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Volume 4, Issue 2-3
Omega Sygal-Moon
In order for justice to exist, there must be a balance between mercy and severity. When a person has committed a wrong, the severity of their crime in terms of the harm they have caused must be evaluated. The punishment should never exceed or fall short of the severity of the crime. If the punishment is more harmful to the offender than the original crime was to the victim, justice is not served. Likewise, if the punishment does not adequately return the harm caused by the crime, justice is not served.
The most frequently occurring form of injustice is when the crime is forgiven with no return of the harm caused. Not disciplining someone who has done wrong gives them the silent message that what they did was okay and that it's all right if they do it again.
We are all responsible for our own actions. Blaming our actions on the actions of others is not a valid way of excusing our own wrongful behavior. Nor is having a bad childhood an excuse to threaten harm or to cause harm of any kind. Frequently, this and other types of justification have been used to overlook harmful and manipulative behaviors; for example, "He's only violent now because he was abused as a child." It's just not valid. Just because a person has suffered does not give them the right to harm others. Another example is, "She wouldn't have stolen if she hadn't been hungry." If she had not been so prideful, she could have sought financial assistance through the proper channels. Being hungry does not justify the theft when there are other avenues for resolving the situation.
To excuse these types of behavior is unjust, not only to the wrongdoer and the victim, but also to the whole community. It sends out the message that one who has endured enough suffering can wreak any type of havoc without retribution.
When it is recognized that the system of retribution has been too lenient, there is danger of overcompensating by being more severe than necessary. In this case, instead of being justly corrected, the offender is unfairly prosecuted for reasons outside of their wrongful behavior.
Certainly, we should treat each other with love and respect, no matter the circumstances. When someone we love commits a wrong, we need to love them enough to allow them to learn from their mistakes and help them by allowing them to be corrected in a balanced way. Protecting them from just and due retaliation does them no service.
Defining problems within our community is important, but it is even more important to propose solutions. If a person is charged with wrongdoing, I suggest calling a meeting of elders (excluding those emotionally involved in the situation) to evaluate the harm caused and to determine fair and balanced retribution. It is up to all interested parties to evaluate the impartiality of those placed in positions of judgment. This is only one proposition of possible resolution for this type of situation. The solutions must be defined by the community itself. Let the balance of the scales be true.
Kami Landy
Last Fall, a group of interested folks, in typical Slug fashion, sat down to create a new expression for our worship. We felt that the eight high-days were just not giving us enough opportunities to explore and express our relationship with the gods and non-gods of our cosmology. Moreover, the interest level in the public meetings and lectures had waned, so we decided to replace them with non-seasonal rituals two Thursdays per month.
The first step was to create a template for these events. We decided to make the new rituals simpler than the high-day rituals, and not to formally open portals between worlds; those beings who were aware of our work and interested in it, or to whom we were specifically calling, could certainly grace our work without a need for us to disturb the entire fabric of existence. Well, that's what we would not do. What would we do?
Looking at the pattern of a church service or a typical pagan ritual for inspiration, we decided that a hug was a good place to start, that we needed lots of singing, and that this might be a good time to offer a healing circle for folks who needed it. Since we're not much for sermonizing, we though that a lesson, story, or exploration of some particular part of our ritual structure would be useful. Our outline looks something like this:
The next burning question was what to call this thing. We decided that "service" was too Christian and "ritual" too formal. "Circle," though vaguely Wiccan, was acceptable if we specified that what we were doing was Druidic. Hence "Druidic Worship Circle." So it was born.
Who would lead our new endeavor? Poor Fox is stretched so thin you can sometimes see daylight through him. The grove has a number of budding liturgists and ritualists, so it was decided that the person who was making the presentation would be in charge of organizing the circle in general, recruiting other participants as needed. Various people have volunteered to lead these rituals, including Marae, Kami, Mama Moon, and Johnna.
What have we done with this wonderful opportunity? We've looked at various aspects of our cosmology and met a number of needs. Some of them included: Ana's Story; Fire and Water in Celtic worship, and their use for Scrying; Finding Fire and Water in the three realms; Meeting a Grandmother spirit; What is a hero?; Honoring the gods of artisans and producers; Welcoming Aren; The healing deities Miach and Airmid, and the healing herbs.
The degree to which we followed the outline has varied with the leader of the ritual, and the healing circle has also varied. We've used a Norse-working style energy circle, a shell with herbs empowered for healing, a drum cleansing, aura combing, and a simple healing circle.
This is a fine description of a wonderful endeavor. How has it worked out? The rituals themselves have been powerful and productive. Unfortuantely, attendance has been low. We'd like some help figuring out what the Grove really wants. At a meeting to reorganize the Worship Circles, the suggestions included:
This is an official request for input: what would you like to see done? What would you like to be doing? What would make it better? Would you attend? The Grove and its activities can only be as strong as the participants, and your presence will help to tailor this activity to meet your needs.
If you want to help lead and organize a Worship Circle, to suggest a topic, or just want more information, please contact Marae at (313)663-3276 or Kami at (313)761-1137. We look forward to seeing you there!
Johnna ap'Morrygan
One attractive little plant which has had a healing reputation for centuries has been getting a lot of attention in the mainstream medical community of late. It has even appeared on a national evening news program due to recent studies proving its safety and efficacy in treating depression. I speak, of course, of Common St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum).
St. John's Wort has been used as a healing plant in Europe since about the beginning of the common era, and perhaps longer. It is a hardy perennial herb about 1 to 3 feet high, with oblong opposite leaves and yellow 5-petaled flowers. It is almost impossible to mistake the identification if a little care is taken, because of a couple of unusual and unique features. When held up to the light, the leaves seem to be perforated with innumerable tiny holes (actually oil glands), which are responsible for the second part of its Latin name. Also, the yellow flowers turn blood red when crushed or bruised.
These unusual features are probably what led to the early belief that this plant was most useful for wounds (because of the bloody coloration) and skin problems (because the leaves have pores like skin). Greek and Roman physicians used the flowers to dress wounds, while 16th century physician Paracelsus prescribed it for all skin disorders, including wounds. Culpeper also recommended it for wounds, venomous bites, and, interestingly, nervous disorders such as seizures and sciatica. In the last century, St. John's Wort was used for bruises, wounds, insect bites, and as a mild sedative.
St. John's Wort also has a rich folklore. The plant was named for St John because it often first bloomed on or near Saint John's Day, June 24, and there are many folk traditions which involve plucking it on St. John's Day and using it for divinatory purposes. In Wales, sprigs of the plant were named for members of the household and then hung overnight in the rafters. The family member whose sprig was most shriveled by morning was said to be the soonest to die. Girls in Denmark followed a similar practice, as well as one in which they divined whom they were to marry. On the Isle of Man, it was said that if one stepped on St. John's Wort at twilight, he would be carried away on a fairy horse and not return until dawn. The first part of the plant's Latin name, Hypericum (over the image), may refer to the practice of keeping sprigs of the plant near holy things such as icons, to keep demons and evil spirits away. This was a widespread belief in Christian Europe. Culpeper stated that St. John's Wort was an herb ruled by the Sun, and fairly hot and dry, thus of fire. Many old spells for protection or success in financial and business matters employ St. John's Wort.
Today, St. John's Wort is recognized as an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression. A number of controlled clinical trials conducted in the U.S. and Europe have shown that a dosage of 300mg to 900mg of St. John's Wort extract is as effective at controlling the symptoms of depression as other antidepressant drugs and has fewer side effects. You can experiment at home by attempting to make an extract with alcohol, but it is probably easiest to purchase capsules. Capsules of St. John's Wort in standardized dosages are now available at many pharmacies as well as health food stores. Two cautions should be given to those considering this herb for depression, however. First, St. John's Wort should not be combined with other pharmaceutical antidepressants, because it is not yet known just how it works. Therefore, combining St. John's Wort with a drug like Prozac may enhance its action to a dangerous degree. The other potential danger of this herb is photosensitivity. Light-skinned persons who take St. John's Wort in high doses for long periods of time should be very cautious about sun exposure, because it seems to increase the sensitivity of the skin and eyes to sunlight. Light-pigmented animals who grazed on the plant have reportedly suffered severe sunburn and even blindness. There have been no reports of severe effects in humans, but caution would seem to be in order.
St. John's Wort also makes an attractive addition to your garden, as it is easily cultivated and quite hardy. It tolerates a variety of soil and sun conditions, and may be grown from seed, cuttings or root divisions. St. John's Wort flowers are also useful as a dyestuff, producing yellow, bright yellow and orange-red when mordanted with chrome, tin and alum, respectively. If you harvest your own leaves for medicinal use, they should be dried slowly and kept in a dry, dark place.
(Editor's note: This article is presented for education and entertainment, not to suggest a specific medicinal course. Always consult a licensed herbalist or doctor before using herbs medicinally.)
Brighn al-Ya'alina
Once a while ago - not nearly long enough ago to merit "upon a time" but not so recent as to still be recent news - there was a kingdom on the outskirts of the known world. The kingdom, not surprisingly, had a king, and the king, almost inevitably for a story like this, had a problem. Two problems, to be precise: his daughter and a dragon.
The problem with his daughter was that she was still living with him. She would mope around the castle, day in and day out, frequently leveling her eyes at him and considering him with a gaze that said I know you're trying to marry me off. I know you're trying to get rid of me. I won't let you, silly man, so just stop trying. She was being remarkably stubborn about this marriage thing, and seeing as no suitable suitors had come round to the castle, there wasn't much the king could do about it anyway.
The problem with the dragon was the typical one: the ghastly beast was rampaging his various villages, being most destructive and fiery and batting his wings in some obscene show of dragon bravado and occasionally consuming this villager or that.
Being a logical and original king, the king decided upon a logical and original plan to rid himself of both of his problems at once. This was, of course, to offer his daughter's hand in marriage to the first person who could successfully kill the dragon.
He was very proud of the logic and originality of his plan. He publicized the contest far and wide, both within his kingdom and beyond it, as far as he could muster his criers to carry the decree. Not long afterwards, a variety of brave men, cavaliers, knights, mercenaries, and foolhardy peasants began to gather outside the palace gates, offering their swords and crossbows and battle-axes to the task.
One by one, the king sent the brave men to the dragon's liar, an unassuming cave to the south of the province, overlooking the sound, with a beautiful large archway decorated with elegant greenery and just an impish touch of salmon-colored paint for a main entrance and a discreet servant's portal round the back, where the dragon's closer friends could stop by for tea and scones.
One by one, there appeared piles of bones of the brave men who had failed at the task of killing the dragon, who would casually dine on the gentlemen, spit their bones into a tidy pile for the mourners to collect, and then go and ravage another village.
The dragon seemed quite amused, the daughter had escalated the intensity of her pouting, and the numbers of eligible bachelors were quickly dwindling. This was most vexing.
The king was pondering the whole problem as the guards showed in the next sorry sap. He was a rather idiotic sort, or looked it, a bumbling fool who tripped on the rug on the way in and nearly stabbed himself to death on his sword in so doing. The king sighed and rolled his eyes, while the daughter watched the newcomer with the sudden curiosity of a child who, having grown accustomed to a particular television program, is suddenly cast into nature and spots a butterfly. That these two images seem immediately unrelated is necessary, for that was the sudden look that appeared on the daughter's face.
The king, acknowledging that this poor soul had as little chance of killing the beast as any, waved the lad in the general direction of the lair and continued pondering the vexation. The lad disappeared, but not before knocking over a candelabra on the way out. The king's daughter, as if following that elusive butterfly, slid like a fairy after him.
The king awaited the news that a pile of bones had been found outside the lair so that he could dispatch yet another unlucky sot to the deed. Instead, the next morning, the guards informed the king that the awkward lad was back, and with an offering.
The king was confused and flabbergasted. Certainly the lad would try to buy his way out of the deal now, having become frightened of the ordeal and his own inevitable mortality.
Instead, the lad entered with the head of the dragon clutched by one ear. It dripped dragon blood all over the king's nice clean, freshly waxed floor.
The king looked at him in disbelief. "You have killed the beast? You?"
The lad blushed. "No, in truth, I was tempted to take the credit, but, well..."
"Well, what?" The king looked the lad over. Here was the dragon, dead as dead. This boy had some explaining to do.
"Well, in truth, I went to the lair, as I was directed, and when I went in, it seemed quiet, so I went in further, and there was still no noise. And, well, he was dead. His head chopped off." The lad shrugged.
"I see. Just dead. No sign of anything."
The lad looked lost for a moment, then remembered something, and took a dagger out of his breeches. "There was this."
The king looked at it. It had dragon blood on it. It was certainly possible... but who, with the decree posted, would kill the dragon and say nothing? Was his daughter not the most desirable woman in the kingdom?
The king thought about what to do. He could try to find the dagger's owner, but that would mean implying that his daughter was not desirable, at least to someone, and then there would be all the pretenders to sift through, claiming they had done it when they hadn't.
The king looked at the lad. "Do you wish to marry my daughter?"
The lad stuttered and stammered. "But sir, I didn't -"
"No," the king said, "you didn't. But if word gets out of this, it's the shame of the kingdom. So you'll marry my daughter, or your head will suffer the same fate as the dragon's."
The lad nodded. "I would be pleased to marry your daughter."
And so the king married the lad off to his daughter, who surprisingly enough didn't resist the venture. In fact, she seemed rather chipper, which was rather unlike her, but the good thing was she was out of the house, at least until the king had the good sense to expire, in which case he didn't care where she lived.
The marriage proceeded with great pomp and circumstance, and then there came the honeymoon, some trip off to some exotic country or other, during which the king put his feet up on his desk and twirled his scepter and felt surprisingly relaxed for the first time in a long time. Then and again, he would look at the dagger on his desk with curiosity, shrug, and go back to twirling his scepter.
The honeymoon came and the honeymoon went, and before he knew it, his daughter was back at his door.
"I have something to tell you," she said, with little by the way of greeting or opening statements.
The king looked at her. "What?"
"Just that, I don't think the dragon was so hard to kill. It seems to me that all those men, with their bravado, just rushed in without using a bit of sense or strategy and got themselves killed."
The king laughed at the naiveté of the lass. "How do you reckon that? Where you there when they were slaughtered?"
The daughter looked at him long and hard, and silently, considering her rebuke. At last: "Yes."
His ears perked up. "Pardon me?"
"I was there. I watched each one die. You know," she said, looking rather thoughtful. "every monster has a weakness, and if you find the weakness, killing the monster is rather much of a boring task. The trick is in finding the weakness."
The king looked even more confused, and laughed to feign understanding. "Pardon me?"
"And at any rate, my husband is adorable and he has been from the first time that I saw him, so it really doesn't matter what happened, now, does it?" She stood in the doorway, feeling rather defiant at this moment.
The king was feeling flabbergasted. His precious daughter had been so close to the dragon... it was no place for a weak, meek child such as she.
They stared at each other in silence for a long time. At last, she said, "Well, I just wanted to say that. I said it." She turned to go.
At the last minute, she strode over to the desk. "Oh, and another thing: This belongs to me." She picked up the dagger on his desk, sheathed it on her belt, and strode out.
And she and her bumbling but adorable husband lived happily ever after.
(For volume 2)
Our June meeting featured a presentation on herbal preparation techniques by Raven Hecate-Ana Spiritdancer, including hands-on demonstrations of making tinctures, ointments, and infusions (more commonly known as "tea"). We look forward to another demonstration in August, when Mama Moon shows off her knowledge of aquatherapy at the Washtenaw Recreation Center's swimming pool.
Our August meeting will also have a proposal to amend the guild by-laws. We've been having trouble getting the amber beads for our necklaces, as we had originally planned, so we'll be discussing less expensives alternatives, such as bloodstone and turquoise. (That's the Healers' Guild for you: alternative medicine and alternative beads, all in one meeting!)
(For volume 3)
The SLG Healers' Guild is pleased to announce that Raven Hecate-Ana Spiritdancer has become our first Journeyman Healer! At our September meeting, Raven gave her presentation on herbalism. Raven plans to celebrate by fasting for four days and performing an all-night vigil at Fire Watch. Mama Moon and Rob Henderson will be applying for Journeyman status in the near future.
August's meeting had a presentation by Mama Moon on aquatherapy, held in the swimming pool of the Washtenaw County Recreation Center. At that meeting, we also amended our by-laws to change our necklace bead from amber to bloodstone, something we can actually afford!
Our October meeting will have a presentation by Raven on inflammation, fever, and infection. December and January will feature a two-part discussion of patient interviewing techniques, led by Raven.
- Rob Henderson
Healers' Guild Scribe/Assistant Guildmaster
The SLG Bardic Guild has been relatively quiet the last few months. Several of our members have had changes in job, residence, or other life situation, and so have had less time and energy for bardic pursuits. We have continued to provide chants for the rituals, and the decision to have pre-ritual practice sessions for the musicians seems to be working out quite well. Kami Landy and Elizabeth Harvey have achieved the status of Full Bard in our guild; congratulations to both! Two of our bards (Davroz and Marae Price) attended the ADF National Meeting at Wellspring at the end of May, where Marae received her first rank in the Bards' (musicians') branch of the ADF Bardic Guild training program. We also provided entertainment in the form of a concert, which was videotaped.
We have made several decisions recently regarding our meetings and activities. We have reduced our meetings to one per month, which will serve both to conduct business and for liturgical planning. All are welcome to attend. We have suspended the workshops at Bardic Night for a time; Bardic Night thus reverts to its old format, with a new time, running as a bardic circle from 7:30-11 p.m. the second Friday of each month. Remember this is a good introductory activity for folks just coming in contact with the grove, and it's also just a really fun thing to do, so come one, come all, and bring your friends! We will still hold the occasional Bardic Seminar; these will typically be scheduled for 3-4 hours on a Saturday afternoon, and will be open to all. If there's something you would like to learn about the Bardic Arts, please contact Marae Price at (313) 663-3276 to suggest a topic for a seminar.
- Marae Price
Bard Mor
So far this summer has been fairly quiet in terms of ecological activities. I will be attending a stream mapping workshop on Saturday, July 26, but since I am writing this about a week and a half before that, it's difficult to report much on it. The workshop is being presented by the Adopt-A-Stream program, and it will be at Traver Creek, which is the stream SLG has adopted.
Since the Stream Search and Bug ID Day in April, we have not participated in any of the Adopt-A-Stream activities, although they have had several stream mapping workshops prior to the one coming up. A couple of us were planning to walk Traver Creek sometime this summer, and we also were going to attempt to discover the place in the creek where the stonefly population disappeared (stonefly larvae are a sensitive species which we found in relative abundance at our upstream site, but which had all but vanished at our site near where the creek empties into the Huron River). The day we had scheduled to check the stonefly situation turned out to be miserably hot and humid, and we decided not to try this year. We have not yet done the creek walk, but hopefully we will have some more pleasant weather later on and can still do that this summer.
- Marae Price
Grove Ecologist
Well, you've found your way to the new location of the Chronicler's report. In so doing, you've no doubt noticed that several things have changed about Ripples. First off, of course, is the format change, from an 8.5" x 11" corner staple newsleter to a sidefold center staple booklet. This is something Jenna's been suggesting for a while now, and I thought I'd go ahead and try it. I liked the results. I hope you do too.
Secondly, due to numerous reader comments, there are no more "continued on..." markers, because there are no more "broken" stories. Running the storied continuous, as with the current Ripples, seems to work better in this center-fold format.
Another feature of this new format is the enhanced contents page, including brief descriptions of the articles, so readers can find what they want to read more quikly.
You might notice that the masthead calls this issues two and three. There are a few reasons for this. For one thing, it's getting a little too late in the year to anticipate four actual issues. But this issue also has twice the number of pages of a standard issue... so everything evens out in the end.
I'd like to remind officers and guild leaders once again that you should be submitting regular reports to Ripples. Marae and Rob have been good about doing this, but there are several others out there who have been delinquent. For the guilds, think of the reports as a way of advertising, of letting the community know what you're doing, what you're about, and how active you are.
Already, I'm starting to get submissions for the next Ripples, which is good! Remember, it's never too early to submit material. I publish deadlines, but those are meant to be the last date for receiving things, not the first. And unless something is dated (related to a particular holiday, for instance), it can always go in the next issue...
The articles I have for next time include an article on standards of conduct in the pagan community and some suggestions on how to avoid gossip. One way I know of to avoid gossip is to be upfront about the sort of things that people like to be secretive about, so here goes: Rob Henderson is having a romantic relationship with Valerie, my wife. I know about it, I have no problems with it, I do not have a secret voodoo doll with Rob's hair on it (although that would explain where it went...). My relationship with Valerie is not in jeopardy. Since I'm having a relationship myself with Jenna, I'd be a hypocrite to feel otherwise. (This statement is motivated by comments made to me, and was cleared by both Rob and Valerie.) There. Gossipmongers be damned, honestly.
That's enough ranting for this go-round. See you next time.
- Brighn, Chronicler
(Editor's Note: Grove By-laws are examined and modified periodically, in accordance with ADF National By-laws regulations. Below is a draft of the revised By-laws for Shining Lakes Grove, ADF. They are being presented for final comment and review by the General Membership before a vote on their ratification. If you wish to make comments, or suggest changes, please contact Fox, Senior Druid, as soon as possible. No specific deadline has been set yet for the vote, but it should be soon.)
GARRÁN LOCHANNA GEALLA,
SHINING LAKES GROVE, A.D.F.
By-laws, as amended on (final date)
To serve the spiritual needs of the Southeastern Michigan community through public Druidic ritual & religious support of the community in the Druidic way (e.g. counseling, blessing, advising, environmental activism, etc.).
To provide opportunities for worship of Deities of the land and our folk within the context of Pan-Indo-European Celtic tradition.
As a local congregation of Ár nDraíocht Féin, A Druid Fellowship, Inc. Shining Lakes Grove, ADF shall follow the ADF By-Laws.
Undue pressure on any person to participate or donate funds clearly falls outside the purpose and goals of Shining Lakes Grove.
Full Grove Member - is defined as a person who is a member of A.D.F. and a Local Grove Member as defined in Article 3 of these by-laws. Full Grove Members vote in both the ADF and Grove elections. Only Full Grove Members may run for Grove offices or serve on the Leadership Council.
Local Grove Member - is defined as a person who is current with Grove dues and has been a participant in at least one High Day celebration. Local Grove Members cannot vote in ADF elections or Grove elections or referenda. They will, however, have the right to participate in the decision making process by voicing their opinions and will be welcome at all meetings and events. All Local Members receive all grove literature. No persons under the age of 18 years of age may be a member of Shining Lakes Grove without written permission from a parent or legal guardian. Persons under 13 years of age must also have at least one parent or legal guardian who is a member of Shining Lakes Grove.
National Member - is defined as a person who is a member of A.D.F. but not a Local member of Shining Lakes Grove. National Members have the privilege and the honor of participating in all Grove activities, but may not vote in Grove elections or referenda.
Each voting member shall have one vote. Each voting member over the age of 21 years who has been a Local Grove member for at least three years and a Full Grove Member for at least one year shall be entitled to two additional votes in Grove elections and policy referenda. The number of votes accorded to individuals who rejoin the grove following a lapse in their membership shall be calculated based upon their total accumulated time as grove members.
All decisions of the voting membership shall be made by written ballot. The ballots shall be mailed to the voting membership no later than four weeks prior to the election or vote. In order to be counted these ballots must be received by the Grove Scribe before the election or vote.
Except as otherwise noted in these By-laws, a quorum for voting purposes shall consist of those voting members representing 35% of the Full Grove membership.
The results of any election or vote shall be calculated upon the basis of the total votes cast.
Unless otherwise specified all decisions of the general membership shall be passed by a majority rule.
The annual meeting of Shining Lakes Grove shall be held within the fortnight of the Celtic holiday of Lughnasadh.
The purpose of the annual meeting shall be the presentation of the State of the Grove Address by the officers. Each officer shall present a detailed written report of the activities of their office for the past year. These addresses will be followed by a discussion of the State of the Grove by the membership.
To elect officers other than Senior Druid, a Slate of Nominees will be compiled by the Grove Scribe. Prior to the celebration of Summer Solstice a written notice of the offices coming open for election shall be distributed to the voting membership. Members who wish to be placed on the ballot must notify the Grove Scribe in writing within one week following the Annual Membership Meeting. The Senior Druid shall solicit volunteers for all offices which have no candidates.
In each election the winning candidate will be determined by a plurality. In the event of a tie the winner will be selected by the drawing of lots under the supervision of the Senior Druid.
The term for newly elected officers shall begin at Samhain.
Officers elected prior to the adoption of this version of the by laws shall serve the remainder of their original terms unless removed from office per Article 12 of these by laws.
The process of selecting a new Senior Druid shall commence upon a vote of no confidence, resignation or incapacitation of the Senior Druid. Within two weeks of the vacating of the office of Senior Druid, written notification shall be sent to the voting membership which shall include a call for nominations to the office. These nominations must be submitted in writing to the Scribe within four weeks of notification. One week after the close of nominations the Scribe shall mail ballots to the voting membership. These ballots must be returned to the Scribe within four weeks. The Scribe shall compile the votes and publish the results to the membership.
A Senior Druid shall be elected by a majority of a 50% quorum. If no candidate receives a majority a runoff election shall be held between the candidates with the two highest number of votes. A newly elected Senior Druid shall take office at the next High Day following official notification of the election results to the membership.
The Leadership Council will consist of the following officers:
The quorum required for the purposes of voting within the Leadership Council shall be 50% of the Council.
The casting of votes through the use of electronic communication devices such as telephones and computer networks shall be permitted in Leadership Council elections and policy decisions.
All members of Shining Lakes Grove, ADF are entitled to see the Grove accounting records, to be made available by the Pursewarden/Registrar. An Annual Report must be compiled and published at the end of each year.
An amount specified by the Leadership Council shall serve as the membership dues to Shining Lakes Grove, thus entitling members to rights & privileges stated in Articles 3 & 4 of these by-laws, and other services/publications not stated in these by-laws. A percentage of the dues may be given as a donation for the support of the Mother Grove, at the discretion of the Leadership Council. The amount of the local membership dues, and the disbursement thereof, shall be reviewed/revised at the Annual Meeting and approved by a majority of the voting members.
The Leadership Council shall allocate funds for Grove events and activities. The Pursewarden/Registrar shall disburse these funds.
GUILDS
The formation of a guild may be initiated by any member, who will henceforth be known as a guild organizer. The guild organizer will publish an announcement of guild formation to the general membership inviting the participation of interested persons. The guild organizer will submit proposed guild bylaws for the approval of prospective guild members and the Grove Leadership Council. At minimum these bylaws will contain provisions for leadership elections, guild entry requirements and due process.
COMMITTEES
Committees may be formed by a vote of the Leadership Council at any business meeting. Upon formation each committee shall have a defined purpose and shall be defined as either standing or ad hoc. Standing committees shall continue to operate until dissolved by a vote of the Leadership Council. Ad Hoc committees must be renewed at each Grove business meeting. Each committee must include a member of the Leadership Council who shall serve as the committee liaison for the purposes of reporting activity in the monthly Grove business meetings.
STUDY GROUPS AND OTHER SUBGROUPS
Study groups and other subgroups may be formed during any business meeting but must have a written statement of purpose. Study groups and subgroups may be closed groups, but cannot consist of more than 50% of the Grove membership, with the exception of Men's or Women's Spirituality Groups, and are not required to submit reports.
SUBGROUP CHARTERS
Upon approval of the guild bylaws or subgroup statement of purpose the Leadership Council will grant a one year renewable charter which will be presented for annual review and renewal each Samhain. Failure to renew said charter will result in dissolution of the guild or subgroup.
Membership and rank in Shining Lakes Grove, ADF, and attendance at public or semipublic grove activities, shall not be denied to any person on the basis of race, ancestry, physical disability (except as mentioned elsewhere in this article), age, gender, or affectional orientation. Attendance at gender specific activities may be denied on the basis of sex or gender identification.
Membership within Shining Lakes Grove, ADF, positions of office and clergy, and other such positions of responsibility and trust as the Leadership Council may determine, shall be granted only to practicing Neopagans who are not simultaneously practicing a creed inimical to Neopagan Druidism.
As used herein, "inimical creeds" shall include varieties of conservative monotheism, atheism, demonism, racialism, or other such faiths, as determined by the Leadership Council.
Proven communication or behavior of a virulently racist, sexist, homophobic, heterophobic, antisemitic, or otherwise bigoted nature, shall be grounds for expulsion from Shining Lakes Grove, ADF and/or banning attendance at Shining Lakes Grove, ADF events and activities, by vote of the Leadership Council. This does not include strong verbal statements about the theology, history, or psychological characteristics of other religions.
All organizers of public and semipublic Shining Lakes Grove, ADF, 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 Leadership Council shall rule otherwise in a particular instance.
Members may resign from membership at any time and will be eligible to rejoin Shining Lakes Grove, ADF at a later date. Any member who fails to renew their dues within three months of membership expiration shall be deemed to have resigned and will no longer receive Grove literature. Local Grove members who have failed to renew their membership shall forfeit the right to all Grove publications, as determined on an individual basis by the Leadership Council.
Any officer may resign from office at any time by submitting a letter of resignation to the Senior Druid. In the case of the resignation of the Senior Druid the letter of resignation must also be submitted to the Archdruid.
An officer who is not fulfilling the requirements of office as defined in Article 7 of these by laws may be removed by a consensus vote of the remaining officers on the Leadership Council. Said officer shall be sent a formal written notification 30 days prior to the Leadership Council vote. Individuals who have been removed from office by this process may not run for any grove office unless the Leadership Council deems otherwise.
A member may be suspended or expelled from Shining Lakes Grove by a majority vote of the entire Leadership Council. A member under consideration for suspension or expulsion must be notified in writing 30 days prior to that vote. Suspended or expelled members may not hold office or act in any way as representatives of Shining Lakes Grove, ADF and have no right to receive any grove publications.
Members who have been suspended or expelled may be banned permanently or temporarily from attending Shining Lakes Grove activities including public worship. Such bans may be announced in Grove and ADF publications.
Amendments to these by-laws may be made at any time by a 2/3 vote of the membership. Revised copies of the by-laws shall be sent to all Grove members and the Mother Grove after each revision.
Shining Lakes 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.
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 by-laws.
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.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of 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.
Upon the dissolution of this Corporation, the Leadership Council 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 Leadership Council shall determine.
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 preceding by-laws were originally adopted on March 15, 1994 C.E. They have been amended and corrected since. This edition is current as of (final date).
Samhain is a particularly important time of the year to consider purchasing a space on the Ancestor's Plazue, to memorialize loved ones we have lost over the past year, or loved ones that we wish to recall during this dark time of the year.
The Ancestor's Plaque, an important part of our ritual altar, has spaces available for rememberances of honored ancestors. You can create a monument for your loved ones to be honored by the whole Grove. The 1" by 4" brass plates sell for $15 to cover the cost of the plates, engraving, and mounting.
For more information, contact Fox at (313) 434-7444.
Help support the Grove by purchasing Yule Cards from Epona Publications! Grove Member Kit Howard has designed some beautiful Yule cards, perfect for sending to friends and family this holiday season, regardless of the specific holiday they celebrate. Cards are available for only 65 cents each, or $6 for 10 (plus appropriate shipping charges). To order, contact Rob Henderson at (313) 487-4931, or via e-mail at robh@cyberspace.org. Or find him at most SLG events if you'd like to see what the cards look like.
Ripples is the quarterly journal of Shining Lakes Grove, ADF, and is published every other high day, or as close to that as possible.
Subscriptions are free for current members of the Grove, and $5/year for everyone else. The single copy price is $1.50; back issues are subject to availibility. Proceeds from sales defray publishing and mailing costs, or go to the General Fund.
Advertising rates are $3 per issue for business card size, $5 per issue for quarter page. Copy must be camera ready.
Please send letters, submissions, artworks, advertisements, or anything
else that seems relevant to:
Brighn
Editor and Grove
Chronicler
352 W. Bennett
Ferndale, MI 48220
(248) 586
9222
kershawp@pilot.msu.edu
seahorse@customnet.net
or to Ripples at the address below.
See volume 3, issue 3 or contact the editor for submission guidelines.
The deadline for submissions to volume 4, number 3 is:
Shining Lakes Grove is the Ann Arbor-based grove of Ár nDraíocht
Féin, an International Druidic Organization. Shining Lakes Grove
presents rituals, Bardic circles, and other events for the NeoPagan
community and the general public. For more information, contact:
Shining Lakes Grove, ADF
P.O. Box 15585
Ann Arbor, MI
48106-5585
(313) 480 2082
If busy, try: (313) 434 7444
robh@cyberspace.org
The editor was assisted by:
Jenna Hirschman: layout, design, data
entry, critique;
Valerie Hartzer: proofreading
Visit our Website!
http://www.msen.com/~robh/slg
©1997 Shining Lakes Grove, ADF (copyrights on individual pieces retained by the authors)
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