Grove Elections

Now there shall be instituted in the grove three officers whose duty it shall be to minister unto the needs thereof.
-The Book of the Law 1:7

In accordance with Oakdale Grove's established charter, our Autumnal Equinox services are preceded by the annual election of our Grove officers: Arch-Druid, Preceptor, Server, and Bard. Elections in the RDNA are not supposed to be contentious. In past elections, some individuals have conceded to competitors out of politeness even before the vote took place. If there is a tie vote and no one concedes, a bardic duel will serve as tie-breaker. It’s okay to vote for yourself.

Contents

Oakdale Grove's Voter Eligibility Requirements

Officer Candidate Eligibility Requirements

Duties of the Office of Arch-Druid

Duties of the Office of Preceptor

Duties of the Office of Server

Duties of the Office of Bard

Making a Self-Nomination

Oakdale Grove's Voter Eligibility Requirements

Oakdale Grove members who have been consecrated to at least the Order of the Acorn and meet minimum attendance guidelines are considered eligible to vote in Grove elections. Currently the attendance guideline for eligibility is that members attend at least two events per calendar year.

Officer Candidate Eligibility Requirements

And none shall serve in these positions save it shall be that he or she is selected by the members; and none shall serve save it shall be that she or he is worthy to serve; and selection shall be made each year during the period of Foghamhar.
-Law 1:11

To be eligible to hold office, you must be an active member of Oakdale Grove, meaning you must at least be ordained to the Order of the Acorn. The Acorn only qualifies you to run for the office of the Bard. In the RDNA tradition, candidates for the office of the Server must be at least a First Order druid or above. Candidates for the office of the Preceptor must be at least a Second Order druid or above. Lastly, candidates for the office of the Arch-Druid must be at least a Third Order druid or above. Furthermore, it really helps if candidates have an attendance record of being at a majority of Grove events over the past calendar year. It's not an absolute rule, but the voters might take attendance into account.

Duties of the Office of Arch-Druid

And first among them shall be the Arch-Druid, who shall be a priest of the Third Order or higher; and the Arch-Druid shall preside over the Druids assembled.
-Law 1:8

  • Leads rituals
  • Attends to matters of the spiritual
  • Answers a call to serve the Grove
  • Consecrates the Waters
  • Conducts Ordinations or grants assent for others to conduct ordinations within the Grove

Duties of the Office of Preceptor

And second among them shall be the Preceptor, who shall be a Druid of the Second Order or higher; and he or she shall deal in the spiritual insofar as directed by the Arch-Druid, but she or he shall act foremost in affairs not of the spiritual, that is, the secular.
-Law 1:9

  • Plans & coordinates events, other secretarial duties, and serve as Public Relations liaison
  • Answers the Catechism of the Waters in ritual
  • Can ordain druids to the First or Second Order with assent of the Arch-Druid
  • Blesses each attendee with an “air sigil” as the Server pours their Waters in the connexus
  • Serve as mentor, and should be able to lead an “RDNA 101” class with the Arch-Druid providing direct support
  • All candidates to the Second Order should have a working understanding of this role and be able to perform them immediately if and when called upon to do so by the Arch-Druid

Duties of the Office of Server

And third among them shall be the Server, who shall be of the First Order of the Druids or higher; and she or he shall assist the Arch-Druid insofar as she or he may be called to serve.
-Law 1:10

  • This is a very important and noble role: the Server transforms the mundane into the sacred.
  • Ritual site grooming, setup, & cleanup
  • Altar setup & takedown
  • Prepares the chalice(s) with spring water (Arch-Druid will add spirits)
  • Flamekeeper
  • Assists the Preceptor: Cup Bearer of the chalice (now pitcher) which is taken to attendees to fill their ceremonial cups

Duties of the Office of Bard

The rituals may make sense to us, but some visitors indicated they didn’t understand the flow, so we added this role and a few overviews of segments in the scripts. The Office of the Bard is a supplemental office for Oakdale Grove. This office is noncanonical in the RDNA. The candidate should at least in the Order of the Acorn and serve as “Master of Ceremonies” when there are visitors: Term of Master of Ceremonies is borrowed from royal events: the one who announces names of attendees upon entry – the Bardic M.C. won’t quite need to do that. Instead the Bard…

  • Announces ritual segments just before they happen, providing a very brief explanation
  • Announces & identifies deities invoked (ie: Belenos represents healing deity with solar associations, is Gaulish)
  • Provides bardic content for rituals

Making a Self-Nomination

If you want to take on a particular elected role or if you have further questions, please contact the Preceptor stating your intent. Current officers are automatically incumbents unless they communicate otherwise. Incumbents, therefore, do not need to submit a self-nomination. If you are absent but are considered an active member, you may still be elected in absentia. Below are three acceptable examples of a petition for the office of Arch-Druid. There's no wrong way unless perhaps it doesn't make sense, but discordian chaos sure is fun.

Example 1:
I am offering to run as incumbent Arch-Druid. -Druid McDruid

Example 2:
As incumbent I solemnly vow to continually uphold the responsibilities of service in tending to the matters of the spiritual of Oakdale Grove. In accordance with the Grove’s Mission Statement, I reaffirm my commitment of service to helping both Oakdale Grove and Carleton Grove flourish. It is my continued ambition and dedication that I shall not let Oakdale Grove falter from my neglect. -Druid McDruid

Example 3:
I'd like to try for Arch-Druid. -Druid McDruid