TITLE I: NAME

1. The name of this organization shall be the Sage Grove, Inc., here below designated as “Sage Grove, Inc.” or “The fellowship”.

TITLE II: PURPOSE

2. Sage Grove, Inc. is a polytheist religious fellowship. The fellowship is organized exclusively for one or more of the purposes as specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The fellowship is not established for profit and no part of the net earnings of the fellowship shall go to the benefit of any member.
3. Sage Grove, Inc. strives to promote greater understanding and appreciation of polytheistic religions, as well as the transmission of traditions and lore, through interfaith religious services and support, educational forums, spiritual counseling, charitable projects and committees, and social activism.
4. To further such goals, as stated in the Charter from Sage Grove, Inc. specifically to include, but not be limited to:
    a. Educational: To teach and promote the study of specific traditions, provide clergy enrichments, enhance counseling approaches, award clergy ordination credentials, and maintain historical preservation of the traditions through specific activities and projects.
    b. Charitable: To promote support for those individuals and groups, who follow the polytheistic religious paths, as conceived and directed by the fellowship members, through its committees and projects.
    c. Spiritual: To build polytheistic religious interfaith ties, promote support religious practitioners, and build awareness of local-national-global issues, through projects, workshops, seminars, and gatherings.
    d. Social: To build religious fellowship among polytheistic clergy and practitioners, through social and educational activities.
5. Sage Grove, Inc. respects everybody’s right to search for truth, meaning and spiritual growth, as well as their right to their own beliefs, religion, way of life, dignity and respect. The fellowship does not force their beliefs and practices upon others. (Statement of Diversity)
6. The fellowship treats everybody equally, without consideration of their age, gender, beliefs, sexual orientation, ethnic background, or physical handicaps. Sage Grove, Inc. believes in justice, love, support and compassion in human interaction. (Statement of Non-Discrimination)
TITLE III: LOCATION

7. Let it be known that the Headquarters Office of the Sage Grove, Inc. is located in Midwest City, Oklahoma, United States.
    a. The mailing address, as well as the physical address of the fellowship is: 526 Curtis Drive, Midwest City, OK  73110.
    b. Telephone number(s) include: 405-736-6866
8. The Headquarters Office shall be the sole location for all donations collected on behalf of Sage Grove, Inc., whether they be in the form of monetary or religious goods donations (books, altar supplies, divinatory items, etc.

TITLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

9. Any polytheistic clergy or practitioner, over the age of 18, who celebrates a positive, non-manipulative, non-discriminatory tradition within their chosen path; and who has demonstrated a positive history of fellowship within the polytheistic community, can apply to be a member of the fellowship.
10. Those who agree with the vision, goals, and guidelines of Sage Grove, Inc.
11. Those who agree with the "Statement of Diversity" and “Statement of Non-Discrimination” of the fellowship
12. Any circle, coven, group, or organization that has demonstrated a positive history of fellowship, whether within its own tradition, path, or among religious - pantheist community.
13. Sage Grove, Inc. has two types of Membership, with respect to art. 9, 10 and 11 of this present act:
     a. General Membership is free
     b. Voting Membership, with power of voting on the fellowship’s meetings, must pay a yearly membership fee of $60.00. The membership fee can be paid in installments, however, the right of voting will not be allowed until the membership fee for the respective year is paid in full.

TITLE V. GENERAL MEMBER CONDUCT

14. “Member in good standing" includes, but is not limited to:
     a. Any polytheistic clergy or practitioner, who celebrates a positive, life-affirming path and/or religious tradition.
     b. A polytheistic clergy or practitioner, who adheres to a positive, life-affirming rede, or ethical code of laws and conduct, as put forth by the practitioner's religious path and/or tradition.
     c. An acceptable level of maturity, without engaging in gossip, slander, unproven allegations, verbal or written abuse, in public - on the internet, at social, educational, and religious gatherings.
     d. The willingness to participate without ego, intolerance, or building personal bases for group recruitment, business concerns, or exerting a manipulating influence for the purpose of personal control.
     e. The ability to treat everyone with equal respect, courtesy, and consideration.
15. Members must:
     a. Agree with the vision, goals, and by - laws of Sage Grove, Inc.
     b. Practice a positive code of ethics, as prescribed by their own religious polytheist tradition.
16. Members are entitled to:
     a. Represent themselves during the voting process, except when acting as a "representative member" for an entire circle, coven, group, or organization which may hold membership. In the case of representing a circle, coven, group, or organization, that person shall still only be allotted one (1) vote. Full voting rights are obtained only after yearly membership dues have been paid in full.
    b. Be eligible for Committee Chair positions on the Council Board, after an “associate internship” training period of one (1) year.
    c. Be eligible for any open position on the Council Board, by appointment or election.
    d. Participate in any ongoing committee of their free will.
    e. Be members of any online forums and publications (online/printed) of their free will.
    f. Attend any activities, events, and gatherings of the fellowship, or any activities, events, and gatherings that the fellowship is an organizer or co-organizer.

17. Members may:

     a. Publicize their affiliation with Sage Grove, Inc.  in the following manner(s):
         i. Sign their written and/or email correspondence to read: Member of Sage Grove, Inc.
     b. Advertise their group affiliation, as long as there is no attempt for financial or monetary gain.
     c. Print business cards, letterheads, brochures, flyers, etc., that promote Sage Grove, Inc.  and/or their personal affiliation. This information includes (but is not limited to) the Sage Grove, Inc. name, information, logo, etc. All business cards, letterheads, brochures, flyers, etc., design and logo must come and must be approved by Sage Grove, Inc.
    d. Members must notify the Sage grove, Inc. when any information pertaining to the fellowship is posted on their websites, e-groups, vanity pages, blogs, etc.
    e. The Sage Grove, Inc. name, website URL, email address, telephone number, and post office address may be included on any and all websites, e-groups, vanity pages, blogs, etc.


TITLE VI. CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROTOCOL

18. In the event of a conflict arising between two or more members, the Board of Directors is the only one entitled to resolve the issue.
19. The manner in which conflicts will be resolved is the following:
      a. A hearing will take place between the parties and the Board of Directors, with all parties involved present. This discussion may take the form of a conference telephone call, chat room setup, or personal meeting. The parties involved will be notified of the date and time of the hearing at least three working days in advance.
      b. If any material proof of documentation is necessary to resolve the conflict, it will be presented to the Board of Directors before the hearing will take place, or right at the beginning of the hearing.
      c. Only polite and civilized discussion is allowed during the hearing. Any uncalled for behavior during the hearing will result in the hearing being concluded immediately, with the member responsible for inappropriate behavior during the hearing being considered guilty. Disciplinary action for that member will be taken by the Board of Directors, at their sole discretion.
     d. The decision of the Board of Directors concerning resolving the conflict will be made public to the members of the fellowship. The Board of Directors will communicate only the decision, as to preserve the right to privacy of the members involved in the conflict.
     e. The decision of the Board of Directors is final and should be accepted as such by all members. Any perpetrating of the issues that had started the specific conflict will result in disciplinary action.
     f. If at any time a member of the fellowship will be involved in more than three conflicts, the Board of Directors can, at their discretion, strip the membership of that member.
    g. In case the disciplinary action decision of the Board of Directors following the resolution of a conflict implies stripping of membership from a voting member, the yearly fee will not be refunded.
20. Any breach of any of the provisions of Title V of these by-laws will result in a conflict of interests disciplinary hearing, and will be resolved as set forth in Article 18 of these present by-laws.

TITLE VII: STRUCTURE

21. Board of Directors: Definition
The Board of Directors are the members appointed by the Sage Grove, Inc. fellowship to guide and direct the coven. The Board of Directors shall be active members of the fellowship and shall work under the imperium of the President of the fellowship. The Board of Directors have the ultimate responsibility for the fellowship and, as such, may be called upon to fill in other positions within the coven to ensure the fellowship is running properly.
22. Board of Directors: Constituency and Elections
     a. The Board of Directors of the Sage Grove, Inc. fellowship will be constituted of a number of at most 5 (five) Directors.
     b. The original founding members of the Sage Grove Inc., fellowship are hereby nominated Directors for life in the Board of Directors.
     c. The remaining two positions in the Board of Directors will be elected by direct voting of all the voting members of the fellowship.

23. Board of Directors:  
     a. The daily activities of the fellowship shall be guided by the Board of Directors in consultation with the fellowship and its members when needed or demanded.
     b. The Board of Directors may delegate responsibilities to other members of the coven by the Board’s discretion. The Board of Directors must be sure that the delegate assumes responsibility for the task and operates under the direction of the Board of Directors.
     c. Each Director shall have the responsibility to establish goals for their particular area and see that the goals and special projects are carried out. A record of the Board’s goals and accomplishments will be kept by the Board of Directors to allow for future projects to build upon the work of the coven members.
     d. The Directors for life are responsible for ensuring that the operations of Sage Grove, Inc.  is conducted without interruption.  
     e. The Director shall be responsible for such duties that may arise, due to the lack of available Sage Grove, Inc. leaders, until such time as a suitable appointment is made.
     f. The Director shall be responsible to keep in contact with the Sage Grove, Inc. Council Board, in a consistent and timely manner.
     g. The Director shall be responsible to be available for communicating with any and all members of Sage Grove, Inc., via telephone and email correspondence.
     h. The Director shall be the official representative for Sage Grove,Inc., as public relations and media contact person.
24. President: Ms. Doina M. Berndt, founding member of Sage Grove, Inc. is hereby nominated as the president of the Board of Directors for life. Future President positions will be elected by direct vote of all the members of the fellowship.
25. Secretary: the Board of Directors shall appoint the Secretary
      a. Secretary shall be responsible for handling all applications for fellowship membership.
      b. Secretary shall verify information on the application by verifying the applicants’ fellowship membership number with the fellowship and then forwarding applications to the Board of Directors.
      c. The Secretary is responsible for membership operations, including (but not limited to) answering membership inquiries, updating membership records, adding members to the General Membership e-group and International Chat e-group; sending welcoming letters, membership cards, Certificates of Active Membership and Clergy Ordination Credentials.
      d. The Secretary is responsible for setting up meetings, keeping pertinent records and documents, transmitting information, and acting on special requests from the Director and/or Facilitator(s).
26. Other positions in the fellowship:
     a. The Board of Directors, to ensure the effective functioning and management of the fellowship, may create positions.
     b. To create a position, the Board of Directors will:
         i. Create the position description, duration, and method for it to be filled.
         ii. Refer the matter to the fellowship for review, comment and/or possible veto.
     c. Where the position is intended to be filled by a particular person(s), owing to particular skills held by that person(s), the Board of Directors’ initial proposal must state this clearly, including justification. Otherwise, nominations shall be received and voted upon annually by processes determined by the Board of Directors. Such a process shall include reasonable advertisement within the fellowship of the position and its requirements and give adequate time for making nominations. Where no nominations is received or accepted, the Board of Directors’ nominee shall be deemed to have been appointed to the position without vote.
    d. Where the Board of Directors determine that the need for such a position has ended, the Board shall provide at least one month notice to the fellowship and to any incumbent stating that the position is no longer necessary, and shall arrange for a suitable voting procedure to confirm or reject the proposal to end that position.
    e. The Directors are responsible for depositing funds into Sage Grove, Inc.  checking account, keeping detailed financial records, making any and all financial data available to Federal, State, and Local authorities, as well as dispersing funds for Sage Grove, Inc. projects and events to the appropriate committee Officers.


TITLE VIII. TERMS OF SERVICE

27. Selected Board positions that are not hereby defined as life-time held positions are to last a year and a day; with re-election for continuous terms of a year and a day, at which time they may elect to renew or resign their term of service.
28. In the event of a vacancy, the remaining Board members shall make recommendations and vote upon a suitable candidate for replacement.
29. Board term of service may run consecutively, in order to guarantee the continued integrity and uninterrupted operations of Sage Grove, Inc. fellowship.
30. In the event that any Council Board member (from Section V. 1a.) resigns or is removed from service, an election shall be held to replace the missing Council Board member.

TITLE IX. BOARD MEMBER CONDUCT

31. Sage Grove, Inc.  Board members must demonstrate the following attributes:
a.  The highest level of commitment to the goals of Sage Grove, Inc., through participation, service, and positive approach to fellowship.
b. A high level of maturity, with a willingness to employ assertive approaches to handling conflicts, and without engaging in gossip, slander, unproven allegations, verbal or written abuse, publicly - on the internet, at social, educational, and religious gatherings.
c. The ability to disseminate information on polytheistic religions, incorporating theory and experience.
d. The application of Pagan ethics in various modalities: spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and personally.
e. The willingness to participate without ego, intolerance, or building personal bases for group recruitment, business concerns, or exerting a manipulating influence for the purpose of exerting personal control.
f. The ability to treat everyone with equal respect, courtesy, and consideration, regardless of their religious path, tradition, level of knowledge, or level of standing in the community.
g. The ability to encourage a positive level of participation in Sage Grove, Inc., and the community at large.

TITLE X. BOARD DECISION - MAKING

32. Decision making shall be by the process of open discussion and voting by the entire Board membership, either in person or via email (in the case of “in absentia”).
33. Decisions made on policies that might impact the Sage Grove, Inc.  shall be discussed first on the Sage Grove, Inc.  “members-only” internet discussion board, for a period of time not to exceed three (3) weeks.
34. Policies are any criteria that might impact Sage Grove, Inc., having to do with the fellowship’s vision, goals, and guidelines.
35. The Board shall be sensitive to the opinions and suggestions made by the general membership during such discussions, which shall be reflected in any final decisions made by the Board.
36. Lack of discussion on the part of the general membership shall imply a willingness to leave the final decision-making up to the Board.
37. In the event of a Board member failing to vote “in absentia”, this non-action shall constitute a “YES” vote and immediately be entered into the Board records.
38. Board meetings may be conducted in person or via online, depending on the geographical location of Board representatives.
39. Decisions made between Board meetings shall be conducted via email correspondence, with 100% participation.
40. Board meetings shall be conducted four times per year.

TITLE XI. SOURCE OF FUNDS

41. All source of funding for Sage Grove, Inc. shall be through donations.

42. All donations shall be sent to the Sage Grove, Inc., Office mailing address of 526 Curtis Drive, Midwest City, OK  73110.
43. That such donations received shall be in the form of either monetary or religious goods (books, altar supplies, etc.).
44. That all monetary donations received shall be immediately deposited into Sage Grove, Inc.’s bank account.
45. That such donations received shall be immediately used for conducting the business of Sage Grove, Inc.  projects and meetings.
46. The fiscal year shall begin on January 1 and conclude on December 31, of every calendar year.

TITLE XII: AWARDS AND CREDENTIALS

47. Sage Grove, Inc., shall award the following certificates and credentials:
     a. General members shall receive a Certificate of Membership, in good standing, upon completion of their first year of active membership.
     b. That membership in Sage Grove, Inc.  shall remain active upon the member’s free will.
     c. General Clergy members shall receive a Clergy Ordination Credential, upon satisfying the requirements for such an award.
     d. Requirements for Clergy Ordination Credentials shall be awarded by the fellowship’s Board of Directors, free of charge.

TITLE XIII. AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

48. Any additions to this document, known as the “Articles of Incorporation”, for Sage Grove, Inc., shall be made in the form of AMENDMENTS.
49. Any amendments to this document, known as the “Articles of Incorporation”, for the Sage Grove, Inc., shall be decided by the governing body Board of Directors.
50. All amendments must be reached by 100% quorum vote of the Council Board.

TITLE XIV: DISSOLUTION

51. Upon dissolution of Sage Grove, Inc., any real estate donations to the fellowship will return to the initial donor; any other remaining assets shall be donated for non-profit, polytheist religious organizations, groups or individuals.