USS Joshua Handbook

2003

 

Starship USS JOSHUA

General Orders

 

 

Ratified 10609.02 (2 September 2006)

 

These orders outline the ground rules upon which the club will be run.  While less formal than the Constitution, these rules are nonetheless binding upon all members.  The general orders may be amended by a Quorum (I more than 1/2) vote of the senior officers (or their proxies) of the USS Joshua.

 

It is to be understood that no rules or guidelines are to be considered binding upon our crewmembers unless voted in by the parent organization or included in this ship’s Constitution or General Orders.  Any violation of a general order is subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the Constitution and. these General Orders.  Each general order is numbered for easy reference.

 

General Order 1: Rights of the Crew Member

 

Each crewmember has certain rights designed to protect him.  In no way does this listing of rights limit the legal rights of the individual.  These rights include:

 

·    The right to privacy - the members phone number and address shall not be given out without their permission outside normal ship's business.

·    The right to choose his department and his level of involvement in that department.

·    The right of access to pertinent (non-private) club records and to request an accounting of club funds.

·    The right to petition the senior officers.

·    The right to appeal any disciplinary action.

·    The right of free expression - the right to bring up concerns and issues during general crew meetings. (Please note that this right does not allow any member to make disparaging or offensive remarks to or about any other crewmember.)

·    The right to an annual promotion review

 

General Order 2: Ship's Ground Rules

 

As spelled out in the Constitution, Article 4, Section 2, "Senior Officers meetings shall be chaired by the most senior ship's officer present . . .", however, if said individual is not the Commanding Officer (CO) or an Executive Officer (XO) they must have either the CO’s or XO's written proxy.  No Senior Officers meeting can be official without the CO, the XO, or their proxy present.

 

Crewmembers may attend Senior Officers meetings.  Timely notification of the time and place will be made to the crew by all available methods.  In the case of personnel matters where the crewmember is not directly involved, such as promotion and award discussions, the crewmember may be asked to leave the meeting.

 

No alcohol will be consumed at club meetings or functions until after the hour of 5:30 P.M.

 

All crewmembers are expected to maintain proper decorum at all times.  Remember, what you do reflects on all of us.

 

Only the Commanding Officer has the authority to commit the entire ship to any event without the prior approval of the Senior Officers.

 

General Order 3: Election Procedures

 

Elections will be held annually in September with the results being announced to the general membership after all candidates have been notified.  The new administration will take office at the first official club function in November.  This interim period is designed to allow for a smooth transition between one administration and the next.

 

Election Officer:

 

Nominations for Election Officer shall be made by the Senior Officers prior to the July Senior Officer meeting.  Candidates for the Election Officer shall be reviewed by the CO and the Senior Officers.  The candidate selected shall meet the following criteria:

 

            a.       Must be willing and able to perform the duties required of the position

b.             Must be a member in good standing of the USS Joshua

            c.       Must not be a candidate for any open position.

 

The Election Officer will be announced at the July meeting where they will begin their duties.

 

Eligibility Requirements:

 

Members

 

To be eligible to vote in the ship’s elections, a member must have a current USS Joshua membership and be in good standing.  To be eligible to vote in departmental elections, the member must have been in the department for a minimum of 2 months.  To be eligible to vote for Commanding Officer, the member must have been in the club for a minimum of 3 months.  All members of the USS JOSHUA above the age of fifteen (15) years old shall have one vote for their department head and one vote towards the Captaincy.

 

Candidates

 

Prior to the elections, all Candidates must fulfill certain criteria; these include signing and returning an “intent to run” form, which states they have received a copy of the election procedures; and a questionnaire.  The candidate commits to run for office by turning in these items by the end of the August General Crew meeting.  This is so that the special "Elections" issue of the club newsletter can be mailed to all members.  Said

newsletter is to contain the un-edited answers of all candidates.  All candidates should keep in mind that "mudslinging" campaigns or superfluous disparaging remarks made about one's rivals will be considered according to Constitutional guidelines, and may be subject to disciplinary action.

 

Senior Officers

 

To be eligible for a Senior Officer position the candidate must have completed the basic courses required to become a junior officer in the parent organization and proof must be presented to the Chief Operations Officer by the end of the August crew meeting.  The candidate must also pass JOTS (Joshua Officer's Training School) and have been a member of the department in which he will run for at least 2 months.  This restriction may be waived for the currently serving XO(s) and Captain as Command is considered a universal department.  The officer must also not hold a position on the Command Staff or Senior Officer of a chapter in another organization.

 

Executive Officer(s)

 

While these members of the Command Staff are appointed by the elected Commanding Officer, it should be noted that since they are next in secession of command that these individuals must have completed the same courses required by the parent organization as the individuals running for the Captaincy.

 

Commanding Officer

 

In addition to the requirements for a Commanding Officer outlined in the Constitution, the candidate must have completed all applicable parent organizations schools (such as ORS) and provide proof to the Chief Operations Officer by the end of the August General Crew meeting.  They must also meet the following requirements:

 

            1.    Have served as a Senior Office or Executive Officer

2.         Have been a member of the Ship for a minimum of 6 months

3.         Must not concurrently serve on the Command Staff or Senior Officers of another chapter in another organization.

 

Electoral Process:

 

The Command Staff and Senior Officers prior to the July General Crew meeting from nominations made to them shall choose an Election Officer.  The approved Election Officer will be presented to the crew at the July General Crew meeting.

 

Nominations for Commanding Officer will be taken from the floor at the July General Crew Meeting.  Each nomination must be seconded and the nominated candidate must have met the criteria called out previously.  This is the only position on the Joshua Command Staff and Senior Officers for which nominations are taken.

 

Questionnaires are given to all candidates.  These questionnaires must be turned in to the Election Officer by the end of the August General Crew meeting.

 

A special "Elections” issue of the newsletter will be mailed after the August General Crew meeting. The questionnaires for all candidates will be displayed in this issue.  All questionnaires should clearly state whom each candidate is and for what post they are running.  In the case of the CO, his choice for his executive staff (XO(s)) should also be announced.  An election ballot will also be included in the issue.  The special newsletter should reach all crewmembers before the September General Crew meeting.  Copies will also be available at the September meeting.

 

A special "Campaigning” meeting will be held at the September General Crew Meeting at which any special skills or abilities a candidate wishes to exhibit may be demonstrated.  Each candidate will have an equal amount of time.  The General member

 

Members may pick up ballots, if needed, at the poll booth on the day of the elections.  No ID numbers or names will appear on the entered portions of the ballots.  Every ballot shall be "signed for" when presented at the ballot box to the Election Officer to ensure "stuffing" does not occur.

 

Ballots will be accepted at a ballot box named by the Election Officer during break and for at least one (1) hour after the crew meeting.

 

The only way a candidate can withdraw from an election after announcing their intent and meeting the requirements is to deliver a signed explanation to the Senior Officers.  This will be displayed at the ballot box as notification to the crew that the candidate has withdrawn.

 

Eligible crewmembers may only vote for their department representative and/or the Captain.

 

Election Results:

 

Senior Officer

 

The Election Officer shall notify the current Commanding Officer as to the results of the election.  The Commanding Officer will then notify the candidates.  The elected Senior Officer will be awarded a minimum rank of Lieutenant (j.g.) upon taking the Oath of Office.

 

In the case of a tie, the Election Officer will notify the Commanding Officer and a runoff election will be held between the candidates involved.  If a second tie results, the final decision will be made by a majority vote of the current Command Staff and Senior Officers.

 

Commanding Officer

 

The Election Officer will notify the candidates running for the Captaincy as to the results for that position.  The Elections Officer will then notify the current Commanding Officer and an announcement will be made to the general membership by all methods possible.  The elected Commanding Officer will be awarded the minimum rank of Captain upon taking the Oath of Office.

 

After election, the newly elected Commanding Officer will have his nominated Executive Officer(s) ratified by a majority of the new Senior Officers.  A nominee for this position must not be a department head.  If a nominee is not ratified by a majority, the Commanding Officer must appoint another person for that position and follow the same procedure as listed herein until such time as a nominee is ratified.

 

General Order 4: Arbitration

 

The club is not designed to act as a governing authority, therefore, no procedure for arbitration is outlined within these General Orders.  In the event that a problem DOES arise which is not covered under the procedures listed under USS Joshua Constitution Article VIII: Disciplinary Action or General Order 5: Vote of Confidence, the individual crewmembers are expected to work out their differences in a calm and orderly manner.  A member of the Senior Officer staff may be requested to act as a mediator in any discussion but such a role cannot be forced upon any officer and must be agreed to willingly by all parties involved.  In all cases all local rules and state laws apply.

 

General Order 5: Vote of Confidence

 

Should the general members or the Senior Officers of the club, after careful consideration, come to feel that an Officer is not acting in the best interests of the club and attempts to resolve the situation have failed - a vote of confidence may be called. (For the sake of the Vote of Confidence proceedings Officer refers any Senior Officer or Command staff member.)

 

Senior Officer

 

A member of the officer’s department or a Senior Officer may start a “Vote of Confidence” if gross negligence or dereliction of duty is noted; however, the officer in question must have been notified in advance of the problems noted and have refused to take action.  Said notification must be documented in writing.

 

Commanding Officer

 

A general member or a Senior Officer may start a vote of Confidence if gross negligence or dereliction of duty is noted; however, the Commanding Officer must have been notified in advance of the problems noted and have refused to take action.  Said notification must be documented in writing.

 

Procedure:

 

A petition for a Vote of Confidence, signed by 1/3 of the Officer in question's department, (or 1/3 of the entire ship's complement in the case of the CO), may be submitted to any senior officer.  The petition must include specifics as to the reason for this action.  This officer then becomes the Coordinator for the Vote of Confidence proceedings.  If requested by the petitioner the Coordinator must specifically refrain from revealing the originator.

 

The Coordinator must notify the Commanding Officer, the Senior Officers, and the Officer in question that a Vote of Confidence proceeding is in effect within ten (10) days of receiving the petition.  All the specific charges and documentation must be revealed to verify that the officer in question was in fact notified of the problem and refused to take action to correct it.

 

The Officer in question will have ten (10) days after the Coordinator's notice to present justification for his actions to the Coordinator.

 

Within 30 days of the answer, the Coordinator must notify the individual departments members (or the entire active club membership in the case of a VOC against the CO) of the Vote of Confidence proceedings, the nature of the complaint, and the response.  A ballot card will be included for the members to vote for or against the officer in question.  At the next meeting the ballots will be tallied.  Any crewmember that is unable to attend may choose to mail his ballot to the Coordinator. 

 

If a majority of the ballots returned supports the Officer in question, then no further action will be taken.  The Officer in question is specifically barred from taking punitive action against the real or perceived originator of any Vote of Confidence petition.

 

If the majority of the ballots returned does not support the Officer, he will be asked to step down immediately.  A special election will be held, and the new Officer will serve until the next General Election.

 

An Officer may not be subjected to a Vote of Confidence for a period of 120 days following the results of a previous Vote of Confidence.

 

General Order 6: Shuttle Personnel Status

 

When the Starship USS JOSHUA is serving as mother ship for a chapter-in-training of the parent organization, the members of the chapter-in-training, who are members of the Joshua, have all the rights and privileges of such membership.

 

Administration:

 

Although the chapter-in-training reports to the mother ship, it shall be considered a separate entity and may conduct its own activities.  The Command Staff and Senior Officers of the Joshua may advise the chapter-in-training's officer complement and vice versa, but it is up to each group to make their own decisions.  It is the goal of the mother ship to make any chapter-in-training self-reliant as soon as possible.  The following administration guidelines shall be observed:

 

1.      The Commanding Officer and the Executive Officer of the chapter-in-training must be members of the Starship USS Joshua until the chapter-in-training is commissioned.

2.      The Commanding Officer and the XO(s) are invited and encouraged to participate in the USS Joshua's Senior Officers meetings although they will have no voting privileges.

3.      Under no circumstances are members of the chapter-in-training to be denied      notification of, or admittance to, any USS Joshua activities on the basis of      chapter-in-training membership.

4.      The Shuttle may levy and collect its own dues.

5.      Any duties and/or responsibilities held on board the USS Joshua, at the time the member joins the Shuttle must, be fulfilled.  If necessary the Senior Officers or CO of the USS Joshua may find another member to fulfill those duties/responsibilities.

6.      Due to the possibility of conflicts of interest or misunderstandings, no Senior Officer of the USS Joshua may be a Senior Officer of a chapter-in-training.

7.      Ship affiliation cards from the parent organization for members who join a chapter-in-training are to be held on the mother ship until the chapter-in-training becomes a fully accredited chapter, at which time, a written request for the transfer of said cards must be made by each individual member and submitted to the USS Joshua Operations Officer and the parent organization.

 

           NOTE:  Files and commendations in the member’s files are not to be transferred. They reflect the actions of said individual on board the mother ship and are the property of said ship.  Copies will be made available upon request.

 

Officer Status:

 

Ranks awarded on board the Shuttle will be recognized as a brevet rank on board the Joshua until:

 

1.      Such time as they are promoted to the equivalent rank, or above, on board the Joshua OR

2.      Such time as they formally become attached to the newly commissioned ship.

 

Recruiting:

 

It is the belief of the USS Joshua that there are enough fans in the Metroplex to support several fan clubs.  It is further believed that an individual should have the right to decide which group, if any, to join.  Therefore, recruiting shall be conducted in a spirit of cooperation and not competition.  Any comments about one group stealing recruits, or otherwise limiting membership in another group, shall be considered out of line.  With this in mind, the following recruiting guidelines are hereby established:

 

1.      Initial recruiting must be on a one-to-one basis when attempting to form a chapter-in-training.

2.      Once the proposed chapter-in-training meets minimum requirements as outlined by the parent organization, an announcement may be made to the crew at large.  However, as the real purpose of chapters-in-training is to serve as the basis for growth of the parent organization, recruiting within the mother ship is discouraged.

3.      In the event that the USS Joshua is hosting a table at a convention for the purposes of recruiting members, the members of the chapter-in-training will be allowed to utilize table space and any other USS Joshua property to recruit for the chapter-in-training; so long as prior notification is made to the USS Joshua and personnel from the chapter-in-training are available to man the table.

 

General Order 7: Financial Procedures

 

The Captain is responsible to the ship for allocation and dispersal of funds.  Only he may appoint any officer check-writing privileges, said appointment to be ratified by the Senior Officers.

 

Expenditures:

 

1.      No expenditure over fifty dollars may be made without the Captains prior knowledge and approval.

2.      The Captain has broad discretionary powers regarding finances, however, any questionable expenditure should be brought before the Senior Officers before the expenditure if possible.

 

Receipt of Funds:

 

1.      All income must have a receipt issued for it.  Said receipt to be kept in the ship’s archives.  Any such funds received must be given to the Captain or his appointed treasurer within 15 days.

2.      Only Senior Officers or their appointee's are authorized to receive funds and issue receipts.

 

General Order 8: Promotions

 

Criteria:

 

Guidelines for promotions cannot be rigidly structured and committed in writing.  It is the purpose of a promotion to recognize a person for his performance aboard this Ship.  Consideration shall be given to, but not limited to, the following items:

 

1.      Grade and time in grade

2.      Attendance and participation in crew meetings

3.      Attitude toward duties

4.      Attendance and participation in Ship functions

5.      Attendance and performance in schools sponsored by the parent organization.

 

If promotions are easy to achieve, they will have very little meaning.  If they are too difficult, people will lose interest and drop out.  It is the duty of the Senior Officers and Command Staff to determine a course that will keep a good balance between the two extremes.

 

Frequency:

A promotion review will be conducted quarterly.

 

Procedure:

 

Command personnel and/or department heads may nominate any active crewmember for promotion.  It is the duty of the crewmembers, Senior Officers, and Command Staff to supply information relevant to the performance of any crewmember.  This is accomplished as follows:

 

1.      Crewmembers may place pertinent information in their personnel file.

2.      Crewmembers may have information regarding another member's performance placed in the member's personnel file by the member's Department Head or other Senior Officer.

3.      The Assistant to the department head will accumulate, correlate, and pass the information on to the department heads.

4.      The Department Head will review and provide his input on the candidates.  He may recommend the following:

 

a.   Promotion recommended

b.   Promotion conditionally recommended

c.   Promotion not recommended

 

5.      His recommendations will then be given to the Operations Officer.

6.      The Operations Officer correlates the information from all departments adding his own recommendations and passes this information on to the Senior Officers.

7.      The Senior Officers review and ratify the recommendations and pass them on to the Commanding Officer (CO).

8.      The CO and/or XO approves.

 

The Constitution of the Starship U.S.S. JOSHUA, 

Ratified 9303.20 (20 March 1993)

Preamble      

The Starship U.S.S. JOSHUA is a club for fans of the Star Trek television series. Its purpose is to provide a warm and appropriate environment and vehicle for the earthly pursuit of unity and brotherhood and tenets of behavior and spirit as espoused by the Star Trek concept.  We, the members of the JOSHUA have written these articles known as the Ship’s Constitution, to be enacted and binding on the Ship, it’s Members and it’s Officers. This Constitution is to provide orderly rules for the conduct of day-to-day business and to define that the President has the ultimate responsibility for the well being of the Club and its members.  

It should also be noted that all references of people in this document are male for the purpose of simplicity of language in this document. There is no intention whatsoever to slight or accentuate any gender. NOTE: Roberts Rules of Order apply unless in conflict with this document or its attachments.       

Article I Primary Directive

1.         Name and Affiliation:

The name of this organization will be the U.S.S.  JOSHUA, also referred to as the club, the ship, the Joshua etc. - and may be affiliated, as it’s officers and crew may decide, with one or more parent organizations, as defined in the General Orders.  The Primary Directive of the Starship JOSHUA shall be to further the goodwill of humanity through acts of humanitarianism, friendship, goodwill and public service, as set forth in the Star Trek philosophy.

2.         Purpose:

The purpose of this Ship will be to:        

a.   Encourage all legal activities and efforts in connection with Star Trek and all related materials.

b.   Pursue unity, brotherhood, and a spirit of friendship in its members and those affiliated with any fan organization.     

c.   Provide a place where people may meet and exchange information and ideas in an atmosphere conducive to the pursuit of these goals.           

d.   Support other clubs, shuttles and Ships in their goals and objectives.   

e.   Provide activities and recreational opportunities to allow the members to enjoy the benefits of this unique and gentle belief in the unity and dignity of the human condition.       

3.         Structure:

This Ship is a social club, not a paramilitary organization. The ranks issued are strictly honorary and are only used to complement the uniforms we wear to indicate position or performance. We use military type terms in the fictional side of our involvement. Senior Officers are elected and responsible to the crewmembers and the Commanding Officer of the Ship. General Members are encouraged to actively participate in club functions and communicate with the Senior Officers.

Article II. Governing Regulations

1.Constitution:

The Constitution is the backbone of the operation of the JOSHUA. The Constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the entire active membership at the time. An “active member” is defined in Article III: Members section 3 b.

2.         General Orders:

The General Orders define in detail how the Constitution is implemented. They may be altered by the Senior Officer’s as defined in the General Orders.

3.         Availability:

All of the rules and regulations of this Starship are public. They are available to all interested persons upon request. 

Article III. Membership

1.         Eligibility:

Membership shall be open to any person interested in the purposes and objectives of this Ship without regard to race, creed, color, sex, any disability, or life-style. Status and level of membership shall be contingent on dues paid up and adherence to the rules and provisions set forth in this Constitution, and General Orders. The criteria set forth in this constitution and supporting documents shall be the sole means of accepting or denying membership.     

2.         Types of Membership:

There shall be three types of members - these being National, Local, and       Honorary. Each is described below: 

a.   National members are those who have paid their dues to the JOSHUA and the specified organization(s) in the General Orders. They have the right to seek office within the Ship and to hold leadership positions. They also have local and national voting privileges, and may participate in the Ship’s business within the level of their rank and seniority.        

b.   Local members have elected to join only the local club, and have all the rights and privileges of National members, EXCEPT that Local Members cannot hold officer rank, nor can they vote on issues pertaining to the existing parent organization(s), except for the election of the Captain of the Ship.        

c.   Honorary members are those who have been granted a membership by the Commanding Officer.  The procedure is defined in the General Orders.       

3.         Definitions:

a)   Crewmember refers to anyone who is a member of the U.S.S. JOSHUA.        

b)   Active Members are members who regularly attend club meetings or functions.

c)   General members refers to crewmembers who are not Senior Officers.          

d)   Senior Officers are those officers who have been elected by their department as the departmental representative to the Commanding Officer. Senior Officers are also known as Department Heads. The XO is also a member of the Senior Officers, although he is not a dept. head. 

e)   Commanding Officer is the officer currently in charge of the ship.         

f)    Ship’s Captain is the officer elected to be in charge of the ship.

g)   Executive Officer (XO) is the ratified first officer selected by the ship’s Captain.

4.         Fees:

Membership Fees shall be determined annually by the Commanding Officer and Senior Officers and shall become binding on all members as their dues expire. Fees shall not include dues of any parent organization(s) as defined in the General orders, which may levy and collect their own dues. No Honorary member shall be charged dues during the time such membership is in place.

5.         Delinquency:

All members who are delinquent on their dues for three months shall be deemed to have resigned. A member dismissed by reason of delinquency may be reinstated by paying the delinquent dues, but will lose their previous position and seniority held, and may lose rank.         

6.         Dismissal:

Dismissal of membership can occur as explained in Article VIII: Disciplinary procedure.       

Article IV. Meetings

1.         General Meetings:

General meetings shall be held on a regular basis, during which the general business of the Ship shall be conducted. The general meetings should be structured loosely and encourage member participation and entertaining activities. All general members may participate, and shall have the right to present points of business for discussion.

2.         Senior Officers’ Meetings:

Senior Officer’s meetings shall be held monthly to conduct ship’s business and deal with special problems. General Members have limited input to these meetings, and may be required to leave if deemed necessary. Each meeting shall be chaired by the most senior ship’s officer present, as defined in the General Orders.        

Article V. The Captaincy

1.         Office:

NOTE:  The terms Captaincy and C.O. are interchangeable within Article V except for Section 5.  The Ship’s Captain is the elected Commanding Officer of the Ship, and shall be regarded with the prestige and dignity of his position. The C.O. has responsibility for the running of the Ship, and holds authority over its decisions and activities under advisement from his Senior Officers. The C.O.’s authority includes the act of veto; command decisions and preemptive action as defined in this Constitution and General Orders without the consent of the Senior Officers. It should be remembered that the club is still essentially a democracy and the C.O. is representative of the Ship and serves at the pleasure of the membership.   

2.         Qualifications:

In order to qualify for election, the candidate for C.O. must fulfill the following criteria:

a.         Be at least 18 years of age at the time of the election.                     

b.         Be a member in good standing of the U.S.S. JOSHUA.

c.         Meet all current National requirements of the parent organization(s) for holding the position of Captain.

d.         Meet any other requirements as set forth in the General Orders.     

3.         Authority:

The Captain may delegate responsibilities for various aspects of the Ship’s activities to any and all Officers, including but not limited to those selected for Senior Officer positions. He may, at any time and for cause, award any member. He may also, at any time and for cause call for the removal of any member from a position of authority with the consent of a quorum of Senior Officers. If for any reason a Senior Officer position should become vacant the Captain may appoint a new Senior Officer, to be ratified by the remaining Senior Officers. It is strongly advised that the Captain seek counsel in all matters from his Senior Officers, in order that justice is served and the individual rights of the Ship’s members are not violated.

4.         Responsibilities:

The Captain is responsible for providing monthly to the membership, and to the parent organization(s) as required by the parent organization(s). Ideas impacting Ship activities, events etc., should be submitted through the chain of command; however all members have the right to approach the Captain directly.

5.         Financial Responsibilities:

The elected Ship’s Captain is responsible for ship’s funds as outlined in the General Orders and further stipulated by the constitutions of any parent organization(s) with which the ship may be currently affiliated. The procedure for receipt and dispersal of such funds are defined in General Order number 7.          

6.         Vote of Confidence:

Should the situation arise where the actions of the C.O. have had a serious detrimental effect on the operation of this Starship, a request for a vote of confidence can be submitted according to the procedure put forth in the General Orders. If the vote of confidence does not support the C.O. the ship shall immediately hold elections for a new C.O. A vote of confidence may only be requested once in a four-month period.

Article VI. Officers

1.         Definition:

The Command Officers are the Senior Officers, the C.O. and the XO currently in charge of the ship.  General Officers are crewmembers that have met the requirements of the parent organization(s) who are not members of the Senior Officer or Command staff.

2.         Command Officers:

The Commanding Officer will be considered the most senior officer in this Starship. The First Officer (Executive Officer) is the second most senior officer and is in command in the absence of or at the discretion of the C.O. The C.O. is elected by the members, at elections to be held as defined in the General Orders. The Captain appoints the First Officer. The appointment of First Officer must be ratified by a vote of the Senior Officers.

3.         Senior Officers:

Each individual department elects a Department Head at the annual elections. This person serves on the Senior Officers’ Committee with the duty of advising the Captain in matters concerning the day-to-day running of the Ship, planning its missions and planning and implementing policy as directed by the Captain. The Senior Officers are also responsible for accepting nominations for promotion, discussing and recommending applicants for the various positions available in the Ship, and carrying out such duties as may from time to time be required by the Captain for the efficient maintenance and running of the Ship. It is strongly suggested that all Department Heads report to the C.O. and / or X.O. monthly. It should be noted that the XO is a member of the Senior Officers compliment, although he is NOT a Department Head.  Senior Officers are subject to the Vote of Confidence proceedings mentioned in this Constitution as described in the General Orders.

4.         General Officers:

General Officers are crewmembers who have taken and passed the requirements of the parent organization(s) and obtained a rank of Ensign or above but who are not members of the Senior Officer or Command staff.        

5.         Elections:

Elections shall be held on an annual basis, by the procedure outlined in the General Orders.

Article VII. Promotions

Promotions are awarded in recognition of participation and / or service to the ship, as outlined in the General Orders.     

Article VIII. Disciplinary Action:

The Ship is not a military organization, and the acts of its members are therefore fully protected by the Laws of the United States of America in force at the time. All members are presumed to be working for the common good of the Ship’s Company, and actions shall initially be viewed as overzealous attempts to further that end. Counseling shall concentrate on positive behaviors, and shall serve as educational process regarding the rules and standing orders in force at the time. Violations of rules and regulations will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Senior Officers and the C.O.

2.         Dismissal:

Should Termination of membership be deemed necessary the procedure outlined in the General Orders will be initiated. The offending member forfeits any future association with the U.S.S.  JOSHUA, and may not reapply to the Ship for membership. This does not prevent an ex-member from seeking membership in any other chapter affiliated with the same parent organization(s).           

3.         Rights of the Member:

None of the above shall in any way forego the member’s individual rights under the Laws of the United States in force at this time. A member has the right to appeal any and all decisions up the current chain of command insofar as it applies to them e.g. National members may appeal all the way up to the highest levels of the parent organization(s) with which the club is affiliated.        

Article IX. Liability of Members

1.         Fiscal Liability:

No Officer, member or affiliated person or organization (with the exception of the C/O, in the manner defined by the General Orders or the constitution of any parent organization(s) with which the ship is currently affiliated) shall be personally liable for any bills or obligations of the Ship, past or present, except for the payment of personal membership dues. Likewise, no Officer or member of the Ship shall dispense moneys; sign contracts; fiscally bind the Ship or her Crew or otherwise indebt the Ship, her Officers and/or crew without the express consent of the Commanding Officer, with acknowledgment from the Senior Officers.       

2.         Ship’s Records:

No member shall obtain for private use, nor cause to be released outside of ship’s business, the membership lists of the Ship’s complement, nor shall any member use the ship’s name nor its logo for personal gain.       

3.         Dissolution:

In the event the Ship decides to disband, all mailing lists of the Ship’s Compliment shall be destroyed, and all property invested in the Ship sold at auction to the Ship’s active members. After all Ship’s debts have been paid, the remaining moneys from the Ship’s Treasury and the funds raised at auction shall be donated to a charity to be determined by the Senior Officers.    

Article X. Ship’s Archives

A Ship’s Archives shall be maintained to be a permanent record of the Ship’s business. This documentation shall be preserved until such time as the Senior Officers deem it necessary to dispose of such information.        

Article XI. Amendment

Procedure

Notwithstanding any decision herein made, this Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the active members as described in the General Orders, so long as advanced notice in writing is made available to all voting members.      

Article XII. Documentation

1. This document shall maintain the date of acceptance of this document and each of its modifications.     

2.         This document was ratified by a quorum of Senior Officers on 9002.10 (10 February 1990)

3.         This document was amended by a quorum of Senior Officers on 9106.10 (01 June 1991)

4.         This document was reformatted on 9201.20 (20 Jan 1992) NO CHANGES were made save page layout and emphasizing certain sentences for clarity and ease of understanding.        

5. This document was changed by committee and brought before the Crew of the Joshua on 9303.20 (20 March 1993)   

6.         This document was reformatted on 9503.16 (16 March 1995) NO CHANGES were made save formatting changes using Word 6.0 for ease of placement into PageMaker 5.0 document.

7.         This document was rewritten to allow multiple affiliations and redirect parent organization definitions to the General Orders as necessary.  Brought before the crew of the Joshua on 11-1995