Clowders, Packs, Parliaments, and Councils

Minimum Requirements

A Clowder must have a minimum of 3 cats.
A Parliament requires a minimum of 9 cats.
A Grand Parliament must be made up of at least 3 Parliaments.

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A Pack must have a minimum of 4 dogs.
A Council requires a minimum of 12 dogs.
A High Council must be made up of at least 3 Councils.

Territories

An individual cat’s territory is called a Den.
A Clowder’s territory is called a Colony.
A Parliament’s territory is called a Scent.

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An individual dog’s territory is called a Walk.
A Pack’s territory is called a Bound.
A Council’s territory is called a Mark.

Organization

To be a full member you must live in the Parliament/Council’s territory for at least one lunar month and cast votes, individually or by proxy, on issues brought by the Parliament/Council.
Each Parliament has 8 core leaders called Speakers who carry not only their own individual votes but can also carry proxy votes from the other cats in the Parliament’s Scent. Also, there is an additional single member of the leaders called the Secretary Speaker or Catelaine who confirms all proxy votes and that information on votes and issues is brought to all house-bound cats. A Catelaine will often have several cats called Carriers under them who help in delivering news and collecting proxy votes.
Grand Parliaments are made up of three members (almost always Speakers) from each of the Parliaments under the Grand Parliament.

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Each Council has 11 core leaders called Councilors who carry not only their own individual votes but can also carry proxy votes from the other dogs in the Council’s Mark. Also, there is an additional single member of the leaders called the Recorder who confirms all proxy votes and that information on votes and issues is brought to all house/yard-bound dogs. A Recorder will often have several dogs called Bounders under them who help in delivering news and collecting proxy votes.
High Councils are made up of four members (almost always Councilors) from each of the Councils under the High Council.

Naming Conventions

The names of Clowders are normally idiosyncratic, being made up of personal names, events, or actions i.e., Cleo’s Clowder, The Witch Hunters.
The names of Parliaments are often made up from street names, events, or directions i.e., The Fish Row Parliament, The Rat Ward Parliament, The West End Parliament.

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The names of Packs are normally made up around neighborhood or street names or natural features i.e., The River Town Pack, The Hob Street Pack, The Old Oak Pack.
The names of Councils are often made up from town names, events, or celestial events i.e., The Lynn Council, The River Rescue Council, The High Sun Council.