Charter of the Covenant of CLAXBY-PLUCKACRE, founded in the ____ year of the Age of Aries in the County of Lincolnshire in the Kingdom of England. I DEDICATION This Covenant is forthwith dedicated to the pursuit and exchange of knowledge, the advancement of the Hermetic Arts and excelling in the execution of magic, and to the fostering of unity amongst the magi of the Order of Hermes. This dedication is not made in name only, but represents our highest aspirations, and shall be the guiding principle of our lives together. May the Order of Hermes be preserved and may our efforts add to its continued growth and strength. II MEMBERSHIP Each member of this Covenant shall be a member in good standing of the Order of Hermes. In the event that a magus is renounced from the Order, they shall be cast out from this Covenant also, without any delay. A magus who wishes membership of the Covenant must be sponsored by one of the current members, who shall present them to a full Council of the Covenant. If no more than one magus votes against the prospective member, they shall be welcomed into our fold and immediately granted membership of the Covenant, with all attendent privileges and duties. If it wishes, the Council may ask for service or payment (whether in vis, gold, or any other substance the Council finds valuable) as a precursor to permission to join the Covenant; such matters are to be decided by a majority vote of the council. Any member may relinquish their membership in the Covenant at any time simply by informing the Council. If the Council decides that they owe no outstanding debts or services to the Covenant, then they shall be relieved of their Oath and membership, and all attendent privileges and duties thereof. Additionally, if they have been a member for a period of seven years or more, they shall be entitled to an equal portion of half the Covenant's stock of vis. Any member who does not attend a meeting of the Council for a period of seven years may be deemed by the Council to have voluntarily relinquished their membership. In this case, they may be relived of their Oath and membership, and all attendent privileges and duties thereof by a majority vote of the Council. No payment of vis shall be made to those whose membership has lapsed in this manner. In the event that a member commits crimes against the Covenant or the Order of Hermes, they may be cast out and relieved of their Oath and membership, and all attendent privileges and duties thereof. Such a decision shall require a two-thirds majority of the Council. No payment of vis shall be made to those cast out in this manner. III PRIVILEGES The members of the Covenant are granted the following privileges for as long as they shall remain members. - membership of the Council, including the right to call, attend and vote at meetings. - the privacy of their Sancta, - at least three seasons a year of time in which to pursue their own projects, - protection from attack, - the food required for good health. The following privileges are subject solely to the restriction that resources may be denied by the Council (or its Officers) should they be in short supply. - full use of the library. Each magus is entitled to keep a book or work for no more than one season before they must allow others to make use of it. Disputes over library resources may be resolved by Certamen, by the Regent, or by a majority vote of the Council should other means prove unsatisfactory. - any mundane supplies or services required for their studies, - a working laboratory IV DUTIES The members of the Covenant are to respect the following duties: - the Council may require each member to perform up to one season a year of such work as they may direct for the good of the Covenant. - each magus must surrender to the Covenant one half of all vis, money or other resources acquired on expeditions. In the case of uneven amounts, the more favourable portion shall be retained by the Magus. - each Magus must offer for sale to his Sodales any magical item they cannot make use of themselves. Any other magical item the Magus wishes to sell must first be offered for sale in a similar fashion. Such items shall be offered first to the Council to be purchased for the benefit of the Covenant as a whole, then to the Regent, then to the other members in order of age, from eldest to youngest. V THE COUNCIL The Council shall consist of all living members of the Covenant. It shall meet at least twice a year, at sunset on the summer and winter solstices, and at other times as required. Any member of the Covenant may call for a meeting of the Council for any reason, at any time, and at any place within the boundry of the Covenant, by notifying those members present within the Covenant. The Council shall have an absolute, undelagatable authority over: - matters of vis, including the trading, collection and distribution thereof, - the trading of magical books, and the granting of rights to copy - the appointment of Officers to manage Covenant resources - the election of the Regent - matters of membership, including the acceptance of new members and the casting out of those who have commited crimes against the Covenant or the Order, - the power of justice, high or low, over members of the Order of Hermes - the disposition of any magical items owned by the Covenant, - allocations of seasons of service - the granting of resources or privileges to visiting Magi The Council shall also have authority over the following matters, which it may decide to delegate to Officers or reserve to itself, as it sees fit: - allocation of mundane resources, - the maintenance or usage of the library (but not the trading of magical books or spells), - the governance of those mundanes living on Covenant lands or otherwise subject to the Covenant, including the powers of low justice. - any other matter which the Council decides is of interest. A meeting of the Council has no right to make decisions unless there is the necessary quorum, which shall consist of at least half the living members of the Covenant. Without such quorum, no decisions can be made. Each member of the Covenant shall have one vote in the Council, and unless otherwise stated, all matters of Council shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tie on any matter other than the election of the Regent, the Regent shall have a casting vote; if they are not present, then this power devolves to the eldest member present. No mundane shall attend Council meetings unless invited to do so by the Council. Mundanes invited to attend do not count for quorum, may not vote, and may not address the Council save at its invitation. VI THE REGENT The Regent is empowered to make any day-to-day decisions necessary for the running of the Covenant and not specifically reserved to the Council. Additionally, they shall be granted authority over those Officers appointed by the Council. Any decisions made shall carry the same weight as if they were made by the Council, and can only be reversed by that body. The Regent shall be elected from among the members of the Council at the meeting of the summer solstice. Such election shall be by a vote of the Council, in which there is no casting vote. In the event of a tie, the vote shall be recast until a decision has been reached. If no decision is reached after three such recastings, the current Regent shall continue to hold office for another year. In the event that the Council cannot meet, or the meeting is inquorate, the current Regent shall continue to hold office until such time as a meeting of the Council relieves him. If the Council is unhappy with the Regent's performance of his duties, they may dismiss him. Such a decision shall require a two-thirds majority of the Council. If at any time there is no Regent, the Council shall meet at its earliest convenience to elect one. Such election shall be in the manner specified above, and the elected Regent shall serve until the next summer solstice. The Regent shall serve as chairman of the Council, and shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie in any vote of the Council, except on matters of election. Should the Regent not be present, these powers devolve to the eldest Magus present. As the Regent is expected to spend a great deal of time dealing with the affairs of the Covenant, they may refuse the normal season of service that may otherwise be directed by the Council. VII VIS All Vis extracted from sources claimed by the Covenant belongs to the Covenant, and shall be kept in the Covenant stores to be used for the good of all. Vis extracted from other sources or acquired by other means shall remain the property of the individual magus, subject to the requirements above. Twice a year, at the Council meetings of the summer and winter solstices, the Council shall present a tally of the amount of vis collected since the last accounting and the amount present in the Covenant stores. It shall also declare the amount available for use, which is not to exceed half that in the Covenant stores. Any member who declares their intention openly shall be free to take what vis they desire from the available pool. Disputes may be resolved by Certamen, by the Regent, or by a majority vote of the Council should other means prove unsatisfactory. The Council has the right to reserve vis if there is a shortage or special need, and to deal with each type of vis seperately or the whole collectively if it so desires. The above notwithstanding, the Council may distribute vis as it sees fit. However, the Council should be mindful to keep a stockpile of Vis for emergencies, and to ensure that there is always enough to provide for such rituals as may be necessary to protect the Covenant. VIII AMENDMENTS This Charter shall only be amended by the full Council of the Covenant. If no more than one member votes against an amendment, it shall be passed and take effect immediately.
Back to the Ars Magica page.
Last updated: 19/07/2002.