Annex 1 to the Eldership Agreement. Defines the operational charter of the Elder Council — its convening, decision-making, designated Council Seat, and the procedures through which it exercises the authorities granted in Agreement 8 §5. Forms an integral part of the Agreement.
Preamble
This Charter is the operational instrument of the Elder Council. Agreement 8 establishes the Council’s existence and authority. This Charter establishes how it actually convenes, decides, and acts.
The Charter is deliberately spare. The Council is composed of those who have been recognised as the network’s deepest holders of intent — they need procedures, not prescriptions. What is fixed here is what must be fixed for the Council to function legibly and predictably across time, hubs, and changes in membership. Everything else the Council shapes itself.
1. Constitution
1.1 The Elder Council comprises all natural persons who hold a current Agreement 8 (the “Elders”).
1.2 Eldership is conferred per Agreement 8 §3 (Transition Rite). New Elders take a seat on the Council from the date of the Rite, without further administrative action.
1.3 An Elder ceases to hold a Council seat upon voluntary withdrawal from Agreement 8 (Agreement 8 §8.2) or upon death. The Council marks both transitions in the Council record (§7.3 of this Charter).
1.4 The Council operates as a single body. It does not have a chair, president, or other hierarchical office. Coordination roles (convener, scribe, mediator) are functional and rotating, not positional.
1.5 Active and Emeritus Elders. An active Elder is one who has affirmed active Council participation for the current year (§6.6 of this Charter; Agreement 8 §8.5). All other Elders holding a current Agreement 8 are Elder Emeritus. Quorum (§3.5), the default decision rule (§4.1), and the supermajority counts (§4.2) are computed on active Elders. An Emeritus Elder retains full Eldership standing, hospitality, named legacy, and voice and presence in deliberation, but does not vote on the Council’s authorities (§5.4) or its Allocation bucket (§5.5) and is not counted in those quorums. The transition is reversible per Agreement 8 §8.5; the convener records each move in the Council Record (§6.1). An Elder is deemed active from the date of their Transition Rite until the close of the first annual gathering that follows it; and upon the adoption of this provision, all Elders are deemed active until the first annual affirmation cycle (§6.6) has been held. No Elder is ever Emeritus for want of an opportunity to affirm.
1.6 Voice for the Land and the Unborn. The Council designates, as a rotating functional role (§1.4), a Voice for the Land and the Unborn. Before any Covenant Signal (§5.1) or Allocation-bucket decision (§5.5), the Voice speaks into the record the interest of (i) the land, waters, soils, and living systems the network holds, and (ii) future generations, on the seven-generation horizon (GT-2.4). The Voice casts no additional vote; its function is to ensure the non-present whole is heard before the Council acts. Its contribution is noted in the Council Record (§6.1).
2. Council Seat
2.1 The Council Seat is the hub formally recognised as the network’s seat of elder governance. It hosts the annual gathering (§4 of this Charter) and serves as the standing point of reference for Council communications.
2.2 The Council Seat is designated by simple majority decision of the Council, in consultation with the relevant hub Owner (Agreement 1) and Steward (Agreement 3). Designation requires the host hub’s affirmative consent, recorded in writing.
2.3 The Council Seat designation is for a term of three (3) years, renewable. The Council may rotate the Seat among hubs on a longer or shorter cycle by Council decision.
2.4 The host hub of the Council Seat receives:
- Formal recognition in network communications and the Cheatsheet
- Inclusion of “Council Seat” status in its Hub DNA record (Agreement 1 Annex 5) for the duration of the designation
- Coverage of incremental hospitality costs for annual gatherings from the Council’s Operating bucket (cost-coverage under GT-4.4(b)) and Agreement 8 §5.5
2.5 If no hub volunteers as Council Seat, or if the current host withdraws, the Council convenes virtually until a successor is designated. The annual gathering may be held at any willing hub on a one-off basis until the Seat is re-established.
3. Convening
3.1 Annual Gathering. The Council convenes at the Council Seat at minimum once per calendar year (Agreement 8 §5.5). The annual gathering is open to observation by all network members; the Council may resolve into closed session for specific items at its discretion.
3.2 Standing Convening. The Council is in continuous session by default. It may deliberate and decide asynchronously through written communication, video conference, or any combination, between annual gatherings. There is no restriction on how often the Council meets.
3.3 Convener. Any Elder may convene a Council session by issuing a Notice of Convening (§3.4). The convener for that session serves as scribe and timekeeper for the duration; the role rotates with each new convening.
3.4 Notice of Convening. A Notice of Convening shall include: the matter(s) to be addressed, the proposed convening time and modality, and a deadline for Elder response. Notice is given to all Elders by reasonable means. The minimum notice period is:
- 48 hours for standing matters
- 7 days for decisions invoking any Council authority under Agreement 8 §5.4 (Covenant Signal, Integrity Review opinion, Probiviri opinion)
- No minimum for emergency matters affecting participant welfare or network integrity
3.5 Quorum. The Council is quorate when a simple majority of active Elders is present or has confirmed asynchronous participation. For decisions invoking Agreement 8 §5.4 authorities, quorum is two-thirds of active Elders.
4. Decision-Making
4.1 Default Rule. Council decisions are made by simple majority of those present and voting at the convened session.
4.2 Supermajority Decisions. The following require a two-thirds majority of all active Elders (not only those present):
- Issuing a Covenant Signal under Agreement 8 §5.4(a)
- Designating or re-designating the Council Seat
- Amending this Charter
- Selecting a successor entity in the context of GT-13.5 (Custodial Council activation)
4.3 Consensus Aspiration. The Council is encouraged but not required to seek consensus. Where consensus is not reached, majority or supermajority rules apply per §4.1 and §4.2.
4.4 Abstention. An Elder may abstain on any matter. Abstention does not affect quorum but is recorded in the decision log.
4.5 Conflict of Interest. An Elder with a material personal or professional interest in a matter shall declare it and recuse themselves from the decision. The remaining Elders constitute the deciding body for that matter.
5. Exercising the Council’s Authorities
5.1 Covenant Signal (Agreement 8 §5.4(a))
5.1.1 A Covenant Signal is a formal, public statement by the Council that a proposed or actual decision, action, or pattern in the network is judged to be in tension with the Regenerative Covenant (GT-2).
5.1.2 A Signal is issued by two-thirds majority decision of all active Elders (§4.2). The decision is recorded in writing and communicated formally to:
- The Association’s governing body
- The party or parties whose conduct is named in the Signal
- All hub Owners and Stewards
- The wider network through the Association’s regular communication channels
5.1.3 The Signal shall state: the specific decision, action, or pattern in question; the dimension(s) of the Covenant the Council judges to be in tension; the basis for the judgment; and whether the Council requests reconsideration, dialogue, or specific remedy.
5.1.4 The Association’s governing body has thirty (30) days from receipt to respond formally and publicly to the Signal. The response shall: address the substance of the Signal; state what action (if any) will be taken; and explain the reasoning. Silence or dismissal without response is a breach of Agreement 8 §5.4(a).
5.1.5 The Council may resolve a Signal at any time by majority decision (a “Resolution Notice”) if the matter has been addressed to its satisfaction. The Resolution Notice is communicated through the same channels.
5.2 Constellation Integrity Review (Agreement 8 §5.4(b))
5.2.1 Before any amendment to the Statute, General Terms, or any individual agreement in the constellation is ratified, the Association shall submit the proposed amendment to the Council in writing.
5.2.2 The Council has thirty (30) days from receipt to respond. Response options:
- No objection — the ratification process proceeds without delay
- Comment — non-blocking observations the Association is encouraged to consider
- Covenant Signal — issued per §5.1; suspends the ratification process pending the Association’s formal public response
5.2.3 Silence within thirty (30) days is treated as no objection. The Council may extend its own response window by majority decision communicated to the Association before the deadline.
5.3 Living Probiviri / Mediation (Agreement 8 §5.4(c) and GT-7.2)
5.3.1 When a dispute arising under any agreement in the constellation is referred to internal mediation (GT-7.2), the Council assumes the role of the Probiviri.
5.3.2 The Council designates from its members a Mediation Panel of three Elders for each dispute. Both active and Emeritus Elders (§1.5) are eligible to serve on a Mediation Panel — serving as a mediator is not an exercise of the Council’s voting authorities, and an Emeritus Elder may be exactly the member with the distance the role needs. The selection decision itself is made by the active Council. Selection takes into account:
- Absence of conflict of interest with any party to the dispute
- Relevant experience or knowledge of the matter
- Geographic and relational distance from the parties
- Elder availability and willingness
5.3.3 The Mediation Panel hears the parties, considers documentation, and issues a written non-binding opinion within sixty (60) days of referral, unless the parties agree to a longer period. The opinion is communicated to the parties and to the full Council.
5.3.4 Mediation proceedings are confidential. The Mediation Panel does not publish the substance of disputes or the opinion outside the parties involved, unless all parties consent.
5.3.5 A party that disagrees with the opinion retains all rights to proceed to external mediation (GT-7.3) or judicial recourse (GT-7.4).
5.4 Custodial Council Activation (Agreement 8 §5.4(d) and GT-13.5)
5.4.1 Upon receipt of formal notice that the Association has entered dissolution proceedings and ninety (90) days have elapsed without a successor entity being identified, the Elder Council automatically convenes as the core of the Custodial Council under GT-13.5.
5.4.2 The Custodial Council is constituted by all Elders — active or Emeritus (§1.5) — and all hub Owners (Agreement 1 holders) who choose to participate. In a dissolution scenario every willing hand counts, and the affirmation cycle may itself have lapsed with the Association; participation is in any case by choice. Owner participation is voluntary per GT-13.3.
5.4.3 The Custodial Council operates under this Charter for procedural matters, modified as follows:
- Decisions are by simple majority of all participating members (Elders + participating Owners)
- Selection of a successor entity requires two-thirds majority
- The Council Seat continues to serve as the operational base unless the host hub withdraws
5.4.4 The Custodial Council’s authority is defined by GT-13.5: administering the remaining Unified Fund for participant welfare; nominating and constituting a successor entity; maintaining continuity of relational obligations.
5.5 Mission Allocation (Agreement 8 §5.4(e) and GT-4.4)
5.5.1 The Elder Council holds allocation rights over the portion of the Unified Fund routed to it via upward overflow from all holons (GT-4.4(d)). Allocation is directed by collective Council deliberation toward Association mission spending serving integral regeneration.
5.5.2 Operating bucket. The Council retains a portion for its own governance operating costs (convening, deliberation, documentation, annual gathering costs), bounded by the target O_e per LGR-2. This bucket covers Council governance work only; it is not personal income to elders.
5.5.3 Allocation bucket. Beyond Operating, the Council deliberates collectively to direct mission spending. Recipients may include any holon, Steward, or programme serving integral regeneration. Allocation may include elderly-focused hubs and elder-serving programmes as mission-aligned uses, but always as mission spending on programmes, never as personal payments to elders or to Council members.
5.5.4 Procedure. Allocation decisions are made at a Council session (annual or specially convened). Every Allocation-bucket decision requires the two-thirds-of-active-Elders quorum used for the Council’s authorities (§3.5), so that the Council’s money is governed no more loosely than its speech; routine allocations are then decided by the default rule (§4.1) among those voting, and allocations exceeding the published delegated-authority ceiling (LGR-2) by the supermajority rule (§4.2). Each allocation decision is recorded in the Council Record with recipient, amount, mission purpose, and any conditions.
5.5.5 Anti-self-dealing. The Council’s Allocation bucket cannot fund personal payments to Council members or to any elder; Council members may participate in mission-aligned programmes the Council funds (e.g. activities at an elderly-focused hub), but participation is in mission activity, not as recipients of personal income. The Council’s Operating bucket covers Council governance work only.
5.5.6 Reporting. All allocation decisions are reported in the annual bilancio sociale, consolidated with the Association’s overall Unified Fund reporting.
5.5.7 Transparency and challenge. Beyond the annual report (§5.5.6), each Allocation-bucket decision is posted to the network through the Association’s regular channels within fourteen (14) days of the decision. A quorum of Members or Stewards - set by the Council and published as a living governance resolution (default: three Stewards or ten Members) - may, within thirty (30) days of posting, lodge a written query. The Council shall respond formally and publicly within thirty (30) days, mirroring the Association’s own duty toward a Covenant Signal (§5.1.4). A query does not suspend the allocation; it obliges a public answer. A pattern of unaddressed queries may itself be raised as a Covenant Signal under §5.1. This is the allocation-side counterpart to Covenant Custody: the body that names the network’s drift is itself answerable for how it directs the common reservoir.
6. Internal Procedure
6.1 Records. The Council maintains a Council Record documenting: convenings, attendance, decisions, and outcomes. The Record is the responsibility of the convener for each session and is consolidated into a permanent register held by the Council Seat host hub or, in its absence, by the Association as a service to the Council.
6.2 Public Communications. Decisions invoking the authorities under Agreement 8 §5.4 are public. Routine Council deliberations are not. The Council determines the public-or-private status of each decision at the time it is made.
6.3 Departure from Council. When an Elder withdraws from Agreement 8 or dies, the convener of the next session marks the departure in the Council Record. No replacement is appointed — the Council’s composition is determined entirely by who holds Agreement 8 at any moment.
6.4 New Elders. A new Elder is welcomed into the Council at the first session following their Transition Rite. Welcome is functional, not ceremonial — the Rite has already conferred standing.
6.5 Council Reflection. At each annual gathering, the Council reviews its own functioning over the past year and considers whether this Charter requires amendment. Amendments are by two-thirds majority (§4.2).
6.6 Annual affirmation of active standing. At each annual gathering, every Elder affirms whether they will hold active standing for the coming year (Agreement 8 §8.5; §1.5 of this Charter). Affirmation may be given in person, remotely, or in writing to the convener, and is recorded in the Council Record. An Elder who does not affirm passes to Elder Emeritus standing until they next affirm. Affirmation is a light act of presence, not a performance review or a re-qualification; it exists only so that the active Council renews rather than only accreting, and an Emeritus Elder may return to active standing at any time by affirming.
7. Relationship to Other Bodies
7.1 Association Governing Body. The Council and the Association’s governing body are independent. Neither holds a seat on the other. They communicate formally through the procedures in §5 (Covenant Signal, Integrity Review) and informally as needed.
7.2 Collegio dei Probiviri (transitional). Until the Council is constituted, the Collegio dei Probiviri (if elected) performs the internal mediation role per GT-7.2. Once the Council is constituted, the Probiviri role is absorbed into the Council per §5.3 of this Charter; the formal Probiviri body is not separately maintained.
7.3 Other Standing Bodies. Where the network establishes other standing bodies (governance committees, working groups, mission-aligned circles), the Council relates to them as peer bodies, not as a higher authority. The Council’s authorities under Agreement 8 §5.4 are exercised in relation to network-wide matters; day-to-day operational governance remains with the Association’s governing body and its delegated structures.
8. Charter Amendment
8.1 This Charter may be amended by two-thirds majority decision of all active Elders, taken at the annual gathering or at a session specifically convened for the purpose.
8.2 Proposed amendments shall be circulated to all Elders at least thirty (30) days before the deciding session.
8.3 Amendments take effect upon recording in the Council Record and notification to the Association.
9. Adoption
This Charter is adopted by the Elder Council at its founding session, recorded by the convening Elder, and communicated to the Association as the operational instrument of the Council.
Founding Session Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Convening Elder: _________________________
Elders present at adoption (signatures or named record):
The Council Record begins with this Charter as its first entry.