Articles
Use of DUUC Name
Responsible Entity: Public Ministries Committee
Date Approved: February 2005
Reviewed: March 2009
Questions of Interpretation of this policy should be referred to the Board of Trustees.
The DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church (DUUC) by any other name would perhaps function as well, but some uses of DUUC's name by others may not always promote the purposes of the Church. All members of the Church benefit when its name is well used, and suffer when it is ill used. The Church takes a legitimate interest in the use of its name for at least two reasons:
The Church and its members have a responsibility to ensure that any implied association with the Church is accurate.
Attaching a DUUC name to an event, project or publication implies a close connection with the Church, usually sponsorship or endorsement. For example, such forms as the "DUUC Project on..." or "members of the DUUC Church" should be used only when they refer to activities for which the Church itself or one of its delegated authorities is accountable. Involvement by DUUC committees, members or staff is not, by itself, a sufficient basis to title an activity or name use as "DUUC" sponsored. Rather the activity or use must be one for which the Church takes institutional responsibility.
The Church and its members have a responsibility to ensure that the activities with which it is accurately associated maintain standards consistent with its institutional purposes. In endeavors under the supervision and control of Church committees, groups, staff or programs, adherence to these standards is assured through the normal processes of review. In other activities, the guidance of the PMC per the DUUC constitution is required. Only those we have selected to do so may represent us.No individual or group can really claim to represent all of us without our consent. Even some projects that satisfy the standards of quality may not appropriately use the Church name (for example, partisan political activities or outside ventures carried on by committees, groups, staff or programs).
I. Standards for Committees and Other Church Units
This Part contains the standards for the use of the DUUC name by the Church and its committees and groups. Part II contains the standards for the use of the DUUC name by individual members of the Church community.
1. The name DUUC may be used to identify an activity only with the approval of the Board of Trustees or PMC per the DUUC constitution. Approval under subparagraph 1 is not required for the following activities:
i. Official publications of the Church (e.g., newsletter and related materials of the Church and its various committees, the “members only” section of the church website, and similar electronic publications issued by Church, and the DUUC Member Directory);
ii. Materials prepared specifically for use in connection with courses conducted by the Church (e.g., DUUC Adult RE).
2. A name that refers to individual committees or groups may be used to identify an activity only with the approval of that committee. Individual committees should not publicly identify themselves with issues without the approval of PMC. This means that our committees need permission from the PMC to use media, such as newspapers, radio, signs, flyers, or our publicly accessible website, to indicate that their committee or our church opposes or supports and issue.
3. Pages on social networking sites set up using the DUUC name must be specifically approved by PMC, even if under the supervision of church staff.
II. Standards for Members, Staff and Trustees
This Part contains the standards for the use of the DUUC name by members of the Church community acting in their individual capacities. The standards for use of the DUUC name by the Church and its committees and groups are contained in Part I.
1. Members, or individuals may use or authorize the use of the DUUC name to identify any activity, individual, entity, or publication only with the approval of the PMC per the DUUC constitution. Our minister, our Board President, and members expressly given permission by the PMC may speak publicly on behalf of DUUC concerning a specific issue.
2. The Minister and Staff may use the DUUC name to identify themselves (e.g., "Jane Doe, Minister, DUUC Church"). In using or authorizing use of the DUUC name to identify themselves in connection with activities conducted with outside individuals and entities (e.g., authoring a book), staff members should assure that the DUUC name is used in a manner that does not imply Church endorsement or responsibility for the particular activity, product, or publication involved.