ARTICLE 1: OBJECTIVE. The Green Earth Fellowship (a Pagan Campus Ministry) works toward the natural preservation of, and celebration of, Mother Nature’s original physical state through fellowship, and through the study of rituals and ways of the ancient and contemporary traditional peoples, in such a manner as to preserve and protect the rich heritage of "being" in nature.

ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE. The Green Earth Fellowship is a cultural and spiritual organization for anyone with interests in ancient traditional or creative forms of ritual, worship, or spiritual practice, remaining respectful of nature, and skeptical of formal institutional doctrines or fundamentalist dogmas.

ARTICLE 3: DECLARATION. The Green Earth Fellowship shall not engage in any activity prohibited by the student code or pertinent legal code, ethical standards applicable to social and environmental relationships generally, or magical propriety.

ARTICLE 4: MEMBERSHIP. The Green Earth Fellowship is open to all members of the U.W.F. community, including humans. All non-human residents of the U.W.F. campus are automatically members unless they submit a written declination of membership. It should be stressed that self-identification as a pagan is not a requirement for membership.

ARTICLE 5: SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT. There is no particular Article 5. There remains, in general, an Article 5 consistent with a proper sense of continuity and flow, and in respect of the unquestionable fact that an Article 5 could exist, and likely does in some parallel universes, albeit in a form which might not be palatable to this fellowship or its parent community, for, as Stephen Hawking has remarked, "God not only plays dice, He throws them in places where they can’t be seen."

ARTICLE 6: FINANCE. Dues totalling $1.00 will be pledged at the beginning of each semester. All members will aid in the accumulation of the pledges toward the aforementioned amount. No other funds will be required of any individual. "In kind" supplemental donations are accepted on an activity by activity basis. The group also collects financial and food offerings to support the campus cats.

ARTICLE 7: OFFICERS. (a) The U.W.F. Green Earth Fellowship will consist of members whom we consider equal in every way. Therefor, "officers’ are not needed. However, for political reasons we have designated the following ministry statuses:
     Spokeshaman
     Dysfunctionary
     Profferer of Recent Runes
     Capitalist Pig
     Librarian (usually filled by an Orang Utan, or other Pogid, or lacking these, left vacant).
     Musical Shamans --
     Shell Shakers
     Rattle Shakers
     Shake Rattlers
     Drum Waterers
     Water Drummers
     Bodhranists
     Animal Impersonators
     Elvis Impersonators
(b) All Statuses are open to all members simultaneously.

ARTICLE 8: COMMITTEES. Any two or more of the functionaries listed in Article 7 shall constitute a self-proclaimed ad hoc committee, provided both are functioning in human language mode (according that the principle animal linguisticum ut animal linguisticum ad alterum sive linguisticum sive non may not be sufficient to constitute "functioning").

ARTICLE 9: MEETINGS. Meetings can be called by any member at a moment’s notice, with absolutely no prior notification (or reason). Weekly meetings will also be held. The first weekly of each semester will be designated the "first weekly meeting of the semester," the second weekly meeting of each semester will be designated the "second weekly meeting of the semester", etc., until we run out of weekly meetings in the semester.

 ARTICLE 10: PLEDGE. We are pledged to pursue only good in this evil world. Our pledge is not the pledge of the neighbor kid who always says "Yessir" and "Nosir" when you question him about your stolen hubcaps; not be pledge of the kid who shows up to take your daughter out wearing what appears to be pajama bottoms, an improperly fitted baseball cap, a Harley Davidson tee-shirt, five earrings, and lipstick; not the pledge of an Arkansas lawyer (of any gender) or a conservative White House transition-team member; but it is the pledge, instead, of people who remain clearly mindful of our actions, our legal and human obligations, our religious rights, and our need to respect other people, life in all forms, the surrounding community, and both public and private property. And so, we ask the question:  "Why can’t we just ‘get along’?"

ARTICLE 11: AMENDMENTS. Any changes in the U.W.F. Green Earth Fellowship constitution must be agreed upon by unanimous decision at the "second weekly meeting of the semester."

ARTICLE 12A: WARRANTY OF LAWFULNESS. The U.W.F. Green Earth Fellowship’s purposes and activities are lawfully consistent with the purposes and activities of all other such-constituted ministries and student organizations recognized by U.W.F. In this, we recognize that we are in no way being singled out in justifying ourselves as a religious fellowship, particularly with regard to lawfulness, and that we are certainly not a target of institutional discrimination on the erroneous bases of ignorance or intolerance, given especially that our fellowship does not engage in doctrinal, coercive, exploitative, racist, elitist, phallocentric, sexist, heterosexist, speciesist, disruptive, harassing, or otherwise egregious social behavior, socialization, or inculcation. We emphasize this article in the hope that our fellow students and  sister organizations of other religious genres will once--and-for-all unequivocally and spiritually also recognize our rights to exist.

ARTICLE 12B: NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT. The U.W.F. Green Earth Fellowship does not illegally discriminate in membership practices on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, racial self-identification (note: we make NO distinctions of race, inasmuch as "race" does not exist as a viable biological construct within the human species), ethnic identification, species, creed, covenant, religion (note: there are, indeed, many self-identified "Christian pagans" and "Jewish pagans"), dietary practice, color, national origin, marital status, handicap, age, infirmity, political affiliation, intelligence (note: we ask, indeed, how one might discriminate on the basis of something that cannot be measured), library hold status, or magical aptitude.

ARTICLE 14: ANTI-HAZING POLICY. The U.W.F. Green Earth Fellowship believes that
"hazing" is juvenile, dehumanizing, dangerous, stupid, unimaginative, and feckless behavior. That such behavior exists in campus clubs is alarming, especially to the extent that specific statements such as this article are required of all organizations. This Article, then, stands as ample evidence that spiritual organizations such as ours are needed in the university community. We presume that the university has a strong policy against hazing, which we support, of course, in the hope that it brooks no indulgence of such behavior in any campus organization, or on the part of individuals instigated by their membership in any such organization. Gorsh! This ought to be a no-brainer.

ARTICLE 15: RULES OF ORDER. Due to the fact that the U.W.F. Green Earth Fellowship is more of a disorganization than an organization, rules of political order do not apply. Nonetheless, in the event differences of opinion arise in meetings, we follow the Dirk Gently Method of establish order, employing a ceremonial nerf-bat passed among the members to signify that they possess "the floor" (we have found this less messy than seltzer bottles or creme pies). In order for decisions of the group to be binding, we follow the Iroquois League method of consensus; you can do as you please, except in the case of unanimous decisions which are binding.

ARTICLE 16: PROCLAMATION. As spiritual environmentalists and members of a nature-based religion, the Green Earth Fellowship understands the value of and indeed the absolute necessity for diversity in all things -- cultural and/or religious diversity is part and parcel of biodiversity. This said, we recognize there are many paths to the spiritual life and applaud all avenues accessed, acquired, actualized, adapted, adhered to, adopted, advanced, advocated, affected, affirmed, annunciated, applied, articulated, asserted, asservated, assumed, attempted, attested, averred, avouched, or avowed.

Accordingly, no one way can be right for all. We each must find our own approach. The Green Earth Fellowship provides just one angle on this. We welcome all who feel comfortable here -- and wish others well in their endeavors elsewhere.
 
 

THE OLD VERSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA
PAGAN CAMPUS MINISTRY CONSTITUTION
(Revised 8-99, Amended 11-99)

ARTICLE 1: OBJECTIVE. The Pagan Campus Ministry works toward the natural preservation of, and celebration of, Mother Nature’s original physical state through fellowship, and through the study of rituals and ways of the ancient and contemporary traditional peoples, in such a manner as to preserve and protect the rich heritage of "being" in nature.

ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE. The Pagan Campus Ministry is a cultural and spiritual organization for anyone with interests in ancient traditional or creative forms of ritual, worship, or spiritual practice, remaining respectful of nature, and skeptical of formal institutional doctrines or fundamentalist dogmas.

ARTICLE 3: DECLARATION. The Pagan Campus Ministry shall not engage in any activity prohibited by the student code or pertinent legal code, ethical standards applicable to social and environmental relationships generally, or magical propriety.

ARTICLE 4: MEMBERSHIP. The Pagan Campus Ministry is open to all members of the U.W.F. community, including humans. All non-human residents of the U.W.F. campus are automatically members unless they submit a written declination of membership. It should be stressed that self-identification as a pagan is not a requirement for membership.

ARTICLE 5: SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT. There is no particular Article 5. There remains, in general, an Article 5 consistent with a proper sense of continuity and flow, and in respect of the unquestionable fact that an Article 5 could exist, and likely does in some parallel universes, albeit in a form which might not be palatable to this fellowship or its parent community, for, as Stephen Hawking has remarked, "God not only plays dice, He throws them in places where they can’t be seen."

ARTICLE 6: FINANCE. Dues totalling $1.00 will be pledged at the beginning of each semester. All members will aid in the accumulation of the pledges toward the aforementioned amount. No other funds will be required of any individual. "In kind" supplemental donations are accepted on an activity by activity basis. The group also collects financial and food offerings to support the campus cats.

ARTICLE 7: OFFICERS. (a) The U.W.F. Pagan Campus Ministry will consist of members whom we consider equal in every way. Therefore, "officers" are not needed. However, for political reasons we have designated the following ministry statuses:
     Spokeshaman
     Dysfunctionary
     Profferer of Recent Runes
     Librarian (usually filled by an Orang Utan, or other Pogid, or lacking these, left vacant).
     Musical Shamans --
     Shell Shakers
     Rattle Shakers
     Shake Rattlers
     Drum Waterers
     Water Drummers
     Bodhranists
     Animal Impersonators
     Elvis Impersonators
(b) All Statuses are open to all members simultaneously.

ARTICLE 8: COMMITTEES. Any two or more of the functionaries listed in Article 7 shall constitute a self-proclaimed ad hoc committee, provided both are functioning in human language mode (according that the principle animal linguisticum ut animal linguisticum ad alterum sive linguisticum sive non may not be sufficient to constitute "functioning").

ARTICLE 9: MEETINGS. Meetings can be called by any member at a moment’s notice, with absolutely no prior notification (or reason). Weekly meetings will also be held. The first weekly of each semester will be designated the "first weekly meeting of the semester," the second weekly meeting of each semester will be designated the "second weekly meeting of the semester", etc., until we run out of weekly meetings in the semester.

ARTICLE 10: PLEDGE. We are pledged to pursue only good in this evil world. Our pledge is not the pledge of the neighbor kid who always says "Yessir" and "Nosir" when you question him about your stolen hubcaps; not be pledge of the kid who shows up to take your daughter out wearing what appears to be pajama bottoms, an improperly fitted baseball cap, a Harley Davidson tee-shirt, five earrings, and lipstick; not the pledge of an Arkansas lawyer (of any gender) or a conservative White House transition-team member; but it is the pledge, instead, of people who remain clearly mindful of our actions, our legal and human obligations, our religious rights, and our need to respect other people, life in all forms, the surrounding community, and both public and private property. And so, we ask the question:  "Why can’t we just ‘get along’?"

ARTICLE 11: AMENDMENTS. Any changes in the U.W.F. Pagan Campus Ministry constitution must be agreed upon by unanimous decision at the "second weekly meeting of the semester."

ARTICLE 12A: WARRANTY OF LAWFULNESS. The U.W.F. Pagan Campus Ministry’s purposes and activities are lawfully consistent with the purposes and activities of all other such-constituted ministries and student organizations recognized by U.W.F. In this, we recognize that we are in no way being singled out in justifying ourselves as a religious fellowship, particularly with regard to lawfulness, and that we are certainly not a target of institutional discrimination on the erroneous bases of ignorance or intolerance, given especially that our fellowship does not engage in doctrinal, coercive, exploitative, racist, elitist, phallocentric, sexist, heterosexist, speciesist, disruptive, harassing, or otherwise egregious social behavior, socialization, or inculcation. We emphasize this article in the hope that our fellow students and  sister organizations of other religious genres will once--and-for-all unequivocally and spiritually also recognize our rights to exist.

ARTICLE 12B: NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT. The U.W.F. Pagan Campus Ministry does not illegally discriminate in membership practices on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, racial self-identification (note: we make NO distinctions of race, inasmuch as "race" does not exist as a viable biological construct within the human species), ethnic identification, species, creed, covenant, religion (note: there are, indeed, many self-identified "Christian pagans" and "Jewish pagans"), dietary practice, color, national origin, marital status, handicap, age, infirmity, political affiliation, intelligence (note: we ask, indeed, how one might discriminate on the basis of something that cannot be measured), library hold status, or magical aptitude.

ARTICLE 14: ANTI-HAZING POLICY. The U.W.F. Pagan Campus Ministry believes that
"hazing" is juvenile, dehumanizing, dangerous, stupid, unimaginative, and feckless behavior. That such behavior exists in campus clubs is alarming, especially to the extent that specific statements such as this article are required of all organizations. This Article, then, stands as ample evidence that spiritual organizations such as ours are needed in the university community. We presume that the university has a strong policy against hazing, which we support, of course, in the hope that it brooks no indulgence of such behavior in any campus organization, or on the part of individuals instigated by their membership in any such organization. Gorsh! This ought to be a no-brainer.

ARTICLE 15: RULES OF ORDER. Due to the fact that the U.W.F. Pagan Campus Ministry is more of a disorganization than an organization, rules of political order do not apply. Nonetheless, in the event differences of opinion arise in meetings, we follow the Dirk Gently Method of establish order, employing a ceremonial nerf-bat passed among the members to signify that they possess "the floor" (we have found this less messy than seltzer bottles or creme pies). In order for decisions of the group to be binding, we follow the Iroquois League method of consensus; you can do as you please, except in the case of unanimous decisions which are
binding.

ARTICLE 16: PROCLAMATION. As spiritual environmentalists and members of a nature-based religion, the Pagan Campus Ministry understands the value of and indeed the absolute necessity for diversity in all things -- cultural and/or religious diversity is part and parcel of biodiversity. This said, we recognize there are many paths to the spiritual life and applaud all avenues accessed, acquired, actualized, adapted, adhered to, adopted, advanced, advocated, affected, affirmed, annunciated, applied, articulated, asserted, asservated, assumed, attempted, attested, averred, avouched, or avowed.

Accordingly, no one way can be right for all. We each must find our own approach. The Pagan Campus Ministry provides just one angle on this. We welcome all who feel comfortable here -- and wish others well in their endeavors elsewhere.

Back to PCM Main Page