By-Laws of Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid Fellowship, Inc. As of Feb., 1993 c.e. (Plus a few u
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By-Laws of
Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid Fellowship, Inc.
As of Feb., 1993 c.e.
(Plus a few unofficial notes on by-law changes since.)
Preamble:
1) Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid Fellowship, Inc., also known as "A.D.F.,"
is the legal structure for a Neopagan Druidic religion based on the
beliefs and practices of the ancient Indo-Europeans, adapted to the
needs and sensibilities of modern people. We are a nonprofit religious,
scientific, educational, artistic, and charitable corporation, organized
to practice the full spectrum of legal activities practiced by any
religious organization.
2) As we define it, Neopagan Druidism is a polytheistic, nondualist,
nonsexist, nonracist, scientific, holistic, and ecologically oriented
faith. We are dedicated to the preservation of our Holy Mother Earth,
the full achievement of human potential, the revival of the worship
of the Old Gods in a modern context, and the creation of a world of
peace, love, freedom, health, and prosperity for all intelligent beings.
3) The following by-laws are intended to help us achieve these ideals
and all future by-laws and amendments shall be similarly intended.
Article 1: Purposes
1) To accomplish the goals outlined in the Preamble, A.D.F. advocates
and practices, as an integral part of our faith, many sciences, arts,
and disciplines, both mainstream and alternative, within a nondogmatic,
pluralistic context, in order to change ourselves, each other, and the
world around us.
2) Since one of the primary duties of the ancient Druids was to lead
their tribes in magical and religious activities, A.D.F. advocates
and practices, as an integral part of our faith, open, inclusionary,
and public ceremonies to worship the Earth Mother and the Old Gods and
Goddesses, rites of passage to mark the cycles of our lives, and magical
rituals to accomplish our other goals in an honest and ethical manner.
3) Since the ancient Druids were the intellectuals of their tribes,
A.D.F. advocates and practices, as an integral part of our faith,
scientific and scholarly research and debate about the ancient
Druids, the Indo-Europeans, comparative religion, folklore,
ethnomusicology, and every other relevant field of human knowledge.
4) In keeping with our reverence for and worship of the Earth Mother,
A.D.F. advocates and practices, as an integral part of our faith,
ecological and environmental research, education, and activism.
5) Since the ancient Druids were the artists of their tribes, A.D.F.
advocates and practices, as an integral part of our faith, a wide
variety of auditory, graphic, movement, dramatic, liturgical, and
other arts and crafts.
6) Since the ancient Druids included many healers in their ranks, A.D.F.
advocates and practices, as an integral part of our faith, the
investigation, dissemination, and performance of a wide variety of
healing arts and technologies, both mainstream and alternative,
including herbal, nutritional, mental, magical, and spiritual methods,
among others; advising all parties concerned as to the presence or
absence of appropriate credentials as required by civil law.
7) Since the ancient Druids included diviners in their ranks, A.D.F.
advocates and practices, as an integral part of our faith, the use of
the divinatory arts and sciences as tools for spiritual counseling and
liturgical guidance; advising all parties concerned as to the presence
or absence of appropriate credentials as required by civil law.
8) Since the ancient Druids included counselors, mediators, and judges
in their ranks, A.D.F. advocates and practices, as an integral part
of our faith, the investigation, dissemination, and performance of a
wide variety of counseling arts and methods, both mainstream and
alternative, as well as techniques of mediating disputes and judging
conflicts between organizations and/or individuals in the Neopagan
community; advising all parties concerned as to the presence or
absence of appropriate credentials as required by civil law.
Article 2: Offices
1) The principal office of the Corporation shall be located in the City
of Newark, County of New Castle, in the State of Delaware, USA. The
Corporation may have other such offices, either within or without the
State of Delaware, as the Directors may designate or the business of
the Corporation may require from time to time.
Article 3: Calendar
1) The eight High Days of the Druidic calendar, as referenced in these
by-laws and all legal documents of A.D.F., are as follows: Samhain,
Winter Solstice, Oimelc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice,
Lughnasadh, and Fall Equinox.
2) For legal purposes, each High Day shall commence at sunset in Delaware
on the days preceding the following dates: Samhain = Nov. 1st, Winter
Solstice = Dec. 21st, Oimelc = Feb. 1st, Spring Equinox = March 21st,
Beltane = May 1st, Summer Solstice = June 21st, Lughnasadh = Aug. 1st,
and Fall Equinox = Sept. 21st.
3) For ceremonial purposes, however, each High Day may be celebrated upon
either the legal date, the astronomical date, or upon a date mutually
convenient to the participants of the particular celebrations involved.
4) Since the Druidic year traditionally runs from one Samhain to the next,
the legal and ceremonial Druidic years shall run according to the legal
and ceremonial dates for Samhain described previously in this article.
5) The fiscal year of the Corporation shall begin on the first day of
January and end on the thirty-first day of December in each civil year.
Article 4: Categories of Membership
1) "Regular," "Supporting," and "Sustaining" members of A.D.F. are those
individuals paying an annual amount of dues to be determined by the
Mother Grove, and who are entitled to receive all A.D.F. publications
meant for the general membership.
2) "Family" members are those individuals, annually paying a lesser
amount than regular dues, who reside with regular members and who are
relatives, spouses, or unmarried partners to them. They will not
receive separate mailings of most A.D.F. publications.
3) "Lifetime" members are those individuals making large donations of
money or service to A.D.F., as shall be determined by the Mother
Grove. They are entitled to receive all A.D.F. publications meant for
the general membership, and shall be considered current with their
dues for the rest of their lives.
4) "Prisoner" members are those individuals currently incarcerated in
correctional institutions, who may pay a lesser amount than the
regular dues. They are entitled to receiveall A.D.F. publications
meant for the general membership, except that the Membership
Directory and other publications which the Mother Grove may decide
constitute a violation of privacy or risk for the general membership
if exam ined within the prison system shall be withheld. Prisoners
may not run for office, except within a local prison-based grove.
5) "Exchange Editor" members are those individuals, annually paying a
lesser amount than regular dues, who publish periodicals with which
A.D.F. has an exchange subscription arrangement. Like family members,
they will not receive separate mailings of most A.D.F. publications.
6) "Complimentary" members are those individuals whom the Mother Grove
has decided should receive mailings of the general A.D.F.
publications in order to keep them informed of our activities, and
who pay no dues at all. They may not be voting members and may not
run for office.
7) From time to time the Mother Grove may institute other categories of
membership, including combinations of categories, and shall define
their characteristics as needed.
8) Children under the age of l8 must have the signed and notarized
permission of at least one parent or legal guardian in order to
become a member of A.D.F., unless the Mother Grove shall rule
otherwise.
Article 5: The Voting Members
1) "Voting" members, also known as the "members of record," are those
members of A.D.F. who: (a) belong to one of the dues-paying
categories listed in the preceding sections of this article; (b) are
up to date with their A.D.F. membership dues; and (c) have not
resigned from A.D.F., nor been expelled.
2) Each voting member shall have one vote, plus one additional vote for
each full, continuous year that he or she remains a voting member.
3) A gap of more than three months from the expiration of membership to
renewal shall constitute a discontinuity of membership, except as the
Mother Grove may decide otherwise.
4) Except as may be noted elsewhere in these by-laws, all references to
voting by the voting members assume these multiple votes.
5) Except as otherwise mentioned in these by-laws, a quorum for voting
purposes shall consist of those voting members representing
twenty-five percent of the total number of votes available to be
cast.
6) Proxy votes may be assigned to voting members who are to be present
at an annual or special meeting, through the signing of the proxy
statements issued by the Mother Grove, and are valid only for the
annual or special meeting marked thereon.
7) If election or referundum choices are combined with a proxy
statement, the person receiving the proxy must cast those votes given
him or her according to any electoral choices marked on the combined
ballot/proxy statement. If a given member sending in such a proxy has
not made any such electoral choices, the person receiving the proxy
may cast those votes according to his or her best judgement.
8) Voting members may attend annual or special meetings via electronic
communications devices if such are available.
Article 6: The Annual Meeting
1) The annual meeting of the voting members of A.D.F. shall be held
during the annual International Druid Festival, the time of which
shall be decided by the membership at the previous annual meeting.
2) There shall be mailed to each voting member at her or his last known
address, by first class mail or overseas airmail, at least six weeks
prior to the annual meeting, a notice setting out the time and place
of the annual meeting, and including a combined proxy statement and
ballot to be signed by those voting members so desiring. Said notice
and proxy/ballot may be incorporated into an A.D.F. newsletter
published at the appropriate time, which must be mailed out by first
class mail or overseas air.
3) In case a quorum is not present in body or proxy at the annual
meeting, those present may adjourn to such a day and time as a
majority shall agree upon. If said day and time is within the current
International Druid Festival, verbal notice to those voting members
present at the I.D.F. shall suffice, and the necessary quorum shall
drop to ten percent of the total membership vote. Otherwise, notice
of such adjournment shall be mailed to each voting member of A.D.F.
at least 21 days before said date and
4) Alternately, if a quorum is not present at the annual meeting, those
present may decide by majority vote to hold the annual meeting
without binding votes upon any subject other than the election of a
new Membersþ Advocate, who may be elected as described elsewhere in
these by-laws. If the office of Archdruid is up for election at that
time, this election shall take place as well, as described elsewhere
in these by-laws.
5) If a quorum is present, elections for all Officerships open shall be
held as described elsewhere in these by-laws.
Article 7: Special Meetings & Referunda
1) A special meeting or a referendum of the voting members may be called
by the request of a majority of the Mother Grove, or by a petition
representing one-third of the membership votes. Such a special
meeting shall be held sixty to ninety days after the Board meeting at
which such request or petition is received, at a location to be
selected by the Mother Grove. Notice of such a special meeting,
stating its particular purpose, shall be mailed to the voting members
as with the annual meeting, including the provision of proxy
statements.
2) The Mother Grove may decide to hold a referendum through the mails at
any time, and such referendum may be instead of a special meeting,
should the topics under consideration lend themselves to such
treatment. Ballots for a referendum shall be mailed out with the next
issue of the A.D.F. newsletter, which shall include brief arguments
presenting all sides of the topics involved. Voting shall be
considered to be closed sixty days after the issue has been mailed.
Article 8: Elections of Officers and Directors
1) At the annual meeting held in 1993 c.e., all Officers, except the
Archdruid, shall stand for re-election. At that and every third
following annual meeting, the voting members shall vote to fill all
expiring Officerships in the Mother Grove and may choose to add
Non-Officer Directors to the Board as well.
2) At every annual meeting the voting members shall elect, by simple
majority vote of those participating, with no quorum required, a
Members' Advocate who shall thus be elected to the Mother Grove as
well.
3) Nominations to the Board may be made by the standing Board, as well
as by any group of twenty or more voting members or any group of
voting members having a total of fifty or more votes, who shall sign
a petition nominating a qualified candidate, and submit said petition
at least sixty days before the elections are to be held.
4) Any voting member of A.D.F., save a prisoner, may run for election as
a Officer or Non-Officer Director, or be selected as a Non-Officer
Director. All candidates must have passed their 18th birthdays and
fulfill the requirements for office listed elsewhere in these
by-laws.
5) After verification of membership status of all candidates and
nomination signatories by the Registrar, the names of the candidates
shall be published, along with brief statements by the candidates (if
provided), in the ADF newsletter.
6) Brief rebuttals (if desired), as well as ballots, shall be mailed to
all voting members along with proxy statements, six weeks prior to
the elections. Such mailing may be combined with an issue of the ADF
newsletter.
7) Plurality of votes cast for a given Office shall be sufficient to
elect an Officer other than the Archdruid. Non-Officer Directors
shall be elected by receiving at least 25% of all votes available to
be cast. [Note: in 5/93, this last sentence was modified to omit
"available to be".]
8) Any member may split his/her available votes between the various
candidates for any given Office. Any member may split his/her
available votes between the various candidates who wish to become
9) Should there be no quorum achieved for the elections (which shall be
defined as being the same as for the annual meeting), by presence or
proxy, then all incumbent candidates shall be deemed to have been
re-elected.
10)At the end of every tri-annual election, after all Officers and
Non-Officer Directors (if any) have been elected, and before the
annual meeting is finally adjourned, the Archdruid-elect or
continuing Archdruid may select one or more voting members as
Non-Officer Directors to join those Officers elected in the Mother
Grove.
11)All Directors, whether elected or selected, shall exercise equal
powers and responsibilities, save as otherwise noted in these
by-laws.
12)Missing three consecutive Mother Grove meetings, whether regular or
special, shall constitute an offer of resignation from the Mother
Grove by that Director. The rest of the Mother Grove may accept or
decline that offer.
13)In the case of the death, expulsion, resignation, or permanent
incapacitation of any Director or Officer other than the Membersþ
Advocate or the Archdruid, who shall be replaced as described
elsewhere in these by-laws, the remaining Directors may, at any time
thereafter, elect a qualified voting member to finish out the
departed Director or Officerþs term.
14)All Officers and Non-Officer Directors elected or selected at the
annual meeting, including an elected Archdruid, shall take office as
of the second High Day following that annual meeting.
Article 9: The Mother Grove
1) The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be known as the
"Mother Grove" of A.D.F.
2) The members of the Mother Grove may exercise all the duties,
responsibilities, and privileges normally held by the Directors of
other nonprofit religious corporations.
3) The Mother Grove shall hold regular meetings at least once between
each Solstice and Equinox at the offices of the Corporation in
Delaware, or at such times and places as they shall appoint. Special
meetings may be called by the Archdruid by giving one day's notice to
each Director.
4) Regular or special meetings of the Board or any committee may be held
in person, via electronic communications devices, or through the
mails. These may include: telephone conference calls, a telephone or
postal polling of Board Members by the Archdruid or another Officer
at the Archdruid's request, the use of a computer bulletin board,
etc.
5) A majority of the Mother Grove shall constitute a quorum. Each
Director, as such, shall have one vote. Except as otherwise stated in
these by-laws, a simple majority shall carry all motions.
6) At the Archdruid's choice, consensus decision making or Roberts Rules
of Order may be adopted for all or part of any given meeting.
7) The Mother Grove shall have the general management of the business
and affairs of the Corporation, subject to the veto of the Archdruid,
which may be over-ruled by a three-quarters vote of the other
Directors.
8) The Mother Grove shall exercise all the powers that may be exercised
or performed by the Corporation under the statutes, the Articles of
Incorporation, and the by-laws.
9) Minutes of every meeting of the Mother Grove shall be taken by the
Scribe. Abbreviated versions shall be edited by him or her to
eliminate meandering and/or possible violations of members' privacy,
and published in the regular AD.F. newsletter. Any member of A.D.F.
may see the unabbreviated versions of the minutes by consulting the
archives or by paying for any copying and mailing expenses.
10)On those occasions when the Mother Grove is meeting with a majority
of the Directors physically present in one location, such meetings
shall be open to attendance by any voting members who may happen to
be in the vicinity, unless matters of extreme delicacy or personal
privacy may be involved, or in the case of a spiritual retreat being
held by the Mother Grove. When Mother Grove meetings are being held
via electronic communications devices, the Archdruid may invite one
or more individuals, whether voting members or not, to attend as
guests.
11)Any voting member may, through the Members' Advocate, request a
position on the agenda of a Mother Grove meeting, for the discussion
of matters of concern to her or him. If she or he is an electronic
guest or a physical visitor to a Mother Grove meeting, said member
may then address the Directors on the issues involved.
12)The Directors are authorized at their discretion to appoint from
their number an executive committee of two or more persons, one of
whom shall be the Archdruid, who shall be vested with the powers of
the Mother Grove when the same is not in session.
13)The Mother Grove is the supreme authority in the Corporation and may,
if necessary, overrule the decisions, policies, and practices of all
other groups within A.D.F., including guilds, councils, special
interest groups, committees, and local groves. In order to facilitate
creativity, communication, and spiritual growth for all members,
however, said authority is to be used lightly and rarely.
14)The maximum number of Directors shall be twelve. The minimum shall be
eight.
15)Any Director may pass her/his proxy onto another for a particular
meeting for one or more particular issues (but not a general
proxy), verifing such in writing to the Scribe within three weeks
following the meeting.
Article 10: Incapacitation
1) A two-thirds majority of the Mother Grove may request any member of
A.D.F. in any position of responsibility or trust, including any
Director, Officer, or Archdruid, to submit to evaluation by two or
more appropriate medical or psychological specialists, who shall be
chosen by the Mother Grove and paid for by the Corporation. A member
of the Mother Grove shall be selected to consult with said
specialists and shall make a written and verbal report of ?wIhe
specialistsþ findings and her or his own.
2) Upon receipt of this report, the Mother Grove may then declare that
the person so evaluated is temporarily or permanently incapacitated.
Said person shall then be immediately removed from all positions of
responsibility either temporarily or permanently, depending upon the
declaration.
3) Restoration of her or his previous positions, whether through
election, selection, appointment, or simple resumption of duties
shall be contingent upon a statement by the same or other acceptable
specialists that she or he is once again fit to execute her or his
responsibilities.
Article 11: The Archdruid
1) The Archdruid shall preside at all meetings of the Mother Grove and
voting members; shall be a member, whether participating actively or
not, of all committees organized by the Mother Grove; shall have
normal executive control over the affairs of the Corporation; may
perform all those other duties that would otherwise be performed by a
corporate President; and shall be responsible for articulating the
spiritual vision of A.D.F. He or she shall not be considered to be
impeccable nor infallible on any topic.
2) The initial Archdruid of A.D.F., having been chosen by Divine
Selection as such, and having been the original Incorporator of
A.D.F., shall serve in perpetuity -- i.e., until his death,
retirement, or permanent incapacitation.
3) After the death, retirement, or permanent incapacitation of the
initial Archdruid, the Vice Archdruid shall become the Acting
Archdruid, and shall exercise all the rights, privileges, and
responsibilities of the initial Archdruid until the second High Day
following the next annual meeting.
4) At said annual meeting, a new Archdruid shall be elected by a
two-thirds majority of the available votes held by those members
participating, with no quorum required. Should no single candidate
win a two-thirds approval, the candidate with the lowest total shall
be disqualified, and this process shall continue until only one
candidate is left or a candidate has won two-thirds of the votes.
5) Any of the following shall be eligible to be a candidate for the
office of Archdruid: (a) the Acting Archdruid; (b) one person chosen
by a majority vote of the Mother Grove; (c) one person chosen by a
majority of those members of the Council of Senior Druids who are not
also members of the Mother Grove; and (d) any person or persons
presenting a nomination petition to the Mother Grove signed by at
least fifty voting members of A.D.F. There may thus be from one to
three or more possible candidates. All candidates for the office of
Archdruid must be individual voting members of A.D.F. in good
standing, announce their willingness to take on the responsibilities
of the office, and announce that Neopagan Druidism is their primary
religious path.
6) The first Archdruid elected in this manner shall take office on the
the second High Day following that annual meeting; and shall exercise
all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of the initial
Archdruid for nine years, at which point she or he must relinquish
the office to another chosen in the same manner through an election
held at the annual meeting immediately preceding the end of her or
his term.
7) The normal term of office for all elected Archdruids shall
subsequently be nine years. No elected Archdruid may serve two terms
in a row, except that if a Vice Archdruid finishes out the term of an
elected Archdruid, as described later in this article, for a period
of less than three years, she or he may be elected for the next full
term.
8) An elected Archdruid may be recalled by a three-quarters vote of all
voting members of A.D.F., at a special meeting or referendum called
for that purpose.
9) An elected Archdruid who relinquishes his or her duties to the Vice
Archdruid for more than three months at one time, or for more than a
total of twenty-seven months in his or her term, shall be deemed to
have offered to retire. The Mother Grove may accept or decline this
offer.
10)If an elected Archdruid is recalled, retires, dies, or is permanently
incapacitated, the Vice Archdruid shall become the new Archdruid and
shall finish out the term of her or his predecessor. References in
these by-laws to þelectedþ Archdruids shall then include such a
person.
11)The original Archdruid upon his retirement may take the position of
Archdruid Emeritus which shall entitle him to attend and speak, but
not vote; at all Board and committee meetings he may choose, and to
publish his thoughts in any Mother Grove publication.
Article 12: The Other Officers
1 )The Officers of this Corporation shall consist of: an Archdruid, a
Vice Archdruid, a Scribe, a Pursewarden, a Registrar, a Chronicler, a
Preceptor, a Members' Advocate, and other such officers and agents as
may from time to time be chosen.
2) The Vice Archdruid shall exercise the functions of the Archdruid in
her or his absence; shall replace the Archdruid in the event of her
or his recall, death, retirement, or permanent incapacitation, as
described elsewhere in these by-laws; and may perform all those other
duties that would otherwise be performed by a corporate Vice
President. Candidates for the office of Vice Archdruid shall each be
a willing member of one of the two innermost Circles then populated
of an of ficial Druidic study program, as verified by the Council of
Lore.
3) The Scribe shall keep a record of all votes and minutes of the
proceedings of all meetings of the Mother Grove and voting members;
shall give notice as required in these by-laws of all meetings; shall
send proxy statements and/or mail ballots to all voting members as
described in these by-laws; shall organize all incoming
correspondance for reply; and may perform all those other duties that
would otherwise be performed by a corporate Secretary. Candidates for
the office of Scribe shall have the ability to take minutes and word
processing skills, shall have a knowledge of all basic information
regarding A.D.F. history, policies, polytheology, etc.; and shall
have access to a computer with which to perform their duties.
4) The Pursewarden (and/or other designee as approved by the Mother
Grove) shall sign all checks, drafts, contracts, and other
instruments for the Corporation; shall have custody of all monies of
the Corporation received or disbursed; shall deposit all monies and
valuables in the name of and to the credit of A.D.F. in such banks or
other financial institutions as the Mother Grove shall designate. All
checks or other hnancial instruments involving sums greater than (US)
$5,000 shall require the signatures of both the Pursewarden and the
Archdruid. The Pursewarden shall be responsible for keeping the
Corporationþs financial records according to generally accepted
accounting principles for nonprofit corporations; will generate
quarterly financial reports for the Mother Grove; and may perform all
those other duties that would otherwise be performed by a corporate
Treasurer. Candidates for the office of Pursewarden shall have
bookkeeping and/or accounting skills.
5) The Registrar shall keep all membership and subscription records,
shall have general responsibility for maintaining the database
thereof; shall generate reports and mailing labels for the Mother
Grove and other designated agents of A.D.F.; and shall assist grove
organizers and other members with specialized mailings. She or he
shall maintain strict confidentiality of the membership list
according to guidelines established by the Mother Grove. Candidates
for the office of Registrar shall have database management skills,
and shall have access to a computer with which to perform their
duties.
6) The Chronicler shall have responsibility for newsletters, journals,
directories, and other publications to be issued by the Mother Grove,
as determined by the Directors. He or she shall function as Editor in
Chief of all Mother Grove publications; shall keep track of
advertising (paid, exchange, and donated); and shall supervise
physical production and distribution. Candidates for the office of
Chronicler shall have editing and desktop publishing skills, and
shall have access to a computer with which to perform their duties.
7) The Preceptor shall function as the head of the Council of Lore;
shall supervise the creation and operation of A.D.F.þs Druidic study
programs; and shall be responsible for monitoring and recording the
progress of individual members of A.D.F. through the Study Programs.
She or he shall investigate the legal and academic requirements for
creating and operating accredited institutions of higher learning,
and shall use this information to help create and operate the College
of Druidism. Candidates for the office of Preceptor shall be persons
holding an earned Masters Degree or higher from a regionally
accredited institution and having at least five yearsþ experience in
the design and/or administration of programs for adult learners
leading to accredited degrees, professional certification, or
recognized recertification credits for occupations requiring
registration, licensure, or certification.
8) The Members' Advocate shall represent individual members of A.D.F. at
large, with special attention to the needs of minority factions not
otherwise represented. She or he shall function as an ombudsperson,
and shall be a member (whether active or inactive) of every committee
organized by the Mother Grove. The Members' Advocate shall be elected
on an annual basis by the voting members, as described elsewhere in
these by-laws. No person may serve as Members' Advocate more than
three years in a row. In the case of the death, expulsion,
retirement, or permanent incapacitation of a Members' Advocate, a new
Members' Advocate shall be elected to fulfill her or his term by a
mail election, unless there are less than three months remaining in
her/his term, with a simple majority vote of those responding being
sufficient for election.
9) The normal term of office for all officers, save the Archdruid and
the Members' Advocate, shall be three years.
10)In the event of a departure of an officer from the Mother Grove, as
described elsewhere in these by-laws, any two offices may be
temporarily held by one person simultaneously, save that the same
person cannot be both the Archdruid and Vice Archdruid and that the
Membersþ Advocate shall not hold any other office. Such dual
officership shall be only until another Director with the proper
qualifications shall be available to take over the duties of the
departed Officer. The Vice Archdruid, however, may also hold another
Office until she or he succeeds to the Office of Archdruid.
11)All Officers described in the above sections of this article shall be
Directors. Additional officerships of a lesser nature, such as
Bookkeeper, Assistant Chronicler, etc., may be created by the Mother
Grove at their discretion, and said lesser officers need not be
Directors. Lesser officers who are not Directors need not be over l8
years of age if they will have no legal responsibilities for A.D.F.
If under 18, they must have the signed and notarized permission of at
least one parent or legal guardian.
Article 13: The Board of Advisors
1) The Board of Advisors shall consist of those members of A.D.F. who
are leaders in the various arts, crafts, and sciences practiced
within A.D.F. They may be appointed by the Archdruid or be approved
by the Mother Grove after an election by members of A.D.F. concerned
with their field of expertise.
2) Appointees to the Board of Advisors shall serve until removed by the
Archdruid. Approved Advisors shall serve until replaced by their
successors. Any Advisor may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the
Mother Grove.
3) The Board of Advisors shall individually and/or collectively advise
the Archdruid, the Mother Grove, and the general membership of
A.D.F., on matters relating to their fields of expertise, but shall
have no political function save within the guilds or other special
interest groups which may have elected them.
Article 14: The Council of Lore
1) The Council of Lore shall be a standing committee, headed by the
Preceptor. Its membership shall include those Directors who wish to
participate, those willing members of the Board of Advisors competent
to provide educational guidance, and other such members of A.D.F. as
the Preceptor shall nominate and the Mother Grove shall approve.
2) Since the primary purpose of the Council of Lore shall be to provide
educational guidance to those members of A.D.F. working their way
through the Druidic study programs, members of the Council shall be
expected to have and maintain demonstrable knowledge and skills
relevant to their areas of responsibility. Whenever possible and
applicable, the possession of advanced academic degrees is preferable
to the lack thereof
Article 15: Other Standing Committees
1) In addition to the Executive Committee and the Council of Lore, the
Mother Grove shall create and staff the following committees with
such members as may be willing and appropriate: the Finance & Fund
Raising Committee, the Publications Committee, the Grove Organizing
Committee.
2) Every standing committee shall be headed by a Director, usually an
officer with related duties.
3) The Directors may at their discretion create other committees, both
standing and ad hoc.
Article 16: Local Groves
1) The Mother Grove shall act upon all requests for the chartering of
local congregations, to be known as þgroves,þ and shall issue
appropriate regulations as needed for their proper functioning.
2) In order to prevent confusion with other organizations calling their
local groups "groves," all local groves of A.D.F. shall use the
naming convention of "_____ Grove, A.D.F." in all brochures, posters,
announcements, public letters, etc., meant to be read by nonmembers
of the local groves. [Note: later amended to allow "Grove of ____,
A.D.F." as well.]
3) All local groves shall comply with all relevant federal,
state/provincial, and local laws regarding the operation of branch
congregations of larger religious organizations; unless specifically
directed by the Mother Grove to test a law in the courts.
4) All local groves of A.D.F. are entitled to the maximum amount of
autonomy consistent with the survival, identity, and well being of
A.D.F. as a whole.
5) Each local grove may choose any Indo-European ethnic focus, pantheon,
and liturgical language of interest to the majority of its members.
Non-IndoEuropean ethnic focuses, pantheons, and liturgical languages
are not appropriate to official A.D.F. activities, except that local
Native American traditions may be respectfully integrated into a
local groveþs official activities, according to policies set by the
Mother Grove.
6) Every local grove is expected to provide open public or semipublic
worship opportunities on a regular basis, including all eight High
Days. The overwhelming majority of local grove activities are to be
open and inclusionary. Smaller groups may be formed within a grove,
and bmay engage in closed activities, provided that no such group
includes more than half of the groveþs members.
7) Only those persons who would qualify as voting members of AD.F., as
described in Article 5, Section 1, may vote in official local grove
elections, be officers of a local grove, or be counted as official
grove members for chartering purposes. The Senior Druid, Scribe, and
Pursewarden, as well as any other local officers who will exercise
any legal responsibilities for the grove, must have passed their 18th
birthday.
8) The Mother Grove shall have the power to suspend or revoke the
charter of a local grove for good and sufficient cause.
9) The Archdruid shall have the power to suspend the charter of a local
grove for good and sufficient cause, subject to the agreement of the
Mother Grove at their next Board meeting.
Article 17: Rank
1) Rank within the membership as a whole shall be a function of progress
within one or more Druidic Study Programs of Circles within Circles,
as shall be determined by procedures to be instituted by the Council
of Lore with the approval of the Mother Grove. All such study
programs shall be grounded in the attainment and maintenance of
demonstrable knowledge and skills.
2) Since it is envisioned that clergy and other leaders in A.D.F. will
be only a fraction of the total membership, no pressure is to be
placed on members to participate in any of the Druidic study
programs.
3) Any person claiming a rank related to a Druidic study program may be
politely challenged to demonstrate his or her knowledge and/or
skills, either by one or more examiners from the Council of Lore, or
by any member of A.D.F. being asked to extend rights or privileges to
said person based on his or her claimed rank.
Article 18: Discrimination
1) Membership and rank in AD.F., attendance at public or semipublic
AD.F. activities, and participation in any Druidic Study Program,
shall not be denied to any person on the basis of race, ancestry,
color, physical disability (except as mentioned elsewhere in this
article), age, gender, or affectional orientation, but may be denied
to individuals practicing creeds inimical to Neopagan Druidism.
2) Membership within the Mother Grove, the clergy, and other such
positions of responsibility and trust as the Mother Grove may
determine, shall be granted only to practicing Neopagans who are not
simultaneously practicing a creed inimical to Neopagan Druidism.
3) As used herein, þinimical creedsþ shall include varieties of
conservative monotheism, atheism, demonism, racialism, or other such
faiths, as shall be determined by the Mother Grove.
4) Proven communication or behavior of a virulently racist, sexist,
homophobic, heterophobic, antisemitic, or otherwise bigoted manner,
shall be grounds for expulsion from A.D.F., as described elsewhere in
these by-laws. This does not include strong verbal statements about
the theology, history, or psychological characteristics of other
religions.
5) All organizers of public and semipublic AD.F. activities shall make
strenuous efforts to facilitate the participation of
differently-abled individuals. Nonetheless, all aspirants to any
given rank or position must be able to meet all the relevant
qualifications previously determined for said rank or position,
unless the Mother Grove shall rule otherwise in a particular
instance.
Article 19: Suspension, Expulsion and Resignation of Members
1) The Mother Grove may, by a two-thirds vote, suspend or expel any
member confessing to or found guilty of committing felony
crimes-with-victims, as defined by civil law and current
criminological opinion, or for proven and documented disruptive or
abusive conduct which works directly against the aims, activities or
welfare of AD.F. or its members.
2) If a member under consideration for suspension or expulsion is a
Director, he or she may be suspended or expelled only by a two-thirds
vote of the remaining Directors. The initial Archdruid cannot be
suspended or expelled. An elected Archdruid can be suspended or
expelled, but only after being recalled as described elsewhere in
these by-laws.
3) "Disruptive or abusive conduct" does not include: the temperate
expression of disagreement, such as public or private written or
verbal criticism of AD.F. or its leadership; vigorous debate over
matters of scholarship, art, spirituality, or politics; the
circulation of petitions to the Mother Grove; the organizing of other
members into voting blocks; nor mere rudeness, thoughtlessness, or
lack of social skills.
4) Disruptive or abusive conduct does include: the spreading of slander
or libel against A.D.F. or its leadership; bigoted communication or
behavior as described elsewhere in these by-laws; or active efforts
to persuade members to quit or to dissuade nonmembers from joining.
5) In the case of a person who was declared temporarily or permanently
incapacitated at the time of his or her resignation or removal from a
position of responsibility, the Mother Grove shall require a
reevaluation of his or her competency similar to the process which
had declared incapacity, before he or she may seek election or
appointment.
6) Members may resign from membership at any time for personal reasons,
and will then be eligible to rejoin A.D.F. at a later date. Any
member whose membership dues lapse for a period of three months or
more shall be deemed to have resigned. If a resigned member should
decide to rejoin at a later date, her or his votes shall be
calculated from that later date.
7) Suspended, expelled or resigned members may not hold office or act in
any way as representatives of A.D.F. Expelled or resigned members
have no right to receive A.D.F. publications, and may not continue to
participate in Druidic Study Programs administered by A.D.F.
8) Members who have been suspended or expelled may, at the discretion of
the Mother Grove, be banned permanently or temporarily from attending
A.D.F. activities, including public worship. Such bans shall be
published immediately in AD.F. publications. They may be published
elsewhere in the case of very serious crimes.
Article 20: Open Financial Records
1) All members of A.D.F. are entitled to see the accounting records. The
Pursewarden shall make these available at a nominal fee for
reproduction and mailing. Balance sheets and other similar summary
reports shall be regularly published by A.D.F.
2) Pursewardens in local groves shall make quarterly financial reports
to the Mother Grove, accounting for all income and expenses, and
shall make these reports available to local grove members in a
similar fashion.
Article 21: Amendment and Replacement of By-Laws
1) Amendments to these by-laws may be made at any annual or special
meeting or referundum, as described elsewhere in these by-laws, by a
two-thirds vote of the entire voting membership; or by a twothirds
vote of the Directors at any regular or special meeting of the Mother
Grove.
2) The initial Archdruidþs lifetime term of office and immunity from
recall and/or expulsion; the requirement in this article for all
future sets of by-laws to contain similar language concerning
replacement of by-laws; and this section of this article; may not be
amended without the consent of the initial Archdruid.
3) Every twenty-seven years after the death of the initial Archdruid, at
an annual meeting of the voting members, the voting members shall
decide by a two-thirds vote whether to retain the current set of
by-laws. Said decision shall be made after all other electoral
matters have been settled.
4) Should the results be negative, a By-Laws Revision Committee shall be
formed. The members of said committee shall include the newly elected
Membersþ Advocate, who shall head the committee, the newly-elected
Archdruid (or if no Archdruidic election has taken place, the current
Archdruid), a newly-elected Director (or a continuing one, if no
Directoral election happened), three members of the Board of Advisors
who are not Directors, and the Senior Druids of three local groves.
The annual meeting may not be ended without these nine being selected
and approved by majority vote of the voting members participating in
body or proxy.
5) The By-Laws Revision Committee shall have one year to produce a
proposed new set of by-laws. Halfway through that year, an early
draft shall be published in the A.D.F. newsletter for comment by the
membership.
6) At least six weeks prior to the following annual meeting, the By-Laws
Revision Committee shall publish and distribute to the voting members
a proposed new set of by-laws. At that annual meeting, alterations to
the proposal shall be debated and passed by a majority vote of those
participating in body or proxy. The final set of proposed new by-laws
shall then be voted upon as a whole, with a three-quarters vote of
the entire voting membership necessary for passage. The quorum for
this vote shall therefore be seventy-five percent of all votes
available to be cast.
7) Should there not be such a quorum available in body or proxy at said
annual meeting, the final set of proposed new by-laws shall be
submitted by the Mother Grove, by first class or overseas airmail, to
the voting membership as a referundum within three weeks after the
annual meeting concludes, with a six week deadline for reply. Again,
a three-quarters vote of the entire voting membership shall be
necessary for passage.
8) Should the new by-laws not be passed at either the annual meeting nor
a referundum as just described, the old by-laws shall continue in
effect for the next twenty-six years.
9) Should the new by-laws be passed at either the annual meeting or the
referundum, they will take effect upon the following Samhain,
completely replacing the previous set of by-laws at that time. It
shall be the duty of the existing Directors to notify all appropriate
civil authorities and to arrange any required elections for new
officers, etc., in keeping with the spirit as well as the letter of
the new bylaws.
10)All new sets of by-laws must contain an article equivelent to this
one, allowing for their complete replacement every twenty-seven years
at the will of the membership.
Article 22: The Council of Senior Druids
1) All Senior Druids of provisionally or fully chartered groves shall be
members of a Council of Senior Druids. Protogrove organizers may
participate as non-voting members.
2) The Archdruid shall be an honorary member of said Council and shall
be entitled to attend its meetings, receive copies of its meeting
minutes and other publications, etc. She/he shall not have a vote in
said Council, however, unless she/he is simultaneously the Senior
Druid of a chartered grove, or unless a tie-breaking vote is needed.
3) Said Council shall be organized and run by its members and may
establish its own goals and priorities, and take action to achieve
them, subject to the by-laws of A.D.F.
Article 23: Non-Profit Nature of the Corporation
I) No part of the net earnings of the Corporation shall inure to the
benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, directors, officers,
or other private persons, except that the Corporation shall be
authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services
rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the
purposes set forth in the Preamble and Article I of these by-laws.
2) No substantial part of the activities of the Corporation shall be the
carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence
legislation, and the Corporation shall not participate in, or
intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements)
any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
3) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Articles of Incorporation
or these by-laws, this Corporation shall not, except to an
insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers
that are not in furtherance of the purposes of this Corporation.
4) Upon the dissolution of this Corporation, the Mother Grove shall,
after paying or making provision for the payment of all the
liabilities of the Corporation, dispose of all the assets of the
Corporation exclusively for the purposes of the Corporation in such
manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and
operated exclusively for Neopagan religious, educational or
charitable purposes as shall at that time qualify as an exempt
organization or organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1954 as revised (or the corresponding provision of
any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Mother Grove
shall determine.
5) Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court
of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the
Corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such
Neopagan organization or organizations, as said Court shall
determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such
purposes.
The preceeding by-laws were originally adopted by the Mother Grove of
A.D.F., Inc. on July 15,1990 c.e. They have been amended and corrected
since. This edition is current as of February 9, 1993 c.e. (with a
couple of notes from summer of '93). For later versions, send an SASE
to: ADF, Box 516, E. Syracuse, NY, USA 13057, after Feb. 1, 1994 c.e.
E-Mail Fredric L. Rice / The Skeptic Tank