Voting members have the right to:You have the right to elect your Home teamwork. Under the Election Rules section of the “Fundamental Family Rules” you'll find the explanation of what steps must be taken to elect the Home teamwork. (See page 308.)A. Freely and regularly elect officers of the Home in which they reside, in accordance with the Election Rules in the “Fundamental Family Rules.”
˛ I suggested ... long ago that the local Colonies should choose their own shepherds when they are old enough and experienced enough and sufficiently established in the Lord and the work to do so. In other words, when the children had grown up, they should be fit and trusted to govern themselves (ML #328C: 41).As financial matters are a very important part of the running of the Home, and can in many ways make or break a Home, it is imperative that all voting members of the Home, except those ages 16 and 17, be involved in the financial decisions. In order to make sound decisions, the voting members must know the complete state of the finances, so it is up to the teamwork to keep them informed of such.
˛ We want you to be able to choose your own Home teamwork, people you love and trust and respect as good shepherds, those who have courage to make the difficult decisions which shepherds need to make, who can encourage you to do your best for the Lord and His work, and who can correct you when you're not doing your best. These elections are not popularity contests, and you have a serious responsibility to desperately pray for the Lord to lead and guide you to choose those whom He wants to shepherd the Home. The elections should be accompanied by united prayer for the Lord's help and guidance (ML #2865: 69).B. Know the complete financial state of the Home in which they reside, including knowledge of all of the Home's financial assets, liabilities, income, expenditures and debts.
˛ I want to reveal to the [members] the state of their finances: Where it goes and how it goes and so on! I want them to know everything they can possibly know about, due to the fact that it is their business, it is their money, it is being spent on them and their business and their work (ML #301A: 24,46).All financial decisions and obligations belong to the Home as a whole, and the voting members are collectively responsible to pay these obligations. The financial stability of the Home will be determined by how much the Lord blesses the Home, most likely based on their prayers and obedience, and how wise they are in how they use the funds the Lord supplies. Homes which are praying for finances and are obedient to the Lord's leading will most likely do well. As Mama said, “Everyone can work in some way to help support the Home.... Everyone can pray and search the Word for direction!” (ML #2929: 43.) But how prayerful and obedient the Home is will be determined by the decisions of its voting members. If your Home has financial difficulties there will be no one to blame but yourselves, because the majority of the Home members will have made all the decisions, and unitedly you must all bear the responsibility of those decisions.
˛ Communication will help shift the burden of the finances off the shoulders of just a few people in the Home teamwork and onto the shoulders of all the mature members in the Home. This way everyone's faith and prayers can pull together to seek the Lord for the Home's needs. Everyone will be aware of the Home's financial needs and will be able to pray specifically and desperately! (ML #2813: 21.)1. All financial obligations belong to the Home as a whole, and the Home unitedly determines how to meet them. Should a member decide to move out of the Home, the member is personally accountable for, and must pay, their portion of the Home's debts and/ or liabilities. (Portion equals the amount of debts and liabilities divided by the number of voting members 18 years of age and older.)a) 16- and 17 -year -old members are exempt from all financial decisions and obligations.
˛ All the adults in a Home should in some way bear the responsibility of the support of the Home. All adults should be aware of the financial state of the Home. And that means all the adults should know the specifics concerning how you're doing financially— how much money is on hand, how the money is being spent, how your Home budget and buffer are doing, what bills are owed, etc. — not just percentages, but actual amounts. All adults should feel responsible for the support of the Home, not just your outreach teams or your poor Business teamworker! (ML #2929: 39.)
˛ It will [work] if we all work together and each do his part and carry his share of the load, as well as receiving his share of the benefits! — Like those who solicit donations in return for our literature, “Muzzle not the ox that treadeth out the corn,” and “The laborer is worthy of his hire,” and “They that preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel”! From each according to his ability— unto each according to his need, according to Acts 2 and 4! (ML #176: 84.)C. Determine, through voting, the Home's expenditures and other financial matters in accordance with the Responsibilities of the Charter Home: Regarding Financial Matters, page 102.
1. 16- and 17 -year -old voting members have no vote or responsibility in their Home's financial decisions.
D. Bring up any matter in the appropriate Home council meeting and have it brought to a vote. The matter must be discussed and voted on within 15 days.While it may be most appropriate to suggest topics for Home council meetings prior to the meeting, allowing for a predetermined agenda to be followed in the meeting, you are free to bring up any matter that you want to in the appropriate Home council. However, since the meeting will probably be following a predetermined agenda, it may be inappropriate to stop everything and discuss and vote on that matter right then. The person chairing the Home council meeting will make that decision. In any case, the topic needs to be discussed and voted on within 15 days.
˛ We all ... need to listen to each other, counsel together, agree together, decide together and then work it out together. If we're going to be an effective body, every member must work together with all the other members— not just one, not just a few, not even the majority, but with all working together as a body, which Christ described as His Body, the Church, and with Himself as the Head (ML #263: 76).