Llyfr o Cyfraith

RED OAK GROVE, ADF

BYLAWS

Last revised: November 20, 2004

PREAMBLE:
Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc., also known as "ADF", is 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.

As we define it, Neopagan Druidism is a polytheistic, 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 Gods in a modern context, and the creation of a world of peace, love, freedom, health, and prosperity for all beings.

The following Bylaws are intended to help us achieve these ideals and all future Bylaws and amendments shall be similarly intended.

ARTICLE I. GROVE PURPOSE
A. Red Oak Grove, ADF shall serve the spiritual needs of our communities through public Druidic ritual and religious support, including counseling, blessing, advising, and environmental activism.

B. Red Oak Grove shall be a local congregation of Ár nDraíocht Féin, A Druid Fellowship, Inc., and shall follow the ADF Bylaws (as amended).

C. Red Oak Grove is oriented primarily toward the Celtic pantheon of deities but acknowledges and equally welcomes and honors all images and names of the Divine.

D. Red Oak Grove shall provide open public worship at all of the 8 High Holidays.

E. Red Oak Grove shall strive to perform at least one public service project during each quarter of the year.

F. Red Oak Grove shall meet at least once a month for regular worship and education.

G. The official mailing address of Red Oak Grove shall be: 9 Cooks Mill Ct., Mt Laurel, NJ 08054.


ARTICLE II. CALENDAR
A. Red Oak Grove shall observe the eight High Holidays of the modern Neopagan calendar. For legal purposes, each High Holiday shall commence at sunset on the days preceding the following dates:

B. For ceremonial purposes each High Holiday may be celebrated upon either the legal date, the astronomical date, or upon a date within 14 days thereof, mutually convenient to the participants of the particular celebration involved.

C. In addition, Red Oak Grove may honor other holidays as agreed upon by the grove members.

D. The fiscal year of Red Oak Grove shall run from January 1st through December 31st.


ARTICLE III. CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP
A. Red Oak Grove recognizes the following Categories of Membership and the attendant rights, expectations, and obligations that are appropriate to each, where:

B. Gwestai - Guest category. C. Cyfaill - Friend category. D. Tylwyth - Kin, Family category. E. Gwaharddedig - Banished category


ARTICLE IV. CHANGING MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
A. The Council of Leaders may change a person’s status as they feel necessary.


ARTICLE V. VOTING MEMBERS
A. All Tylwyth shall be considered voting members of the Grove if their dues are paid in full.

B. Each Tylwyth shall have the same number of votes in Grove elections and referenda as they hold in ADF elections.

C. The results of any election or vote shall be calculated upon the basis of the total votes cast.

D. When a vote is called, it must be announced on the Tylwyth mailing list, and Tylwyth must be given 14 days in which to cast votes.

E. For a vote to be valid, at least 2/3rds of the total available votes must be cast within the official voting period.

F. The casting of votes through email and in person shall be permitted in Leadership Council elections and referenda.


ARTICLE VI. ANNUAL MEETING
A. The annual meeting of Red Oak Grove shall be held within 14 days of Calan Awst.

B. The purpose of the annual meeting shall be the election of one of the Leaders and the presentation of the State of the Grove Address by the Leaders in office at the time of the annual meeting. The yearly State of the Grove address will contain a summary of activities relevant to each Leader’s position, followed by a discussion or critique of the State of the Grove by the membership.


ARTICLE VII. THE COUNCIL OF LEADERS
A. The Council of Leaders will consist of three Leaders of equal rank:

B. The Council of Leaders, working together, shall be responsible for all of the above and shall accomplish those duties by regular meetings, phone calls, and email communications. Any member of the Council of Leaders may call a meeting or initiate a discussion on any point, at any time. The other Leaders shall make every effort to attend and contribute to the meeting.

C. The Council of Leaders shall record any ongoing actions and decisions in the Book of Customs.

D. The usual term of office for each position shall be three years, with one Leader being elected each year:

E. Initial Council of Leaders


ARTICLE VIII. ELECTION OF LEADERS
A. A Leader election shall be held at the Annual Meeting, or whenever a Leader resigns.

B. Any Tylwyth may nominate themselves to run for a Leadership position.

C. If a current Leader runs for a different Leadership position and wins the election, they must resign their current term at the next Calan Gaeaf, and a special Leader election shall be held as soon as possible to fill their old position for the remainder of their term.

D. The candidate receiving the most votes is the winner. In case of a tie, the other two Leaders shall choose.

E. The term for newly elected Leaders shall begin at Calan Gaeaf.


ARTICLE IX. FINANCIAL RECORDS
A. All members of Red Oak Grove are entitled to see the Grove accounting records, to be made available by the Pursewarden. Profit-and-loss statements and other similar reports will be regularly available. An Annual Report must be compiled at the end of each year.


ARTICLE X. MEMBERSHIP DUES AND ALLOCATIONS
A. Cyfaill and Tylwyth of Red Oak Grove shall contribute dues as described in ARTICLE III. The amount of the dues shall be reviewed at the Annual Meeting and approved by a majority of the voting members.

B. Dues may be waived under special circumstances upon approval by the Council of Leaders.

C. The Council of Leaders shall allocate funds for Grove events, activities, equipment, supplies, and donations to other nonprofit groups. The Pursewarden shall approve the dispersal of these funds.


ARTICLE XI. CREATION OF SUBGROUPS
A. The Council of Leaders can approve the formation or dissolution of subgroups for religious practice, study, fellowship, and other activities, as seems appropriate.


ARTICLE XII. DISCRIMINATION
A. The Council of Leaders shall make diligent but reasonable efforts to ensure that membership and rank in Red Oak Grove and participation in any of its activities or programs shall not be denied to any person on the basis of race, ancestry, color, physical disability, age, gender, or affectional orientation.

B. The Council of Leaders may exclude from participation any individuals who have demonstrated instances of disruptive behavior and/or communications.


ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENTS
A. These Bylaws may be amended by a unanimous vote of the Council of Leaders, or failing that, a 2/3rd vote of the Tylwyth.

B. A history of amendments must be recorded at the beginning of these Bylaws.


ARTICLE XIV. NONPROFIT NATURE OF THE CORPORATION
A. Red Oak Grove, ADF is organized exclusively for charitable religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including for such purposes the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)3 of the Interval Revenue Code or a corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

B. 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 Article I of these Bylaws.

C. 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.

D. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws, 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.

E. Upon the dissolution of this Corporation, the Council of Leaders 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 Council of Leaders shall determine.

F. 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.

*NOTE: This web copy is not official, and may contain mistakes/typos. For the "official" copy, click here (MSWord format).