Reasonable amount" is determined by a two-thirds majority of the Service Home's voting members.
(1) If the member is engaged in fundraising activities for the purpose of departure from the Home, at least 50% of the net income they generate is to be used to facilitate their move to another Home or the setting up of their own Home.
c) Supply the member whose Home membership has been revoked with a reasonable amount of financial assistance to help towards their move to another Home, or towards the starting of their own Home. "Reasonable amount" is determined by a two-thirds majority of the Service Home's voting members.
So as you can see, a Service Home operates somewhat differently than a regular Home. Personnel in regular Homes have all the rights of the Charter, whereas those in Service Homes relinquish some or all of the above-mentioned specific rights, if the CRO deems it necessary. A Home can only become a Service Home as per the Procedures for Becoming a Service Home.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family