Constitution of Lion.College

The founding instrument of the guild. Ratified by the founder. Re-ratified by the council every three years.

Preamble

We constitute this guild for the formation of sovereign men — in archetype and in venture, in conduct and in capital, in mastery and in mentorship. We do this in companion with LionMind (the chapel), and in service of work that compounds beyond any one of us.

We take the lion as our patron — not the lion of dominance, but the lion of servant kingship: the Lion of Judah who triumphed through sacrifice; the king whose strength is given, not seized; whose authority is held for others, not for self.

We are not a course platform. We are not a network. We are a guild.

Article I — Name and Status

1.1 The name of this body is Lion.College.

1.2 Lion.College is constituted as a member society operating under Riverun Pty Ltd (ACN 663 364 154), or as a successor entity formally elected by the Master council.

1.3 Lion.College is universal in entry — no religious test, no political test, no ethnic test — and rooted in the lion archetype as expressed in the LionMind canon.

1.4 Lion.College is registered and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, for the founding decade. Regional chapters may be seeded thereafter.

Article II — Purpose

2.1 To form men in the archetype of the lion — sovereign, disciplined, protective, wise.

2.2 To build a craft society in which apprentices learn from journeymen, journeymen learn from masters, and masters serve apprentices.

2.3 To circulate capital, skill, and patronage among members for the good of members and the works they make.

2.4 To uphold a code of conduct with teeth — by which membership is held, kept, or lost.

2.5 To outlive any single founder, master, or generation through canon, ritual, and council.

Article III — The Three Ranks

3.1 Apprentice (Year One)

3.1.1 Entry: by application, interview, and acceptance by the founder or his designate.

3.1.2 Obligations: walk the LionMind 7-Day Path; attend the weekly pod; complete Pillar I within twelve months; ship one thing (revenue, salary, or a public artefact).

3.1.3 Rights: paired mentor; pod of three to five other Apprentices; access to the Riverun stack; access to Master workshops; voice in pod matters.

3.1.4 Dues: A$0–A$49 per month. Scholarship is the default. Holding fee may be applied to applications only.

3.1.5 Term: twelve months, after which the Apprentice may advance to Journeyman by pod vote and Master review, or remain another year, or honourably exit.

3.2 Journeyman (Years Two through Four)

3.2.1 Entry: by completion of Pillar I, demonstrated shipping of a venture, pod recommendation, mentor recommendation, founder confirmation.

3.2.2 Obligations: take on at least one Apprentice as mentor; ship and operate a venture; report quarterly in writing to the Guild; honour the Code of Conduct in all dealings; attend the Annual Conclave.

3.2.3 Rights: vote in Master elections; participate in the Capital Syndicate as observer and (after twelve months) as co-investor; teach workshops; nominate Apprentices.

3.2.4 Dues: A$200 per month. Hardship pause available for up to six months.

3.2.5 Term: years two through four. After four years, the Journeyman is eligible for Master nomination, or may remain Journeyman, or may honourably exit.

3.3 Master (Five years and beyond, peer-elected)

3.3.1 Entry: only by supermajority peer election (two-thirds of voting Journeymen and Masters), subject to the conditions in Article VI.

3.3.2 Obligations: mentor at least two Apprentices; teach at least one workshop annually; attend the Annual Conclave; serve on at least one council (Standards, Syndicate, Editorial); hold the patron archetype publicly.

3.3.3 Rights: vote in all guild matters; sit on the Capital Syndicate decision committee; hold standards-enforcement authority; teach paid intensives; nominate Masters.

3.3.4 Dues: A$500 per month. Hardship pause available for up to twelve months.

3.3.5 Term: lifetime, subject to the standards-enforcement provisions in Article VII.

Article IV — Governance

4.1 The Founder serves as the guild's executive officer for the first decade (Years 1–10), with the obligation to hand off operational authority to the Master Council by the end of Year 12 at latest.

4.2 The Master Council is the standing body of all Masters. It meets monthly by call and in person at the Annual Conclave.

4.3 The Master Council holds the following authorities:

• Election and investiture of new Masters
• Approval and amendment of the Standards Code
• Disposition of expulsion proceedings
• Approval of the annual treasury budget
• Approval of constitutional amendments (by two-thirds majority)
• Approval of dissolution (by three-quarters majority and independent counsel review)

4.4 The Founder has one vote and no veto. The Founder may not be expelled during the first decade; thereafter the same rules apply to him as to any other Master.

4.5 Three rotating committees draw from the Master Council:

• The Standards Committee — drafts and enforces the Code of Conduct.
• The Investment Committee — underwrites Capital Syndicate decisions.
• The Editorial Committee — directs Lion Library and the canon.

Article V — Treasury and Syndicate

5.1 The guild treasury holds dues, scholarships, and operating reserves. It is audited annually by an independent registered accountant.

5.2 The treasury is held in a dedicated bank account distinct from any other Riverun entity, and from any personal account of the founder or any member.

5.3 The Capital Syndicate operates as a separate legal vehicle under the relevant Australian financial services framework (AFSL holder, appointed representative, or s708 sophisticated-investor structure as advised by counsel).

5.4 Members may participate in the Capital Syndicate only after meeting the sophisticated-investor or equivalent test, signed in writing, with current advice.

5.5 The founder does not draw any salary from the Capital Syndicate. The founder's only economic interest in member ventures is via the same syndicate terms available to other Masters.

5.6 The treasury publishes quarterly balances and annual P&L to all members. The Capital Syndicate publishes quarterly AUM and deal summaries (terms redacted) to its participants.

5.7 No member may use guild access, contact lists, or pod relationships to solicit private investment outside the Syndicate without written disclosure to mentor and Founder.

Article VI — Election of Masters

6.1 Nominations open six months before the Annual Election. Nominees must accept in writing.

6.2 Nominees may not campaign for themselves. Peer endorsements are permitted, published anonymously.

6.3 Voters are all Journeymen with twelve or more months in rank, plus all existing Masters.

6.4 Voting is by secret ballot with written reasoning. Election requires two-thirds of voting members.

6.5 The founder has one vote. The founder may not nominate his own family by blood or marriage.

6.6 Newly elected Masters are invested at the Annual Conclave.

6.7 An unsuccessful nominee may be nominated in subsequent years without limit.

Article VII — Standards and Expulsion

7.1 The Code of Conduct (a separate document) is the binding ethical framework for all members.

7.2 Any member may file a code complaint in writing to the founder. The founder triages within seven days.

7.3 Investigations are conducted by a three-Master committee with no conflict of interest. The accused has the right to written response and verbal hearing.

7.4 Investigations conclude within sixty days of filing. Outcomes are: cleared / written reprimand / probation / expulsion.

7.5 Expulsion requires a supermajority vote of the Master Council, with all Masters informed and free to attend.

7.6 The accused may bring an external legal advisor at their own cost.

7.7 An expelled member may apply for re-entry after three years, requiring unanimous Master Council approval.

7.8 An accusation of a serious crime (against the body, against children, against the financial laws of Australia) results in immediate suspension pending external resolution.

7.9 All proceedings are confidential to the parties and the committee until final outcome. Summary findings may be published anonymously for the guild's learning.

Article VIII — Membership Departure

8.1 A member may resign at any time, in writing, without cause.

8.2 Resignation closes dues subscriptions immediately. There is no clawback of dues paid.

8.3 Capital Syndicate equity held by a resigning member follows the original investment terms; resignation does not trigger redemption.

8.4 LionMail addresses, pod memberships, and Riverun stack access are suspended within fourteen days of resignation.

8.5 A resigned member may re-apply as an Apprentice at any future date, subject to standard intake.

8.6 Membership is automatically suspended on the death of a member. Memorial provisions follow the canon.

Article IX — The Canon

9.1 The canon is the living body of guild teaching — articles, books, capstones, reflections, transcripts of Conclave addresses, memorial volumes.

9.2 The canon is published under the Lion Library imprint, governed by the Editorial Committee.

9.3 Members retain copyright over their individual contributions. The guild holds canon publication rights, royalty-free, in perpetuity.

9.4 The canon is reviewed every three years; outdated or wrong teaching may be marked as such but is not deleted.

Article X — Amendment and Dissolution

10.1 Amendments to this Constitution require a two-thirds majority of the Master Council, with all Masters informed at least sixty days in advance.

10.2 No amendment may remove Article XI (Patron and Non-Discrimination) without unanimous Master Council vote and independent counsel review.

10.3 Dissolution requires three-quarters majority of the Master Council, independent counsel review, and a six-month public notice period.

10.4 On dissolution, the treasury is distributed to: (a) outstanding dues refunds; (b) scholarship debt cancellation; (c) the remainder to a registered Australian charity selected by the Master Council, with preference to mental health, youth education, and arts.

Article XI — Patron and Non-Discrimination

11.1 The patron archetype is the Lion of Judah — servant kingship, strength under obedience, ferocity ordered toward love.

11.2 The guild does not require any religious confession of any member. No member may be expelled or refused entry on grounds of religious belief or its absence.

11.3 No member may be expelled or refused entry on grounds of race, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, age, or political belief.

11.4 The guild reserves the right to refuse or expel members on grounds of conduct, character, criminal record relevant to fitness, or violation of the Code of Conduct.

11.5 The guild is, and shall remain, for men. This is a fact of constitution, not a statement of value about other formations.

Article XII — Founder's Legacy

12.1 The founder, Liam Tormey, holds the title Founding Patron in perpetuity.

12.2 The founder may name his successor in writing, sealed and held by the Master Council, to be opened on his retirement, death, or incapacity.

12.3 If no successor is named, the Master Council elects an executive officer by majority vote of all Masters.

12.4 The founder's contributions to the canon (writings, addresses, the 888) are preserved in their original form. They may be commentated upon but not altered.

12.5 The founder's name is added to the founding plaque of any future Lion.College physical hall.

Ratified by the Founder this day. Re-ratified by the Master Council every three years thereafter.

Signed,

Liam Tormey, Founder

Melbourne, Australia