The Justicars Bylaws
JUSTICAR LAWS
THE FIRST LAW
The Justicars shall never be known "by the worst of our members."
THE SECOND LAW
All members agree to work toward our stated purpose of becoming "Amtgard's premier battlefield presence."
JUSTICAR LEADERSHIP
FOUNDERS
The Justicars are led by the Founders: Logan, Rath, and Sparhawk.
The Founders lead the Justicars using a form of government known as “benevolent Oligarchy.”
FOUNDER CAPTAIN
One of the active Founders will always act as Captain for the Justicars. This position will be called the “Founder Captain” or “Justicar Captain”.
The goal of the Founder Captain is to ensure that the Justicars remain true the original vision of the company, and that the Justicars, nationwide, are moving in the same direction.
The Founder Captain will be decided amongst the three founders in any way they see fit, and will be announced in January of each year.
CHAPTER LIEUTENANTS
The two Lieutenants for each Chapter are chosen by a vote of their chapter members in the following manner:
- The vote will occur every January.
- Only Full Members may be Lieutenants.
CHAPTER LEADERSHIP
Each chapter is led by the current Founder Captain and two Chapter Lieutenants. Collectively, they are referred to as Chapter Leaders.
JUSTICAR MEMBERSHIP
PETITIONERS
A non-Justicar who has indicated a desire to be a member should be evaluated by the local Chapter members. If the local Chapter members believe that the non-Justicar has potential, he/she may be accepted as a "Petitioner."
Petitioners are potential company members; they are not slaves, toadies, or servants to the Justicars. Anyone desiring to become a Justicar should realize that they must spend their time as a Petitioner being evaluated.
Approving a Petitioner
Non-Justicars may become Petitioners by a Chapter vote meeting the following requirements:
- At least 75% assent of all active Chapter Full Members.
- A single “No” vote does not automatically make the vote fail.
Petitioner Garb
The Garb of a Justicar Petitioner is a Tan, Black, and White belt.
FULL MEMBERS
Petitioners become Full Members after being approved by a Chapter in an acceptance vote.
Prerequisites for an Acceptance Vote
In order for there to be an acceptance vote, the following minimum criteria must be met:
- The potential member must have been a petitioner for at least 3 months.
- The vote for Full Membership must occur at the Regional Event for a Chapter.
- The Founder Captain, or his Founder-stand-in, must be present. If this is not feasible, the Founder Captain can perform his voting duties electronically on the Justicar discussion boards.
Minimum Votes to Become a Member
For a petitioner to be accepted as a Full Member, the acceptance vote must meet the following requirements:
- At least 80% of the active Chapter membership votes “Yes”
- No “no” votes
- The Chapter has appropriate Justicar Garb available to give to the member (with the understanding that it be returned in the event the member is kicked out, becomes inactive, or quits).
- Exception: Whenever a new member is under consideration each Founder may choose to "negate" one non-Founder vote.
Garb for Full Members
The garb of a full member is a black and tan tunic with the Justicar symbol on it.
INACTIVE MEMBERS
Justicars who fail to participate in Amtgard functions at least 6 times in 6 months are automatically considered “Inactive.”
Inactive members may not participate in any votes, nor do they count in any way toward the totals or percentages in any company votes.
If the member corrects these deficiencies, a unanimous decision of the Chapter Leaders may restore an inactive Justicar to active member status.
EXPELLING MEMBERS
Members may be expelled in the following manner:</li>
- Any non-Founder may be expelled by a vote that meets the following requirements:
- Either of the following:
- The unanimous agreement of the founders.
- 60% or more of the active Chapter members vote “yes” for the expulsion. This excludes the member in question; that member does not get a vote and does not count toward the percentages.
- Any vote of this type must have the Founder Captain (or his designated founder stand-in) in attendance, even if the vote could pass without their participation.
- Founders may not be expelled.
JUSTICAR CHAPTERS
NEW CHAPTERS
The Justicars are envisioned as a national company. To this end, local Justicar Chapters may be set up in different locations in the United States.
A new Chapter may be formed, if the all of the following conditions are met:
- A minimum number of Full Members must reside in close proximity outside the direct supervision of any existing chapter
- Minimum membership numbers (use either guideline below):
- At least 4 Full Members and 1 Petitioner
- At least 5 Full Members
- If it’s unclear which chapter has authority over a potential Chapter member or petitioner, the Founder Captain will make the determination.
- The Founders unanimously decide to recognize these people as a new Chapter of the Justicars.
Once a chapter has been formed, its membership includes the local Justicar residents and, additionally, the current Founder Captain.
CHAPTER EVENT ACTIVITIES
Each chapter must designate a (non-conflicting) regional event as its mandatory annual gathering.
New members may only be inducted at one of the regional events.
The local Chapter Lieutenants may request that the Founder Captain attend an event to form an opinion regarding Petitioners and other Justicar business.
CURRENT CHAPTERS AND REGIONAL EVENTS
The following table details the current Justicar Chapters and their regional events:
| Chapter |
Event |
| Emerald Hills |
World Banner Wars |
