Articles of Association
1. Desert Paths Natural Wellness Association (“DPNWA”), a private membership association, hereby proclaims its purpose as a group to exercise and promote natural health freedom by diligently seeking out, obtaining, and using any and all natural and alternative health and wellness therapies that we view as being used conscientiously and successfully by any natural, holistic, or alternative practitioners anywhere in the world. As members, we wish to seek these natural modalities to promote general health and/or as a direct intervention for naturally dealing with serious illnesses. These therapies may be accomplished in members’ homes or at privately owned or leased properties for the purpose of administering these natural and alternative therapies.
2. We acknowledge that many holistic, alternative, and natural medicine practices are being used safely and effectively throughout the world, but appear to have been rejected for economic or other reasons in the United States. As members of DPNWA, we desire to use any and all appropriate natural medicines and therapies unencumbered and free from harassment by those who oppose these therapies. This opposition could originate from federal, state, or local authorities, local licensed doctors, licensing boards, pharmaceutical companies, or any others who might use their influence to encourage an attack against our members by federal, state, or local authorities. We as individuals respect the laws of our country and it is not our intent to use products or therapies that are illegal or banned by Federal law within the United States.
3. As a private membership association, our activities are restricted to the private domain only. We hereby proclaim the inherent right and freedom as members of DPNWA to choose for ourselves, and not have imposed upon us, what type of care we will use for our own bodies when approaching wellness and the healing of serious health problems. This includes a variety of natural methods not used in mainstream medical diagnosis and treatment.
4. DPNWA hereby declares its intent to exercise fundamental rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution (“Constitution”). Since DPNWA is protected by the 1st, 9th and 14th amendments to the Constitution, it is exempt from any action by federal and state agencies charged with protecting the public.
5. DPNWA hereby declares its intent to exercise our fundamental right of association as guaranteed by the 1st and 14th amendments of the Constitution, and equivalent freedoms found in state constitutions. We assert our right to meet for the purpose of sharing and teaching natural health practices, and to utilize holistic, alternative, and natural medicine practices of our own free will. In accord with our right to free association, we reject occult practices as inherently harmful to our purpose of promoting a healthy lifestyle and physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. No member shall openly advocate such beliefs amongst other members.
6. DPNWA hereby declares its intent to exercise our fundamental right of freedom of religion as guaranteed by the 1st and 14th amendments of the Constitution, and equivalent freedoms found in state constitutions. We assert that our rights to free exercise of religion include the rights of members to make health decisions based upon sincerely held religious beliefs about health and healing. Within DPNWA, members with different religious affiliations and spiritual beliefs may choose to discuss how our religious and spiritual beliefs affect our approach to health and wellness.
7. DPNWA desires to strengthen the legal rights and basic freedoms enumerated above for all citizens of the United States and residents of individual states by opening membership to citizens of any state as well as other nations.
8. As members of DPNWA, we choose to select other members with backgrounds in natural health and natural wellness to be spokespersons in providing natural health education for other members. We also desire to allow some members to administer to other members these natural health therapies, modalities, and care, some of which are mentioned in the Membership Agreement. We hereby state that we as individual members with our dependents may choose to use these natural therapies and have them administered by DPNWA members whom we feel are properly trained to do so.