Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF Bylaws

This page last updated 15 August 2006

Protogrove Purpose

To serve the spiritual needs of our community (the greater area of the county of Hampshire in the United Kingdom) through public Druidic ritual. Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF is committed to providing the outlet for its members to worship a diversity of Indo-European pantheons. An undue pressure on any person to participate or donate funds clearly falls outside the purpose and goals of Hollow Hills Protogrove. As set forth by the Mother Grove, Hollow Hills Protogrove must provide open public worship at all of the High Days.

Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF will remain as an ADF protogrove by adhering to the requirements set out in the Required Grove Activities published by ADF and the ADF by-laws. Any decision not to do so will constitute dissolution of Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF.

As a local congregation of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc. Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF shall follow the national by laws.

Participation in Protogrove Activities

Participation in Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF is limited to adults eighteen (18) years or older, however children may be able to attend with a legal guardian. However, some Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF activities may not be appropriate or suitable for children. Please check the Hollow Hills schedule or email hollowhillsadf@gmail.com for further age restriction information.

Calendar

As set forth by the Mother Grove, Hollow Hills Protogrove must perform a minimum of eight public events per year.

1.The High Days of the ADF calendar are the eight Neo-pagan High Days which are the solstices, equinoxes, and points equally between them. For legal purposes, these High Days occur on:

1. Cross-Quarter = November 1st

2. Solstice = December 21st

3. Cross-Quarter = February 1st

4. Equinox = March 21st

5. Cross-Quarter = May 1st

6. Solstice = June 21st

7. Cross-Quarter = August 1st

8. Equinox = September 21st

2.For ceremonial purposes, however, each High Day may be celebrated upon either the legal date, the astronomical date, or upon a date mutually convenient, within a fortnight, to the participants of the particular celebrations involved. In addition, Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF may honor traditional ethnic holidays.

Other Events

1.We meet for all manner of events from pagan arts and crafts, to social gatherings, to a wide variety of discussions on spiritual, Indo-European, historical and magick related topics. Please see our calendar for a list of events.

2.Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted on the schedule. In some cases donations are asked for to cover the costs of materials.

3.In addition to our public events, events restricted to members may be scheduled for the purposes of enhancing and deepening the spiritual development of our members. The overwhelming majority of all Protogrove activities will be open and inclusive.

Membership

1.To join Hollow Hills Protogrove, we ask that new people attend at least 4 High Days and a majority of meetings in-between high days and exhibit willingness to contribute energy to the grove.

2.Full Protogrove Member – is defined as a person who is a member of ADF and a Local Grove member.

3.Local Protogrove Member – is defined as a person who has been invited and agreed to join Hollow Hills Protogrove and who sustains participation in Protogrove activities.

4.ADF Member – is defined as a person who is recognized as a current member of ADF.

Voting on Membership

1. Any person may apply for admission to the Protogrove upon having fulfilled membership requirements as outlined in our bylaws. Acceptance of new Protogrove members must be approved by a 75% vote of current Local and/or Full Protogrove Members.

2. If a prospective member is eligible for membership by meeting the criteria for membership outlined by the bylaws of Hollow Hills Protogrove, and declines membership in Hollow Hills, the invitation remains open as long as the prospective member maintains regular attendance at meetings and rituals (4 public events within a 6 month period).

3. If a prospective member has been declined membership in Hollow Hills Protogrove by the voting membership, the prospective member may re-apply for membership and this application will be voted on at the next business meeting. In some cases, to re-apply, the prospective member must demonstrate a change in behaviour. The prospective member must also re-fulfill the membership criteria outlined in the bylaws of Hollow Hills Protogrove starting from the day they re-apply.

Discrimination

1.Membership and rank in Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF, attendance at public or semipublic Hollow Hills activities, and participation in any lore or arts meetings, shall not be denied to any person on the basis of race, ancestry, color, physical disability (except as mentioned elsewhere in this article), gender, or affectional orientation, but may be denied to individuals practicing creeds inimical to Neopagan Druidism.

2.As used herein, "inimical creeds" shall include varieties of conservative monotheism, atheism, demonism, racialism, or other such faiths, as shall be determined by the Mother Grove.

3.Proven communication or behavior of a virulently racist, sexist, homophobic, heterophobic, anti-Semitic, or otherwise bigoted manner, shall be grounds for expulsion from Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF, as described elsewhere in these Bylaws. This does not include strong verbal statements about the theology, history, or psychological characteristics of other religions.

4.All organizers of public and semipublic Hollow Hills Protogrove, 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 Mother Grove shall rule otherwise in a particular instance.

Expulsion, Suspension of Full and Local Protogrove Members:

1. Grounds for suspension or expulsion are stated in the ADF by-laws.

2. Members may be suspended by a 2/3 vote of the Local Protogrove Membership.

3. After 90 Days, the suspension shall either be removed or a recommendation for expulsion shall be taken to the voting membership.

4. Members may be expelled by a 2/3 vote of the Local Protogrove Membership

5. Full Protogrove Members who are suspended or expelled from ADF must show cause why they should be allowed to remain Local Protogrove Members. Full Protogrove Members, who have been banned temporarily or permanently from attending ADF activities, by the ADF Mother Grove in accordance with the ADF by-laws, will not be permitted to remain Local Protogrove Members or to attend grove rituals. Such bans must be announced in ADF publications.

6. Suspended or expelled Full Protogrove Members may not hold office or act in any way as representatives of Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF and have no right to receive any publications, and may not continue to participate in Druidic study programs offered by Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF.

7. Should a Full Protogrove or Local Protogrove Member be suspended or expelled, notification shall be made to the entire Protogrove membership within one month.

8. Suspended or expelled Full Protogrove or Local Protogrove Member will not be entitled to a refund of any Protogrove donations or fees.

9. If a member has been inactive for a year, the member will be put on a non-voting status and in order to gain active status the member must maintain regular attendance at meetings and rituals (4 public events within a 6 month period).

Resignation of Full and Local Protogrove Members:

1. Full Protogrove Members who resign from ADF may remain Local Members.

2. Full and Local Protogrove Members may resign from membership at any time for personal reasons and will be eligible to rejoin Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF at a later date.

3. Full and Local Protogrove Members may re-join Hollow Hills Protogrove, ADF only after fulfilling the criteria stated in the bylaws for initial membership.

Voting

1. All Local Protogrove Members shall be considered voting members of the Protogrove.

Quorum:

1. A quorum for meeting purposes shall consist of voting members representing in excess of 50% of the Local Protogrove Membership.2. In elections or referenda open to the Local Protogrove Members where absentee ballots and proxies are used, the ballots and proxies shall be received by the Protogrove Organizer, via Royal Mail, before the election, or before the vote is cast.

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