The Bylaws of
The Foundation Hall of the 
Royal Order of the Knights of Herne

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the Hall shall be:
The Foundation Hall of the Royal Order of the Knights of Herne

ARTICLE II – PRIMACY OF THE GRAND CHARTER

The Bylaws of the Foundation Hall serve only to extend and expand upon the principles and policies set forth in the Grand Charter of the Royal Order of the Knights of Herne.  The bylaws set forth herein apply only to the members of the Foundation Hall, and may in no way attempt to contradict or supersede any of the principles and policies set forth in the Grand Charter.  In the absence of bylaws relating to specific situations the Hall may encounter, the Hall shall proceed in accordance with the Grand Charter.

ARTICLE III – MEETINGS

Section 1. Meetings

Regular meetings of the Foundation Hall will generally be held once each month, on the third Friday of the month at 7:30pm, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro, 5603 Hilltop Road.  These meetings are open to all members and their guests.  Changes in the time and location of these meetings should be announced during a prior meeting, or by telephone and email at least one week before the meeting is to take place.

Closed meetings for the Foundation Hall shall be held on an as-needed basis.  Location and time will vary depending on the availability of a meeting venue and the wishes of the members, but should be announced during a prior meeting or by telephone and email at least one week before the meeting is to take place except in the case of an emergency.  These meetings are open only to active members of the Hall, and any exception to this rule must be approved by a member of the Hall’s Knights-Commandery.

Section 2.  Quorum

A quorum shall consist of at least 50% of the active Knights of the Hall.  No official vote may be taken without a quorum present.  Additionally, at least one member of the Hall’s Knights-Commandery must be present for an official vote to be taken.

ARTICLE IV – ELECTIONS

Section 1.  Nomination and Election Times

Nominations for all offices of the Foundation Hall shall be taken at the October open meeting each year.  A Knight may nominate himself for office if he so wishes.  Regular elections for all offices shall be held at the November open meeting each year, and the new officers shall be formally installed at the January open meeting of the following year.  Should an office become vacant for any reason during the course of the year, nominations for an interim officer may be opened at the meeting at which the vacancy is announced, and the office may be voted on at the following open meeting, according to standard election procedure.  The interim officer may take office immediately following the election, and will hold office until the next regular election.

Section 2.  Standard Election Procedure

All active Knights must be notified of an upcoming election at least one month in advance.  Elections shall be by secret ballot.  Knights not able to be present at the election may leave a written proxy vote with the Hall’s Knights-Commandery.  Ballots will be tallied by at least two members of the Hall.  The candidate receiving the largest number of votes cast shall be declared the victor.  If there is a tie, a run-off vote will be held; if a tie still exists after the run-off, the victor shall be decided by a contest of arms (i.e. arm-wrestling).

ARTICLE IV – FINANCES

Section 1. Fiscal Year

The Foundation Hall’s fiscal year shall run from January 1st until December 31st.  The Exchequer of the Hall shall be required to report on the financial status of the Hall at the January, April, July, and October open meetings of the Hall.  

Section 2. Dues

Annual dues, the amount of which shall be set by a vote of the Hall at the January open meeting of each year, shall be required of all active members.  Dues shall become delinquent if not paid by the April open meeting.  Any member delinquent in his dues may be rendered inactive by a vote of the Hall (though extenuating circumstances may be considered).  For new members of the Hall, dues will be payable upon acceptance of membership, and shall be pro-rated based on the number of months remaining in the Hall’s fiscal year.

ARTICLE V – MEMBERSHIP

Section 2. Prospective Members

A prospective member is required to attend three open meetings of the Hall within six months and to meet with all active members of the Hall.  Once he has done so, if he still maintains a sincere desire to join the Order, he may ask a Knight of the Hall to propose him for membership.  Once a prospect has been proposed for membership, if present he will be asked to leave the room, and a vote will be taken on whether to accept him as a Squire.  Written proxy votes are acceptable, and absent members may be phoned to get their votes.  Acceptance of a new member, in accordance with the Grand Charter, requires the unanimous vote of every active member of the Hall, including Squires.  If all members are not present and absent members have left no proxy and are not able to be contacted, the vote will be tabled until the absentees’ votes may be acquired, and the prospect will be so informed.  If the vote is not unanimous, the dissenting member(s) will be asked to state their reasons, and a suitable statement to the prospect will be constructed and delivered.  The prospect will then be required to wait for a period of at least six months before reapplying to the Hall for membership.

Section 3.  Squires

If the prospect is unanimously voted in, he will become a Squire of the Hall.  A sponsor will be chosen for the Squire from the Knights.  This should ideally be the Knight to which the new member is closest.  The sponsoring Knight will meet often with the new member and serve as a mentor to him, instructing him in the ways of the Order, the Code of Chivalry, and the proper behavior of a Knight.  Each Knight shall sponsor no more than two Squires at any given time, unless deemed necessary by the Hall.  The Sponsor and the new member will meet to select a Quest for the new member, which will be formally announced at his Squiring.  A new member may not be Squired without first having selected a Quest.

The Hall will set a date for the new member’s formal Squiring Ceremony, at which he will be given the 1st degree.  His membership will be counted from that date forward, and his dues will become payable as well.  Dues will be pro-rated based on the number of months left in the Hall’s fiscal year.  Dues will become delinquent after three months.

Section 4.  The Squire’s Quest

The Squire’s Quest must be some act of service to the community or of personal growth in keeping with the Code of Chivalry that the Squire can perform on his own.  It must have clearly defined goals that are achievable within the Squire’s probationary period of one year and one day.  The Quest need not be exceedingly difficult, but should provide an adequate test of the Squire’s maturity and ability to follow through with tasks.  The Lord of the Hall must approve the Squire’s Quest before it is undertaken, and he may call for a vote of the Hall for this approval if the nature of the Quest so warrants.  The Quest may be modified as needed and as reasonable during the Squire’s probationary period, with the approval of the Squire’s sponsor and the Lord of the Hall, but failure to complete the Quest within the specified probationary period will result in termination of the Squire’s membership.  The Squire would then be required to observe a waiting period of six months before reapplying to the Hall for membership.  

Section 5.  Knighthood

At the successful completion of the Squire’s Quest and probationary period, a vote will be taken on whether to accept him as a Knight.  If he is accepted, dates will be set for his 2nd degree ritual, the receipt of this degree being the last prerequisite for Knighthood, and for his formal, public Knighting ceremony.

Section 6.  Active Status

For a member to be considered active, he must keep his dues current and must consistently attend meetings of the Hall (missing no more than half of the regular meetings in any given year, or no more than three consecutive regular meetings, though extenuating circumstances will be considered).  Should a member become inactive due to life circumstances or personal choices that do not reflect on his character as a Knight, he may at a later date resume active membership in the Hall through a unanimous vote of the Hall (including its Knights-Probationer), the payment of his dues for the current fiscal year, and attendance at three regular meetings within six months (membership rights to be reinstated at the fourth regular meeting the member attends).  If a member chooses to become inactive in the course of a fiscal year, any dues already paid for that year will not be refunded.  While a member is inactive, he may not hold office in the Hall or vote in matters of the Hall, including the admission of new members.  Should the inactive member be holding an office at the time he becomes inactive, he will be considered to have resigned the office and a new officer shall be elected in his place.  Due to the probationary nature of his membership, a Squire may not become inactive, but must observe a waiting period of six months and then reapply to the Hall as a prospective member if he leaves and subsequently wishes to return.  A six-month waiting period before reapplication also applies to Knights attempting to resume active membership in a Hall, should the re-acceptance vote not be unanimous.

Section 7.  Transfers

Should a member of the Foundation Hall decide to transfer his membership to another Hall, his membership in the Foundation Hall will be rendered inactive (or terminated, in the case of a Squire).  If he should later decide to return to the Foundation Hall, he must follow the policy for returning to active status as a member of the Hall.  

ARTICLE VI – SWORD BROTHERS AND SISTERS

By a vote of the Hall, individuals both male and female may be accepted as Sword Brothers or Sword Sisters of the Hall.  Sword Brotherhood is a way for the Hall to formally recognize a close relationship to a worthy and honorable individual who is not currently willing or able to join the Hall as a member.  Though Sword Brotherhood conveys none of the rights or responsibilities of membership in the Order, Sword Brothers or Sisters of the Hall shall have the right to call upon the Hall for assistance when needed, and in return, the Hall may call upon the Sword Brother or Sister for assistance when needed.  Should the individual later meet the criteria for membership and wish to join the Order, Sword Brotherhood stands as a mark in his favor.  Sword Brotherhood is terminable at will by a vote of the Hall.  

ARTICLE VII – OUTPOSTS

To form an Outpost, at least three interested men must petition and be accepted as supernumerary members by the Foundation Hall.  As supernumerary members, these individuals will have the same rights as local Squires of the Hall, excepting the right to vote on acceptance of new members to the Foundation Hall.  The Outpost will be responsible for monthly status reports to the sponsor Hall, and the sponsor Hall will provide all necessary supplies, resources and guidance to the Outpost, within reason and to the best of its ability.  Members of the Outpost will commit to attending at least one meeting of the sponsor Hall at the beginning of their Squirehood, at which they will be given the 1st degree.  In turn, a delegation from the Foundation Hall will commit to making at least one trip to a meeting of the Outpost at the end of its probationary period, at which point the members of the Outposts will be given the 2nd degree in private and then Knighted in a public ceremony.  The members of the Outpost will then be formally granted leave to petition the Convocation to form a provisional Hall, or Stronghold.  

ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Amendments to the Bylaws may be considered at any regular or special meeting of the Hall.  Amendments may be initiated by a proposal signed by at least two voting members of the Hall and delivered to the Seneschal, who will then notify the rest of the officers.  Such notification must be sent not less than 30 days prior to the meeting of the Hall where such an amendment is to be considered.  Amendments to the Bylaws shall be approved by a 2/3 majority of votes cast.

ADOPTED THE  21st  DAY OF  NOVEMBER, 2008 by
The Foundation Hall of the Royal Order of the Knights of Herne