By-Laws

By-Laws of Church of the Sacred Moon

Board of Directors

PRESIDENT & AGENT- The Rev. Melvin T. Neifert
VICE PRESIDENT - The Rev. Jennifer L. Morgan
SECRETARY - The Rev. Tambi J. Newton
TREASURER - The Rev. Barry S. Andrews
REGISTRAR - The Rev. Mathew S. Maddon

Preamble

As members of Church of the Sacred Moon, we are dedicated to the Wiccan Rede and the goals of our coven. We are dedicated in nurturing and creating art... in artistic expression, and in doing so, promoting the artistic endeavors of all members of Church of the Sacred Moon that we might thereby enhance the lives of all members. We respect each individual, recognizing their unique characteristics, tastes and talents. All members are deserving of respect. We recognize that each individual brings a range of strengths to our Pagan family and to this coven. Therefore, we respect each person as an individual representation of the divine.
We also adhere to the 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief adopted at the first and only Council of American Witches in April, 1974. The Principles of Wiccan Belief are as follows:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal quarters and cross quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of a Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity—as masculine and feminine— and that this same Creative Power lies within all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as the embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc.—and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it—a world view and philosophy of life that we identify as Witchcraft—the Wiccan way.

8. Calling oneself Witch does not make a Witch—but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within herself or himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be the only way and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as Satan or the Devil, as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13. We believe that we should seek within nature that which is contributory to our well-being.

Article I. Establishment
Church of the Sacred Moon is a non-profit organization incorporated with the Secretary of the State of Washington since June 28th, 2006 (UBI # 602652910). We have 501 (c)(3) tax exempt certification through the Internal Revenue Service. Our organization’s office is located at 1106 West Cherry Avenue, Selah, WA 98942. Our mailing address is PO Box 462, Selah, WA 98942.

Article II. Purpose
The purpose of our coven and study groups is to educate the public about our beliefs & support our local community and others around the world. As eclectic Pagans, we draw on various sources for knowledge, spiritual inspiration, & wisdom. We do not proselytize or seek to convert others to our religion. We do not discriminate against anyone for any reason. We are not anti-Christian, anti-Muslim, or anti-Semitic. We believe that there are many spiritual paths seeking enlightenment. Unfortunately, there are those who spread fear, hatred, and misinformation about Pagans (or Neo-Pagans). This is why we host open public events that are for everyone. We welcome people from all faiths to come to our events and find out about who we are and what we do.

Article III. Membership
No person shall be denied membership in either the study groups, recovery groups, the coven, or Board of Directors of Church of the Sacred Moon because of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical handicap, mental handicap, family status, previous religious association, or age (provided that they have attained the age of legal majority). Candidates for membership who have not attained the age of legal majority may be considered for membership only at the request of their parents or guardians. (* An exception of gender is made in the case of Temples, Covens, study groups, or recovery groups which have been specifically chartered to explore Women’s or Men’s Mysteries as a primary focus.)

1. We offer 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree training for those who wish to become members of our coven. Entry into degree training is done on a case by case basis and we reserve the right to deny anyone access into our training sessions for coven membership.
A. 1st degree training completion is required in order to be initiated into our coven.
B. 2nd degree training completion is required in order to be initiated into the 2nd degree.
C. 3rd degree training completion is required in order to be initiated into the 3rd degree.

2. Membership into our study groups is open to all people who desire to learn about Paganism.

3. There are no dues or fees for membership into our study groups, recovery groups, or our coven. *However, free will donations are encouraged by all coven members and those who attend our study groups regularly.

Article IV. Structure
A. Whether holding a specific position or not, all general members of the coven are equal.


B. Board of Directors: The Board of Directors are the Heads of Departments appointed by Church of the Sacred Moon to guide and direct the coven. The Board of Directors shall be active members of the coven and shall work under the imperium of the President of the organization. The Board of Directors have the ultimate responsibility for the coven and organization and, as such, may be called upon to fill in other positions within the coven to ensure the organization is running properly.
1. The daily activities of the coven shall be guided by the Board of Directors in consultation with the coven and its members when needed or demanded.
2. The Board of Directors may delegate responsibilities to other members of the coven by the Board’s discretion. The Board of Directors must be sure that the delegate assumes responsibility for the task and operates under the direction of the Board of Directors.
3. Each Director shall have the responsibility to establish goals for their particular area and see that the goals and special projects are carried out. A record of the Board’s goals and accomplishments will be kept by the Board of Directors to allow for future projects to build upon the work of the coven members.

C. Secretary: the Board of Directors shall appoint the Secretary
1. Secretary shall be responsible for handling all applications for Order membership.
2. Secretary shall verify information on the application by verifying the applicants’ coven membership number with the coven and then forwarding applications to the Board of Directors.

D. Other positions in the coven.
1. The Board of Directors, to ensure the effective functioning and management of the coven, may create positions.
i. To create a position, the Board of Directors will:
1. Create the position description, duration, and method for it to be filled.
2. Refer the matter to the coven for review, comment and/or possible veto.

ii. Where the position is intended to be filled by a particular person(s), owing to particular skills held by that person(s), the Board of Directors’ initial proposal must state this clearly, including justification. Otherwise, nominations shall be received and voted upon annually by processes determined by the Board of Directors. Such a process shall include reasonable advertisement within the coven of the position and its requirements; adequate time for making nominations. Where no nominations is received or accepted, the Board of Directors’ nominee shall be deemed to have been appointed to the position without vote.

iii. Where the Board of Directors determine that the need for such a position has ended, the Board shall provide at least one month notice to the coven and to any incumbent stating that the position is no longer necessary, and shall arrange for a suitable voting procedure to confirm or reject the proposal to end that position.

Article V. Voting
A quorum shall be formed once a majority of active members has voted. To achieve a quorum for the purposes of voting, 2/3 of the active members must have placed a vote. Of that quorum, the measure, position, or issue etc. that is being voted upon will be deemed to have passed by a majority vote (51%).

Article VI. Behavior of Members
A. Church of the Sacred Moon members, as members of the coven, are to conduct themselves in accordance with the Wiccan Rede which states, “An’ it harm none, do what thou wilt.”
B. The unique nature of the coven - largely distance in nature owing to being operated over the internet, requires that members remember to respect others at all times, including respecting other members’ desire for privacy - including not being ‘outed’. Permission must be obtained from the member who posted a comment before publishing it outside of the coven. Publishing includes making it available to a third party by any means.
C. Members should ask others to clarify their positions if they find something offensive remembering that sometimes it is just a simple misunderstanding and the other party may have meant no offense.
D. Internet etiquette should be followed. Posts should be relevant to the coven’s business. No spamming or unsolicited commercial advertisements are allowed. Any problems that may arise with etiquette and behavior shall be brought to the attention of the coven Board of Directors and will be dealt with by the Board in consultation with the coven.
E. Coven members are expected to maintain the goals of the coven and all of its departments. They are expected to maintain the integrity of the coven and of the organization as a whole.

Acceptance of By-Laws

A. From time to time the by-laws may need to be revised/changed to reflect the growth and needs of the coven and organization.
B. Changes will be made to these by-laws by adoption of the coven Board of Directors as approved by the coven and by keeping in mind any suggestions or comments made by the membership of the coven. These by-laws were accepted, as approved by the coven, by a majority of the members of the coven on the 4th day of April, 2007.

Signed,

President: The Rev. Melvin T. Neifert
Vice President: The Rev. Jennifer L. Morgan
Secretary: The Rev. Tambi J. Newton
Treasurer: The Rev. Barry S. Andrews
Registrar: The Rev. Mathew S. Maddon