SSPRS Articles Of Organization & Charter of Rules and By-Laws, 2008-2009.

Compiled by: Anthony Milhorn, SSPRS Founder.

Ratified and Enacted on: 2/2/2008

Mission Statement :

Southern States Paranormal Research Society was born as PSI Paranormal Society in 2003 as the dream child of a group of teenagers in high school to help them understand the world around them and find answers to their own questions to which orthodox science and religion did not or could not answer for.

In time, it grew to be a mature, serious endeavor seeking to study, and investigate in a scientific manner, claims of paranormal activity specifically dealing with the reported incidents of what are labeled on the surface as "hauntings".

Paranormal does not mean supernatural. It merely means not understood, and therefore, in most cases, not recognized by conventional orthodox scientific practices. It has become an unfortunate fault in modern science to simply ignore what it cannot explain or fit into its tight, often constricting views of physics and how the world works. To most scientists, if you cannot recreate it in a laboratory or quantify it beyond the shadow of a doubt in a cold objective manner, then it does not exist and is not worthy of study.

To follow this path is to follow a path straight back into the Dark Ages. We cannot simply ignore reports of the activity of a "paranormal" nature. Something is happening and is becoming far more commonplace than it used to be and it is impacting millions of people worldwide who have an experience and are scoffed at by their peers and thus, turn inward on themselves and try to pretend that it did not happen, wondering if they are indeed crazy, forever alone, seemingly, in their inner struggle to find truth.

SSPRS has made its mission to discover the truth about the paranormal and the unexplained. We aim separate fact from fiction, to expand the understanding of physics and quantum mechanics, and to ultimately understand what is not understood and by doing so, better understand our world, the world of the mind, and possibly, the world beyond this life, if indeed there is one.

Orthodox science calls paranormal research "pseudo-science". This is as insulting as it is unfair and untrue. It seems that most branches of science have forgotten their own humble origins as they had to scrape out an existence and fight for acceptance. Every single field in mainstream science began as a "pseudo-science" and eventually formed into a proto-science, and from there, it grew as understanding of those specific fields grew and more time was devoted to the research. Chemistry from alchemy. Medicine from the ancient healing arts and superstitions. Astronomy from astrology.

In this light, we view serious paranormal research as a proto-science, a science in its infancy, still growing, even after 100 years of solid work and many progressive steps forward, such as the connection between EMF fields and the human mind, and the discovery of electronic-voice phenomenon. Yes, admittedly, there are quacks. People who chase dust motes and consider such flimsy things as evidence for life after physical death as we understand it, or the people who use " spirit wolves" to herd entities out of a house then charge a hefty fee for this "service". This is not paranormal research.

A proper paranormal researcher will always try to validate their findings, debunk their own evidence and spend many, many hours trying to recreate each and every occurrence that was noted during an investigation, and then present those findings to the public with an open mind.

With these things being said, SSPRS is in short, what I feel to be a proper team and the rules and guidelines below will help keep that professional and scientific approach as a core component to our work. The original team may no longer be together, but the spirit is as strong as ever.

No pun intended.

Goals are as follows:

* To investigate claims of paranormal activity and hauntings in an organized, scientific manner, utilizing scientific instruments to measure variations in atmospheric and environmental variables to document possible influence or interaction by an intelligent entity.

* To understand that we are in the infancy of our field and that as such, there is room for growth and that accepted methods may in fact not be the only way to approach the phenomena in question and to try various methods outside of objective measurement to get a fuller grasp of what may be happening at a location.

* To network and build relationships with other professional paranormal research teams to establish a circle of colleagues to review findings, papers, theories, hypothesis, footage and build the field as a whole, promoting unity in the paranormal community.

* To help the people who contact us for aid and give them comfort and understanding while at the same time approaching their problems from a logical and professional manner in order determine the source of their problems and provide a solution and if a solution is not possible to guide them through it with on-going support.

* To quantify and understand how the paranormal works so that it will no longer be paranormal, including studying human consciousness and how it may survive bodily death.

* To remain not for profit by not charging for services rendered or gaining personal financial success from this work.

* To promote truth not fiction.

Article I:

Team Member Selection Criteria, Application Process, Acceptance and Training, Attendance Policy.

Section 1: Team Member Criteria.

(The following list is a list of rules governing application to SSPRS. An applicant may have all of the following and be able to meet them but may still be rejected due to other reasons or factors. This is just a list of things needed to be considered for membership and is in no way a promise of membership).

* ALL applicants will be 18 years of age or older. No one under 18 years will be considered for membership. This is for our protection as well as the applicants. We cannot be held responsible for children nor childish behavior.

*ALL applicants will have graduated high school and hold a high school diploma or a GED. Any applicant that does not have either of these will be barred from membership until one is obtained by the proper completion of their education. SSPRS feels that education is paramount and is not to be interfered with.

*Applicants who are in college may apply and be accepted, however, SSPRS is not responsible for their school attendance and grade performance. Such things are the sole responsibility of the student/applicant. SSPRS will strive to not interfere with school, because as we stated, we do not wish to hamper an education. However, college applicants will not be given special privileges or exemption from mandatory team meetings or investigations. The rules will still apply to the student applicant as everyone else, and an applicant should consider whether or not they can meet the scheduling requirements of membership prior to applying.

* Applicants must be able to make twice monthly team meetings on Saturdays at 7:00 PM EST. We normally hold three to four meetings a month spaced around our case investigations therefore, meeting attendance is as flexible as possible without being disruptive to the team structure itself. For example, if there are four meetings per month, and a team member makes two of them and an investigation, they are fine. If they miss all the meetings, then disciplinary action will be enacted up to and including dismissal from the team.

* No applicant shall ever be rejected on the bases of Race, Gender, National Origin, Color, Religion, Age ( as long as it meets the basic requirement of 18 years ), Sexual Preference/Orientation, Size or Mental Ability. We are a diverse group of people and seek diversity, for to really understand what we study, we must have all view points. We are above all a family, and as a family, we accept each other for what he or she is without discrimination.

Section 2: Application Process and Acceptance:

* All applicants wishing to join SSPRS will read these rules and understand them in their entirety before completing an application for membership. Any applicant that has not read and understood these rules will not be considered.

* Applicants will go to the SSPRS website, http://ssprstn.tripod.com , and click on the JOIN SSPRS link to the left in the navigation bar. The next page that comes up will be the application for membership. The applicant will copy and paste that application into a word processor program, such as Notepad, WordPad, Word, etc, and complete it. Incomplete application will be rejected.

* After completion of the application, the applicant will email the application to our Team Manager at the email provided, ssprs_applications@yahoo.com , and allow for two weeks for us to process it.

* Each application will be reviewed by the Team Manager, who will evaluate the merits of the applicant, verify completeness of the application itself, check all reference provided and then present the application to the founder who will then review it and present it to the team itself for a vote. The founder will take the votes and then set up an interview with the applicant if the application gets past the team vote. If the applicant fails the team vote, then the application is rejected and filed and a letter is sent to the applicant explaining the rejection and offering them to re-apply in six months.

* At the interview, the Team Manager and the founder will interview the applicant, and record the session. After the interview, the Team Manager and the Founder will confer in private and decide if the applicant is rejected or accepted. In either case the application is filed.

If accepted a personnel file is created for the member. In this file shall be the following:

- Application

-Disciplinary Actions

-Probation Notes and Deviations

-Meeting Attendance

-Investigation Attendance

-Contact Information

-Emergency Contacts

-Team Work History

-Release from Liability form

-A Signed Copy of the Rules.

-A Signed Attendance Policy

* After the interview the applicant will be given a meeting schedule, contact information for the team administration and a list of basic equipment needed to conduct an investigation which the applicant may or may not purchase depending on their discretion.

Section 3: Training and Probation Period:

* All accepted members will complete a week long training course, authored by SSPRS which will include note taking, tests, terminology, theory and practice, equipment training and documentation training as well as quizzes and practical exams. This training course is mandatory for all new members and cannot be skipped. Failure to attend any training course day will be an automatic team dismissal. Advance notice of these days will be given.

* All new members are considered on the team under an evaluation period called a "probation" period during which they are observed for their interactions with other team members, contribution to the team and to the field, interaction with other groups, conduct, and effort. This period will be 90 days in length and at the end of the 90 days, the member will be evaluated to see if they if they will remain on SSPRS as a permanent member. Violation of probation during this period is grounds for automatic dismissal. Violations are as follows:

- Missing more than two meetings a month without a doctor’s note or valid excuse which would include family emergency, death, or complication/circumstance that would be completely out of the person's control. What the last circumstances extend to will be under the discretion of the founder and team manager.

-Missing more than two investigations a month.

-Disrespect to a fellow team member.

-Disrespect to the founder or Team Manager.

-Disrespect to a client, client's property, etc.

-Disrespect to a fellow paranormal team or group.

-Faking evidence

-Not doing one's duty, failure to complete assigned tasks in a timely manner.

* If an applicant successfully completes their probation period with no violations and acceptable attendance ( two meetings a month, two investigations a month), then that member shall be given a final evaluation and will become a full member of SSPRS and given full investigator status and will be able to apply for management positions should they be open.

Section 4: Attendance Policy:

* The SSPRS attendance policy is fairly simple and flexible enough to allow for life's unforeseen issues and problems, which we understand, everyone has. However, it is binding and will be bent for no one, barring exceptionally extraordinary circumstances.

1.) A Member must be present and on time for two meetings out of three-four per month. In other words, attendance for team meetings is 50%. If you will not be coming to a meeting and have a valid reason for doing so, you need to call the founder and let them know or make prior arrangements so that you are not missing in action. Just because two meetings a month is all that is required, it does not mean that you are only expected to make those two. In fact, it is a good idea to make all of them if you can. If it is found out that you are skipping other meetings and just making two per month to be lazy and for no good reason, you will face disciplinary action. You should only miss a meeting if you need to take care of legitimate business and then call the founder or Team Manager to get caught up.

2.) A Member must be present for two investigations per month. Ideally, everyone will be present for investigations as all the help we can get is greatly appreciated, plus the experience is invaluable, as each investigation is quite different from its predecessor. The number of investigations per month will vary naturally, so it is safe to say at least 50% with good meeting attendance is acceptable. However, please try to make it to as many investigations as you can, as we can all learn from the experience. If you cannot make it to an investigation, please call the Founder or Team Manager 48 hours ahead of time, unless it’s an emergency, to let them know and you will be excused, however, be sure it’s a valid excuse and not simply skiving off.

3.) Tardiness is unprofessional and will not be tolerated. If you are going to be late, be sure to let the founder or Team Manager know ahead of time to ensure that you will not be marked absent during a meeting or investigation. If you are late, you will be asked why and the truth is expected. If you are caught being late due to your own actions, it will not be excused.

4.) If you miss either a meeting or investigation without calling the Founder or Team Manager ahead of time to let them know that you will not be present ( or calling at all a.k.a. a No Call/No Show) you will be marked for disciplinary action which will consist with the first offense a verbal warning. The 2nd offense will be a written warning and a mark on your personnel file. The 3rd offense will be a suspension from team activities for two weeks and barring for the next investigation following the offense. The 4th offense will result in termination and barring from future membership.

5.) Any breaking of any of these attendance rules is considered a deviation. Deviations are noted in the attendance records and will roll off every two months. If you get more than three deviations during a two month period you will be suspended for two weeks and barred from the next investigation following the offense. If you get more than four, you will be terminated. You can clear up deviations by completing projects for the team.

Lastly, and most importantly, attendance is related directly to communication. If you cannot make a meeting or investigation, please, call the Founder or Team Manager and let us know. We are not here to make you life a living hell and in fact, we want to make being a part of SSPRS a valued part of your life. In order for that to happen however, everyone must pull their own weight and not become a burden on the other members. Remember, communication is key.

Article II:

Team Member Behavior Guidelines.

Section 1: Behaviors That Are Grounds for Automatic Termination:

* All SSPRS members will conduct themselves in a mature, professional and scientific manner while on site, investigating, researching, attending conferences, or representing SSPRS at any point, time or location. At no time will disrespect for anyone be tolerated, or under any circumstances. The following is a list of actions that will result in automatic termination. This list while attempting to be comprehensive is not all inclusive. If you commit any of the following offenses, not only will you be terminated immediately but you will also be barred from membership in the future:

* Harassment. This applies to any form of this conduct, including: verbal, emotional, mental, physical, sexual, racial or any other form of harassment. Harassment constitutes repeating an action to a person that has made it clear they find it offensive, either overtly or to a team manager or founder. If you commit harassment in any form, be prepared to be terminated without exception. All accusations of harassment will be fully investigated. If you believe you are being harassed, please see a team manager or founder. The team manager and founder will discuss it and investigate further.

* The use of drugs whether on an SSPRS investigation or otherwise. This includes illegal drugs and legal drugs used illegally. This is absolutely unacceptable behavior and you will be turned into the authorities if caught. If you are on a legitimate prescription and it will interfere with your team duties, you are asked to notify a team manager or founder and stay home for the duration of the prescription.

* Disrespect of a client or client's rights. This includes any form of detrimental behavior towards a client or client's property or infringement of their rights as human beings. Making fun of clients, stealing from them, etc all fall under this heading.

* Falsifying evidence. This is one of the lowest and worst acts possibly imaginable and you will be escorted from the property and SSPRS team if you are caught engaging in such dishonesty immediately.

* Theft. Of any kind.

* Breaking any US laws, including a traffic violation which is defined as excessive speeding (10 MPH or more above the stated speed limit) while on an SSPRS assignment or investigation/trip. If you are acting as an SSPRS member and are caught doing this you will be terminated. It’s dangerous and not required. Better be their late then arrive in a pine box.

* Driving under the influence. This applies to ANY time.

* Alcohol consumption 24 hours prior to an investigation and coming to a meeting or investigation intoxicated or hung over.

*Sexual conduct on site or at any team function. This is for the home, not the public.

* Gossip. This is NOT tolerated and will be investigated and punished as much as possible, up to and including termination. The he said she said stuff stays at home.

* Goofing off during an investigation in any way, or engaging in behaviors or activities that will endanger a fellow team member, client, equipment or client property.

* Breaking a confidentiality agreement.

Section 2: Behaviors That Will Result in A Warning and Disciplinary Action:

* Showing up to an investigation unprepared to work.

* Showing up to a meeting unprepared.

* Showing up with poor personal hygiene and appearance. Try to be as professional as possible. This does not mean suit and tie, but be neat and presentable. For example it would be unprofessional to go to an investigation covered in filth or with ones underwear hanging out.

* Poor treatment of equipment, damage or loss of equipment to carelessness. This could lead to termination as well as replacement of the equipment damaged/lost.

* Fighting with another team member or client or team or group.

* Showing SSPRS in any light other than professional and mature.

* Failure to wear proper SSPRS identification (if provided).

* Leaving an investigation or meeting early. You are supposed to have planned for those times adequately to allow you to be there. It is YOUR responsibility to be punctual and properly prepared and scheduled with your time. If this occurs more than twice a month you will be terminated unless it’s a medical/family emergency.

* Having a cell phone on and making/receiving calls on it or any other communication device during an investigation. You can have them but have them shut OFF.

* Attempting to impose your beliefs on another, be it team member or client. We are all unique and different. This includes our belief systems, aka, religions. If you disagree with someone else’s view, then simply keep it to yourself and respect their rights and opinions. At all times SSPRS will remain non-religious and objective. If you are religious then by all means practice and be happy in it but do not try to make a convert on an investigation. That is not what we are there for. Most of all, be conscious of a clients belief system and respect it.

* Slacking off or sleeping during evidence analysis. This will NOT be tolerated and you will only get ONE warning before termination.

* Using extreme provocation during an investigation. This is defined as cursing at the entities, yelling, screaming or using obscenities. This also covers religious provocation simply because we are not priests and therefore should not act as such as we do not have their experience or training, nor do we know what the client's beliefs are. This not only shows us as unprofessional but demeans our client and purpose.

* Offering medical/psychological advice as if you are a doctor. You are not a doctor. Do not try to be one. Simply state your opinion and refer the client to the appropriate professionals if necessary. DO NOT overstep your boundaries or sphere of influence.

Article III:

Transportation To Meetings And Activities, Guests and Family Attendance, Client Participation During Investigations.

Section 1: Transportation To Meetings and Activities:

* Transportation to and from meetings and activities is the sole responsibility of the team member. However, if a team member needs a ride for a reason such as lacking a car or car has broken down, they may call another team member and arrange to car pool. If car pooling is done, be sure to help out your fellow team member by either sharing the cost for fuel or assisting in some other way.

Section 2: Guests and Family Attendance:

* Guests and family are not permitted at meetings unless cleared through the Founder prior to the meeting. Family and guests are not permitted on investigations without the approval of the client and the founder and when they are in attendance, the member who brought them will be responsible for them and any distractions or damage done.

Family members and "tag along" guests are generally frowned upon because usually more harm is done than good but should someone or a family member show genuine interest, we will try accommodate and educate them to the best of our ability.

Section 3: Client Participation During an Investigation:

* Clients are discouraged from participating during an investigation because of the simple fact that it introduces an uncontrollable variable into the investigation parameters and may in fact damage the credibility of any footage captured. Due to the risk of tampering or accident ( or even intentional manipulation ), client's are barred from participating in an investigation. However, they are welcome to be present and ask questions and interact with team members.

Article IV:

Equipment, Team Member Equipment and Equipment as a Whole.

Section 1: Equipment donated to SSPRS as a Group:

* Any equipment donated to SSPRS as a group becomes the property of SSPRS as a group and will remain at the founder's home under lock and key until needed. No one team member shall own this type of equipment and this type of equipment will be clearly marked with a label and number.

Section 2: Team Member Equipment:

* Any equipment bought and owned by an individual team member is not subject to SSPRS regulations, however, it shall be the sole responsibility of that team member and SSPRS is not liable for any damages sustained to it during an investigation or event and the team member bring it at their own risk.

Section 3: Equipment As A Whole:

* Any and all equipment used and brought to an investigation will be treated with extreme care and respect to avoid damage or disruption to its operation or structural integrity. All equipment shall be inventoried, numbered and cataloged prior to an investigation and afterwards to insure nothing is lost or broken. Broken items are the responsibility of the owner and the owner assumes the risk of this by bringing their own equipment. This only applies to accidental damage or damage by activity, not to intentional damage caused by a team member or client.

* Any intentional mistreatment by a team member, of any SSPRS equipment or another team member's equipment will result in termination and replacement of the equipment or reimbursement if necessary. This also applies to a client however, it does not apply to activity in a client's home only to intentional destruction or attempted damage for spiteful purposes.

Article V:

Service Charges, Team Money and Fundraisers.

Section 1: Service Charges:

* At no time will SSPRS charge anything for any service rendered for any reason. SSPRS will also not ask for donations from clients for services rendered or in exchange for. SSPRS shall not accept gifts from clients.

Section 2: Team Money and Fundraisers:

* While there are no mandatory team dues, team members, if they wish and if they can, are allowed to place money they wish the team to use into a central team bank account which must then be tracked and recorded. This bank account will provide monthly statements of the money being deposited, withdrawn and how it’s used. This money shall not be used for personal reasons and only for the team itself. This account will require two signatures in order to make any changes or withdrawals. Monthly statements will provided to all team members and upon request.

* Fundraisers will be done from time to time to help finance team events, trips or activities. These fundraisers will be in the form of healthy activities, such as bake sales, sales of goods from catalogs, candle sales, ticket raffles, etc that will benefit the community as well as help raise an honest profit for the team without charging for services rendered. All fundraisers will be fully documented and recorded. Any money from the fundraisers will go directly into the team account.

* Any theft or abuse of the monies gained from fundraisers or from the team account will result in termination and full criminal prosecution.

* The Emergency Use Clause. This clause is enacted herein to help SSPRS team members in desperate or life threatening situations where money may help them survive, get home, pay for medical supplies, etc. This clause can only be enacted when the matter is presented to the team and a majority vote consisting of 5 out of 6 in favor of is obtained. The team member needing assistance must request that the clause be enacted in order for it to be voted upon. This is only to be used or enacted in dire circumstances and only for necessary needs, not for bills, car payments, etc. We are a family at SSPRS and we take care of our own.

Article VI:

Media Relations, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Fraud by Clients, Care Beyond The Investigation, Case Sharing.

Section 1: Media Relations:

* All requests for media relations, covering stories or news appearances, any type of media appearance or relation shall be relayed directly to the team manager who will then meet with the Founder. The founder will ultimately decide in favor of or against said media relation.

* SSPRS members are forbidden to discuss cases, past or present or any type of SSPRS related information, including personal information of team members, practices, clients, etc, to the media without permission from the parties involves, aka, the founder, client, and team.

* Media relations will be evaluated to see if the relation will allow for the growth of SSPRS and the paranormal investigation and research field as a whole in a positive way. If this does not or will not occur, then SSPRS will not accept the request.

Section 2: Non-Disclosure Agreements:

* All investigations are considered automatically absolutely non-disclosure. This means SSPRS members are forbidden from discussing ANY details about ANY case to anyone outside of SSPRS. (including and especially TV and radio).The exception to this is with other TAPS Family Teams, or resource group that is Non-TAPS Family. In the case of the latter, we will require your permission to do so. . Any violation of this rule will result in immediate termination. This includes discussing cases with law enforcement without a proper warrant supplied and signed by a judge.

* As stated previously, law enforcement is also barred from details of cases, case files, investigations and team information and documents unless a valid court order or warrant is supplied and signed by a judge. If a warrant/order that is valid and legal is presented, access will be allowed under due process of law.

Section 3: Fraud By Clients:

* Fraud by clients to delude paranormal investigators and fake evidence for attention, fame or financial gain is always a possibility and if caught by SSPRS engaging in such activities for any reason, then any investigation and research being done ceases immediately, and all non-disclosure agreements become null and void.

Section 4: Care Beyond the Investigation:

* At times, SSPRS will need to refer the client to other teams, professionals or sources of aid. SSPRS will do this when needed and appropriate with discretion to ensure the client will be helped. SSPRS will also follow up with clients after an investigation to ensure satisfaction and to be sure every amount of help was given that it is possible to give.

Section 5: Case Sharing:

* SSPRS shall not share cases or refer cases to other teams unless they are one of the following:

1.) TAPS

2.) TAPS Family

3.) A Professional Scientific Oriented Team or Team with a verifiable track record of experience and professionalism.

4.) Part of the Ghost Hounds Network

Case referral to any team outside of TAPS, TAPS Family or Infinity is the sole discretion of the founder and team manager and will be done when SSPRS cannot physically reach a location or can no longer help the client. Case referral, acceptance and denial is at the discretion of the SSPRS founders at all times.

Amendments:

1st Amendment: The SPIRIT Merger Clause. Added: 5/18/2006

At no time will SSPRS merge with another team for any reason or under any circumstance, regardless of name changes. SSPRS is a unique entity into and of itself and requires no such mergers or combinations which may be detrimental to the SSPRS research effort.

2nd Amendment: The Maria Clause. Added 4/01/2007

If at any time during an investigation or the research process SSPRS discovers illegal activity that may endanger other members of the client's family, child or adult, that places said child or adult in a position to be harmed, physically, emotionally or mentally, and there is a clear and present danger, SSPRS will take action and notify the authorities within 24 hours of the discovery and fully cooperate in any investigation of such activities.

3rd Amendment: The Networking and Establishment Clause. 4/01/2007

SSPRS will at times work with teams outside of the TAPS Families, both in the SSPRS home territory, the state of Tennessee and beyond, in an attempt to assist a client or conduct a joint investigation, in the mindset of providing the best service possible and to educate ourselves and others by an exposure to multiple methods of research and views. However, SSPRS will not work with any team deemed unprofessional as this would damage not only SSPRS as a team but the entire community. The following includes but isn't limited to actions that would mark a team as unprofessional:

1.) Trespassing, past or present.

2.) Use of drugs, alcohol, or smoking while on site and 24 hours prior.

3.) Abuse of team members, client property, case files, information or evidence.

4.) Poorly maintained website.

5.) Plagiarism or theft of other's work and presenting it as one’s own.

6.) Claiming to be TAPS or TAPS Family while not.

7.) Falsifying any evidence at all.

8.) Stealing in any way shape form or fashion.

9.) Charging for services.

10.) Violation of Non-Disclosure Agreements.

11.) Any criminal activity of the team.

12.) Damaging the paranormal research field by flaming other teams, researchers, etc.

13.) Not helping the client to the fullest of their ability.

14.) Association with fraudulent paranormal teams or people out to gain a profit, such as IGHS (International Ghost Hunters Society).

15.) Forcing religion upon a team or using fraudulent methods to "help" a client.