PURPOSE
The Constitution describes the community's purpose as: to be a diversity of people showing by example a way of living in the world in alignment with Spirit, in cooperation with each other and in service to the Earth. The Constitution creates a community-wide structure designed to facilitate and enable this purpose, primarily by improving communications, understanding, and cooperation within the community.
MEMBERSHIP IN THE ASSOCIATION
Our community is not all on one piece of land and can't be defined geographically. The Constitution defines the community instead through the organisations that are part of it. These can include charities (eg The Findhorn Foundation, Trees for Life); businesses (eg Findhorn Flower Essences, Phoenix Community Stores); associations (eg Findhorn Bay Community Association); or informal groupings (eg The Youth Project, a crafts persons' network). Organisations that fulfil certain basic requirements and choose to join the community become organisation-members.
Organisation-members are the doorways through which individuals become people-members of the community. Anyone who is a member of, employed by, or otherwise significantly involved with an organisation-member, and has been for more than 12 months, automatically becomes a regular member of the community, unless he or she chooses not to accept membership. There is also at least one "Association of Independents" to serve as a gateway for those who are not otherwise significantly involved with the other organisations yet want to be part of the community and are aligned with its purpose. Those involved for less than 12 months can become non-voting provisional members.
The Constitution recognises regular members as the community's highest embodied authority. We, who have chosen to work and live here in alignment with the community's purpose, are able, through the Constitution, to exercise our authority through the right to vote in referenda and for candidates, to stand for election, to raise petitions, to amend the Constitution should the need arise, to participate in membership meetings and to use those community services which the new structure will develop.
'LISTENER-CONVENORS'
The facilitation of better communications and cooperation within the community begins with this unusual role. These two elected, paid, full-time people - a man and a woman not in a primary relationship with each other - serve the community by listening to the members, sensing the pulse of the community, being spiritually attuned to its purpose, identifying key issues, and focusing appropriate community attention on these. They have the power to convene meetings, initiate games, catalyse new groups, and in other ways help the community take its next steps in areas as diverse as economic development and connection to Spirit. Their function is to accelerate the evolution of the community and its members toward their highest potential. They are also the non-voting co-chairs of the Council (see below), focusing the Council's attention on the issues that truly concern the community.
THE COUNCIL
This is a voluntary body of twelve members, elected in a secret ballot by the members using the same single-transferable-vote system used to elect the Constitutional Committee. It addresses policy issues related to the whole community, prepares the annual budget for approval by the membership, and otherwise manages the community-wide structure. The Council admits Organisation-Members and can, as a last resort, with due process, expel individuals and organisations from membership.
The Council also appoints groups with advisory or special roles that serve the community. Chief among these are Peacemakers, who mediate disputes which are not completely within a single organisation; Neighbourly Relations, a group that includes local non-members and establishes and maintains good relationships with others nearby, in the immediate Findhorn-Kinloss-Forres vicinity; and Global Elders, three to five individuals living further afield who are respected, willing and available to bring a global perspective to community affairs.
FORUM OF ORGANISATIONS
Organisation-members do not have voting rights or decision-making powers in the community-wide structure, but they can participate in a regular Forum with fellow organisations, in order to devise, explore and put into practice mutually beneficial ideas that also serve the community's Purpose. This Forum will also advise the Council on a regular basis.
Link to view the whole NFAConstitution.