OUR
BY-LAWS 
SPIRITWALKER’S
MISSION STATEMENT:
The primary function or aim of this
Sci-fi Club is to have fun and to enjoy the fellowship of those who have
similar interest while the secondary aim is to put forward a good picture of
Starfleet and of KAG to the general public through activities of community
services, charity works, etc.
SPIRITWALKER’S
BY-LAWS:
INTRODUCTION:
These are our By-laws as set down by the
Members of the club - Spiritwalker, a Sci-fi club. We recognized first our own
club's by-laws. Then, depending on the need at the time, we recognize the
following: a) the Constitution of Starfleet International and the constitution
of Region 2 or b) KAG's Fleet Guidelines and the IMF Security Force
Guidelines. The By-laws of the Spiritwalker cannot be changed except by the EC
(Executive Board, which will be defined at a later point in this document).
The EC board, in turn, will bring said matter before those concerned, whether
it should be all or part of the group depending on the issue at hand.
Although we are set up as a meeting type
chapter, we are set up for corresponding members as well. Each member is free
to participate as much as they wish too. However, a member should at least
contact a Club officer every 4 to 6 weeks either in person, by telephone,
through the US mail or by e-mail. If a member has not been heard from within
12 weeks (3 months), they will receive a warning or a letter of inquiry at the
discretion of the EC Board. In 6 months, if not heard from, the EC board has
the right to drop their membership.
The Club is scheduled to have at least
four formal meetings per year that are open to the public. We reserve the
right to call at least one meeting per year that will be open to members only.
Otherwise, we will have meetings whenever and wherever. These meetings will be
done in person, by telephone, by e-mail, or by US mail.
MEMBERSHIP
VERSES NON-MEMBERSHIP
There are three classes of membership in the Spiritwalker. These three
groups are classified as being Starfleet Members, KAG Members, and/or Local
Members (those with other Sci-fi interests). The only differences
between these are as follows:
1. Local members cannot vote concerning
anything that involves Fleet or KAG but can vote on anything else
involving the club.
2. Local members will have one member on
the EC with voting rights and this person is to be chosen by the other Local
members.
3. The rank system is different between
a local member, a Fleet member, or a KAG member.
a) Local member ranks go from crewman to
Command Master Chief Petty Officer. (For
those members who were fleet or KAG, but have decided not to renew their
membership in KAG or Fleet, for what every reason but still wish to remain a
member of the club, their rank will be changed to the local rank system based
on the conversion chart at the end of this document.)
b) A fleet member ranks go from Ensign
to Admiral (Those members who are local members, but are in fleet, retain
their Fleet rank. On the other hand those members who were local, but have
decided to join fleet for what every reason, their rank will be changed to the
fleet rank system based on the conversion chart at the end of this document.)
c) A KAG member ranks go from Lance
Corporal to Admiral/Marine General (There is no local membership in KAG)
When a person decides to apply for
membership with the Spiritwalker, they must do so through the EC board.
Whether it is as a Fleet member, a KAG member, or as a local member, the EC
board reserves the right to refuse any person membership with the
Spiritwalker. (If there is any dispute among the EC on the matter, the
Commanding Officer has the finally say.)
People, who are not members of the club
in its various forms, will be classified as a “visitor.” Other then being
allow to attend meetings that are open to the public, a visitor has no rights,
responsibilities or positions in our club. People who are visitors are only
visitors!! Visitors are
not permitted to vote on any issue.
CLUB’S
OFFICERS:
The Club's Executive
Committee (EC) Board is made up of the Club's main officers plus one local
member. The top officers are the Commanding Officer (CO) of both Fleet and of
KAG (Should the Fleet and KAG Commanding officer be different for whatever
reason – the two officers will then share the commanding EC vote), the
Executive Officer (XO) of both Fleet and of KAG (Should the Fleet and KAG
Executive officer be different for what ever reason –the two officers will
then share the Executive EC vote), the Second Officer (SO), and the Judge
Advocate General (JAG). The other members of the EC are as follows: the local
representative (LR), Security Officer (Sec), Communication Officer (Com),
Operation/History Officer (Ops), Science-Medical/Engineering
Officer (Sci-Med/Eng), Counseling/Chaplain Officer (Cou/Chap), Marine
Corp/Ranger Officer (OIC/Rgr), Cadet Officer (Cad), and Astral Officer (AO).
The Finance Office is made up of the EC board only. Excluding the top four
officers, all other officers are considered as secondary officers.
The main qualifications for any of the top four officers in this club is that they must be a full Starfleet member who is registered to this ship (not a local Starfleet member) and is a member in good standing. They should be members of KAG also if possible. These four officers must also have successfully completed Officer Training School (OTS) and Officer Command College (OCC) while the CO and XO will need to have taken the Flag Officer School (FOS) one. The Officers of all other departments need only be Starfleet members in general whether they are listed with this club or as a member of another chapter (except for the one local representative who needs to be a member in good standing with the club) and have successfully completed Officer Training School (OTS). All officers, no matter of which department, must be 18 years of age or older.span>
A club officer will hold an office as long as they so
wish or until a vote of confidence is called for. If a person wishes to fill an office, they first have to meet
the qualifications of being an officer. Once
they approach the EC about this, they should work under the existing Officer,
if possible, for a three-month period. If they still want the position, then a
vote of confidence will be called. Otherwise, if it is not possible for the
person to work under the an existing officer for whatever reason, a vote of
confidence will be called for and the other EC members will then help the new
officer with the office for up to three-months as the new officer get use to
their position.
DUTIES OF THE
CLUB’S OFFICERS
Commanding Officer (CO) (This goes for both Fleet CO and KAG CO
if different)
The duties of the Commanding Officer are as follows but not limited to
acting as the President of the Spiritwalker and acting as liaison between the
Club, Starfleet, and KAG. The CO also has the highest authority in the local
chain of command and thus bears the ultimate responsibility and authority for
decisions made regarding club operations. This includes maintaining order at
meetings, being responsible for club funds and property. The CO is responsible
for filing a Monthly Status Report (MSR) with Fleet and to KAG.
Executive Officer (XO) (This goes for both Fleet CO and KAG XO
if different)
The duties of the Executive Officer are as follows but not limited to
acting as the Vice President of the Spiritwalker. The XO has the second
highest authority in the local chain of command and thus, the XO is an
assistant to the CO and in the absence of the CO, will assume the CO’s
Duties. The XO will also handle minor disruptions between members or groups of
members of the club. The XO is also responsible for maintaining Club’s
calendar of scheduled activities.
Second Officer (SO)
The Second Officer's duties are, as follows but not limited to serving
the CO and XO as needed and in the XO’s absence will assume the XO’s
Duties. Thus, the SO is the third highest authority in the local chain of
command.
Judge Advocate General (JAG)
The Judge Advocate General Officer's duties are as follows but not
limited to serving as the authority on and the administration of the Club’s
By-laws. The JAG will also be responsible for having a constant familiarity
with the Constitution/By-laws of Region 2, of Starfleet, the Guidelines of KAG
and of IMF Security Force Guidelines (KAG Marine document). Thus, JAG is the
fourth highest authority in the local chain of command.
Security Officer (Sec)
The duties of the Security Officer are as follows, but not limited to,
maintaining order and for prevention of any loss/damage of club’s property
at all club’s functions.
Communication Officer (Com)
The Communication Officer duties are as follows but not limited to
providing the Club newsletter to each member and for keeping any other forms
of communications open between the members.
Operation/History Officer (Ops)
The Operation/History Officer duties are as follows but not limited to
keeping any and all club’s records and for giving accurate historical
account of the club. When there is any election abroad the club, Ops is
responsible for handling the proceedings.
Science-Medical/Engineering
Officer (Sci-Med/Eng)
The Science-Medical/Engineering Officer duties are as follows but not
limited to keeping up with scientific happening, maintaining medical records
for all members, providing a first aid kit at all club's functions, and for
providing a tool kit at all club's functions.
Counseling/Chaplain Officer (Cou/Chap)
The Counseling/Chaplain Officer's duties are as follows but not limited
to giving advise and/or comfort when needed to members and to act as mediator.
Marine Corp/Ranger Officer (OIC/Rgr)
The Marine Corp/Ranger Officer's duties are as follows but not limited
to handling any Marine Corp or Ranger duties such as being responsible for the
Marine Strike Group and sending in the monthly unit report to the Marine
Battalion.
Cadet Officer (Cad)
The Cadet Officer duties are as follows but not limited to anything involving the children/young folks in the club. Note: a cadet is any young person up to the age of 18.
When a cadet turns 18, they are allowed to join the ship as a member with full rights and privileges. Their new rank as a full member will be either an Ensign or a Lieutenant Junior Grade, which will be decide by members of the EC based on how active that member was as a cadet.
Astral
Officer (AO)
The
duties of the Astral Officer are as follows, but not limited to keeping up
with other Sci-fi happenings, various fantasy happenings, and anything else to
do with magic or other spiritual topics that the members of the club might be
interested in but are not already covered by the other departments.
ELECTIONS:
Elections for any of the Offices in the club will be held only after a
vote of confidence is called for or when an existing Officer wishes to step
down for whatever reason.
VOTES:
There will be times when it will be
necessary to call for a vote, whether it is for an issue or for an election.
Votes will be handled in the various ways depending on what is being voted on:
close ballot, show of hands, through mail (email or US mail), by roll call
votes, etc. When a vote is
called, the majority of those who choose to vote will decide the
verdict. If a tie should occur
and the matter can’t be decided, then there will be a negotiation for
working out a compromise. When
this is done, it will be brought up once more for voting. If after three voting, it still is a
tie vote, the election or issue will be put on hold for one week to give
people time to think about it, and then voted on it one finally time. If the result is still a tie, the EC
board will decide it. If by
chance, the EC board is tied, a deck of cards will be cut – high card wins. Note: When members of the EC are
voting on an issue, each member has only one vote, no matter how many offices
they hold.
PROMOTIONS AND
WHAT THEY ARE BASED ON:
The EC Board will do a promotion review at least once ever 12 to 18
months. However, anyone can
request a promotion review if they think they qualify for a promotion. On the Starfleet side or the local
side of the club, the promotion review board can only deal with promoting from
crewman to Command Master Chief Petty officer and from Ensign to Commander.
For the KAG side of the club, promotions are at the discretion of the KAG CO;
anything else has to be done though the Starfleet’s system of promotion.
However, the promotion review board will help any members who might wish to go
beyond the Commander rank to deal with the Starfleet system.
When considering a promotion, the EC Board will base their decision on
a combination of things based on the following list: length of time a person
has been in the club, the person’s involvement with documented various
activities (a chart listing some of the activities will follow this), and on
the interview involving that particular promotion with the board.
ACTIVITY CHART
FOR PROMOTION PURPOSES
For each level of promotion, a person is to do x % of a combination of
any 100 activities that are listed below depending on which track that person
is following, Fleet, KAG or local. Some activities can only be done once
(marked with *) while other activities can be done many times.
PERCENTAGES OF
ACTIVITIES NEEDED:
To be a local member one only needs to
join the club.
(Fleet) For Ensign, one needs to join
the club and Fleet
(KAG) For Corporal or Sergeant, one
needs to join the club and KAG
(KAG) For 2nd
Lieutenant/Marine Lieutenant, one needs to join the club, join KAG and have a
Klingon uniform
(Local) For Petty Officer, Third Class
10%
(Local/Fleet) For Petty Officer Second
Class/for Lieutenant jg 20%
(KAG) Lieutenant/Marine Captain 20%
(Local) For Petty Officer, First Class
30%
(Local/Fleet) For Chief Petty Officer or
for Lieutenant 40%
(KAG) Lieutenant Commander/Marine Major
40% plus the approval of the KAG Counsel
(Local) For Senior Chief Petty Officer
50%
(KAG) Commander/Marine Lieutenant
Colonel 50% plus the approval of the KAG Counsel
(Local/Fleet) For Master Chief Petty
Officer or for Lt. Commander 60%
(KAG) Captain/Marine Colonel 60% plus
the approval of the KAG Counsel
(Local/Fleet) For Command Master Chief
or for Commander 80%
(KAG) Admiral/Marine General 80% plus
the approval of the KAG Counsel
LIST OF
ACTIVITIES:
Take OTS *
Take OCC *
Collect 50-LB of aluminum cans for the
ship
Collect $500 worth of Clipped
Coupons
$20 dollars worth of groceries or more
donated to charity/food bank
Participate in four sci-fi club
meetings, outings &/or activities
Attend a three-day convention
Make a uniform/costume or at least have
50% input on you outfit
Do a panel or help at a convention
Recruit 2 members
Over a year’s time, submit 15 articles
for ship, R2, &/or Fleet newsletters/papers
Participate in a one-day community
activity for at least 4 hours
Non-paid Service for others: such as
tutor, aid, translator, sitter, etc
Take any SF or Marine Academy Test (each
individual test *)
Give blood 4 times or do the apheresis
program 1 time
Any activity approved by the EC board
(EC will help to find activities, if needed)
DEALING WITH
MEMBERS CAUSING TROUBLE
If any member is causing problems during any club, region, fleet, or
KAG event and/or is not doing their duties, they will be brought before the
main club officers and/or the EC board. Depending on what the problem is, in
most cases, a person will receive two warnings before a disciplinary action is
taken. These warnings maybe
either verbal or written depending on the nature of the offense and depending
on the accessibility of that person. The
types of disciplinary actions that can be used other than dismissals can be
warnings, which can be disciplinary actions within themselves; verbal or
written reprimands; lost of rank, (if rank in Starfleet is as a commander or
lower); suspension of duty and/or from the club, which can be anywhere from
one month of time to a year depending on the nature of the offense; or any
other actions deemed necessary by the EC board. The use of Dismissals from
duty and/or from the club will be a last resort, depending on the nature of
the offense. Depending on the severity of the offense, some cases will be
dealt with an automatic dismissal to start with. If a member is brought up
before the main club officers and/or the EC board for any disciplinary action
for what ever reason, that person has the right to defend him/herself in what
every way they see fit within reason except when it comes to dismissal of duty
or from the club.
Appendix:
Conversion
chart:
|
Local rank |
|
Fleet rank |
|
KAG rank |
|
Petty
Officer, 3rd Class |
ßà |
Ensign |
ßà |
Corporal/Sergeant
|
|
Petty
Officer 2nd Class |
ßà |
Lieutenant
jg |
ßà |
2nd
Lt/Marine Lt |
|
Petty
Officer 1st Class |
à |
Lieutenant |
|
|
|
Chief Petty
Officer |
ßà |
Lieutenant |
ßà |
Lieutenant/Marine
Captain |
|
Senior
Chief Petty |
à |
Lt.
Commander |
|
|
|
Master
Chief Petty Officer |
ßà |
Lt.
Commander |
ßà
|
Lieutenant
Commander/Marine Major |
|
Command
Master Chief |
ßà |
Commander |
ßà
|
Commander/Marine
Lieutenant Colonel |
|
Command
Master Chief |
ß |
Captain |
ßà |
Captain/Marine
Colonel |
