Groves offer the opportunity for communal religious experiences. Though group worship is not a good fit for everyone, many do crave a local religious community. All too often there is not a congregation nearby to meet a member's needs. In those cases, founding a Grove could be the answer.
Benefits of a Grove
- Humans are generally tribal creatures
- Like-minded, supportive group
- People with whom to study
- Local religious community
- Public Pagan worship
- Chartered Groves are tax-exempt churches
What ADF is Looking for in New Groves
A fledgling Grove is called a ProtoGrove (PG) and anyone who has been an ADF member for at least six months may apply to form one. Not all proposed PGs are approved. ADF wants to approve PGs that have the best chance of success and of growing into long-lived, fully-chartered Groves. Groves are the local, public faces of Our Druidry.
Below are some of the elements the Grove Organizing Committee (GOC) considers when reviewing a proposed PG. Please note, this list is not comprehensive but it will give you an idea of how the GOC evaluates new PGs.
Below are some of the elements the Grove Organizing Committee (GOC) considers when reviewing a proposed PG. Please note, this list is not comprehensive but it will give you an idea of how the GOC evaluates new PGs.
- What is the motivation for starting a Grove?
- Has the applicant participated in a Grove before?
- Does the applicant have experience with group organization?
- Has the applicant formed healthy relationships with local Pagans?
- Has the applicant formed healthy relationships with other ADF members?
- Does the applicant understand ADF liturgical & organizational structure?
- Does the applicant understand ADF cosmology?
- How long has the applicant been a member?
- Has the applicant presented him/herself in a professional & responsible way?
How to Form a Grove
The ADF website offers expanded resources for Members who are interested in becoming Grove Organizers. You must be logged in to the ADF website to access these resources.
Things to Consider Before Starting a Grove
While being part of a Grove has many rewards, founding and running a Grove is not easy. In order for your Grove to thrive and flourish, you will need to devote a great deal of time, energy, and resources to it. Your new Grove will take time away from family, work, hobbies, and leisure time. Running a Grove is about more than planning & scheduling 8 public rituals a year; there are also regular Grove meetings to schedule and plan, email lists, usually a facebook or other sort of webpage to manage, quarterly reports to file, community service requirements, and records that must be kept updated.
In order for your Grove to grow, you will need to find ways to connect with the local Pagan community. This can include attending Pagan Nights Out, Pagan classes, or book clubs. You may need to set up tables/displays at Pagan Pride Day events or regional festivals. While ADF does not support any type of proselytism, you will need to attract new members. This will entail talking with lots of people, and, depending on where you hold Grove functions, possibly regularly inviting strangers into your home.
Staying in the "broom closet" is not an option for Grove Organizers or Senior Druids. You will want to spend some time contemplating if being known as a Pagan will be a problem for you professionally or socially.
Where do you plan to hold Grove functions? Most towns have public spaces in which meetings and rituals can occur but you will want to do some research before you found a Grove. Some libraries charge a fee to use their community/conference rooms, and many parks have bans on open fires. Meeting in public spaces is preferable, but not always possible. In cases where public space is limited or unavailable, you may choose to hold meetings or rituals in private homes. The homeowner (you?) must understand and be comfortable with the fact that the address will be made public.
Finally, money. There is a certain amount of overhead to running a Grove. Without good planning many of those costs will fall to the Grove Organizer. There may be fees for the space you use for meetings or rituals. There may be web-hosting fees. There may be printing fees if you hand out ritual outlines or materials in Grove meetings. There will be costs for ritual supplies. While you can ask participants to contribute to help cover the costs, this can be unreliable and you may receive nothing at all. There are many strategies for handling this issue, and if you chose to found a Grove your Mentor and the folks on the Council of Senior Druids will work with you to come up with a plan. However, you will almost certainly end up absorbing many early costs on your own and should be prepared for that.
It is a lot to think about and it can seem daunting. Well, starting a Grove IS daunting, but not impossible. If you go into it with a plan, having really thought it through, and having been honest with yourself about your abilities and resources; then your Grove will succeed! The members of the Grove Organizing Committee, your Grove Mentor, your Regional Druid, and all the members of the Council of Senior Druids want you to succeed and want to help you do it!
In order for your Grove to grow, you will need to find ways to connect with the local Pagan community. This can include attending Pagan Nights Out, Pagan classes, or book clubs. You may need to set up tables/displays at Pagan Pride Day events or regional festivals. While ADF does not support any type of proselytism, you will need to attract new members. This will entail talking with lots of people, and, depending on where you hold Grove functions, possibly regularly inviting strangers into your home.
Staying in the "broom closet" is not an option for Grove Organizers or Senior Druids. You will want to spend some time contemplating if being known as a Pagan will be a problem for you professionally or socially.
Where do you plan to hold Grove functions? Most towns have public spaces in which meetings and rituals can occur but you will want to do some research before you found a Grove. Some libraries charge a fee to use their community/conference rooms, and many parks have bans on open fires. Meeting in public spaces is preferable, but not always possible. In cases where public space is limited or unavailable, you may choose to hold meetings or rituals in private homes. The homeowner (you?) must understand and be comfortable with the fact that the address will be made public.
Finally, money. There is a certain amount of overhead to running a Grove. Without good planning many of those costs will fall to the Grove Organizer. There may be fees for the space you use for meetings or rituals. There may be web-hosting fees. There may be printing fees if you hand out ritual outlines or materials in Grove meetings. There will be costs for ritual supplies. While you can ask participants to contribute to help cover the costs, this can be unreliable and you may receive nothing at all. There are many strategies for handling this issue, and if you chose to found a Grove your Mentor and the folks on the Council of Senior Druids will work with you to come up with a plan. However, you will almost certainly end up absorbing many early costs on your own and should be prepared for that.
It is a lot to think about and it can seem daunting. Well, starting a Grove IS daunting, but not impossible. If you go into it with a plan, having really thought it through, and having been honest with yourself about your abilities and resources; then your Grove will succeed! The members of the Grove Organizing Committee, your Grove Mentor, your Regional Druid, and all the members of the Council of Senior Druids want you to succeed and want to help you do it!