Void Alliance Constution
version 8th November 2007 AD

 
Article 1 - Void Command Council

Section 1. The Void Command Council shall be the supreme legislative and judicial body of the Void Alliance. The Void Command Council shall be responsible for the creation of Alliance Law, as well as the interpretation of said Law.

Section 2. The Void Command Council shall consist of the Void Keeper, Vice Void Keeper, three Consuls and Division Governors.

Section 3. The offices of The Void Keeper and Vice Void Keeper shall be held for an indefinite term. The Void Keeper, shall appoint a Vice Void Keeper and a first Consul, who will serve until the Void Keeper sees fit to cycle in new Consuls. The Vice Void Keeper shall appoint second Consul, who will serve until the Vice Void Keeper sees fit to cycle in a new Consul. Third Consul will be appointed by clan-wide elections where all full members of the Void Alliance hold one vote. The third Consuls serve in six months terms one being from January to June and another from July to December. The Clan Regulation Bureau shall organize elections 14 days before end of the current Consul´s term. Any member of the Void Alliance shall be eligible to serve in the Void Command Council, provided he has passed the recruitment phase and been inducted as a full member of the clan. Members under disciplinary censure shall not be eligible for service on the Void Command Council.

Section 4. The members of the Council shall vote on all issues brought before the Council after a discussion on the subject has been held. In most cases, a simple majority vote is required to pass a bill into Law, although certain actions may require an eighty percent majority. The Void Keeper has the right to veto decisions of the council, which can only be overriden by an unanimous vote of all other Council members.

Section 5. All official business of the Void Command Council shall be conducted in the Void Command Council Forum. The Void Command Council Forum shall be public to all members of the Void Alliance. All business of the Council will be carried out in this forum, in full view of the clan. The Void Command Council may retreat to their Inner Sanctum to discuss particularly sensitive matters, but may not conduct any business or votes in this secluded forum.

Section 6. Serving a term in the Void Command Council will in no way restrict or exempt a Void Alliance member from regular duties in the clan.

Section 7. Any Void Alliance member may propose a petition to the Void Command Council. All such proposals should be posted in the Council Petitions Forum. Votes on the Referendum shall be restricted to Void Command Council members.

Section 8. If the Void Keeper is absent for more than one week or announces a leave of absense to the clan, the Vice Void Keeper shall temporarily assume all of the duties and priviliges of the Void Keeper. Upon the Void Keeper's return, all special power granted to the Vice Void Keeper shall be revoked and the Void Keeper's power shall be reinstated. The Vice Void Keeper can not recall VCC Consuls apointed by the absent Void Keeper, while acting as Void Keeper.



Article 2 - Clan Administration Bureau

Section 1. The Clan Administration Bureau shall be the administrative branch of the Void Alliance. The Void Keeper will have jurisdiction over specific portions of Void Alliance activity, and will advance the agendas of the clan in those areas, subject to the provisions of Alliance Law.

Section 2. The Void Keeper may oversee agenda of each Agency personaly, or appoint Bureaucrats to aid him in the carrying out of his duties. The Void Keeper shall announce open positions of Bureaucrats in the Clan Administration Bureau forum. Any member of the Void Alliance shall be eligible to serve as a Bureaucrat, provided he or she has passed the recruitment phase and been inducted as a full member of the clan and submited his application within 10 days of announcement of the position´s opening. Bureaucrats operate with whatever authority is necessary to carry out given duties, subject to the jurisdiction of his/her agency, and the provisions of Alliance Law. Any Void Alliance member who feels that a Bureaucrat has overstepped his/her authority may file a grievance to Void Keeper, or with the Void Command Council.

Section 3. The Clan Administration Bureau consists of three Agencies. They are the Agency of Personnel, the Agency of Cyberspace and the Agency of Security.

Sub-Section 3-1. The Agency of Personnel will handle recruitment and other matters of human resources, helping to oversee the probation period of any new recruits, create and upkeep databases of all Void Alliance members and contractors, games, contacts and decorations.

Sub-Section 3-2. The Agency of Cyberspace shall be responsible for the upkeep of the clan webpage, as well as the administration of the clan forums.

Sub-Section 3-3. The Agency of Security shall be responsible for matters of security, this includes but is not limited to: clan wide war or peace treaties, clan wide alerts, tactics, and gathering intelligence for the preservation of clan security, active measures and countermeasures, counter-espionage and internal security as well as for the investigation of Void Alliance members accused of wrong doing. All operations of the Agency of Security against entities and individuals outside jurisdiction of the Alliance Law must be approved by the Void Keeper. The Agency of Security must inform the Void Command Council about any operations involving investigation and information gathering of Void Alliance members. A detailed report about aims, reasons and personnel involved in such an operation must be put in the VCC Inner Sanctum within 1 hour from start of the operation. The Void Command Council may terminate or defer such an operation by a simple majority vote.



Article 3 - The Divisions

Section 1. The Void Alliance will create divisions for all game genres in which members of the Void Alliance dedicating their time to said type of games. The number and structure of divisions will be defined by the Void Command Council. All new games in which there are at least three Void Alliance members active will be added under the best fitting division and officially supported by the Void Alliance.

Section 2. Official entry of the Void Alliance into a new game shall be marked by appointment of a Void Commander to oversee Void Alliance operations in said game. The Void Commander´s jursdiction includes creating organizational or command structure, evaluation of recruits, accepting of contractors, organizing tournaments and matches, solving disputes among members, managing relations with other clans and making alliance treaties or declaring war within a said game.

Section 3. The Void Keeper shall announce open positions of Void Commanders in the Clan Administration Bureau forum. Any member of the Void Alliance shall be eligible to serve as a Void Commander, provided he or she has passed the recruitment phase and been inducted as a full member of the clan and submited his application within 10 days of announcement of the position´s opening. Members under disciplinary censure shall not be eligible for service as a Void Commander. A member shall be appointed Void Commander by a decision of the Void Keeper.

Section 4. Official creation of a Void Alliance division shall be marked by appointment of a Void Governor to manage the division as a whole and represent the division in the Void Command Council. Any Void Commander of the respective division shall be eligible to serve as a Void Governor. Members under disciplinary censure shall not be eligible for service as a Void Governor. Void Governor is appointed by the Void Command Council. An eighty percent majority vote of the Void Command Council shall be required to appoint a Void Governor.

Section 5. All Commanders must present a report to the Void Command Council every month within 10 days from the end of the month. This report will summarize the activities of the Division over the past month as well as plans and intentions for the future development of the division. Any falsifications or omissions in these reports are ground for a Council vote to remove said Commander from office. A simple majority vote is required for such a removal.

Section 6. A Void Governor may refer any matter or dispute that occurs in his or her jurisdiction to the Void Command Council for resolution. Any Void Alliance Member who feels he or she has been treated unfairly by a Void Commander may appeal to the Void Governor of the respective division. Any Void Alliance Member who feels he or she has been treated unfairly by a Void Governor may appeal to the Void Command Council. The decision of the Void Command Council in such matters shall be final.

Section 7. Should a Void Governor or Void Commander come under disciplinary censure, his or her duties as Governor shall be suspended and a Lieutenant shall be appointed pro tem, pending action of the Void Command Council.



Article 4 - Human Resources

Section 1. Any Void Alliance member may invite someone to apply for membership in the Void Alliance.

Section 2. Recruitment of Void Alliance Contractors

Sub-Section 2-1. Any Void Commander may recruit a Contractor into the game he/she oversees, or accept a Contractor recruited by someone else. Requirements for recruitments of Contractors are within full jurisdiction of the respective Void Commander.

Sub-Section 2.2. The Void Commander may remove contracted personnel from the Void Alliance organization within the game he/she oversees at any time.

Sub-Section 2.3 Any Void Alliance member who feels that a precence of certain Contractor within the Void Alliance is inappropriate may file a grievance to the Void Keeper, to terminate contract of the unwelcome Contractor. The Void Keeper is required to review such a grievance within period of 10 days from the submission of the grievance in question.

Sub-Section 2.4 The Contractors are not eligible for positinos within the Void Alliance government defined by the Consitution. The Contractors are not bound by Void Alliance Covenants forbidding membership in other clans within games the Void Alliance is active in.

Sub-Section 2.5 The Contractors shall be given acess to private Void Alliance forums related to the division(s) they belong to by the Agency of Cyberspace.


Section 3. Recruitment of Void Alliance Full Members

Sub-Section 3.1. Anyone can apply for full membership in the Void Alliance. Persons applying for full membership must meet requirements set by the Void Keeper´s Office Agency Of Personnel which include but are not limited to: submitting a recruitment questionaire, past record of service within one or more of Void Alliance divisions as Contractor, or reference from an existing full member of the Void Alliance.

Sub-Section 3.2. Upon receiving application for full membership in the Void Alliance, the Agency of Personnel shall post the application in the Clan Administration Bureau forum for all Void Alliance members to view and comment for at least 10 days. If no objections against the recruit in question are received and the requirements for recruitment as set by the Agency of Personnel are satisfied, the recruit shall be promoted to full member.

Sub-Section 3.3 Any Void Alliance member who feels that a accepting of certain recruit into the Void Alliance is inappropriate may state his objections within the 10 days recruitment period. If the Agency of Personnel agrees with the objection, the recruit will be expulsed. If the Agency of Personnel disagrees with the objection, the matter will be brought before the Void Command Council to decide. An 80% decision is required to officially adopt the questioned recruit.

Sub-Section 3.4 Full Void Alliance members shall be given full acess to all private Void Alliance forums by the Agency of Cyberspace. The exceptions from this rule are Inner Sanctum of the Council and special-provision forums of the Agency of Secruity.


Section 4. All Void Alliance members must use clan tags in games they play as part of their nickname, unless the game incorporates inbuilt provisions for clans, including automatic display of tags. The standard Void Alliance game tags are =\VA\=. In case the standard tags are somehow inconveniencing or impossible to use in a particular game, the Void Commander may decide to use tags in different format.



Article 5 - General Provisions

Section 1. All service in Void Alliance government is completely voluntary. No service shall ever be compulsory.

Section 2. Regarding matters of Alliance Law, all ambiguities should be ruled in favor of personal freedom for members of the Void Alliance, unless there is a clearly stated reason for ruling otherwise. Void Command Council will have final jurisdiction in such matters.

Section 3. Any Void Alliance member may seek an appeal of the decision of a Commander Bureaucrat, Governor or the Void Keeper through the Void Command Council. Any Void Alliance member may seek an appeal of a Void Command Council ruling after a period of one month.

Section 4. All Void Governors, Commanders or Bureaucrats have authority to make policy decisions for Void Alliance as regards their specific area of service. All such decisions may be overturned by a majority decision of the Void Command Council. Alternately, a policy decision may be given status of Alliance Law by a majority vote of the Void Command Council. In the event that such a decision is not overturned or ratified into Law, it will stand as unofficial clan policy until Void Command Council either overturns or ratifies it.

Section 5. No member may be expelled from the Void Alliance or otherwise disciplined for taking a leave of absence. Bureaucrats, Governors, Commanders and Void Command Consuls, however, may be relieved of their duties in the event of an extended leave of absence. Replacements will be appointed by a the Void Command Council or Void Keeper to ensure that no position is not left vacant. If the Void Command Council or Void Keeper receives prior notification of such a leave, then the position will be returned to the member upon his or her return. If the leave is sudden and unannounced, then the replacement shall be permanent, subject to review of the Void Command Council.

Section 7. All voting quotas are referred to present members of Void Command Council. A Void Command Council member is considered absent:
- either when he or she issues a notification of absence by posting in the Officer´s lounge or messaging the Void Keeper
- or when he or she has not submitted a vote within four days.



Article 6 - Amendments and Alliance Law

Section 1. Alliance Law shall be divided into three separate categories: Covenants, Codes, and Policies. Laws shall be placed into these categories based upon the seriousness of the mandate, and shall carry according penalties and disciplinary measures.

Section 2. Covenants comprise the highest laws of the Void Alliance. Laws against treason and hacking are examples of Covenants. Members found guilty of violating a Covenant will be subject to probation, the disciplinary censure, or, in extreme cases, expulsion.

Section 3. Codes comprise the bulk of Alliance Law. Members found guilty of violating a Code will be subject to public apology, probation, or in the case of a serious and repeat offender, disciplinary censure or expulsion.

Section 4. Policies comprise the semi-formal operating practices of the Void Alliance. They are the least stringent category of Alliance Law. Members accused of violating a Policy may exonerate themselves if it can be shown that the violation was in the best interests of the moment. Members found guilty of violating a Policy will be subject to a disciplinary warning, public apology, probation in cases of repeat offense.

Section 5. Alliance Law shall be instated as follows: A majority vote of the Void Command Council shall be necessary to pass a referendum into either Policy or Code. Such votes must be carried out within one week of the submission of the referendum in question.

Section 6. An eighty percent majority vote of the Void Command Council shall be required to pass a referendum into Covenant. Such votes must be carried out within ten days of the submission of the referendum in question.

Section 7. An eighty percent majority vote of the Void Command Council shall be required to pass a referendum into Void Alliance Constitutional Amendment. Such votes must be carried out within two weeks of the submission of the referendum in question.

Section 8. All Alliance Laws shall be enforceable once 24 hours has passed from their ratification.

Section 9. No Void Alliance member shall be held responsible for the violation of Alliance Law if said violation occurred before the Law was passed.



Article 7 - Punishment

Section 1. A disciplinary warning is the least severe disciplinary measure at the disposal of the Void Alliance. A warning may be issued by a Void Commander, or any member of the Void Command Council. Disciplinary warnings will remain on a Void Alliance member's record for a period of one week. A member with two warnings on his record may not be issued a third warning. A circumstance which would necessitate a third warning will instead result in probation.

Section 2. A member sentenced to a public apology must post an apology on the Void Alliance Private board or the public board of another clan as determined by the offense. Public apologies may be issued as a disciplinary measure by a Void Governor, Void Keeper, or the Void Command Council. Failure to post an apology in a timely fashion may result in more severe disciplinary measures.

Section 3. A probation is a two week period in which a member is subject to more intense disciplinary measures. A member on probation will be subject to a Void Command Council hearing in the event of any further violations of Alliance Law. Only a Void Keeper or the Void Command Council may place a member under probation.

Section 4. Disciplinary censure is a punishment reserved for serious offenses. A member under disciplinary censure is not eligible for any position within Void Alliance government, whether Bureaucrats, Void Governors, Void Commanders, or Consuls. If a member placed under disciplinary censure is already serving in one of these positions, he is immediately relieved of his duties. Disciplinary censure may only be issued by a hearing of the Void Command Council. Censure shall last for a period of one month, during which time any further violations of Alliance Law shall be grounds for an Expulsion Hearing. Disciplinary censure may not be issued to the Void Keeper, instead an Impeachment hearing is called as per Article 7, Section 9.

Section 5. In cases of grievous offense, an Expulsion Hearing may be called. The details of the case shall be brought before the Void Command Council, at which point an eighty percent majority decision is necessary to expel the accused member. Members expelled from the Void Alliance shall have their expulsion announced on the Void Alliance Public Board. Expulsion hearing may not be called against the Void Keeper, instead an Impeachment hearing is called as per Article 7, Section 9.

Section 8. Punishments as per Article 7, Section 1, 2 and 3 to Void Command Council memebr can only be issued by the Void Command Council as a whole.

Section 9. The Void Keeper may be impeached. Conduct unbecoming, frequent absenses and/or irresponsible leadership are grounds for impeachment of the Void Keeper. An unanimous vote of the Void Command Council will be required to impeach the Void Keeper.

Section 10. In case of impeachment of the existing Void Keeper, an election of a new Void Keeper must be proclaimed. Any member of the Void Alliance shall be eligible to serve as a Void Keeper, provided he or she has passed the recruitment phase and been inducted as a full member of the clan and submited his application within 10 days of announcement of the position´s opening. Members under disciplinary censure shall not be eligible for service as a Void Keeper. A member is elected Void Keeper in elections, which consits of two separate votes:
- Clan-wide elections, in which all full Void Alliance members have one vote. Each candidate receives one point for each percent of the votes in his or her favor.
- Void Command Council ruling, in which all Void Command Council members have one vote. Each candicate receives twenty points fro each vote in the Void Command Council in his favor.
- The new Void Keeper is chosen as the candidate with highest amount of points.