ERLAN ORGANIZATIONAL BYLAWS
I. Purpose of the
Earth Religions Legal Assistance Network (ERLAN)
ERLAN is a service organization that helps Earth Religion Rights activists communicate so they can help people with problems; but ERLAN, as such, is not the direct provider of the help to individuals with legal problems (the members of ERAL and those who work with them do that, along with allot of independent individuals and organizations).
ERLAN does the administrative work creating and managing communications mechanisms to help Earth Religionists with legal problems associated with their religion, and those individuals and organizations that help them. These mechanisms include ERAL, at least one Earth Religions Assistance Website, at least one Earth Religions Assistance FTP site, and such additional communications mechanisms as deemed necessary and appropriate to fulfill its purposes.
II.
Purpose of the Earth Religions Assistance LIST (ERAL):
ERAL is dedicated to investigating and providing assistance to Earth Religionists facing legal problems associated with their religion. ERAL is a national network of Earth Religion Rights activists in Cyberspace helping facilitate action by individuals and organizations in the real world.
ERAL is kind of a "911" assistance hotline/list for Earth Religion rights activists and organizations that provides research, and information to individuals and organizations assisting Earth Religionists and their Attorneys. Sometimes the individual interacting directly with the individual with the problem or the associated attorney is a member of ERAL, and sometimes not.
By Earth Religions, we include Pagan religions (Wicca, Druidism, Shamanism, etc.), traditional religions of indigenous peoples, and those variations on widespread religions (Christian, Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu, Shinto, etc.) that honor nature and the Earth and our place in it, along with mystic beliefs and practices.
By Pagan we refer to an eclectic, mostly modern, religious movement encompassing a broad array of religions which revere the Divine in nature and/or draw upon the myths and symbols of ancient faiths.
By mystic, we refer to one who believes or works with the principle that any being can have direct personal knowledge of the Divine without intervention of an outside authority.
(the definitions of Pagan and Mystic were developed by the Coalition for Pagan Religious Rights).
Our primary focus is on helping practitioners of ethical, non-racist, and non-sexist religions that promote understanding and tolerance of other religions and their practitioners, although we reserve the right to help others with different religions, if we deem it appropriate, on a case by case basis.
Occasional posts to ERAL about the activities of organizations, Internet areas, etc. related to the broad topic of Earth Religion Rights, and where to find out more, may occasionally be allowed by the moderator of ERAL, in accordance with its rules, along with posts concerning ERAL members needing healing -- but this is not the primary purpose of ERAL. Other Internet areas may be used or created by ERLAN or others for broader purposes.
In addition, ERLAN maintains at least one FTP site containing a library of legal memos and evidence on freedom of religion law, distributes and makes available appropriate information from the FTP Site. ERAL attorneys may, at their discretion, provide legal consultation on freedom of religion law, tactics, etc. with primary attorneys dealing with cases.
III.
Relationship between ERLAN and Other Organizations and Entities
ERLAN provides and maintains an Earth Religions Assistance Communications List (ERACL). Other ERLAN members maintain Websites and FTP sites containing information useful for helping Earth Religionists with legal problems associated with their religion, along with information about ERAL. . With these bylaws, a formal relationship between the ERA website and the FTP site and ERLAN is established. The relationship between ERLAN and ERACL is also formal, as specified elsewhere in the Bylaws..
The relationship between ERLAN and other websites, FTP sites and e-mail lists is informal (although we may have liaisons), but may be formalized by mutual consent to between the list moderator or Webmaster, any associated organizations that these people need permission to establish such a relationship from, and ERLAN. Formal coalitions and other relationships between other lists and organizations may also be established, along with making such activities part of ERLAN, by the rules contained herein and mutual consent.
ERLAN works in cooperation with other individuals, organizations and communications mechanisms with broader purposes than ERAL, such as FIRE, the PAL and Church of Dancing Flame List, the ERCL list, WARD, WADL, WLPA, AMER, CoPRR, OCRT, ERAA, PAL, LLL, WV etc., but does not and will not attempt to interfere in their internal or external affairs.
However, ERAL and ERACL are available to help them facilitate communications concerning legal cases, finding help, etc.; and any other communications mechanisms may be used to facilitate other communications, by consent of involved parties. New communications mechanisms may be created by ERLAN members in the future that may or may not have a formal relationship to ERLAN.. ERLAN has among its missions networking for Earth Religion Rights, and will endeavor to refer people to organizations, e-mail lists, webpages, etc. appropriate to the task at hand and to encourage cooperation and appropriate communications to further the cause of Earth Religion Rights.
ERAL is also part of a broader Earth Religions Assistance Internet Initiative (ERAII), that includes Websites, lists, FTP sites etc. that are not under the jurisdiction of ERAL, and which often have scopes of activities beyond the range of those provided by ERAL (public education, influencing legislation, etc.), but which include helping Earth Religionists facing legal problems associated with their religion. Most of these mechanisms are independent of ERAL.
Local Earth Religion Assistance Networks (communications mechanisms) may be formed with purposes in accordance with those of ERAL, or broader purposes, as long as they, as an organization, do not contradict ERAL’s purposes. The relationship between these organizations to ERAL and any associated corporations may be formalized by mutual consent.
Our members include real national leaders in AMER, WPLA, LLL etc., leaders of regional groups like CoPRR, ERAA, etc., and people who are working with the leaders of WADL, WARD, and other groups. In addition, we have clergy and lay leaders in the UU and other churches on line. Some of these organizations dwarf ERAL. We just happen to be the first group manifesting as a list on the Internet with the objective of helping Earth Religionists with legal problems (as far as I know). It will be largely through getting their active support and involvement that ERAL will either succeed or fail. If we can create mechanisms that are useful to these organizations and through which they can mobilize their resources in common cause, and get their activists and leaders cooperating and communicating with each other-to avoid duplication of effort -- perhaps we can get the support needed and manifest what is needed to fulfill our purposes.)
IV.
The long range objective of ERAL and associated Internet initiatives, networking and associated ERLAN organization is to become as effective at protecting Earth Religionists against legal problems associated with their religion as the BB Anti Defamation League (ADL) is at protecting Jews, This will require alliances and working relationships with other human rights organizations, Churches, etc. The ultimate objective is to eliminate such discrimination all together, and render ERAL and ERLAN no longer necessary.
V. Purposes of the
Rules of ERAL
ERAL is a communications service (run by ERLAN) designed to facilitate communications between those who help Earth Religionists facing legal problems associated with their religion, while:
1. Providing real help to Earth Religionists with legal problems and to the activists who contact us for such help
2. Helping maintain a friendly and effective professional atmosphere for working together
3. Keeping the e-mail volume to most our busy members tolerable (a maximum weekly average of ten posts per day) and on-topic
4. Providing some structure to prevent mob action or actions that would be likely to get us in legal trouble (thus the need for case coordinators and attorney supervision and review), while not preventing effective action
VI.
Limits to the Authority of
ERLAN Boards, Corporations, Officers, etc.
In so far as practical, all official ERLAN administrative structures are forbidden from dictating to work groups what cases they will take on, how they are organized, or who is among their members. Exceptions may be made to veto assistance to groups and individuals that do not practice ethical, non-racist, and non-sexist religions that promote understanding and tolerance of other religions and their practitioners, or that are otherwise inconsistent with the purposes of ERAL.
External communications from work groups or by individuals in ERAL must be approved by at least one attorney who is a member of ERAL, or an individual designated by the attorney (other than gathering information or providing general information and referrals). The purpose of attorney review is to help assure adequate caveats and disclaimers to reduce the risk of suits and valid charges of practicing law without a license to a reasonable degree (the only total protection is to do nothing, an unacceptable option).
ERLAN is subject to checks and balances. {central bodies in organizations can get too domineering and self centered, and try to throttle the effective work that their activists have done for the stated purpose of the, for fear of threats to their power and authority. This is to be avoided in ERLAN).
VII.
Four-fold Structure
ERAL and its Website and FTP site are administered by the Earth Religions Legal Assistance Network (ERLAN).
The authorities of ERLAN are divided in a four fold manner:
Attorneys: Only attorneys may commit to providing those services limited under the law to attorneys. Furthermore, at least one attorney must approve all official communications from ERAL concerning a legal case (other than providing referrals to organizations and information sources that might be helpful).
The Board of Directors: The ERLAN Board of directors shall consist of the officers providing key functions related to the administration of ERAL [a Secretary-General, a Membership Coordinator, a Treasurer, a Legal Coordinator, a Moderator (President), a Vice Moderator (Vice President)].
The voting ERLAN membership. To qualify, one must occupy one of the voting positions among the volunteers who actually administer ERAL as specified in this proposal or agreed to amendments to create new voting positions.
The ERLAN Trustees, consisting of those signing the incorporation papers of ERLAN and/or others elected to the position. The powers of the trustees are limited to assuring that corporate procedures and bylaws are followed and that ERAL meets its legal obligations. There shall be at least four trustees.
VIII.
How Decisions Are Made
The ERLAN Board of Directors and/or the voting membership may change the rules of ERAL and make funding and other decisions by a 2/3rds majority, and either body may veto the action of the other by a 2/3rd majority.
Attorneys may make decisions individually, and have the individual authority to approve or disapprove of communications from ERAL concerning legal matters.
When possible, decisions will be made by consensus. Voting is a mechanism of last resort.
If a proposal is posted to ERLAN members and nobody objects within one week, the proposal will be considered to be implemented as a final decision, by consensus. Such motions must be identified by the word PROPOSAL, in capital letters as the first word of the subject of the message.
The Moderator may make temporary changes to rules that go into effect immediately, if there are no objections, subject to approval or disapproval of the Board or the members within 7 days. Lack of any objections to a temporary rule within 7 days will be considered to be approval by consensus.
The Board may make decisions that go into effect immediately, when 2/3rds of all Board Members have stated their position on the matter, or if there are no objections from other active Members in three days.
The Board may delegate the authority to make decisions on exactly how to carry out the policies and programs of ERLAN to specific ERAL members, (to avoid micromanagement of administrative decision-making).
All projects or funding supported, approved, recommended, or carried out by ERLAN or ERAL legal teams would have to be consistent with the general purposes of ERLAN and ERAL respectively. The ERLAN Board has the power to enforce this, as does the moderator, the vice moderator and the Membership Coordinator.
Most discussions among all Board Members might take place on ERACL or in private e-mail, until we can find or set up a special listserv that can handle ERLAN administrative matters in which interested ERAL and ERLAN members may subscribe. Some matters (mainly sensitive discussions of the conduct of an ERAL member and disciplinary action) are to be carried out in private e-mail among Board members and the person under discussion and directly involved parties when appropriate. However, when an appropriate list or other electronic communications mechanism is available for administrative communications, all Board Members must subscribe to both lists. Board members, and ERLAN members in general are strongly urged to join ERACL and to discuss ERLAN related matters there (proposed bylaws, etc.), to facilitate communications with other ERAL members.
The idea is for the Board, ERLAN and interested members to mostly function as one unit, with the Board being people who have taken responsibility for seeing to it that essential ERAL business is carried out.
All Board Members and Trustees, the Journalist and Webweaver are official spokespersons for ERAL. along with anyone authorized by the Board or by the members (in a formal vote or by consensus). Others may speak and write about ERAL, but not as official spokespersons, and should make that clear in their communications. All ERAL members must keep what is confidential according to ERAL rules confidential, but may make general reference to the types of cases ERAL is dealing with, how it works or does not work, etc.
Trustees (at least 4) make decisions based on consensus, or a 3/4 majority when necessary
IX.
Powers and Duties of Officers
All officers and ERLAN board members are administrators, whose job is implementing policies agreed to by the members (except those that need to be quickly and temporarily changed because they have proven to be unworkable). The duties of the officers are as follows:
1. Secretary-General: maintains and provides records of our official rules, records of decisions, and reports to any organizations that ERAL might decide to affiliate with. In addition, the secretary works with existing people maintaining the following positions if the Secretary-General does not fill them as Secretary-General:
* Somebody maintaining and updating the ERA FTP site, and providing access to others to do so, and training them in this work
* Somebody maintaining and updating our Website (our Webweaver)
* Chronicler, to maintain digest of posts on ERAL and provides digests to new members
* An analyst or journalist to create quarterly reports noting which cases we are dealing with, our successes, failures and lessons learned from our activities (for internal purposes and a less specific report for public release).
(*See Amendments for other positions coordinated by the Secretary General)
2. Membership Coordinator: maintains records of members (a digest of membership forms and a summary for the general ERAL membership), welcomes in new members (posting non confidential portions of their registration form) and introduces them to work groups based on their interests, etc. The membership coordinator also maintains records of who occupies what positions within ERLAN, the job descriptions that they posted for the position, and the official job description in the Bylaws.
That does not mean that the Membership Coordinator would have to do all of this -- if this person can find volunteers to help. The membership coordinator mostly needs to see to it that someone:
1. Keeps track of who is doing what so she or he can:
* Provides Reports to new members (like the boilerplate text
that I recently posted) on who is doing what
* Remind members of who is doing what by posting the
boilerplate from time to time
2. Keeps track of who is an active member and the tasks they are supposed to do.
The membership coordinator is also an assistant vice moderator. She or he has access to the controls and administrative messages of ERAL (and secret codes), and is in a better position to identify new members subscribing. The membership coordinator, as a moderator, would have access to both confidential and non-confidential membership information, and would sort the two categories of information in her/his work. The membership coordinator can do the work of the moderator or vice moderator when either is absent.
3. Moderator (President): puts members on line, take them off, and functions as both a:
* Vibeswatcher to check out apparent violations of rules, provide friendly suggestions when minor problems occur, etc.
* Bouncer to investigate major problems (which might be simple software screw-ups), warns people of serious violations, and unsubscribes people if the problem warrants it and there are not adequate extenuating circumstances (in the opinion of the moderator).
<the moderator has been functioning as the coordinator of the Contacts Compiler, unofficially.>
4. Vice Moderator (Vice President): Covers for the Moderator when the moderator is unavailable to moderate
5. Treasurer: Responsible for keeping financial records adequate to meet 501C3 requirements, who would also deal with fundraising groups and activities and financial reporting interfacing with any organization we might decide to affiliate with. Also establishes a bank account (when we have enough money to warrant it), write checks, and signs checks.
6. Legal Coordinator: An attorney who coordinates at least one active ERAL legal team, coordinates QA on legal work by ERAL members, provides training and advises the board and the members on legal matters. The legal coordinator also oversees the work of the:
* Legal Archivist
* Legal Scribe
* Incorporation
Other attorneys leading legal teams would be team coordinators, and not supervised by the Legal Coordinator or the Board, unless QA shows that they are acting in an unprofessional manner or neglecting their duties and thus putting ERAL in unreasonable legal risk, or they refuse to cooperate in QA (peer review), in which case the Board could take action restricting their individual authority.
Checks would have to be signed by the Treasurer and authorized by the Moderator (or vice-moderator if the moderator is unavailable) No checks can be issued unless funding is:
(1) supported by 2/3 of the Board, and
(2) previously declared to the general membership meeting and no veto proposal is pending or has been approved.
Such funding may be allocated in lump sum amounts for specific purposes (we don’t need to vote on every check, but we would need to have a budget and adequate funds to draw from).
The duties of the Board also include overseeing related activities, and picking up a task or finding someone to pick it up, if an essential ERAL function is not being carried out.
ERLAN may recognize and/or sponsor such activities. Internet mechanisms, etc. as are necessary consistent with its purposes.
X.
Selection of Officers of the Board.
Positions are filled by volunteers. If there is more than one volunteer for a position, and the two volunteers are unable to work out who takes the lead for the work among themselves in a week, a vote for the position could take place two weeks later. A general election for positions might take place in the Fall (perhaps near Samhain or Fall Equinox).
We need to discuss our overall purposes in more detail and find out about the philosophy and approach of our officers and potential officers before filling positions by election. In addition, we need to have enough potential candidates to have some real choice in the matter. for elections to be meaningful, other than as a vote of confidence.
Officers of the Board of Directors would hold one year renewable terms, starting at the first general election.
Board members and Trustees would be subject to recall for cause (nonfeasance or misfeasance) by a 2/3 vote of the members. Recall proposals and the reason for the recall, along with nominations and candidacies for the successor would be declared at least a week in advance of a vote.
XI.
Descriptions of Other Selected ERLAN Voting Member Positions
Legal Archivist
The Legal Archivist would work with the FTP site coordinator and our legal coordinator (and whatever volunteers are interested in helping) to help design the structure of our FTP site and organize and index the legal files posted in the FTP site in a manner that is useful to our legal team and Earth Religions Rights activists.
Basically, the job will involve obtaining pertinent legal files (and key ERAL administrative files), categorizing them, writing very brief (1 sentence) descriptions, listing them, sending a list of the categories to the FTP site coordinator (so he can organize the FTP site accordingly), and sending them to the FTP coordinator or directly to the FTP site. The Legal Archivist may also end up dealing with hard copy files, and sending out files that can not be sent from the FTP site..
<according to amendments, the Legal Archivist coordinates the work of the Copyright Coordinator and two scanners>
Legal Scribe
Maintains a digest of all posts on cases to ERAL or among the members of its legal team or teams.
Case Tracker
The Case Tracker maintains records of which cases have reached ERAL, who is coordinating the response, in cooperation with which attorney and the status of the case. If nobody is taking responsibility for coordinating a case, or nothing is happening to help it, and it is not because of inadequate information to begin, the case tracker also writes and posts to ERAL calls for volunteers to take charge and make things happen (perhaps as frequently as weekly, but bi-monthly at least).
<Other ERLAN positions, adopted by consensus include the Contacts Compiler (unclear who coordinates it but the Moderator has been doing this), two Scanners and a Copyright Coordinator (coordinated by the Legal Archivist, and an Incorporator (coordinated by the Legal Coordinator).>
Amendments Adopted by Consensus
1. This proposal is to expand the voting membership of ERLAN even further. There is plenty of ERAL/ERLAN publications work that could be done -- more than any one person could be reasonably expected to do in her or his spare time. This proposal is to bring in Morgaine and Ronad SinClair as full voting ERLAN members once they decide how to split the journalistic work among them and provide appropriate job descriptions, which should include the basic previously described work of the journalist and such additional related work as they can do to make their contribution to our efforts significant.
(Since Morgaine cant do this at present, the 2nd journalist Voting Membership position is available to another Volunteer)
2. That the rules of ERAL be changed to allow forwarding of ERLAN e-mail to active ERAL case coordinators (even if it is not your own), so they can be brought into our decision making process as ad hoc consultants.
3. That a position in ERLAN be opened for someone to maintain a digest of ERLAN messages (if our chronicler would need help if this were added to the job).
=====================================
Amendments Adopted by Consensus
Use of donations to ERAL
Larry Cornett did an Earth Religions Rights networking
workshop at Starwood, at
Everyone attending thought that ERAL is a great idea, and was interested in getting involved in Earth Religions Rights work - although only three were on-line. I have sent two of them subscription messages, since the third was me.
The idea of a national directory of public Earth religions rights contacts, broken down by state, and a private directory for activists only, was brought up by one of the participants. I suggest that the $49 be earmarked towards this purpose.
We do not currently have e-mail addresses for most WARD or WADL contacts, and the money could be used to help cover the cost of a 3 page mailing to perhaps 100 or so persons and organizations, including, at a minimum, a 2 page questionnaire and something about ERAL.
A volunteer to do or coordinate the work on this is needed. The work would involve:
1. Creating a registration form for the directory, along with something about ERAL
2. Compiling a mailing list (with the help of WARD, WADL, WLPA, AMER, CoPRR, ERAA, etc.)
3. Creating anything else to go out with the mailing
4. Implementing a mailing to Earth Religion Rights activists and organizations using e-mail for those on-line and snail mail for others.
5. Processing the results to create the public and private directory
It would be nice if we could get some more money for printing, since up to eight pages (four printed both sides of a page) can be mailed with a single stamp. A longer mailing could include something like
1. The mobilization in cyberspace article (modified to include information about the directory and a solicitation of donations) -one page
2. The list of public ERAL contacts and major national organizations -one page
3. A two page questionnaire
4. The envelope addressed to the ERAL (or ERLAN) contact for this project, along with a place stamp here note.
4. The Freedom of Religion in the
(it would be nice to send them some useful legal information that they can reprint in the mailing)
If there is interest, perhaps we could get additional money
for printing and perhaps a larger mailing by soliciting funds from our membership. We could also save postage by trying to get
WARD, etc. to send it to their members.
However, most of these organizations are really
hurting for funds, and perhaps something from us would be more likely to
succeed. We have the leaders of several
Earth Religion Rights organizations among our members, and their endorsement of
the project would be useful.
The public version of the list of contacts could be e-mailed to Pagani Worldwide, the Circle Guide and other Earth Religionist Directories and publications and posted on our website. The private version (with additional contacts) could be posted to ERAL and perhaps sent in hard copy form to earth religion rights activists not on-line, if we get additional money for the printing and mailing.
Scanners/Electronic
conversion
That two positions be created in ERLAN for volunteers who will scan documents that are available only in hard copy and convert them to digital format for posting on our FTP site.
The work would be coordinated by our legal archivist
===========================================
Amendments approved by consensus
ERLAN Contacts Compiler.
This position is available to the person who leads the effort to create and keep up to date a public and a private directory of Earth religion rights contacts, sorted by State in the US and Province in Canada. The Contacts Compiler would also help distribute the directories (with help from our Journalists, etc.).
Decision making for Disciplinary Action
Any disciplinary actions concerning members who seriously violate the rules by the Moderator or acting Moderator (such as gross violation of the rules on confidentiality) is subject to review and finalization by our Board, including determining the duration of any disciplinary action. The Board may also initiate such actions. The Board has the power to set up such mechanisms as it may find appropriate to determine guilt or innocence (such as a Jury system among ERAL members), sentencing, or mediation.
When ERLAN is incorporated and has a Board of Trustees, these duties will be transferred from the ERLAN Board to the Board of Trustees.
================================================
Amendments adopted by Consensus
Copyright Coordinator
The Copyright Coordinator is responsible for obtaining copyright permission for documents that ERLAN will post on the Internet, make available for books on Earth Religion Rights, and otherwise distribute.
The ERLAN Archivist is responsible for overseeing the work of the Copyright Coordinator, with help from the Legal Coordinator -- when needed.
Incorporator
The Incorporator is responsible for:
1. Drafting articles of incorporation, etc. for ERLAN that would be consistent with 501c3 status and ERLAN organizational bylaws (but not lock in those bylaws in their present form).
2. Completing the final version, in cooperation with the ERLAN members
3. Signing the incorporation papers, along with others approved by ERLAN
4. Filing the necessary papers to obtain such corporate status.
5. Answering queries, and doing what is necessary to actually obtain Corporate status
6. Recruiting and coordinating the work of other volunteers who will assist in these efforts
The name of the corporation shall be something other than ERLAN, so that other organizations may be able to come under its corporate umbrella without causing confusion concerning which group is doing what.
The corporation and its 501C3 status shall be flexible enough to allow ERLAN, at some future date, to establish a foundation to provide grants and reimbursement of expenses for Earth Religion Rights activists and organizations, engage in public education, hire staff , include local Earth Religion Assistance Organizations under its corporate and 501C3 umbrella, form alliances, affiliate with other organizations, and such additional activities related to Earth Religion Rights as it sees fit.
It is difficult to design the corporation in such a way as to avoid competition for scarce resources if the mission of the corporation *explicitly* covers too much at the beginning. The necessary flexibility to expand the mission of the corporation beyond that currently defined for ERLAN shall be carefully worded, but adequate to allow such expansion through simple bylaw changes.
The corporation shall be able to easily extend its corporate and 501C3 umbrella to Earth Religion Rights organizations needing it, providing they meet its 501C3 financial reporting requirements, file related records to the ERLAN Treasurer, are financially responsible and viable, have purposes consistent with the corporation, and are deemed by ERLAN to be worthy of support.
The Corporation shall be structured to prevent inappropriate interference in the internal affairs of affiliated organizations by whatever power structures it establishes.
Upon incorporation, the Incorporator shall become an ERLAN Trustee, with rights and responsibilities as defined by the ERLAN Bylaws (and appropriately worded corporate charter provisions).
The Trustee shall help obtain official 501C3 status for the corporation and associated organizations, and coordinate such efforts -- unless ERLAN establishes another position for this work.
The ERLAN Legal Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the work of the Incorporator until the person becomes a Trustee, after which they should work in consultation with each other.
Earth Religion Rights Book
I am coordinating an effort to put together a book on Earth
Religionists’ Legal Rights. So far, I have contacted the following people, who have indicated that they will write chapters on the following subjects:
Silver Something on mobilizing the newsletters,
RavenWolf and introduction on Pagan religious rights in
(WADL) general and, perhaps, on screening Complaints
(COMMENT, HER CONTRACT WITH LLEWELLYN WILL
PREVENT HER FROM WRITING THIS,
UNLESS LLEWELLYN
PUBLISHES OR TURNS DOWN the
BOOK, BUT OTHER
AUTHORS HAVE JOINED SINCE THIS RESOLUTION
PASSED, INCLUDING LADY
SINTANA, JACQUE ZALENSKI
and JEANNETTE WALDIE)
Selena Fox: On experiences in counseling work with people
(Lady Liberty undergoing the trauma of litigation,
League, ERAL, psychotherapeutic dimensions, emotional
and Circle and spiritual support
Sanctuary)
Gavin & Bullets through the window (how to deal with
Yvonne Frost it and how to prevent it)
(Church of
Wicca)
Joyce What to say and what not to say when you are
Siegrest under the gun (being investigated, giving
(WARD) testimony, etc.)
Pete Pathfinder Mobilizing the Archbishops (and possibly the
(Aquarian main editor of the book)
Tabernacle
Church and ERAL)
Orion & On oppressed communities and character
Andras Corbin assassination of leaders
(EarthSpirit
Community)
Jacque How to do your own legal research
Zalenski
(Iron Oak, ATC)
Roger Zalenski The Iron Oak Experience and Tactics for Self Defense
Lady Sintana Living within the Public eye: History, problems
and solutions for Out-of-the-Broomcloset Witches
(Ravenswood experience over 20+ years)
Chris AMER Guide for Dealing with Police Harassment
Brad Hicks
and AMER
Board
(AMER and
ERAL)
Lady Allyn: On custody cases, how to protect your family
(ERAA and and how to respond, along with appendices
Lady Liberty containing actual evidence of Wicca and Paganism
League) as positive paths that has been used
successfully in legal cases (getting permission
to reprint could bring in additional authors,
like Gordon Melton, Diane Darling and Ed Fitch_.
Larry Cornett: On Earth Religion rights networking,
(ERAA, WADL, organizations, and case histories
CAW, ERAL)
Marija: Legal Memoranda and perhaps more
(constitutional
law and human
rights attorney
with ERAA)
When I spoke to them last, they thought that they would have draft chapters ready by August 1996 (except for Lady Sintana who only got started in early August). However, how many of them actually provide the drafts and by when is highly uncertain. I expect many to have it ready by August - Pagan Time. Hopefully, the complete edited manuscript will be available by the end of 1996 (comment: As of March 1997, most chapters are in)
The above information is not for publication at this time (comment: it may now be posted on our web page), but is being made available to selected publishers, ERAL members, and, of course, authors and potential authors.
Preliminary contacts concerning the book have begun with Beacon Press, Llewellyn, and Sunshine Publishing. We could use better inside contacts than I have at Llewellyn and Beacon (although Margot Adler plans to check with the person she now works with at Beacon, a Pagan-friendly contact, who is really interested, would be useful since she is not sure where her new contact is coming from).
Who actually does the publishing is subject to their interest and negotiation. The publishers will have to review the manuscript before I expect any serious feedback from them. I am trying to identify additional publishers, and their contacts
and I am interested in getting the best deal.
Ideally, I would like to find a publisher who:
1. Has an excellent distribution network
2. Provides good quality trade paperback printing
3. Has a good reputation and good financial stability
4. Who provides good publishing deals to authors
5. Would agree to a share of the profit and royalties going to the cause of
Earth Religion Rights (including a substantial portion to
the Earth Religions Legal Assistance Network which
coordinates an Earth Religions Assistance Internet
Initiative)
6. Would agree to having chapters of the book published on the
Internet, as well as in hard copy. The hard copy Book edition
would have copies of original documents suitable for use as
evidence in the appendices. The Internet version, would
have word processed version of this evidence accessible from
an FTP site, linked to a website (that may also link to the
publisher's website). In addition, some of the chapters
(perhaps abbreviated, would be published as articles in
various newsletters hopefully with plugs for the book, and
the publisher when we have one).
However, all of the above is negotiable.
This is three proposals
1. That ERLAN endorse and sponsor this effort, for both education and fund-raising
2. ERLAN delegate the authority to make decisions to the Editor (me) working in cooperation with the authors, publishers, etc. -- even if it does not achieve all of the above. The Editor reserves the right to select assistant editors, work through literary agents, delegate, negotiate, etc.
3. Subject to the ERACL moderator's approval, direct membership in ERACL be made available to interested authors, potential publishers and literary agents for discussion, review and refinement of the draft text of the book on Earth Religion Rights (without requiring that they actually subscribe to ERAL, although they would have to agree to the ERAL rules). Others may also join ERACL or ERACL without subscribing to ERAL, if they agree to the ERAL rules. Of course, other ERACL members would remain on ERACL, and their comments would be welcome on the book.
If ERACL traffic gets high to warrant it, ERLAN endorses the establishment of a new list for the book and the call for a volunteer to moderate the list.
Passed by Consensus
1. Privacy
Coordinator
The duties of the Privacy Coordinator are to:
1. Coordinate and facilitate efforts for ERAL members to obtain, set up, maintain, and use appropriate encryption software (PGP unless another is found in practice to be more suitable-given the variety of platforms and operating systems in which our members operate), and
2. Encourage members to use appropriate encryption for potentially sensitive messages to ERAL when at least 3/4 of ERAL members are so equipped.
3. Encourage members to use appropriate encryption for potentially sensitive messages in private sensitive e-mail to members who have appropriate encryption/decryption software)
Posts to ERAL on Internet Privacy shall be limited to twice per week (except if we run into major snafus in the process of implementing such procedures)
The Privacy Coordinator also maintains a log of public keys, and provides a copy to the Membership Coordinator, along with updated information and logs on the public keys.
The Privacy Coordinator shall also inform ERAL members of such Public key information as they may need to know to receive and read encrypted e-mail meant for their attention.
The Privacy Coordinator is encouraged to recruit and form a Privacy Work Group to assist in associated duties, and to investigate anonymous re-mailers and their feasibility for appropriate linkage to ERAL (a Majordomo list), our FTP site, etc.
The ERLAN Membership Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the work of the Privacy Coordinator and maintaining and updating a duplicate copy of the public key log.
When appropriate procedures are defined, the Privacy Coordinator shall propose appropriate changes to the ERAL Membership Application form to facilitate the identification of what privacy software and referrals new members shall require, and provide the appropriate boilerplate information to new members based on the information in their application for membership--and assist them in getting so equipped, as needed.
The Privacy Coordinator shall provide appropriate Boilerplate Text concerning privacy software and its use for incorporation in the messages sent to potential new subscribers (people who send subscribe messages to eral-request@dreksys.com).
The Privacy Coordinator shall recruit such additional help as is needed to fulfill these purposes, and make appropriate PROPOSALS to ERLAN to bring in additional members to share in the associated ongoing efforts, as needed.
2. Directory Website
Coordinator
The Directory Website Coordinator is responsible for posting the Directory of Public Contacts on the Worldwide Web and keeping it up to date. The directories are generally provided by the ERLAN Contacts Coordinator, although the Moderator my provide word processed or HTTP encoded versions from time to time (with a duplicate to the Directory Compiler).
When possible, updates to the Public Directory should be posted within one week of when they are
provided. However, at a minimum, the
latest version shall be posted within a month of when the latest version was provided, or
within a month of when an earlier version was posted on the Worldwide Web
(whichever comes later-when applicable). An initial version
of the public Directory shall be posted on the Web by Fall Equinox,
If the Directory Website has sufficient storage capacity, the article * Earth Religion Rights Organizations*, or a similar guide to how to use the directory, shall be posted with the directory. If sufficient storage for both is not available, the Directory takes precedence, and the Directory Website Coordinator is expected to seek and obtain such assistance and web storage access is necessary to post this article (or equivalent) at a location linked to the Directory Web-page, or vice versa.
The Directory Website could also become a links page, linking to the directory and to instructions on how to use it. along with the ERA site, etc. at the option of the Directory Website Coordinator.
By Winter Solstice, 1996, the Directory Website Coordinator (with whatever help the coordinator can obtain) is encouraged to provide a more sophisticated version of the directory website (or sites) with some sort of mechanism that will allow users to click on a state, National, or Canada (or enter it in a field) and have the display appear that shows the header for that region, followed by the associated contacts --unless the coordinator determines that both doing this and providing frequent updates is excessively time consuming (the idea is to avoid the need for users scrolling down a long web page to find what they are looking for) . Links to related websites shall also be provided as time, feasibility and appropriateness permit.
The Directory Website Coordinator is expected to seek such additional help as is necessary for this purpose from ERAL members or others familiar with such Website coding, if necessary and appropriate.
The Directory Website Coordinator is given broad authority to design the site(s) however the Coordinator deems best for making the Directory and related information readily available to users, providing it fulfills the aforementioned purposes.
The ERLAN Moderator is responsible for overseeing the work of the Website Coordinator, and the Webweaver is responsible for interfacing the ERA Home Website with the directory of contacts.
3. The description of the duties of the Contacts Compiler are amended to read as follows:
Contacts Compiler
The ERLAN Contacts Compiler is the ERLAN Public Contact for the Directory and the person who leads the effort to create and keep up to date a public and a private directory of Earth religion rights contacts, sorted by State in the US and Province in Canada (along with National listings).
The Contacts Compiler provides copies of the latest public version of Directory of Public contacts to the Directory Website Coordinator and also helps distribute the public version of the directory (with help from our Journalists, the Moderator etc.) to various national and regional publications and directories . The Contacts Compiler sends the latest version of the Public Directory to those Earth Religionists requesting it, and endeavors to assure that other Public Directories (such as *Pagani Worldwide*, the *Nutshell Guide to the Pagan World*, the *Circle Guide*, etc.) are given copies of the latest public version in time for their use in updates of these directories.
The Contacts Compiler also provides both a public and a private version of the Directory (clearly labeled as such) to ERAL members and other Earth Religion Rights Activists and organizations. The Private version of the Directory shall include some sort of header code with each private contact, clearly indicating which specific contacts are for the private use of such activists only (in addition to the label on the Private Directory heading indicating that the version is for Earth Religion Rights Activists and organizations only, and not for general public distribution). Exceptions to distribution of the private version to Earth Religion Rights Activists may be made for activists who have demonstrated a lack of discretion in the distribution of private information.
Updates of the public and the private versions of the Directory are to be posted to ERAL and sent to the Directory Website Coordinator as needed, and on at least a monthly basis (unless there are no changes). ERAL members are encouraged to help facilitate widespread distribution of the public version of the directory, and to assist in the distribution of the private version of the Directory to Earth Religion Rights organizations and activists that may be able to use the information.
The ERLAN Moderator is responsible for overseeing the work of the Contacts Coordinator and assisting in the work as necessary and appropriate All ERAL members are responsible for quality assurance and informing the Contacts Compiler and the Moderator of any changes to or updates to the Directory that are needed and new public and private contacts who should be added to the Directory.
6. Electronic Communications Coordinator: Surveys the electronic communications capabilities of list members and their associated hardware, software and Internet connectivity, provides summary reports, helps members upgrade their capabilities to deal with more than e-mail, and helps guide the development of new communications mechanisms useful to members and clients. This work would be under the oversight of our Webweaver (along with the work of the PGP coordinator).
=======================================================
Additions to ERAL/ERLAN Netiquette Guide and Rules
Adopted 97-1-4
Based on recent experience, the following provisions to the
ERAL Rules are added.:
1. Under our general netiquette guide. after the sentence "In addition, lists have special problems that people need to be warned about, including:"
Posts to ERAL that are so long that they come through as attached files, should be broken into pieces and re-posted. Otherwise, some subscribers to the list will have to access their hard drives and bring up the file (sometimes after converting from MIME) and read them a word processor. This is a bit of work, and results in much less attention to the post than would otherwise be the case. If an important post accidentally comes through as an attached file because it was too long, it is OK to break it up and re-post it to ERAL in two parts.
2. This does not preclude people distributing pretty big reference documents pertinent to our work as attached files to the ERAL list (less than 500 KB), in ASCII format. However, anything posted for comment, seeking volunteers, etc., should be small enough so as to not end up as an attached file.
3. Please do not use the formatting features in recent releases of e-mail software (AOL 3.0 , Eudora Pro 3.0, etc.) when posting to e-mail lists. Generally they are not appropriately processed by subscribers using e-mail packages other than the one that the sender is using to set up the fonts. They may clutter up the message of people using other e-mail software with control characters, like . , that get in the way of easily reading the text.
(the numbers would be deleted if any of the above items are added to our rules)
4. In addition, our membership Registration form should be expanded to include a section describing new members computer communications capabilities (after the section on confidentiality):
Computer Communications Capabilities
Please describe your hardware and software used for electronic communications:
Computer type (MAC, PC, etc.) :__________________
Processor (Pentium 75 etc.): _____________________
Operating System (Windows 95, Windows 3.1, System 7, etc.,.)________________
What e-mail software are you using (AOL 2.0, Eudora 3.0, etc.)________________
Can you receive attached files, if they come through with e-mail?
__Yes
__ No
Do you have worldwide Web Access:
___Yes
___No
If so, what web browser(s) do you use (Netscape 3.0, etc.): _________
Do you have encoding/decoding utilities for
__Zipped files
__MIME
__UU
__PGP encryption/decryption
What word processing software to you use (MS Word 7.0, WordStar 1, etc.)___________
Can your Word Processor read and convert documents to:
___HTML formatted documents (displaying the format)
___RTF (Rich Text Format)
(if you don’t know the answer, enter _ ?_)
Can you read and Post to Newsgroups
___Yes
___No
Can you read and Post to Computer BBSs and Echoes
___Yes
___No
If so, please let us know the name of any newsgroups or BBS areas that sometime deal with Earth Religion Rights Issues that you routinely monitor (optional): ___________________
5. In the Membership Application Form, Under *Operational* and the first item *__General networker, posts cases, investigates and helps*, add:
__ ERAL liaison to the following Newsgroup(s) or BBS Echo(s): ___________
Liaison work involves forwarding cases and posts about cases
(after getting permission) to ERAL that could benefit from our
attention, informing the group about ERAL, and forwarding
general information (like public contacts and general sources
of information) to such areas when it may be helpful and
appropriate, in accordance with ERAL rules
6. In addition, an ERLAN Electronic Communications Coordinator position would be made available for a volunteer who would survey our existing members about their electronic communications capabilities, add the results for new members, summarize what we know about their capabilities, and help members upgrade their capabilities to deal with more than e-mail. This work would be under the oversight of our Webweaver (along with the work of the PGP coordinator).
==================================
Passed by consensus:
96-1-7
Electronic Communications Coordinator:
Surveys the electronic communications capabilities of list members and their associated hardware, software and Internet connectivity, provides summary reports, helps members upgrade their capabilities to deal with more than e-mail, and helps guide the development of new communications mechanisms useful to members and clients. This work would be under the oversight of our Webweaver (along with the work of the PGP coordinator).
Passed by Consensus:
97-01-17
The Moderator and the ERLAN Board (individually and/or collectively) have the power to not accept subscriptions from and to unsubscribe members who go to the government or promote others going to the government to try to make legal trouble for organizations and individuals that they compete with. There are circumstances when such behavior would be justified (like if someone had an organization competing with Charlie Manson's), and the Moderator and the ERLAN Board reserves the right and duty to consider the circumstances. The ERLAN Board shall be informed of any such decisions by the Moderator and may be consulted concerning potential decisions of that nature.
The ERLAN Board has the power to investigate the circumstances of such situations (using whatever legal means it feels appropriate, including the establishment of an independent ethics board including members who are not ERAL members, if they agree to confidentiality, etc.), to delegate the authority to make such decisions, to over-rule the moderator for any such decision, and/or to direct such action if it deems it appropriate in such matters.
==================================
Adopted by consensus:
96-11-9
Marija is an honorary ERAL member.
Being an honorary member of ERAL will make it possible for those who know her to forward ERAL e-mail concerning cases that need her special expertise to her without special approvals. It also sets a precedent for others to nominate people for Honorary ERAL membership, subject to the approval of ERLAN, on a case by case basis.
More Changes in ERLAN Bylaws -- ERACL & networking
Passed by consensus 97-03-10
ERACL related Bylaw Changes (in addition to previously
posted ERAL rules)
Change:
<<An ERLAN member provides, as a service, an Earth Religions Assistance Chat List (ERACL). Other ERLAN members maintain Websites and FTP sites containing information useful for helping Earth Religionists with legal problems associated with their religion, along with information about ERAL. . With these bylaws, a formal relationship between the ERA website and the FTP site and ERLAN is established. The relationship between ERLAN and ERACL is informal, but may be formalized by mutual consent between the ERACL moderator and ERLAN.>>
to:
<<ERLAN members maintain ERAL Websites and ERAL FTP sites containing information useful for helping Earth Religionists with legal problems associated with their religion, along with information about ERAL. With these bylaws, a formal relationship between the ERA websites and the FTP sites and ERLAN is established. The relationship between ERLAN and other websites, FTP sites and e-mail lists is informal, but may be formalized by mutual consent between the list moderator or Webmaster, any associated organizations that these people need permission to establish such a relationship from, and ERLAN. Formal liaisons to other lists and organizations may also be established, by the rules contained herein.>>
Change:
<<ERLAN works in cooperation with other individuals, organizations and communications mechanisms with broader purposes than ERAL, such as WARD, WADL, AMER, CoPRR, WLPA, ERAA etc., but does not and will not attempt to interfere in their internal or external affairs. However, ERAL is available to help them facilitate communications concerning legal cases and ERACL may be used to facilitate other communications, if they choose to use these mechanisms. New communications mechanisms may be created by ERLAN members in the future that may or may not have a formal relationship to ERLAN.>>
to:
<<ERLAN works in cooperation with other individuals, organizations and communications mechanisms with broader purposes than ERAL, such as WARD, WADL, WLPA, AMER, CoPRR, OCRT, ERAA, PAL, LLL, WV etc., but does not and will not attempt to interfere in their internal or external affairs. However, ERAL is available to help them facilitate communications concerning legal cases, and any other communications mechanisms may be used to facilitate other communications, by consent of involved parties. New communications mechanisms may be created by ERLAN members in the future that may or may not have a formal relationship to ERLAN.. ERLAN has among its missions networking for Earth Religion Rights, and will endeavor to refer people to organizations, e-mail lists, webpages, etc. appropriate to the task at hand and to encourage cooperation and appropriate communications to further the cause of Earth Religion Rights.>>
Change:
<<Most discussions among all Board Members might take place on ERACL (when we want input from others or think they should know what we are cooking up) or in private e-mail, until we can set up a special newsgroup or listserv for ERLAN administration (except for sensitive discussions of legal matters or the conduct of an ERAL member, or one on one discussions in private e-mail), and all Board Members must subscribe to both ERAL and ERACL. The idea is for the Board and interested members to mostly function as one unit, with the Board being people who have taken responsibility for seeing to it that essential ERAL business is carried out.>>
to:
<<Most discussions among all Board Members might take place in private e-mail, until we can find or set up a special listserv that can handle ERLAN administrative matters in which interested ERAL and ERLAN members may subscribe. Some matters (mainly sensitive discussions of the conduct of an ERAL member and disciplinary action) are to be carried out in private e-mail among Board members and the person under discussion and directly involved parties when appropriate. However, when an appropriate list or other electronic communications mechanism is available for administrative communications, all Board Members must subscribe to both lists. The idea is for the Board and interested members to mostly function as one unit, with the Board being people who have taken responsibility for seeing to it that essential ERAL business is carried out. >>
Delete:
<<3. Subject to the ERACL moderator's approval, that direct membership in ERACL be made available to interested authors, potential publishers and literary agents for discussion, review and refinement of the draft text (without requiring that they jump through the ERAL hoops, although they would have to agree to the ERACL rules). Of course, other ERACL members would remain on ERACL, and their comments would be welcome on the book.>>
Concerning Networking, the following ERLAN positions are
established:
Web-Link Coodinator::
1. Creates a Web link page containing as comprehensive a set of links to Earth Religion Rights webpages as reasonably possible (sorted by topic) and posts it on the worldwide Web
2. Sees to it that Web page suite's links are verified, updated, and expanded on at least a monthly basis
3. Works with the ERLAN Webweaver and associated Webmasters to help them appropriately integrate the new Web link page and new links into the appropriate pages (by making simple, specific suggestions of what words and links to add where on which specific pages, etc.)
4. Encourages Webmasters in other organizations to link to appropriate sections of the ERLAN web suite, and to integrate appropriate topic specific-links from other organizations into their webpages, through e-mail to them, etc.; and helps them keep the links up to date by creating and maintaining a link updates web page (linked to the Web link page), that lists any changes or additions to the ERLAN Web links within at least the last two months, by month (updated monthly), along with an archive for previous updates not shown on the update web page
5. Encourages Webmasters in other organizations to inform the Web-Link Coodinator of changes to their Web suite and pertinent new links and categories of information, and provides a web link registration form on a web page, to facilitate registration and integration of such information into the ERLAN Web links
6. Appropriately registers the web link page with pertinent search-engines (so people can find it), and links the Web page suite to appropriate search engines, to increase its value to users. The Web-Link Coodinator is strongly encouraged to get help from other ERAL members, etc. with experience registering pages to search engines, and share draft registration material with them, and factor in pertinent comments received before actually making a submission.
7. Coordinates and oversees the efforts of Websurfers and Liaisons, etc. who may help with the work. However, the Web suite Coordinator remains responsible for the quality and implementation of the work, in so as it is pertinent to the Web-Link Coodinator's work (don’t just pass the buck and forget about it, work with the people and help to verify that it is being done right)
The ERLAN Webweaver is responsible for overseeing the work of the Web-Link Coodinator
Websurfers
Websurfers are responsible for surfing the web and assisting the Web-Link Coodinator and the Webweaver in their efforts.
ERLAN Websurfer Positions include:
1. Web link Verifier: web surfs to all links on ERAL/ERLAN webpages to verify that the links and associated descriptions are correct, does what is necessary to get correct information, and informs the Webweaver, the Web-Link Coodinator and any other ERAL Webmasters of changes in links and link descriptions that are needed. Also acts as a Web link Finder/Researcher on an ad-hock basis, as time permits
2. Web link Finder/Researcher: Three positions for people who surf the web, use search engines, etc. to find links associated with topics pertinent to Earth Religion Rights, classify them, and provide the link addresses and descriptions, etc. to the Web-Link Coodinator (who integrates the information into the ERAL Web links page). They also post pertinent information to ERAL, when necessary and appropriate, and inform Webmasters of pertinent information that they can link to. Work is divided as follows:
a. Lead Web link Finder/Researcher: Does the above and oversees and coordinates the work of the other two, to reduce duplication of effort, etc. -covering for them when the positions are vacant
b. Deputy Web link Finder/Researcher: A Web-link Finder/Researcher who assists the Lead Web-link Finder/Researcher
c. Legal Web link Finder/Researcher: A Web link Finder/Researcher who concentrates on Web links pertinent to Legal Cases posted to ERAL and provides information on such links to the ERAL list, the Lead Web link Finder, etc.
Also does the same on Topics the ERAL Legal Team is Researching (informing the Legal Team, etc. of results) and does the same concerning legal issues under discussion in ERAL and ERACL.
Liaisons
Liaisons are responsible for interfaces between ERAL and Internet areas such as e-mail lists, newsgroups, etc. concerning Earth Religion Rights. They may also function as liaisons to groups that are not on-line. They compile appropriate monthly summaries of what is happening in these areas, with an emphasis on matters pertinent to Earth Religion Rights (but not strictly limited to this), pertinent links and webpages, etc. When cases come to their attention in such newsgroups, lists, etc. that can benefit from ERAL assistance or the assistance of local or other contacts, they inform the list of the availability of such assistance and how to request it, forwarding pertinent messages to ERAL (with permission) on an as needed basis, and from ERAL to the lists or the individuals needing the information, in accordance with the procedures in the ERLAN Bylaws (which include the ERAL rules that members receive along with their registration forms). Liaisons also inform the Web-Link Coordinator of pertinent new Websites, their topics, and their addresses, etc.
Available ERLAN Liaison positions include positions for subscribers
to, or monitors of:
1. FIRE
2. The Church of the Dancing Flame's e-mail list and any associated lists created for PAL
3. The Ward and Burning Times Echoes (BBS echoes) and any other pertinent echoes that the Person has access to and monitors
4. alt.pagan and any other newsgroups the person monitors
5. Such newsgroups, lists, echoes, organizations, etc. related to Earth Religion Rights (even if it is not the main topic, as long as it does contain significant pertinent content) as an ERAL member wanting such a position commits to monitor, provides a monthly summary of what is happening there to ERAL, and posts a PROPOSAL to the ERLAN members proposing to be the Liaison for such areas.
Passed by consensus 97-03-05
Electronic Communications Funding
The ERLAN Treasurer (or Acting Treasurer) is authorized to spend up to $300 in donations to ERAL/ERLAN per year to establish and maintain such electronic communications as are needed to fulfill our purposes, and that the money previously earmarked for distributing the directory of contacts can be used for that purpose, if necessary.
In addition, the necessary funding is authorized to establish and maintain ERAL/ERLAN domain if necessary to meet our purposes.
New ERLAN Positions and Changes in Existing Positions
Passed by consensus 97-03-20
Moderators
The current ERLAN Moderator position shall be re-named ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator (as well as ERLAN President, when needed for business purposes)
Up to three additional ERLAN Moderator Positions are made available as voting ERLAN positions for the moderators of other official ERLAN e-mail lists -- if possible starting with ERACL (which shall be re-established as an official ERLAN List). The other two positions are reserved for future lists.
ERLAN declares its openness to making ERLAN Moderator positions ERLAN Board positions, and will consider Proposals so stating. However, decisions on this will await proposals to that effect by new moderators.
Each new Moderator shall be named
"---"/ERLAN Moderator
with "---" replaced by the name of the ERLAN e-mail list the moderator moderates (ERACL/ERLAN Moderator, etc.) and agrees to make an official ERLAN list.
ERLAN moderator positions shall be only available to subscribed members of ERAL for lists administered under the oversight and authority of the ERLAN members and Board.
All applicable ERLAN Bylaws shall apply to all ERLAN Moderator decisions (including the right of appeal to the ERLAN Board concerning disciplinary matters for violating list rules). However, Moderators, other than the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator (for which appropriate procedures are already defined in the bylaws), may establish such rules for the content of their lists and associated decision making structures as they determine to be necessary, subject only to veto by the ERLAN board or ERLAN members.
ERLAN Moderators may serve as ad hoc vice moderators for other ERLAN e-mail lists, although others on the lists may serve as vice moderators. Helping other ERLAN moderators is part of what is expected of moderators. Who covers for who as vice moderator shall be worked out between the Moderators and list members, with the exception below:
Membership Coordinator Amendment
The Membership Coordinator shall generally function as a vice moderator for ERAL -- since the job of signing in ERAL members and keeping records is intimately connected with that of the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator, the ERAL rules are highly complex, and such arrangements have been shown to work with minimum additional training necessary. the Membership Coordinator shall also be designated as ERLAN Vice President, when needed for business purposes..
The ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator shall also temporarily cover for the Membership Coordinator when necessary, unless the Membership Coordinator has an Assistant Membership Coordinator. If available, a Assistant Membership Coordinator would generally cover for the Membership Coordinator. An Assistant Membership coordinator may also cover for the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator, if the Membership Coordinator is unavailable or requests such assistance..
The current ERLAN Board position of Vice Moderator is abolished, since the duties are absorbed by the Membership Coordinator.
Assistant Membership Coordinator Positions
Up to two voting ERLAN Assistant Membership Coordinator Positions may be immediately established by the ERLAN Membership Coordinator, for persons assisting in membership coordination work and associated record-keeping. These persons are also technically moderators, due to their access to confidential membership information. The titles and duties may be worked out by mutual agreement between the Assistants and the Membership Coordinator
Passed by consensus on 97-03-24
ERACL, Emergencies, Journalist
Position, Coalitions, etc.
ERACL
ERACL serves as an important area for discussing technical, administrative and legal issues that could clutter the ERAL list. It also serves as a chat area for discussing any topics that members would like to share. To help assure that it qualifies for low rates by public service oriented service providers, it will be re-named the Earth Religions Assistance Communications List (ERACL). When these two functions are found to conflict beyond tolerance, separate e-mail lists may be established by the ERACL moderator for these purposes, one of which could also be ERACL, only it would be named the Earth Religions Assistance Chat List and keep the same e-mail address, and the other would have a name yet to be determined.. The ERLAN Treasurer or Acting Treasurer is authorized to approve reasonable funding for establishing separate lists for these purposes if it is determined to be appropriate by both the Treasurer and the ERACL moderator.
The actual e-mail address will have to be consistent with the coding required by the service provider. For example, with IGC services, names must be lower case and have a dash (such as eracl-erlan).
The initial rules for ERACL shall be the same as those for ERAL except:
1. There are no limits on the number and content of posts -- except for a ban on flaming, pornography or purely commercial posts, along with subscribing ERACL to other e-mail lists.
2. Only members of ERAL are eligible for membership in ERACL, except in an emergency related to a specific case.
3. As in the past, any message on ERACL may be forwarded to ERAL (when on topic for ERAL and appropriate, considering ERAL rules). Portions of posts to ERAL may also be freely posted to ERACL, where they can be discussed without cluttering the ERAL list (except during emergencies, where non-ERAL members are allowed to join ERACL), in which case forwarding of information from ERAL to ERACL shall follow the protocols for non-ERLAN lists, except for the case being considered.
4. Since ERACL membership is only available to ERAL members, posting on both ERAL and ERACL is not allowed. Posts appropriate to both ERAL and ERACL should be posted to ERAL. However, mistakes happen, and threads on ERACL may evolve into posts that belong on ERAL. When this occurs, such posts may be forwarded to ERAL by the ERACL Moderator or any persons authorized by the moderator do this.
The initial ERACL membership shall be the ERAL members who were subscribed to the former ERACL, and any ERAL member may join ERACL, including members who are not currently subscribed..
The previous description of the rules for ERACL are accepted as an initial summary, subject to change by the ERACL/ERLAN Moderator as necessary and appropriate to further clarify the situation.
In addition, the restoration of the text removing ERACL to our bylaws and forms shall be immediate upon formal proposal to ERLAN of the necessary text changes, subject to such modifications as ERLAN members may propose.
However, unlike the previous bylaws recognizing ERACL as independent, it will be an official ERLAN list (as will be future ERLAN Lists), subject to ERLAN bylaws (including but not limited to the right of appeal through Proposal to ERLAN concerning rules changes on ERACL, the right of appeal to the ERLAN Board concerning disciplinary action, and the right of ERLAN to elect the moderators or any person to serve in an ERLAN position, when the position is in dispute ). Details on how to modify the ERLAN bylaws to cover this status will be worked out in the process of writing the changes.
Emergencies
In an emergency, such as a major mobilization to help an Earth Religion Rights case, ERACL membership may be temporarily opened up for up to a 30 day period to persons who are not ERAL members to facilitate coordination of those helping. The ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator, the Membership Coordinator, and/or the Legal Coordinator shall be authorized to declare a state of emergency upon recommendation by a case coordinator, based on compelling reasons, such as a high volume of e-mail concerning an extremely urgent case and the need for those helping on the case to coordinate their efforts on an e-mail list. If an emergency is declared opening up ERACL to non-ERAL members, this shall be posted to ERAL and ERACL ASAP (an exception to the double posting rule).
The ERACL moderator is to work with the case coordinator to facilitate appropriate signing in of new temporary members by the case coordinator or designated alternative person, and the case coordinator is expected to work in cooperation with the ERACL moderator to sign temporary members out. The case coordinator shall be made an ERLAN moderator to facilitate such actions.
Should an emergency ever be so declared or considered sufficiently likely by the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator or the Legal Coordinator, ERLAN funds are authorized, along with fundraising, to set up one or more additional ERLAN e-mail lists for emergencies.
In addition, a state of emergency can be declared by the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator Coordinator or the Membership Coordinator, if ERAL is out of commission for what might be an extended time period for any reason, or if this is considered to be eminent. In such an emergency, ERACL (or any other ERLAN list) can be made a temporary replacement for ERAL (until the situation is solved), and all ERAL members subscribed for this purpose. The ERACL or other ERLAN moderator would be expected to cooperate.
ERLAN funds are authorized, along with fundraising, to set up a replacement for ERAL and/or a back-up e-mail list, if the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator or the Membership Coordinator deems it appropriate.
Amendment To Previous Proposal on
Moderators:
Change:
<< All applicable ERLAN Bylaws shall apply to all ERLAN Moderator decisions (including the right of appeal to the ERLAN Board concerning disciplinary matters for violating list rules). However, Moderators, other than the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator (for which appropriate procedures are already defined in the bylaws), may establish such rules for the content of their lists and associated decision making structures as they determine to be necessary, subject only to veto by the ERLAN board or ERLAN members. >>
To read:
<<All applicable ERLAN Bylaws shall apply to all ERLAN Moderator decisions.
As is the case for the ERAL/ERLAN Moderator/Coordinator, all ERLAN moderators shall have the power to make temporary rules on the lists they moderate, subject to the approval of ERLAN.>>
JOURNALIST
An ERLAN Journalist Position is made immediately available to any ERAL member offering to write and distribute monthly reports concerning the activities of ERAL and ERLAN to publications, organizations and lists not under ERLAN jurisdiction. The duties of the journalist are similar to what is required of Liaisons concerning the other groups reporting to ERAL. Activities on other ERLAN lists may also be similarly summarized by the journalist.
The draft monthly reports shall be posted on ERAL, and considered approved for release if there are no objections to the release of the information posted to ERAL within three days.
Journalists are expected to take the lead concerning distributing and coordinating distribution of public reports on ERAL, ERLAN, etc. However, Liaisons are encouraged to take the lead forwarding such reports, or pertinent portions of such reports to the lists and organizations that they are liaisons to. Liaisons are also encouraged to work with the journalist (when the position described herein is filled) to help put together the best reports possible to meet the needs of other communications areas and organizations. Once approved, the ERAL reports are public information, and ERAL members and others are also encouraged to help with distribution (in coordination with the Journalist, to avoid receipt of multiple copies). The journalist is encouraged to post to ERAL concerning her or his distribution activities, to facilitate such coordination.
Public sources of information (URLs for Websites, etc.) and the text of information that is public domain (such as legal decisions by judges) that were posted on ERAL or any ERLAN list can be sent outside of ERAL and other ERLAN lists, without needing special approvals. Journalists, Liaisons, and ERAL members in general are encouraged to provide such information when it may be helpful to individuals, discussion areas, etc. outside of ERAL. They are encouraged to mention that they got the information from ERAL, without revealing the specific individual who provided the facts (unless that individual grants permission). However, any interpretations of the information should be clearly identified as representing the views of the individual alone (using IMHO or equivalent); and appropriate disclaimers should be provided (similar to those in the ERAL case intake form), if a message including something from an ERLAN list even vaguely resembles legal advice (unless specifically approved by an ERAL attorney).
ERLAN Bylaws and blank forms (like the Case Intake Form) are public information, along with case abstracts and general guidance for dealing with situations that has been approved by an attorney. ERAL members are encouraged to provide that information where it might be helpful. Other organizations are encouraged to freely utilize pertinent portions to meet their needs and to provide ERAL with any improvements that they may have developed so ERLAN’s procedures and resources may be similarly improved.
The numbers, general locations (North Carolina, South Dakota, etc.), and types of cases we deal with, how we generally deal with them, and lessons learned, can be revealed in general terms in reports by an ERLAN journalist or any ERAL member.
Even general summaries of case histories and lessons learned can be sent out, as long as it is sufficiently general as to not endanger the confidentiality of the identity of those involved or compromise legal strategy being worked up about a case that is still in litigation. Names can not be revealed without explicit permission (unless it is something like Lady Silver, which is spammed all over the Internet or widely published). Such case histories shall be posted on ERAL and considered to be approved if not objected to within a week.
Of course, case coordinators who did their work outside of ERAL remain free to provide such summaries as they feel appropriate of their work, without requiring ERAL approval. They are also encouraged to post such summaries to ERAL, when they believe that they may be helpful to ERAL members for dealing with existing or potential future cases.
The ERLAN Bylaws are as complicated as they are to provide loopholes so that ERAL does not become a dead end for information -- except for that which must be specifically approved for release by attorneys and is not. What would need an attorney's approval would be anything that looks like legal advice associated with ERAL or ERLAN or gets very specific about pending cases.
ERLAN Journalists (and members at large) are also encouraged to draft and distribute fundraising literature and e-mail and help get it distributed, in cooperation with the ERLAN Treasurer. Liaisons and other ERAL members could help allot with this.
COALITIONS
ERLAN declares its readiness to enter into Coalition with other organizations to achieve common objectives, such as the pooling of information, evidence and resources to help with cases or the automation of topic-specific Weblinking. Offers and especially specific proposals to form coalitions for specific purposes are encouraged from authorized representatives of other organizations.
The ERLAN Logo (Goddess of Freedom, etc.) should be added to webpages used in such shared purposes when performed in formal coalition with ERLAN. This does not preclude that the allied organization(s) also include its Logo(s). ERLAN declares its willingness to do likewise. The ERLAN logo may also be used in conjunction with links to ERLAN webpages.
Liaisons and official representatives of other organizations, besides ERLAN, may post to ERAL calling for volunteers to help in communications initiatives and other situations pertinent to Earth Religion Rights, whether or not a formal coalition has been declared. The important thing is building the communications needed for an effective Earth Religion Rights movement, not which organizations happen to be leading such efforts. ERLAN helps, along with other organizations, but something much larger than ERAL/ERACL/ERLAN or any one organization will be needed to achieve our shared objectives. By working together informally and through formal coalitions for specific purposes, we believe that significant progress can be made.
Passed by consensus
The rule to be replaced (which everyone got in their Welcome Message) reads:
"5. NO FLAMES ALLOWED
Messages shall be professional and polite in nature. Flames
on this list and flames to posters via e-mail will result in
one warning. After that, discourteous users will be removed."
It is now changed to:
"5. FLAMES AND UNSUBSCRIPTION
Messages posted to ERAL and ERACL (and other ERLAN Lists, if created) shall be polite and constructive. Flames posted to the lists, and by subscribers to other subscribers via private e-mail when related to list subjects, will result in a warning by private e-mail. The warning shall be sent to the person posting the flame from the Moderator(s) who oversees the list(s) the flame was posted to or related to. If flaming is repeated, there will be a second warning of the same type, and the ERLAN Board shall be copied. If the flaming continues, the Moderator(s) who oversees the list(s) the flame was posted to or related to shall unsubscribe the person posting flames and revoke their ERAL membership by sending the person a message to that effect, notifying that person of their right to appeal the decision to the ERLAN Board (including the e-mail addresses of the current Board members), copying the current Board members and posting
a brief note of the unsubscription to the list. The Board may
overturn an unsubscription or revocation decision of the membership Coordinator by majority vote, with the ERLAN Moderator being able to decide in the event of a tie."
Passed by consensus
FLAMES BY AN ERLAN MODERATOR
If the flaming is being performed by an ERLAN Moderator, the ERLAN Board (minus the moderator involved -- if the moderator is a member of the ERLAN Board) shall have the same power as previously defined for the moderator, to issue a warning to that moderator by private e-mail. If flaming is repeated, the Board shall have the power to issue a second warning of the same type. If the flaming continues, the ERLAN Board shall have the power to replace the moderator, unsubscribe the moderator posting flames and revoke the person's ERAL membership by sending the person a message to that effect, notifying that person of their right to appeal the decision to the ERLAN membership. Decisions of this nature shall be by at least a 2/3rds majority of Board members. Appropriate measures are also authorized for contact with the service provider to remove the persons Owner access to the controls of the list – although the x-moderator is expected to cooperate in such matters.
Complaints of this nature should be sent to the ERLAN Board for potential redress of grievance, and not posted to ERAL (or to ERLAN unless the person disagrees with a Board decision on such matters and wishes to appeal)
The ERLAN membership may overturn an unsubscription or revocation decision of the Board concerning a moderator by a two thirds majority, or a decision not to do so).
As in the existing bylaws, the Board has the power to delegate its decision making concerning disciplinary matters to a suitable organization, at its discretion, and the disciplinary powers of the Board concerning rules violations will go to the ERLAN Trustees, once ERLAN is incorporated and Trustees selected.
NOTIFICATION OF WARNINGS
When warnings are given or other action taken concerning flaming, the person who was flamed shall be copied in on the warning, so that the person flamed knows that action is being taken about the problem.
TALLYING OF WARNINGS
The tallying of Warnings (on a three strikes you are out basis) shall expire after a year and a day. However, if four warnings are issued in a two year period (old warnings shall be kept on the record for two years), the fourth warning concerning a flame in a two year period shall be grounds for unsubscribing the individual and revoking the person's ERAL membership.
Warnings may also be removed from the tally if the person who did the flame sincerely apologizes, and the person flamed accepts the apology, copying in the Moderator or the Board on the acceptance (posting the acceptance to ERAL would count).
Removal from ERAL need not be permanent. The Board has the power to suspend membership for a limited time, and to set terms and conditions for re-instatement.
RECONFIGURATION OF ERAL
To reduce the number of inappropriate and accidental posts to ERAL that really should be sent to individuals, the ERAL moderator is authorized to request the re-configuration of ERAL so that replies are automatically sent to the person being replied to, instead of the ERAL list, unless the person replying copies the reply to ERAL.
In addition, any ERLAN moderator is authorized to request the addition of an automated digest to the ERLAN list, and to request needed funding from the ERLAN Treasurer.
Once a digest is available for ERAL, the ERAL moderator is authorized to declare the 10 post per day average limit on posting no longer in effect, effective immediately upon formal proposal.
The Treasurer is authorized to provide necessary funds for this purpose, if available, or to turn down the request based on other funding priorities. Such decisions by the Treasurer may be appealed to the ERLAN Board as a whole, and (as with any decision by the ERLAN Board) appeals may be made to the Membership of ERLAN to overturn any Board decision by a 2/3rds majority.
Requests for funds for a specific purpose may be posted to ERAL or other ERLAN lists, and the Treasurer is expected to make such funds available for the designated purpose. Should the purpose of designated funds be implemented , any surplus funding shall go into the general ERLAN Treasury.
The ceiling on annual ERLAN funding for e-mail list services is raised from $300/year to $500/year make digests and other features available, while providing plenty of room for launching new lists.
Voting ERLAN positions for ERAL members who would create and distribute Moderated Digests (such as digests only on a specific topic, such as cases and help on cases are also declared to be available. The positons may be designated ERAL/ERLAN Case Digest Chronicler, etc.
Positions, designated ERAL/ERLAN Public Release Digest Chronicler, etc., are also made available for anyone who would create a digest of clearly releasable information from an ERLAN List and who would provide it to a suitable website or FTP site, for use by others outside of ERAL, updated at least monthly. See the ERLAN bylaws for what is publicly releasable (especially position description for Journalist)
HONORARY TITLES TO ERLAN DONORS.
Within any year, anyone who donates:
$10 or more to ERLAN shall be designated an ERLAN Supporter
$50 or more to ERLAN shall be designated an ERLAN Sponsor
$500 or more to ERLAN shall be designated an ERLAN Patron
Note, these are not ERLAN membership positons. The voting members of ERLAN are the individuals who do the work providing ongoing communications for the Earth Religion Rights Movement and associated administrative services, in a designated ERLAN position.
Up to 15% of donations received are authorized, at the discretion of the Treasurer, to provide letters thanking the person for the donation, and/or certificates, buttons, or other incentives to Donors.
Individuals and organizations may be so designated, and the designation shall not be publicized unless approved by the donor. The donor may authorize publicity to ERAL members only, publicity to anyone, or no publicity at all.
If public release of such information is authorized by a donor, the ERLAN Webweaver or anyone operating an ERLAN Webpage is authorized to post appropriate information on public Supporters, Sponsors and/or Patrons on ERLAN Webpages, and to include links, if authorized by the Sponsor or Patron, at the discretion of the person maintaining the Website, to their website, etc.
A voting ERLAN position of Incentives Coordinator is also authorized to a ERAL member who helps the Treasurer by taking the lead in related matters, (gifts to donors, encouraging ERLAN websites to publicize pubic donors, etc.) and who posts to ERAL volunteering to do the work and who follows through.
While the ERLAN Treasurer will not generally turn down donations without strings attached from a legal source, if donations were to come from a highly controversial source that would very likely discourage other donors and/or whose other purposes are blatantly at odds with those of ERLAN (like the Christian Coalition, the Ku Klux Klan, the Church of Satan, the Nazi Party, Charles Manson, etc.), exceptions may be made by the Treasurer on a case by case basis (for the aforementioned reasons): and the money may either be:
1. Returned or
2. Accepted and a note sent to the Donor, that the donation is accepted, but that they are not authorized to claim or publicize any relationship with ERLAN or any entity associated with ERALN.
In the unlikely event that this should happen, the ERLAN Board shall be notified by the Treasurer and may overturn such a decision by a 2/3rds majority.
Those individuals and organizations that financially support ERLAN may include in their publicity their status as supporters, sponsors or patrons. They may use the title Sponsor if they prefer not to be known as a Patron, or supporter if they do not want to be known as a sponsor, and may substitute the term ERAL for ERLAN, if they think it would make it clearer what it is that they support (and ERLAN publicity should be also so changed). Naturally, this authorization would not apply under the unusual circumstance of a donation being returned or a notification by the Treasurer not to publicize the status (to prevent those who may not support our purposes from easily buying ERLAN bad publicity, etc.)
These provisions apply retroactively.
All ERAL members and those individuals and organizations that genuinely support our work are urged to become Supporters, Sponsors, or Patrons, either publicly, for only the information of ERAL members, or in private; and to let their support be known and to urge others to support us likewise, at their discretion.
---end---
On
ERLAN POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ON ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS CENSORSHIP SOFTWARE
The Earth Religions Legal Assistance Network (ERLAN) opposes the practice of censorship of internet sites on the basis of religion. Our position is that Microsystems Software, Inc. (manufacturer of Cyber Patrol) and any other software company that blocks Internet sites of any religion, including Pagan sites:
1. Train their censors about Paganism, in cooperation with responsible representatives of the Pagan Community, and then include appropriate training for all new employees that decide which sites be blocked. Any software that us used to screen out such sites on any basis (key words, etc.) should also be appropriately reprogrammed.
2. Not censor sites on the basis of religion (Pagan, Cult or whatever)
3. Establish and implement effective enforcement procedures that would suspend, and for repeated violations - fire, any of their staff who repeatedly ban sites because of the religions they advocate (Pagan, cult or whatever), after being warned twice about inappropriate censorship and given supplementary training
4. No URL shall be included in any block list unless reviewed by two
staff employees for criteria compliance and freedom from potential Civil
Rights discrimination. At least one of those employees shall be at a
management or oversight level, while both shall have formal training and
periodic review as to knowledge of standards for published ban criteria,
and compliance with Civil Rights law applicable to the most restricted
customer to which any copies of any related product are or have been
sold, or to which they will be marketed.
5. Any vendor of such product will maintain effective controls to
prevent personal use only versions, or update lists thereto, from
entering government and other installations subject to protections of
user Civil Rights. This shall include restrictive licensing agreements,
and other measures adequate to prevent improper use.
6. Any personal use only copies of censorware will be boldly marked
"FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS USE OF THIS PRODUCT IN GOVERNMENT RELATED COMPUTERS - This includes public schools and libraries, and some other public and private organizational computers." This notice shall display
at software startup, be externally marked on any packaging, and there
shall be means of testing which software and ban list version is in place
by any user of any such software issued in more than one version of any
component or whole. ***
7. Notify any censored site that they have been censored, along with
instructions for how to appeal.
8. Commit to a fast-track timetable for implementing the above
Our position is to cooperate with companies making a firm, written commitment to implement such a program on a reasonable time table and following through with such commitments, and to help them find such assistance as may be necessary towards this end
For companies that fail to comply with the aforementioned requests, ERLAN, declares its readiness to pursue all reasonable potential remedies (and assist in associated communications), including, but not limited to:
1. Research, fact finding and the preparation and distribution of information
2. Communications, including the launching and moderation of e-mail lists, websites, etc consistent with the promotion of the aforementioned objectives
3. Education of companies, individuals and organizations involved
4. The preparation for and implementation of appropriate litigation to prevent private and governmental institutions covered by regulations, statutes and constitutional provisions pertinent to religion and/or freedom of speech from using such software
5. The recovery of monetary compensation and punitive damages from those institutions and organizations responsible for the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of such software
6. Forming coalitions and/or entering into coalitions with such organizations as share the aforementioned objectives and/or broader objectives that would achieve the aforementioned five demands, initiating and/or joining in class action suits of this nature, and assisting those organizations that pursue such objectives independently using such means as are appropriate consistent with our bylaws
7. Fund raising and publicity four fund raising efforts consistent with the aforementioned activities and objectives
TYGER TEAM:
Tyger, an ERAL Attorney, and Tyger's associates, as civil-rights attorneys, just made an offer on ERACL to provide legal assistance in the Cyber Patrol situation. This proposal is to accept their services and make them (including any associated paralegals and staff) honorary ERAL members, so they have full access to the information collected in ERAL and ERACL to help them in their work.
Naturally, we expect the information to be dealt with by the Tyger Team in accordance with attorney client privilege and associated confidentiality, and look forward to Tyger's leadership in defining that which must be kept confidential among ERAL Members and in authorizing the release of sensitive information pertinent to winning in litigation.
ERLAN POSITIONS ON ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS CENSORSHIP SOFTWARE
1. The ERAL/ERLAN Moderator and/or Membership Coordinator is empowered to authorize the launching of one or more ERLAN e-mail lists dedicated to the pursuit of objectives consistent with ERLAN policies and programs on Electronic Communications Censorship Software and the ERLAN Treasurer is authorized to spend ERLAN funds towards this purpose, consistent with previously approved budgeting, if necessary. Membership in such e-mail lists need not be limited to ERAL members
2. Should e-mail lists consistent with point 1 be established, ERLAN positions are available for the moderator and membership coordinator for such lists, along with a liaison from such a list to ERAL. The moderator and membership coordinator may title such positions as they see fit. Unless alternative titles are proposed, the positons are designated:
Cyberfree/ERLAN Moderator
Cyberfree/ERLAN Membership Coordinator
Cyberfree Liaison
3. A voting ERLAN position is established for a volunteer maintaining a website with links to Earth Religionist Internet sites banned by Internet Communications Censorship Software, providing it is maintained and updated at least monthly. This position is currently filled by Lhiannon <lhiannon@texas.net>, but may be filled by others should it be needed. An ERLAN webpage (selected by the ERLAN Webweaver) shall be linked to the webpage of banned sites, and ERLAN encourages other websites to also link to these pages. The name of the position shall be the established by the person filling this position; but, in the absence of a proposed title, shall be designated the Banned Site Link Coordinator
4. Two ERLAN Positions shall be available to those, who on an ongoing basis, research the banning of sites by electronic communications censorship software, designated as:
a Internet censorship ban identifier (identifies and compiles a list of banned sites, and provides them to the Banned Site Link Coordinator, ERACL, etc.)
b Internet censorship policy and results researcher. Collects software censorship policy statements and tests tendencies of software to discriminate on the basis of religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, politics, or choice of body covering. Also collects similar studies, making findings available to ERACL, the Banned Site Link Coordinator and others involved in dealing with electronic censorship, within and outside of ERAL.
5. Two ERLAN positons are immediately made available to ERLAN representatives to pursue negotiations and with individuals, companies and institutions involved with electronic communications censorship software, designated:
a. Electronic Communication Freedom Liaison (which Dennis Kirkpatrick can have if he wants it)
b. Electronic Communications Freedom Attorney (available to a licensed attorney who helps in such efforts
The Electronic Communication Freedom Negotiator (liaison) and the ERLAN Electronic Communications Freedom Attorney should be in frequent contact with each other and work in close cooperation. Each should bring the other into their negotiations, etc. -- when necessary and appropriate.
While these individuals are free to pursue such employment or activities as they may wish as an individual, they are not authorized to join any electronic communications censorship company board or equivalent group as a representative of ERLAN unless the company has adopted and is actively implementing policies consistent with ERLAN policies and programs on Electronic Communications Censorship Software
The Electronic Communications Freedom Liaison and Attorney shall provide monthly reports to ERAL on activities and progress related to associated ERLAN policies
Both individuals may establish another voting ERLAN position to those who assist them in such activities. The titles shall be initially designated as:
(a) Assistant Electronic Communication Freedom Liaison
(b) Electronic Communications Freedom Legal Assistant
The titles can be changed through mutual agreement between the parties involved
ERLAN declares its readiness to open other positons to people proposing ongoing work consistent with its policies.
6. CyberCensorship Chronicler: This position is for a member of ERAL and ERACL who will maintain a digest of all ERAL and ERACL messages pertinent to the issue of electronic communications software censorship and make it available to the ERAL members needing it, including the Tyger Team
ERLAN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS CENSORSHIP REPRESENTATIVES
No one shall serve as an official representative of ERLAN on a Board of an electronic communications censorship organization (or equivalent) until the organization and the censorship products they sell no longer ban internet sites on the basis of religion, nudity , sex education content, sexual orientation, legal political advocacy or race (excluding hate sites).
Provisions for private users to install options that would block such sites are allowed, providing they block all such sites equally regardless of
1. Religion (Christian, Pagan, Islamic, Jewish, Cult, etc. sites should be blocked equally)
2. Source of the nudity (whether the Louvre, National Geographic, or something else)
3. Relationship to education concerning sex (including but not limited to religious doctrine or, social, regulatory or institutional purpose--and including advocacy of celibacy)
4. Sexual orientation
5. Political stance (whether mainstream, revolutionary, or something else)
6. Race
or provide user defined options for selectively filtering such sites, in addition to general filters, except for those based on race, religion or sexual orientation.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
This is a rough sketch of how to structure an ERLAN standard for Internet parental filtration software.
This is not an attempt to recast Larry Cornett's proposals. Our styles are too different; mine resembles the constitution of a small country, while his resembles the specifications of a small airplane. Call this the philosophical living room in which the standard resides.
o ERLAN basically does not care what kind of filtration is sold to private customers. We reserve the right to comment upon such, and particularly to classify them. If a standard appears to us to be a Christian standard, or a homophobic standard, or a standard likely to perpetuate ignorance of how to avoid STDs, we will say so, but in the spirit of consumer advisories: Know what you are buying in the software marketplace.
Some of our members, and members of ERAL and supporters of its mission, care very much about what filtration goes into homes. As an institution, ERLAN leaves to those individuals their articulation of such issues.
o ERLAN
will drag into court any government agency that implements religious filtration
of any sort, whether biased against Earth Religion or merely filtering
"cults" without regard to theology. No government unit has any
business making this kind of distinction in the
ERLAN's zero tolerance of religious filtration extends to systems that have such filters but do not implement them in a government installation. This is because of the possibility that a RRR hacker could get into, e.g., a public library with inactivated religious filtration and surreptitiously re-activate it. There are too many tales of Pagan and occult books being checked out of libraries and never returned, in towns where the RRR is active; too many tales of hackers able to circumvent supposedly impenetrable guards on these systems.
o ERLAN disapproves of any filtration of material in a public library, in which the library has turned over to the third-party software supplier the selection of Internet files in an area where the library staff makes such choices regarding what books and periodicals are on the shelves. The taxpayers intend the library staff to decide, not delegate, such matters.
This item is inspired by the CyberPatrol blockage of Environet.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
o The person ERLAN would recommend to the CyberPatrol Oversight Board would *not* be an institutional spokesperson in any sense -- i.e., *not* parallel to the NOW, NAACP, NRA, etc Board members -- but would be somebody from the Pagan community parallel to the minister, the social worker and the psychiatrist (psychologist?) on the same Board. ERLAN, as a group of Pagans and Pagan-friendlies with civil liberty concerns uppermost in mind, would be recommending this party as a qualified individual.
o ERLAN would also promulgate a set of standards for Internet filtration software, basically in the ballpark of Larry's Five Points and First Proposal (of three -- when does this man sleep?) and would designate someone to negotiate on their behalf with MicroSystems Software.
o The two foregoing *might* or *might not* be the same person.
o I am recommending Dennis Kirkpatrick for both slots.
The foregoing are four *separable* items.
I think the time is ripe for this. Microsystems is open to the idea; we have a willing candidate (maybe more than one by now); the bans on most Pagan sites have reportedly been lifted; ERAL's own site has been unblocked; and the religious-attitude botch of CyberPatrol's "Satanic/Cult" category has gone from an unnoticed
aside to a major embarrassment overnight.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Passed ERLAN by
consensus on
DISTRIBUTION
OF DIRECTORY OF CONTACTS AND FUNDING
This resolution allocates $239.84 from the ERLAN treasury to help pay the expense of copying and mailing an updated version of the combined directory of contacts (for Earth Religion Rights Organizations) to the contacts in the directory who do not have e-mail. The authorized mailings shall also include:
* Information about ERLAN, other groups whose members are represented in the directory, and on-line resources
* Requests for donations
* A form for the contacts to provide more information about themselves (like their e-mail addresses and what they actually do), and more contacts (for a future public directory and for a private directory for activists only)
* Stamped return envelopes, addressed to an ERLAN representative (to be determined by the ERLAN Journalist, Moderator and Treasurer).
* Such additional information as is deemed appropriate
Copies of this information will be sent electronically to those contacts with e-mail, when possible.
In addition, $40 is authorized from the ERLAN Treasury to cover the cost of printing ERLAN literature (including the directory), for use at festivals, stores, gatherings, etc; to further our purposes and to help raise funds, along with $30 seed money for items to be given to major donors to ERLAN (in accordance with previously approved bylaws allowing up to 15% of donations received to provide letters thanking the person for the donation, and/or certificates, membership cards, buttons, or other incentives).
This resolution also authorizes such fund-raising as we can accomplish to raise additional funds for the ERLAN Treasury, and authorizes that at least half of the funds raised (minus the 15% for incentives, etc) be used to facilitate additional distribution of the directory and other literature directly furthering ERLAN's objectives. Copies may be sent to Earth Religionist and human rights publications, organizations, stores, individuals, etc. to help Earth Religionists needing help because of discrimination connect with people and resources that are able to provide help.
The remaining funds are delegated towards ERAL/ERLAN operating expenses (and potential emergency expenses).
Authorization to determine exactly how to spend the funds for literature and postage and to determine exactly what the literature will contain is delegated to the ERLAN analyst/journalist, the Moderator/President, and the Treasurer , to work out by consensus.
Rough draft documents that have not already been posted to ERACL or ERAL are to be posted to ERACL for comment at least four days before final editing (to facilitate editing in response to comments and printing within a week) -- when possible. Final draft documents are to be posted to ERAL, when possible. Drafts may also be posted on ERAL when considered appropriate (such as documents interpreting the law, and new versions of the Directory).
The posting of final draft versions ERLAN literature on the Web is also encouraged, along with appropriate registration and cross linking of the web pages.
Previously passed authority to use ERLAN funds to meet emergency expenses (like an urgent need to launch new e-mail lists) and for the treasurer to work out incentives for donors remain in effect.
In addition, this resolution requires the ERLAN treasurer to provide and post to ERAL quarterly ERLAN financial reports, covering each calendar year quarter (ending in March, June, September, and December), due within one month of the end of the quarter, covering the status of the treasury, expenses the previous quarter, and expected expenses the next quarter. An annual report shall also be provided by the end of February. The posting of the financial statements on the Web is also encouraged.
The Treasurer is responsible for keeping ERLAN financial records in auditable condition at all times, consistent with minimum requirements for a 501C3 organization. The ERLAN Legal Coordinator or Moderator may arrange for audits at any time (with help from others designated by them and who need not be ERAL members).
--end of new resolution---
Passed ERLAN by
consensus on
The ERAL registration form is modified to read:
<<
------------------ ERAL REGISTRATION FORM----------------
Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Phone number:
E-mail address:
Fax number:
Does anyone else access e-mail at the address shown?
__Yes
__ No
If yes, what is their identity?
_____________________________________
Pertinent Affiliations; (WARD, UU, WADL, WLPA, ACLU, CUUPS, ADL, etc.) _____________________________________
25 Word Description of who you are and why you want to be on ERAL: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__ I understand and agree to the ERAL Rules (which follow this
form)
__ I understand and agree to the ERAL Confidentiality
requirements
__ I understand and agree to the ERAL Netiquette Guide
<We are looking for a better Netiquette guide for ERAL, and
our current rules are not set in stone. They are our
working rules etc, until betterare proposed and adopted. >
__ I don't understand the _________, here are my questions:
If others access to your e-mail address, have they have read and agreed to the ERAL rules?
____________________________________
CONFIDENTIALITY LEVEL FOR INFORMATION ON THIS FORM
Please check all boxes that apply:
__Eyes of ERAL moderators only
__Available to all ERAL list members, except these details:
_____________________________________
Please also note what is confidential in each block where you
may provide such information, to help minimize the possibility
of any mistakes about this.
__Ok to post information on this form outside the list, except
these details:
____________________________________
Please also note what is confidential in each block where you
may provide such information, to help minimize the possibility
of any mistakes about this.
If others access to your e-mail address, what is their level of confidentiality?_________________________________________
__I agree to notify the ERAL Moderator and Membership
Coordinator if access to my e-mail account should change and
to submit appropriate revisions to my membership form within
seven days of such a change in access.
(snip)
Passed by ERLAN by Consensus
ERAL members can forward any messages from ERLAN lists (ERAL, ERACL, etc.) to attorneys helping Earth Religion Rights Cases who agree to client confidentiality concerning the information, without any special approval.
Passed by ERLAN by
Consensus
<<
1. ERLAN DECISION
MAKING PROTOCOLS
The following protocols for posting and making decisions on official proposals, objections, and amendments shall be used:
* Formal proposals to ERLAN shall have the word, PROPOSAL, in capital letters, as the first word of the subject and shall be sent to both the membership of ERLAN and to either ERAL or ERACL:
* Proposals posted in this way are passed by consensus at the end of a week, unless an ERLAN member formally and specifically objects in that week, and posts their consensus breaking objection with the words: PROPSOAL-OBJECTION, in capital letters, as the first words in the subject (within that week), followed by the title of the proposal. Objections must state specifically the specific portions of proposals objected to. Consensus on the rest of the proposal shall not be effected by an objection on a section of a proposal. Such OBJECTIONS shall be sent to both the membership of ERLAN and to either ERAL or ERACL:
* If the objection (or an amendment, posted with the word AMENDMENT, in capital letters as the first word in the subject, followed by the proposal title) contains alternative text to specific text in a PROPOSAL, the alternative text will replace the text being commented on (or amended) in a week, unless objected to in a week. AMENDMENTS shall be sent to both the membership of ERLAN and to either ERAL or ERACL.
By title, the name for the proposal in the subject header after PROPOSAL in the original post shall be used (although the Title in the text of the proposal is an acceptable alternative when several PROPOSALS are posted at once).
When consensus is not possible, proposals may be approved by a 2/3 majority, in accordance with existing bylaws.
2. ERACL MODERATOR
The ERACL moderator administers the ERACL list and maintains ERACL membership records, along with a copy of e-mail addresses of ERAL subscribers. In the absence of an ERLAN Membership Coordinator, the ERACL Moderator administers ERAL when the ERAL moderator is unavailable to do this for an extended period of time (including weekend festivals, computer crashes, etc.).
3. ERACL MEMBERSHIP
Only ERAL subscribers can subscribe to ERACL, except under emergencies declared in accordance the bylaws.
4. ALLIANCES
ERLAN formally declares its willingness to establish formal alliance with those organizations involved in distributing the Directory of Earth Religion Rights contacts, etc.in any form (including simply internal e-mail) and that sign the cover letter (currently in draft form and posted to ERACL, or equivalent). The name(s) of the alliance shall be determined by representatives of groups participating in the alliance.
The ERLAN President is our Chief Representative on the alliance, unless the ERLAN Board or membership authorizes someone else or additional. The Chief Representative may approve any ERLAN members to be the ERLAN representatives on work groups of the alliance. An ERAL member may also be approved by the Chief Representative as a representative to an alliance work group, in which case the person becomes an ERLAN member if the person agrees to abide by the ERLAN bylaws for reporting, etc.
The work distributing the Directory, Cover
Letter, Article, SASE. etc. may be split among
members of the
The SASE associated with the Directory may be addressed to a
representative of the
ERLAN also declares itself to be flexible in its relationship with its allies and its willingness to consider and approve reasonable alternative arrangements for working together in alliances.
---end---
Passed by ERLAN on
ERLAN
MEMBERSHIP AND PROGRESS REPORTS
Effective 30 days from
approval of this bylaw, any ERLAN position will be declared vacant for which
the current member fails to post to ERAL a progress report on what they have
achieved and what they plan to achieve (by specific deadlines, including within
30 days and within 90 days) within 30 days of the proposal being accepted, along
with quarterly progress reports meeting these requirements afterwards.
The progress reports shall also briefly summarize problems encountered
in their work, and how the problems were solved, or
request help on solving the problems.
The second quarterly report will be due
at the end of September, the third at the end of December, the fourth at the
end of March and the Fifth at the of June. The quarterly report deadlines shall repeat
on this schedule.
Within 60 days of the
passage of this bylaw, all ERLAN members are also required to review the job
descriptions for their position in the ERLAN bylaws, and to formally propose to
ERLAN and to post to ERAL such changes in the job description as may be
necessary in the positions to fit the work they are actually able to do on a
specific schedule they are likely to be able to meet.
They are also required to propose new ERLAN positions for the remaining
work within this 60 day time period.
This review of job descriptions and
proposal of changes is to repeated at least on a
quarterly basis afterwards (on the aforementioned quarterly reporting
schedule). ERLAN members are encouraged
to seek help from ERAL members on their projects when needed.
In addition, ERLAN Members are expected to spend at least four hours per month on work
directly related to their position, unless a job description approved by ERLAN
specifies an alternative level of effort and/or schedule for such effort.
ERLAN member at large
positions are hereby created for those ERAL members who spend at least four
hours per month assisting ERLAN members in their work, who send a proposal to
the members of ERLAN to occupy such a position and a general description of
what their work in the position involves (assuming the position is not objected
to by ERLAN members within a week), and who post equivalent quarterly progress
reports to ERAL.
In addition, an ERLAN
Progress Tracker position is created on the ERLAN Board for a volunteer to
maintain a digest of such progress reports, track compliance with the required
reporting schedule, post to ERAL a summary of compliance at least quarterly,
and to remind ERLAN members who have not posted progress reports of the need to
post their progress reports and meet their previous commitments.
The ERLAN Progress Tracker shall also post to ERAL a summary of all
specific positions, members and e-mail addresses that have not met the
requirements in the bylaws (including both tasks to be performed and quarterly
reporting requirements) on a quarterly basis, and declare these positions
vacant. The Progress Tracker shall also
post to ERAL a list of active ERLAN members on a quarterly basis. The Progress Tracker's reports are due within
30 days of the other progress reports.
Furthermore, an ERLAN
Auditor position is created for a volunteer to help the Progress Tracker track
progress of ERLAN members meeting their commitments to do the work in their job
descriptions by the designated deadlines in the bylaws and in their progress
reports, to assist ERLAN members in soliciting
such help as they need to complete or redefine their work, and to help
assure that any necessary financial accounting of expenditures is taking place
(in cooperation with the ERLAN Treasurer). All ERLAN members
shall cooperate with the Auditor, the Progress Tracker, the Treasurer and other
ERLAN members.
A new ERLAN financial
auditor position can be created by the ERLAN Auditor or President, if needed, effective immediately upon proposal to
ERLAN, unless objections occur among ERLAN members within a week.
On 6/29/98 at 3:12
PM PM EDT the
following amendment to the progress reporting requirements passed by a 10 to 2
majority.
<<AMENDMENT TO
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL:
A request for a seven day extension on required posting of a report may be filed with the BOD. The request should include the circumstances under which such a request may be granted or considered; including such circumstances as: Family emergency, unexpected business trips, extended vacation plans, illness, etc. A longer extension may be requested and considered by the BOD if the circumstances exist to justify such an extension. In either case, a new filing date should be submitted with the request for extension approval.
>>
On
The free exchange of selected e-mail and messages is allowed between ERLAN communications mechanisms (ERAL, ERACL, ftp sites, etc.) and any other earth religion rights communications mechanisms or organizations whose rules are at least as tight as those of ERAL concerning confidentiality (without special permission for forwarding messages):
* By mechanisms agreed to between an ERLAN moderator and the moderator of the external communications mechanism
* Providing the agreement is in writing
* An ERAL attorney approves the relationship
The address of ERLAN e-mail lists shall not be included in forwarded messages, to prevent bounces when people who are not subscribed attempt to reply to the list address. However, the forwarded message should indicate, before the content of the message, where it came from (ERAL, etc.) in general terms -- and that replies will be forwarded through the agreed to mechanism back to the ERLAN list.
Unless the list or other communications mechanism is for Earth Religion Rights attorneys only, who are working on cases to help earth religionists facing religious discrimination, the identify of people whose posts are forwarded will not be included in the forwarded messages, unless the individuals agree to being revealed.
This rule does not restrict the forwarding of general information in the public domain allowed under prior rules to be forwarded. It is focused on providing additional potential mechanisms that can be approved by ERAL attorneys for forwarding sensitive information regarding cases and associated investigations working on the same issues.
____________
On
Change of
reports from the Naturist liaison
FROM:
Monthly
TO :
Quarterly
WITH:
Supplementary postings to ERAL as necessary. >>
+++
Subj:
PROPOSAL Papal Letter
Date:
From: donnasb1@prodigy.net (Donna B)
To: wren@witchvox.com, Rvndancer@aol.com,
terry.s@juno.com, Snowchylde@aol.com, rowanf@crc.ricoh.com, nat@tiac.net,
LCorncalen@aol.com, billk@digital.net, firespring@nfx.net (firespring),
Firebrander@yahoo.com
****** I propose
that ERLAN endorse the
Text of the
final draft of the proposed letter to His
Holiness, Pope John Paul II by becoming signatory to said document*****
e Pathfinder
Dear Ones,
The attached is
a proposed letter to be sent to his holyness, Pope John Paul
II,
as a sort of preemptive strike in a frienndly fashion, granting forgiveness
to
the Church in advance of the coming papal
apology for the Inquisition. The
idea is, simply put, to follow his lead and
apologize to him and grant
forgiveness to the church, which is more likely to get
him to include us in
HIS apology than
anything
else. The proposed letter
was developed by Colleen and Drew Rose, HPs and HP
of The Church of Caudceus-ATC
(in
on to it as it is, and am asking the
recipients of this letter, both ATC
groups and others who are leaders of groups
friendly to ATC, if you are
willing to do the same. You may not be
completely thrilled with all of the
wording, but we have a time window here to act
within. If you can live with
this, please let me know you agree and we
will add your name. If not, well,
we will do our best anyway, with no hard
feelings.
I believe that
this letter is likely to do more good than any other effort,
as
it uses His Holiness's psychologies on him
as well, leaving little wiggle
room other
than to totally ignore us. And to ignore
someone coming with an apology
themselves is a boorish thing to do. The pope has
already proven himself to
be
a genteel man and not a boor.
This is going to
all ATC groups and friends in the
wish
to be included. If you lead a group, we ask
you to be ready to sign on as
the
group if at all possible. This has prospects
of being an historic move for
Paganism.
Pete
*****Text of
final draft of a proposed letter to the pope from ATC and
selected others*****
Your Holiness,
This letter is written
in response to the implementation of your year
2000
Jubilee. It is our understanding that you feel that
the Church can not
hope to move forward without an examination
of conscience to see where the
Church has
deviated from the Gospel. It is also understood that you have
written a formal apology for the Inquisition and
the damage that it caused.
Holy Father, we applaud these Spiritually sound achievements. There is
no better way to lead your people than to
provide a solid example in your
own
movements.
In reviewing your addresses, homilies, and speeches of the past
few years it is clear that you are single-handedly
attempting to lead your
people to a higher form of understanding,
insight and living through taking
responsibility for all past injustices or oversights in
the history of the
Church.
This, the taking of responsibility, we thoroughly understand. We
are Wiccans and Pagans from various
religious traditions. Responsibility
and
accountability are among our obligations to Deity.
We find ourselves in a position where we
must take our cue from you and
your courageous undertakings of late. We are, as are you, ultimately
responsible for guiding the Spiritual health of our
respective people. Yet
we
find ourselves with a dilemma.
Let us explain. We are certain you agree there is little
reason for
anyone today not to realize that our faiths
have been badly used by the
popular mythologies rooted in the hysteria of
the middle ages, since
Paganism
has been expounded upon by many objective
academic authorities in recent
years.
Still, there are those who choose to believe what they will despite
all evidence to the contrary, and this has
caused ill feelings with our
people.
However justified these feelings are, they go against our laws,
which clearly state in some traditions, that
'you shall be free of slavery'.
Ill feelings
enslave the inner self; the part of self that communes with
Deity.
Left unchecked they will eventually inhibit us from moving forward
on
our path towards Spirit.
We have found your deeds of the recent past
to be sound, and we find we
can do no less for our people than you have
done for yours. We are
responsible to Spirit to follow a just course of
action; even if the cue for
that action emerges from another
religion. It is within the vows we take
and
at the heart of Wiccan and Pagan practices
to do so. In the light of these
realizations we are asking our people to let go of
those ill feelings. We
ask that they redirect the energy of those
feelings into a more creative,
constructive purpose that will better serve their
personal relationships
with
Deity,
our community and the world as a whole.
Therefore, in keeping with the spirit of
your recent endeavors, we
forgive the Church for any injury we or our
ancestors sustained due to the
Inquisition and
from any subsequent misinformation that was spread about our
religions in the ensuing years; and we ask for
forgiveness for those of our
people who have inflated or exaggerated the
effect of such, and any
anti-Catholic sentiment that was spread by our
people. Further, we make a
firm commitment to work towards building tolerance
between our respective
people using the common bond of Spirit and the
humanity we share as the
foundation.
We have only one world. Let us get back to the real work at hand,
that
of
teaching our people how to grow and thrive, peacefully and Spiritually,
on this great gift of a planet that we all
share.
In Spirit and
with Respect,
Reverends
Colleen and Drew Rose
Primary
Ministers
The
Vote on Zell's
Letter to Pope John Paul II Yes No Abstain
Mod/SEA
Sec.
Gen Firebrander@yahoo.com X
Memb. Co Snowchylde@aol.com X
Treasurer AinsleyF@AOL.com
Webweaver rowanf@crc.ricoh.com
ftp
Coor firespring@nfx.net x
Leg.
Ar.&TWV
wren@witchvox.com
Dir
Websit. billk@digital.net
Case
Tracker Rvndancer@aol.com x
E.
Freedom L terry.s@juno.com
Naturist-L
dkirkbost@yahoo.com x
Send signatures to Saille333@aol.com