___ ___ /___\ ___ IHC | | nXC ______| |______ /______| |______\ | _|_ | |______ | ______| | | ______ ______ ______ | | __ _____ _______ /_____/\ /_____/\ /_____/\ | | /\_\___ /\____\ /\______\ \ ___\/ \ __ \ \ \ __ \ \ | | / / /___\ / / ___/ \/__ __/ _\ \ \_____\ \ \ \ \_\ \_\ \ \___| |____/ / ___ /_/ / /_\___ / / / / \ \ \____ \ \ \ \ \ \ ___\/ | | / / // / / / / ___/ / / /\ / \ \/___/\ \ \_\ \ \ \ \ \ | | / / // / / / / /_\ / / / \ / \_____\/ \_____\/ \_\/ | | \/_/ \/_/ \/____/ \/_/ \ / \ /____________________________________________________________________________\ \ / \ This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. / \ / \ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that / \ the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. / \ / \ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does / \ not parade itself, is not puffed up; is not rude, does not / \ seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not / \ rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears / \ all things, believes all things, hopes all / \ things, endures all things. Love never fails. / \____________________________________________________/ C O P T - N E T C H A R T E R Instituted 8/22/1992 Purpose ------- Copt-Net is a Christian fellowship dedicated for the service of the emigrant Coptic Orthodox community. Copt-Net Digest is the main forum for communication between Copt-Net members, who are committed to the Orthodox Christian faith of the Coptic Church and are interested in its service. Copt-Net Newsletter is an electronic publication that is intended for a more diverse audience of other Christians and non-Christians who are genuinely interested in the faith, teachings, and traditions of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and the history and culture of the Copts. Disclaimer ---------- Copt-Net is not an organization or an association. Its Digest and Newsletter are not professional magazines. Opinions expressed on Copt-Net belong to those individuals voicing them. In particular, they do not represent in any way or form, directly or indirectly, the positions or opinions of the Coptic Orthodox Church, its hierarchy, or its lay councils. Any member of Copt-Net who uses Copt-Net's name or Logo to suggest or mean the contrary is violating this Charter. This Charter cannot be modified in any way that would contradict the above stated purpose and/or disclaimer of Copt-Net. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copt-Net Digest The main form of communication between Copt-Net members is its Digest. Chief among the goals of Copt-Net Digest is the coordination of Church activities, which include Sunday School service, youth conventions, translation of Liturgical texts and Hymns, as well as exchanging relevant news about the Coptic Orthodox Church. Format ------ Copt-Net Digest is an unmoderated electronic publication that is issued at most once every day. Each issue of Copt-Net Digest includes all submissions that were received by Copt-Net server since the last issued Copt-Net Digest. Guidelines ---------- When contributing to Copt-Net Digest, members should be reminded that this forum is devoted to the service of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the spiritual growth of its members. The following are few guidelines that should be observed to keep this forum focussed on the purpose for which it was conceived. o Postings on Copt-Net Digest should not have any political content or intonation as this is not the purpose of Copt-Net. o Postings on Copt-Net Digest should benefit the service of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the spiritual growth of its members. o Postings on Copt-Net Digest should not be forwarded or redistributed to any other forums without the prior permission of their authors. o Postings on Copt-Net Digest contrasting the Coptic Orthodox Church's faith to other denominational faiths should be objective, with Christian unity being the ultimate goal. o Postings on Copt-Net Digest should be respectful of the faith, rules, teachings, and hierarchy of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In particular, postings that question the faith of the Coptic Orthodox Church do not belong to this forum; they will not be tolerated. o Postings on Copt-Net Digest should be respectful of other people's opinions. Unchristian attitudes like insults or degrading remarks aimed at individuals, whether members or non-members, do not belong to a fellowship of Christians; they will not be tolerated. These guidelines are not meant to suppress good, honest, and healthy discussions and questions that would benefit the Church's service. Rather, they are included to promote harmony and unity among all the members. If a discussion deviates outside one or more of these guidelines then the parties involved should move that discussion off Copt-Net Digest. By subscribing to Copt-net Digest, members accept the above description, and guidelines for participation. Failure to consistently do so may result in the revocation of the offender's membership. Membership ---------- Inclusion in the Copt-Net Digest mailing list is open to any Coptic Orthodox Christian who is interested in an active service of the Coptic Church. It is customary for new members to be recommended for membership, either by a member of Copt-net, a priest, or a well known church leader. Such a recommendation should be based on first-hand personal knowledge. The following describes the process to be followed for introducing new members to Copt-Net. Please contact Copt-Net Governing board for any questions or clarifications: + Upon the recommendation of any current Copt-Net member, a prospective member joins Copt-Net as an "invited member" by posting his/her self-introduction. Posting the self-introduction is a requirement. + The four-week period following the admission of an invited member to Copt-Net is intended to be an introductory period, in which current members and the invited member get to know each other better. Current members of CN are encouraged to discuss publicly with any invited member whatever points they feel are important to bring up or question (for example concerning the invited member's service or interests). It is expected that the invited member would actively participate in such discussions as part of his/her introduction to the CN community. Any reservations or concerns from any Copt-Net member regarding the invited member should be communicated privately with Copt-Net Governing Board. + Following the 4-week introductory period, and if the invited member is not interested in becoming a regular member, he/she should contact Copt-Net Governing Board so as to remove his/her name from Copt-Net mailing list. Otherwise, he/she will automatically become a regular Copt-Net member. Inclusion in the mailing list of Copt-Net Digest can be discontinued by Copt-Net Governing board in cases of misconduct or failure to abide by the general guidelines for contributions to Copt-Net Digest. Self-Introduction Form ---------------------- New members of the Copt-Net Digest mailing list are asked to fill out the following self-introduction form. The list of self-introductions of all members will be available for retrieval only by members of the Copt-Net Digest mailing list. Name: LastName, FirstName MiddleName(s) Birthdate: MM-DD-YYYY Birthplace: City, State, Country Current Church: Name of Church (and Name of Priest if possible) Street Address of Church City, State ZIP, Country Phone and Fax Other Churches: Name of Church, City, State, Country [From YYYY to YYYY] Name of Church, City, State, Country [From YYYY to YYYY] ........................................................ ........................................................ Church Service: ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ Education: Degree, Field, University, Month YYYY Degree, Field, University, Month YYYY ..................................... Occupation: Title or Job description Name of Institution or Organization Home Address: Street Address City, State ZIP Country Home Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx Work Address: Street Address City, State ZIP Country Work Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx Email: login@machine.cluster.domain CN Membership: Activated on Month YYYY Upon the recommendation of ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copt-Net Newsletter An important objective of Copt-Net is to reach out to those genuinely interested in the Coptic Orthodox Church, its faith, and its traditions. The Copt-Net Newsletter is conceived for that purpose. Format ------ The Copt-Net Newsletter is a moderated electronic publication that is issued several times a year. Articles appearing on the Newsletter will be from postings that appeared on Copt-Net Digest, along with editorial articles where essays, questions, and inquiries received from the Newsletter's readers will be presented and if necessary addressed. Guidelines ---------- The Editorial Board of Copt-Net Newsletter is responsible for its compilation. Individuals on the mailing list of Copt-Net Newsletter are encouraged to send their contributions, whether in the form of questions about the Coptic Church or comments on previous Newsletter articles. In submitting such contributions, the following general guidelines must be observed. o Submissions to Copt-Net Newsletter should not have any political content or intonation as this is not the purpose of Copt-Net. o Submissions to Copt-Net Newsletter should be respectful of the faith, rules, teachings, and hierarchy of the Coptic Orthodox Church. o Submissions to Copt-Net Newsletter contrasting the Coptic Orthodox Church's faith to other denominational faiths should be objective, with mutual understanding being the ultimate goal. o Submissions to Copt-Net Newsletter should be respectful of the faiths and opinions of others. Unchristian attitudes like insults or degrading remarks aimed at individuals should be avoided. These guidelines are not meant to suppress good, honest, and healthy discussions and questions aimed at achieving a better understanding amongst all readers of the Newsletter. If a submission deviates away from one or more of these guidelines then the Editorial Board of Copt-Net Newsletter is required to either reject or edit the submission in question. By subscription to Copt-net Newsletter, members accept the above description, and guidelines for participation. Membership ---------- Inclusion in the Copt-Net Newsletter mailing list is open to any individual who wishes to join. All members of the Copt-Net Digest Mailing list are also members of the Copt-Net Newsletter Mailing list. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copt-Net Executive Body Copt-Net Governing Board ------------------------ A board of five volunteer members of Copt-Net are responsible for monitoring its Digest, as well as coordinating other forums and activities of Copt-Net. In particular, Copt-Net Governing Board is responsible for accepting recommendations for inclusion in Copt-Net Digest's mailing list, as well as for revoking membership to the Digest -- if such a measure deems necessary. Copt-Net Governing Board is also responsible for appointing Copt-Net's maintainer and approving the appointment of new members of Copt-Net Editorial Board. One of the five members of Copt-Net Governing Board is to be replaced or renominated quarterly. The nomination of a new member is the responsibility of the four continuing members. Only members of Copt-Net Digest, who have joined it for at least one year are eligible to serve on the Governing Board. The nomination (or renomination) should be carried by a vote of confidence, in which at least 75% of Copt-Net Digest members who participate in the voting support the nomination. The voting process should be supervised by Copt-Net maintainer along with the continuing members of Copt-Net Governing Board. Copt-Net Newsletter Editorial Board ----------------------------------- This board consists of three volunteers who jointly assume the responsibility of compiling and issuing Copt-Net Newsletter. In particular, Copt-Net Editorial Board is responsible for receiving submissions, selecting Digest articles, and compiling editorial columns for the Newsletter. One of the three members of the Newsletter Editorial Board is replaced or renominated quarterly. The nomination of a new member is the responsibility of the two continuing members, and must be approved by Copt-net Governing Board. Copt-Net Maintainer ------------------- The technical support for Copt-Net forums is the responsibility of Copt-Net Maintainer. In particular, Copt-Net Maintainer is responsible for maintaining Copt-Net's different mailing lists, developing/upgrading its software, and keeping its Archives and Repositories up-to-date. Copt-Net Maintainer is a volunteer member appointed by Copt-Net's Governing Board. Copt-Net maintainer reports directly to Copt-Net's Governing Board and must comply with any decisions of that Board. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------