Charge of the Open Hand

(emblem to be designed — see crest)

• Domain: Generosity — giving freely of means, time, or self.

What it asks

The open hand is the opposite of the closed fist. A Warden of the Open Hand gives what they have — money, hours, or themselves — to those who need it, and gives without keeping score. Where the Hearth and Shield are defined by whom they serve, the Open Hand is defined by the giver: the steady, open-handed habit of giving, wherever it’s needed.

What this doesn’t mean

It is not about how much you have — someone with little who gives their time can bear this as fully as a wealthy donor, sometimes more. And it is not transactional: generosity with strings, or giving to buy status or a tax break, isn’t this Charge. The open hand expects nothing back, and doesn’t need a plaque on the wall.

Duties of every Warden

Whatever their specific watch, every Warden of the Open Hand must:

• Give without expecting return — no strings, no scorekeeping.
• Give what’s actually needed, not just what’s convenient to part with.
• Give quietly — “we ask for no applause” (see creed).
• Sustain it — a generous life, not a one-time grand gift.

How it’s earned

A council looks for a sustained pattern of real generosity — means, time, or self given where it counted, repeatedly, without fanfare. Not a single headline donation, but an open hand over the long run.

Wardens

A Warden of the Open Hand holds at least one of the watches below, defined by what they give. A page reads “Charge of the Open Hand, Warden of Time.”

Warden of Means

• Duties: Give money and resources where they do the most good.
• To keep it: Ongoing, meaningful giving of means relative to what you have.

Warden of Time

• Duties: Give your hours — volunteering and showing up, again and again.
• To keep it: Sustained giving of real time, not occasional.

Warden of Self

• Duties: Give of yourself — donating blood or marrow, taking on personal cost or risk to help, putting your own skills and body to others’ good.
• To keep it: Ongoing willingness to give of yourself when it’s needed.

Notes

• Boundary: the Open Hand is giver-defined (the act of generosity itself), while the Hearth and Shield are recipient-defined (crisis care, conflict solidarity). A person can give to a shelter and rightly hold both — Open Hand for the open-handedness, Hearth for the care. Overlap is expected; they’re siblings, not rivals.