Name and Purpose
Program Policies and Content
Organisation
Officers and Council Structure
Meetings
Meeting Procedure
Committees
Criteria for Membership
Non-Members
Changes and Ammendments

ARTICLES:

1. NAME:
   The name of the organisation shall be the Horizon Interfaith Communication Media Council, hereinafter referred to as the Council.
2. PURPOSE
1. To co-ordinate and encourage the use of communication media, especially those electronic in nature, by religious groups in Metro Toronto and beyond.
2. Such use will have the aims of sharing with viewers:
1. The beliefs and traditions of our diverse religious community;
2. Emphasis on values in life as addressed by religious beliefs; and
3. Promotion of harmony and understanding of our multi-cultural, multi-faith and multi-racial community in our interfaith programming.
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3. PROGRAM POLICIES
1. In particular the Council will:
1. Foster religious programming in Metro Toronto and beyond, primarily with cable TV but also with other media, such as telephone, other television formats, print, radio, internet or other media, as opportunities arise;
2. Distribute fairly the air time and other resources available among all member groups of the Council;
3. Assist in the acquisition of such resources as needed by the Council to access available media; and
4. Ensure that all eligible religious groups are aware that these media opportunities are available to them and to provide encouragement and assistance in planning and producing.
2. Program Content:
1. The content of the programs is the choice and responsibility of each individual group participating.
2. All groups must abide by the rules and policies for broadcasting as set forth by the Canadian Radio Television- telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
3. Programmers are cautioned against negative reference to any other group, direct or implied.
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4. ORGANISATION:


1. The Council is comprised of one representative from each member group. In the case of identical or substantially overlapping denominational characteristics between a member group and an applicant group, the Council will decide the allocation of representation (see also Article VIII).
2. Representatives are appointed by their own denominations. Executive Committee and denominational representatives assume office in June, the terms of which shall be from June 1 to May 31 of the following year. Elections (where applicable) shall take place in May of each year.
3. The fiscal year shall be from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
4. The Officers of the Council shall be:
1. The Chair: Presides over meetings of the Council and Executive.
2. The Vice-Chair: Presides over meetings of the Council or the Executive in the absence of the Chair.
3. Treasurer: Handles Council and Executive correspondence of a financial nature; prepares and distributes the budget and manages its funds and pays all bills approved in meeting by the Council or the Executive.
4. The Past Chair: Remains as an officer of the Council for a period of at least one year and may, at his or her discretion, continue until the selection of a new Chair.
5. There shall be two additional officers to be elected at large from the Council.
5. The Executive: The above officers shall form the Executive officers of the Council, with power to act on behalf of the Council when authorised to do so by the Council.
6. The Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer shall have signing powers on the Council bank accounts; all cheques must be signed by any two of these officers.
7. Administrative Secretary:
1. There shall be an administrative secretary to keep minutes of meetings, notify members of meetings, maintain up-to-date records of current membership and of voting and membership eligibility, assure that minutes are photocopied, arrange for distribution of agendas and minutes to members at or before each meeting, and handle Council and Executive correspondence, except of a financial nature.
2. An honorarium shall be paid to the administrative secretary.
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5. MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL


1. When?
   Meetings shall be held regularly; each meeting date shall be decided at the conclusion of the preceding meeting.
2. Special Meetings:
   Special or emergency meetings may take place at the call of the Chair through the administrative secretary.

Note: Any group of at least six members may call a special meeting by stating their reasons to the Chair, who in turn shall convene the special meeting.

3. Quorum:
   A quorum of the Council shall be one-third of the voting members. Meetings shall take place only with a quorum present.
4. Voting:
   All members of the Council are voting members. In order to be eligible to vote, each member shall have attended at least one-half of all Council meetings convened in the current seasonal year. The Chair votes only in the case of a tie vote. The recording secretary does not vote, if not a representative of a member group.
5. Attendance:
   All members must be in regular attendance. A member who finds it impossible to attend must secure a representative from his or her particular group as a substitute. A member group relinquishes its membership in the Council upon failing to attend at least one-half of the meetings convened in any given sessional year.
6. Missed Meetings:
   If a Council member misses three consecutive meetings, Council membership of the organisation in question shall be relinquished. In such a case, programs produced by the member groups in question may receive one airing beyond the third meeting missed, but no new programs shall be produced or aired in the current seasonal year. At the discretion of the organisation, application in writing may be made for renewal of membership for the following sessional year.
7. Public Meetings:
   All Council meetings are open to the general public; the Chair at its discretion may allow any visitor to speak.
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6. MEETING PROCEDURE


1. The usual agenda of the meeting is as follows:
1. Approval of the minutes;
2. Business arising from the minutes;
3. Correspondence;
4. Committee reports;
5. New business;
6. Date of next meeting; and
7. Motion for adjournment.

The above agenda may be altered at the discretion of the Chair.

2. Proposals shall be presented in the form of a motion in the following order:
1. Motion;
2. Second;
3. Discussion;
4. Amendments; and
5. Vote.

The usual method of obtaining the floor shall be by hand.

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7. COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL


1. Standing committees shall be:
1. Promotion and Publicity: Prepares press releases; works through the cable stations, local newspapers, denominational publications, ministerial associations when applicable; utilises poster where appropriate, individual congregational bulletins and calendars, and any other appropriate medium.
2. Scheduling: Responsible for fitting the requests of member groups into the time available, for deciding upon program length, for handling complaints that may arise from participating groups, and for allocating studio resources and personnel.
3. Membership: Meets with applicants for membership and recommends to Council their acceptance or rejection. It will consist of one member of the Executive and two members of the Council.
2. Special Committees
   Special committees shall be appointed by the Council as the need arises.
3. Committee Members
   The Chair and the cable network co-ordinator are, ex officio, members of all committees.
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8. CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE COUNCIL


1. Membership is limited to:
1. Bona fide religions and religious denominations (first priority);
2. Interdenominational religious groups;
3. Para-church religious groups.
2. Membership may not be granted to organisations that are primarily:
1. Self-actualisation or awareness enrichment groups;
2. Philosophical groups;
3. Community service groups.
3. Applicants for membership in the Council shall be questioned by the Membership Committee and later in open meeting, to determine whether or not the prospective member group possesses the following virtually universal characteristics of religious experience and expression:
1. An institutionalised system of beliefs, practices and attitudes pertaining to a deity or deities or clearly religious objects;
2. Faithful devotion or adherence to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity;
3. A primarily and clearly religious nature;
4. Recognition of a supernatural realm beyond the self;
5. Recognition of the concept of holiness and a system of holy forms and expressions;
6. Religious practices and observance, including wedding ceremonies and funerary customs;
7. Life valuation (orientation) behaviours and the pervasiveness of religious values in living; and
8. The presence of an established place or location for regularly held practices and observances.
4. Applications for membership in the Council shall be accepted as members only upon meeting ALL of the following conditions:
1. The prospective group must satisfy the Council that it possesses the characteristics identifying religious groups as outlined in Sections C1 through C8 above.
2. The prospective group must satisfy the Council that its philosophies and activities edify the community, and that its general reputation among the larger community is of good report.
3. The Council must approve, by a simple majority vote of the membership present in open meeting, the application of the prospective group.
5. Good Standing:
   A member in good standing is one who has paid an annual membership fee as determined by the Council.
6. Airtime Usage:
   Members will not give any of their [air]time to a group which is not a member of the Horizon Interfaith Council.
7. New Members
   New members will be expected to contribute an entrance fee when admitted (amount to be determined by the Executive) and also to assist in committee work and production of interfaith "specials". This amount would be payable in addition to the annual regular fee paid by members.
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9. REQUESTS FOR TIME FOR GROUPS NOT REPRESENTED IN THE COUNCIL


1. Where a group requesting time is clearly associated with one or more denominations already represented on the Council, then that group may approach each related member for a sharing of time in order to formulate a program.
2. Groups not clearly defined as religious entities may make a presentation to the Council in general session, and the Council shall decide whether or not to allocate time for the formulation of a program.
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10. CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION

Proposals for any change in the Constitution shall be made at one meeting, published in the minutes, and voted upon at the next general session of the Council. Such a change shall be implemented only upon approval by a vote of at least fifty percent plus one member of total membership of Council at a regular meeting of the Council.

11. AMENDMENTS


1. The purpose of the Council shall also include the practising and promotion of racial and religious harmony.
2. The tenure of any elected member of the Executive shall not exceed three years in any given position.