HSS? Prescribed Status?

Humanist Society Scotland


Humanist Society Scotland (HSS) is the national charity for humanists, atheists, freethinkers and agnostics who seek to live a compassionate, ethical, rational, fulfilling lives…and we do much more than just conduct ceremonies!

We have over 14,000 members and our 120 celebrants conducted more than 3,500 weddings in 2016, and this is the group I was trained by and am proud to be registered with, as well as contributing to financialy.

In my mind, being awarded prescribed status in 2017 meant that we’d made it!

In receiving our ‘prescribed’ status, the HSS became a legally and politically acknowledged part of the fabric of Scottish society.

The Scottish Government recognised that the HSS is fit to train, monitor and support the celebrants who are registered with them, who will then in turn be able to offer legal wedding ceremonies that will allow humanist couples (from across the world) to be married in Scotland in a place, time, manner and style that is appropriate for each couple, within a broad humanist framework, confident that the celebrant and ceremony will be legal, safe, dignified and just right for them. 

"On the 14th of February 2017 The Scottish Parliament approved a new provision that saw the HSS officially recognised as the first non-religious organisation to be ‘prescribed’ under the 1977 Marriage Act. HSS is the first body to be added to the list of prescribed bodies since 1977, and the first ever non-religious organisation."

For us it felt like the HSS was given recognition as Scotland's national Humanist Charity, and for our years of dedicated hard work representing the Humanist community on a multitude of matters, and indeed fighting for a more equal and humane society for all humanity.

How that makes the HSS a different type of wedding ceremony providers:

What this means in terms of your wedding though, is that myself and my colleagues in the HSS are different from purely commercial providers of wedding services.

While each celelbrant is self employed, we are more than wedding businesses. We are part of a politically, morally and legally trusted national campaigning charity, and a member of European and Global umbrella bodies for Humanist Organisations.

It was the HSS that was responsible for securing a legal change in 2005 allowed Scotland to become the first part of the UK where legal Humanist wedding ceremonies could take place…and some of the funds from the wedding couple memberships that were generated then went on to allow us to be a key member - and funder - of the campaign for same sex marriage in Scotland, a campaign that came to fruition in December 2014.

Away from weddings, we also provide celebrants who conduct humanist namings and funerals; volunteers who work in education; hospital visitors; teaching materials and advice; as well as being involved in a whole host of national and international secular & human rights campaigns. 

So, please have a proper read at the HSS website, and maybe a think about what your membership fee might go toward supporting…and if you are impressed and approve of what we’re trying to do here in Scotland and further afield too, please become a member even if we're not conducting your wedding, or renew your membership after your wedding membership expires, if you are at all financially able to do so:

https://www.humanism.scot/

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Further Information : there are three main ways that a religious or belief group can authorise someone to conduct a wedding in Scotland: 

1. A prescribed body; An organisation (like the HSS or a recognised religious body) with delegated authority from the Registrar General to appoint celebrants it deems fit and proper on an ongoing basis.

2. A nominating body (who can 'nominate' celebrants, who may be granted authority for up-to three years at a time) 

3. Temporary authorisation from the Office of the Registrar General (on a ceremony by ceremony basis, or for a period of up-to three months).

If you are looking at various celebrants and organisations, I’d strongly suggest that you find out on what basis your celebrant is authorised (as listed above)…there is at least one celebrant ‘training’ group, who has been providing well intentioned (and very able!) would be celebrants with misinformation as to their ability to conduct legal weddings in Scotland, and some couples have been stranded by that training companies incompetence. 
The Registrar General is looking into this, but problems remain at this time. (23/09/17)

See also the page on your legal obligations on this blog.


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