The Church of the Spiral Tree
Rules for Groves

Incipient Grove Application
Full Status Grove Application

The Grove is the basic local organizational congregational unit of Church of the Spiral Tree. A Grove is a small intimate group of at least three, and we recommend not more than 13, paid CST members, organized in a local area to learn about, discuss, and creatively practice the purposes of the Church. Groves are largely autonomous units which agree to adopt and practice the values and purposes of CST and are, after applying to the Board of Directors (BOD), granted a charter by the BOD. The year-long Incipient status is to ensure that the group is fully committed and has long-term goals.

Groves are not required to have open meetings and may determine their own internal structure and method of participation. Any new person joining a Grove must be approved by all existing members. Membership in the Grove does not automatically confer membership in CST.

Charters: In order to form a Grove, a group of at least three paid CST members must apply to the BOD for a charter as an Incipient Grove. Upon receipt of a qualifying Incipient Grove application, along with application fees, the BOD will issue an Incipient Grove Charter. In order to be granted a full Grove Charter, a group must have been meeting at least monthly for at least one year and submitting quarterly activity and financial reports. Granting of a Grove Charter is by approval of the BOD.

Administration: Each Grove shall choose a person who takes on the major responsibilities of administration, contact and organization of either a Grove or an Incipient Grove. Such person shall be known as the Grove Steward, and they shall serve as contact and liaison to CST's central headquarters and the BOD in all matters of administration and/or corporate needs and concerns relative to their particular Grove or Incipient Grove.

Membership: A Grove must maintain a minimum of three paid CST members. It may have other members who may or may not be paid CST members, but any officers in the Grove, including the Grove Steward, must be paid CST members. Reports: Each group, whether Incipient or full status, must submit quarterly reports of its activities and financial status to CST's Secretary/Treasurer at least two weeks prior to each meeting of the BOD. Due dates for reports are January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31.

All the info below is taken directly from the CST ByLaws. Please read over it carefully.

Group Exemption: Groups chartered by the BOD shall be legal Subordinate Organizations of CST as incorporated under the laws of the United States, and shall be eligible to be covered under CST's group exemption. Groups do not have the power to incur debt in the name of Church of the Spiral Tree.

Financial Accountability: Groups must submit a quarterly financial statement to CST's Board of Directors (BOD). Failure to do so for two successive quarters shall be grounds for investigation and suspension of the Branch's Charter.

Membership: The governance of groups shall be by Stewards, Directors or Councils. Should the group be authorized to open a bank or checking account, there shall be three approved signatories on the account. Chartering and serving as administrators or officers of groups is open only to paid members of CST. Membership in CST does not automatically confer membership in any local Grove or Branch.

Innovation: The BOD and Clergy of CST do not wish to impose any doctrinal constraints upon local Groves beyond the requirement that their activities be in accord with the purpose of the Corporation as stated in the Preamble and Article III of the bylaws. We in fact encourage creativity and innovation on the part of all local groups in the lawful pursuit of the goals of CST.

Protecting People's Life Work Within the Church: In order for members to be willing to devote their lives, assets and resources to the church, each individual and group shall have as much autonomy and freedom of action and expression as possible.

Disbanding a Grove or Branch: The BOD may accept and note the disbanding of a group or incipient group upon written notification from that group's administrative body and the return of all group materials issued by the BOD. In such case, all group assets are to be delivered to CST Central, unless the group has independently incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity, in which case assets shall be divided by mutual agreement or by arbitration. The records and materials of the group will go into the BOD's "inactive" group file, where they will remain until or unless the group may be reactivated. If no one reactivates an inactive group within three years, it will be declared "discorporate" and filed accordingly. Incipient group charters will lapse automatically after one year from the date of their last quarterly report.

Suspending Charters: The BOD may suspend the charter of a group pending investigation of problems that may be brought to the BOD's attention, or if the quarterly reports (or lack thereof) from that group fail to indicate its continuing function. A group whose charter has been suspended will be regarded as an inactive group, and its charter may be reinstated if the group can resolve its problems to the satisfaction of the BOD. If this does not happen within a year and a day, the suspended group will be declared "discorporate." This action may be appealed to the BOD, whose decision will be final.

Revoking Charters: The BOD reserves the right to revoke a group charter for reasons including but not limited to:

The conduct of the group at its meetings and public functions or in its public statements is found to be incompatible with the purposes of the Corporation as stated in Article III of the Bylaws, or contrary to the laws of the country or state of residence of the group;
The conduct or statements of the group in its meetings and public functions or in its public statements, in the judgment of the BOD, reflects unacceptable discredit on CST, its purposes, members and Clergy; or
The BOD has reason to believe upon investigation that the chartered group is not truly functioning as a group in that the contact person does not respond to queries, show evidence of membership or the holding of regular meetings or other evidence that the chartered group is, indeed, functioning as a viable organizational unit of CST.

Removing Group From CST: In case of irreconcilable conflict with CST, the directors of a group, subject to contractual agreement, have the option of removing their organization from CST while retaining its name, function, corporate status (if any) and assets. In such a case, that organization would forfeit the coverage of CST's group exemption, insurance, and any other privileges of affiliation with CST.

If there is a dispute between the BOD and a group, or among Directors or other partners in a group, and if any of these parties are not satisfied with a decision of the BOD, they may seek binding arbitration by a mutually-agreed-upon party or parties, pursuant to CST's conflict resolution procedure.

Assets: All Assets of a chartered group revert to CST Central upon dissolution of that group, whether by disbanding or by revocation of their charter, unless said Branch has separately incorporated as a non-profit organization, in which case assets shall be divided by mutual agreement or by arbitration.

Should a group which has removed itself from CST be disbanded at any time up to a year after leaving CST, any remaining assets will revert to CST Central.

Reactivating a Group: If within three years, at least two members of the original group and at least one other active member of CST are willing to resume group activities and regular meetings, an inactive group or incipient group may be reactivated under its original name and charter. If there is a dispute among the members of the original group over the group's reactivation, the BOD may request that the name of the group be changed, and a new charter issued under the new name, while still recognizing the legal continuity of that group or incipient group insofar as dating its inception from the original application.

If a group's charter is suspended, the group will have three months to address and resolve the issues that resulted in that action to the satisfaction of the BOD. If this can be accomplished, their charter will be reinstated and returned after their current quarterly report is approved.
If a group's charter has been revoked by the BOD, there is no further appeal. The re-establishment of a CST Grove or Branch in that area will require starting all over, with a new application, under a different name and with a new administrative body.

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