Introduction

On August 1st, 2006, Sarah Hemenway took office as the President of STF, succeeding Jen Herr. On March 28th, 2008, the next STF President, Daniel Lerner took office.

Summary of Edicts

Edict #1Edict #2Edict #3Edict #4Edict #5Edict #6Edict #7Edict #8Edict #9Edict #10Edict #11Edict #12Edict #13Edict #14Edict #15Edict #16Edict #17Edict #18Edict #19Edict #20Edict #21Edict #22Edict #23Edict #24Edict #25Edict #26Edict #27Edict #28Edict #29Edict #30Edict #31Edict #32Edict #33Edict #34Edict #35Edict #36Edict #37Edict #38Edict #39Edict #40Edict #41Edict #42Edict #43Edict #44Edict #45Edict #46Edict #47Edict #48Edict #49Edict #50Edict #51Edict #52Edict #53Edict #54Edict #55Edict #56Edict #57Edict #58Edict #59Edict #60Edict #61Edict #62Edict #63Edict #64Edict #65Edict #66Edict #67Edict #68Edict #69Edict #70Edict #71Edict #72

Full Text of Edicts

Edict #1:

Message posted on Stardate 06080.1 at 0004 hours

Posted by Fleet Captain Sarah Hemenway (Gamemaster Director).

Edict #1
Prescriptio in manibus tabellariorium est

I decided to do something untraditional and get this out ASAP, instead of torturing you all for a while. I originally thought it would keep people from bothering me, but the harassment started promptly 23 minutes before I even came into office.

Amanda Noon is hereby appointed as FComm-1.
Katherine Dedul is hereby retained as FComm-2.
Kenson Koh is hereby retained as FComm-3.
Christopher Jones is hereby appointed as FComm-4.
Andrew Robinson is hereby appointed as FComm-5.
Symon Silvester is hereby retained as FComm-6.
Joe Fahey is hereby appointed as FComm-7.
Brian Olinski is hereby appointed as Academy Commandant.
Larry Garfield is hereby appointed as Engineering Director.
Geoff Joosten is hereby appointed as Gamemaster Director.
Jack Dipper is hereby appointed as Internet Director.
Jen Herr is hereby appointed as Personnel Director.

A big thanks goes to Therle Dregansky, Emma Rouse-Deane, Robert Gulley and Stuart Coll for their service last term.

Folks, please have your assistants announced in Command by August 15.

- Sarah

P.S. With Jack Dipper's emergency LOA, Larry Garfield is acting Internet Director until Jack's return.

Edict #2:

Message posted on Stardate 06080.1 at 0048 hours


Posted by Fleet Captain Sarah Hemenway (Gamemaster Director).

Edict #2
Cuniculus meus id comedit

Just some left over business from last term!

- Sarah

SUPERCEDENCE OF PREVIOUS EDICTS

This edict supercedes Garfield #24.

OVERVIEW

A new Alternative Roleplaying Area is hereby established in Fleet Six, named Oed V.

Oed V is a planet-based RPG, set on the planet Oed V, near the Vren Border. It is a joint Starfleet-civilian colony consisting of both Starfleet personnel and civilians.

Oed V will remain an active Roleplaying Area, provided that it means the following criteria:

1. Oed V currenly has a healthy roleplaying environment with a cast of reliable players who remain on the whole within the outlined AWOL guidelines.

2. Oed V has managed to continue its function as a planet-based environment successfully.

If Oed V should deviate from the criteria set in this edict at any time, she will be decommissioned.

CREW STRUCTURE

The Leader of Oed V both In Character and Out of Character is entitled Governor and may be a Starfleet officer or civilian. The Governor of Oed V will be appointed in the same fashion as a normal CO and counts as a CO position toward any limits in place. The Governor has similar powers and responsibilites to a CO. There will also be a Lieutenant Governor of Oed V will be appointed in the same fashion as a normal XO and counts as a XO position toward any limits in place. Oed V is a second-character-only Roleplaying Environment.

Oed V includes the standard STF departments for Starfleet characters. Possible swing positions may be added under the Governor's discretion. They may include, but not be limited to the following:

- Head of Police
- Chief Customs Officer
- Head of Construction Services

RESOURCES

The Governor of Oed or his appointed authority is required to maintain a resource page regarding the colony. This page may include, but not be limited to the following information:

- Geography of Oed V
- In Character History of Oed V
- Ships Assigned to Oed V
- Oed V Facilities

This information must be as historically accurate as possible and remain consistent.

IMPLEMENTATION

The current Governor is retained in his position on the colony.

Edict #3:

Message posted on Stardate 06080.3 at 1405 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #3
Malum prohibitum

To loosely quote my VP, this isn't what I had planned for my third edict as President.

Shortly after I came into office, I had a complaint forwarded to me that was unresolved last term.

On 18 July 2006, Lieutenant Katz Heitmann posted a note on Outpost 42 threatening another member of STF that she would inform government agencies he was responsible for September 11th and the London bombings if he didn't stay out of her way. Lieutenant Heitmann has received warnings previously regarding her behavior in STF.

Lieutenant Heitmann is hereby found to be guilty of the transmission of unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, and fradulent material, which is a breach of the STF Terms of Service. Therefore, Lieutenant Heitmann is banned for 60 days, starting immediately, and demoted to the rank of Ensign, not to be promoted above this rank for the next 120 days. Before returning from her ban on 2 October 2006, she is required to apologize via e-mail to the member in question.

- Sarah

Edict #4:

Message posted on Stardate 06080.4 at 1414 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #4
Malum prohibitum, secui duos

This is certainly not something I intended to have to bring up again, but here we are.

Upon finding out upon her ban, Ensign Katz Heitmann proceeded to once again threaten an STF member with a false report to the authorities that he had a part in September 11th and the London bombings. She then lied about her actions, but continued them via e-mail to myself and to the original member.

Due to the severity of the threats she has now persisted to make, even after being informed about her ban and the reasoning for it, Ensign Katz Heitmann is hereby permanently banned from STF, as well as from all STF-related resources, including the official IRC channel.

I would advise all STF members to discontinue contact with her, as her latest threat was completely unprovoked and to a friend of hers. A complaint has been sent to the abuse department of her ISP on the behalf of the club.

- Sarah

Edict #5:

Message posted on Stardate 06082.0 at 0118 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #5
Meum cerebrum nocet

This one should be fun for the Internet Department. Hi, Jack. :)

The decommissioning of the USS Paladin has left a vacancy within Fleet 6. Therefore, the USS Genesis is hereby relocated from Fleet 7 to Fleet 6.

In mid-February, the USS Kansas was illegally commissioned as an Alternate Roleplaying Area. At the time, the CO was informed that his ship specifications were only a month or two away. Here we are in August, six months later, and the specifications have still not even been proposed. At the same time, the Kansas has suffered, not just recently, from her inability to accept new members and Academy graduates on the ship. After discussion with the CO, the Engineering Director, and the Fleet Commander of Fleet 5, we have come up with a solution to this problem.

The USS Kansas is hereby decommissioned and edict Herr #13 is rescinded. A new Standard Ship, the Nimitz-class USS Entente (NCC-82371) is commissioned in her place. Brian Olinski is hereby appointed as CO of the USS Entente. The crew of the USS Kansas will be transferred to the USS Entente in their same ranks and positions.

It is my hope that the CO of the Entente keeps the fighter-oriented feel of the ship for as much as the Nimitz specifications allows.

These changes should occur within the next two weeks OOC, to allow for appropriate downtime notice, and whenever possible IC.

- Sarah

Edict #6:

Message posted on Stardate 06082.0 at 2134 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #6
Domus dulcis domus

Based on the recommendations of Fleet 7 Command, Edgar Cramer is hereby promoted to Captain and assigned as CO of the USS Maverick.

Congratulations, Eddie, and welcome back to the big chair!

- Sarah

Edict #7:

Message posted on Stardate 06082.6 at 2258 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #7
Medice, cura te ipsum!

Well, this is quite possibly the fastest I've seen a CO vacancy get worked out.

Amanda, FComm-1, and I were chatting when Therle announced his resignation and, surprisingly enough (if you know how much Amanda and I disagree ), we quickly agreed on a candidate for the Ogawa's CO position. This candidate is the first person to pass the CO exam and, honestly, the perfect fit for the Ogawa.

With that in mind, it is my pleasure to hereby promote Cale Reilly to the rank of Captain and assign her as CO of the USS Ogawa in Fleet 1.

Congratulations, Cale! Amanda and I wholeheartedly believe you can maintain the high standard that Therle has set on the "Owie".

- Sarah

Edict #8:

Message posted on Stardate 06090.7 at 0050 hours


Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #8
De novo

Despite attempts to contact her regarding her status, Krystelle Bromilow has been unreachable since the end of her LOA on August 30. With the ship's best interests in mind, Amanda, Jack, and I have decided that the Bonaventure is in need of a new CO.

The member that immediately came to mind was demoted at the end of last term for his actions regarding the Paladin's decommissioning. Since then, he took the initiative to offer apologies where appropriate. After Krys' sudden LOA, he took over the Bonaventure as acting CO and not only sustained Krys' work, but improved upon it. Bret has maintained a roster full of skilled role-players and kept the ship a healthy and enjoyable environment, all while running a highly-complimented mission (and planning more to ensure the Bonnie's continued success).

It sets an uncomfortable precedent to rescind a demotion edict; however, Bret has made an active effort to make amends for his earlier actions and followed through by keeping a ship alive and healthy through troubled times. It is with this in mind that Herr #30 is hereby rescinded.

M. Bret Godfrey is hereby promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as CO of the SS Bonaventure.

Congratulations, Bret!

- Sarah

Edict #9:

Message posted on Stardate 06090.8 at 1601 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #9
Ad rem

John Robert Lucas is hereby assigned as CO of the USS Trinitron. He is already a Captain, so he doesn't need promoting.

Congratulations, John! Welcome back to the big chair!

- Sarah

Edict #10:

Message posted on Stardate 06092.6 at 0037 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Since discussion has pretty much died down, I think it's time! I'm pleased to present the latest version of the edict we all know and love: FCOMM! As a side note, you'll see that I've adopted the more widely used I/A/1 outline system. This is the first document I've found that has third and fourth level subsections and the standard STF way made determining what the indicator for those should be, well, impossible.

- Sarah

Edict #10
Bonum commune communitatis

I. SUPERCEDENCE OF PREVIOUS EDICTS

Edict Herr #22 is hereby rescinded and superceded by this Edict.

II. FLEET STRUCTURE AND COMMAND

A. Definition

A Fleet is a collection of one or more Role-Playing Ships under the command of a Fleet Commander independent from other Fleets. A Fleet may include non-RPG ships in addition to Role-Playing ships.

B. Creation and Decommissioning

A Fleet may be created by Presidential Edict. A Fleet must be filled with at least one Standard Ship and have a Fleet Commander appointed promptly. A Fleet may be decommissioned by Presidential Edict provided any ships within the Fleet are simultaneously decommissioned or moved to other Fleets. If a Fleet is decommissioned, the related Fleet Commander and Assistant Fleet Commander positions are eliminated.

C. Fleet Commander

All Fleets are commanded by a Fleet Commander, appointed by the President. The Fleet Commander is considered a member of the Cabinet. The Fleet Commander is charged with seeing to the proper functioning of the Fleet under his command and the administration of related COs, XOs, and other Ship Administrators. The Fleet Commander is responsible for the outward image of the Fleet under his command, for reporting to the President and working with the President on matters of Fleet business, and other duties as specified in this and other Edicts.

Specifically, the Fleet Commander is responsible for ensuring that the Ships under his command are healthy and properly functioning role playing environments, that the internal and external pages under his jurisdiction are maintained, and that fleet reports which detail the current status of each ship under his or her command are submitted to the President. The President is responsible for dictating in policy how and when fleet reports should be submitted.

In the event that the positions of CO and XO on a ship both become vacant simltaneously, due to AWOL, eLOA, resignation, or other circumstances, the Fleet Commander may appoint an aCO and aXO. They must notify the President of such action and relay their recommendation on whether replacing the CO permanently is necessary or not.

D. Assistant Fleet Commander

Each Fleet Commander is required to appoint a single Assistant Fleet Commander. The Assistant Fleet Commander's primary responsibility is to take over as acting Fleet Commander should the Fleet Commander declare a LOA. An Assistant Fleet Commander may declare the Fleet Commander AWOL with the consent of the President and assume the position of acting Fleet Commander until such time as the President appoints a new Fleet Commander. Additional duties may be assigned to the Assistant Fleet Commander at the discretion of the Fleet Commander. The Assistant Fleet Commander is considered a member of Command, but is not a member of the Cabinet.

E. Restrictions

The Fleet Commander and Assistant Fleet Commander must be a current or former CO, or the equivalent of CO in an Alternate RPG Area, of the Fleet in question. Acting CO does not count. No individual may be the Fleet Commander or Assistant Fleet Commander of more than one Fleet at a time, nor may any individual be Fleet Commander of one Fleet and Assistant Fleet Commander of another Fleet at the same time. The President may not be the Fleet Commander or Assistant Fleet Commander of any Fleet. Acting holder of a position does not count towards these restrictions.

III. SHIPS

A. Standard Ships

A Standard Ship is any self-contained RPG Starship or Starbase, commanded by a CO, on which regular RPGs take place under the administration of the GameMaster Department and the Fleet Commander. All Standard Ships must reside in a Fleet and be a Starfleet vessel or starbase. Additionally, all Standard Ships are set approximately 376 years after the current modern year. That is, the year 2000 real time corresponds to the year 2376 In Character time, and one-year real time corresponds to approximately one year RPG time.

B. OOC Ships

An OOC Ship is a starship, starbase, or other similar division that is present in a Fleet or an Executive Department but not staffed by a crew or the site of an actual RPG. OOC Ships are intended for Out of Character interaction between STF members. OOC Ships are established managed at the discretion of the Fleet Commander or Department Director.

C. Non-Crewed Ships

A Non-Crewed Ship is a Starship or Starbase that is considered part of a Fleet for RPG purposes but is not actively commissioned nor staffed by Player Characters. Non-Crewed ships assigned to a Fleet are available for use by GMs for RPG purposes, and if destroyed are recycled.

D. Alternative RPG Areas

1. Definition

Alternate RPG Areas are those areas where RPGs take place that do not meet one or more of the characteristics for Standard Ships. The President may establish by edict a charter for an Alternative RPG Area within a given Fleet, with the consent of the applicable Fleet Commander. If nothing is specified for a given parameter of the RPG environment, it is assumed to be the same as a Standard RPG Area. For example, if no time frame is specified, the Alternate RPG Area is assumed to operate in the same time as Standard RPG Areas.

2. Leadership

Alternative RPG Areas will have a Leader or Administrator who is responsible for seeing to the well being of the Area. Their specific functions, including their specific title, will be specified by the chartering Edict if they differ from those of a standard ship. The Alternative RPG Area charter must also specify whether the Leader or Administrator position counts as an XO or CO position for purposes of XO and CO restrictions, and any special rules or circumstances regarding the naming of the Leader or Administrator. If not specified, the Leader or Administrator is called the Commanding Officer (CO), is appointed by the President in the same fashion as a Standard Ship CO, and will count towards a CO position as on a Standard Ship.

3. Charter

In addition to the above requirements, the Alternative RPG Area charter must also specify whether or not RPG ranks in the Area count towards a member's Member Rank or not and whether the environment is a Second Character Only environment or not. The Personnel Department may only assign new members to an Alt RPG if the new member specifically requests that assignment and the ship is chartered or marked as able to accept new members who request such an assignment. The charter must also include minimum standards that the RPG must maintain in order to remain a commissioned environment. The Alternative RPG Area's charter may only be amended by Presidential Edict, with the consent of the related Fleet Commander and Area Leader or Administrator.

IV. SHIP MANAGEMENT

A. Commissioning and Maintenance of Standard Ships

All Standard Ships in a Fleet are commissioned by Presidential Edict, with the prior consent the Fleet Commander. The Fleet Commander must choose a ship name and a class approved by the Engineering Department for that purpose prior to commissioning. Starbases must have Engineering Department approved specs prior to commissioning as well. If the ship class as approved by the Engineering Department includes a list of ship names, the name must come from that list, with changes to that list governed by Engineering Department policy. No two ships in STF may be of the same name simultaneously.

All Standard Ships are required to maintain the following criteria:

- They must maintain an enjoyable environment that is beneficial for both the ship and the club as a whole.

- They must maintain a crew of reliable players, with the majority within the ship-specific AWOL guidelines.

- They must maintain, within reason, a full command and senior staff, defined as a Commanding Officer, an Executive Officer, a Gamemaster, a Chief Engineer, a Chief Medical Officer, a Chief Science Officer, and a Chief of Security. Any command-level vacancy must be filled within 14 days of its occurrence.

- They must manage to function as a Standard Ship successfully, with due regard to the current time period and technology level.

Should a Standard Ship deviate from these criteria, it will be subject to decommissioning per the terms of this Edict.

B. Decommissioning

Decommissioning a Role-Playing Area shall be considered the last resort when dealing with an environment that no longer meets the required critera. Before decommissioning an Area, reasonable effort by the Fleet Commander and by the Area Commanding Officer must be made to restore the environment. This may include (but is not required to, nor limited to) public discussion, advertisement in the Personnel Department, or replacement of the Area's Commanding Officer.

Standard Ships and Alternate RPG Areas may be decommissioned by Presidential Edict. If a ship is decommissioned, all positions relating to that Ship are eliminated. For a Standard Ship, the appropriate Fleet Commander will work with the Personnel Department in order to place remaining crewmembers in positions equal or greater than held on the decommissioned ship, should they desire it. The Internet Department will be responsible for the archival and removal of any resources relating to the decommissioned ship.

C. Relocation

Any Role Playing Area may be moved from one Fleet to another by Presidential Edict with the consent of the related Fleet Commanders. The Commanding Officer may be consulted about the relocation and must be informed in a reasonable amount of time about the impending relocation.

D. Rechristening

A Standard Ship in service in a Fleet may be rechristened to a new name and/or class by Presidential Edict with the consent of the Fleet Commander and the ship's CO. A ship may be destroyed and automatically replaced with a new vessel of the same name and class with prior consent of the Fleet Commander and CO. Both events may occur simultaneously with the approval of all those listed above and under the condition that the new name must be chosen from the name list of the new class. Should a ship be rechristened with the same name as it held previously, either due to a change of class or destruction, it shall incur a one-letter suffix increment.

E. Commanding Officer (CO)

The CO of a RPG Ship serves as the ship's Administrator and In-Character commanding officer. A CO is appointed by Presidential Edict, with the advice and consent of the Fleet Commander. A CO may be removed by the Fleet Commander with the consent of the President. The removal is then made official by the Presidential Edict that replaces the CO.

1. Responsibilities

In addition to acting as the In Character Commanding Officer, the CO is responsible for ensuring that the crew stays active; managing personnel, recruiting personnel, and enforcing AWOL policies on the ship; ensuring that new members are given adequate assistance as needed; maintaining the ship's MOTD; optionally maintaining a Ship or Captain's Log; submitting reports to the Fleet Commander as mandated; and further duties as assigned by the Fleet Commander or established by Edict. The CO is responsible for ensuring the completion of his or her duties, even if they are delegated to someone else.

2. Powers

The CO has the power to promote members of his or her crew up to and including the rank of Lieutenant Commander. The CO may promote members of his or her crew to the rank of Commander with the consent of the Fleet Commander.

The CO may establish and staff additional 'Swing' positions on a ship as deemed appropriate, in keeping with the design of the class of the ship in question.

The CO also has the power to dismiss members of their crews if they determine that such action is necessary to preserve or restore the ability of the ship to function effectively. A member dismissed from a ship may appeal the decision to the FComm (or AFComm if the CO in question is FComm). The ruling of the FComm (or AFComm) in this matter is final and may not be appealed further. Other powers may be specified by Edict or by the Fleet Commander.

3. Restrictions

No individual may hold more than one CO position simultaneously. Acting CO does not count towards this limit.

Second Player Characters are restricted to JOs and below. That means that no player may hold two DH positions on a single ship at once, or a Command position and a DH position on a single ship at once. Acting DH, Acting XO and Acting CO do not apply to these restrictions.

COs are encouraged to use strict discretion when allowing non-canon positions, character types, and second player characters so that their ship maintains a healthy, fun, and canon-compatible role playing environment.

F. Executive Officer (XO)

In addition to RPG duties, the XO is responsible for assisting other members of the ship as needed. The CO may enlist the aid of his XO in fulfilling his or her ship management duties, but the CO will remain ultimately responsible for them. The XO's primary responsibility is to take over as acting CO (aCO) should the CO declare an LOA. An XO may declare the CO AWOL with the consent of the Fleet Commander and assume the position of acting CO until such time as the President appoints a new CO. A CO may appoint his or her own XO with the consent of the Fleet Commander, should the Fleet Commander choose to exercise such authority.

No individual may hold more than one XO position simultaneously. Acting XO does not count towards this limit. When choosing an XO, preference should be given to members who do not currently have a CO position if possible.

G. Character Restrictions

Every Non-Civilian Player Character must have an adequate and believable reason for joining Starfleet that does not violate canon. Civilian characters must have an adequate and believable reason for being permitted to serve on a Starfleet vessel or base. Player Characters on Alternate RPGs may violate these rules only if such violations are specified and explained in the Alternate RPG charter.

Player Characters shall follow these guidelines:

- Canon Federation member species are acceptable. Examples of Canon Federation member species include Humans, Vulcans, Trill, Andorians, and Betazoids.

- Canon Allied species are discouraged, and permitted only in special circumstances with the prior consent of the CO. Examples of Canon Allied species include Klingons.

- Canon Neutral or Hostile species are forbidden. Examples of Canon Neutral or Hostile species include Romulans, Ferengi, Cardassians, Borg, and Breen.

- Custom Federation member species are discouraged, and permitted only in special circumstances with the prior consent of the CO. The character and species must have an adequate and believable back-story that explains why the character is in Starfleet and why the species is a Federation member or ally. If the custom character species is created by someone other than the player, the player must have the creator's permission to play that character species. If the creator cannot be reached, the species may only be played if the information given about it is publically accessible and not restricted.

- Custom allied, neutral, or hostile species are forbidden.

- "God moding" or "super" characters are strictly forbidden. Examples of "God-moding" or "Super" characters include Borg, Species 8472, Q, and Changelings.

- Mixed-species characters must be a believable mix, and of no more than three (3) species.

The decision regarding any character type rests with the Commanding Officer of the ship where the character will be played. Any dispute between a player and a CO will be moderated and decided upon by the appropriate Fleet Commander. In the event that the CO is also the Fleet Commander, the dispute will be moderated by the Assistant Fleet Commander. The decision by the Fleet Commander or Assistant Fleet Commander shall be considered final.

In the special circumstance where it is felt a player can adequately and believably play a forbidden character species, the player may do so with the consent of the Commanding Officer and the related Fleet Commander. In the event that the CO is also the Fleet Commander, the approval of the Assistant Fleet Commander is required. This consent may be removed if the player does not maintain the adequate and believable requirement. In both cases, any decision made is final and not appealable.

V. IMPLEMENTATION

All current Player Characters are exempt from the Character Restrictions set forth in this Edict. If a player discontinues playing an exempt Player Character for any reason, the Player Character's exempt status is forfeited and the player must either choose a valid character species or seek approval through the requirements listed before resuming the Character.

Edict #11:

Message posted on Stardate 06100.6 at 1446 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #11
Haud Titulus

Based on the recommendation of the Academy, Jody Romero is hereby assigned as CO of the USS Challenger.

Congratulations, Jody! Welcome back to the big chair...just make sure none of the cadets put a whoopie cushion on it!

- Sarah


Edict #12:

Message posted on Stardate 06102.6 at 1735 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #12
Labor omnia vincit

On the recommendation of Fleet 6 Command, Janelle Kimber is released as CO of the USS Olympic.

Lou Gasco is hereby assigned as CO of the USS Olympic. He is already a Captain, so he doesn't need promoting.

For those keeping track, Lou has agreed to change the class of the ship from the defunct Athens-class to a Surveyor, once the EDept approves one. Stay tuned for a later Edict about that.

Congratulations, Lou!

- Sarah

Edict #13:

Message posted on Stardate 06110.8 at 2301 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #13
Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

Get your popcorn, folks. This is a long one. :)

Based on the recommendations of Fleet 7 Command, Chris Grinder is hereby promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as CO of the USS Polaris, Fleet 7. Additionally, the USS Polaris, Andromeda-class, NCC-42189 is hereby rechristened the USS Polaris, Viking-class, NCC-42189-A.

Also based on the recommendations of Fleet 7 Command, Ton Geurts is hereby assigned as CO of the USS Maverick, Fleet 7. He already holds the rank of Captain. The USS Maverick, Maverick-class, NCC-68810 is hereby rechristened the USS Rogue, Maverick-class, NCC-68811.

Finally, the USS Endeavor, Phoenix-class, NCC-76801-A is hereby rechristened the USS Endeavor, Viking-class, NCC-76801-B.

All changes are effective immediately OOC and as soon as possible IC. IDept, please handle the name change within the next two weeks.

Congratulations, Ton and Chris!

/me pops some bubbles in all the new ship bubble wrap.

- Sarah

Edict #14:

Message posted on Stardate 06111.8 at 1352 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #14
Recedite! Gero rem imperialem.

With the advice of both incoming and outgoing Fleet 5 Command, it is my pleasure to promote Russell Watt to the rank of Captain and to assign him as CO of the USS Draco, Fleet 5.

As for Fleet 5, Geoff Joosten is assigned as acting Fleet Commander, Fleet 5, until we can work a few things out. Given the holiday season, I would appreciate it if you could appoint an acting Assistant, Geoff.

Thanks, Andy, for all of your hard work in STF and good luck, Russ and Geoff!

- Sarah

Edict #15:

Message posted on Stardate 06111.9 at 2211 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #15
Ave atque vale

With the advice of Fleet 2 Command, Daniel Dabrowski is hereby promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as Commanding Officer of Outpost 45, Fleet 2.

Congratulations, Daniel, and best wishes and much thanks to outgoing CO, Steve Johnson!

- Sarah

Edict #16:

Message posted on Stardate 06120.3 at 1511 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #16
Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit

After much discussion, I'm pleased to present the latest, new and improved, lime-scented (because I don't really like lemon)...

Legislative Edict Governing Official Elections 2.0

I. SUPERCEDENCE OF PREVIOUS EDICTS

Edict Herr #28 is hereby rescinded and superceded by this Edict.

II. ESTABLISHMENT OF ELECTION SEASON

Election Season is hereby established as the period of time starting with the announcement of an Election Coordinator and ending with the removal of the Election Area from public view. The Election Area is hereby established as an area of the WeBB set aside specifically for Election-related business and discussion.

III. ELECTION COORDINATOR

The Election Coordinator is an Executive Assistant with complete powers over the Elections. However, their power is limited to the Elections only, and ceases to exist once the elections are over and all pending disputes are resolved.

The Election Coordinator may not delegate any tasks unless specific assistance or expertise is required. The Internet Director is required to provide the Election Coordinator with whatever access to the STF server and system resources are required in order to fulfill his responsibilities and provide assistance in using them as needed. Such resources may include, but are not limited to, server shell access, file upload access, IRC operator status, and member account information.

The Election Coordinator is tasked to see to the proper running and functioning of a democratic election process. In order to enforce this, the Election Coordinator is empowered to provide official warnings or reprimands, remove election related material from the STF server, remove voting privileges, remove posting privileges on the Election Area, and, in the most extreme cases, nullify or void a campaign ticket. Election matters may be taken to the President for further club-level punishment. All rulings by the Election Coordinator are final and are not subject to appeal.

The Election Coordinator is to be the impartial moderator of the Election and is therefore forbidden from running as a Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate, from nominating or seconding any candidate, from campaigning for any candidate, and from openly endorsing any candidate.

IV. PROCEDURE

A. INTRODUCTION

Elections will be held once every eight months. The President must name an Election Coordinator via Edict at least two weeks prior to the beginning of their eighth month in office. Once an Election Coordinator is named, the Internet Department will open the Election Area. The Election Coordinator must announce, in Command and on the Election Area, an Election Timetable at least one week prior to the commencement of said timetable, as well as any additional rules governing the Election. The Timetable will last a minimum of twenty-eight days and no more than thirty-four days. Both the Timetable and a link to any Election rules must remain posted on the Election Area MOTD. The Election Area will be deactivated no less than seven and no more than 14 days after the Election has concluded.

B. NOMINATIONS

Any Member can nominate another Member for the position of President. Another Member must then second the nomination. A prospective Presidential Candidate may not nominate or second their own ticket; however, a prospective Vice Presidential Candidate may do so. A Member can only nominate or second one individual; however, if that individual declines the nomination, the nominating Members are free to nominate another individual.

Once the nomination has been seconded, the Candidate must publically accept the nomination and declare a Vice Presidential Candidate in a post on the Election Area. The EC will then validate the ticket and the Candidate pair may begin compaigning. If the Candidate does not publically accept the nomination by the end of the nomination period, he will be disqualified.

C. CAMPAIGNS

Every person who posts on the Election Area is expected to keep their posts to the point, truthful, and within the bounds of common courtesy. Behavior such as, but not limited to, character attacks, inflammatory finger-pointing, trickery, and deception will not be tolerated and may lead to penalties at the Election Coordinator's discretion. (Example: "Candidate X is a horrible person..." will not be tolerated. However, "Candidate X has made several mistakes as QDir. They are..." will be tolerated within the bounds of common courtesy). Any additional campaign materials, including, but not limited to, candidate websites, are required to meet the same standards as Election Area posts. The Election Coordinator is responsible for reviewing posts and campaign materials on a regular basis and for ruling on questionable instances as they occur.

Campaigning on the WeBB may take place on the Election Area only. Any MOTD announcements implying support for or voicing opinions against any specific ticket are expressly forbidden. MOTD announcements of upcoming Election Season events and timetables are permissible provided that they do not contain support for any ticket. Violations of these rules will result in sanctions from the Election Coordinator, and immediate removal of the announcement by the Internet Department or the Election Coordinator.

Candidates may individually contact people to discuss the Election and to ask for their support. In the event that the person contacted does not wish to talk about the Election, the Candidate must refrain from discussing it with him. At no time will any unsolicited campaign material be sent to more than one person at a time. Should an individual not wish to be contacted regarding the election, he may request that the Election Coordinator place him on a publically accessible "do not contact" list. All members are required to abide by this list.

Discussion in the #star-fleet IRC channel is permissible as long as it does not imply support for or against a specific Candidate. (Example: "Have you read the election ship lately?" or "It sure is an interesting election" are permissible. However, "I can't believe Candidate X said that" or "Candidate Y sure had some good answers today" or "I think it's clear who's winning" are not permissible). IRC quit messages are permissible, but limited to the following format: Presidential Candidate/Vice Presidential Candidate - "Slogan Here".

Any violation of campaigning rules will be investigated by the Election Coordinator. The Election Coordinator must allow the accused Member the opportunity to adequately defend himself and respond to any accusation before levying a penalty. If it is found that a Member (Candidate or otherwise) did violate the campaigning rules, appropriate penalties will be given by the Election Coordinator as outlined in Section III. Campaigns may be held liable for actions of their supporters if it can be shown that the campaign was aware of the offending activity.

D. VOTING

During the Voting period, campaigning continues. Voting is by secret ballot, utilizing a method decided upon by the Election Coordinator that allows for votes to be "locked" and has appropriate security. Every Member is eligible to vote once, except for the Election Coordinator, who does not vote unless needed as a method of tie-breaking. The Election Coordinator is empowered to determine whether there will be a primary vote and how tie-breaking votes will be handled, which must be included in the published Election Rules.

The winning Candidate is the one with a plurality of votes, i.e., the highest number of votes.

E. RESULTS

The Election Coordinator is responsible for tallying all votes cast and announcing the results publicly. The new President will be installed on the first day of the new Presidential Term.

V. IRREGULARITIES

In the event that the procedure outlined in this Edict is not properly followed, the Election Coordinator may note an irregularity.

If in the judgement of the Election Coordinator the irregularity does not violate the integrity of the election process then he must state so publicly and provide reasoning.

If in the judgement of the Election Coordinator the procedure outlined in this Edict may be adjusted to account for the irregularity without violating the integrity of the election process, he must state so publicly and explain what temporary adjustments will be made and why.

If in the judgement of the Election Coordinator the irregularity does violate the integrity of the election process or render a fair and honest result impossible to determine, the Election Coordinator may declare a Irregular Election. A Irregular Election may only be declared in extreme circumstances, upon the advise and consent of the sitting President or senior-most member who is not a candidate in the election, and must include a detailed explanation of why it is impossible to recover from the irregularity.

If an Irregular Election is declared, the election is considered void. The Election Coordinator must immediately restart the election process with fresh nominations. The new election process will follow the same procedure as a normal election unless explicitly stated otherwise by the Election Coordinator. Should the new election process extend into what would be the new Presidential term, the sitting president will remain in office for the duration of the new election process until a new President is installed, and the new President's term will be shortened by the amount of overlap.

VI. CONCLUSION

This edict may not be amended or replaced during an election season, except with the posted consent of the currently sitting President, Vice President, and Election Coordinator.

Edict #17:

Message posted on Stardate 06121.2 at 1631 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #17
Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare

Jen Herr is hereby released as Personnel Director.

Russell Watt is hereby appointed as Personnel Director.

Jen, thank you very much for your service to the club these past four and a half months.

Russ, please have your assistant named in Command by Monday, December 18, 2006.

- Sarah

Edict #18:

Message posted on Stardate 06122.3 at 1309 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #18
Bona fortuna!

The STF Awards are hereby established for the purpose of providing recognition for both role-playing and government contributions.

The STF Awards are administered by the Office of the President, which may delegate any of the duties regarding the Awards to another named member of the club.

The STF Awards must occur after the start of the fourth month but before the end of the sixth month of the Presidential Term.

The Office of the President is empowered to determine the exact Awards that will be issued and the procedure for nomination and voting for each Award cycle.

A list of Award winners shall be maintained by the STF Library.

- Sarah

Edict #19:

Message posted on Stardate 07010.4 at 0019 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #19
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

One of the first issues that I encountered upon taking office was one of Fleet Commanders and their Assistants. Jack and I managed to come up with a group of Fleet Commanders who have served the club wonderfully in their positions; however, within the first week, I had three FComms come to me with concerns that there was no one experienced or active enough in the fleet to fill the Assistant role.

Over the past few months, I've also had around ten members come to me with concerns that the club is overstretched and members are overworked. While decommissioning ships is something that we may look at in the future, it isn't something that Jack and I want to do right at this moment, but this did get us thinking.

Additionally, with the decommissioning of the Nautilus in Fleet 2, Fleet 2 was brought down to four ships, while other Fleets have either five or six. This is unfair to the Fleet Commanders, given that some have more of a workload than others, as well as hurts Fleet 2 by not allowing it to have the full complement of ships that other fleets have.

Andrew Robinson's departure as Fleet Commander of Fleet 5 brought the issue up again when there was no one to replace him. Two of the Fleet 5 COs weren't active enough to fill the role, two of the COs were already cabinet members elsewhere (and we didn't want to disrupt everything by moving them from positions they were doing very well at), and the last CO was brand new to the command chair. Fortunately, Geoff was willing to step in as aFComm-5 while we got this situated (i.e. sent a whole lot of e-mails <G>).

Therefore,

The USS Polaris is hereby relocated from Fleet 7 to Fleet 2.
The USS Rogue is hereby relocated from Fleet 7 to Fleet 2.
The USS Brandywine is hereby relocated from Fleet 7 to Fleet 3.
The USS Curie is hereby relocated from Fleet 7 to Fleet 5.

Fleet 7 is hereby decommissioned.

This brings the totals to a consistent six ships per fleet.

Since the decommissioning of the fleet eliminated the relevant FComm position, Joe Fahey is reassigned as Fleet Commander of Fleet 5. Joe, please have your assistant appointed in Command within the next two weeks.

IDept, please coordinate with Joe and the appropriate COs to have the moves completed within the next two weeks.

Folks, please note that the decommissioning of Fleet 7 is purely an administrative change designed to consolidate talent so that more support can be provided to new COs by experienced COs. As someone who "grew up" in Fleet 7, it isn't pleasant for me to be writing this edict; however, the above concerns were continuously echoed as Jack and I communicated with the COs and FComms involved. We appreciate the unwavering support that Joe, Kat, Kenson, Ton, Chris, and Catt have provided to make this happen.

Finally, last but not least, one individual stood out in this entire process, helping Jack and I with the administrative details that needed to be worked out, writing e-mails to COs, and just generally being a pleasure to work with. This person has been a member of STF longer than I have and he is a friend and supporter to many, an outstanding role-player, and a reliable government participant.

Joe Fahey is hereby promoted to the rank of Fleet Captain with all the somewhat imaginary rights and privileges that comes with that. Actually, the privilege he did get was picking the title for this Edict. ;)

Congratulations, Joe.

- Sarah

Edict #20:

Message posted on Stardate 07011.9 at 1319 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #20
Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules

A few days ago, Chris Jones resigned from STF in an e-mail to Jack and I. His excellent role-playing, his leadership, and his contribution to government will be missed. Thank you, Chris, for everything you've done for the club.

Anthony Martin is hereby promoted to Captain and assigned as Commanding Officer of the USS Montgomery, Fleet Four.

Chris' departure also leaves a vacancy in my Cabinet.

Anthony Martin is hereby appointed as Fleet Commander, Fleet Four. Despite being new to the CO seat, Jack and I believe that Anthony's enthusiasm and dedication will do great service to Fleet 4.

Anthony, contact Larry for your official autographed copy of the Fleet Four bible. ;) Oh, and please have your assistant appointed in Command within the next week. Thanks. :)

- Sarah

Edict #21:

Message posted on Stardate 07012.3 at 2302 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #21
Non licet

This is not something that I wanted to have to do again during my term, but unfortunately, Aaron Carroll's recent harassment campaign and poor attitude against members of the club has resulted in a need for yet another one of These Edicts (tm).

Prior to the two complaints that I received a few days ago, Aaron had received the following punitive actions from the Office of the President:

Official Warning: He was warned on 4 August 2006 for harassing behavior in e-mail with Symon Silvester. I noted at the end of that e-mail, "If [your] behavior persists, I will have no choice but to take heavier action."

Unofficial Warning #1: On 4 September 2006, I e-mailed him regarding his conduct in Command. I noted, "I’m not issuing you another warning as [sic] this time, as that would result in your demotion; however, I would advise that you tread carefully."

Unofficial Warning #2: On 14 December 2006, Jack Dipper warned him publically regarding his conduct in Command.

The latest two complaints that I have received are for harassment. I’d like to indicate a portion of the Terms of Service: "You are prohibited from posting on or transmitting through STF any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, sexually explicit, profane, hateful, fraudulent, racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable material of any kind." Also, "We may terminate your access, or suspend or alter your access to all or part of STF and related services such as chat channels, without notice, for any conduct that we, in our sole discretion, believe is harmful to the interests of another user..." The Dictionary.com definition for the word harass is, "to irritate or tormet persistently." It later notes on the same definition page that, "Harass and harry imply systematic persecution by besieging with repeated annoyances, threats, or demands."

Complaint #1: Aaron has sent no less than four e-mails to Jack Dipper regarding the management of #star-fleet, all with accusatory and inflammatory tones, despite having been made aware by both Jack and myself that the issue was being addressed. In his most recent e-mail to Jack, he also included a series of threats and demands. Jack and I are here to help STF and answer e-mails; however, I will not tolerate this harmful, threatening, abusive, and harassing behavior.

Complaint #2: This complaint is far more subjective; however, I feel that it is still relevant and important to mention. I recently had a member of the club (who is a channel operator) come to me with concerns regarding Aaron's behavior in the channel, specifically, that he was requested to stop using a undesired nickname and did not do so. This left the member, a channel operator, extremely frustrated and annoyed with the environment it created in the channel. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I’ve heard this general type of complaint regarding Aaron's behavior in both IRC and on the WeBB.

Conclusion

Given these two complaints and the three warnings that Aaron has already received, I’m left in a difficult position. As I said in my first unofficial warning to Aaron, if the warning had been official, it would have resulted in his demotion. Ordinarily, this would result in your demotion; however, given that Aaron is not actually a member of the club at the moment (he has neither any government positions nor role-playing positions), it is essentially useless. Therefore, I have decided that a temporary ban is in order to allow Aaron some time to consider how he interacts with other people and just how his behavior is perceived by others. While I hate taking such drastic an action, I cannot allow this pattern of harassment to continue.

This ban will also include the #star-fleet channel. Aaron is free to return to the club on March 25, 2007.

- Sarah

Edict #22:

Message posted on Stardate 07012.4 at 0056 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #22
Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est

Tim Martin is hereby promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as Commanding Officer of the USS Dresden, Fleet Three.

Congratulations, Tim, and thank you, Randy, for your service to the club!

- Sarah

Edict #23:

Message posted on Stardate 07012.5 at 1748 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #23
Non licet, secui duos

Once again, this is certainly not something I intended to have to bring up again, but here we are.

I sent a more detailed e-mail to Aaron regarding his temporary ban a few minutes prior to issuing the Edict. In his response to me, he used profanity beyond what is acceptable in the club, made hateful and defamatory comments, attempted to deceive me about the course of events surrounding the second complaint against him, and threatened that he would go to Pair (that's who hosts our web site) if anyone in the Cabinet e-mailed him.

I had sincerely hoped that the temporary ban would give Aaron time to realize what a valuable asset he could be to the club and allow him to return and prosper. Unfortunately, his response of a direct threat to the existence of the club and his continued harassing, abusive behavior will prevent me from giving him that opportunity.

Aaron Carroll is hereby permanently banned from STF, as well as from all STF-related resources, including the official IRC channel.

Cabinet members, please be aware of Aaron's e-mail restriction. If there is something that you need to e-mail him about, please notify me and I'll see that it gets to him.

- Sarah

Edict #24:

Message posted on Stardate 07020.8 at 2350 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #24
Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri?

Anthony Martin is hereby appointed Election Coordinator.

Internet Department, please open up the Election Area as soon as possible.

- Sarah


Edict #25:

Message posted on Stardate 07030.2 at 1528 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #25
Die dulci freure.

The USS Merlin, Andromeda-class, NCC-65440 is hereby rechristened the USS Odin, Viking-class, NCC-88752. This change is effective immediately OOC and as soon as feasible IC. The Internet Department shall make the appropriate changes within two weeks.

- Sarah

Edict #26:

Message posted on Stardate 07030.4 at 2236 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #26
Nemo hic adest illius nominis

Coding Organization, Development, and Enhancement (CODE)

----------------------------------------

I. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CODER

An Executive Assistant position is hereby created known as Coder.

The Coder is charged with the maintenance and development of STF's core software and related software components by means of the authority in this and subsequent edicts.

II. APPOINTMENT OF THE CODER

The Coder shall be appointed by Presidential Edict with the prior consent of the Internet Director. The Coder may not be removed or replaced except with the joint-consent of the President and Internet Director.

As an Executive Assistant position, the Coder is automatically retained at the start of each Presidential Term. As an Executive Assistant position, the Coder's direct superior is the President, not the Internet Director.

Neither the President nor Internet Director may be appointed Coder without the consent of the Vice President or Assistant Internet Director, respectively. Should the Coder also be either the President or Internet Director, the consent of the Vice President or Assistant Internet Director, respectively, will be required for removal.

Should the author of the software be available and willing to accept the position, he will be given preference in appointment. Other candidates must be able to demonstrate an appropriate level of technical proficiency with the software and programming languages involved, as well as due regard for security and accessibility concerns.

III. AUTHORITY OF THE CODER

The Coder shall:

* Maintain, debug, and support STF's core software and related software components.
* Develop and implement new features and upgrades to STF's core software as required, as needed, and as is found feasible in coordination with the Internet Department.
* Make significant architectural changes to STF's core software, including replacement of the core software, with the prior consent of the President and Internet Director.
* Ensure that the system is adequately documented for standard usage, administration, and maintenance.

The Internet Department must grant the Coder sufficient server access to carry out his maintenance and development duties.

Should the Coder also be either President or Internet Director, the consultation and approval of the Vice President or Assistant Internet Director, respectively, shall be required.

Edict #27:

Message posted on Stardate 07030.5 at 1722 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #27
Fac ut vivas

With the consent of Internet Director Jack Dipper, Larry Garfield is hereby appointed Coder.

- Sarah

Edict #28:

Message posted on Stardate 07033.0 at 1924 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #28
Cum laude

Well, I’m going to do something a bit out of the ordinary here, but the member that I would like to recognize has earned out of the ordinary. :) I "met" Daniel Lerner on the USS Columbia last summer, where he served as CSO and I served as GM. I was immediately impressed by his role-playing ability and the support and guidance that he gave to his cadets. I was so impressed that I asked him to be my CSO on the Atlantis. ;)

As he’s taken on roles of increasing responsibility in the club, I have heard nothing but positive feedback, whether from his boss in the Personnel Department or from his Fleet Commander for his XO position. He’s been an active and helpful participant in Command, offering his legal knowledge to make more than one edict just that much tighter.

It’s my regret that Daniel couldn’t receive a ship of his own this term (how dare people stop leaving when I want to promote someone! :P). I know that he will be an excellent CO. So, I’m going to take a small break from tradition.

It’s my pleasure to promote Daniel Lerner to the rank of Captain.

Congratulations, Dan, and thank you for your contributions!

- Sarah

Edict #29:

Message posted on Stardate 07033.0 at 1926 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #29
Ut humiliter opinor

When I mentioned the possibility for this member’s promotion to someone, he stated that he thought the member would be thoroughly embarrassed. Therefore, I’ll do my best to keep this short and sweet. Lee has been a part of STF for a long while. While he is no longer a CO, I’ve gone to read some of his posts on ships after heading about how great they are (and I definitely agreed!). He’s done excellent work in the Engineering Department this term, helping out ship designers with questions and concerns, conducting a review of Larry’s Starbase 202 design (I so don’t envy him there!), and helping out with the push to get all ships over to approved specifications.

It’s my pleasure to promote Lee Bridgeford to the rank of Fleet Captain.

Congratulations, Lee, and thank you for your contributions!

- Sarah

Edict #30:

Message posted on Stardate 07033.0 at 1928 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #30
Frena pro feris teneo

As the Cabinet members know, I sent out an e-mail about two months ago, asking for recommendations for end of term commendations and promotions. The following is an excerpt from a recommendation that I received (yes, I have permission to post this :P):

"I feel that he's been a great servant to the club this term as Academy Commandant. Plus, he's had to deal with the mad PDir for the past few months which he has done in a nice and pleasant manner. In all the dealings I have had with the 'Bear', and in the dealings he has had with others, he has always been polite, respectful and firm. On a personal level, Brian has been a great teacher for me in my role of CO of the Draco."

I tried, but I just couldn’t find a better way to sum up Brian Olinski’s contributions to the club than what Russ has to say here. Brian is a wonderful role-player whose posts always have me on edge of my seat to see where they’re going next. He has provided support and guidance to countless new members in his roles as XO, CO, Academy ship CO, and Academy Commandant.

It’s my pleasure to promote Brian Olinski to the rank of Fleet Captain.

Congratulations, Bri, and thank you for your contributions!

- Sarah

Edict #31:

Message posted on Stardate 07033.0 at 1929 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #31
Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

My term started in a situation where the club was sharply divided and lacking enjoyment. While I focused on getting some of the legislative problems fixed, I knew that I could count on Sy to help me make sure that everyone was having fun. He’s been a wonderful CO, FComm, and friend for me. However, everyone has heard me waxing on about how wonderful Sy is for years, so I asked someone very near and dear to both Sy and I to write up a little something about our Bunny:

"I have known Sy for a few months now and I count him as a great CO, mentor, GM and most importantly friend. When I was asked by Sarah to write the part of his edict about why he has been promoted, I was only too happy to jump at the chance."

"OED V was the main role playing area I wanted to join after graduating from the Academy last year. I read it for weeks before graduating officially and was impressed by it. I wasn't sure if I was up to it though, but sent him an email, and he accepted me. Since then I joined the two ships he GMs on, and have discovered he is a great GM as well as a great CO."

"It was Sy who gave me my 'animal' nickname of Tribble, and who refined it into the 'Dark Tribble'. It was Sy who helped me out a couple of times last year. It is Sy who listens to me when I come up with crazy ideas, or have changed words to a song, or when I just need to download."

"Sy is an incredibly creative and imaginative poster who excels in each area of STF that he tries. I admire and respect him greatly and am proud to have him as a friend."

"/me wears my official Bunny Ears."

"Congratulations Sy, you deserve this!"

It’s my pleasure to promote Symon Silvester to the rank of Commodore.

Congratulations, Sy, and thank you for your contributions!

- Sarah

Edict #32:

Message posted on Stardate 07033.0 at 1933 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #32
Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur.

There are a number of members who I would like to take the opportunity to recognize, commend, and personally thank for their contributions to the club. I know that we didn't agree on a commendation system; however, I'm placing this into edict as I would like this to be part of the official record, so to speak. ;)

=/\= RUSSELL WATT =/\=

Russ, or Tribble as we affectionately know him, has been a public nuisance for my term, or so his assistant in the PD would have us think. ;) Nuisance or not, he has done a spectacular job as PDir for the past few months, including a fascinating month of March where he received nearly 70 applications for membership. As he’s found his feet as CO of the Draco, I have heard nothing but compliments regarding the ship (so much that I’m looking at joining myself!). As he seems to stalk me on ships, I’ve also had the opportunity to see his role-playing, which is stunning to say the least. Thank you, Russ, for your contributions!

=/\= ANTHONY MARTIN =/\=

Poor Anthony had the honor of being thrown off the deep end this term, becoming a new CO and a new FComm in the same edict. Despite that, he has handled both positions with grace and an excellent attitude. Moreover, he has just concluded an extremely quiet election. One thing that has impressed me the most about Anthony, especially with regards to the election, is that he isn’t afraid to admit when he doesn’t know how to do something -- and he’s not afraid to ask how. I truly admire that in a person. I hope that his real life situation gets sorted out as soon as possible so that he can get back to us. Thank you, Anthony, for your contributions!

=/\= DAVID FERGUSSON =/\=

David’s contributions to the club remind me of why we are all here. His ship, the Merrimack, began the term suffering from a lack of crew. Together with his Fleet Commander and Joe Bradley, his XO, Dave has inspired life in the ship, catapulting her out of her previously poor status to the level of a well-functioning alternate role-playing environment. Throughout all of this, he has also been a member of some of STF’s other ships, including Oed V, where I have personally enjoyed his interesting and deep characters. Thank you, Dave, for your contributions!

=/\= JACK DIPPER =/\=

Jack Dipper: Jack and I have been working together for a fairly long time. We started out as a GMT/GMM pair and, for the past eight months, we’ve been the "Office of the President." Throughout this time, I’ve learned that I can count on Jack for support, a pat on the back, and a smack upside the head (whatever is appropriate at the time). Over the past eight months, I’ve depended on his experience as a previous President and I feel that we’ve both truly done this club some good. Thank you, Dippy, for your contributions!

Darn it, would someone please get the presidential tissue box?

/me sniffles.

- Sarah

Edict #33:

Message posted on Stardate 07040.1 at 0129 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #33
Non, mihi ignosce, credo me insequentem esse

Governmental Organization ("GO")

I. SUPERCEDENCE OF PREVIOUS EDICTS

Edict Dipper #7 is hereby rescinded and superceded by this Edict.

II. GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS

There shall be three general types of governmental appointment made by the President of STF:

Fleet Command - The Fleet Commander of each Fleet shall be appointed by the President, who shall name his own Assistant Fleet Commander. The Fleet Commander is considered a member of the Cabinet.

Executive Departments - An Executive Department is a governmental department responsible for overseeing some aspect of STF's administration that is established in that department's charter. A Department may set internal policy as well as general policy for those matters relating to its sphere of influence, with the consultation of the President. An Executive Department is headed by a Departmental Director, appointed by the President, who shall name his own Assistant Director and, if needed, any other internal departmental positions. The Departmental Director is considered a member of the Cabinet. Further details of Departmental activity can be found elsewhere in other edicts.

Executive Assistants - An Executive Assistant is a governmental "at large" officer responsible for some stated activity as defined by Edict. An Executive Assistant may set internal policy relating to his responsibilities, but is not empowered to set policy for the club at large. An Executive Assistant is appointed by the President, but is not required to appoint an assistant unless explicitly stated by Edict and is not considered a member of the Cabinet.

As of the date of this Edict, the following Executive Departments exist, per their chartering Edicts: Personnel Department, Internet Department, Engineering Department, Gamemaster Department, and Starfleet Academy and the Cabinet is comprised of the Engineering Director, the Gamemaster Director, the Personnel Director, the Internet Director, the Academy Commandant, the Fleet Commander of Fleet 1, the Fleet Commander of Fleet 2, the Fleet Commander of Fleet 3, the Fleet Commander of Fleet 4, the Fleet Commander of Fleet 5, and the Fleet Commander of Fleet 6, as well as the Vice President. The Librarian, the Election Coordinator and the Coder exist as Executive Assistant positions, per their chartering Edicts.

III. CHAIN OF COMMAND

The Chain of Command for STF is the President, the Vice President, then Cabinet members in order of club rank. In the event that Cabinet members of the same rank exist, time in their current rank (excluding any period of eLOA) shall be the determining factor. In the event of a vacancy in the Presidency, the office shall be filled by the next available Member in the Chain of Command until a new President is elected in the next regular election.

Edict #34:

Message posted on Stardate 07040.1 at 0130 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #34
Heus, hic nos omnes in agmine sunt!

Member Order and Organization ("MOO")

I. MEMBERSHIP

A Member of STF is defined as an individual who has at least one active role-playing or Gamemaster position within the club.

II. CLUB RANK STRUCTURE

The club rank structure (for out of character usage) of STF is defined as, from junior to senior: Cadet/Ensign, Lieutenant junior grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Fleet Captain, Commodore, and Admiral. Cadet and Ensign are equivalent for the purposes of club rank.

A Member's club rank, below the rank of Captain, is defined as the highest role-playing rank that a Member has achieved since he joined STF. Club rank at and above the rank of Captain is determined by the most recent Presidential Edict. A Member at or above the rank of Captain may be recognized for exemplary role-playing and service to the club by promotion by the President in an Edict to the next highest club rank.

Character rank is defined as the rank that a Member's individual role-playing character has attained. The rank structure for character rank is, from junior to senior: Civilian, Crewman, Cadet, Ensign, Lieutenant junior grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Fleet Captain, Commodore, and Admiral. Alternate Role-playing Areas may have a different character rank system. In the case of the ranks Captain, Fleet Captain, Commodore, and Admiral, no Member shall have a character with a character rank higher than the Member's club rank.

III. ABSENCE FROM THE CLUB

A Member is determined to be Absent without Leave (AWOL) if he is not within the defined AWOL limits for his club position. A Member who has a club rank of Captain or above may be subject to a club rank penalty for AWOL; each case will be considered individually by the President.

A Member is entitled to take a Leave of Absence (LOA) if they are unable to post within the defined AWOL limits for his club positions. A Leave of Absence is defined as any period of declared leave from club posting duties that is less than thirty days. Any LOA for a period of less than 30 days will have no effect on an individual's positions; however, multiple LOAs within a short time scale by a Commanding Officer or an Executive Officer may result in the removal of an individual with the approval of the Fleet Commander and the President. The individual's removal from department head and junior officer positions is at the discretion of the appropriate ship's Commanding Officer.

Any leave of absence of 30 days and beyond is considered to be an Extended Leave of Absence (eLOA). Any leave of absence with an unspecified end date is considered to be an Indefinite Leave of Absence (iLOA). Any individual taking an eLOA or an iLOA understands that no position they hold is guaranteed to remain open for when they return to the club. This covers any position including that of a Commanding Officer (CO) and government positions. This ruling is not absolute and will not cover any individual arrangements that may be subject to approval by either the Fleet Commander or President.

Edict #35:

Message posted on Stardate 07040.2 at 1726 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #35
"Don't mourn for me. Organize!"

In collaboration with FComm-5, it is my pleasure to appoint Daniel Lerner as CO of the USS Entente, Fleet 5.

Brian, thank you for your service to the Entente. As a member of her crew, I know that you will be missed.

Congratulations, Dan! See, you weren't shipless (with a "p" people!) long. <G>

- Sarah

Edict #36:

Message posted on Stardate 07040.2 at 2341 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #36
"Waiting are they? Waiting are they? Well--let 'em wait."

Jack Dipper is hereby appointed as FComm-1.
Katherine Dedul is hereby retained as FComm-2.
Kenson Koh is hereby retained as FComm-3.
Brady McGuinn is hereby appointed as FComm-4.
Andrew Robinson is hereby appointed as FComm-5.
Symon Silvester is hereby retained as FComm-6.
Brian Olinski is hereby retained as Academy Commandant.
Lee Bridgeford is hereby appointed as Engineering Director.
Geoff Joosten is hereby retained as Gamemaster Director.
Larry Garfield is hereby appointed as Internet Director.
Russell Watt is hereby retained as Personnel Director.

A big hug goes to Joe Fahey, Anthony Martin and Amanda Noon for their service last term! Remember, the previous cabinet is responsible for the March 2007 reports (since I had so many questions about this at the last changeover!).

Folks, please have your assistants announced in Command by April 15.

- Sarah

Edict #37:

Message posted on Stardate 07041.2 at 0014 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #37
"Strike the tent."

Under the advisement of the Academy Commandant, Symon Silvester is hereby appointed CO of the USS Discovery, Academy Fleet.

- Sarah

Edict #38:

Message posted on Stardate 07041.5 at 1621 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #38
"Water."

The club's expectations of a ship CO are laid out in FCOMM, in a fairly straightforward manner. The CO is responsible for such things as "ensuring that the crew stays active; managing personnel, recruiting personnel, and enforcing AWOL policies on the ship; ensuring that new members are given adequate assistance as needed; maintaining the ship's MOTD;...submitting reports to the Fleet Commander as mandated..."

Additionally, the expectations of a ship are laid out as well. "They must maintain an enjoyable environment that is beneficial for both the ship and the club as a whole. They must maintain a crew of reliable players, with the majority within the ship-specific AWOL guidelines. They must maintain, within reason, a full command and senior staff, defined as a Commanding Officer, an Executive Officer, a Gamemaster, a Chief Engineer, a Chief Medical Officer, a Chief Science Officer, and a Chief of Security... They must manage to function as a Standard Ship successfully, with due regard to the current time period and technology level." The Edict specifies that a ship may be subject to decommissioning if it doesn't meet these requirements.

The USS Asimov, and her CO, Emma Rouse-Deane, do not meet these requirements. The ship is missing a portion of its senior staff, with the Chief Medical Officer position vacant and the Chief Science Officer position filled by an acting department head. The roster has two individuals who are AWOL for time periods over 30 days and one person who appears to be on a ship-specific LOA. One of the individuals who is now 33 days AWOL never received any support from the ship, nor any question as to why he hadn't been posting. The last fleet report submitted by Emma, as CO of the Asimov, is the May 2006 report.

This, by itself, may not appear to be a problem. Ships go through time periods where they just aren't functioning optimally. With this in mind, newly appointed FComm-4 Brady McGuinn checked with Emma regarding the status of her ship, hoping to provide the support necessary to have things running optimally. One of his first steps was to contact Emma regarding the AWOL people on her roster, as the PD can't assign people to positions that are filled. After not receiving a reply to his e-mail, he contacted Emma in IRC, once again asking about the people on the roster and noting that he would remove them for her, but he didn't want to remove anyone who had a good reason for being AWOL. Emma responded that they were there for a reason and that she would be "taking it up further" if Brady removed them in his capacity of FComm-4.

FCOMM is very blunt regarding the duties of the Fleet Commander: "The Fleet Commander is responsible for the outward image of the Fleet...Specifically, the Fleet Commander is responsible for ensuring that the Ships under his command are healthy and properly functioning role playing environments..."

Brady was simply doing his job as FComm to ensure that the Asimov would be a healthy environment. This was met with threats. He continued his efforts to ensure a productive relationship between he and Emma as FComm and CO, only to be told that Emma wanted nothing to do with him. After being asked to not continue in IRC, Brady left it at that.

Given that Emma did not want to deal with Brady, but the health of her ship was still in question, Larry Garfield, as AFComm-4, stepped in and sent Emma an e-mail, outlining what needed to be done to ensure that her ship met the requirements in FCOMM. This included filing a fleet report, as well as filling the senior staff vacancies, responding to Brady regarding the AWOLs on the roster, and apologizing to Brady for her behavior. This e-mail was not met positively. The response that Emma sent was full of nasty accusations and blackmail that if she were removed as CO, she would "take it to command where [she] can air [Larry's] dirty laundry publically." She also responded with the following points:

- She would find a crew for the Asimov when she found suitable people for the position. However, the Asimov's vacancies in the PD do not reflect the open DH positions on the ship.

- She does not have to explain her crew roster and that she knows what the situation is with all of the AWOL members. This is not the case, as the member above has never received communication from any member of the Asimov, so there is no way she would be aware of his situation.

- She is owed an apology by Brady for his "continued behaviour" in IRC. Brady ceased his conversation with her when threatened with a complaint, but it was not offensive or even aggressive, as he repeatedly tried to make sure that Emma knew he was trying to act in the best interests of both her and the ship. As indicated before, her response was to respond that she wanted nothing to do with him and to threaten him with a complaint.

FCOMM is quite specific with what should be done before a ship is subject to decommissioning or any sort of penalty: "Before decommissioning an Area, reasonable effort by the Fleet Commander and by the Area Commanding Officer must be made to restore the environment. This may include ... replacement of the Area's Commanding Officer."

Emma is unwilling to work with her superiors, despite numerous attempts by them to open a dialog and to compromise as much as possible in order to ensure that the Asimov is up to the standard set by FCOMM, a standard she, herself, was responsible for upholding fleet-wide as a previous FComm-4. She has not only prevented her chain of command from assisting her in this, but she has lied to them (for example, regarding her communication with her AWOL crew members), and, in this, sacrificed the health of her ship, For these reasons, she is hereby released as CO of the USS Asimov.

The Terms of Service states that "You are prohibited from posting on or transmitting through STF any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, sexually explicit, profane, hateful, fraudulent, racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable material of any kind, including but not limited to any material that encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law." Emma has responded to legitimate concerns for the Asimov's health with threats, harassment, and outright, public refusal to even attempt to work with her Fleet Commander. This behavior is not expected of any member and certainly not one who is an Admiral with two plus terms as President behind her.

For conduct unbecoming a member of STF, Emma Rouse-Deane is hereby demoted to Commodore.

These are not actions that I want to take, nor are they ones that I take lightly. Emma was a part of my first Command in STF and I have looked up to her CO style in the past as one that I wanted to imitate. However, her refusal to maintain the standards set by FCOMM, as well as her obstructive and harassing attitude toward those who are responsible for holding her to those standards has left me with no choice. I realize that people may not like the others that they have to work with or the government that leads the club. Differences of opinion are encouraged and accepted, but when this extends to sacrifice the health of a ship and violates the Terms of Service of the club, action must be taken.

Finally, this does leave a vacancy in the center seat of the Asimov. When it became obvious that replacing Emma was something that we would have to consider, Brady removed himself from consideration for the position. He felt that it would be a conflict of interest for him to be considered for the vacancy, given his necessary role in dealing with Emma. Sy, Larry, and I have declined his request, as we feel he is the best person for the job, and, fortunately, he has listened to us.

Brady McGuinn is hereby assigned as Commanding Officer of the USS Asimov, Fleet Four. He already holds the rank of Captain, so he does not need to be promoted again.

Congratulations, Brady. Welcome back. :)

- Sarah

Edict #39:

Message posted on Stardate 07041.5 at 1631 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #39
"I have a terrific headache."

With the new rules set out here, I am extending the deadline for AFComm appointments to April 21, 2007.

=/\=

I. SUPERCEDENCE OF PREVIOUS EDICTS

Edict Hemenway #10 is hereby rescinded and superceded by this Edict.

II. FLEET STRUCTURE AND COMMAND

A. Definition

A Fleet is a collection of one or more Role-Playing Ships under the command of a Fleet Commander independent from other Fleets. A Fleet may include non-RPG ships in addition to Role-Playing ships.

B. Creation and Decommissioning

A Fleet may be created by Presidential Edict. A Fleet must be filled with at least one Standard Ship and have a Fleet Commander appointed promptly. A Fleet may be decommissioned by Presidential Edict provided any ships within the Fleet are simultaneously decommissioned or moved to other Fleets. If a Fleet is decommissioned, the related Fleet Commander and Assistant Fleet Commander positions are eliminated.

C. Fleet Commander

All Fleets are commanded by a Fleet Commander, appointed by the President. The Fleet Commander is considered a member of the Cabinet. The Fleet Commander is charged with seeing to the proper functioning of the Fleet under his command and the administration of related COs, XOs, and other Ship Administrators. The Fleet Commander is responsible for the outward image of the Fleet under his command, for reporting to the President and working with the President on matters of Fleet business, and other duties as specified in this and other Edicts.

Specifically, the Fleet Commander is responsible for ensuring that the Ships under his command are healthy and properly functioning role playing environments, that the internal and external pages under his jurisdiction are maintained, and that fleet reports which detail the current status of each ship under his or her command are submitted to the President. The President is responsible for dictating in policy how and when fleet reports should be submitted.

In the event that the positions of CO and XO on a ship both become vacant simultaneously, due to AWOL, eLOA, resignation, or other circumstances, the Fleet Commander may appoint an aCO and aXO. They must notify the President of such action and relay their recommendation on whether replacing the CO permanently is necessary or not.

D. Assistant Fleet Commander

Each Fleet Commander is required to appoint a single Assistant Fleet Commander. The Assistant Fleet Commander's primary responsibility is to take over as acting Fleet Commander should the Fleet Commander declare a LOA. An Assistant Fleet Commander may declare the Fleet Commander AWOL with the consent of the President and assume the position of acting Fleet Commander until such time as the President appoints a new Fleet Commander. Additional duties may be assigned to the Assistant Fleet Commander at the discretion of the Fleet Commander. The Assistant Fleet Commander is considered a member of Command, but is not a member of the Cabinet.

E. Restrictions

The Fleet Commander must be a current or former CO of the fleet in question, or a current or former XO in the fleet in question with CO experience. The Assistant Fleet Commander must be a current or former CO or XO of the fleet in question. Equivalent positions in an Alternate RPG Area may count equivalently. Acting CO or XO does not count.No individual may be the Fleet Commander or Assistant Fleet Commander of more than one Fleet at a time, nor may any individual be Fleet Commander of one Fleet and Assistant Fleet Commander of another Fleet at the same time. The President may not be the Fleet Commander or Assistant Fleet Commander of any Fleet. Acting holder of a position does not count towards these restrictions.

III. SHIPS

A. Standard Ships

A Standard Ship is any self-contained RPG Starship or Starbase, commanded by a CO, on which regular RPGs take place under the administration of the GameMaster Department and the Fleet Commander. All Standard Ships must reside in a Fleet and be a Starfleet vessel or starbase. Additionally, all Standard Ships are set approximately 376 years after the current modern year. That is, the year 2000 real time corresponds to the year 2376 In Character time, and one-year real time corresponds to approximately one year RPG time.

B. OOC Ships

An OOC Ship is a starship, starbase, or other similar division that is present in a Fleet or an Executive Department but not staffed by a crew or the site of an actual RPG. OOC Ships are intended for Out of Character interaction between STF members. OOC Ships are established managed at the discretion of the Fleet Commander or Department Director.

C. Non-Crewed Ships

A Non-Crewed Ship is a Starship or Starbase that is considered part of a Fleet for RPG purposes but is not actively commissioned nor staffed by Player Characters. Non-Crewed ships assigned to a Fleet are available for use by GMs for RPG purposes, and if destroyed are recycled.

D. Alternative RPG Areas

1. Definition

Alternate RPG Areas are those areas where RPGs take place that do not meet one or more of the characteristics for Standard Ships. The President may establish by edict a charter for an Alternative RPG Area within a given Fleet, with the consent of the applicable Fleet Commander. If nothing is specified for a given parameter of the RPG environment, it is assumed to be the same as a Standard RPG Area. For example, if no time frame is specified, the Alternate RPG Area is assumed to operate in the same time as Standard RPG Areas.

2. Leadership

Alternative RPG Areas will have a Leader or Administrator who is responsible for seeing to the well being of the Area. Their specific functions, including their specific title, will be specified by the chartering Edict if they differ from those of a standard ship. The Alternative RPG Area charter must also specify whether the Leader or Administrator position counts as an XO or CO position for purposes of XO and CO restrictions, and any special rules or circumstances regarding the naming of the Leader or Administrator. If not specified, the Leader or Administrator is called the Commanding Officer (CO), is appointed by the President in the same fashion as a Standard Ship CO, and will count towards a CO position as on a Standard Ship.

3. Charter

In addition to the above requirements, the Alternative RPG Area charter must also specify whether or not RPG ranks in the Area count towards a member's Member Rank or not and whether the environment is a Second Character Only environment or not. The Personnel Department may only assign new members to an Alt RPG if the new member specifically requests that assignment and the ship is chartered or marked as able to accept new members who request such an assignment. The charter must also include minimum standards that the RPG must maintain in order to remain a commissioned environment. The Alternative RPG Area's charter may only be amended by Presidential Edict, with the consent of the related Fleet Commander and Area Leader or Administrator.

IV. SHIP MANAGEMENT

A. Commissioning and Maintenance of Standard Ships

All Standard Ships in a Fleet are commissioned by Presidential Edict, with the prior consent the Fleet Commander. The Fleet Commander must choose a ship name and a class approved by the Engineering Department for that purpose prior to commissioning. Starbases must have Engineering Department approved specs prior to commissioning as well. If the ship class as approved by the Engineering Department includes a list of ship names, the name must come from that list, with changes to that list governed by Engineering Department policy. No two ships in STF may be of the same name simultaneously.

All Standard Ships are required to maintain the following criteria:

- They must maintain an enjoyable environment that is beneficial for both the ship and the club as a whole.

- They must maintain a crew of reliable players, with the majority within the ship-specific AWOL guidelines.

- They must maintain, within reason, a full command and senior staff, defined as a Commanding Officer, an Executive Officer, a Gamemaster, a Chief Engineer, a Chief Medical Officer, a Chief Science Officer, and a Chief of Security. Any command-level vacancy must be filled within 14 days of its occurrence.

- They must manage to function as a Standard Ship successfully, with due regard to the current time period and technology level.

Should a Standard Ship deviate from these criteria, it will be subject to decommissioning per the terms of this Edict.

B. Decommissioning

Decommissioning a Role-Playing Area shall be considered the last resort when dealing with an environment that no longer meets the required critera. Before decommissioning an Area, reasonable effort by the Fleet Commander and by the Area Commanding Officer must be made to restore the environment. This may include (but is not required to, nor limited to) public discussion, advertisement in the Personnel Department, or replacement of the Area's Commanding Officer.

Standard Ships and Alternate RPG Areas may be decommissioned by Presidential Edict. If a ship is decommissioned, all positions relating to that Ship are eliminated. For a Standard Ship, the appropriate Fleet Commander will work with the Personnel Department in order to place remaining crewmembers in positions equal or greater than held on the decommissioned ship, should they desire it. The Internet Department will be responsible for the archival and removal of any resources relating to the decommissioned ship.

C. Relocation

Any Role Playing Area may be moved from one Fleet to another by Presidential Edict with the consent of the related Fleet Commanders. The Commanding Officer may be consulted about the relocation and must be informed in a reasonable amount of time about the impending relocation.

D. Rechristening

A Standard Ship in service in a Fleet may be rechristened to a new name and/or class by Presidential Edict with the consent of the Fleet Commander and the ship's CO. A ship may be destroyed and automatically replaced with a new vessel of the same name and class with prior consent of the Fleet Commander and CO. Both events may occur simultaneously with the approval of all those listed above and under the condition that the new name must be chosen from the name list of the new class. Should a ship be rechristened with the same name as it held previously, either due to a change of class or destruction, it shall incur a one-letter suffix increment.

E. Commanding Officer (CO)

The CO of a RPG Ship serves as the ship's Administrator and In-Character commanding officer. A CO is appointed by Presidential Edict, with the advice and consent of the Fleet Commander. A CO may be removed by the Fleet Commander with the consent of the President. The removal is then made official by the Presidential Edict that replaces the CO.

1. Responsibilities

In addition to acting as the In Character Commanding Officer, the CO is responsible for ensuring that the crew stays active; managing personnel, recruiting personnel, and enforcing AWOL policies on the ship; ensuring that new members are given adequate assistance as needed; maintaining the ship's MOTD; optionally maintaining a Ship or Captain's Log; submitting reports to the Fleet Commander as mandated; and further duties as assigned by the Fleet Commander or established by Edict. The CO is responsible for ensuring the completion of his or her duties, even if they are delegated to someone else.

2. Powers

The CO has the power to promote members of his or her crew up to and including the rank of Lieutenant Commander. The CO may promote members of his or her crew to the rank of Commander with the consent of the Fleet Commander.

The CO may establish and staff additional 'Swing' positions on a ship as deemed appropriate, in keeping with the design of the class of the ship in question.

The CO also has the power to dismiss members of their crews if they determine that such action is necessary to preserve or restore the ability of the ship to function effectively. A member dismissed from a ship may appeal the decision to the FComm (or AFComm if the CO in question is FComm). The ruling of the FComm (or AFComm) in this matter is final and may not be appealed further. Other powers may be specified by Edict or by the Fleet Commander.

3. Restrictions

No individual may hold more than one CO position simultaneously. Acting CO does not count towards this limit.

Second Player Characters are restricted to JOs and below. That means that no player may hold two DH positions on a single ship at once, or a Command position and a DH position on a single ship at once. Acting DH, Acting XO and Acting CO do not apply to these restrictions.

COs are encouraged to use strict discretion when allowing non-canon positions, character types, and second player characters so that their ship maintains a healthy, fun, and canon-compatible role playing environment.

F. Executive Officer (XO)

In addition to RPG duties, the XO is responsible for assisting other members of the ship as needed. The CO may enlist the aid of his XO in fulfilling his or her ship management duties, but the CO will remain ultimately responsible for them. The XO's primary responsibility is to take over as acting CO (aCO) should the CO declare an LOA. An XO may declare the CO AWOL with the consent of the Fleet Commander and assume the position of acting CO until such time as the President appoints a new CO. A CO may appoint his or her own XO with the consent of the Fleet Commander, should the Fleet Commander choose to exercise such authority.

No individual may hold more than one XO position simultaneously. Acting XO does not count towards this limit. When choosing an XO, preference should be given to members who do not currently have a CO position if possible.

G. Character Restrictions

Every Non-Civilian Player Character must have an adequate and believable reason for joining Starfleet that does not violate canon. Civilian characters must have an adequate and believable reason for being permitted to serve on a Starfleet vessel or base. Player Characters on Alternate RPGs may violate these rules only if such violations are specified and explained in the Alternate RPG charter.

Player Characters shall follow these guidelines:

- Canon Federation member species are acceptable. Examples of Canon Federation member species include Humans, Vulcans, Trill, Andorians, and Betazoids.

- Canon Allied species are discouraged, and permitted only in special circumstances with the prior consent of the CO. Examples of Canon Allied species include Klingons.

- Canon Neutral or Hostile species are forbidden. Examples of Canon Neutral or Hostile species include Romulans, Ferengi, Cardassians, Borg, and Breen.

- Custom Federation member species are discouraged, and permitted only in special circumstances with the prior consent of the CO. The character and species must have an adequate and believable back-story that explains why the character is in Starfleet and why the species is a Federation member or ally. If the custom character species is created by someone other than the player, the player must have the creator's permission to play that character species. If the creator cannot be reached, the species may only be played if the information given about it is publically accessible and not restricted.

- Custom allied, neutral, or hostile species are forbidden.

- "God moding" or "super" characters are strictly forbidden. Examples of "God-moding" or "Super" characters include Borg, Species 8472, Q, and Changelings.

- Mixed-species characters must be a believable mix, and of no more than three (3) species.

The decision regarding any character type rests with the Commanding Officer of the ship where the character will be played. Any dispute between a player and a CO will be moderated and decided upon by the appropriate Fleet Commander. In the event that the CO is also the Fleet Commander, the dispute will be moderated by the Assistant Fleet Commander. The decision by the Fleet Commander or Assistant Fleet Commander shall be considered final.

In the special circumstance where it is felt a player can adequately and believably play a forbidden character species, the player may do so with the consent of the Commanding Officer and the related Fleet Commander. In the event that the CO is also the Fleet Commander, the approval of the Assistant Fleet Commander is required. This consent may be removed if the player does not maintain the adequate and believable requirement. In both cases, any decision made is final and not appealable.

V. IMPLEMENTATION

All current Player Characters are exempt from the Character Restrictions set forth in this Edict. If a player discontinues playing an exempt Player Character for any reason, the Player Character's exempt status is forfeited and the player must either choose a valid character species or seek approval through the requirements listed before resuming the Character.

Edict #40:

Message posted on Stardate 07042.4 at 1659 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #40
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."

Based on the recommendation of Fleet 3 Command, Chris Taylor is hereby released as CO of the USS Athena due to AWOL.

Also based on the recommendation of Fleet 3 Command, Jim Hosick is hereby promoted to Captain and assigned as CO of the USS Athena.

- Sarah

Edict #41:

Message posted on Stardate 07042.9 at 1424 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #41
"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."

The USS Trinitron, Pendragon-class, NCC-97025-B is hereby rechristened the USS Samurai, Pendragon-class, NCC-86277. This change is effective immediately OOC and as soon as feasible IC. The Internet Department shall make the appropriate changes within two weeks.

- Sarah

Edict #42:

Message posted on Stardate 07043.0 at 1503 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #42
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Based on the recommendation of Fleet 1 Command, Jared Kowalewski is hereby promoted to Captain and assigned as CO of Scottie Testing Centre.

A big thank you, cookie, and some very soft yarn goes out to Amanda Noon for her service as STC's CO.

Congratulations, Jared!

- Sarah

Edict #43:

Message posted on Stardate 07050.5 at 1314 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #43
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

An Executive Assistant position is hereby created known as Marketing and Advertising Coordinator (or "MAC").

The Assistant Marketing and Advertising Coordinator shall be appointed by the Marketing and Advertising Coordinator. The Assistant Marketing and Advertising Coordinator answers directly to the Marketing and Advertising Coordinator, and the position serves primarily as a "training" roll. Additional responsibilities are at the discretion of the Marketing and Advertising Coordinator.

The Marketing and Advertising Coordinator is responsible for establishing and maintaining STF's online presences in order to ensure the club's continued health in the online role-playing community. He functions as the President's representative in external matters relating to the status of the club within the role-playing community.

2. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

The Marketing and Advertising Coordinator shall be tasked with such duties as, but not limited to:

- Monitoring and improving STF's position on search engines.
- Analyzing the online role-playing community that STF is a part of.
- Researching, approaching appropriate clubs for, and maintaining banner exchanges and joint advertising endeavors
- Maintaining a list of contacts within the online role-playing community.
- Establishing a point of contact for those seeking information about the club.
- Creating and maintaining a set of introductory reference materials about the club to be provided to interested parties. These materials will contain brief information regarding the club and provide a guide to other, more detailed information.
- Investigating ways to continually improve STF's presence.
- Providing monthly reports regarding STF's status and the MAC's activities.

Any formal agreement with another club or organization must be entered into Edict by the President, in coordination with the Marketing and Advertising Coordinator. This power may not be delegated to any individual for any reason. The Marketing and Advertising Coordinator may require the services of any other Executive Department or Executive Assistant in order to accomplish his responsibilities. The President may delegate any additional duties or projects to the Marketing and Advertising Coordinator, but only as required for the advancement and maintenance of the club's position in the role-playing community.

Edict #44:

Message posted on Stardate 07051.2 at 0746 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #44
"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

Jim Hosick is hereby appointed Marketing and Advertising Coordinator.

- Sarah

Edict #45:

Message posted on Stardate 07052.4 at 1607 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #45
"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make."

Upon being offered a position on an Academy ship when he had difficulty keeping up with his mainstream ship, Jamie Lee posted a note encouraging the rest of the ship's crew to mutiny against the ship's command. A few moments later, he posted another note on the ship full of obscenities and vulgarities that clearly went beyond the PG-13 guideline set in STF. For breech of the Terms of Service and conduct unbecoming a member, Jamie Lee is hereby banned from STF.

The posts in question have been removed from effWeBB's view but retained in an archive.

PDept, please scramble Mr. Lee's password and drop his account down to Guest.

- Sarah

Edict #46:

Message posted on Stardate 07060.4 at 1022 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #46
"Forget it, Louis; no Civil War picture ever made a nickel."

Based on the recommendation of Fleet 5 Command, Chris Thomas is hereby promoted to Captain and assigned as CO of the USS Curie.

Congratulations, Chris! Joe, thank you for your hard work with the Curie and I hope to see you back to STF promptly this fall!

- Sarah

Edict #47:

Message posted on Stardate 07071.6 at 1631 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #47
Codeine ... bourbon.

Based on the recommendation of Fleet 1 Command, Phillip Stonness is hereby promoted to Captain and assigned as Commanding Officer of the USS Valkyrie, Fleet 1.

Congratulations, Phil, and thanks, Jack, for your hard work!

- Sarah

Edict #48:

Message posted on Stardate 07080.1 at 0902 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #48
"Are you happy? I'm happy."

Well, this is going to be a long one! Please, no snoring when you fall asleep.

Brady McGuinn is hereby released as FComm-4. I hope that everything is okay, given his sudden departure, and that he returns to us in the future. John Robert Lucas is hereby appointed as FComm-4. John is the current XO of the USS Columbus and an active CO in Fleet 2, so he meets the requirements set forth in the latest version of FCOMM.

Additionally, Brady McGuinn is hereby released as CO of the USS Asimov. Brian Moss is hereby assigned as CO of the USS Asimov. He already holds the rank of Captain, so he doesn't need to be promoted.

Due to his resignation, Anthony Martin is hereby released as CO of the USS Montgomery. Steven Schneckenburger is hereby promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as CO of the USS Montgomery.

Due to his resignation, Jack Dipper is hereby released as FComm-1 (although I was tempted to not let him go <G>). Phillip Stonness is hereby appointed as FComm-1.

The USS Aztec, Phoenix-class, NCC-89725-A is hereby rechristened the USS Aztec, Victoria-class, NCC-89725-B.

Finally, although this may not be necessary given the lack of edict dealing with it, the USS Endeavor is hereby declared a Standard Ship per the rules set out in FCOMM. As such, it is able to accept new members and Academy graduates.

New FComms, please have your assistants appointed in Command within the next two weeks. A big thank you goes out to Anthony, Jack, and Brady for their hard work as COs and FComms. You will all be missed. Congratulations to our two new COs, two new FComms, and a new version of the Aztec! Not sure if the Endeavor has anything to be congratulated about. :P

- Sarah

Edict #49:

Message posted on Stardate 07080.3 at 1134 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #49
"Me mudder did it."

On the recommendation of Fleet 6 Command, Lou Gasco is released as CO of the USS Olympic. Joe Bradley is hereby promoted to Captain and assigned as CO of the USS Olympic.

Congratulations, Joe!

- Sarah

Edict #50:

Message posted on Stardate 07081.3 at 0945 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #50
I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.

The USS Olympic, Athens-class, NCC-80000 is hereby recommissioned as the USS Olympic, Viking-class, NCC-80000-A.

This change is effective immediately OOC and as soon as possible IC.

- Sarah

Edict #51:

Message posted on Stardate 07081.6 at 0932 hours

Posted by Fleet Admiral Sarah Hemenway (President).

Edict #51
"Turn me. I am roasted on one side."

Well, this took a while, but I think we've got a great edict now,