ARTICLE ONE: NAME
This group shall be called the CHRISTIAN AMATEUR RADIO FELLOWSHIP (CARF)
ARTICLE TWO: PURPOSE
The purpose of this group shall be to:
- promote fellowship among Christian “hams”
- provide information about the activities of the various Churches of the participants
- provide communications with and about missionaries, Christian colleges, seminaries, and Churches
- check weather and propagation
- provide communications equipment (i.e. cell phones, computers, amateur radio equipment) to missionaries, both within the United States and worldwide
ARTICLE THREE: MEETINGS
CARF is affiliated with the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. CARF sponsors an amateur net that meets every Monday through Saturday at 1100 UTC, Summer, or 1200 UTC, Winter, on 3.930 Mhz. A Net Control Station (NCS) will direct the net each day. The net control station is selected by the CARF president. Other nets on other frequencies and at other times will be organized as needs arise. The NCS will report their check-ins to the Secretary-Treasurer weekly, who will give a quarterly report to the CARF Newsletter editor and the webmaster.
ARTICLE FOUR: MEMBERSHIP
A. The membership of CARF will consist of licensed radio amateurs who are professed Christians. Each member shall complete a membership form and pay $15 per year or $50 for five years. Those who do not hold an amateur license may not have voting privileges but may receive the newsletter and be considered an associate member for an annual fee of $5.
B. Dues will become due and payable to the treasurer on January 1 of each year. The Treasurer’s name and address shall appear in each newsletter and on the website.
C. Licensed Amateur members will be assigned a permanent CARF number.
ARTICLE FIVE: PROGRAM
In keeping with the purpose of CARF, the program will be conducted with primary emphasis on public service, especially among those of the household of faith. Mutual edification can be realized through open discussion and Bible study on the air. A newsletter will be edited and e-mailed to all dues-paying members, containing the NCS reports and general promotion of the CARF goals and activities. The CARF Website will be maintained by a webmaster appointed by the Executive Committee (EC).
ARTICLE SIX: OFFICERS AND BUSINESS
A. Elections and Business: All elections and voting shall be conducted by mailed written ballot.
1. The Executive Committee (EC) shall consist of the President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.
B. Elections
1. Nominations
a. An active CARF member will be selected by the EC for the purpose of counting votes. This member’s name, mailing and email address shall be listed on all ballots. The member selected to count the votes shall receive all nominations and ballots for the office of President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.
b. Anyone seeking and willing to hold an office within CARF must be an active member of a congregation that accepts the Bible as authoritative and sufficient in matters of Christian doctrine. The Bible is accepted as God’s special revelation to mankind and its teachings are not from human wisdom, but of divine origin. The candidate must be a professed Christian, having declared Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and having been obedient in believer’s baptism. It is not the intent of CARF to claim that we are the only Christians, but that we are Christians only. We believe in matters of faith there should be unity, in matters of opinion there should be liberty, and in all things, love.
c. Nominations for office may be made by any member eligible to vote.
d. All nominations shall be made during the month of October. Those making nominations shall forward their nominations to the person nominated and the nominated person shall endorse the nomination as either accepted or declined and forward same to member selected to receive nominations no later than October 30.
e. A report of those nominated will be sent to the Secretary/Treasurer on November 1, who will verify each nominee’s eligibility, then prepare and email a ballot to each active member by November 15.
2. Voting
a. All ballots shall be mailed or emailed to the vote counter.
b. All ballots shall be date stamped no later than November 30.
3. Election Results
a. The vote counter shall email the election results to the EC on December 5.
b. The election results shall be published in the January edition of the CARF newsletter and/or on the website and shall be effective January 1.
4. Business
a. All business shall be brought before the EC either by mail, e-mail or on the air. Those issues requiring the vote of the membership shall be published in the first available issue of the newsletter with an accompanying ballot and be posted on the website. The deadline date for receiving votes on the particular issue shall be determined by the EC and published as a part of the ballot. The results shall be published in the first issue of the newsletter and/or on the website following the announcement of the vote results by the vote counter.
5. Amendments: Proposed amendments to this constitution must appear in full in an issue of the CARF newsletter accompanied by a ballot and be posted on the website. Voting on the amendment shall be carried out in the same manner as prescribed for voting, Article Six, B2.
C. Officers: The members will elect the above named officers annually for a one-year term. These shall constitute the EC to whom all business shall be brought for approval. The EC will be responsible for assigning all officers specific tasks as their abilities dictate, and further to assign responsibilities to various members of CARF as needs arise. No officer may hold the same office for more than three years consecutively.
Established 1966, Revised 1992, 1998, 2013, 2017, 2024