I Mission Statement
This Grove exists as a Charter Grove of the Ancient and Honourable Order of the Sacred Oaks. It shall be named Silver Birch Grove (SBG). The Silver Birch Grove (SBG) exists to serve the religious, spiritual and educational needs of its members within the Druidic, Wiccan and Neopagan community. It is meant to support, nurture, educate and, when and where necessary, shield and protect its members.
II Structure
A Grove Council and Officers
The Grove Council shall consist of seven elected officers as defined herein:
i) Chosen Chief (Princeps Nemus)
Tree Oak/Duir
Colours Black & Gold
Animal Totem Green Dragon
The Chief is the supreme Grove authority. He coordinates and oversees all aspect and functions of the Grove and chairs Grove Council meetings. The Chief shall serve as the Grove representative to the Great Council. The Chief shall be of the Order of the Oak, a Master Druid.
High Priest/ess (Pontifix)
Tree Yew/Ioho
Colours Forest Green & Silver
Animal Totem Crane
The High Priest guides and reviews Grove rituals, ensures compliance with the liturgy, and oversees spiritual development programs. Along with the Chief, he ministers to the individual and group needs and shall be, at a minimum, an Ovate. The High Priest/ess shall serve as the Grove representative to the Ordination Board. He is responsible for keeping and maintaining Grove altar tools and ritual equipment.
iii) Scribe (Scriba)
Tree Hazel/Coll
Colour Red
Animal Totem Owl
The Scribe keeps Grove records, lists of membership, and meeting minutes. He will publish and distribute them as necessary and authorized. The Scribe handles day-to-day correspondence and initial public contacts and inquiries.
iv) Pursewarden (Aerrarii Praefectus)
Tree Apple/Quert
Colour Yellow
Animal Totem Eagle
The Pursewarden collects monthly dues, keeps financial records, distributes payments, and maintains the two-signature Grove bank account. He will present a treasury report at each monthly Grove Council meeting, and a quarterly balance sheet at Yule, Vernal and Autumnal Equinox, and Summer Solstice. He will also present an annual financial statement for review at the Gorsedd. Upon change of office, all financial records will handed over and reviewed in a timely manner, and prior to a new Pursewarden taking responsibility for the treasury.
v) Magister (Magister Princeps)
Tree Pine/Peine
Colour Blue-Green & Grey
Animal Totem Bear
The Magister coordinates Grove educational programs, including the monthly tutorials, maintains Grove educational and Order records, and chairs the Grade Awards Committee. The Magister shall serve as the Grove representative to the Druidic College. He shall be, at a minimum, an Ovate.
vi) Sword Bearer (Baiulus Gladius)
Tree Holly/Tinne
Colour Maroon
Animal Totem Hound
The Sword Bearer acts as summoner and gatekeeper at Grove rituals and functions. He enforces order and rules, collects fines, keeps and maintains Grove equipment and some ritual tools.
vii) Bard (Vates)
Tree Birch/Beith
Colour Blue
Animal Totem Stag
The Bard maintains the Grove library, monitors book lending/return, and makes book purchases. The Bard will also edit and distribute the Grove newsletter under the oversight of an editorial committee appointed by the Grove Council.
Minimum Levels
Except as noted above, all officers shall be, at a minimum, a Bard. Where no Bard is available, the Grove Council shall, at its discretion, appoint an initiated member in good standing to the vacant office, and within 30 days of the office becoming vacant. Appointments shall be for one year or until the next election, which ever comes first.
Where a member has been twice appointed to, and served in, an office, the minimum eligibility level shall be waived and that member will be eligible to stand for election to that office. If elected, the member must undertake to achieve the required level as expeditiously as possible.
B Elections
An election committee, appointed by the Council, will accept nominations for Grove officers at the Gorsedd. A secret ballot vote will take place at the New Moon prior to Samhain. The winners will be those with a simple majority and will be announced immediately following ballot counting.
C Term of Office
The term of office for all Grove officers shall be three years, commencing at the Samhain following the election. There shall be no term limits.
D Removal from Office
Any member in good standing, with two seconders, may introduce a Bill of Recall at a Grove Council meeting. An officer will be removed from office upon a two-thirds majority vote of all eligible voting members. The vote must be taken within one month of the Bill being introduced.
E Resignation from Office
Grove officers who cannot or choose not to finish their term of office may resign in writing to the Grove Council. Officers should notify the Council, through the Chief, of their decision as soon as possible so that a replacement can be appointed by the Grove Council.
III Membership
Membership in the Sacred Oak Grove shall consist of two main levels; Initiated Members and Aspirant Members. There shall also be an Outer Circle as described below
A Initiated Members
Initiated Members are members in good standing who have been fully initiated into the Grove. They are eligible (either through election or appointment) to hold office, to vote on all applicable matters, to apply for advancement in the internal Orders, and pay dues. Those who have not ascended to membership in the internal Orders shall be styled Novices. They shall wear a white robe and white belt.
B Aspirant Members
Aspirant Members are probationary members of the Grove, who may attend all Grove functions, are entitled to speak at meetings, but who are not eligible to vote or hold office.
Regardless of prior experience or membership in other organizations, applicants may be accepted as aspirant members upon petition to, and approval of the Grove Council. Aspirants may petition for full (Novice) membership after successfully completing the probationary period or may apply to the Grove council for a review of the probationary period after no less than six months. They may wear any colour robe except white and avoiding blue and green. Grey is recommended.
An Outer Circle exists for those wishing to attend Sabbats but not participate in the benefits of full membership. Members of the Outer Circle may be fully initiated members or at minimum have undertaken aspirant membership initiation. They may attend sabbats (and esbats and tutorials by agreement of full members). They shall not have a vote for any election nor be eligible to hold office. They shall not pay dues but may make voluntary contributions.
C Screening
Individuals who express interest in joining the Grove shall be screened according to the following format.
They shall have an initial interview with several full members. If satisfactory, they will be invited to the next Sabbat and provided with a reading list from which to choose several books/articles.
Upon agreement of the Grove Council, the candidate shall be invited to a second Sabbat, at which time an formal interview will be arranged to discuss their knowledge level, experience, readings and for them to present written answers to the following three questions:
What is your understanding of Druidry and Wicca?
What do you expect to get from joining the Grove?
What do you expect to contribute to the Grove?
The Grove Council will evaluate the candidate’s responses and, if successful, advise the candidate of their eligibility to petition for associate membership. Upon acceptance, the candidate shall be invited to the next Esbat, at which they will be initiated as an Aspirant Member.
D Responsibilities of Membership
Attendance and Participation
Attendance and participation at Grove functions, especially rituals and tutorials, are essential to both the growth and development of the individual member, the Grove, and the Order. They demonstrate a commitment to the Grove and to the Druidic movement.
One absence without prior notification and good reason shall warrant a telephone contact from the Sword Bearer and a $1.00 fine
A second absence without prior notification and good reason, within a period of one year, shall warrant a written contact from the Sword Bearer advising of possible disciplinary action and a further fine of $2.00.
A third absence without prior notification and good reason, within a period of one year,
Shall result in the individual being called before the Grove Council, and may result in disciplinary action including, but not limited to, a fine of $5.00 and possible suspension.
Every effort should be made through guidance and counseling to avoid the above sanctions. (see item v )
Fellowship
Fellowship is an integral part of Druidic philosophy. Grove members are expected to be supportive of their fellows and to encourage each other’s spiritual and communal growth.
Pursuing Advancement
The pursuit of advancement in Druidic knowledge, skills and training ensures the growth of the individual and of the Grove as a whole. The Grove recognizes that individuals have different needs, aspirations and learning abilities, as well as available resources such as time. It will do everything within its power to reasonably assist members in the pursuit of Druidic goals.
Dues and Fines
Members shall keep current with their dues to ensure that Grove services will continue for the good of all SOG members. Dues shall be $5.00 for each fully initiated member, due at each Tutorial/New Moon. Fines are due upon being levied.
The Grove Council may waive one month of dues in cases of extreme hardship, upon a two-thirds majority vote of the Council. Payment in kind may be arranged for a very limited time when no other arrangements may be made, but these shall not be of contributions that would ordinarily be made in the regular course of events.
Sabbaticals
Members may petition the Grove Council for a sabbatical (time off) from Grove activities for a period of up to six months without loss of membership standing or grade. Time on sabbatical will not count toward advancement minimums. Members on sabbatical will not be responsible for payment of dues, and will not have voting privileges.
E Disciplinary Actions and Expulsion
The following actions may be considered grounds for review and disciplinary action by the Grove Council:
Purposefully or negligently revealing confidential Grove information.
Speaking derogatorily or maliciously about fellow Grove members or policies.
Disruptive, combative or argumentative behavior at Grove rituals or functions.
Subversive activities designed to undermine the stated Grove mission, functions or endeavors.
Failure to abide by or willfully disregarding the Grove Rule, accepted policies, or Council decisions.
Attendance irregularities as outlined in Section D i.
IV Internal Orders
The Order and the Sacred Oak Grove shall offer three internal Orders above that of Novice. Criteria for advancement are outlined below but are subject to review and revision by the Druidic College. In the event of changes, members may elect to use either the criteria in force at the time of initiation, or the new criteria. See the Druidic College, Requirements for Advancement and Curriculum Outline for more specific guidelines.
I Order of the Birch ~ Bardic Level
II Order of the Yew ~ Ovate Level
III Order of the Oak ~ Master Druid Level
I Order of the Birch (representing new beginnings)
The Bard must achieve and demonstrate a sound knowledge of:
druidry, history and philosophy
Celtic history and culture
Celtic mythology, the pantheon and traditions
Bardic traditions, triads, poetry and storytelling
the Wheel of the Year, the eight Sabbats
ritual and liturgy, write and lead a simple ritual
elementary Wicca
elementary magick, concept and practice
train as a novice Bard (Novice) for a minimum of a year-and-a-day.
Advancement will be granted on successful completion of an oral and written examination.
The Bard shall wear a blue tabard with black trim over the white Druidic robe and be entitled to the style, “Bard,” with all rights and privileges thereto afforded.
II Order of the Yew (representing death and rebirth)
The Ovate must achieve and demonstrate a sound knowledge of:
divination
healing and herb lore
tree lore
the Ogham alphabet and calendar
the Greek alphabet
intermediate Wicca
intermediate magick
continue advanced studies in the Bardic level
train as a novice Ovate (Bard) for a minimum of two years.
write and lead a Sabbat ritual
Advancement will be granted on successful completion of an oral and written examination.
The Ovate shall wear a green tabard with silver trim over the white druidic robe and be entitled to the style, “Ovate,” with all rights and privileges thereto afforded.
III Order of the Oak (representing wisdom)
The Master Druid must achieve and demonstrate a sound knowledge of:
astronomy/astrology
stone lore
administration and druidic law
Celtic shamanism
advanced Wicca
advanced magick
advanced studies in the Bardic and Ovate level
train as a novice Master Druid (Ovate) for a minimum of two years.
Advancement will be granted on successful completion of an oral and written examination and a defended academic paper.
The Druid wears a white tabard with gold trim over the white druidic robe and is entitled to the style, “ Master Druid,” with all rights and privileges thereto afforded.
V Meetings, Rituals & Grove Functions
A Sabbats
Sabbat rituals will be celebrated on the closest Saturday to the actual date of the Sabbat As festivals, they are open to members of the Outer Circle, guests (by invitation), spouses, significant others, and children of members and guests. Those bringing guests, etc., must notify the member responsible for the event, who will notify the host.
B Esbats
Esbat rituals will be celebrated on the closest Saturday to the Full Moon. Due to the more esoteric nature of esbats, they are closed to all except initiated and aspirant members. Initiated Druids from other Groves and orders, or initiated coven members may be invited by special arrangement with the Grove.
C Tutorials
Tutorials will be held on the closest Saturday to the New Moon. They are closed to all except initiated members and special guests as outlined in article V B.
D Annual Gorsedd
The Sacred Oak Grove will hold an annual Gorsedd within a fortnight of Lughnassadh at a time and place to be determined by the Grove Council.
E Responsibilities
The High Priest/ess is responsible for supervising, coordinating and assigning rituals. They will ensure that they are in line with Order liturgy and on the theme designated.
Those assigned to conduct rituals, usually two members per ritual, will submit a completed outline to the High Priest/ess no later than two weeks prior to the event. They will provide an outline of the ritual, “script”, and any necessary materials, for each member attending the ritual. Costs of copying and other materials may be recovered from the Grove, with receipts.
The Magister is responsible for supervising, coordinating and assigning tutorials. They will ensure that they are in line with Order policy and on a subject selected from the Magister’s list of approved topics, or a prior approved topic. Those assigned to conduct tutorials will submit a completed outline and lesson plan to the Magister no later than two weeks prior to the event. They will provide at least a one-page lesson outline and any accompanying documents for each member attending the lesson. Costs of copying and other materials may be recovered from the Grove, with receipts.
F Annual Calendar
The Grove Council will have produced an annual Grove calendar at the Gorsedd. It will contain, at a minimum, the dates of all Esbats, Sabbats , tutorials, and tentative dates for special events and extra ordinary meetings. A copy will be provided for each member.
Changes to the calendar may be made by a simple majority vote of members present at a Council meeting.
G Publications
The Grove will publish a newsletter entitled Talisman at each Sabbat. The Bard will edit the newsletter under the auspices of an editorial committee appointed by the Grove Council. Officers shall be responsible for submitting, in a timely manner, contributions pertaining to their office for each edition.
The Grove may maintain a web site edited by a Web Master, appointed by the Council and under the auspices of the same editorial committee.
VI Grove Affiliations
Other than the affiliation with The Ancient and Honourable Order of the Sacred Oaks, the Grove may affiliate with other groups upon a two-thirds majority vote of all eligible Grove members. Such affiliations are subject to the advise and consent of the Great Council and shall in no way conflict with the Order or Grove Rule, directives or decisions.
VII Amendments to the Rule
Amendments may be made to the SOG Rule with the approval of a two-thirds majority vote of all eligible Grove members. Proposed amendments shall be submitted in draft to the Grove Council, and must be published in the newsletter before being discussed and voted on.
All changes to the Grove Rule must be approved by the Great Council of the Order prior to activation.
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