Cascadia Radical Faerie Resource

The Mundane as a Sacrament

~or~

Wingtips are drag, too, you know ...

As written by Marlin, at request of faes listed below, for the purpose of sharing my and our hearts about a need, and to invite your participation:

Radical Faeries, wearing dresses, following their spirit, breaking convention, are breaking the convention that they must break conventions. A fae group is exploring setting up a non-profit corporation to be a legal umbrella for the faerie brothers who create the spirit-place of Breitenbush Faerie Gatherings, and to be a resource for other Fae community activities such as the American Ridge Gathering, Men Dancing Naked, phae phone lines, directories, and so on.

Eeeek! A corporation? Faeries? How could this be?

This discussion started when faeries from Portland and Olympia met to discuss the use of fae funds for the purchase of a computer. Since the computer was already purchased, well, it was quite a discussion. But many important topics and questions have come out of it. Questions like,

When a Queen Registrar reserves Breitenbush Hot Springs for our 5-day retreat, she is putting her own resources on the line by committing to see that Breitenbush receives about 35 thousand dollars. Queen Rs we've known have said this is daunting at best, and anxiety-provoking at worst. This situation almost cost a QR four grand, except she was rescued by a fae angel. How can we make this less of a burden?
A whole lotta money passes through the Little Red Purse to make our Gatherings happen. We're using it the same way we would if we were a non-profit corporation, but the IRS may not see it that way. The Keepers of the Red Purse (Katie & RavOn Sistrwumn) hold our bank accounts , and their resources, reputations, and credit ratings would be on the line if Tax Daddy decides they need a spanking. Could we avoid this kind of problem? [note, this has changed since Marlin wrote this, and funds are once again held by the upcoming QR ... though the point remains the same]
The society we live in relies on the legal system to resolve disputes. Our gatherings haven't needed to defend ourselves in court, and we hope we never will, but, again, the Queen's scepter only goes so far. Can we give the Queen some legal protection against lawsuits, personal injury cases, injunctions, and other adversities?
Each Queen Registrar is on her own for so many aspects of the gathering. With the funds available, she tries to provide scholarships to as many of our brothers as have need. There are limited funds, she puts a lot of thought into this, does her best, and sometimes takes some heat if others disagree with her decisions. Is there a way we can support her in this, and help the process be consistent and equitable from gathering to gathering?

In my mind, these questions are about protecting the fae brothers who take on the service of organizing and creating our Breitenbush Retreat, and providing a structure so that the funds we all contribute are used to promote and enrich our community. With some discussion, we think a tax-exempt corporation provides the benefits we're seeking. It would be a legal entity that could get insurance for the situations described above, recognized by the IRS, and having 501(3)(c) status. A structure to take care of Mundane details so the Queen doesn't need to worry her pretty little head when she's creating a fabulous gathering.

The S word! He used the S word!

Structure, bylaws, officers... Maybe even committees. Some of those things would be required by the state of Oregon, and others might be added to help serve our needs. Generally, the feeling in the group is to create the minimum structure the law allows. And we also discussed that we may need more than the minimum in order to have an organization that works well for us, and that a minimal organization may not mean a minimal word-count in our bylaws. Do we need a way to embody the experience and wisdom of former Queen Registrars? What are the processes we'll use in deciding what events are funded and when?

Oh, so it's a control thing?

For the money, yes, but on a broad level. We'd like to make our common fae funds more secure by providing oversight that is accountable to the faerie community, while imposing little or no restraint on the Queen Registrar's authority and creativity in producing the gathering or on other events. We're already collecting and spending money in order to have gatherings, provide seed money for directories and events and such, and this shouldn't change much.

What's happened so far?

Besides the other discussion that's taken place, we've drafted up a set of by-laws based on the ones used by Nomenus (though most desire a slimmer organization). It creates a board of directors that consists of those who attend the business meetings, a coordinating circle, and executive officers. We have a five-fingered form of consensus that we've been using in our discussion that we think works well, allowing those who need to block, to block, yet also providing an opportunity to express reservations about a decision without blocking.

Cynthia Cumfer wrote a book, "The Oregon Non-Profit Corporation Handbook" and she happens to be a friend of faedom. Damien (Leo) has relayed that she is willing to work with us at a reduced rate if we use language from her sample documents and bylaws.

As we undertake this, we're in the process of understanding what the state of Oregon requires. Bylaws, certainly. A board of directors? President, secretary, treasurer. Membership? There are plenty of details to master. Whatever we create will be a living organization, its bylaws can be changed, processes vamped and revamped.

What's next?

We will set the date for our next business meeting during an information meeting at Breitenbush. Fae-Portland has been at the center of the discussion so far and we want to open this process to whoever can join us. You're invited to share your concerns and desires, in person or in writing. Keep in touch by e-mailing nilram@teleport.com, or writing Marlin, P.O. Box 19334, Portland, OR 97280. I'll forward your comments to the group.

Who's been involved?

Gentle [K]Night, Dancing Otter, SkyRose, Scotty-Dog, Swamp Witch, Dragonfly, Joni Mitchell, 8Ball-In-My-Back-Pocket, Anaconda, and Marlin were at the meeting where this letter was discussed.

Katie, RavOn Sistrwumn, Snow Swan, Roy, Riversong... have been at previous meetings, and many others. (Sorry, I didn't check previous meeting's minutes to find all the fab faes who have been working on this...)

And this letter [website], it's, like, absolutely definitive, right?

Everyone has a different perspective on this process, please ask one of the participants if you have questions. Many people reviewed and contributed to this letter. Please recognize that it is my imperfect attempt to provide a balanced view of the direction of our discussions.