Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred

By-Laws (2025)

                                                                                              

• Name: The name of this Kindred shall be: Hallowed Ravens of Midgard. The business of the organization may be conducted as Hallowed Ravens of Midgard, Kindred, or any combination thereof.

Article II: Purposes and Powers

2.01 Purpose:

2.01A: Hallowed Ravens of Midgard will be run as a tribal/universalist Kindred and shall be operated exclusively to foster and grow the religion of Norse Paganism.

2.01B: Hallowed Ravens of Midgard will be funded via gifts and donations from the members of the Kindred when necessary.  

2.01 Powers: The organization shall have the power, directly or indirectly, in conjunction or cooperation with others, to do any and all lawful acts which may be necessary or convenient to affect the organization and its finances. The powers of the organization may include, but not limited to, the acceptance of gifts or funds/donations from the public or private sectors, whether financial or in kind contributions.

Article III: Officers of the Asatru Community

3.01 Chief Officers: Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred is based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and its chief officers will include the Council headed by the Gothi.

3.02 The Council: Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred day to day affairs will be managed by the Council, consisting of the following titles.

 

1. Gothi/Gothia
2. Skald
3. Drighten
4. Runemaster

             

 

3.03 The Council: The Council consists of volunteer Full Kindred Members who are serving as administrators.

 

Article IV: Applications

4.01 Types of Membership: There are two types of membership with Hallowed Ravens of Midgard. Each has its own process and is independent of each other.

4.01A Full Membership: Full members have full voting rights in all manners of business for Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred.  Full members must be Provisional Members and fulfill all prerequisites of Provisional Membership.  All founding members of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred will be granted Full Membership.  Full Members will be granted to right to conduct blots and ceremonies as needed.

4.01B Provisional Membership: Applicants are accepted based on information provided. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred reserves the right to reject any applicant based on lack of information provided. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard reserves the right to request additional information, put applications into internal review, or decline applicants until such time as we can gather the correct information. Applications can take an indeterminate amount of time to process as we may need to investigate applicants further. Applicants can appeal the rejection of an application via the appeal process set out in Article XI Appeals.  All applicants must be sponsored by a Full Member to be considered for Provisional Membership.  Provisional Members will be granted Full Membership once a series of tasks has been completed.  Each Full Member will give the Provisional Member a task to complete.  The tasks will include knowledge of lore, ceremonies, and a clear understanding of the Nine Noble Virtues.  A Provisional Member will be required to take part in 6 blots and at least 2 Kindred Meetings.  Provisional Members will not have a vote in Kindred business.  Full Membership will be granted after all prerequisites are fulfilled and a favorable vote it made by the Full Members of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred.  A majority vote is required to gain Full Membership. This is a ¾ ratio.

4.02 Application Process: Applications for membership may be completed via physical application. All applicants must, regardless of their location, provide full disclosure of their full name, legal address and other information via physical application. Applicants are not permitted to use a fake identity or a screen name on an application. If a member does not wish to have their identity known, they must request that in writing along with a reasonable explanation as to why this request is being made. Only in extreme situations will Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred comply with requests to obscure legal names. Identification will be required to perform background checks for sex offense and violent crimes. No exception.

4.03 Rejected Applications: The rejected application is filed in the database as a record only. The applicant is sent an email with the following: date of rejection, reason of rejection and the information for requesting an appeal. The applicant has 30 days to appeal the rejection. If they do not appeal within the specified time period Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred will consider the rejection as accepted by the applicant. Rejected applications who either did no appeal or appeal and were denied the appeal will be prevented from applying for 30 days. If an applicant is rejected more than 2 times may be prevented from applying in the future. These 2 rejections will include the rejected appeal. Applications that are rejected are kept on file for a period of no less than 1 year after which time they are disposed of in a proper manner.

Article V: Privacy

5.01 Privacy Policy: All information given to Hallowed Ravens of Midgard  Kindred will be kept confidential. Any information obtained via applications will not be divulged to any outside party for any reason unless in accordance with State law or required by a legally processed warrant. All applications provided to Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred are not available for public view. Members are allowed to remain anonymous to the public as long as they wish to do so. No member will be mentioned directly or indirectly without their prior permission. Full Members are allowed to participate in online communications using alternate names as long as

Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred has knowledge of the person’s true identity. Full Members, Provisional Members, Guests, The Council, and Founders are not required to tell anyone about their role and/or participation with Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred in any way that may violate their personal privacy rights. If any Full Members, Council member, Provisional Member, or Founder wishes to have access to their own records, they are fully able to view their own records at any time. They also have the right to request their file be destroyed, removed or closed should they wish to leave Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred or no longer participate in kindred events, workshops, notification lists or any other action. All physical documents will be destroyed by shredding.

Article VI: Meetings

6.01 Frequency of Meetings: The Gothi, And Council Members shall be in constant and frequent communication on all matters that pertain to the organizational structure or any other matter that concerns of involved the operation of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard  Kindred. At least once per quarter year, an official meeting will take place in which The Council will be updated on all projects and any issues or other matters by the members. A list of projects will be kept updated. The Council will conduct meetings at whatever frequency is deemed necessary. Meeting frequency will be determined by the Counsil. The meetings will be conducted by the Gothi, Counsil, and Volva.

Article VII: Duties

7.01 Exceptions: With the exception of the Gothi, Council, and any other member of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard  Kindred, no other person, organization, group or kindred shall be expected to perform any duties or serviced for Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred.

7.02 Who Can Perform Duties: Any Full Member can apply to perform duties with

Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred at any time that there is an open position. 

7.03 Protections: No member or non-member of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred shall, by force or coercion, be required to participate in any event or proceeding which may be deemed to be in conflict with or in opposition to the by-laws of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred, or the Asatru religion in general. This includes, but not limited to, involuntary service of any kind requiring the use and administration of otherwise binding oaths not based on the tenets and beliefs of the paganism faith in any fashion.

7.04 Duties:

7.04B Gothi/Gothia: Gothi/Gothi is the religious head of the Kindred and holds one vote in matters pertaining to Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred.  The Gothi/Gothia will write and conduct ceremonies, blots, and rites as needed by Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. Gothi/Gothia is not president, king/queen, owner, Chieftain. The length of term Gothi is or isn’t in office will be determined by the council, and then brought to the full members and another vote will be taken. 

7.04C Skald: The duties of the Skald will include but not be limited to: keeping all records of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred, keeping minutes of all meetings including votes, and serves other roles as needed. The Skald will be the primary contact for anything the Council needs unless the task specifically falls to the Gothi/Gothia. Skald will also be responsible for acting as treasurer. The Skald will be required to present documentation of any and all finances associated with Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. The Skald holds one vote in all matters of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. 

7.04D The Drighten: The Drighten is responsible for enforcing the protocols below.  He or she is the constable of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred.  It is the duty of the Drighten to maintain the wellbeing of Kindred members and keep them from harm,

whatever that may be.  The Drighten will have one vote in all matters Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred.

7.04E Runemaster/Volva: The Runemaster will be the primary source of teaching in the runes, as well as any divination, or magical practices. Other members may conduct rune classes with the approval of the Runemaster.  The Rune Master will hold one vote in all matters of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred.

All Position/Office holders within Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred must be voted in by full members. Positions may be nominated or volunteered by individuals. No positions will be assumed without a consent vote by all full members either in person or by proxy.

 

             

Article VIII: Finances 

8.01 How Funds Are Used: All funds donated to Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred for any purpose is to be used at the sole discretion of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred for religious purposes. The funds may not be used for personal gains or any activity which would be considered a “corporate venture”, an investment or any activity which is seen as a profit.

 Article IX: Codes of Conduct 

9.01 Codes of Conduct: There are two Codes of Conduct. These are the Internet Code of Conduct (Internet C.O.C.) and the Standard Code of Conduct (Standard C.O.C. All codes are maintained and updated by the Gothi, and Council. Any violation of these Codes of Conduct will be handled as deemed appropriate. 

9.02 Internet Code of Conduct: There will be no tolerance of racism against any religion, race or ethnicity is allowed. There are no exceptions to this rule. Harassment, be it sexual or otherwise, will not be tolerated. There will be respect of ideas and opinions regardless of personal beliefs. If a statement is made based on unverified personal gnosis (opinion) please state accordingly so there will be no arguments regarding the statement. Ideas are welcome. If the idea is not well known, please be patient and explain the idea. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred requests of its members that no thread or comment online should be deleted by the author. Administrators will not remove an online thread unless it violates the Codes of Conduct. All emails shall be retained for business purposes. Rude and disrespectful comments will not be tolerated. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred promotes online expression of ideas. If expression of those ideas becomes harassing, then those comments will be removed. Any issues with the Codes of Conduct or online messages need to be brought to the attention of the Drighten who will handle the matter. If the Drighten is unable to handle the issue, then the issue can be presented to the Council for vote.  Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred reserves the right to remove any unapproved links or ads posted online. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred requests that all content posted online through any site are properly sited if used or copies elsewhere. Please keep online content relevant to the heathen beliefs. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred will not be held liable for any content posted online through any site. 

9.03 Standard Code of Conduct: No kindreds, individuals, or groups of people that support racist ideas will be allowed to remain affiliated with Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred once Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred is made aware of the issue. Members must be respectful of each other. If an issue arises and is brought to the attention of the Drighten then a proper review and resolution will be conducted. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred is not a political entity nor will they become involved in any political activity. 

Article X: Ethics

10.01 Guidelines: All activities at Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred are dealt with in a highly ethical manner. No action shall be taken without discussion and reasonable research in relation to the consequences of change. Information is not shared with members outside of the Council. Private information is only shared in a manner conducive to business dealings. Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred is a religious organization and will base their actions on these beliefs. 

Article XI: Appeals

11.01 Appeal Process:  An applicant must send an email outlining the reason for the appeal request within thirty days of the rejection being received by the applicant. During the appeal, the applicant must answer any and all additional questions that might be asked of them. The decision of the Council is final.

11.02 Appeal Considerations: All further evidence and information will be considered in the event of an appeal. All applications are subject to the Code of Ethics and Codes of Conduct outlined in the Bylaws.

11.03 Automatic Rejection Reasons: The following reasons may be cited for rejection of an application: misrepresentation, failure to complete required criteria, providing improper payment, failure to adhere to the Codes of Conduct or Ethics, failure to treat members with respect or any action that may be detrimental to Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. No Sex Offender may apply. Any applicants with past charges must be discussed among the board, then the board must present to full members and a vote must then be taken. Any information not disclosed will result in automatic denial.

Article XII: Protocols     

12.01 Council Protocol: The Drighten will be responsible for banning any offending council member. The offending member will be banned until an investigation can take place. The investigation will be conducted by The Council. The Council will review the case and either decides to take further actions or to overturn the suspension and removal should no evidence be found. The offending council member may be allowed back into the group but not to the Council. The offending council member will only be allowed back into the Council if they demonstrate they have completely changed or have proven trustworthy. The Council will decide if the offending council member will be allowed back into the Council. A Council member will be considered offensive if any of the bylaws are broken.

Article XIII: Suspension, Revocation, Resignations, Cancelations

13.01 Full Members: Full members may have their membership suspended or revoked if they violate any C.O.C. A  Kindred member may also cancel their membership as long as they inform Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. A suspension of membership may be overturned by appeal. Notification of suspension must be provided to the member by the Drighten no later than 10 days prior to the suspension.

13.02 The Council: The Gothi, or Council may have their positions suspended or revoked if they violate any part of the C.O.C. or are caught in illegal or illicit activity. If a Council member has their position suspended or revoked, a Full Member may take over until such time as a new person can be elected to fill the vacant position. If a Council member wishes to voluntarily leave their position, they must turn in all business information used in their position.

Article XIV: An Outline of our Beliefs

14.01 Overview: Although Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred is a heathen organization we do not enforce or push any specific beliefs on those who attend or join Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. Our specific beliefs include acceptance of the Gods included in the Nordic Pantheon. We define ourselves as heathen and being true to the Gods of the Nordic Pantheon although our application of said path is our own and may be varied from other paths following the same faith. Our beliefs do not infringe on the rights of those who join to freely assemble, to conduct themselves according to their own conscious as long as they abide by the C.O.C. as outlined above. No dogmatic belief system will be present among Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. (example: Statement that Loki is not a god and shouldn’t be worshipped) will not be tolerated. Correct Statement example (I choose to not take part in the worship of Loki). This a the path of Norse Paganism and any other form of paganism the practitioner chooses to practice.

Article XV: Dissolution

15.01 Dissolution: Upon dissolution of this organization, assets shall be distributed between all the Full Members of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred. There is no single ownership of this kindred and will be run as a church under the guidelines of US. Code 501-C nonprofit religious organizations.

Any of the By-laws are subject to change any time and must be Signed by all Full members of Hallowed Ravens of Midgard Kindred each time the amendment is made. No exception.