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The Required Home Study Course
Traditional Approach
Lifetime Membership is conditional upon successful completion of the required Home Study course, "Kindling the Sacred Hearthfire" (or "Tribes course"). This applies equally to new and returning members who have never taken the course. Though study is self-directed, upon enrolment you will be assigned a tutor or mentor to provide guidance and help as you progress through the course. The nine monthly lessons (Welsh, "Gwersu") begin 21 November and end 21 August of each year. Each provides excerpts of tales from early Avalon's Sacred Story Cycle as handed down through our oral tradition. (As a primarily oral tradition, it would be inappropriate to publish the whole Story Cycle. Those wishing to hear more must seek out Avalon's Singers around the winter hearthfire and hear the tales told even as the ancestors likely heard and told them).
Each of the nine lessons is divided into three parts prefaced by a story segment and ending with an assignment: Endeavors, the Hunt, and Cycle Lore. It is neither expected nor desired that Aspirants strive for some "ultimate right answer"; those of us with experience of Avalon's Druid Way know that every answer is really a momentary observation in an ever-unfolding and evolving process. Instead, we view these assignments more as progress reports on current questions, observations, and experiences during continuing explorations. Two projects bind the lessons together, leading the Aspirant ever further into the heart of Avalon, center of the Nine Tribes.
In order to successfully complete this course and become an ADO member, you will need: a strong command of the English language; an open mind and heart; to be able to follow instructions; a keen interest in discovering truth through research, shared explorations, and personal experience; a love of folklore and folk custom; a willingness to "do first and doubt later"; to put aside conditioned responses, mainstream assumptions, and conventional ways of thinking and being; the courage to face and change your own patterns and redefine yourself, your relationships, even reality itself; a dedication to service for its own sake, and not for personal power or glory; and the discipline to dedicate the necessary time and energy that real, lasting healing, self-transformation, and relationship require.
"Seed Package"
No grove or garden can grow without seeds, and any gardener will tell you it is better to plan ahead than to uproot and start over once things are established. The same is true when growing and tending a spiritual community. We work hard to ensure that our members are those who will be made most happy by following our spiritual path, and this means providing you adequate information to make an informed decision about joining. Sometimes the only way to be sure something feels right is to try it out for awhile. To this end, we have prepared a "Seed Package" for prospective members containing a pamphlet on the Order and Tribal community, the first two lessons of our nine-part Home Study, plus notices of any upcoming "open" ADO gatherings and events.
Full Enrolment (Provisional or "Aspirant" Membership)
You can enroll directly in the full nine-month, tutored Home Study Course (21 Nov. - 21 Aug.)* or continue where the "Seed Package" left off by paying the balance due in full before the published deadline. Applications are accepted during the Samhain (1 November-1 January) and Beltane (1 May - 1 July) portals. Seekers visiting our site during the winter and summer months between portals are invited to explore the website and post to the public area of our Forum (see theEvents_Forums page, this website). Getting to know us a bit better will help you feel more confident about your decision, while you await your chance to apply. Upon enrolling you will receive:
All Lessons necessary to complete the Home Study Course, "Kindling the Sacred Hearthfire"(our 9-mos. Home Study on ADO spirituality and community).*
Guidance by assigned ADO tutors for the duration of your Home Study enrolment.
Access to some "members-only" resources (e.g. our chatroom, forum, some web pages).
Aspirants whose petitions for Lifetime Membership are approved by the Elder Council also receive TheBook of Tribes, 2nd Edition upon formal induction into the Order.
Because the Home Study is experiential rather than academic, members come from diverse backgrounds, creating a stimulating environment and enhancing the potential for group sharing and community discussion.
* Special Course Schedule for Aspirants in the Southern Hemisphere: 21 May - 21 February each year. Please note "Southern Hemisphere" on your application before submitting, and allow extra time for your payment to be delivered.
Late enrolments are accepted up to two (2) months after the start of coursework, provided that full payment has been received. Aspirants who fall more than two (2) months behind submitting assignments will be withdrawn and re-enrolled the following year. Aspirants are allowed three (3) attempts to complete the course before their applications are refused. Regrets, but we do not grant refunds for missed coursework or ship lessons to Aspirants who are withdrawn from the course.
A Note on Youth Memberships
Under-age children and youths* may be enrolled as Youth members for an additional fee ($25.00 USD per each additional family member) with the prior written consent of both parents or legal guardians, provided that at least one (1) parent or legal guardian has successfully completed the Aspirant course, been inducted as a Lifetime Member, and maintains current, active membership with the Order. Youth members are not required to enroll in the Aspirant course because it is assumed that the member parent(s) or guardian(s) will teach the material and practice it with them.
Because children and youths cannot give informed consent or make binding vows on their own behalf, Youth memberships are provisional, expiring when young members reach the legal age of independence. Upon expiration of the provisional membership Youths become Candidates for Lifetime membership, and must satisfy the Council or its designated authority that they have mastered Aspirant level skills and knowledge of the Tradition. (If not, this requirement must be met before requesting to join.) The Council or its designated authority must also be satisfied that the Candidates' core beliefs, ethics, values, and conduct, as demonstrated over the course of the provisional membership, are in harmony with those of the Order before requests for Lifetime Memberships can be approved. Candidates must then decide whether to make the commitment to Lifetime Membership or strike out on their own. Youths who become Lifetime Members are inducted at the same annual ceremony as Aspirants.
Children, Youths, and Candidates must apply to join ADO of their own free wills. We do not permit members to exert undue influence or coerce young people into joining or remaining as members. It is natural to want your friends and family to share your spiritual path, but we each have a unique destiny to fulfil and not all people will fulfil their destinies here. Children are impressionable and easily intimidated; please approach them with the consideration and sensitivity this matter deserves.
*For membership purposes, "under-age" is defined as being "under the age of independence (or adulthood)" according to the laws of the country/region where you reside.
Course (or "Aspirant") Fee
"Kindling the Sacred Hearthfire" offers a rare glimpse of the root wisdoms of the Avalon Mystery Tradition and provides an invaluable guide to life in the ADO spiritual community. You may find other courses and books on "Avalon", but you will not find these traditional teachings anywhere else. These resources represent an incomparable resource to anyone seriously pursuing the study and practice of Avalonian spirituality. The nominal fee helps to defray the cost of providing the course and related community resources. Lessons are sent on the 21st of each month as PDF or MS Word "read-only" email attachments. The list of candidates approved for Lifetime Membership is announced annually on 21 September (21 March for S. Hemisphere Aspirants). New Members receive a Lifetime Member Certificate and invitation to the annual Dedication/Induction Ceremony. As Dedicants, they may continue study and spiritual practice through our e-community or as part of an ADO Learning Circle or Grove.
Applying to Join
You are now arrived at the moment of decision. You have made a thorough examination of the website. You've studied our member requirements, read our e-Journal, and spent time getting to know us at our Forum. Now the portal has arrived: Only you can say whether Avalon, her Tradition, this Order, and this commitment are right for you; and only you can take the steps that will open your mind, heart, and spirit to change. By your own thoughts, words, and deeds will your path be forged: pause, then, to consider ... and however your steps may lead you, may your journey be blessed!
* MEMBERSHIP OPEN ANNUALLY AT BELTANE AND SAMHAIN *
Provisional ("Aspirant") Membership begins 1 November or May 1 with enrolment upon conclusion of the course. Enrolment may be terminated by either the Aspirant or the Order for reasons of noncompliance or incompatibility. The Aspirant/Home Study course runs from 21 November to 21 August each year.
Lifetime Membership follows successful completion of the course and unanimous approval of the ADO Elder Council, and begins with your formal oath of membership at the time of Dedication. Membership is conditional upon your continued compliance with all member requirements.
Regrets, but we cannot accept late enrolments after the deadline or refund fees due to withdrawals and/or refusal of Lifetime Memberships.
INSTRUCTIONS: After studying our website, governing documents, and looking into your own heart...
Please complete all form fields before submitting. Applicants submitting as a family must be relatives living in the same household. The "primary" family member is defined as the head of household. All information gathered is kept strictly confidential, and is used only for maintaining membership records. Your information will not be sold, shared, or published outside the Order without your prior permission, except as required by US law for tax or law enforcement purposes. Returning Members, please see the last section of this form for special terms and conditions that may apply.
SECTION ONE
SERVICES REQUESTED
(Choose the option that best suits your needs. Payment options shown at bottom of form.)
SECTION THREE
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
(Verifiable through free online directory sources, or as provided by applicant via copy of a recent utility bill showing name, address, and phone as given on application, with account and payment information blacked out.)
SECTION TWO
MEMBERSHIP FOCUS OF PRIMARY (ADULT) MEMBER
(Choose the options that best describe your intended focus as a member.)
LEGAL NAME OF PRIMARY MEMBER
(First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name)
POSTAL ADDRESS
(Street, House or Apt. Number, City, State, Zip)
HOME PHONE
(Country Code, Area Code, Local Exchange, Phone Number)
WORK PHONE
EMAIL ADDRESSES (Home & Work)
DATE(S) OF BIRTH OF PRIMARY MEMBER OR COUPLE
FULL LEGAL NAMES OF ALL OTHER MEMBERS ENROLING
(F. Name, M.I., L. Name; separate individuals using (;) semi-colon)
ADO MEMBER NUMBER (Former ADO Members Only)
SECTION FOUR
PERMISSIONS & LEGAL ATTESTATIONS
(Legal requirements for applying to join our membership and to enroll in the required Home Study course.)
Reminder to Parents or Legal Guardians: The Avalon Druid Order (ADO) is deeply committed to self-empowerment within community, and to ideals of personal responsibility, reliability, honesty, discipline, compassionate discernment, and assessment of real progress, as vital attainments for all members within the Order. Youth members are held to the same standards and attendance requirements as adults, but to succeed they need your cooperation and assistance. Please ensure that you are able and willing to provide appropriate support (transportation, supervision, garb and gear, etc.) to Youth members prior to giving your consent for membership. Parents/Guardians must submit a COPPA-Consent Forum for minor youth with application.
SECTION FIVE
MEMBER PROFILE(S)
(In order to match you with an appropriate tutor or mentor, please answer the following questions. If more than one person is applying to enroll, please provide the answers that are most accurate for you as a couple or group.)
PREFERRED ENVIRONMENT
(Rank the following from 1 to 5 in order of importance:
1= Least Important, 5= Most important)
Solitary
Cyber gathering
Adult or same-gender only
Grove
Home Study (classroom / correspondence)
Intensive workshop / immersion
Reading and/or pilgrimage
VOLUNTEER INTERESTS
(All ADO members volunteer in our community, whether as tutors or in other capacities. Which of the following would you most prefer to do?)
Administrative functions (board, officers, staff)
Public relations (getting the word out about ADO)
Fundraising
Events planning and management
Personal Assistant to Council & BoG Elders
Member publications
I/we don't wish to (or cannot) volunteer
BACKGROUND & REASONS FOR JOINING
(Choose the answer that most reflects your own feelings.)
Is this your first time on a Druid or Pagan path?
Please give us an overview of your prior experience(s), including the groups with which you studied and your level of attainment in each.
What attracted you to ADO?
What brings you to Avalon's shores?
PREFERRED MENTORING STYLE
(Rank the following mentor styles according to which you'd get on with best.)
Experiential, hands-on
Methodical, logical, probing
Dramatic, entertaining
Contemplative, humorous
Challenging, intuitive
Inquisitive, demanding
Detached, intellectual
Assuming that you complete all requirements and are accepted into our membership, what do you hope to gain by joining?
And what will you give in exchange for what you receive?
PREFERRED LEARNING STYLE
(Rank the following learning styles according to your personal preference.)
Academic (conventional classroom)
Laboratory (hands-on, experiential learning)
Trial and error
Lecture / Demonstration
Colloquy (question and response)
Exploration (quest or hunt)
Direct observation and contemplation
Ecstatic experience (visions, dreams)
Are you willing to subject your spiritual work to evaluation and verification by the Elders, and to abide by their findings with regard to its place in this Tradition?
INTERESTS IN ADO VISION & GOALS
(Rank the following according to their importance to you.)
Actively participate in a working spiritual community (membership) devoted to studying and practicing ADO spirituality.
Acquire lands for an ADO residential retreat/training center and future community, to be operated by live-in staff teacher/caretakers.
Attend local ADO spiritual and cultural events.
Create a Fund to aid low-income members in attending ADO spiritual events.
All prices are in US Dollars. Family Enrolment covers 2 sets of materials. The cost of 1 "Seed Package" may be deducted from an individual or family enrolment fee by choosing the appropriate "Remaining Lessons" option in the payment area below (applies only after purchase of a Seed Package).
Highest Quality & Best Value
Original, Authentic & Powerful!
[NOTE: Page translations provided for reader convenience. ADO makes no claim for accuracy and accepts no responsibility for issues arising from reader use of 3rd party translation services.]
Donate to foundations and charities preserving sacred sites.
Please list your natal Sun, Rising, and Moon signs, if known:
You have now completed the application for a "Seed Package" and/or Home Study Course enrolment. This form will be held for one year. Your place in the Home Study course will be confirmed upon receipt of full payment. Submission of this form serves as your legal attestation that you have read, understood, and agree to all terms and conditions of membership and enrolment. Your provisional membership begins upon receipt of enrolment and full payment at the ADO membership office.
To request special payment arrangements, please see our Payment Plan page. To reset the form and begin again, press "Reset". To submit your completed item request and/or member application/enrolment form, please press "Submit".
Payment Information
Payment for "Seed Package" and/or Home Study Enrolments may be made using one of two methods:
Method #1: By personal check or money order payable to:
Avalon Druid Order (ADO)
PO Box 62151
Ft Myers, FL 33906
For your own security, please include tracking when sending payments. Allow ten working days for delivery. (Note: A fee will be charged to the member's account each time a check is returned for payment.)
Method #2: [Currently unavailable] Charge/debit via the links below. (Addt'l provider terms and/or service fees may apply.) Please review all terms and conditions, then click one (1) time on each item to purchase.
NOTE: Families enrolling more than two people please click the "Couple or Parent" link one (1) time, then click "Addt'l. Family Member" one (1) time. Once in the pay site, change the quantity for "Addt'l. Family Member" to reflect the actual number of additional family members enrolling.
Standard Home Study Enrolment (starts 21 Nov.):
Once your full Home Study enrolment is paid, you become an Aspirant (provisional member). At that time, you will receive access to certain members-only resources and be approved to attend beginner chat lessons, when offered. The question of Lifetime Membership will be reviewed upon your successful completion of the required Home Study Course. Acceptance as a Lifetime Member is conditional upon the unanimous approval of the ADO Elder Council, whose determinations are based upon tutor and Council assessment of Aspirant assignments; active Chat/Forum participation; and demonstrable compatibility with ADO spirituality (core beliefs, traditional modes of learning, customs, spiritual tenets and practices, etc.). Aspirants will be notified of Council decisions by 21 September, 30 days after completing the Course. All determinations are final. For additional payment options and special considerations, please see "Assistance" (next page).
Thank you for your interest in Avalon Druid Order;
we look forward to sharing wisdoms with you!
PLEASE NOTE: Places are limited!
Applications are held for one year from the date of submission. Payments will only be accepted if places remain in the current course. Regrets, but lessons will not be shipped to Aspirants 2+ mos. behind in coursework or after withdrawal from the course, and there are no refunds.
Your request/enrolment constitutes your legal agreement to all applicable terms and conditions as published at this website. For more information or for clarification, please write:
ado_admin@avalondruidorder.org
Subject Header: Payments
Introductory Items:
First 2 lessons of ADO Home Study and information on membership. The $30 cost will be deducted should you decide to enroll for the whole course. (Simply click the "remaining lessons" link below):
Seed Package $30.00 USD
Remaining Lessons for couple/family ($420 USD)
Individual Home Study-Full Enrolment ($300 USD)
Couple's Home Study-Full Enrolment ($450 USD)
Add one (1) additional family member ($25 USD)
(REGRETS, ONLINE PAYMENT IS CURRENTLYUNAVAILABLE)
FORMER/RETURNING ADO MEMBERS
Members leave ADO for many reasons. Some wish to leave; others are withdrawn from the membership because of conflicts or incompatibility with our spiritual beliefs and practices. In the interest of maintaining harmony in our community, all former ADO members must, as a condition of elegibility for the Aspirant programme, first satisfy the ADO Elder Council or its designated authority with regard to the following:
Provide a statement explaining the reason you wish to return.
Obtain a clean spiritual bill of health from an ADO-approved Healer.
Resolve any outstanding disciplinary actions and/or violations remaining from past ADO membership(s).
Amend and resolve the causes of past problems, make reparation to the injured party/ies for wrongs done them during past membership(s), and take reasonable precautionary measures to ensure that the same conflicts or problems will not recur in future. (Where addiction was identified as a past membership problem, obtain a clean bill of health from a recognised treatment programme and show yourself fit to return to active membership.)
Be prepared to forfeit your claim to membership should any or all of the aforementioned problems and/or issues recur.
The Elder Council (or its designated authority) reserves to itself the right to assess each candidate's qualifications for Lifetime Membership and to refuse those candidates whom it deems unsuitable. Council decisions are based upon candidates' apparent compatibility with ADO tenets, customs, and beliefs, and their demonstrable conformance to member requirements. We regret any inconvenience or discomfort which may result from providing information we believe vital to ensuring the continued safety and harmony of our spiritual communtiy. Our thanks in advance for your cooperation and understanding. By submitting this application you do attest and affirm that you understand and agree to satisfy these requirements.
Remaining Lessons for one (1) individual ($270 USD)
Lifetime Membership is conditional upon successful completion of the required Home Study course, "Kindling the Sacred Hearthfire" (or "Tribes course"). This applies equally to new and returning members who have never taken the course. Though study is self-directed, upon enrolment you will be assigned a tutor or mentor to provide guidance and help as you progress through the course. The nine monthly lessons (Welsh, "Gwersu") begin 21 November and end 21 August of each year. Each provides excerpts of tales from early Avalon's Sacred Story Cycle as handed down through our oral tradition. (As a primarily oral tradition, it would be inappropriate to publish the whole Story Cycle. Those wishing to hear more must seek out Avalon's Singers around the winter hearthfire and hear the tales told even as the ancestors likely heard and told them).
