CCIWI

This is the CONSTITUTION of the Community Church of Inclusive Wicca Incorporated

Founded 2008

Incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1985 of South Australia

1. NAME

The name of the incorporated association is the Community Church of Inclusive Wicca Incorporated referred to herein as the association or ‘CCIWI’.

2. DEFINITIONS

‘Association’ means the incorporated body known as the Community Church of Inclusive Wicca Incorporated and referred to as ‘CCIWI’.

‘Council of Elders’ or the ‘Council’ means the council of management of the association.

‘General meeting’ means a general meeting of members of the association convened in accordance with this constitution.

‘AGM’ means an annual general meeting of members of the association in accordance with this constitution.

‘Member’ means an Ordinary Member, a Clerical Member, an Associated Coven Member or the Parent Coven member of the association.

‘Ordinary Member’ means a natural person who is an individual member of the association.

‘Clergy’ or ‘Clerical Member’ means an individual natural person who, after having completed the required training and who has been approved by the Council, can take on the title of Lay or Ordained Clergy.

‘Parent Coven’ or ‘Oak and Mistletoe’ means the senior teaching coven of this association from which all other Associated Covens can trace their lineage back to in a manner in accordance with this constitution.

‘Associated Coven’ means any body corporate acting as a coven which has been granted recognised Associated Coven status in accordance with this constitution.

‘The Act’ means the Associations Incorporation Act 1995.

3. OBJECTS AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSOCIATION

The objects of CCIWI are to;

a) Provide a training program in which Wiccans and Witches can learn about Inclusive Wicca.

b) Foster a safe and supportive community where Wiccans and Witches can discuss their Wiccan practice and learn from one another.

c) Promote the underpinning values of Inclusive Wicca.

d) Provide ongoing support and materials to trained Ordinary and Clerical Members as they develop their own Associated Covens.

4. POWERS OF ASSOCIATION

a) The association shall have all the powers conferred by section 25 of the Act.

b) In addition, Oak and Mistletoe as the Parent Coven shall have the right to;

i) Design the training curriculum to be used by all in-training Ordinary and Clerical Members and Associated Covens.

ii) Deliver training to all levels of its own membership, to members of Associated Covens where invited to do so and other persons via face to face.

iii) Govern and deliver all online training via the Oak and Mistletoe online school as required by CCIWI.

c) In addition, Associated Covens shall have the right to;

i) Deliver only face to face training to their own students using the curriculum designed by Oak and Mistletoe.

d) In addition, Clerical Members shall have the right to lead an Associated Coven and to teach and initiate persons up to and including their own level of Inclusive Degree.

5. MEMBERSHIP

Membership may take the form of;

a) Ordinary

b) Clergy/Clerical

c) Associated Coven

d) Oak and Mistletoe 

5.1 Membership Types

a) Ordinary membership is open to individual, natural persons who have a compatible philosophy and religious practice to that of the association. The applicant must have completed and signed the application form, be over 18 years of age, have paid the membership subscription and agree to be bound by the constitution of this association. Ordinary Members may also be members of an Associated Coven but must not be a teacher or leader of that coven. Upon acceptance by the Council, the individual shall be a member of the association. 

b) Clerical membership (Lay and Ordained) are honorary levels of membership bestowed upon Ordinary Members where they have met the minimum requirements as governed by the Council and where the Council approves such status.

i) Lay Clergy Members are those individuals who have been Ordinary Members for at least one year, who have successfully completed the Toward First Degree program or an acceptable alternative and who wish to actively lead an Associated Coven Member of the association, have also completed at least half of the Toward Second Degree program or an acceptable alternative, who have shown a compatible philosophy and religious practice to that of the association, who have completed and signed the Clergy examination, who are over 18 years of age, and who agree to be bound by the constitution of this association. Upon acceptance by the Council, the individual shall be honoured with the title of Lay Minister.

ii) Ordained Clergy Members are those individuals who have been Ordinary Members or Lay Clergy Members for at least three years, who have successfully completed the Toward First Degree program, the Toward Second Degree program and the Toward Third Degree program or acceptable alternatives and who wish to actively lead an Associated Coven Member of the association. In addition, they should undertake an Ordination ritual with a recognised CCIWI Ordained Minister and they must have shown a compatible philosophy and religious practice to that of the association, have completed and signed the Clergy examination, be over 18 years of age, and agree to be bound by the constitution of this association. Upon acceptance by the Council, the individual shall be honoured with the title of Reverend.

c) Associated Coven membership is open to a body corporate that acts as a coven and whose full leadership have a compatible philosophy and religious practice to that of the association, whose leadership have all successfully completed at least the Oak and Mistletoe Toward First Degree training program or its equivalent to a level acceptable by the Council, whose leadership have all completed and signed the application form, who’s leadership are all over 18 years of age, whose leadership have paid the Associated Coven membership subscription and whose leadership agree to be bound by the constitution. Upon acceptance by the Council, the Associated Coven shall be a member of the association.

d) The Coven of Oak and Mistletoe shall automatically be a member of the association at all times.

5.2 Member Subscriptions

a) Ordinary membership

i) The subscription fee for Ordinary individual membership shall be such sum as the Council shall determine from time to time in an AGM or general meeting.

ii) The subscription fee shall be payable annually on 1 July. Where a new Ordinary Member joins between 1 January and 30 June, they will be required to pay only 50% of the annual subscription fee and then the full subscription fee from 1 July thereafter annually.

iii) Any Ordinary Member whose subscription is outstanding for more than three months after the due date for payment shall cease to be a member of the association, provided always that the Council may reinstate such a person’s membership on such terms as it thinks fit.

b) Clerical membership

i) The subscription fee for Lay and Ordained members shall be at the same rate as that set for Ordinary members.

ii) The subscription fee shall be payable annually on 1 July. Where a new Clerical Member joins between 1 January and 30 June, they will be required to pay only 50% of the annual subscription fee and then the full subscription fee from 1 July thereafter annually.

iii) Any Clerical Member whose subscription is outstanding for more than three months after the due date for payment shall cease to be a member of the association, provided always that the Council may reinstate such a person’s membership on such terms as it thinks fit.

 c) Associated Coven membership

i)T he subscription fee for an Associated Coven membership shall be such sum as the Council shall determine from time to time in an AGM or general meeting.

ii) The subscription fee shall be payable annually on 1 July. Where a new Associated Coven joins between 1 January and 30 June, they will be required to pay only 50% of the annual subscription fee and then the full subscription fee from 1 July thereafter annually.

iii) Any Associated Coven member whose subscription is outstanding for more than three months after the due date for payment shall cease to be a member of the association, provided always that the Council may reinstate such a person’s membership on such terms as it thinks fit.

d)Oak and Mistletoe shall be exempt from any membership subscriptions to the association.

5.3 Member Resignation

An Ordinary, Clerical or Associated Coven member may resign their membership of the association at any time by giving written (electronic or hardcopy) notice to a Council Elder or the Public Officer of the association. Any resigning member shall be liable for any outstanding subscriptions which may be recovered as a debt due to the association.

5.4 Expulsion of a Member

a) Subject to giving a member an opportunity to be heard or to make a written submission, the Council may resolve, by a clear majority vote, to expel a member upon a charge of misconduct detrimental to the interests of the association.

b) Particulars of the charge shall be communicated to the member at least one month before the meeting of the Council at which the matter will be determined.

c) The determination of the Council shall be communicated to the member, and in the event of an adverse determination the member shall, (subject to section 5.4.e below), cease to be a member 14 days after the Council has communicated its determination to the member.

d) It shall be open to a member to appeal the expulsion to the council at a general meeting. The intention to appeal shall be communicated to the Council Chairperson or the Public Officer within 14 days after the determination of the Council has been communicated to the member.

e) In the event of an appeal under 5.4.d above, the appellant’s membership of the association shall not be terminated unless the determination of the Council to expel the member is upheld by the members of CCIWI in a general meeting after the appellant has been heard by the members of the association, and in such event membership will be terminated at the date of the general meeting at which the determination of the Council was upheld.

5.5 Register of Members

A register of members shall be kept and shall contain;

a) The name, physical and email address of each Ordinary and Clerical Member,

b) The Associated Coven name, the name and the physical and email address and ages of the leadership of that Associated Coven,

c) The date on which each member was admitted to the association,

d) If applicable, the date and reason(s) for termination of membership.

6. THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS

a) The affairs of the association shall be managed and controlled by the Council which in addition to any powers and authorities conferred by this constitution, may exercise all such powers and do all such things as are within the objects of the association, and which are not by the Act or by this constitution required to be done by the association in a general meeting.

b)The Council shall have the full management and control of the funds and other property of the association.

c) The Council shall have the authority to interpret the meaning of this constitution and any other matter relating to the affairs of the association on which these rules are silent.

6.1 Council Appointments

a) The Council shall comprise of a Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer, the Public Officer and two other Council Elders.

b) The position of Public Officer shall be a permanent position until such time as the member resigns from the position, becomes deceased, by their actions brings the position and/or the association into disrepute, or is charged with a serious criminal conviction making them ineligible to remain in office.

c) A Council Elder must be a current financial Ordinary or Clerical Member.

d) No Associated Coven shall have more than one of its members as a Council Elder without the express and written authority of the existing Council.

e) Council Elders may hold up to two Council positions where there are insufficient nominations for a Council role. However, where a person holds two Council positions, they shall only have the privilege of a single vote.

f) A senior member of Oak and Mistletoe shall always hold the position of Council Chair.

g) The Chair holds the deciding vote in a tie.

h) The first Council of the association shall be appointed from the members of Oak and Mistletoe and shall hold office until a new Council is elected from the general membership at the second AGM. The first Council Elders can remain in office if unopposed. A new Council of Elders shall be elected at each subsequent AGM.

i) All Council Elders may be re-elected to council for a maximum of five consecutive terms.

j) Any Ordinary or Clerical Member seeking a Council position must be nominated by another Ordinary or Clerical Member of the association. All nominations must be delivered to a Council Elder no later than 28 days before the AGM. Each nomination must be signed either in hardcopy or electronically by both the nominee and the proposer.

k) Notice of all persons seeking election to the Council shall be given to all members of the association along with the notice calling for the AGM at which time the election shall take place.

l) Postal, email and proxy votes will be accepted forms of voting in addition to those votes delivered through a physical show of hands where appropriate.

m) The Council may appoint a person to fill a casual vacancy and such a Council Elder shall hold office until the next AGM and shall be eligible for election to the Council without nomination.

6.2 Proceedings of the Council

a) The Council shall meet at least once each quarter. This meeting can occur online with all members present as long as the Secretary keeps a record of the meeting in printed form. An online forum or other such conferencing technology will be utilised for this purpose.

b) Questions arising at any meeting of the Council shall be decided by a majority of votes and in the event of a tied vote, the Chairperson shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote.

c) A quorum for a meeting of the Council shall be at least half of the members of the Council.

6.3 Disqualification of Council Elders

The office of a Council Elder shall become vacant if a Council Elder (excluding the Public Officer (see 6.1.b), is:

a) Disqualified from being a Council Elder by the Act,

b) Expelled as a member under this constitution,

c) Permanently incapacitated by ill health or similar means,

d) Absent without apology from more than two consecutive Council meetings,

e) He/she submits in writing, his/her resignation to a Council Elder,

f) He/ she cease to be a member of the association.

7. THE SEAL AND LOGO

a) The association shall have a seal known as the logo upon which its corporate name shall appear in legible characters. This will include the words “Community Church of Inclusive Wicca Inc.” and the acronym “CCIWI”.

b) This seal and logo is the property of CCIWI and copyright shall be held by the association.

c) The seal and logo shall not be used without the express authorisation of the Council, with such use to be documented, and every request for use of the seal and/or logo shall be recorded in the minutes of the Council. This includes keeping a record of all websites that use the logo or a banner to link to the website of the association.

d) The approval to use the seal and logo shall be authorised by at least two Elders of the Council as long as its use is within the guiding principles of the association.

8. THE WEBSITE

a) The association shall have a website at the domain http://www.cciwi.org and it shall remain the property of the association.

b) The website shall be used to promote the aims and objectives of the association to its members and the wider community and to develop web links between registered Associated Covens.

c) All contents shall be approved by the Council with the Public Officer having the right to veto anything deemed to be at odds with the nature and ethics of the association, containing offensive language, or otherwise deemed inappropriate. The website will not contain any racial, bigoted or discriminatory matter and will not be used as a medium to further any individual political agenda. It will not contain any pornographic or illegal data.

d) A webmaster/artist will be appointed by the Council and may be given remuneration for any work. The webmaster/artist may be a Council Elder but will refer to the Council for guidance and answer to the Council on direction.

e) The association will own copyright of all material on the website however copyright of their own intellectual property will be retained by any original artists and authors who contribute.

f) The website will always contain the CCIWI Constitution and related material that supports the CCIWI and its Ordinary, Clerical, Associated Coven membership and that of Oak and Mistletoe.

9. MEETINGS

9.1 Annual General Meetings

a) The Council shall call an AGM in accordance with the Act and this Constitution. This meeting can occur online with members present as long as the Secretary keeps a record of the meeting in printed form. An online forum or other such conferencing technology will be utilised for this purpose.

b) The first AGM shall be held within 18 months from the incorporation of the association and thereafter within five months after the end of each financial year.

c) Notice of an AGM may be given by the association to any member either via the postal service, personally or via email.

d) The order of the business at the meeting shall be:

i ) The confirmation of the minutes of the previous AGM and of any special general meetings held since that meeting,

ii) The consideration of the accounts and reports of the Council,

iii) The election of the Council Elders,

iv) Any other business requiring consideration by the association.

v) The quorum for an AGM shall be the full Council plus at least one third of the association’s membership or at least ten members where there are less than 25 voting members.

9.2 Special General Meetings

a) The Council may call a special general meeting of the association at any time. This meeting can occur online with members present as long as the Secretary keeps a record of the meeting in printed form. An online forum or other such conferencing technology will be utilised for this purpose.

b) Under a requisition in writing of not less than 15% of the total number of members of the association, the Council shall, within one month of the receipt of the requisition, convene a special general meeting for the purpose specified in the requisition.

c) Every requisition for a special general meeting shall be signed (electronically or physically) by the relevant members and shall state the purpose of the meeting.

d) If a special general meeting is not convened within one month as required by 9.2.b above, the requisitionists, or at least 50% of their number, may convene a special general meeting. Such a meeting may be convened in the same manner as a meeting convened by the Council and for this purpose the Council shall ensure that the requisitoners are supplied free of charge with particulars of the members entitled to receive a notice of the meeting. The reasonable expenses of convening and conducting such a meeting shall be borne by the association.

9.3 General Meetings

a) At least 14 days notice of any general meeting shall be given to members. The notice shall set out where, when and how the meeting will be held, and particulars of the nature and order of the business to be transacted at the meeting. This meeting can occur online with members present as long as the Secretary keeps a record of the meeting in printed form. An online forum or other such conferencing technology will be utilised for this purpose.

b) Notice of a meeting at which a special resolution is to be proposed shall be given at least 21 days prior to the date of the meeting and will be called within a week of receiving notice of any special resolution.

c) Notice of any general meeting may be given by the association to any member either via the postal service, personally or via email.

d) The quorum for a general meeting shall be at least half the Council plus at least one third of the association’s membership or at least ten members where there are less than 25 voting members.

e)The Chair person or agreed Council Elder delegate shall preside as chair of annual, special and general meetings.

9.4 Voting at AGMs and General Meetings

a) Subject to this Constitution, every member regardless of whether they are Clergy or an Ordinary member of the association has only one vote at a meeting of the association. In addition, each Associated Coven has a single vote. The coven of Oak and Mistletoe shall also have a single vote.

b) Subject to these rules, a question for decision at a general meeting, other than a special resolution, must be determined by a majority of members with voting rights either in person or electronically at that meeting.

9.5 Poll

a) If a poll is demanded by at least five members, it must be conducted in a manner specified by the Chairperson and the result of the poll is the resolution of the meeting on that question.

b) A poll demanded for the election of a Council Elder or on a question of adjournment shall be taken immediately, but any other poll may be conducted at any time before the close of the meeting.

9.6 Special and Ordinary Resolutions

a) A special resolution is that as defined in the Act.

b) An ordinary resolution is a resolution passed by a simple majority at a general meeting.

9.7 Proxies

A member shall be entitled to appoint in writing an Ordinary or Clerical member to be his/her proxy and attend and vote on their behalf at any meeting.

9.8 Minutes

a) Proper minutes of all proceedings of general meetings and meetings of the Council shall be entered within one month after the relevant meeting in minute files kept for the purpose.

b) The minutes kept pursuant to rule 9.8.a must be confirmed by the members of the association or the Council Elders (as relevant) at a subsequent meeting or within one month via electronic means.

c) The minutes kept pursuant to rule 9.8.a shall be signed off (electronically or in hardcopy) by the Chairperson of the meeting at which the proceedings took place or by the Chairperson of the next succeeding meeting at which the minutes are confirmed or via email where the minutes are distributed thus.

10. ALTERATIONS TO THIS CONSTITUTION

The procedure for altering this constitution shall be:

a) The proposed amendments shall be set out in full and posted on the CCIWI website and emailed to all members at least 21 days before the AGM or general meeting at which they are to be discussed,

b) The amendments must be agreed to by at least two-thirds of those association members who are present at the AGM/general meeting at which such amendments are discussed,

c) All amendments shall subsequently be approved by the Council at a separate Council meeting.

11. FINANCIAL REPORTING

11.1 Financial Year

The financial year of the association shall be the period ending on the next 30 June following incorporation, and thereafter a period of 12 months commencing on 1 July and ending on 30 June of each year.

11.2 Accounts to be kept

The association shall keep and retain such accounting records as are necessary to correctly record and explain the financial transactions and financial position of the association in accordance with the Act.

12. PROHIBITION AGAINST SECURING PROFITS FOR MEMBERS

The income and capital of the association shall be applied exclusively to the promotion of its objects and purpose as set out at point 3 and no portion shall be paid or distributed directly or indirectly to members or their associates except as bona fide remuneration for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the association.

13. WINDING UP

a) This association may be wound up in the manner provided for in the Act.

b) At the winding up or dissolution of CCIWI, the association’s assets should be returned to their original source wherever possible. Where ‘surplus assets’ as defined in the Act exist, these shall be donated to appropriate Pagan groups as agreed by the closing members at the time of the dissolution. Proper records must be kept of such transfers