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SACRED EARTH
GROVE OF EASTERN CAROLINA BY-LAWS
Amended through
November 1, 2007
ARTICLE 1: NAME
The name of this Church shall be Sacred Earth
Grove of Eastern Carolina.
ARTICLE 2: AFFILIATION
The Church is not affiliated with any governing
religious body. The Church shall always strive to cooperate with others of like
or different spiritual paths while maintaining its privilege of self-rule.
ARTICLE 3: PURPOSES
Section 1. Incorporation of Section
510(c)(3) Purposes
This church is organized exclusively for one or
more of the purposes as specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code. The church shall not be organized for profit and no part of the net
earnings of the church shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual.
Section 2. Specific Objectives and
Purposes
The specific objectives and purposes of this
church shall be to:
a. Promulgate
the principles of the Feminine Divine;
b. Provide
fellowship and worship opportunities for all persons wishing to
explore and deepen their spiritual lives;
c. Participate
in service activities that foster goodwill and provide support to those on a
Wiccan/Pagan/Earth-Centered spiritual path;
d.
Participate in
service activities that benefit the environment;
e. Participate
in activities that value racial, cultural, and sexual diversity.
ARTICLE 4: MEMBERSHIP
Any person eighteen (18) years or older who is
interested in education and knowledge of the principles of the Feminine Divine
may become a member of this Church by:
1.
Demonstrating
sympathy with its purposes;
2. Demonstrating
an understanding of its By-Laws;
3. Supporting
it through financial and/or personal participation;
4. Signing
the membership book.
ARTICLE 5: GOVERNANCE
Section 1. Church Council
a. Authority
with respect to the governance of the Church, the conduct of the Church's
business,
and the administration of its affairs shall be
vested in a body known as the Church Council, subject to the provisions of law,
any limitations imposed in the Articles of Incorporation, the Articles of
Association, or these By-Laws, and as may be amplified in the organization’s
Policy and Procedures Manual.
b. The
Church Council shall consist of the Officers of the Church and the active
membership of the congregation as defined in Article 4 of these By-Laws.
c. The
Church Council shall fulfill its administrative functions based on the
non-hierarchical, consensus-building model as set forth in Peace & Power:
Building Communities for the Future, 5th Edition by Peggy L.
Chinn. A quorum is not required for this process; however, decisions may be
tabled until such time as additional Church Council members may be present to
participate.
d.
The
Church Council shall retain and not delegate to any congregational committee the
authority and responsibility to:
1.
Appoint the
Officers of the Church;
2.
Approve contracts and other matters related to the purchase, sale, or mortgage
of real property;
3. Adopt
the congregation’s operating budget;
4. Amend
the Articles of Association and By-Laws.
e. In
circumstances or where law requires action(s) by “Trustees”, the Church Council
shall be known as the “Board of Trustees” and its members as “Trustees.”
Section 2. Officers of the Church
a. The
Officers of the Church shall consist of two (2) Co-Priestesses/Priests, who
shall be ordained members of the clergy, and one (1) Scribe.
b. All
Officers shall represent the Church on appropriate occasions and perform all
duties incident to the office and such other duties as may be required from time
to time. Because the Church has a goal of shared leadership rather than
functioning under a traditional hierarchy, Officers have limited
responsibilities. Shared leadership duties include, but are not limited to:
1.
Serving as a role model for the church membership and for the Wiccan/Pagan
community;
2.
Serving as an educational resource to the church membership;
3.
Encouraging the spiritual growth of individual church members;
4.
Providing pastoral counseling for individual church members and/or their
families;
5.
Conducting rituals, ceremonies, or such rites as require the services of
ordained clergy;
6.
Representing the Church in dealings with federal and state offices and
financial institutions;
7.
Maintaining minutes of all meetings;
8.
Notifying the church membership of meetings;
9.
Maintaining an up-to-date membership roster;
10.
Maintaining a record of all receipts and expenditures;
11. Preparing
and submitting any reports as required by the Church or as required by
law.
Section 3: Appointments
Officers of the Church shall be appointed by
the Church Council during the annual business meeting of each year. The first
Officers of the Church shall serve for a term beginning one (1) day after the
adoption of these By-Laws and ending on October 31, 2007. All succeeding
appointees shall assume office on November 1 of each year and hold office for a
term of one year ending on October 31 of the following year.
ARTICLE 6:
COMMITTEES
The Church
Council may establish committees as necessary. The duties of such committees
shall be prescribed by the Church Council within the requirements of these
By-Laws. Committee chairpersons shall report on their activities during the
annual business meeting and at such other times as directed by the Church
Council.
ARTICLE 7:
FINANCES
Section 1.
Funds
Funds may be
derived from fund-raising activities and gifts to the Church.
Section 2.
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year
shall begin on November 1 and end on October 31 of the following year.
ARTICLE 8:
MEETINGS
Two regular
business meetings shall be held per year, as close to the Vernal and Autumnal
Equinoxes as possible. An annual business meeting shall be held as close to
Samhain (October 31) as possible. At the annual meeting, written progress
reports shall be submitted by each committee of the Church, and the Scribe shall
submit a financial report. The Officers of the Church may also call special
meetings of the Church Council as needed.
Members shall be
informed of all Church meetings, including special meetings, not less than one
week prior to the meeting. Such information shall include the date, time of
meeting, and an agenda of business to be transacted.
ARTICLE 9:
AMENDMENTS
Section 1:
Articles of Association
Amendments in
harmony with the Articles of Association of the Church, and not in conflict with
its purposes and practices, may be adopted by consensus of the Church Council at
an annual business meeting, provided the proposed amendment was presented in
writing at the preceding business meeting. Approved amendments must be signed
and dated by the Officers of the Church.
Section 2:
By-Laws
Amendments to
these By-Laws may be adopted by consensus of the Church Council at an annual
business meeting, provided the proposed amendment was presented in writing at
the preceding business meeting. Approved amendments must be signed and dated by
the Officers of the Church.
Section 3:
Record Keeping
Changes to the
Articles of Association or By-Laws must be duly recorded and maintained by the
Scribe as part of the Church records.
ARTICLE 10:
DISSOLUTION
Section 1:
Dissolution
In order to
dissolve this organization, the Officers of the Church must present a resolution
to the active membership recommending that the organization be dissolved. A
proposal for dissolution may be considered at a regular or special meeting of
the active membership only after thirty (30) days notice is given in writing to
each member.
Section 2:
Resolution
Upon adoption of
the resolution for dissolution, this Church shall cease to conduct its affairs,
except insofar as may be necessary for the proper completion thereof, and shall
immediately cause a notice for the proposed dissolution to be mailed to every
person and organization with an interest in Church activities, and shall proceed
to collect its assets and apply and distribute them lawfully. Any and all
assets of the Church shall become and be the property of The Great State of
North Carolina for use as the State sees fit for the recreation and education of
its residents.
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