Oath of the Sewing Circle Elders

The Oath of the Sewing Circle Elders is the formal pledge sworn by women elected to serve as elders within a local Sewing Circle. The oath affirms the elder’s duty to protect the welfare of women under the Circle’s care and to faithfully administer the responsibilities entrusted to the institution.

The oath is traditionally administered before the assembled members of the local Circle upon the elder’s assumption of office.

Text of the Oath

I swear before God and this community to bear the burden of the women entrusted to this Circle; to shepherd them in honor and steadiness; to guard them from abuse without dissolving rightful authority; to uphold lawful authority within households, and to call women to steadiness and obedience where guardianship is rightful; to guide companionship faithfully and labor that no worthy man be denied rightful partnership through negligence or disorder; to receive and care for those left without placement, and ensure none of this Circle are abandoned; to neither weaponize reputation nor permit its malicious use within my charge; and to act always for the strength of households, the endurance of order, and the health of Gondara. So I swear.

Role of the Oath

The oath serves as a public declaration of responsibility and accountability. Because elders exercise significant authority within the Sewing Circle, the oath reinforces the principle that such authority exists only for the protection and stewardship of the community.

The oath also binds the elder to the judgment of the Circle itself, affirming that her authority derives from the women of the community rather than from external institutions.

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