For Posterity: Liberty Fleet Charter

I found this rummaging through old things that used to be important to me. For anyone who wasn't directly involved in this particular phase of my life, it will be a terribly boring read. Best to use that "Next Blog" button up there.

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Mission Statement

Liberty Fleet is a free Star Trek play-by-email role playing game (PbEM RPG) that exists to provide a fun gaming atmosphere free from favoritism, prejudice, or bias for any reason. Participation is open to all able writers regardless of experience or talent, except those who demonstrate some malicious intent toward the Game or one of its writers.

Articles of the Fleet

I. The Liberty Fleet Council

A. Definition: Liberty Fleet shall be administered by the Libert Fleet Council, a small body of writers composed of the Game's creators and designated leaders. Ideally, the Council will be made up of an odd-number of individuals.

B. Responsibilities

1. The Liberty Fleet Council makes all decisions that affect the Game as a whole. The Council will also be the final authority on issues that affect more than one platform, but not the whole Game. Decisions are made on a majority vote, unless all Council members decide a unanimous vote is appropriate.

2. The Council will appoint the Commanding Officer (CO) of all platforms.

3. The Council has final authority over selection of Executive Officer (XO) candidates for all platforms.

a. When the XO candidate will serve under a CO that is a member of the Council, that member must abstain from the vote for XO selection for his/her platform.

b. If the XO candidate is a member of the Council, he/she must abstain from the vote, and may not participate in any debate or discussion during the selection process.

C. Membership

1. Council membership is voluntary. Any member may terminate his/her membership at any time, but is expected to give reasonable notice to the rest of the Council.

2. A Council member cannot be removed under reasonable circumstances without first being given ample opportunity to explain questionable or objectionable actions. Removal is by majority vote of remaining Council members.

3. A Council member who takes any hostile actions against the Game or one of its writers, or blatantly acts against the Mission Statement, may be removed from authority by remaining Council members immediately by unanimous vote.

4. If an opening occurs in the Council membership, remaining Council members will make invitations to fill it at their own discretion.

II. Platforms

A. Definition: A platform (sometimes called a "sim") is a fictional vessel, station, or other unit to which a unique group of characters is assigned. Each platform operates as an independent unit of Liberty Fleet within established regulations set by the Liberty Fleet Council.

B. Crew: Each platform will be made up of a group of writers collectively called a crew. The crew can be broken down into three types of characters:

1. Command Staff: Each platform will have command staff made up of a Commanding Officer (CO) character and an Executive or First Officer (XO) character.

a. Commanding Officer (CO): The CO is the responsible for the platform as a whole, and is the platform crew's representative to the Council.

b. Executive Officer (XO): The XO is responsible for the platform's crew as a single unit, and is the crew's laison to the CO.

c. The CO and XO may not be written by the same writer.

2. Department Heads

a. Depending on the platform, the crew will be divided into one or more job-based departments, each having a leader called a Department Head.

b. Department heads report to the XO, are responsible for the crew in their departments, and act as a laison between the XO and their crew.

c. If a department has no real Department Head, its crew report directly to the XO.

3. Crew/Staff Writers: These constitute the main body of writers in the Game.

4. Although the positions described are held by characters, writers of the command staff and department head characters hold real and enforcible responsibilities and authority, within established regulations set by the Liberty Fleet Council.

III. Writers and Characters

A. Writers

1. The Game's collection of writers are understood to be the backbone of the Game, and are therefore treated with the utmost respect, keeping in mind that no person is to be treated any differently than any other person.

2. Special arrangements to develop and/or mentor certain writers may be made from time to time, at the discretion of that writer's command staff or department head.

3. Occasionally writers will be recognized for unique achievements and/or contributions to the Game.

B. Characters

1. Writers participate in the Game by means of their characters, fictional people invented by the writers and assigned to a platform that are involved in the various storylines.

2. It is understood that characters are not real people and will not be treated as such. A definite separation between writers and their characters should be recognized.

C. In the case of platform CO and XO, the writers of the characters in these positions hold legitimate authority over the writers on their platforms, and have a final say over the rank, position, and transfer of the associated characters. Only the Liberty Fleet Council can override this authority.

IV. Conflict Impartiality: While the Liberty Fleet Council and its appointed moderators strive for total fairness, in the event of a conflict involving one of the Game's creators, Council members, or command staff, it should be understood that, due to personal relationships between the aforementioned parties, both preexisting and formed in the course of gameplay, no purely impartial conclusion can be reached.
V. Amendments: The Liberty Fleet Charter may be changed in whole or part by amendments to provide for varying circumstances as they arise, and to enable Liberty Fleet to adapt as necessary.

Adopted this 2^nd day February, 2006, by the current members of the Liberty Fleet Council:

            N.S.

          L.S.

          B.D.