councils
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Raven Crone
Dec 6, 2010, 7:55:16 PM12/6/10
to AIL
A council of the wise is a rare event, and should be a rare event, but the inevitable result is that the process is not well understood.
Most of the older traditions have a proceedure for handling problems and they vary in stucture a great deal. The Path of Light uses a very structured approach that has not changed much in many centuries.
Any elder can call a council and a council is a coven based process. Occassionally a council will be called by masters' lodge usualy the Order of the Stag or the Order of te Crone. The purpose of a council of the wise is to determine how to handle the breaking of an Oath, because within a coven all "disciplainary" matters will involve the breaking of the oath.
An investigator is appointed, often from outside the coven and if possible someone with legal training and that person will investigate all the matters that have been raised, including the people who have raised them. The investigator can, in fact look into any matter that they uncover.
Typically, at their discretion they will interview people, look into documents where they exist and also make other enquiries. At the end of this time the investigator will hand all their findings over to an elder of the coven concerned to convene and conduct the council.
A council of the wise is summoned early enough that all have the chance to attend but attendance is limited to the members of the coven, and only coven members may speak at council. The only people who may give evidence without being present are those for who attendance is impossible and that assessment is based on distance and is made by the convening elder.
At the Council the elder ( or elders since the convening elder can choose to have another elder conduct the questioning of particular charges) may question anyone but only facts may be presented, not opinion, only facts as witnessed by the person questioned, adn any person may be judged for theior words and actions. Bringing a false or unjustifoed claim is considered as serious as the claim that is made.
The council may at its discretion dismiss a charge, admonish, require action to reparate harm, banish or in the extreme name someone as an oathbreaker or refer the matter to other authorities. Each decision is made by a vote of the members of the coven of degree decided by the elder convening the council.
Nobody is permitted to speak of opinion, or of hearsay, only fact is permitted. Attempting to dissuade a member of a coven from attending or attempting to infleunce them prior to the council is grounds in itself for a charge of oathbreaking, indeed oathbrealing is the only charge that is ever considered at a council
It is a sad thing that such proceedure have to exist at all.
Walk in the Light
Lady Raven
Most of the older traditions have a proceedure for handling problems and they vary in stucture a great deal. The Path of Light uses a very structured approach that has not changed much in many centuries.
Any elder can call a council and a council is a coven based process. Occassionally a council will be called by masters' lodge usualy the Order of the Stag or the Order of te Crone. The purpose of a council of the wise is to determine how to handle the breaking of an Oath, because within a coven all "disciplainary" matters will involve the breaking of the oath.
An investigator is appointed, often from outside the coven and if possible someone with legal training and that person will investigate all the matters that have been raised, including the people who have raised them. The investigator can, in fact look into any matter that they uncover.
Typically, at their discretion they will interview people, look into documents where they exist and also make other enquiries. At the end of this time the investigator will hand all their findings over to an elder of the coven concerned to convene and conduct the council.
A council of the wise is summoned early enough that all have the chance to attend but attendance is limited to the members of the coven, and only coven members may speak at council. The only people who may give evidence without being present are those for who attendance is impossible and that assessment is based on distance and is made by the convening elder.
At the Council the elder ( or elders since the convening elder can choose to have another elder conduct the questioning of particular charges) may question anyone but only facts may be presented, not opinion, only facts as witnessed by the person questioned, adn any person may be judged for theior words and actions. Bringing a false or unjustifoed claim is considered as serious as the claim that is made.
The council may at its discretion dismiss a charge, admonish, require action to reparate harm, banish or in the extreme name someone as an oathbreaker or refer the matter to other authorities. Each decision is made by a vote of the members of the coven of degree decided by the elder convening the council.
Nobody is permitted to speak of opinion, or of hearsay, only fact is permitted. Attempting to dissuade a member of a coven from attending or attempting to infleunce them prior to the council is grounds in itself for a charge of oathbreaking, indeed oathbrealing is the only charge that is ever considered at a council
It is a sad thing that such proceedure have to exist at all.
Walk in the Light
Lady Raven
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