Constitution of the Independent Order
Forum Administrators - There are currently three forum administrators, Beatrice, CGJ and Achkaerin, their responsibilities are:
a) Maintaining and updating the forum
b) Addressing forum issues encountered by members of the forum.
c) Notifying the membership of the region of issues of concern administration wise.
The Chancellery - this comprises the Grand Chancellor, currently Beatrice and the Vice Chancellor, currently CGJ, their responsibilities are:
a) Ensuring the safety and stability of The Independent Order;
b) Conducting Nationstates inter regional diplomacy.
c) Appointing office holders where required;
d) Removing office holders where there exists reasonable grounds to do so:
e) Administering the official chatroom of the region, the NationStates region, and any other official off-forum locations;
f) Advising office holders where requested;
g) Maintaining and updating the Criminal Code and Discord Code of Conduct (with the consultation of the Lord Chief Justice).
h) Investigating complaints concerning the Lord Chief Justice.
i) Inducting (and removing when inactive) members of the Order of the Pen upon instruction of the Order.
The Roleplay Managers - There are three Roleplay Managers in simple terms this group generally manages the roleplay rules and assists new members they have the following responsibilities:
a) Welcoming newcomers in the region
b) Mentoring newcomers
c) Recruiting new members
d) Amending the Roleplay Rules, (all amendments require a unanimous vote and the consultation of the Roleplay Moderator and where needed the consultation of the cartographer)
e) Maintenance of a Roleplay Guide designed to assist and inform the players of the region of aspects of the Regional roleplay.
Roleplay Moderator -The Roleplay Moderator is the person responsible for ensuring the roleplay rules are followed they have the following responsibilities:
a) Welcoming newcomers in the region
b) Mentoring newcomers in the region
c) Recruiting new members
d) Managing NPCs
e) Enforcing the Roleplay rules
f) Settling disputes between players
g) Managing the RP canon
h) Taking measures in regards to players that are not complying with the Roleplay rules
i) Making realism rulings.
j) Creating and managing regular RP events (delegating where necessary)
k) Granting RP rewards (with consultation where necessary)
- Any decision to change a historic event in the RP Canon shall require a public consultation to take place, to ensure that players have the chance to raise awareness of issues. A decision to remove a current event or current post from the RP Canon shall require an announcement on the forum with reasoning.
- Decisions regarding the actions of an NPC shall require the consultation of three players who may not necessarily be the roleplay managers, the Roleplay Moderator shall abide by the majority view. Consulted players are expected to act considerate of the NPC’s history, policies, relationships etc
- Decisions regarding the creation, enlarging, reducing, relocating and dissolving of NPC’s and other map decisions shall require consultation with the cartographer.
The Cartographer - the Cartographer is the person responsible for the RP world map they have the following responsibilities:
a) To maintain and update the RP Map (by removing inactive nations and adding new ones)
b) Making proposals in respect of the map to the Roleplay Manager or Roleplay Moderator
The Lord Chief Justice - The Lord Chief Justice is the person who ensures that the forum rules are being followed as well as other responsibilities in respect of accountability, they are responsible for:
a) Advising the Office Holders when asked;
b) Ensuring all Actions by office holders are made in compliance, and are themselves compliant with the Criminal Code and Roleplay Rules;
c) Investigating complaints originating outside the Regional Roleplay and determining a reasonable action.
d) Investigating where it is suspected that any member or institution of the government has acted in error, as defined by law;
e) Hearing appeals from players on matters regarding Regional Roleplay.
f) Enforcing the Criminal Code and Discord Code of Conduct.
g) Overseeing, by majority vote, the election of a new Grand Chancellor should it be required (Removal of the previous Grand Chancellor shall require reasonable grounds).
- Should the Lord Chief Justice determine that a body (office holder) has acted in error, they may issue an Order to remedy the matter.
Discord Mods - there are four Discord Mods they are responsible for:
a) Monitoring the regional discord
b) Enforcing the discord code of conduct.
- Those with Discord Moderation powers operate a three strike system, strike one is a first warning, strike two is a final warning, strike three is a mute. Continuing beyond strike three can see longer mutes, server kicks and server bans employed depending on the nature of the issue.
Order of the Pen - this is a non authority role, it is available to all players and is granted for Roleplay contribution, it is formally awarded by the Grand Chancellor on the instruction of existing members of this order.
Miscellaneous- This document and the Criminal Code (2013) shall extend fully to all parts Independent Order, including the forum, NationStates region, official chatroom and any official off-forum locations. Additionally the Forum Terms of Service shall be considered part of this document, as defined by law;
- If any individual holding an office that requires a forum presence fails to log in to the forum for a period of fourteen days without posting a Leave of Absence they shall be deemed as having vacated their position. Vacancies, including those arising from resignation, shall be filled:
a) Where a deputy or vice exists, by said deputy or vice; or
b) Where no such deputy or vice exists, or if the deputy or vice has also gone inactive, by the usual procedures specified in this document.
- To remove an office holder for a violation of the forum rules shall require first the establishment that such a violation occurred, as per the procedures of this document, and then a confidence vote of the office holder lasting for two (2) days, the process is overseen by the Lord Chief Justice (or Grand Chancellor should the Lord Chief Justice be the subject of the matter). A confidence vote not concerning a forum rule violation may be held at any time and overseen by the same. No office holder who has been the subject of an unsuccessful confidence vote shall face another one for six months, without the leave of the Grand Chancellor (or Lord Chief Justice if the Grand Chancellor be the office holder).
- for the purposes of this document reasonable grounds to remove an office holder shall include but not limited to - violation of the criminal code, violation of the discord code of conduct or inactivity.
- Any member may submit a proposal to amend this document by posting of the proposal in the Conference Hall forum, the proposal shall be debated for no less than seven (7) days and be followed by a two (2) day vote.
Explanatory Note (Not Part of the Constitution) this new Constitution retains much of the framework of the previous Constitution but in a more user friendly format, most powers and responsibilities remain as they did previously the Grand Chancellor in an oversight position, the Roleplay Moderator (formerly Roleplay Magistrate) enforcing the Role Play Rules and the Lord Chief Justice enforcing forum rules under the Criminal Code. Noted changes include the introduction of the Roleplay Manager Office as a body to on behalf of the membership to manage the Role Play Rules and welcoming new players to the region, the defining of a Discord Mod position to monitor the region's Discord server and the renaming of the regions nobility to the Order of the Pen, a self growing group of members recognised for their contributions to the region's role play.