The Helpful Homestead A Private Ministerial Association
MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT, WAIVER & DECLARATION
Overview: I do hereby apply for membership in The Helpful Homestead Private Ministerial Association, hereinafter referred to as the “Ministry.” By signing this Membership Agreement, I hereby accept the offer to become a Member of The Helpful Homestead, and I affirm that I have read through and agree with the following Declaration of Purpose, Preamble, and Memorandum of Understanding. Declaration of Purpose: The Ministry is organized for educational, spiritual, and beneficent purposes, and in part for worship, and is established under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Bylaws and Ecclesiastical Law of The Helpful Homestead, for furthering the upliftment and enlightenment of all people throughout the world, and the betterment of life on planet Earth.
The formation of the offices of Trustee(s) and Director does not incorporate the spiritual society; The Ministry is and must always remain unincorporated. Membership: By consenting to the Membership Agreement provided herein, Members are granted the following rights and benefits, and agree to the following responsibilities:
● The right to detailed, informed consent about the services rendered, and what to expect.
● Full and fair conflict resolution. Complaints against a Member of The Helpful Homestead must be submitted, in writing, to The Helpful Homestead within three months of the incident at issue. These complaints will be sent to the Person, Committee, or Tribunal designated by the Ministry for evaluation and remediation action.
● Upon request, access to the Ministry Bylaws.
● Guarantee that all personal information of the Member(s) is secure, and will remain within The Helpful Homestead.
● Membership with the Ministry will remain intact unless and until: (a) the Member submits, in writing, their desire to withdraw membership; or (b) membership is terminated by the Ministry in accordance with its Bylaws.
Preamble: Members in The Helpful Homestead choose to operate pursuant to the Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitutions of the various States of the United States of America, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which collectively guarantee our Members the inalienable rights of free speech, petition, assembly, and the right to gather for the lawful purpose of advising and Helpful one another in asserting our rights under the law.
IT IS HEREBY DECLARED that we are exercising our right of freedom of association, as it is guaranteed by the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, and any equivalent provisions of the various State Constitutions. This means that our association activities are restricted to the private domain, only. We proclaim the freedom to choose for ourselves the type of education, advice, products, and services we use. We encourage our Members to perform their own research. Specifically, the mission of The Helpful Homestead is to connect humankind to God through the pursuit of holistic and herbal health, animal husbandry, organic gardening, and working to be as one with Nature and her God.
By joining The Helpful Homestead, a Private Ministerial Association (hereinafter, the “Ministry”) and/or any website or Social Media Group started by, created by, maintained, or organized by the Ministry, I agree to the following terms and conditions:
1. This Ministry declares that its objective is to provide the Private Ministerial Association founders, and all Private Ministerial Association Members, with a platform in which to conduct all manner of private business with the Ministry, and with other Ministries and Ministry Members, keeping all business in the private domain, and utilizing the protections guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Constitution of the United States, the various Constitutions of the several States of the Union, and the Charter of Rights of Canada, to conduct business in the private domain under all protections acknowledged and guaranteed by the aforementioned documents.
2. We believe that the Holy Scriptures, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Constitution of the United States, the various Constitutions of the several States of the Union, and the Charter of Rights of Canada, collectively guarantee our Members the rights of absolute freedom of religion, free speech, petition, assembly, and the right to gather together for the lawful purpose of Helpful one another in asserting our rights, as they are protected by the aforementioned documents; in addition to the rights to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, the right to not incriminate ourselves, and the right to freely exercise all other unalienable rights that have been granted by our Creator, our Almighty God, memorialized and guaranteed by the aforementioned documents. WE HEREBY DECLARE, that we are exercising our right of freedom of association, as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the U.S. Constitution and equivalent provisions of the various State Constitutions, as well as the Charter of Rights of Canada. This means that our Ministry activities are restricted to the private domain only, and are outside of the jurisdiction of government entities, agencies, officers, agents, contractors, and other representatives, as expressly provided by law.
3. We declare the basic right of all of our Members to decide for themselves which Ministry Members could be expected to give wise counsel and advice concerning all matters, including, but not limited to: physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health assistance, and any other earthly matter; and to accept from those 3 Members any and all counsel, advice, tips, services, education, or products that we feel are able to properly advise and/or assist us.
4. We expect the freedom to choose, and to perform for ourselves, the types of therapies and treatments that we think best for preventing and treating illness and disease, and for achieving and maintaining optimum wellness, as well as the freedom to choose for ourselves any types of assistance which may be made regarding business, education, medicine, spirituality, and any other private business activity. We proclaim and reserve the right to rely upon medical and health options that include, but are not limited to, cutting edge treatment modalities and therapies practiced or used by any types of healers, therapists, or practitioners the world over, whether traditional or nontraditional, conventional or unconventional.
5. The mission of this Ministry is to provide its Members with a forum to conduct business between Members in the private domain, with the protections guaranteed within the aforesaid Constitution(s) and Charter remaining fully intact. More specifically, it is to provide Members with the highest level of quality care and the most effective methods of treatment available. We emphasize the treatment of our Members, their health, and their underlying medical conditions, and not merely the symptoms they are experiencing. We understand that wellness has many dimensions, and we strive every day to stay on the leading edge of new technology, providing comprehensive, complimentary, and alternative care aimed at diagnosing all aspects of our Members’ disease.
6. The Ministry will recognize any person(s), natural or otherwise (irrespective of age, race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or religion), who has joined this Ministry or any website or Social Media Group organized, created, or managed by this Ministry, and who is in agreement with these principles and policies, as a Member of this Ministry, providing said person has not been sanctioned, excised, or otherwise banned by the Ministry; and it will provide a medium through which its individual Members may associate for actuating and bringing to fruition the purposes heretofore declared.
7. Membership in this Ministry, "The Helpful Homestead," and any of its integrated auxiliaries, may be terminated by the Ministry Trustees, or by their designee(s), at any time, should they conclude that a specific Member is interacting with them or with any other Member(s) in a way that is contrary or detrimental to the focus, principles, and betterment of this Ministry.
8. I understand that since the Ministry is protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, it is outside of the jurisdiction and authority of Federal and State agencies and authorities concerning any and all complaints or grievances against the Ministry Members or other staff persons. All rights of complaints or grievances will be settled by a Ministry designee, committee, or tribunal, and will be waived by the Member for the benefit of the Ministry and its Members. By agreeing to this membership form, I aver that I do understand it, and I have freely determined that this is the course of action I want to take on behalf of myself. Where applicable, I have also made this determination on behalf of my minor children.
9. I agree to join The Helpful Homestead, a Private Ministerial Association under common law, whose Members seek to help each other achieve better spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental health, and good quality of life. As such, I am voluntarily changing my capacity from that of a public person to that of a private member. My activities within the Ministry are a private, contractual matter that I refuse to share with any Local, State, or Federal investigative or enforcement agencies. I fully agree not to pursue any course of legal action against a fellow Member of the Ministry, unless that Member has exposed me to a clear and present danger of substantive evil; and even then, only upon the recommendation and approval of the Ministry, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
10.I enter into this agreement of my own free will, without any pressure or coercion. I affirm that I do not represent any Local, State, or Federal agency whose purpose is to regulate and/or approve products or services, or to carry out any mission of enforcement, entrapment, or investigation. I have read and understand this document, and my questions have been answered fully, and to my satisfaction. I 5 understand that I can withdraw from this agreement and terminate my membership in the Ministry at any time, and that my membership can and will be revoked if I engage in abusive, violent, menacing, destructive, or harassing behavior towards any other Member(s) of the Ministry. These pages consist of the entire agreement for my membership in the Ministry.
I agree this contract will take effect on the date that I join The Helpful Homestead. I declare that, by joining this Ministry, by contracting for its services, by participating on the Ministry website(s), and/or its Social Media Group(s), said behaviors are a clear indication that I have carefully read the whole of this document; I understand it, and I agree with it.
____________ Member Initials
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
I, ___________________________________, understand that Members, vendors, instructors, counselors, teachers, practitioners, and/or service providers within The Helpful Homestead may or may not be licensed by the Federal or State board(s) that purport to regulate their activities. I understand that the fellow Members of the Ministry who provide services and care do so in the capacity of a fellow Member, and not in the capacity as a licensed healthcare provider. I further understand that within the Ministry, no doctor-patient relationship exists, but only a contractual Member-to-Member relationship. I further understand that it is entirely my own responsibility to consider the advice and recommendations offered to me by my fellow Members, and to educate myself as to the efficacy, risks, and desirability of the same; and that the acceptance of the offered or recommended diagnosis, therapy, treatment, and/or care is my own carefully considered decision. I understand that within The Helpful Homestead, a private, contractual relationship exists between each Member, and between the Members and the Ministry. I have freely chosen to become a private Member of The Helpful Homestead, heretofore declared 6 Private Ministerial Association, and thereby change my legal capacity as a public person, customer, or client, to a private Member of The Helpful Homestead.
➢ I understand that, since the Ministry is protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, it is outside the jurisdiction and authority of Federal and State Agencies and Authorities concerning any and all complaints or grievances against the Ministry, any Trustee(s), Members, or other staff persons. All rights of complaints or grievances will be settled by a Ministry designee, committee, or tribunal, and will be waived by the Member for the benefit of the Ministry and its Members. By agreeing to this membership form, I agree that I have sought to understand the Ministry private association designation; I aver that I do understand it, and I have freely determined that this is the course of action I want to take on behalf of myself. Where applicable, I have also made this determination on behalf of my minor children.
➢ Because of the privacy and security of membership records maintained within the Ministry, which are held to be inviolate by the U.S. Supreme Court, the undersigned Member hereby waives HIPAA privacy rights and complaint process. However, any medical or healthcare records kept by Members of the Ministry will be strictly protected, and only released to a Member upon written request by that Member.
➢ I understand that my financial contributions to the Ministry are tax deductible donations, and that where my contributions total $250 USD or more, I may request a receipt for my donations at any time. It is my responsibility to ensure that I file for my deductions in a timely fashion. If I am in need of anything the Ministry provides, but cannot make the suggested donation, I understand that I can request a reduced donation amount, or ask that the suggested donation be waived in its entirety. I understand that, in some cases, my donation will secure an appointment time for receiving Ministry services. If I am unable to attend an appointment which has already been reserved by my donation, it is my responsibility to communicate my conflict to the Ministry within a reasonable amount of time, not less than 48 hours prior to the date of 7 the session. I understand that the Ministry will not accommodate my conflict if it is communicated less than 48 hours prior to the start of the session; and that conflicts communicated more 48 hours prior to the start of the program may be accommodated by the Ministry, at the Ministry’s sole discretion.
➢ I agree that violation of any of the waivers contained within this membership contract will result in a no contest legal proceeding against me.
➢ As a Member, I accept the goals of Helpful my body function better, and of choosing techniques that are both safe and have a reasonably good chance of success, realizing that no diagnostic technique or treatment is foolproof. If I choose to forego drugs, surgery, radiation, or other treatments that have been recommended to me by others, I fully accept the risk that I might suffer serious consequences from that choice. Other aspects of informed consent may take place in my discussions with the providers, and with my fellow Members of the Ministry.
➢ As I am voluntarily choosing this method of service providers, I will not hold the Ministry or its Members financially liable for any particular outcome.
I agree to join The Helpful Homestead, a Private Ministerial Association under common law, whose Members seek to help each other achieve better spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health, education, and an overall good quality of life.
My activities within the Ministry are a private matter that I refuse to share with the Federal government, the State government(s), the local or municipal authorities, or any other governmental regulatory agency, including but not limited to the Board of Pharmacy, the Board of Nursing, the Board of Allied Health, or the Department of Health, without the express, written permission of the Ministry. All records and documents remain as property of the Ministry, even if I receive a copy of them. I fully agree not to pursue any course of legal action against a fellow Member of the Ministry, including but not limited to a malpractice lawsuit, unless that Member has exposed me 8 to a clear and present danger of substantive evil; and even then, only upon the recommendation and approval of the Ministry, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. I acknowledge that the Members of this Ministry do not carry malpractice insurance.
I enter into this agreement of my own free will, without any pressure, coercion, or promise of cure. I affirm that, as a private Member, I do not represent any Local, State, or Federal agency whose purpose is to regulate and approve products, services, or practices, or to carry out any mission of enforcement, entrapment, or investigation. I have read and understood this document, and my questions have been answered fully to my satisfaction. I understand that I can withdraw from this agreement and terminate my membership in this association at any time, and that my membership can and will be revoked if I engage in abusive, violent, menacing, destructive, or harassing behavior towards any other Member of the Ministry. These pages comprise the entire agreement for my membership in the Ministry.
Payment of any dues, fees, or program costs, where applicable, along with delivery of these signed documents to a representative of the Ministry, is considered sufficient consideration for the commencement of my membership, the term of which begins with the date affixed below my signature.
____________ Member Initials
CODE OF ETHICS AND CONFIDENTIALITY
In order to encourage and foster open and candid discussion between Members, the Board of Trustees of The Helpful Homestead believes confidentiality must be maintained. Therefore, it is the policy of the Board of Trustees of The Helpful Homestead that each Member shall keep confidential any and all information relating to any discussions, or shared on the Members-only area of its website, unless the Member is given express consent to disclose said information from the Board of Trustees.
While Members are free to discuss the result of any actions taken by the Board of Trustees, disclosing information concerning any Ministry dealings to non-members is 9 strictly prohibited. Members acknowledge that any violation of this policy could cause harm to The Helpful Homestead, and that any violation of this policy could result in loss of membership.
In order to ensure compliance and to protect The Helpful Homestead, its Trustees, Independent Contractors, Advisors, and Members from potential legal problems regarding conflicts of interest and violation of fiduciary obligations, The Helpful Homestead endorses and adopts the following statement of policy:
I. Duty of Loyalty Among the fiduciary obligations of an officer, director, staff member, or committee member of a nonprofit corporation is a duty of loyalty to the non-profit corporation. This includes supporting, and not opposing, directly or indirectly, or taking any other stance against, the policies and positions duly adopted by the The Helpful Homestead Board of Trustees. As Members of The Helpful Homestead, you are obligated to maintain this duty of loyalty in all manner of activities, for the duration of your membership. This duty of loyalty is not intended to, nor should it, discourage debate within the community. Such debate is encouraged, and is part of the individual's responsibility in the deliberation process.
II. Confidentiality of Board Discussions and Board Documents In order to encourage and foster open and candid discussion at its meetings, the Board of Trustees, Advisors, and any Independent Contractors of The Helpful Homestead believe that confidentiality must be maintained. Therefore, it is the policy of the Board of Trustees, Advisors, and any Independent Contractors of The Helpful Homestead that each Member shall keep confidential any and all information relating to the operation of the Ministry, unless the Member is given expressed, written consent from the Board of Trustees to disclose said information. While all Members are free to discuss actions adopted by the Board of Trustees, disclosing or distributing any information concerning any and all aspects of the operations of The Helpful Homestead is strictly prohibited.
I have read and understand the above expectations for the position(s) of Trustee, Advisor, Independent Contractor, or Member of The Helpful Homestead, and I hereby agree to abide by this Code of Ethics and Confidentiality.
____________ Member Initials
Member Information:
Member Name: _________________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ________________________________________________________
City: ____________________________ State: _________ Zip Code: ______________
Phone Number: _____________________________ E-mail: ____________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________________ Date: __________________
Membership Affirmed by: ________________________________________________________
Trustee Signature and Date: ___________