The devotees of Olympos, we who assemble this temple, in our mission and life to serve the Gods of Hellas, and form this organization for their glory, treasures and secrets, do hereby establish this Constitution and ByLaws of Temple of the Greek Gods of North Central Illinois.
Section 1
Membership
Membership requirements are detailed and mandatory, for we are as protective of our temple and its people as those in ancient Greece were. The Head Priest and Priestess have the authority to rule on whether or not someone meets many of these standards. Membership is open to anyone who:
* is 18 years of age or older
* is of good moral character
* believes in and respects the Greek Gods
* has and maintains some form of employment, trade or contribution to society (with the exception of people who are physically and/or mentally unable)
* obeys the laws of Illinois or their State, and the United States of America
* has no felony convictions
* is 18 years of age or older
* is of good moral character
* believes in and respects the Greek Gods
* has and maintains some form of employment, trade or contribution to society (with the exception of people who are physically and/or mentally unable)
* obeys the laws of Illinois or their State, and the United States of America
* has no felony convictions
Attendance to all rituals and rites is free of charge, and no mandatory membership fees shall be imposed.
Section 2
Clergy
The Head Priest and Head Priestess are the sole owners of the temple, and the supreme, lifetime officers of the temple, its rites, and functions.
The Head Priest and Head Priestess shall have the sole power to appoint officers, accept members, or remove said people from the temple.
The Head Priest and Head Priestess shall have the right to form their own cabinets (Hierei/Hiereiai) of priests and priestesses, and any other lower offices of clergy, to aid in the functions of the temple.
Ordination of lower clergy, including priests and priestesses, can only be carried out by the Head Priest and/or Head Priestess, and must be witnessed by at least 3 temple members or Hellenists.
All clergy must be active in the temple as much as possible.
No clergy is allowed to charge excessive fees for their services, and should never act as representatives who speak for the Gods, but rather as caretakers of temples and sacred areas, protectors and advisers of members, and leaders of rites and sacrifices. Intentional neglect of these guidelines shall be considered conduct unbecoming.
Section 3
General Codes of Conduct
Members and clergy below the Head Priest and Head Priestess can be removed from the temple and/or their offices for any of the following reasons: Criminal activity, bigotry against other people, neglect of duties, verbal or physical disrespect toward the Gods or their clergy (even in other organizations or establishments), intentional harm toward the temple or its assets, lack of belief in the Greek Gods or atheism.
Section 4
Public Events
Public events, and how many to hold, shall be left up to the discretion of the Head Priest and Head Priestess each year.
Events are to be held in either the temple, its sanctuary, or a public area.
Section 5
Fundraising
All donations taken in by the temple shall only be used for the temple's support, educational programs, events, equipment, or the event which the temple is fundraising for.
Section 6
Representation Regulations
No one shall independently operate an event or group outside the temple which is in the temple's name, without the consent of the Head Clergy.
No one shall publicly speak for the temple without consent from the Head Clergy.
The temple flags shall not be flown at non-temple events or upon non-temple grounds without consent from the Head Clergy, with the exception of the private homes or residences of members or clergy.
Section 7
Boule and Voting
The Boule or Board shall consist of at least 3 individuals at any given time, which can also include the Head Clergy if needed. Otherwise no Boule or Board can exist.
The Head Priest and Head Priestess will have the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
The purpose of the Boule or Board is to plan for the temple's future, organize events, represent and protect members and the temple, authorize monetary endeavors, host pilgrimages, hold trials for members or lower clergy accused of misconduct, and authorize changes to the bylaws.
Boule seats each have a term of 1 year, after which the person holding the seat must be reauthorized by the Head Clergy.
Section 8
Trials
In the event that a member of clergy or of the member body is accused of misconduct that may demote or expel them from the organization, they shall have the right to contest such charges, or receive a fair hearing. The court of the temple shall consist of the Head Priest as the Judge, the Head Priestess as the Representative of the Temple, and the member body present shall form the jury. The accused shall have the right to their own counsel who can speak for them, chosen from the member body or the clergy, via the consent of said party. Or the accused can represent themselves entirely.
The Judge shall present the charges before the court. The accused can plead guilty, at which time the Judge can sentence. The accused can plead not guilty, at which time a trial will be conducted. At the end of said trial, the Jury shall decide whether or not the accused is guilty or not guilty, at which time the Judge will sentence.
After sentencing, the accused shall have the right to appeal the decision one time to the Head Priest.
For misconduct, the only sentences which shall be given are expulsion from the organization, temporary suspension from the organization, or demotion in rank.
Section 9
Temples and Regions
The temple serves the Demos of Machesney Park, Illinois, and nearby cities and towns if needed. However, no person or part of the temple has any authority whatsoever to rule or persuade a different temple or its leaders and members. Diplomatic and public service relations are permitted with other temples, sanctuaries and their communities, but with the recognition that they have the right to their own leaders, laws and regulations. The only governance that Temple Of The Greek Gods is allowed to have is governance over itself.
Section 10
Symbols
The Seal of the temple shall be a golden labrys surrounded by a white laurel crown, which will sit in the middle of an Aegean blue background that is surrounded on its outer edges by a Greek Key. Beneath the laurel crown shall be our official founding date, 2010. The name of our temple shall be placed outside the outer edge bottom.
The flag of the temple shall be a blue Aegean Sea in the top left corner, which will hold in its center a sun with 14 points, symbolizing the Dodekatheon and additionally Hestia and Haides. The inner portion of the sun will have 8 encircling leaves to represent the major City States of the Ancient Greek World, those being Athens, Sparta, Delphi, Olympia, Arkadia, Argos, Korinth, and Thebes. A white field will then extend outward for the rest of the length of the flag, to represent purity, piety, and the foam of the Aegean. In the center of the white field will rest a red labrys to symbolize ancient Greek civilization and culture and the sacrifice ancient Greeks made to obtain and preserve it.
The temple's official stone shall be the green emerald.
October 30th, 2019.
