Dear Home Educator,
As we begin to prepare for the 2011/2012 school year it’s time to renew your group or individual MACHE membership. If you’ve never become a part of the state home education association this is the time to consider joining. We offer some very practical benefits and services to Maryland home schoolers for a very nominal fee.
The Maryland Association of Christian Home Educators is an association of several hundred Christian-oriented home education organizations and individual members which serves over 4,500 member families. These local organizations include support groups, co-ops, support networks, and umbrella schools as well as individual membership. Our goal is to assist and serve the Christian Home Educators of Maryland through legislative oversight, leadership training, statewide events, workshops and information. The state association has been serving the home-educators of Maryland since 1989. MACHE is not a replacement or a substitute for the local support group or umbrella school, but an organization set up to serve both local organizations and individual member families. Our members must ascribe to our statement of faith.
Some of the benefits you’ll enjoy through MACHE membership
include:
- Updates on legislative legal and issues
of interest to member families.
- FREE entry for all member families to the Maryland
State Home School Curriculum Fair in April.
- Priority notification of statewide events like Homeschool Day at Mount Vernon, Homeschool Day at the Capital and Historic Tours of Annapolis, The Umbrella School Symposium and the ever popular “Mom’s Day Out”
event.
- Half price admission to other MACHE events such
as the “Mom’s Day Out” seminar, “Winter Workshops”,
symposiums, and Historic Tours of Annapolis scheduled
during the MACHE Home-school Legislative Education
Day.
- Discount to membership in the Home School Legal
Defense Association (HSLDA).
- Membership cards which will qualify you for
discounts at many education oriented stores, outlets
and vendors.
By joining MACHE your group or
family will also help support the following MACHE
services:
- Monitoring and advocacy on education and other
related issues at both the State Board of Education
and the Maryland Legislature. MACHE meets regularly
with various department heads with the State Department
of Education.
http://www.MACHEMD.org
- Operation of the state’s MinuteM.A.N. (Maryland
Alert Network) Program.
- Consultation in resolving conflicts with local
school officials.
- Scholarships to Patrick Henry College (several
$1000 scholarships granted for the 2010/2011 academic
year).
- Referrals to local groups for new home schoolers.
- Information regarding home schooling
in Maryland.
- Hosting statewide events like the Homeschool Day at the Capital, Umbrella School Administration Symposium, etc.
- State representation at National home education
forums.
- Advice and assistance for local groups.
- The MACHE website:
www.MACHEMD.org
Our membership rates are modest but represent substantial savings for your group for MACHE services, HSLDA membership, etc. (refer to enclosed membership form or our web site, www.machemd.org, for rates). For example, if a group with 40 families joins MACHE for $39, and only half those families attend the Maryland State Curriculum Fair, they will save $161 dollars (it would have otherwise cost $200 for 20 non-members families to attend). Tack on discounts for other events and add in discounts for HSLDA membership. Then add in discounts for educational materials at participating vendors (usually 10%), and you realize a significant return on the original investment of the $39 membership fee for the group. Most importantly, you’ll be helping to provide other valuable and needed services to home schoolers throughout the state.
Please join or renew your membership today. But regardless, be faithful to the calling on your life and trust Him who called you to complete a good work in you and yours.
Sincerely,
W.J. Shilts, Director
