Proposal For the Reformation of the Congregation of the Silver Hand

Penned by Melysa Marwyn-Ashvale in response to the suspension of the Congregation of the Silver Hand, and the subsequent creation of the Independent Paladin Assembly.

REFORMATION OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SILVER HAND Governing the Congregation in accordance with the Precepts of the Holy Church, and the original Order of the Silver Hand.

I. Institution

That in union with the Council of Bishops and by their commission that all paladins once bound by oath to the Order of the Silver Hand, and/or presently bound by oath in service to the Church of the Holy Light, or aspiring to paladinhood should hereafter come together  as one to form the polity of the Congregation of the Silver Hand.

That this Congregation recognizes the right wise orthodoxy of the Church of the Holy Light and freely acquiesces to the traditional bonds of faith and governance that rest between the Church and the holy order of Paladins, as set forth in the code of the original Order of the Silver Hand. In accordance with the beliefs of this most sacred relationship let it be known that the Church of the Holy Light and its rightful executors, the Council of Bishops, is vested rightly with full power and authority to make, alter and repeal all of the laws, rules and regulations for the administration, discipline and formation of the order of paladins; that order being pledged to the defense of the Church and of all believers, or of any organization, chapter or congregant of that same Congregation of the Silver Hand.

  II. Purpose

The mission and codes of action for which said Congregation of the Silver Hand is to gather are the following:

v  To uphold the Code of the Order of the Silver Hand, therefore adopting all purposes therein.

v  The rendering of aid to its constituent orders by means of providing for the formation and training of paladins, new and old.

v  The provision of a forum for general petitions from all anointed paladins.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The direction of united action as it is relevant to the integrity of the Church of the Holy Light, and the stability of the Grand Alliance.

<h2 style="text-align: center; margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt; margin-left:.25in;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style:italic">III. <span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif""> Polity

<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The Congregation is to be comprised of all willing and faithful persons who claim the holy honor of anointed paladin or wish to aspire to such faithful service.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">Furthermore, the Congregation shall contain certain Knights of great renown and anointed representatives from organizations within the Grand Alliance, who are to henceforth be known as Peers, and who shall stand in council to act as the voices of their constituent bodies and are accorded the privilege of voting on all matters which will effect the congregation as a whole, such as the necessity to engage in a joint military operation, and levying tithes and requisitions of funds from member organizations of the Congregation in order to provide for Congregational activities..

<h2 style="text-align: center; text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif""> IV. Order of Gathering

<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The administrators of the Congregation are behooved to call to the Congregation to order no less than twice per month and only at a reasonable hour and date.

<h2 style="text-align: center; text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style:italic">V. <span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif""> The Offices of the Congregation

Exemplar
<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The Exemplar is, by all rights and measure, the first among equals to stand at the council of the Congregation, and  the chief educational official of the Congregation. He or she is the leader of the polity and carries the full weight of organizational, educational, and political responsibility upon his or her shoulders. The Exemplar is appointed by the Council of Bishops, and serves for life, or until he or she elects to resign. The Council of Bishops shall reserve the right to select a new Exemplar in the event that the present Exemplar is no longer meeting the obligations of his or her office.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The duties, rights, and powers of the Exemplar are limited to:

<p style="margin-left:57.75pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility to speak publically on behalf of the Congregation.

<p style="margin-left:57.75pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility to direct council proceedings.

<p style="margin-left:57.75pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to call Congregational meetings to order.

<p style="margin-left:57.75pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to appoint or dismiss persons to the offices of Congregational Chancellor, Congregational Clerk, Congregational Inquisitor, and Congregational Quartermaster.

<p style="margin-left:57.75pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The privilege to speak before the Council of Bishops.

<p style="margin-left:57.75pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The privilege to speak out of procedural function.

<p style="margin-left:57.75pt">v  The authority to petition the Council of Bishops for the anointment of an aspirant to the honor of anointed paladin.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">C hancellor of the C ongregation
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The Chancellor holds primary responsibility for the training of aspirant Knights under the direction of the Exemplar, as well as the maintenance of strict doctrinal orthodoxy. Furthermore, should the Exemplar be rendered unable to perform their duties, the Chancellor shall temporarily take his or her place until a new Exemplar is selected by the Council of Bishops.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The duties, rights, and powers of the Chancellor are limited to:

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility to establish and maintain a seminary of paladins under the direction of the Exemplar that shall facilitate the continued training of aspirants.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility to uphold and epitomize the Code of the Silver Hand above all others.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to petition the Council of Bishops for the anointment of an aspirant to the honor of anointed paladin.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">Q uartermaster of the C ongregation
<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The Quartermaster of the Congregation is the chief supply officer of the Congregation and holds the heavy burden of ensuring that the Congregation’s military forces are well supplied with equipment, foodstuffs, and medical supplies. The Quartermaster is also the third in line of succession should the Grand Knight and Exarch be rendered incapable of performing their duties. In addition to his military duties, the Quartermaster is also tasked with the maintenance of any and all Congregational charities.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The duties, rights, and powers of the Chaplain are limited to:

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility of maintaining the provisions and equipment stores of the Congregation.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility of overseeing all Congregational charities.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility to take command of all Congregational forces should the Grand Knight and Exarch of the Warden-Guard be rendered incapable of performing their duties.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to levy tithes and requisitions of funds from member organizations of the Congregation in order to provide for Congregational activities.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The privilege to wear the blue silken sash of the Order.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">C ongregational C lerk of C ouncil
<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The Congregational Clerk of Council is the chief organizational officer of the Congregation appointed by vote of the Council of Bishops. The Clerk is responsible for the maintenance of the Congregational docket and affairs of order as well as ensuring procedural order during meetings of the Congregational body. The Clerk is the seventh and last in the line of succession.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The duties, rights, and powers of the Clerk are limited to:

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility of maintaining the Congregational Docket.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility of ensuring procedure order during Congregational councils.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility to appoint or dismiss an Exarch of the Warden-Guard.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to call Congregational meetings to order.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to order the Exarch to remove disruptive members of the Congregation from the council chamber.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to suspend the rules of order.

<p style="margin-left:.5in">

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">C ongregational  I nquisitor
<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The Congregational Inquisitor acts as the primary agent of the enforcement of doctrinal and ideological purity within the Congregation and serves at the pleasure of the Exemplar. Although the Inquisitor acts in many ways as a typical Inquisitor of the Church Office of Inquiry, he does not possess the power to detain or arrest any member of the Congregation, but only to question and investigate those who the Exemplar deems suspect of crimes against the Light or the Congregation. The Congregational Inquisitor is the sixth in the line of succession.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">The duties, rights, and powers of the Inquisitor are limited to:

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The responsibility to actively cultivate the orthodox purity of church doctrine within the Congregation.

<p style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">v  The authority to receive audience for any inquiries or investigations he may conduct within the Congregation.

<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">

==<span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif";mso-bidi-font-style:italic">VII. <span style="font-family:"Constantia","serif"">Congregational Rules of Order ==

1. Introduction of Business.
Business is brought before it either by the motion of a member, or by the presentation of a communication to the assembly. It is not usual to make motions to receive reports of committees or communications to the assembly. There are many other cases in the ordinary routine of business where the formality of a motion is dispensed with, but should any member object, a regular motion becomes necessary, or the Exemplar may put the question without waiting for a motion.

2. What Precedes Debate.
Before any subject is open to debate it is necessary, first, that a motion be made by a peer who has obtained the floor; second, that it be seconded (with certain exceptions); and third, that it be stated by the Exemplar. The fact that a motion has been made and seconded does not put it before the assembly, as the Exemplar alone can do that. He or she must either rule it out of order, or state the question on it so that the assembly may know what is before it for consideration and action, that is, what is the immediately pending question. If several questions are pending, as a resolution and an amendment and a motion to postpone, the last one stated by the Exemplar is the immediately pending question.

3. Obtaining the Floor.
Before a peer call make a motion, or address the assembly in debate, it is necessary that he or she should obtain the floor -- that is, he or she must place his or her hand upon the round table after the floor has been yielded, and address the presiding officer by his or her official title. If the assembly is large so that the peer's name may be unknown to the Exemplar, the peer should give his or her name as soon as he or she catches the eye of the Exemplar after addressing him or her.

If the peer is entitled to the floor, as shown hereafter, the Exemplar "recognizes" him or her, or assigns him or her the floor, by announcing his or her name. If a peer speaks before the floor has been yielded, he or she cannot obtain the floor provided any one else places their hand upon the table afterwards, and addresses the Exemplar. It is out of order to be speaking when another has the floor, and remarks from any peer speaking out of order shall not be recognized by the assembly.

4. Motions and Resolutions.
A motion is a proposal that the assembly take certain action, or that it express itself as holding certain views. It is made by a peer's obtaining the floor as already described and saying, "I move that" (which is equivalent to saying, "I propose that"), and then stating the action he or she proposes to have taken. Thus a peer "moves" (proposes) that a resolution be adopted, or amended, or referred to a committee, or that a vote of thanks be extended, etc.; or "That it is the sense of this meeting (or assembly) that ______ action be taken," etc.

5. Seconding Motions.
As a general rule, every motion should be seconded. This is to prevent time being consumed in considering a question that only one person favors, and consequently little attention is paid to it in routine motions. Where the Exemplar is certain the motion meets with general favor, and yet members are slow about seconding it, he may proceed without waiting for a second. Yet, any one may make a point of order that the motion has not been seconded, and then the Exemplar is obliged to proceed formally and call for a second.

A motion is seconded by a peer's saying "I second the motion," or "I second it," which he or she does without obtaining the floor. In large assemblies, and especially where non-members are scattered throughout the assembly, members should rise, place their hand upon the round table, and without waiting for recognition, say, "I second the motion."

6. Debate.
After a question has been stated by the Exemplar, it is before the assembly for consideration and action. All resolutions, reports of committees, communications to the assembly, and all amendments proposed to them, and all other motions except the Undebatable Motions may be debated before final action is taken on them, unless by a majority vote the assembly decides to dispose of them without debate. In the debate each peer has the right to speak twice on the same question on the same day (except on an appeal), but cannot make a second speech on the same question as long as any peer who has not spoken on that question desires the floor. No peer may speak longer than ten minutes at a time without permission of the assembly.

Debate must be limited to the merits of the immediately pending question -- that is, the last question stated by the Exemplar that is still pending; except that in a few cases the main question is also open to debate. Speakers must address their remarks to the presiding officer, be courteous in their language and deportment.

8. Secondary Motions.
To assist in the proper disposal of the question, various subsidiary motions are used, such as to amend, to commit, etc., and for the time being the subsidiary motion replaces the resolution, or motion, and becomes the immediately pending question. While these are pending, a question incidental to the business may arise, as a question of order, and this incidental question interrupts the business and, until disposed of, becomes the immediately pending question. And all of these may be superseded by certain motions, called privileged motions, as to adjourn, of such supreme importance as to justify their interrupting all other questions. All of these motions that may be made while the original motion is pending are sometimes referred to as secondary motions.

9. Putting the Question and Announcing the Vote.
When the debate appears to have closed, the Exemplar asks again, "Are you ready for the question?" If no one rises he proceeds to put the question -- that is, to take the vote on the question, first calling for the affirmative and then for the negative vote. In putting the question the Exemplar should make perfectly clear what the question is that the assembly is to decide. If the question is on the adoption of a resolution, unless it has been read very recently, it should be read again, the question being put in a way similar to this: "The question is on the adoption of the resolution [which the Exemplarr reads]; those in favor of the resolution say aye; those opposed say no. The ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted;" or, "The noes have it, and the resolution is lost."

The vote should always be announced, as it is a necessary part of putting the question. The assembly is assumed not to know the result of the vote until announced by the Exemplar, and the vote does not go into effect until announced by the Exemplar. As soon as the result of the vote is announced the Exemplar should state the next business in order.