GENERAL ORDER I - DEPARTMENTS
PRIMARY DEPARTMENTS:
These are the Departments of the U.S.S. Joan Of Arc that must be manned and active to have a fully functioning Chapter. They handle vital, ongoing duties essential to our operation. Every effort shall be made to keep these Departments staffed, as other Departments and personnel will need to perform their functions, should they be left unmanned. (For example, at the time these bylaws were modified the current departments were Command, Operations, Engineering, Medical, Science, and Security.) To create, change, or dissolve a primary department a two-thirds majority vote is required. It is the responsibility of the Commanding Officer to ensure that all active member ballots are counted. A list of current departments and their duties shall be posted on the ship's website, provided in new member packets, and a hard copy will be provided to all department heads by the Commanding Officer.
SUPPLEMENTAL DEPARTMENTS:
These are Departments that, while adding to the character and diverse nature of the U.S.S. Joan Of Arc, are not essential to her daily operation and shall be activated at the discretion of the Commanding Officer only when a need for that particular group arises and there are Officers and Crew to staff said Department. Should there come a time when said Department is no longer needed or necessary, it shall be deactivated by the Commanding Officer and any remaining staff reassigned to other active Departments.
GENERAL ORDER II - ELECTED & APPOINTED POSITIONS
COMMANDING OFFICER:
Chapter President, elected in even-numbered years by the membership of the Chapter (see Election Procedures) and ultimately responsible for all aspects of the STARFLEET Chapter U.S.S. JOAN of ARC and its operation. The Commanding Officer, or CO, is legally accountable for all assets and debts of the Ship and shall be the only person able to sign contracts on the Chapter’s behalf. The CO is required to report to the Regional Coordinator and STARFLEET Command on a monthly basis concerning Chapter status, projects, and concerns (if any). The requirements to hold office as the Commanding Officer are as follows:
1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Be a member in good standing of STARFLEET and have completed both OTS and OCC with proof presented to the Executive Officer or another Senior Officer for validation.
3. Be a full member in good standing of the U.S.S. JOAN of ARC for a minimum of six months. (Neither Reserve nor Honorary members are eligible to run for the office of Commanding Officer)
4. Have served as a Senior Officer on the U.S.S. JOAN of ARC for a minimum of six months.
These additional requirements are intended to ensure that the candidate appreciates the nature, responsibility and importance of the Commanding Officer position. They are in no way designed to prevent any qualified member from attaining said position.
EXECUTIVE OFFICER:
The Executive Officer (XO) serves as the Chapter Vice-President, is appointed by the Commanding Officer, has to meet the same requirements as the CO, and is responsible for the smooth operation of all Departments. The Executive Officer is responsible for tracking promotion points and awards for all Department Heads. The Executive Officer assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CO if they are temporarily unavailable or unable to perform the duties of that office. The XO offers advice and alternatives to the Commanding Officer concerning Ship's business and assists in carrying out the CO’s orders.
SENIOR OFFICERS: All Senior Officer positions are appointed by the Commanding Officer. Their duties are described in the primary department lists on the website, new member packets, etc. (See General Order 1)
COMMANDING OFFICER:
Chapter President, elected in even-numbered years by the membership of the Chapter (see Election Procedures) and ultimately responsible for all aspects of the STARFLEET Chapter U.S.S. JOAN of ARC and its operation. The Commanding Officer, or CO, is legally accountable for all assets and debts of the Ship and shall be the only person able to sign contracts on the Chapter’s behalf. The CO is required to report to the Regional Coordinator and STARFLEET Command on a monthly basis concerning Chapter status, projects, and concerns (if any). The requirements to hold office as the Commanding Officer are as follows:
1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Be a member in good standing of STARFLEET and have completed both OTS and OCC with proof presented to the Executive Officer or another Senior Officer for validation.
3. Be a full member in good standing of the U.S.S. JOAN of ARC for a minimum of six months. (Neither Reserve nor Honorary members are eligible to run for the office of Commanding Officer)
4. Have served as a Senior Officer on the U.S.S. JOAN of ARC for a minimum of six months.
These additional requirements are intended to ensure that the candidate appreciates the nature, responsibility and importance of the Commanding Officer position. They are in no way designed to prevent any qualified member from attaining said position.
EXECUTIVE OFFICER:
The Executive Officer (XO) serves as the Chapter Vice-President, is appointed by the Commanding Officer, has to meet the same requirements as the CO, and is responsible for the smooth operation of all Departments. The Executive Officer is responsible for tracking promotion points and awards for all Department Heads. The Executive Officer assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CO if they are temporarily unavailable or unable to perform the duties of that office. The XO offers advice and alternatives to the Commanding Officer concerning Ship's business and assists in carrying out the CO’s orders.
SENIOR OFFICERS: All Senior Officer positions are appointed by the Commanding Officer. Their duties are described in the primary department lists on the website, new member packets, etc. (See General Order 1)
GENERAL ORDER III - ELECTION PROCEDURES
Elections shall be held in the fourth quarter of even-numbered years. New administrations shall officially take office at the Ship's Anniversary Party held on or around the 6th of January of each year. This interim period between the election results and the date of taking office shall be used to facilitate a smooth transition between one administration and the next.
ELECTION PROCEDURES:
1. Anyone wishing to run for Commanding Officer must announce their intention to the membership by the 1st October Crew Meeting. Candidates may announce their choice for Executive Officer at this time.
2. Nominations for Commanding Officer are accepted at the first October Chapter Meeting. Each nomination must be seconded by an Active member of the U.S.S. Joan of Arc. Each crew member shall only be allowed to second one nomination.
3. An Election Officer shall be chosen to oversee the election process and results. The EO shall be a person on whom all candidates can agree shall be impartial and is not involved in any way with the election or its candidates. The EO shall be chosen either from without or within the Chapter Membership by the CO and confirmed by a majority vote of the present Active membership. Should the CO's selection fail to be confirmed by the present Active membership three times, then the present Active membership will choose the EO by majority vote and retains the right to remove the EO by majority vote.This person is responsible for receiving and tallying the votes.
4. Each candidate may submit a Campaign Platform in person or via proxy. They will state what qualities they would bring to the position and how they would benefit and better the Chapter by serving in the capacity of Commanding Officer. Campaign platforms shall be used to spotlight the candidate’s own qualities, skills, leadership ability and ideas for Chapter growth and betterment and shall NOT be used to point out deficiencies of any other person or party. This is the only active campaigning allowed. Violations, including but not limited to mud-slinging, vote fixing and excessively disparaging remarks, are strictly forbidden and shall result in disciplinary action and probable forfeiture of candidacy at the discretion of the Election Officer.
5. Voting shall be conducted by private electronic polling for those with internet capability. Printed, individually-marked ballots shall be made available for anyone without internet access. Any ballots received after the deadline date will be immediately discarded with the exception of those submitted via standard mail.
6. The Election Officer will submit the election results for verification to a secondary party who is not an Active member and is chosen by the EO. Once the results are double-checked and confirmed, the EO will immediately notify the Commanding Officer and all candidates of the results.
7. In the case of a tie, the Election Officer immediately notifies the Commanding Officer, as well as all candidates involved. A runoff election is held as soon as possible ONLY between the candidates involved in the tie. All candidates not involved in the tie are removed from the list of choices. Should, by some chance, a second tie result from the runoff election, the final decision shall be made by a simple, majority vote of all Senior Officers not involved as candidates.
8. If a new Commanding Officer is voted in, he is promoted to the rank of commander immediately, pending approval and subsequent promotion to captain by the Executive Committee. Should the serving CO be re-elected to the post, ship's operation shall continue as normal.
9. After the election, the re-elected or newly appointed Commanding Officer shall appoint an Executive Officer to serve as his assistant.
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:
The term of office for the Commanding Officer is two years. In the fourth quarter of odd-numbered years a Performance Review is held in order to give the crew a chance to evaluate the CO. During the selected Chapter meeting the Executive Officer will coordinate receiving anonymous comments, questions, or concerns from the crew and these will be provided to the CO and addressed by the CO prior to the end of the same meeting.
Elections shall be held in the fourth quarter of even-numbered years. New administrations shall officially take office at the Ship's Anniversary Party held on or around the 6th of January of each year. This interim period between the election results and the date of taking office shall be used to facilitate a smooth transition between one administration and the next.
ELECTION PROCEDURES:
1. Anyone wishing to run for Commanding Officer must announce their intention to the membership by the 1st October Crew Meeting. Candidates may announce their choice for Executive Officer at this time.
2. Nominations for Commanding Officer are accepted at the first October Chapter Meeting. Each nomination must be seconded by an Active member of the U.S.S. Joan of Arc. Each crew member shall only be allowed to second one nomination.
3. An Election Officer shall be chosen to oversee the election process and results. The EO shall be a person on whom all candidates can agree shall be impartial and is not involved in any way with the election or its candidates. The EO shall be chosen either from without or within the Chapter Membership by the CO and confirmed by a majority vote of the present Active membership. Should the CO's selection fail to be confirmed by the present Active membership three times, then the present Active membership will choose the EO by majority vote and retains the right to remove the EO by majority vote.This person is responsible for receiving and tallying the votes.
4. Each candidate may submit a Campaign Platform in person or via proxy. They will state what qualities they would bring to the position and how they would benefit and better the Chapter by serving in the capacity of Commanding Officer. Campaign platforms shall be used to spotlight the candidate’s own qualities, skills, leadership ability and ideas for Chapter growth and betterment and shall NOT be used to point out deficiencies of any other person or party. This is the only active campaigning allowed. Violations, including but not limited to mud-slinging, vote fixing and excessively disparaging remarks, are strictly forbidden and shall result in disciplinary action and probable forfeiture of candidacy at the discretion of the Election Officer.
5. Voting shall be conducted by private electronic polling for those with internet capability. Printed, individually-marked ballots shall be made available for anyone without internet access. Any ballots received after the deadline date will be immediately discarded with the exception of those submitted via standard mail.
6. The Election Officer will submit the election results for verification to a secondary party who is not an Active member and is chosen by the EO. Once the results are double-checked and confirmed, the EO will immediately notify the Commanding Officer and all candidates of the results.
7. In the case of a tie, the Election Officer immediately notifies the Commanding Officer, as well as all candidates involved. A runoff election is held as soon as possible ONLY between the candidates involved in the tie. All candidates not involved in the tie are removed from the list of choices. Should, by some chance, a second tie result from the runoff election, the final decision shall be made by a simple, majority vote of all Senior Officers not involved as candidates.
8. If a new Commanding Officer is voted in, he is promoted to the rank of commander immediately, pending approval and subsequent promotion to captain by the Executive Committee. Should the serving CO be re-elected to the post, ship's operation shall continue as normal.
9. After the election, the re-elected or newly appointed Commanding Officer shall appoint an Executive Officer to serve as his assistant.
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:
The term of office for the Commanding Officer is two years. In the fourth quarter of odd-numbered years a Performance Review is held in order to give the crew a chance to evaluate the CO. During the selected Chapter meeting the Executive Officer will coordinate receiving anonymous comments, questions, or concerns from the crew and these will be provided to the CO and addressed by the CO prior to the end of the same meeting.
GENERAL ORDER IV - IMPEACHMENT/VOC
Should the Active membership of the chapter feel that the Commanding Officer is not acting in the best interests of the U.S.S. Joan of Arc or her crew; a Vote of Confidence may be called.
1. The petition for a Vote of Confidence shall detail the reason(s) for this action and must be signed by at least 1/3 of the ship’s Active members. This petition shall then be submitted to any Senior Officer. That officer then becomes the Coordinator for the VOC. If that officer feels they cannot faithfully serve as Coordinator due to personal relationship and/or conflict of interest, they shall turn the matter over to a more objective officer, or, barring that, to an officer appointed by the Region 3 Coordinator.
2. The Coordinator shall notify the Commanding Officer of the Vote of Confidence proceedings within 5 business days of receiving the petition.
3. The Commanding Officer has 10 business days after receiving the Coordinator's notice to present justification for his actions to the Coordinator in written form.
4. At the first Chapter meeting following receipt of the Commanding Officer's answer, the Coordinator shall notify the Chapter membership of the Vote of Confidence proceedings, the nature of the complaint, and the Commanding Officer’s response. The Coordinator will then announce a vote.
5. The vote will be taken by electronic means with alternate physical ballots being made available to those without computer access. Only Active members may vote. The deadline for submitting votes shall be 2 weeks from the announcement of the vote, with all late or invalid ballots being immediately discarded.
6. The Coordinator shall tally the votes, with a hard copy of the results produced for verification by another Senior Officer and the Region 3 Coordinator, if necessary. Once verified, these results will be announced to the Commanding Officer immediately and to the crew at the next Chapter meeting.
7. If a simple majority of the Chapter’s membership supports the Commanding Officer, the matter shall be considered settled by all parties involved. Punitive action against the real or perceived originator of any Vote of Confidence petition is prohibited as are continued accusations regarding the matter by the petitioner(s). Either of these behaviors shall be subject to disciplinary action.
8. If a simple majority of the Chapter’s membership does not support the Commanding Officer, he will be asked to step down immediately. A Special Election for interim Captain will be held, and the new Captain serves for the remainder of the former Commanding Officer’s term.
9. Should a serving Commanding Officer fail a Vote of Confidence and refuse to relinquish the post and/or any and all items associated with it, the matter shall be turned over to the STARFLEET International Chain of Command.
10. A Commanding Officer may not be subjected to a Vote of Confidence for a period of 90 days following the date of a favorable result of a Vote of Confidence.
Should the Active membership of the chapter feel that the Commanding Officer is not acting in the best interests of the U.S.S. Joan of Arc or her crew; a Vote of Confidence may be called.
1. The petition for a Vote of Confidence shall detail the reason(s) for this action and must be signed by at least 1/3 of the ship’s Active members. This petition shall then be submitted to any Senior Officer. That officer then becomes the Coordinator for the VOC. If that officer feels they cannot faithfully serve as Coordinator due to personal relationship and/or conflict of interest, they shall turn the matter over to a more objective officer, or, barring that, to an officer appointed by the Region 3 Coordinator.
2. The Coordinator shall notify the Commanding Officer of the Vote of Confidence proceedings within 5 business days of receiving the petition.
3. The Commanding Officer has 10 business days after receiving the Coordinator's notice to present justification for his actions to the Coordinator in written form.
4. At the first Chapter meeting following receipt of the Commanding Officer's answer, the Coordinator shall notify the Chapter membership of the Vote of Confidence proceedings, the nature of the complaint, and the Commanding Officer’s response. The Coordinator will then announce a vote.
5. The vote will be taken by electronic means with alternate physical ballots being made available to those without computer access. Only Active members may vote. The deadline for submitting votes shall be 2 weeks from the announcement of the vote, with all late or invalid ballots being immediately discarded.
6. The Coordinator shall tally the votes, with a hard copy of the results produced for verification by another Senior Officer and the Region 3 Coordinator, if necessary. Once verified, these results will be announced to the Commanding Officer immediately and to the crew at the next Chapter meeting.
7. If a simple majority of the Chapter’s membership supports the Commanding Officer, the matter shall be considered settled by all parties involved. Punitive action against the real or perceived originator of any Vote of Confidence petition is prohibited as are continued accusations regarding the matter by the petitioner(s). Either of these behaviors shall be subject to disciplinary action.
8. If a simple majority of the Chapter’s membership does not support the Commanding Officer, he will be asked to step down immediately. A Special Election for interim Captain will be held, and the new Captain serves for the remainder of the former Commanding Officer’s term.
9. Should a serving Commanding Officer fail a Vote of Confidence and refuse to relinquish the post and/or any and all items associated with it, the matter shall be turned over to the STARFLEET International Chain of Command.
10. A Commanding Officer may not be subjected to a Vote of Confidence for a period of 90 days following the date of a favorable result of a Vote of Confidence.
GENERAL ORDER V - SENIOR OFFICERS & DEPT HEADS
To ensure the efficient operation of the chapter, each Senior Officer and/or Department Head is responsible for carrying out the following directives:
1. Each Senior Officer and/or Department Head shall be a graduate of STARFLEET's Officer Training School (OTS).
2. Department Heads are expected to make every effort to ensure that the Commanding Officer is informed and aware of the status and any ongoing issues present within their department.
3. Department Heads are responsible for keeping their department staff up to date on current issues, for passing appropriate issues from within the department up the chain of command, and for proposing awards for those deserving members within their department.
To ensure the efficient operation of the chapter, each Senior Officer and/or Department Head is responsible for carrying out the following directives:
1. Each Senior Officer and/or Department Head shall be a graduate of STARFLEET's Officer Training School (OTS).
2. Department Heads are expected to make every effort to ensure that the Commanding Officer is informed and aware of the status and any ongoing issues present within their department.
3. Department Heads are responsible for keeping their department staff up to date on current issues, for passing appropriate issues from within the department up the chain of command, and for proposing awards for those deserving members within their department.
GENERAL ORDER VI - LEAVE
There are two types of leave available:
1. Personal Leave / Emergency Leave: The crew member should inform the Commanding Officer of their intention to take leave as well as the duration of said leave if possible. This is done as a courtesy to prevent unnecessary worry and so that the CO is able to inform the crew so that the individual will not be bothered with chapter business. This request should be made in writing, as a courtesy. If the crew member holds any position of responsibility, they or the CO shall make arrangements for their duties to be covered for the duration of their leave.
2. Space Dock: Barring unforeseen circumstances, the chapter will enter into a space dock period for the month of July. Chapter activities or events are suspended during this period. The only official duty that will continue is the MSR reporting by the CO.
There are two types of leave available:
1. Personal Leave / Emergency Leave: The crew member should inform the Commanding Officer of their intention to take leave as well as the duration of said leave if possible. This is done as a courtesy to prevent unnecessary worry and so that the CO is able to inform the crew so that the individual will not be bothered with chapter business. This request should be made in writing, as a courtesy. If the crew member holds any position of responsibility, they or the CO shall make arrangements for their duties to be covered for the duration of their leave.
2. Space Dock: Barring unforeseen circumstances, the chapter will enter into a space dock period for the month of July. Chapter activities or events are suspended during this period. The only official duty that will continue is the MSR reporting by the CO.
GENERAL ORDER VII - UNIFORMS & RANKS
It is by NO means required that crew members wear uniforms or costumes to the various meetings and events. These costumes merely add to the spirit and fun of participation in the organization. Those who do not wish to wear any form of uniform, or costume, may choose to wear a chapter t-shirt, which is recommended clothing for meetings, fund-raising events, or community service projects where uniforms may be inappropriate. For those choosing not to wear traditional Star Trek uniforms or chapter t-shirts, a Comm Badge may be worn in order to promote chapter representation. Dress occasions call for uniforms or appropriate civilian attire. When attending a STARFLEET function in uniform, crew members should wear their proper rank as attained through the chapter in accordance with STARFLEET regulations. Ranks are awarded as recognition for service to STARFLEET, Region 3, and the chapter. All participation in STARFLEET is voluntary and anyone "giving orders" is subject to disciplinary action.
It is by NO means required that crew members wear uniforms or costumes to the various meetings and events. These costumes merely add to the spirit and fun of participation in the organization. Those who do not wish to wear any form of uniform, or costume, may choose to wear a chapter t-shirt, which is recommended clothing for meetings, fund-raising events, or community service projects where uniforms may be inappropriate. For those choosing not to wear traditional Star Trek uniforms or chapter t-shirts, a Comm Badge may be worn in order to promote chapter representation. Dress occasions call for uniforms or appropriate civilian attire. When attending a STARFLEET function in uniform, crew members should wear their proper rank as attained through the chapter in accordance with STARFLEET regulations. Ranks are awarded as recognition for service to STARFLEET, Region 3, and the chapter. All participation in STARFLEET is voluntary and anyone "giving orders" is subject to disciplinary action.
GENERAL ORDER VIII - AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS
GENERAL AWARDS:
1. Order of the Fleur - Awarded to a crew member that goes above and beyond the call of duty in service to this chapter during a project.
2. Order of Orleans - Awarded to a person for actions related to a department's responsibilities. The recipient does not have to be a member of that department.
3. Sword of Saint Catherine - Awarded to an individual for actions benefiting and distinguishing the USS Joan of Arc as a whole. The recipient of this award does not have to be a member of the ship.
4. Star of the Maiden (Silver) - Executive officer's commendation awarded to an individual demonstrating exemplary devotion to the chapter by consistently performing above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of the USS Joan of Arc.
5. Star of the Maiden (Gold) - Commanding officer's commendation awarded to an individual demonstrating exemplary performance above and beyond the call of duty in service to the USS Joan of Arc, Region 3, or STARFLEET as a whole.
SPECIAL AWARDS:
1. Maiden’s Mercy (Silver) - Awarded to crew members at the end of the year who has turned in the most pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald House charity.
2. Maiden’s Mercy (Gold) - Awarded to crew members at the end of the year who has turned in the most manufacturer's coupons for the Overseas Coupon Project charity.
3. Order of Saint Joan - Highest possible award from the USS Joan of Arc. It symbolizes the ideal of Gene Roddenberry's vision and the personification of all that is good, noble, and honorable. Only awarded on the rarest of occasions to those crew members who have achieved a significantly difficult personal goal through perseverance, dedication, and hard work.
ANNUAL AWARDS:
1. Standard Bearer - Awarded annually to the person who has proven themselves the most valuable member of the crew with regards to enthusiasm, participation, and willingness to help, whether asked to or not. This award can be won by anyone, Officer or Enlisted, who is an Active member of the crew with the exception of the executive and commanding officers. As Standard Bearer, this person shall be responsible for the ship’s banner and shall make sure that it is present at all ship, regional, and STARFLEET events.
2. As Standard Bearer they will have one year of free club membership, and the alternate will have one year of reduced membership dues.
GENERAL AWARDS:
1. Order of the Fleur - Awarded to a crew member that goes above and beyond the call of duty in service to this chapter during a project.
2. Order of Orleans - Awarded to a person for actions related to a department's responsibilities. The recipient does not have to be a member of that department.
3. Sword of Saint Catherine - Awarded to an individual for actions benefiting and distinguishing the USS Joan of Arc as a whole. The recipient of this award does not have to be a member of the ship.
4. Star of the Maiden (Silver) - Executive officer's commendation awarded to an individual demonstrating exemplary devotion to the chapter by consistently performing above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of the USS Joan of Arc.
5. Star of the Maiden (Gold) - Commanding officer's commendation awarded to an individual demonstrating exemplary performance above and beyond the call of duty in service to the USS Joan of Arc, Region 3, or STARFLEET as a whole.
SPECIAL AWARDS:
1. Maiden’s Mercy (Silver) - Awarded to crew members at the end of the year who has turned in the most pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald House charity.
2. Maiden’s Mercy (Gold) - Awarded to crew members at the end of the year who has turned in the most manufacturer's coupons for the Overseas Coupon Project charity.
3. Order of Saint Joan - Highest possible award from the USS Joan of Arc. It symbolizes the ideal of Gene Roddenberry's vision and the personification of all that is good, noble, and honorable. Only awarded on the rarest of occasions to those crew members who have achieved a significantly difficult personal goal through perseverance, dedication, and hard work.
ANNUAL AWARDS:
1. Standard Bearer - Awarded annually to the person who has proven themselves the most valuable member of the crew with regards to enthusiasm, participation, and willingness to help, whether asked to or not. This award can be won by anyone, Officer or Enlisted, who is an Active member of the crew with the exception of the executive and commanding officers. As Standard Bearer, this person shall be responsible for the ship’s banner and shall make sure that it is present at all ship, regional, and STARFLEET events.
2. As Standard Bearer they will have one year of free club membership, and the alternate will have one year of reduced membership dues.
