Rules

 

1.1 The Guild of St.Stephen and St. George, hereafter known as The Guild, is a collegiate guild in livery and will run to a Classical Guild template, a tripartite system: Craft, Academic and Frith. (1)

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1.2 The Guild will remain a 'Roman Rule' Guild working within the guidelines of the Strasbourg Constitution. (1)

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1.3 The Guild will never become a club for the well-off.  Membership must always come from formal craft training or, for redemptive members, from meritorious servitude. (1)

 

1.4 The Guild Head Master will work on a voluntary basis for Gildencraft Stone masonry C.I.C. (Community Interest Company) or, in the future, an/other trading arm/s of the Guild, supervising projects and carrying out any work necessary.

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1.5 The Clerk of the Guild should always be at least a Director of Gildencraft Stonemasonry C.I.C. or any future trading arm/s of the Guild.

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1.6 A minimum of one and a maximum of three Guild craft members will be Directors of Gildencraft Stonemasonry C.I.C. or in the future another trading arm of the Guild.

 

1.7 The Guild, with Gildencraft Stonemasonry C.I.C., will work with the local community. The status of Gildencraft or any future trading arm of The Guild as a Community Interest Company can be voted on and changed by a majority of the total Guild membership where they feel this would be for the greater good of The Guild,

 

1.7.1 The Power to disengage the Guild from any trading arm, cease trading and liquidate the company is at the discretion of the Executive Craft Committee and craft and court membership.

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1.8 The Guild will not directly take on any contracts, all must go through Gildencraft Stonemasonry C.I.C or any future trading arm/s of the Guild.

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1.9 The Guild may not be used for political purposes and every care must be taken by all and singular members, especially in dealings with politicians, not to cause the name of the Guild to become embroiled in any political agenda.  Guild members maintain the right to hold and freely express their personal political views as an independent citizen and as distinct from their membership of the Guild. (1)

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1.10 The Guild, although holding traditional processions and feasts on the date of religious festivals, is not and will never be, a religious organisation. (1)

 

1.11 The Guild will attend services of all religions as courtesy and tradition requires.

 

1.12 The Guild will have exclusive clubs, open to Guild members only.

 

1.13 A library will be held and developed by the Guild for the free use of its members and paid use of the public.  Use, development and cataloguing of the Guild library will be overseen by The Clerk's Office and funded through this same office.

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1.14 A collection, including: geological, paleontological, architectural and cultural items, should be kept and developed by the Guild, as overseen by The Master's Office.  A fund should be set up to pay for the care of, and acquire new items for, the collection.

 

1.15 The Guild should carry out scientific, technical and historical research and study using it's collection.

 

1.16 Part of the Guild collection will be dedicated to studying and forming an archive relating to The Craft and The Guilds.

 

1.17 The collection should, in time, become self-funding, primarily through admission fee donations.

 

1.18 The Guild must keep abreast of financial markets, National and International politics, trends and fashions through the work of: The Clerk, The Head Master, the Trade and Industry Committee and the Investment Committee.

 

1.19 The Guild should never allow itself to be tied to a Council, Party, Nation or any other outside ideology. (1)

 

1.20 The Guild must never become an inward-looking local organisation and will, at the discretion of its constituent members, secure and develop working affiliations with partner organisations for the purposes of education, charitable initiatives and/or strengthening public relations. A separate Guild Affiliations Policy will govern all and any of these Guild affiliations.

 

1.21 The Guild, working with the United Guilds, should, where necessary, lobby to improve the lot of members regarding craft standards, employment rights and Health and Safety.

 

1.22 Guild members collectively should be carrying out a minimum of five academic studies at any one time.

 

1.23 The Guild will develop an academic apprenticeship aimed at those wanting a career with heritage organisations, giving a three-year craft training and 4-year academic study through a university. The Guild believes those running heritage projects should have some technical experience.

 

1.24 The Guild should encourage free-thinking, debate and competition, becoming a hot-house for new ideas, learning and innovation in the craft and in academia. (1)

 

1.25 The Guild collection and library shall be free to members, however, access to the Guild library and/or collection for any members using them for financial gain or study through external organisations should be at the discretion of the Guild and in return for a donation to the Guild collection fund. (1)

 

1.26 Non-Guild members may have limited access to the Guild collection and/or library at a cost and at the discretion of the Guild Clerk or Master.

 

1.27 The Guild will hold a Great Book which will document the day-to day life of the Guild and membership. (1)

 

1.28 The Guild will always have an international contingent within its membership. (1)

 

1.29 The Guild must always accept international Journeymen and Compagnons, giving support and work when possible. (1)

 

1.30 Close and friendly relations with other guilds and associations nationally and internationally must always be at the centre of the Guild's thinking and ethos. (1)

 

1.31 The Guild must have a Lodge in The Cotswolds and a presence in Cambridge and London. If the opportunity arises a Guild lodge in Continental Europe should be established.

 

1.32 Where possible, lodges should have accompanying workshop and lodgings.

 

1.33 The Guild shall support The Clerk and The Master in their Beneficence.

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1.34 The Guild will freely give access to, and share information with, the recognised official "Friends of" organisation. Guild access and information will be afforded to named affiliates only at the discretion of The Guild and as governed by the aforementioned Guild Affiliations Policy.

 

1.35 The Guild will have named charities to support.

 

1.36 The Guild shall support the United Guilds of St. George and, as far as is practicable, supply Masters when called upon to do so.

 

1.37 The Guild membership will hold 2 minutes silence on remembrance day (11th November at 11am). If appropriate, the Lodge bells will ring at the end of the silence.

 

1.38 The Guild will keep a garden.

 

1.39 The Guild will work to encourage other high-end craftspeople to form communities around their lodges.

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1.40 Accommodation for visiting Masters should be provided at the expense of The Guild when possible.

 

1.41 The Guild will work towards recognition by UNESCO.

 

1.42 The Guild supports the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003. It is defined as follows:

 

1.42/a "Intangible Cultural Heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize (sic.) as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. For the purposes of this Convention, consideration will be given solely to such intangible cultural heritage as is compatible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development."

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1.43 The Guild will work towards applying, at an appropriate time, in the form of a petition, to the Sovereign in council for a Royal Charter.

 

1.44 An inventory of all Guild possessions will be made every February by the Cofferer and a copy presented to The Offices of The Clerk and Headmaster respectively.

 

1.45 All materials and workshop tools held at the Guild Lodges and not purchased privately by Guild Members and labelled accordingly, are the property of The Guild, to be used at the discretion of The Master's Office and, where applicable, returned after use. Any loss of, or damage to Guild property must be reported as soon as possible after the event to The Master's Office.

 

1.46 An in-house artist, photographer, storyteller, calligrapher and poet should be actively encouraged amongst the Redemptive Membership or Friends of The Guild.

 

1.47 The Guild Apprentices will take part and support "World Skills, Architectural Stonemasonry".