Preamble - Statement of Purpose

    We, the Pagan Student Alliance at the University of Texas, exist for the two-fold purpose of promoting the interests of Pagan students on campus and providing a safe forum for the discussion of alternative spiritual practices. Paganism is the most misunderstood spiritual path, and also the hardest to define. Therefor, we make no claims as to what is and is not Pagan.
    The Pagan Student Alliance is not a Coven, Temple, or an Order, and does not exist to give spiritual or magickal training. Instead, we provide an environment where ideas may be shared and opinions may be expressed.

Article 1 – Membership

1. Any Student at the University of Texas, Austin, may request membership in the Pagan Student Alliance.
2. Faculty, Staff, and others may become Associates, retaining all the rights of members.
3. A request for membership should be made, publicly, before all present members, at an appropriate time during a regular meeting.
4. Once an individual has requested membership, barring any objections by current members, he or she is temporarily granted all rights of membership, except voting. An individual in this situation shall be referred to as a Newbie.
5. A Newbie shall retain his or her status until:
1. He or She attends at least three out of four consecutive regular meetings, at which time he or she shall become a full member.
2. He or She is not in attendance at three out of four consecutive regular meeting, in which case his or her status as Newbie is lost, and he or she must request membership again.
3. A motion is made that he or she not be allowed membership, and that motion is passed with a three-fourths majority.
6. Membership lasts two semesters, and may be renewed for the next two semesters during the last three meetings of the Spring.
7. All elected officers have automatic membership for the duration of their term.
8. A motion to deny membership may be made by any current member towards a Newbie, but may only be made for reasons of moral turpitude.
9. A motion to revoke membership may by any two current members against any other current member, but may only be made for reasons of moral turpitude.
10. Moral Turpitude shall be defined as:
1. The serious advocacy or performance of illegal acts of violence.
2. Causing others to act in ways that defy their personal morals by way of coercion.
3. Discriminating against others solely because of their spiritual path.
11. Once a motion to deny or revoke membership has been made and seconded, a three-fourths majority may vote down the motion, or the motion will automatically be tabled until the next regular meeting. No motion to deny membership can be passed the same meeting that it was made.
12. A tabled motion to deny membership will be picked up at the next regular meeting attended by the Newbie for whom the motion is against, unless the Newbie has already lost their status under Article 1, Section 5, sub-section b.
13. A tabled motion to revoke membership will be picked up at the next regular meeting that the Member for whom it is against attends.
14. Once a motion to deny or revoke membership has been picked up, the Newbie or Member that it is against will be allowed an uninterrupted statement in their defense, and the ability to participate in a short discussion with all other members afterwards.
15. Once the coordinator and at least one other officer consider the discussion of a motion to deny membership sufficient, a vote will be held.
16. Those who have signed this before Samhain 1999 granted full membership for two semesters.

1. During the Fall and Spring semesters at the University of Texas, the Pagan Student Alliance shall meet once every week. These will be considered regular meetings.
2. Meetings held during the summer or in supplement to once a week will be considered extra meetings.
3. Voting may only be held during regular meetings.

1. Each full member of the Pagan Student Alliance has one vote.
2. A quorum of members shall be defined as all members in attendance for that meeting, except when members in attendance at that meeting is less that one-fourth of all full members.
3. An amendment quorum shall be defined as no less than five-sixths of all full members.
4. The outcome of each vote shall be determined by a simple majority, except:
1. votes to deny membership to members-in-waiting;
2. votes to impeach officers;
3. votes to revoke membership;
4. votes to amend this charter.
5. All votes not determined by a simple majority must be carried by a three-fourths majority to pass.
6. A member may vote by proxy, provided the proxy:
1. is a full member;
2. has a document providing sufficient evidence that they are granted proxy status for that meeting;
3. The Coordinator and one other officer are granted access to this document and can validate, in good faith, that it is genuine.
7. In the event of a deadlocked vote, the Coordinator shall cast the deciding vote.

1. The officers for the Pagan Student Alliance are as follows: Coordinator, Secretary, Paper Pusher, Social Coordinator, Web Shaman, and a number of members-at-large determined by the Coordinator, not to exceed four.
2. The Coordinator has the following duties:
1. Organizing and presiding over meetings.
2. Ensuring that all officers attend to their duties to the best of their ability.
3. Delegating Pagan Student Alliance funds.
4. Ensuring that the organization stays true to its purpose as stated in the Preamble.
5. Assigning or accepting volunteers to run rituals.
6. Determining the number of members-at-large needed for the next election term.
3. The Secretary has the following duties:
1. Keeping record of the minutes of the meetings
2. Writing a short summary of important occurrences at the last meeting and events planned for the next meeting, to be published on the Pagan Student Alliance Web Site.
3. Keeping a membership roster.
4. Keeping a copy of this charter.
4. The Paper Pusher has the following duties:
1. Renewing the organization’s registration at the Campus and Community Involvement Office
2. Ensuring that all required paperwork for any Pagan Student Alliance event is completed and turned in.
3. Keeping track of the Organization’s funds.
5. The Social Coordinator has the following duties:
1. Planning and promoting Pagan Student Alliance social events.
2. Publicizing the Organization.
6. The Web Shaman has the following duties:
1. Maintaining all Pagan Student Alliance computer accounts. This includes the Web Site, List-Serve, and E-mail.
2. Creating and heading the PSA Web Team.
3. Ensuring that all e-mail to the Organization’s account is read and, when necessary, passed on or replied to.
7. Any Member-At-Large has the following duties:
1. Assisting an officer in their tasks.
2. Aquatinting themselves with, and providing an amiable environment for all guests and newbies.
8. Officers are elected for a term of One Year, beginning and ending at the sunset of the Summer Solstice.
9. In the event that an officer is unable to perform their duties, those duties are allocated to the Coordinator, who may then delegate them as he or she pleases. In the event that the Coordinator is unable to perform his or her duties, those duties will be allocated to the Paper Pusher.
10. In cases of gross negligence or moral turpitude (as defined in Article 1, Section 9), a three-fourths majority may impeach any officer.
11. No one may hold the office of Coordinator, Paper Pusher, Secretary, or Web Shaman until they have been full members for both a Fall and Spring semester.

1. The PSA Web Team exists to create and maintain the Pagan Student Alliance Web Site. Generating the best possible content to publish on the World Wide Web.
2. The membership of the PSA Web Team will consist of volunteers selected by the Web Shaman.
3. The PSA Web Team will use the Web Site as both a publication of the Pagan Student Alliance, providing information to the public, and as an archive, to chronicle the past activities of the organization.

1. Rituals and celebrations may be held at the will of the membership.
2. For every ritual, volunteering members will perform various parts of the ritual according to the format of the ritual.
3. All members have the right to participate or abstain from participating from any ritual held by the organization.
4. Due to the delicate environment of most Pagan rituals, participation by a guest in any ritual may be denied for any reason.
5. All are welcome to observe any ritual, but may be asked to leave if they are behaving in a manner that disrupts the ritual.

1. At any time this Charter comes into conflict with the rules for student organizations given by the Campus and Community Involvement office, those rules shall take precedent.
2. This Charter may be amended at any time excluding the first three weeks of any semester.
3. Any proposed amendment must be made available for all members two weeks before it is voted on.
4. No amendment may pass without at least a three-fourths vote from an amendment quorum.

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e-mail: psa@www.utexas.edu• last updated 8 December 1999 c.e. • © 1999 PSA