VIRTUS Charter

[Arria Perreault]

The Monastery is in Alpine Meadow. This is time to developp its activities. As it was always told, the Monastery will be managed by a non-governmental and non-profit organization named Virtus. To start this NGO, we have to discuss its charter. I propose here a draft for the discussion. It is inspired by discussions and propositions (in forums or in-world), models of charters. Feel free to discuss here.

Before the NGO Virtus is officially exists, the Monastery will start activities. I am working on an in-progress exhibition in the Chapel about medieval tapestries. I have decorated a big Christmas tree with traditional decorations (like apples).

I take the opportunity to thank everyone who has supported this project, with donation, with time, with logistic (especially the plot where have started to build), working to the building, giving inputs, ....

CHARTER VIRTUS - draft

Virtus

Virtus is a latin word which mean "courage". By extention, it is the moral courage to obtain wisdom. The root of the name is also connected with the latin medieval term virtualis, that evolves in « virtual ».

The NGO

Virtus is a non gouvernmental and non profit organization located in the Confederation of Democratic Simulators (CDS). The aim of the NGO is the development of activities connected to wisdom, meditation, knowledge. It is a non-religious and a non-ideological group. These activities can held in the different places of spirituality in the CDS sims : the Church of Neufreistadt, the roman temples of Colonia Nova and the Monastery of Alpine Meadow. The Monastery is owned by Virtus and is also its main place.
The Monastery
The Monastery is a public building, open to everyone, even when there is no activity. People can met there, explorate, relax. Members of the Virtus group are encouraged to spend time in the Monastery to welcome people.
The land where the Monastery is located was bought with donations. It is owned by the group. In case of dissolution of Virtus, land and building go to the CDS. The building of the Monastery is under the protection of the Chancellor. That means that the building, even owned by others, cannot be removed or modified without Chancellor’s assentiment.

Membership

Everyone who accepted the goals of the Monastery can be member of Virtus, Virtus has several type of members. Here are the titles of the different members (with a greek terminology)

- Bouleutes (advisers): the bouleutes have accepted to pay regulary a part of the fees for the land where the Monastery is based.
The fees for the land are divided in 12 parts. The bouleutes can have several parts. When leaving the NGO (or changing the statute), the bouleutes try to find a new member. All the Bouleutes form the Boule (or Council)
- Demiourgoi (workers): the demiourgoi are the builders involved in the building and improving of the Monastery.
- Sophistes (wise people): the sophistes are involved in Virtus as project or activities organizers.
- Philoi (friends): the philoi of the Monastery are interested to participate to activities and to be informed about the projects of Virtus.

Boule or Council

The Council has three or more members, it has to elect :

- a chair : responsable for the agenda and the promotion of Virtus and the Monastery
- a treasurer : responsable for the finance
- a secretary : responsable for information and archiving of activities

They meet regularly in the meeting room of the Monastery. The Council meetings are held in english with chat (no voice).

Tasks of the Council:

- programm of activities
- finances
- promotion and information
- improvement of the building (in collaboration with demiourgoi)
- dissolution (if 2/3 of the members agree)

Activities

Virtus organizes activities conform to its goals. There are several types of activities :

- exhibitions
- events : music concerts, singer or musician performances, storytelling, conferences
- debates and discussions
- regular activities : cycle of conferences, courses, meditation groups, …

Projects

Everyone, member or not of Virtus, can propose a project to be held in the Monastery. The Council decides if the project is conform to the goals of Virtus and provide the space and the time for the project.
The Council can also propose its own projects and has to find financement for them. It can also accept project that are financed by others. Virtus does not have to finance projects proposed by others. Virtus can also collorate with RL institutions for projects.

Financing

- Members fees (only for land fees)
- Donations (for activities)
- Sales (for activities)
- Subsidies (for activities)

Virtus Assembly

Alle the members of Virtus can take part to the Assembly. They meet twice a year, near the date of the solstice.

Tasks of the Assembly:

- verification of the financial activities
- discussion of the programm of activities
- discussion about the building

[Gwyneth Llewelyn]

Thank you so much for publishing the charter, Arria

Please count me in as a member, at the very least...

And on the first group meeting, I might drop in the suggestion of Virtus also "buying" the Neufreistadt Kirche and the Colonia Nova temples... which will be a long discussion, I'm sure

[Arria Perreault]

Thank you for the comments on the Charter, that I received in-world. The only thing to change is to make the Council or Boule, more open. That means that Demiourgoi (workers)and Sophistes (wise people) are also members of the Council. They can also get a part of fee. In fact, it is possible to support only paying a part of fee, or paying a part of fee and building, or paying a part of fee and organizing activities (and building too), or building, or organizing activities. All the active poeple are the Council and have a vote. These people and the Philoi (Friends) are the Assembly (in greek "Ekklesia").

I will make the changes in the text.

Blog

To promote the Monastery outside the CDS and outside Second Life, I have opened a blog in Wordpress:

http://ammonastery.wordpress.com/

Activities

Several people have projects for the Monastery. In January, I will try to speak with them and set a schedule.

I will prepare an exhibition about the transmission of texts from the Antiquity to us, through Monasteries. For this exhibition, I am looking for a special animation that I have found in SL: a writing animation. If you go in the Library, you have chairs and tables for copists. I would like to add a animation making people writing. Does anyone know where I can get it? Or can someone do it for the Monastery?

As you know, democracy is born in ancient Greece. I will present a short conference about the birth of democraty in ancient Greece, January the 9th (wednesday) in the Monastery Chapel.

Finances

I have created an avatar to keep the money of the Monastery: Mona Schism. I will transfer every donation to her.
The Monastery has received donations for fees and activities. All the people interested to get a part of fee can contact me.
I have also put some little pieces for sale in the Monastery: wood for the chimney and an edelweiss scarf.