The Guildhouse Rules1. All women aged eighteen and over are welcome here and none will be required to take The Oath of the Modern Day Renunciate unless they choose to do so. No sister is obligated to take the oath to be a member of The Guildhouse. However a sister must be Oathbound To The Guildhouse Of Ardais in order to function as a Council Member, a Guildmother, an Oath Mother, or be designated an Elder in The Guildhouse.
2. The Oath of the Modern Day Renunciate is the only recognized oath of The Guildhouse and may not be modified in any way. The Oath is taken in a Guildhouse Ceremony with all members present who can possibly attend. If a sister has taken The Oath of the Renunciates in any other form, That Oath is respected, but she will still be considered Unbound to the Guildhouse At Ardais and may not function as a Council Member, a Guildmother, an Oath Mother, or be designated an Elder in The Guildhouse until such a time as or if she chooses to take the Oath of the Modern Day Renunciates.
3. All women who enter The Guildhouse will be Housebound for a period of thirty days. During this time a sister must refrain from emailing privately or instant messaging (of any kind) as well as telephone and personal contact with any member of The Guildhouse with the one exception of The Guildmother (who accepts no new Oath Daughters during her term as a guildmother). Also during this time a sister may not take The Oath of the Modern Day Renunciate nor choose an Oath Mother to witness that oath. After a sister's Housebound Time has ended she then becomes eligible to take The Oath and has the right to approach The Council with her request to take The Oath of the Modern Day Renunciate. She may not choose an Oath Mother to witness that oath until her request has been approved by The Council. The Council must approve that request before The Oath Ceremony can be scheduled and an Oath Mother chosen.
4. All members of The Guildhouse must respect a sister's Housebound Time and may not contact her privately in any way including, but not limited to, email and instant messaging (of any kind). Failure to adhere to this rule may result in an individual's removal from The Guildhouse by The Council. (See Definition of Terms for Housebound information)
5. If and when a sister decides she wants to take The Oath of the Modern Day Renunciate, and her request is approved by The Council, she may then choose an Oath Mother to witness her oath. A sister who is not Oath Bound to this guildhouse may not function as an Oath Mother in this guildhouse. A list of all Oath Bound sisters is posted at the virtual guildhouse and updated regularly. If a sister has an Oath Mother who witnessed her oath in a previous form and honors that bond, she may elect The Guildmother, a Council Member, or her sisters to witness her Oath in The Guildhouse At Ardais.
6. The choice of an Oath Mother is not a competition and is entirely the choice of the sister who has decided to take The Oath. No member of The Guildhouse may approach any Unbound sister on this matter. Any evidence brought to The Council regarding the violation of this rule will be acted upon immediately by The Council and may result in an individual's being removed from The Guildhouse. If an existing Oath Mother has exhibited conduct causing her to be removed from The Guildhouse by The Council, or has chosen to leave the Guildhouse, then and only then, may her Oath Daughters be free to seek another Oath Mother of their choosing. The bond between Oath Daughters and Oath Mothers is not taken lightly and is otherwise considered permanent.
7. Periods of inactivity for any individual will occur from time to time. Please be considerate and post to the list when you will be away. Prolonged inactivity without explanation will be investigated by The Council and may result in removal from The Guildhouse. We encourage an actively involved community with members who are committed to The Guildhouse on a regular basis.
8. Respect for each other is required at all times. Serious discussions are welcome and while differences of opinion and diversity are normal and even desired, they must be presented with consideration for all others. If an individual has a problem with another individual and reasonable attempts to rectify it have failed, the problem should be taken to The Council for arbitration. Attacks against any individual on or off list will not be tolerated. The Grievance Procedure is posted at the virtual guildhouse under Guildhouse Procedures and Operations.
9. All lifestyle choices will be respected, however, no sexual innuendo directed at any individual will be tolerated. Any apparent pursuit of another with sexual overtones is grounds for immediate removal of the offender from The Guildhouse by The Council.
10. All personal religious beliefs will be honored and respected. Any attempts to discredit an individual's beliefs will not be tolerated nor should any individual attempt to bring another to her specific religion or beliefs.
11. Decisions rendered by The Council are final. In the event of a deadlock vote, The Guildmother (who attends all council meetings but does not normally participate in governing) shall cast the final vote. There is no process for appeal. Matters brought before The Council by Guildmembers or matters deemed necessary for review by The Council shall be decided within a reasonable period of time (normally within two weeks), the verdict issued, and the matter considered closed.
12. These rules constitute the foundation for operation of The Guildhouse and are not arbitrary. Should any sister disagree with any of the points made in this official document, she should not request entry to The Guildhouse. There will be no exceptions to these rules.
The Guildhouse At ArdaisA Guild of Modern Day Renunciates