A key thing to note about the ADF's administrative structure in general is that the heirarchy is pretty flat. No individual member is more than two steps away from the ear of the Archdruid, and several paths exist to the highest levels of the organization.² Looking at the structure from the bottom up, it might look like this:
If an individual member needs to voice an issue all the way up the ladder, there are two methods:
- Speak to their Senior Druid or Grove Organizer. They will speak to the Council of Senior Druids, who will speak to the Chief of the Council of Senior Druids. That person will speak to the Mother Grove, which is chaired by the Archdruid.
- Speak to the ADF Members' Advocate, who will speak to the Mother Grove on their behalf, which is chaired by the Archdruid.
ADF's administrative structure is based primarily on putting the best people for a job into that role. The ADF Administrator is in charge of helping ADF run on a daily basis, ensuring that the lists are running (via appointed Listmaster), ensureing our publications are running (via appointed Chronicler), ensuring income from sales (via appointed Regalia manager), ensuring the website is up to day (via appointed Webmaster), and ensuring that the membership database and all Office correspondance is answered (via the Office Manager, one of only two paid positions within ADF). Quarterly Reports also eventually go through the Administrator.¹
The Groves and Protogroves are overseen by the Grove Organizing and Grove Coordination Committees, which are overseen by the Council of Senior Druids. The Guilds, SIGs, and Kins are overseen by the Council of Lore, which reports to the ADF Preceptor. The Regional Druids report to their Council of Regional Druids. The Clergy Council reports to the Archdruid directly. The Mother Grove reports to the Executive Council.¹
With all these committees and councils, one might feel that the solitaries in ADF are left out. I would point out, though, that the Members' Advocate has access to all the committees and councils in ADF, and as such can bring the concerns of the members directly to the councils that need to hear from them. The Members' Advocate position is far more than just a complaint registrant: he or she is also the representation of the solitary members at large.¹
Notes
¹ - ADF Subgroups as of February 2007 - Anthony Thompson.
² - Five Reasons to Join - Michael J Dangler. Work in Progress (for a couple of years now)
