The bylaws listed below are broken into two sections: rule and intent. By doing so we hope to provide clear guidelines (and history) for how we operate without getting so bogged down in specifics that the letter of rule needs to be constantly revised to achieve the intended end.
| Bylaw | Intent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE FIRST LAW The Justicars shall never be known "by the worst of our members." |
History has revealed that Amtgard Companies are often known by the worst of their members. That it doesn't matter, how good, nice, or respected everyone else is... non-members will judge a company based on their perceptions of the "worst" member. It is our goal to avoid the negative connotations that this implies, even if it means excluding or ejecting players we would otherwise like to wear our colors. | ||||||
| THE SECOND LAW All members agree to work toward our stated purpose of becoming "Amtgard's premier battlefield presence." |
Premier doesn't mean that the Justicars have to win; it means that when we field others look at us and think, "I want to be like that." Honor, fair play, practice, planning, preparedness, having fun, and cooperation (both internally and externally) are all essential toward meeting our goals. Winning, when it happens, is a side effect of the preceding. Battlefield means just that, as a member, you must play or in some way contribute to our presence on the field. This is not a company where you can only pass out sign-ins, give reeve tests, attend court, and get drunk at bardic and remain a Justicar. This is not a household. |
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FOUNDERS
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Benevolent Oligarchy… Not a democracy (nor even a representative democracy). The founders formed this company with the understanding that we are ultimately responsible for its success, growth, and vision. If you cannot trust in the Founders—both collectively and separately—to act in the best interests of the company, the Justicars are not for you. All members must understand that any other rules, guidelines, and policies stem directly from the Founders. Like any organization, rules are written to assist with providing its members with expectations and parameters to operate under... the rules are only binding for as long as they provide the structure needed to move the company toward its goals and can be unilaterally changed as needed by the Founders. Founders as a group, have their own way to making decisions. You can assume that when in the presence of any Founder they are speaking on behalf of all of them. | ||||||
JUSTICAR CAPTAIN
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As time has passed it's become obvious that all three Founders cannot maintain 100% participation at all times. However, we promise that at least one of us will be active and engaged enough to led and ensure that the Justicars remain true the original vision of the company. | ||||||
CHAPTER LIEUTENANTS
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This provides for leadership whenever and wherever a Founder cannot. In a perfect world, the Founders would do it all, all the time. In practice, the burden must be shared. Especially in locations where a Founder does not reside. | ||||||
PETITIONERS
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Petitioners are potential company members; they are not slaves, toadies, or servants to the Justicars. While not required, we encourage all petitioners to wear the Justicar Petitioner Belt. This will allow non-members the opportunity to recognize and provide feedback to members. Anyone desiring to become a Justicar should realize that they must spend time (and it may be quite a while) being evaluated as a Petitioner (normally between 3 and 18 months). They should also understand and respect the First Law, the Second Law, and the Founders (as noted above). Petitioners are allowed and encouraged to request feedback regarding their status at anytime. | ||||||
CREATING MEMBERS
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If you feel that the Justicars are potentially making a mistake in a Chapter where you don't have a direct voice, you should communicate your concerns to the Founders. If any one them chose to vote no based on your concerns the vote will be blocked. This is intended to provide a balance between chapter autonomy and the fact that every Justicar reflects upon all other Justicars. Also note, originally it was considered unnecessary for members to actually get along or like each other… after all, if everyone lived by the First and Second Law and trusted in the Founders what difference does it make he was liked (kinda like the armed forces are supposed to be). History has proven this to not work among humans in general, much less voluntary participants in a game. | ||||||
EXPELLING MEMBERS
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In accordance with the First law, it is easier to be expelled than become a member. | ||||||
| INACTIVE MEMBERS Due to lack of participation, from time to time a Member may be reduced to “Inactive” status.
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The only “penalty” for being inactive or retired is the inability to vote and bearing the scorn of the active Justicars. Originally, it was believed that inactive Members should not exist. The goal was (and always has been) to avoid situations where “that guy from 10 years ago who no one remembers” starts showing up in garb in a faraway place where he reflects upon us without our knowledge. It also provided a “politic” way of removing members without singling out or making public their shortcomings (other than failure to play). However, experience has proven that such an absolute guideline is be unreasonable and contrary to the growth of the company. So please, don’t be that guy. The reason for the delay in reactivating Members is two fold. One, to avoid last minute attempts at influencing a vote. And two, experience shows that it takes longer than a couple of weeks and good intentions to “actually be back.” | ||||||
RETIRED MEMBERS
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| NEW CHAPTERS A new Chapter may be formed, if all of the following conditions are met:
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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. We’ve guessed that any less than the listed participation, is insufficient to allow a chapter to continue to grow while (relatively) autonomous (it seems to be working so far).
Again, if there are concerns or potential problems with the direction the company is going, it behooves you to make your case to one or more Founders…especially if the problem is in or with another Chapter. | ||||||
| REGIONAL EVENTS Each chapter must designate a (non-conflicting) Regional Event as its mandatory annual gathering. The following table details the current Justicar Chapters and their regional events:
| Every attempt will be made to ensure at least 1 founder is present at each Regional event. This will allow at least a token attempt at remaining familiar with both the actual and potential membership. It is in the best interest of petitioners to attend Regional Events as it’s well nigh impossible to become a full member otherwise. |