Definition and Explanation of Terms
Definition and Explanation of Terms |
|
Terms used in the "Charter of Responsibilities and Rights" and the "Fundamental Family Rules."
Accounts Payable: financial obligations owed to others by your Home, that are due on given dates; e.g., $300 owed to the Home Loan Fund
Accounts Receivable: funds owed to your Home by others, that are due to be received on given dates
Adults: those 21 years of age or over
Age Determination: when an age is specified in the Charter, such as "18 years of age," it always means those who have passed the birthday of the age stated
Area Officers: leaders above the Home level but below the Continental Office level; presently the Visiting Servants (VSs). Collectively known as the Area Office
Assets: all of a Home's goods: reserves, surpluses, cash, accounts receivable, and material belongings
Babe: a new, non-voting DO member who has been in the Family less than six months; or are joining member during the first six months he or she is back in the Family
Children: Family members under the age of 16
City: when "city" is used throughout the Charter and the "Fundamental Family Rules," it is used in a general sense referring to a city, town or village
Closed City: a specified city where the opening of further Homes is not permitted without CRO approval
Continental Area: a specific geographical area, designated by WS Leadership, and overseen by Continental Officers
Continental Officers: WS Officers, appointed by WS Leadership, who oversee a Continental Area. Collectively known as the Continental Office. Presently they are known as CROs
Current Operating Expenses: the current month's rent, phone, utilities, food, transportation, and other regular monthly expenses incurred in the normal running of a Home. (Seed corn is not included, as that should be linked directly to tool distribution and handled separately.)
DO Member: member who is entitled to receive literature classified as DO (Disciples Only)
Dating: to go out socially with a member of the opposite sex, or to engage in an emotional or romantic relationship with a member of the opposite sex.
Debt: late or non-payment of financial obligations; e.g., overdue rent
Excommunication: a disciplinary action ranging from completely excluding a member from all Family literature and fellowship, to the less severe "partial excommunication" that may allow continued membership, but only access to GP and DFO literature
Full Excommunication: a disciplinary action resulting in a member being excluded from all Family literature and expelled from fellowship
Fundamental Family Beliefs: Biblical and revealed beliefs which DO members must believe to retain their DO membership
Guardian: one specifically authorized by a child's parent(s) to assume the responsibility of the parent(s), in the absence of the parent(s)
Home: a Family community where members reside
Home Council Meeting: a meeting to discuss Home matters in which a minimum of 50% of the Home's voting members must be present
Home Officers: Home Shepherds elected by the Home's voting members, presently known collectively as the Home Teamwork
Home Referendum: a voting procedure called for by a Continental Office to vote on matters pertaining to a specific Area or country
Home Regulations: rules applying to an individual Home, adopted through a simple majority vote of the Home members, which must be obeyed and adhered to by them
Home Schooling Program: also referred to as the Home Schooling Kit
Home Teamworks: Home Officers elected by the Home
Homes' Monthly Report: Tithers' Report Form (TRF)
Intellectual Copyright Material: a legal term referring to any original works of an author or composer which he has written, created or made, etc., and encompassing the general areas of copyright, trademarks, patents, etc. For example, our Treasure Attic video series and the TA logo and trademark are part of "intellectual property" owned by our Treasure Attic company
Just Cause: presentation of reasonable grounds and rationale for a proposed action
Legal Age: the age at which a minor becomes legally recognized as an adult; this differs from country to country
Liabilities: all of the Home and members' financial obligations; accounts payable
LIM: WS-sponsored translation center
Live-out Member: Catacombers and friends who are saved, regularly fellowship with the Home, attend Home meetings, witness and tithe or give substantially to your Home or WS
Mass Distribution Outreach Tools: publications, either written, audio (cassette or CD), or video, intended for distribution to the general public
Metropolitan Area: large city or urbanized area, including adjacent suburbs and towns
Net Income: funds remaining after the tithe and seed corn (and local giving, if agreed to in a Home Referendum; e.g., Common Pot, VS gift, etc.) have been deducted
New Disciple: term used for stats-keeping purposes, to be entered on the first TRF after a member has lived in a DO Home for at least 20 days; otherwise known as a Babe
Non-national: DO member who is not eligible to hold a passport of the country in which he is presently living; nor a spouse or child of a passport-holding national of that country
Partial Excommunication: less severe form of discipline than Full Excommunication. Will allow continued membership, but only access to GP and DFO literature, for a specified time period
Probationary Notice: a disciplinary measure imposed upon a Home by an Area or Continental Office, as a result of infractions committed in violation of the "Charter of Responsibilities and Rights or " Fundamental Family Rules."
Probationary Status: a disciplinary measure imposed upon a Home member by their Home, for infractions committed in violation of the "Charter of Responsibilities and Rights" or "Fundamental Family Rules."
Publications: includes the medium of printed literature, audio or video tapes, CDs, disks, etc.
Relinquish: to put aside or cease from something practiced, professed or intended
Road Team: witnessing team temporarily on a road trip, who still appear on their Home's TRF
Road Team Home: a Home with no permanent residence, which is mobile and reports as a Home; for example, a Home living in caravans or trailers
Seed Corn: fixed amount of money (the cost of each tool) which you should set aside from the gifts you receive when you distribute tools, to use to purchase new tools
Sensitive Country: country that due to its political, religious or otherwise sensitive nature, may be potentially dangerous, harmful or problematic for a Home operating there
Service Home: Family Home that offers a service to the Family communities in a city, Area or internationally, under the supervision of the Continental Office
Sexual activity: any sexual relations, including deep kissing
Sexual contact: any sexual relations between members age 16 and over that goes further than deep kissing.
Simple Majority: a vote in which the will of over 50% of the voting members determines the outcome of the vote
TRF Supporter: non-DO member who is saved, completes a monthly TRF, tithes and fulfils the responsibilities of TRF Supporter Family members, as outlined in the "Statement on TRFSupporters"
Two-thirds Majority: a vote in which at least 67% (two out of three voting members) must give an affirmative vote for the measure to pass
Voting Member: member of a Home who has reached the age of 16 and has been in theFamily for at least six months, and is not on Probationary Status or Partial Excommunication