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Local objects
 
  Article 84-Elder  
84.1 Local Executive  
  The Executive Power of the local community shall be vested in a Local Executive comprising a Elder and the elected Local Board of Directors (Local Board) being six (6) living Members.  
  The Elder is the leader of the local community, its head and prime representative. As such, the role should be considered as one of respect and dignity.  
84.2 Elder  
  By the authority of this Covenant, only a man or woman meeting all of the following criteria shall be permitted to be known as an Elder:  
  (i) Man or woman aged 20 years or older;  
  (ii) Completed the necessary studies and qualification of Master of One Spirit Tribe as defined by the Supreme Executive; or in being recognized as an existing and respected scholar of Hinduism and/or Buddhism or Indigenous spiritualism having such award granted based on experience;  
  (iii) Awarded a Certification of Moral Integrity based on the audit criteria stated in the Protocols and Standards of the Office of Elder.  
  (iv) Awarded a Certification of Competency based on the audit criteria stated in the Protocols and Standards of the Office of Elder.  
  (v) Granted a current and valid license to practice as an Elder  
  (vi) Has been Instantiated as an Elder according to the Official Ceremony-Supreme Instantiation of the Powers and Authority of Elder.  
  As such, an Elder is qualified by One Spirit Tribe to perform a range of ceremonies and talk and interact on a number of subjects. It also means a man or woman has been properly audited as a man or woman of the highest character and standards of ethics and spiritual awareness.  
  A man or woman practicing or claiming to be an Elder that fails to meet one or more of these criteria shall be subject for immediate and automatic expulsion including their immediate Sponsor.  
84.3 Non-community tenure of Elder  
  An Elder is permitted to hold such position without direct tenure to a community or position within one of the three official Orders. However, as a general rule Elders are expected at some point during their service to function as a community leader for at least one term.  
84.4 Instantiation (creation) of Elder  
  A man or woman is not deemed an Elder, nor holding the powers of Elder until they have undergone the official ceremony of Supreme Instantiation of the Powers and Authority of Elder.  
  This ceremony represents one of the most important and powerful official ceremonies of One Spirit Tribe as it is through this ceremony that the authority of the Great Power, the Universe, of One Spirit Tribe and of the great prophets and saints is bestowed upon the new Elder.  
  It is through the ceremony of Supreme Instantiation of the Powers and Authority of Elder that the ceremonial and real spiritual powers of an Elder are bestowed.  
84.5 Executive Power  
  By this Covenant, the Elder is vested with the executive authority to manage the needs and affairs of the local community through the selection or dismissal of wise counsel in the form of the Local Board of directors and administration staff of the local community.  
84.6 Ceremonial and Spiritual Power of Elder  
  By the authority of this Covenant, by its blessed conjoining with Article 142 of the Holy Covenant of One Heaven and by the power and authority given under Clause 142.2 through the ceremony of Supreme Instantiation of the Powers and Authority of Elder, an Elder shall have the following real ceremonial and spiritual authorities:  
  (i) Only men and women who have been Instanced as an Elder and properly certified and licensed may perform weddings, baptisms, funerals and all other official community ceremonies; and  
  (ii) When an Elder speaks in regards to the holy scripture of One Spirit Tribe, it shall be recognized as having authority within his community; and  
  (iii) An Elder shall have the spiritual authority to perform cleansings, so that what they decree on Earth shall be bound in heaven and the spirit world; and  
  (iv) An Elder shall have the spiritual authority to perform exorcisms, so that what they decree as authority over disruptive spirits they shall be bound in heaven and the spirit world; and  
  (v) An Elder shall have the spiritual authority to perform bindings so that what is decreed as bound on Earth in regards to justice and equity shall be bound in heaven and the spirit world; and  
  (vi) An Elder shall have the spiritual authority to perform blessings so that what is decreed as blessed on Earth shall be blessed in heaven and the spirit world; and  
  By this Covenant, only a Elder may perform certain ceremonies, blessings as defined in this Covenant.  
84.7 The Elder as an living instrument of power  
  By the very definition of the role, the Elder is the purest form of teacher and guide. It is for the value of the message and the discourse of knowledge. It is not for the closing or entrapment of mind, but the freeing of the chains that make us believe we are less.  
  The Elder embodies the very covenant of this Covenant and as such each Elder represents in themselves and their role an instrument of power- a living embodiment of this Covenant.  
84.8 Appointment of Elder to community  
  Elder shall be appointed to an Assembly by the responsible Chief Guru to which the Community is assigned. This appointment must then be validated by a simple majority vote by secret ballot of the Assembly at which all registered members of the community are required to vote.  
84.9 Tenure of Elder  
  The tenure of an Elder to an Assembly shall be for a fixed term of four (4) years. A Elder may remain the head of the same Assembly for a further four years only by the endorsement of the community by a simple majority vote.  
  A Elder may remain head of the same Assembly for a maximum of three terms (12 years) at which time they must resign. A Elder is ineligible to remain head of an Assembly if they turn 75 years of age.  
84.10 Temporary (Probational) Elder  
  A man or woman may be appointed as a temporary or probationary Elder, when:  
  (i) They represent the spiritual leader of an existing community of more than fifty (50) men and women; and  
  (ii) They are recognized as having sound spiritual knowledge of Hinduism, Buddhism and/or Indigenous spiritualism and the good guidance of a community; and  
  (iii) They have successfully become a full member of One Spirit Tribe; and  
  (iv) They represent a local community that has not had a permanent Assembly of One Spirit Tribe for longer than four years.  
  A man or woman shall not be permitted to be granted the status of Temporary Elder if any of these four (4) criteria do not exist.  
  A man or woman granted the status of a temporary or probationary Elder shall have the authority to perform the executive powers of an Elder, but shall not be granted the full spiritual and ceremonial powers of an Elder until they have been certified and are granted permission to undertake the official ceremony of Supreme Instantiation of the Powers and Authority of Elder.  
  Certification of temporary or probationary Elder shall be the responsibility of the Regional Executive, or if no regional executive yet exists it shall be the National Executive. If no National Executive exists it shall be the Supreme Executive, or the temporary administrator.  
  All temporary Elder must be certified as full Elder within twelve (12) months of being granted temporary Elder status. If a temporary Elder is not granted full Elder status within twelve (12) months, they shall be de-registered as a temporary Elder and lose all privileges and status associated with such temporary position.  
     
     
     
     
     
 
 

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