Pagan SA

Pagan SA Constitution

Article I. Name

The name of the organization shall be the Pagan Student Association of the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Article II. Purpose and Objectives of Club

A. The terms Pagan and Paganism are blanket terms for a family of religions that share certain characteristics. Pagan religions are those who revere nature as a primary source of spirituality and participants view themselves as a part of Nature. The use of magic or magick is sometimes, but not always, a part of Pagan religious practice. Men and women are given spiritual equality in all Pagan religions. Pagan traditions also believe in a multiplicity of gods and goddesses, as well as lesser supernatural beings. There generally are no figures of ultimate Evil. Ethics and morality are based on joy, love, self-esteem, mutual respect, the avoidance of actual harm to themselves and others, and the increase of public benefit. Concepts of afterlife normally involve rest and recovery in the Otherworld before reincarnating, with no concept of “eternalEpunishment. Most pagan religions share a sense of karma, that actions come back to the one who performs them.

B. Some of the religions that are identified as Pagan are Wicca, Druidism, Shamanism, Witchcraft, Reconstructive Paganism, New Age spirituality, Asatru, Neo-pagan, Neopagan.

Wicca is a religion based on the symbols, seasonal days of celebration, beliefs and deities of ancient Celtic society. There are a wide variety of Wiccan traditions, but all adhere to the prime rule of causing no harm. Many Wiccans believe in a God and Goddess duality or a deity that is largely unknowable. Wiccan practice their religion in the form of rituals which consist of the consecration of a sacred space, the invocation of a deity/deities, the intended religious service (spell casting, community meal, etc), and the restoration of the space to ordinary usage. Witchcraft is a form/another name for Wicca.
Druidism looks back at the ancient Druids (priests, priestesses, wise ones, and magicians of the ancient Celts) for much of their inspiration. They value excellence both physically, intellectually, artistically, and spiritually. They believe that divinity is both immanent (internal) and transcendent (external), with immanence being given more attention than transcendence. Deities are believe to manifest at any point in space or time which They might choose, including within human beings. Druids stress a minimum amount of dogma and a maximum amount of eclecticism and flexibility.
Shamanism is spirit-based worship similar to that of Native Americans.
Reconstructive Paganism takes older religions (Sumerian, Mesopotamian, etc.) and fits them to modern life.
New Age Spirituality is an umbrella term for a wide range of personal and individual beliefs and practices influenced primarily by eastern religions, Paganism, and spiritism. God is an impersonal life force that is part of the universe, life, and matter. Most believe that people make mistakes when they are ignorant of the power of goodness, which is God, within themselves and others. Salvation lies in the realization of oneness with the impersonal life force, thus unlocking one’s healing potential. Suffering is the result of greed, hatred, and spiritual ignorance in a person’s past lifetimes.
Astaru is a religion based on Norse myth which worships traditional Norse Gods and Goddesses, elemental spirits, guardian spirits, and ancestors. Asatru practitioners gather into family and community groups, often by not necessarily under larger organizations. There is no central authority. Religious service is conducted by priests and priestesses known as Gothi and Gythia, respectively. For most groups, willingness and commitment are the only requirements to participate. There is no official canon scripture, but the Norse Eddas (epics) are used for their stories of the Gods and Goddesses. Asatru adhere to the Nine Noble Virtues: courage, truth, honor, fidelity, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, self-reliance, and perseverance. Important holidays include the equinoxes and solstices, the Charming of the Plow in February, and Fogmoon, a celebration of the Dead in November. The most important observance is the Blot ritual, an offering or sacrifice to the Gods. Animal sacrifice is not practiced in modern Asatru. Asatru groups tend to be eclectic and pantheistic.
Neo-Pagan religions are faiths that have almost or completely been wiped out in the past and have since been reconstructed from ancient information sources. They have a duotheistic or polytheistic belief system, with most of the practitioners worshiping solitarily. They have minimal or no hierarchical structure but a high concern for the environment. They follow a behavioral code that requires them to avoid hurting themselves or others.
Neopagan religions are modern faiths that have been recently reconstructed from beliefs, deities, symbols, practices and other elements of an ancient religion.

C. Our primary purpose is to foster a spiritual community of Pagan practitioners. We wish to provide a safe and private meeting ground for Pagans to both practice and discuss their religions. Our secondary purpose is to educate the University at Buffalo community about Pagans and Paganism, as well as to promote understanding, acceptance, and tolerance of other spiritual paths.

D. Our objective is to facilitate the practice of ritualistic or religious events requested by our members, to discuss topics of the faith, and to serve the Pagan community in whatever needs they bring forth.

Article III. Qualification of Membership

A. All members of the University at Buffalo and the surrounding community are welcome, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religious path. Our target membership are those who either participate in or have an interest in Paganism and any of its associated religions.
B. Voting members are those undergraduate students who have attended two or more meetings.

C. Non-voting members are any members of the University Community who do not meet the above stipulations.

D. A mailing list will be set up for any club member who wishes to be added. The mailing list will be open to whomever wishes to join, regardless of location or attendance. Members of the mailing list who do not qualify as either voting or non-voting members will be considered periphery members.

E. A member may be removed from the club if they are found guilty of religious or spiritual harassment of another member and/or violence to another member. A member of the club must bring valid evidence that another has committed a transgression to the e-board before that member will be considered for removal. A unanimous vote of the e-board members is necessary for a member to be removed from club membership.

Article IV. Government

A. Only full-time undergraduate students are eligible to run for office. To run for office you must have attended at least fifty percent of the meetings.

B. Duties of Officers

President

Vice-President

Treasurer

Secretary

Religious Council

C. Elections must be held prior to May 1st. Only voting members as described in Article III subsection A may vote in elections. There must be a majority vote of greater than half the attending voting members in favor for an officer to win an election.

D. New officers will be trained with the old officers after to elections until the last meeting of the semester. New officers will assume their duties at that time. Qualifications stipulated in Article IV subsection A must be met in order for a member to run for office.

E. In the case of a resignation, the resigning officer must give two weeks notice before the date they may officially resign. In that time elections will be held to appoint a new officer to fill the position and train that officer in their new duties. It is the responsibility of the resigning officer to train their replacement.

F. An officer will be removed/impeached from his/her office if they fail to perform their duties on at least three occasions or committed an illegal or unconstitutional act. Any member of the club may call for the removal/impeachment of an officer so long as they can cite adequate proof of the transgression. Voting members of the club will decide whether or not to impeach the officer. The officer has a right to defend his/her position through rational debate. If a vote is passed not to impeach an officer for the reasons brought up, then the same reasons may not be used again as cause for removal/impeachment. There must be a majority vote of two thirds of the attending members for an impeachment to succeed.

G. An officer may only be replaced by a member who meets the qualifications of Article IV subsection A.

Article V. Meetings

A. General meetings will be held at least once every two weeks if not every week while classes are in session, or whenever deemed necessary. General meetings will consist of announcements of both public and private club events. Any questions, concerns, or comments by the members will be addressed after announcements, followed by general discussion of Pagan affairs. Weekly discussion topics may be assigned and advertised on club flyers. Meetings where voting will take place must be announced at least five days in advance through flyers and/or a message to the mailing list.

B. Public rituals will be held to honor the eight Wiccan Sabbats which fall on February 1-2, March 21, April 30 to May 1, June 21-22, August 1, September 21, October 31 to November 1, and December 21-22. Any other holidays the members wish to celebrate will be added to the club calendar of events. Public rituals are open to any member of the University community. Participation in the ritual requires notice at least five days prior to the event, either in person or through electronic means, so that a proper place may be assigned. The public rituals are open to any who wish to observe, though observers will be asked to remain respectively quiet while the ritual is being performed.

C. Private rituals are those organized solely by club members. As such, these rituals are not ascribed to the club proper. The members organizing the ritual may use their own discretion in choosing whom to invite to participate in such rituals and celebrations. Private rituals will not be endorsed by the club proper but will be announced at club meetings and through the mailing list if the organizer of the ritual so wishes.

Article VI. By-Laws
A. Voting Procedure

The voting process will begin by the President or Vice-President announcing the item to be voted upon.
Arguments both for and against the issue shall be presented if deemed necessary by the executive members.
Members will cast their votes either through a paper ballot, raised hands, or any other means deemed fair by the executive members.
The executive members will count the votes and announce the results.
Votes will be considered won in the case of a majority in favor, unless otherwise specified.

B. Amendments to this constitution may be passed with by a 2/3 vote of the membership.


About Paganism About Pagan SA Open Spellbook Events In the News Sales Reviews Mailing List Links Home	Pagan SA Constitution Article I. Name The name of the organization shall be the Pagan Student Association of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Article II. Purpose and Objectives of Club A. The terms Pagan and Paganism are blanket terms for a family of religions that share certain characteristics. Pagan religions are those who revere nature as a primary source of spirituality and participants view themselves as a part of Nature. The use of magic or magick is sometimes, but not always, a part of Pagan religious practice. Men and women are given spiritual equality in all Pagan religions. Pagan traditions also believe in a multiplicity of gods and goddesses, as well as lesser supernatural beings. There generally are no figures of ultimate Evil. Ethics and morality are based on joy, love, self-esteem, mutual respect, the avoidance of actual harm to themselves and others, and the increase of public benefit. Concepts of afterlife normally involve rest and recovery in the Otherworld before reincarnating, with no concept of “eternalEpunishment. Most pagan religions share a sense of karma, that actions come back to the one who performs them. B. Some of the religions that are identified as Pagan are Wicca, Druidism, Shamanism, Witchcraft, Reconstructive Paganism, New Age spirituality, Asatru, Neo-pagan, Neopagan. Wicca is a religion based on the symbols, seasonal days of celebration, beliefs and deities of ancient Celtic society. There are a wide variety of Wiccan traditions, but all adhere to the prime rule of causing no harm. Many Wiccans believe in a God and Goddess duality or a deity that is largely unknowable. Wiccan practice their religion in the form of rituals which consist of the consecration of a sacred space, the invocation of a deity/deities, the intended religious service (spell casting, community meal, etc), and the restoration of the space to ordinary usage. Witchcraft is a form/another name for Wicca. Druidism looks back at the ancient Druids (priests, priestesses, wise ones, and magicians of the ancient Celts) for much of their inspiration. They value excellence both physically, intellectually, artistically, and spiritually. They believe that divinity is both immanent (internal) and transcendent (external), with immanence being given more attention than transcendence. Deities are believe to manifest at any point in space or time which They might choose, including within human beings. Druids stress a minimum amount of dogma and a maximum amount of eclecticism and flexibility. Shamanism is spirit-based worship similar to that of Native Americans. Reconstructive Paganism takes older religions (Sumerian, Mesopotamian, etc.) and fits them to modern life. New Age Spirituality is an umbrella term for a wide range of personal and individual beliefs and practices influenced primarily by eastern religions, Paganism, and spiritism. God is an impersonal life force that is part of the universe, life, and matter. Most believe that people make mistakes when they are ignorant of the power of goodness, which is God, within themselves and others. Salvation lies in the realization of oneness with the impersonal life force, thus unlocking one’s healing potential. Suffering is the result of greed, hatred, and spiritual ignorance in a person’s past lifetimes. Astaru is a religion based on Norse myth which worships traditional Norse Gods and Goddesses, elemental spirits, guardian spirits, and ancestors. Asatru practitioners gather into family and community groups, often by not necessarily under larger organizations. There is no central authority. Religious service is conducted by priests and priestesses known as Gothi and Gythia, respectively. For most groups, willingness and commitment are the only requirements to participate. There is no official canon scripture, but the Norse Eddas (epics) are used for their stories of the Gods and Goddesses. Asatru adhere to the Nine Noble Virtues: courage, truth, honor, fidelity, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, self-reliance, and perseverance. Important holidays include the equinoxes and solstices, the Charming of the Plow in February, and Fogmoon, a celebration of the Dead in November. The most important observance is the Blot ritual, an offering or sacrifice to the Gods. Animal sacrifice is not practiced in modern Asatru. Asatru groups tend to be eclectic and pantheistic. Neo-Pagan religions are faiths that have almost or completely been wiped out in the past and have since been reconstructed from ancient information sources. They have a duotheistic or polytheistic belief system, with most of the practitioners worshiping solitarily. They have minimal or no hierarchical structure but a high concern for the environment. They follow a behavioral code that requires them to avoid hurting themselves or others. Neopagan religions are modern faiths that have been recently reconstructed from beliefs, deities, symbols, practices and other elements of an ancient religion. C. Our primary purpose is to foster a spiritual community of Pagan practitioners. We wish to provide a safe and private meeting ground for Pagans to both practice and discuss their religions. Our secondary purpose is to educate the University at Buffalo community about Pagans and Paganism, as well as to promote understanding, acceptance, and tolerance of other spiritual paths. D. Our objective is to facilitate the practice of ritualistic or religious events requested by our members, to discuss topics of the faith, and to serve the Pagan community in whatever needs they bring forth. Article III. Qualification of Membership A. All members of the University at Buffalo and the surrounding community are welcome, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religious path. Our target membership are those who either participate in or have an interest in Paganism and any of its associated religions. B. Voting members are those undergraduate students who have attended two or more meetings. C. Non-voting members are any members of the University Community who do not meet the above stipulations. D. A mailing list will be set up for any club member who wishes to be added. The mailing list will be open to whomever wishes to join, regardless of location or attendance. Members of the mailing list who do not qualify as either voting or non-voting members will be considered periphery members. E. A member may be removed from the club if they are found guilty of religious or spiritual harassment of another member and/or violence to another member. A member of the club must bring valid evidence that another has committed a transgression to the e-board before that member will be considered for removal. A unanimous vote of the e-board members is necessary for a member to be removed from club membership. Article IV. Government A. Only full-time undergraduate students are eligible to run for office. To run for office you must have attended at least fifty percent of the meetings. B. Duties of Officers President a. serves as the chief executive officer of the club b. holds ultimate responsibility for enforcement of the club constitution c. responsible for coordinating the activities of the executive officers d. oversee the affairs of the club from an administrative standpoint e. organizes and approves meetings f. serves as the club liaison Vice-President a. assists the President in his/her duties b. serves as the President if the President resigns or is removed/impeached c. represents the President in any case where the President so requests d. assumes the President’s duties when the President is absent Treasurer a. oversees club funding b. handles the distribution of monies for club events Secretary a. responsible for taking minutes from club meetings b. responsible for informing the club members of important events Religious Council a. responsible for organizing religious events and rituals such as public rituals described in Article V subsection B. b. in charge of the spiritual aspects of club functions C. Elections must be held prior to May 1st. Only voting members as described in Article III subsection A may vote in elections. There must be a majority vote of greater than half the attending voting members in favor for an officer to win an election. D. New officers will be trained with the old officers after to elections until the last meeting of the semester. New officers will assume their duties at that time. Qualifications stipulated in Article IV subsection A must be met in order for a member to run for office. E. In the case of a resignation, the resigning officer must give two weeks notice before the date they may officially resign. In that time elections will be held to appoint a new officer to fill the position and train that officer in their new duties. It is the responsibility of the resigning officer to train their replacement. F. An officer will be removed/impeached from his/her office if they fail to perform their duties on at least three occasions or committed an illegal or unconstitutional act. Any member of the club may call for the removal/impeachment of an officer so long as they can cite adequate proof of the transgression. Voting members of the club will decide whether or not to impeach the officer. The officer has a right to defend his/her position through rational debate. If a vote is passed not to impeach an officer for the reasons brought up, then the same reasons may not be used again as cause for removal/impeachment. There must be a majority vote of two thirds of the attending members for an impeachment to succeed. G. An officer may only be replaced by a member who meets the qualifications of Article IV subsection A. Article V. Meetings A. General meetings will be held at least once every two weeks if not every week while classes are in session, or whenever deemed necessary. General meetings will consist of announcements of both public and private club events. Any questions, concerns, or comments by the members will be addressed after announcements, followed by general discussion of Pagan affairs. Weekly discussion topics may be assigned and advertised on club flyers. Meetings where voting will take place must be announced at least five days in advance through flyers and/or a message to the mailing list. B. Public rituals will be held to honor the eight Wiccan Sabbats which fall on February 1-2, March 21, April 30 to May 1, June 21-22, August 1, September 21, October 31 to November 1, and December 21-22. Any other holidays the members wish to celebrate will be added to the club calendar of events. Public rituals are open to any member of the University community. Participation in the ritual requires notice at least five days prior to the event, either in person or through electronic means, so that a proper place may be assigned. The public rituals are open to any who wish to observe, though observers will be asked to remain respectively quiet while the ritual is being performed. C. Private rituals are those organized solely by club members. As such, these rituals are not ascribed to the club proper. The members organizing the ritual may use their own discretion in choosing whom to invite to participate in such rituals and celebrations. Private rituals will not be endorsed by the club proper but will be announced at club meetings and through the mailing list if the organizer of the ritual so wishes. Article VI. By-Laws A. Voting Procedure The voting process will begin by the President or Vice-President announcing the item to be voted upon. Arguments both for and against the issue shall be presented if deemed necessary by the executive members. Members will cast their votes either through a paper ballot, raised hands, or any other means deemed fair by the executive members. The executive members will count the votes and announce the results. Votes will be considered won in the case of a majority in favor, unless otherwise specified. B. Amendments to this constitution may be passed with by a 2/3 vote of the membership.
	© 2002-2005 by Pagan SA. The Pagan Student Association is supported and recognized by the Undergraduate Student Association at the University at Buffalo