Press release: 13th August 2007

2006 statement:

The Council of British Druid Orders, does not condone unauthorized use of any ceremonial sword, in circumstances which might be deemed to be contrary to the law of the land.

This statement:

6.1 Public display of weapons, etc.

The Council

(i) noting the growing public and official disquiet at the display in public places of swords and other apparent weapons by individuals referring to themselves as 'Druids';

(ii) recollecting the issue by the Council of a definitive statement upon this issue during 2006; and

(iii) deploring the effect upon public relations of any martial exhibition claiming to represent any aspect of Druidry,

Resolves that the previous statement be re-issued with the addition of the following:

"Further to this statement the Council wishes to make clear that the bearing of a sword worn as a weapon, the possession of a sharpened sword, and the bringing to Circle of more than one sword, are not approved uses within the meaning of the 2006 statement and that the support of the Council will not be offered to individuals who are prosecuted by secular authority as a result of their doing any of these things. This statement does not in any way change the position of the Council with respect to the Wiccan athame."

6.2 Drunkenness

The Council,

(i) mindful of the importance of the use of sacramental Mead at Circle;

(ii) noting with regret the shameful international reputation of our country as a land of drunkards; and

(iii) noting with considerable alarm the public disquiet and general Druidical disgust at certain recent public exhibitions of extreme intemperance,

Resolves that the following statement be issued

(a) by the Press Officer as a press release;

(b) by electronic publication on http://www.cobdo.org; and

(c) by letter to English Heritage, the National Trust and relevant branches of the Police:

"The Council recognises and wholeheartedly approves of the use of Sacramental Mead and other sacramental alcoholic preparations at Circle.

It deplores, however, the inability of many Britons to use alcohol responsibly, and considers it the duty of member Orders to ensure that members do not arrive at Circle drunk , do not drink in Circle, and do not disgrace our movement with public behaviour unduly influenced by alcohol.

It further recognises its inability to prevent certain individuals not members of its member Orders, and describing themselves as 'Druids', from thus disgracing Druidry, and wishes from their behaviour and their claims to Druidical rectitude therein completely to disassociate itself."

6.3 Violence, etc.

The Council,

(i) Being aware of incidents of violence in both public and private places involving those referring to themselves as 'Druids';

(ii) Being further aware of threats of violence having been made by such individuals; and

(iii) Recognising the traditional role of the Druid as peacemaker and hoping to re-establish this role in the modern world,

Resolves:

(i) That the following statement be issued

(a) by the Press Officer as a press release;

(b) by electronic publication on http://www.cobdo.org; and

(c) by letter to English Heritage, the National Trust and relevant branches of the Police:

"The Council deplores violence in all of its forms. The use or threat of violence in any form is a criminal offence in secular law, is wholly outwith the terms of reference of any member of any member Order of the Council, is in general deeply shameful to our movement and is in particular outrageously disgraceful in respect of the Celtic tradition of the Druid as peacemaker, able by ethical force alone to separate and stand between two opposing armies.

The Council deeply regrets its lack of any influence over those who are not members of any of its member Orders and who, while referring to themselves as 'Druids', have been involved in incidents of violence.

The Council can offer to the public only its apologies for the behaviour of those over whose actions and claims it has no control, and to the secular authority only its assurance that no violence of any kind or threat thereof will be tolerated by the Council in respect of any member of any of its member Orders.

The motion in Council causing this statement to be made also makes provisions for the expulsion from the Council of any member Order which fails to deal to the Council's satisfaction with any matter involving violence allegedly offered or threatened by any member of that Order."

(ii) That the delegate to the Council of a member Order be informed immediately by the Council of any matter involving violence allegedly offered or threatened by any member of that Order, and required to obtain an immediate account of the Head of that Order of the measures being taken to address it; and

(iii) That any Order which after reasonable steps have been taken by the Council to remind it of its duties in this respect provides no such account, or an unsatisfactory account, or which in any way fails to address the matter to the full satisfaction of the Council, shall be, until the Council be so satisfied, suspended from membership of the Council, and, should the matter remain unresolved after the Council has taken such measures as it reasonably can to resolve it, shall then be expelled therefrom.

6.4 Publication of correspondence

The Council,

(i) Aware of the publication by electronic means of a document apparently being a letter from one senior Druid to another, neither being a member of a member Order of the Council;

(ii) Unable to establish beyond reasonable doubt the provenance of this document; but

(iii) Being thoroughly disgusted by its content and appalled by the consideration that it might ever be seen as representative of opinion, howsoever marginal, within our movement,

Resolves that the following statement be issued

(a) by the Press Officer as a press release;

(b) by electronic publication on http://www.cobdo.org; and

(c) by letter to the relevant branches of the British Police and the Erse Garda:

"The Council is aware of the publication on the internet of certain correspondence which appears to demonstrate on the part of some who call themselves 'Druids' a complete reversal of all of the principles of our movement which could be held to apply.

It is not possible for the Council to establish beyond reasonable doubt the provenance of this correspondence, but because of its content, which appears to imply the commission of criminal offences, the matter is now being investigated by Police in both of the countries involved.

The Council has no control over or influence upon any of the individuals alleged to have been party to this correspondence, who are not members of any member Order of the Council.

Since the matter may be sub judice the Council cannot comment further on it, other than to make clear its utter revulsion at the views, motivations and methods suggested by the correspondent, and its conviction that no person who holds such views, entertains such motivations or uses such methods has any place in the Druid movement, nor indeed in any society which chooses to call itself decent."

6.5 Non-associated groups

The Council,

(i) Aware of the establishment of an imitation of itself by those unwilling to accept its Constitution, and of attempts to persuade the general public of the validity of this action;

(ii) Further aware of the damage to the movement caused by the outrageously disgraceful behaviour of some members of this group and of others associated therewith; and

(iii) Desiring to make clear to the world the difference between a sober, serious and scholarly philosophical movement, an amateur media-circus peddling crass trivialisations of others' beliefs, and an American-style religious cult,

Resolves:

(i) That the organisations and individuals listed in Schedule 1 to this motion be henceforth disbarred from membership of this Council; any organisation or individual so listed being at liberty to apply to the Council for their removal from Schedule 1 at any time in the future; and the Council being at liberty to add organisations or individuals to Schedule 1 by motion in Council as appropriate;

(ii) That member Orders be requested to ensure that no current member of an organisation listed in Schedule 1 be considered eligible to be their own member, this measure not applying to past members of Schedule 1 organisations; and

(iii) That the following statement be issued

(a) by the Press Officer as a press release;

(b) by electronic publication on http://www.cobdo.org; and

(c) by letter to English Heritage, the National Trust and relevant branches of the Police:

"The Council of British Druid Orders, appalled at recent events involving people calling themselves 'Druids', wishes to make it clear that it is not associated in any way with any of the organisations or individuals listed in Schedule 1 hereto; that its members Orders have been requested to ensure that they do not accept as members any current (as opposed to past) members of the listed organisations, and that though it is deeply and painfully aware of the effects upon our movement and upon innocent members of the general public of the behaviour of a small minority it can exert no control or influence whatsoever over these few individuals, nor will it accept any moral responsibility or legal liability for any of their actions."

Schedule 1

The Glastonbury Order of Druids
The Glastonbury Outer Order of Druids
Mr. Rollo Maughfling
The Loyal Arthurian Warband
Mr. King Arthur Pendragon
The Stonehenge-Druids
Mr. Frank Somers
Any and all organisations other than this Council using the Council's identity without its consent.
The proprietors and operators of http://www.cobdo.org.uk, a website imitating that of the Council.