POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Burlington UU Circle
25 Mar 2001

1. SYMBOL

Spike's "organic" adaptation of the Green Mountain Circle Works logo with writing is the official BUUC symbol. (25 Oct 1998) Our colors are green, purple, and yellow. (25 Mar 2001)

2. MEETINGS

2a Regular board meetings will occur on the second Sunday before Circle at 6pm. (28 Jan 2001) The "rain date" is the following Sunday. (25 Feb 2001)

2b We will hold annual congregational gatherings at the Circle following the annual meeting every year. (1 Oct 2000)

3. CIRCLES

3a The regular meeting time and place will be the Sunday closest to the Full Moon at 6 p.m. at the First UU Society of Burlington Meeting House. A potluck will follow the celebration. (16 Nov 1997) Circles will be held outside the meeting house and/or off-site during moons when the meeting house is not available. (1 Oct 2000) An Off-Site Circle Committee will make any necessary arrangements. (15 Mar 1998)

3b Circles will begin with a grounding exercise facilitated by a rotating leader. A Grounding Coordinator will schedule leaders, (28 Sep 1998) who must be regular BUUC members. (1 Oct 2000) The grounding leader should do a beginning centering exercise at the beginning of ritual, a grounding after the Wine & Loaf Blessing, and make sure that priest/esses are disinvoked after rituals. (25 Mar 2001) We will have a Doorkeeper posted at the Circle entryway to escort people in and out of the Circle. A Doorkeeper Coordinator will schedule doorkeepers. (28 Sep 1998) The Circle will close once the ritual has begun. The Doorkeeper will posts signs to that effect outside the Circle area. A Ward will protect the Circle space from psychic and physical intrusion. This can be the same person as the Doorkeeper. A Monitor will watch how participants are handling the ritual work, be the ground for guided imagery and energy work, and help keep generated energy flowing smoothly. Both the Ward and Monitor should receive training, and must be regular members. (25 Oct 1998) Only regular members can participate in hands-on healings. (14 Nov 1999) We will welcome the spirits of absent BUUC members and friends. People should let the Membership Chair know if they want to be remembered, and s/he will let the Ritual Leader know. (25 Mar 2001)

3c Council members should be distributed throughout the Circle if possible. The Ward and Doorkeeper would ideally be different people in rituals involving more than 10 people. If the Ward determines that an uninvited presence is unmanageable, s/he will alert a Facilitator, who will determine a course of action; e.g., performing a purification, grounding, notifying the Ritual Leader, etc. (24 Jan 1999) The Ritual Leader will be notified of any detected presences after the ritual if this hasn't occurred during the ritual (21 Feb 1999)

3d The following will be read at the start of every ritual: "If any member feels that a ritual is missing some element such as a grounding, breathing exercise, etc., the member should go to the ritual leader and inform them, rather than initiating any action themselves." If there is still a problem with unsolicited help, the ritual leader will gently thank the member for their input, but, if they disagree with the suggestion, say something like "I'd like to return to the planned ritual structure." If a problem persists, the policy on disruptive behavior will apply. (3 Dec 2000)

3.1 Ritual Leadership

i. At the business meetings previous to the Cross-Quarter Days, we will set the schedule for ritual leaders through the second Quarter Day following. (29 Nov 1998) Only regular (17 Oct 1999) and core members can lead open Circles/Full Moon rituals. (29 Nov 1998) Ritual Leaders must sign the Ritual Leader schedule in the minutes. (14 May 2000) Members who want to lead a ritual will prepare an outline of their proposal which will be presented for approval (18 May 1998) at a Council meeting (1 Oct 2000) or by their mentor unless they are approved ritual leaders. (17 Oct 1999) Ritual proposals should include time estimates for each section of work. (27 Dec 1998) For Council approval, (1 Oct 2000) after discussion and while the decision is being made, the potential leader will leave the room. Only one approval is required for esbat rituals, two for Sabbats. (29 Nov 1998) The Council may meet via e-mail or other medium to approve rituals. (30 Jul 2000)

ii. If a ritual leader feels they can't comfortably lead in the presence of any particular person(s), they may ask the person(s) to leave without further explanation, or ask the Ward or a Facilitator to ask the person(s) to leave. (29 Nov 1998)

iii. To be approved ritual leaders, members must complete a three-phase apprenticeship program. Each phase is comprised of a minimum of two rituals which the apprentice has written alone or in collaboration with a mentor, defined as someone who is an approved ritual leader. Apprentices are encouraged to work with as many mentors as possible.

iv. During phase one, the apprentice will act as an assistant or co-leader of ritual and may co-author it. During phase two, the apprentice will serve as the chief ritual leader under the supervision of the mentor and with the mentor's assistance. Apprentices will either co-author the rituals or receive the mentor's approval of a ritual written by the apprentice. The mentor is responsible for the rituals during phases one and two, so no other pre-approval is required. If the congregation gives generally positive evaluations during phases one and two, the Council will determine whether an apprentice progresses to the next phase.

v. During phase three, the apprentice ritual leader must go through the ritual approval process. The apprentice will be the chief author and leader of phase three rituals. An apprentice must receive positive evaluations from both the congregants and the Council in phase three before they are approved as regular ritual leaders. (17 Oct 1999)

3.2 Guest Speakers

Guest speakers can be invited to the community and congregation. If they do a ritual within their presentation, this is fine. (28 Sep 1998) Guest speakers must sign and abide by our Code of Ethics. (1 Oct 2000)

3.3 Small Children

Childcare or free play in another room will be necessary if children can't stay focused, get bored, or are rambunctious. If childcare becomes a problem, it is the responsibility of the group to solve the problem. (15 Mar 1998)

3.4 Adjunct Ritual Groups

Members are encouraged to form groups based on spiritual tradition, geographic location, or other interests. (1 Oct 2000) Membership criteria will be decided by those groups, which will have maximum autonomy (31 Aug 1998) from BUUC. (1 Oct 2000)

3.5 Dedication

Candidates for Dedication to BUUC must be core members beginning six months prior to the rite, and active members for the previous year and a day. (17 Oct 1999) Candidates should have demonstrated a familiarity and alignment with our Tenets of Belief. Dedicants will be considered lifetime honorary members. (1 Oct 2000)

4. MINISTERS

A client-therapist relationship shall be deemed to exist if a person requests and receives three or more counseling sessions and/or requested that details of the counseling not be shared with other ministers. Anyone serving in a ministerial counseling situation that meets this criteria may not become sexually involved with the client for at least two years. (3 Sep 2000)

5. BUSINESS MEETINGS

Regular business meetings will occur separately from Circles. (1 Oct 2000) A copy of the minutes of previous meetings will be kept in a special notebook. (26 Apr 1998)

5.a Use of Consensus in BUUC

BUUC uses a minimally-formal process of consensus for decision making.

5.a.1 Facilitation

The process guide will be called facilitator to be consistent with literature on consensus, but with lower case to avoid confusion with the BUUC office of Facilitator.

It is important that the facilitator remain neutral as to the outcome of any proposal being considered. If, because of emotional, financial, political, or other investment in an issue, a facilitator is unable to remain neutral, she or he must stand aside and participate as a member while someone who can remain neutral facilitates that particular proposal. If no one within the group can meet this requirement, someone outside the group should facilitate if possible.

5.a.2 Handling Objections

Objections to a proposal do not necessarily block consensus. First and preferably, the group will attempt to resolve all objections. Ideally, the objector should propose an alternative or amendment that surmounts the objection.

Objections failing resolution are next reviewed for validity. An objection which cannot be related to BUUC's mission, beliefs, or ethical code will be ruled out of order. The objector is responsible for establishing this relationship. If the group finds the objection valid, consensus is blocked.

5.a.3 Call for Consensus

If the resultant proposal is complicated, or there have been distractions in the meeting, etc., the facilitator should restate the current version of the proposal. Then she or he may ask, "Are there any unexpressed concerns?" followed by a pause. This approach invites input from those who may have been reticent to speak previously.

The length of the pause should be proportional to the intensity of the preceding discussion. During the pause, the facilitator should establish eye contact with each member of the group to be sure that everyone is attentive, and ask individuals directly as necessary.

If there are no further concerns raised, consensus may be declared. It is important never to just assume that consensus has been reached.

5.a.4 "Fallback" Vote

If consensus eludes the group and there is insufficient time for another meeting before a decision must be made, voting may be used as described in §7.1 of the Bylaws.

5.a.5 Telecommunication

When proposals are discussed over the Internet, responses must be received from at least a quorum of members before a decision is made. If the Board or Council is making a decision about Bylaws or an emergency, members not having Internet access of their own must be contacted by other means. Objections are subject to validation as stated above. Respondents who support the proposal should include any reservations they have about it. (30 Dec 2000)

6. COMMITTEES

Committees will hold meetings in conjunction with Board meetings, but do the bulk of their work separately, either on-line or at meeting times and places acceptable to a quorum of members. (28 Jan 2001) Committee Chairs are responsible for reporting attendance.

6.1 Membership

A Newsletter Editor will be responsible for producing our newsletter. (26 Apr 1998) A Newsletter Distribution Committee will take care of non-mailed newsletter distribution. (18 May 1998)

6.1.a BUUC Listservs

The BUUC listserv is for BUUC-related and/or other Pagan topics generated by members. A BUUC Village listserv will handle member posts that are off-topic for the main list. (25 Mar 2001)

6.2 Outreach

A Pagan Pride Day Committee will organize this event. (28 Sep 1998) A PR Coordinator will help the Co-Facilitators with public outreach. (28 Sep 1998)

7. FINANCES

A Moneta Basket will be used at Circles and other events to accept donations of supplies or funds. (1 Oct 2000)

7.1 Special Funds

We will set aside monies from the BUUC general fund for designated needs. An annual donation of no less than 3% will be made to FUUSB. (1 Oct 2000) At the annual retreat, finances will be reviewed to determine whether we can increase our UU pledge to no more than 10% of our income for the previous year. (3 Dec 2000) The cost of complementary copies of our newsletter will be noted as an in-kind part of our UU pledge. (25 Mar 2001)

7.2 Special Events

For PPD and SulisCircle, up to two non-BUUC coordinators will be sought via an application process. BUUC will receive 50% of the net; the remainder will be divided as shares to the organizations represented by the coordinators, within 501(c)(3) guidelines, if applicable. (1 Oct 2000)

8. TEACHING

Informal Pagan/Wiccan Way teaching will be offered at Circles. (14 Dec 1997) Workshops will be offered as time and volunteers permit. (1 Oct 2000) Workshops offered by people other than regular members can only be considered if they are accompanied by a short description, an outline, and biographical note. We will hold regular bard gatherings on the second Tuesday of the month. (24 Jan 1999)

9. GREETING PROTOCOL

1. The Membership Chair shall delegate or serve as a greeter for all BUUC events.

2. The greeting shall consist of simple welcoming to person(s), showing them where any information dispensed by BUUC is located, and offering to answer any questions that may come up during the event.

3. Issues such as safety or bringing in substances not permitted for BUUC events shall be dealt with using present BUUC Bylaws, of which the greeter shall have a copy for personal information, or document to any person(s). This in no way supplants the role of gatekeeper in rituals but rather can complement it if necessary. (11 Jun 2000)

10. NEWSLETTER

10a. The intended publication date of the newsletter will be the day of Circle. (1 Oct 2000) The name of the newsletter will be Green Mountain Circle Works. (6 Jul 1998) Beginning with the April 1998 issue, the newsletter will be a public periodical. Unless permission is given, no BUUC member's personal contact information will be released in the newsletter. (26 Apr 1998) New columnists must be regular BUUC members. (21 Mar 1999) The deadline for ads, the calendar, and the resource sections will be the New Moon previous to publication; the deadline for all other content will be the Full Moon previous to that. (1 Oct 2000)

10b. It will be assumed that members who signed the sign-in sheet at Circle have picked up their copy of the newsletter (29 Nov 1998) if it was available and will not receive it by mail. Active member copies will include a copy of the current minutes. (1 Oct 2000)

10.1 Subscriptions

i. Anyone who hasn't attended BUUC meetings for two moons will be asked to pay an annual subscription (21 Feb 1999) of $18 to receive the newsletter in hard copy, $9 for e-mail. (1 Oct 2000) Subscriptions to the newsletter will be available to the public at the same rates. (26 Apr 1998) An additional annual fee of $15 will be added for overseas hard copy subscriptions. Dedicants will receive a one-year complimentary subscription after departure. (1 Oct 2000)

ii. The newsletter editor can add sites and groups to our mailed and delivered distribution, and report back to the group about these additions. Up to 5 complimentary copies per issue may be mailed, but contributor copies don't count toward these. (6 Jul 1998) Back issues are available for $2. (29 Nov 1998)

iii. BUUC donors making a donation of $50 (1 Oct 2000) or more will receive a complimentary one-year subscription to the newsletter. (17 Oct 1999) Gift subscriptions to inmates will be offered at 10% off, plus 10% off a simultaneous new or renewal subscription for the sponsor. (14 May 2000)

10.2 Distribution

Limited copies of the newsletter will be left at appropriate sites. One free copy will be sent to other Pagan groups. (26 Apr 1998) CUUPS Continental, the New England UU office, (18 May 1998) Circle Network, and other affiliated groups (1 Oct 2000) will receive complimentary copies of each issue. A Newsletter Distribution Committee will take care of non-mailed distribution. (18 May 1998) Leftover copies from the previous month will be retrieved. (6 Jul 1998)

10.3 Advertising

We will accept advertising according to guidelines proposed by the Outreach Committee and approved by the Board. Advertising rates will be structured so that a full-page ad pays for the production and distribution of a signature. (28 Sep 1998) Businesses in our distribution area that pay for a ½-page or larger ad will receive 10 copies for distribution on top of any already distributed at that outlet. (1 Oct 2000) Ad sales people may request and receive up to a business card display ad for six months in exchange for landing a six-month or longer paid contract with a ½-page or larger ad. (25 Feb 2001)

11. COMMUNITY SERVICE

11.1 Food Drive

We will hold an on-going food drive, (19 Sep 1999) with donations given to the UU society food drive. (1 Oct 2000)

11.2 Gay Pride

We should participate in the Gay Pride Day march in a public way. (18 May 1998) We will carry a Pagans for Pride banner. (28 Sep 1998)

11.3 Pagan Pride Day

We will host some sort of presentation(s), to be coordinated by a Pagan Pride Day committee. (28 Sep 1998)

11.4 Film Series

We will hold a Pagan Potluck Fellowship and Film Night on the second Sunday before Circle (29 Nov 1998) in January-May. (3 Sep 2000) Fellowship will begin at 5:30pm; potluck at 6pm; film and discussion at 6:30ish. (31 Aug 1998)

11.5 Pan-Pagan Festival

We will host an open camping festival on the regular Circle weekend in July, if it doesn't conflict with Starwood, or on the regular Circle weekend in August if it does. All attendees will have to sign and abide by BUUC's Code of Ethics.

11.6 Samhain Ball

We will host a dance party on the Saturday on or before Samhain. (1 Oct 2000)

12. PUBLICITY

Announcements about BUUC open events will appear in the UU newsletter and order of service. (16 Nov 1997) Notices of upcoming Circles will be posted on the UU community bulletin board. (14 Dec 1997) Circles and other open events (1 Oct 2000) will be publicized in Out in the Mountains, Seven Days, (14 Dec 1997) and other appropriate places. (29 Nov 1998) Copies of the bulletin board poster containing the address, time, and contact information for Circles (8 Feb 1998) and other open events (1 Oct 2000) will be placed at Spirit Dancer (8 Feb 1998) and other appropriate outlets. (1 Oct 2000) The PR Coordinator and the Facilitator(s) may post events and group contact information wherever seems appropriate, including the Internet, and will report back to the group on such postings. (18 May 1998) Dian's homepage <members.aol.com/Firebearer/index.html> will be the official on-line BUUC site. (6 Jul 1998)

13. MAILING LIST

Members' contact information will not automatically be available to everyone on the list. The sign-in sheet will include a box next to each line which people will check off if it's alright to distribute their information to other members. If only parts are okay to release, these should be circled. (18 May 1998)

14. SECURITY POLICY

14a The safety of individuals WITHIN THE COMMUNITY SETTING is the primary goal of this section. We will not wait to intervene until damage has been done.

14b Should ANYONE attending (29 Nov 1998) or attempting to attend (1 Oct 2000) any BUUC activity be known to be abusive and/or psychically/physically dangerous or threatening, or apparently intoxicated, (29 Nov 1998) or cause distress to the group, especially during ritual, and refuse to stop, or refuse to leave when asked by the Ritual Leader, a Council member, or their delegate, and acknowledged representative (1 Oct 2000) of the group should intercept the individual(s), (29 Nov 1998) with at least one male as backup, (1 Oct 2000) and ask them in a firm and loving manner to leave the gathering. This decision can be from direct prior knowledge of the individual in question, or by witnessing such behavior, or strong indicators of said behavior, within the BUUC context.

14c Should the individual resist leaving, (29 Nov 1998) the representative (1 Oct 2000) should indicate to others, by way of vocal or motor cue, that the police should be called to escort the unwelcome visitor off the premises. (29 Nov 1998) In extreme circumstances, the congregation will be evacuated and no more than three people will be left to prevent the person from pursuing the congregation or damaging the building. No one should stay if they feel their physical safety is threatened. If the police are called, the UU security staff and sexton must be informed as soon as possible.

14d NOTE: This is a VERY bold measure to take and should NEVER be done unless there is real EVIDENCE that the individual in question poses a real and significant danger to the group or its members.

14d Members who have attended at least one previous BUUC event without incident but (1 Oct 2000) are asked to leave a BUUC activity will be contacted after the gathering in question and interviewed about the incident by the Membership Chair or her/his agent. (29 Nov 1998) Disciplinary hearings may be called pursuant to Bylaws §10.4 (1 Oct 2000) to discuss the issue without the individual's knowledge or involvement. (29 Nov 1998)

14e Should an attendee (1 Oct 2000) feel that his/her own personal safety has been compromised by the presence of said individual(s), (29 Nov 1998) BUUC will do what it can to restore this security. (1 Oct 2000) This may mean escorting someone home, arranging to have them stay at another member's home, or offering to go stay with them. (29 Nov 1998) Public authorities may be called (1 Oct 2000) should the membership feel that it is unable to adequately provide for the safety of the member(s) in question.

14f However, if the safety of a member is perceived by the group to be in jeopardy, but this is not acknowledged by that member (provided that they are of sound mind and body), no action by the BUUC community may be taken unless the member is a minor and a parent or guardian is in position to decide for them. We, as a community, must grant that each adult of sound mind and body can decide for themselves how they want to handle things, and that they alone must face the consequences of any action that they choose to go into alone. (29 Nov 1998)

14g Under no circumstances is this protocol to be used for malicious intent or revenge for past wrongdoings. Any member found to be acting in a malicious manner can expect to be counseled on this action, and may themselves face expulsion from the group.