We welcome all who aspire to our standards, and wish to join us in our pursuits.
Our Motto/Toast: “PEACE, POWER, and QUALITY”
Peace – What we all seek
Power – How we safeguard it
Quality – The standard by which we achieve it
Symbol:
All members shall proudly adorn themselves with a symbol of the group.
{WHAT WILL IT BE?}
Enlightenment Based Values
Equality and Progress through the advancement of Community and Knowledge. Endeavour to foster and embrace Art and Science both – Literature, Dance, Physics and Math, Music, Story-Telling of all kinds. Appreciate traditions, but embrace innovation. Through diversity and perspective we discover new achievements and continue to create an equal, good and prosperous community that may survive the assails of time and universe at large.
The strongest, most high moral value: Truth – When you lie, you murder a part of the world. Never say to a member what you would not be willing to say to any other. Our actions express and exemplify our values – but let it not be limited to only within the group. The world must see your commitment to these principles, do not shirk or hide from them, regardless the cost.
How we Operate
When we come together Knowledge Speaks, and Wisdom Listens. In all things, there will be leaders and followers but this changes based on circumstance, goal, and challenge – these 2 principles feed into every project/undertaking of the group to ensure success. Experience is gained by being encouraged and allowed to take advantage of opportunity; failure is an opportunity to learn for all. Doubt and dissent are part of open dialog, but once a plan is committed, support is critical and should be unwavering until a safe outcome is achieved.
Failure in upholding our values is a Failure of Character and a pathway to expulsion.
Exploiting camaraderie; the largess of hosts, the good fortune of others who share
Failure to come to the defense of the group; in time of crisis we depend on each other
Only true and confirmed members may join in the toast. Those that usurp this right are to be foiled and ridiculed, treated with disdain and scorn.
Joining Our Coterie
The group is limited to individuals (not couples or groups) who strive to create the society we want to be part of; There is a dedicated pathway to membership. Whereas some folk may not be physically or mentally capable of fulfilling the coterie commitments, allowances can be made. Family comes with membership, and a willingness to help said families. When a home is shared, when food and drink is shared, when time is shared, it is often at the expense of a connected family – a family that also supports that member and enables them to carry on the greater work of the coterie and this must be acknowledged, embraced and supported.
ANNOTATED
We present a simple, single page summary to the world. The inner operations of the group shall be documented through an annotated charter, which explains the things that need to be in detail. This is purposely kept open and without so many strict rules and regulations. We forge bonds to bind us, words, actions, and outcomes are more important that a document in a final assessment of a brother or sister in the coterie.
Ceremony
Our ceremony and salute revolves around our motto. At every event, gathering, and occasion only members shall be allowed to enjoin in the [sacred] toasts:
“Gallants for Life! Peace, Power and Quality!”.
Call > “Gallants – Why do we toast!?” Response > “To affirm our bonds to each other!” Follow > “For it is our doom that we forget!”
Peace – We seek peace and stability but recognize that not all conflict can be settled through peaceful means. And that stability is good, innovation is also a good and requires change and may come into conflict. Each provides in these conflicts according to their means and will to ensure peace – for in peace is the chance to grow and prosper.
Power – A sole reliance on the quality of others and ourselves would be be naive to ensure peace. To this end, power – as individuals and as a group together must become powerful; powerful in knowledge, wisdom, temperance, and physical prowess to overcome obstacles that would see the coterie and the larger world driven back into base vileness of fear, squalor, ignorance and poverty. The use of force is only as last result, nor should it be tolerated in others.
Quality – Though it may seem subjective the quality of an individual is based on their willingness to follow and suffer if need be for the coterie goals and principles. That means taking time out of your schedule, perhaps physical pain in assisting with an activity to support members, etc. A quality individual is one whom can be counted on to do what they say, embrace the principles, pursue them in life, family, and work.
Operations
In reality, those with more experience will likely speak more, but it is also incumbent upon them to raise everyone else up. We should never suffer much from the concept of “cutting the head off and the body will follow” – no, the coterie endures and no member is irreplaceable, nor should we become too dependant on one member. In operations, some times an individual will make decisions, and sometimes a group. In absence of any acknowledged representation, a decision is made by polling members after those who wish to speak in furtherment of a cause have done so – each member has one vote. In the case of a tie, dialogue until it is no more.
Values
Entities must espouse most or all the values before coming to the group.
Clean Slate – When you join, all past lies are renounced and you shall tell the truth and be open and honest going forward. There shall be no criticism of past lies or omissions upon joining, nor judgement thereof. The teachings, bonds, and inspiration of the coterie shall supersede anything in the past.
Enlightenment Principles – We are open to all ideas, and they stand on their merits. As a group, we endorse no outside ideology or agenda but our own, no nation, no gender, no culture, no belief in a specific deity, currency or supremacy of any material object. Personal members may have their own beliefs and are welcome to share them but expose themselves to criticism and dialog in doing so.
Each self is responsible for them AND together the group. Being as there are certain practices that alter the mind and body, these should be addressed explicitly. We hold no positions on them, as with everything it is a tool to an end (not the end itself) – meditation, prayer, etc. Respect any feedback about your state impacting members negatively when using:
Alcohol: Its a depressant, so be aware of its ability to bring you down.
Drugs: Some folk can handle them, others cannot; drugs generally don’t make a moment, though they may enhance it.
Smoking: This is a public health issue and not generally allowed in our group, vaping is acceptable as it has much less harmful effects (please study your substance and pipe – there are many thing as bad as cigarettes out there!).
Affiliations – We are part of the universe at large, and there are larger and smaller groups that members may be part of, or even the group may decide to aspire to and be bonded to or connected to a group or organization. The nature of the affiliation must always be clearly defined in terms of the precedence of the group’s values and primacy of defense.
THE WAY OF THE COTERIE
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The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings…
As the shadow follows the body,
As we think, so we become.
-From the Dhammapada, sayings of the Buddha
Joining The Gallantine Coterie – The Full Path
To this, we have a set of activities that every member must go through in order to join in toasts and any serious business or defense regarding its members. Each member shall be maintained in this process with a list of requirements, the date and circumstance of the member fulfilling them. A simple majority vote shall decide if the requirements are fulfilled if there is any doubt. Biased votes or the buying of votes can be grounds for expulsion.
To prove yourself worthy….
Be able to recite the WAY OF THE COTERIE (or at least capture the idea behind each stanza)
Call on the group to aid them – once
Are you moving? Your parents moving? Have an injury and need care for a week? Emergency?
Sing with the group – thrice
Bring printed or easily disseminated digital version of a song to be sung with the group
Read poetry with the group – twice
Read aloud TO the group a long work of poetry
Tell a story with the group – once
Read aloud TO the group a chapter of a novel, or a short story or long song
Pitch in with helping a group member personally – thrice
Same sort of event you would call on others to help you with
Pitch in with helping at a group activity – twice
Contribute to setup, cleaning, providing food and/or drink, and in the activity going on
Host a social gathering of the group – once
This means you coordinate the space, activities, food and drink. It can be as modest as poker night with gatorade and pretzels, but being a good host and understanding the host’s role is important. Ultimately those that have in abundance share with those that do not, and all must appreciate and foster the great fortune of the larger group.
Attend a social gathering of the group – thrice
Represent the group at an external function – once
Volunteering physically with the USO, a nursing home, etc., or coordinating an event for several others to do so
Swearing In
Being that ____ has given in word and deed, the proof of their commitment to our standards and ideas, they are therefore accepted into the Coterie of the Gallantine. The gallantry, respect, and responsibility of being a member is hereby conferred on them forever and until the end, unless they prove of unsound character and are expelled.
They have fulfilled all obligations currently known for joining.
They are embraced by the multitude of existing members.
They join of free will and sound mind.
With them may come their family, which only makes our greater one stronger.
They willingly give themselves to the bonds of friendship and hardship, to share in the exploration and effort of new achievements, new knowledge, new ideas, and to reaffirm the ties that continue to bind us in tradition that make us strong, stable and grounded.
Creating the Coterie
It’s generally acknowledged that the experience of the older members is going into forming the basis of the club. This is not intended to be a one man show, but a lot of time and thought has been put into the idea by Kelly Berger and it’s a fair assessment that the starting point is something he can be trusted with.