Charter for Tuscaloosa Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans

PURPOSE
In accordance with the principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), we wish to as a group to practice various Neo-pagan religious beliefs & spiritual values and to promote understanding of the same within the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tuscaloosa (UUCT) and eventually among the wider community.

ARTICLE 1: NAME AND AFFILIATION
We will be known as the Tuscaloosa Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (T-CUUPS) and we are a part of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tuscaloosa (UUCT), and a chapter of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS). We fully support the purposes of CUUPS, UUCT, and the UUA.

ARTICLE 2: MEMBERSHIP
Membership will be open to any person of legal age of 19 without regard to religion, race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, etc. Membership will be allowed after a person has attended a minimum of two T-CUUPs meetings, is an active UU member in any congregation and/or has completed the UU Preview program and two Sunday worship services, and has been approved for membership. UUCT membership is not required, but strongly encouraged.
Participation is on a basis of free will, and anyone has the right to abstain from any activities.

ARTICLE 3: MEETINGS
We will hold meetings on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at 7:00 p.m.; the location of such meetings will be flexible but announced in advance. In the case of church functions being held on the 2nd or 4th Saturday, alternate dates may be chosen. Other special meetings may be announced.

ARTICLE 4: OFFICERS
We will have a leadership board of 3-5 souls that will take care of the organizational needs of T-CUUPs. There is also an open committee of all willing members. Terms for committees run between summer solstices. All committee members shall be required to be members of the Unitarian Univeralist Congregation of Tuscaloosa.
All T-CUUPs members are eligible to vote in any membership wide issues. The leadership board's meetings will be open to the group unless otherwise specified.

ARTICLE 5: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
All assets of T-CUUPs are meant for use within the program to meet any and all of it's needs. Excess funds at years end may in any portion be donated to the UUCT or retained as decided by vote. Any items donated to the group can be used as decided by popular vote. Ritual items (not belonging to an individual) are to be property of T-CUUPs; if the group disbands the property ownership reverts to the UUCT or its successors.

T-CUUPS BYLAWS

 

I. Membership in T-CUUPS is automatically open to any member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tuscaloosa (UUCT) Alabama legal age of 19 or over, and all UUCT members are openly invited to attend events.

II. Membership is also open to any other person age 19 or over without regard to religion, race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, etc. if the petitioner

• has attended a minimum of two T-CUUPs meetings
• is an active member in any area UU congregation (subject to verification) OR has completed the UU Preview program and attended two Sunday worship services

UUCT membership is not required, but strongly encouraged. However, all T-CUUPs committee members must be members of the UUCT.

III. Participation is on a basis of free will, and anyone has the right to abstain from any activities.

IV. Parental consent forms are required for any person in attendance under the age of 19, signed in the presence of a T-CUUPs member. Persons under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an attending parent or legal guardian.

V. During T-CUUPs sponsored activities, all participants are expected to abide with the laws of the State of Alabama.

VI. By popular decision of the T-CUUPs participants, blood sacrifices, nudity, and sexual activities are unwelcome during any T-CUUPs sponsored meetings or rituals for any reason.

VII. Confidentiality is important. Please respect the privacy of those in attendance who may not wish their religious preferences shared with others; keep anything you see, hear or do within the group. Leave gossip at home.

VIII. Participants in T-CUUPs sponsored events will be respectful to the grounds on which the events are held. All participants are expected to help clean up after gatherings.

IX. The conflict resolution procedures adopted by the UUCT are to be our guideline for dealing with problems within our group. Any person who is deemed to be an immediate threat or danger to other group members,
T-CUUPS, or the UUCT, may be temporarily expelled from the group during the completion of this process.