Remnants of Hope — Charter
About Our Community
Established in June 2009, Remnants of Hope (RoH) first began as "The New Jedi Order" in the Star Wars Galaxies MMORPG. Since its inception, the community has grown and expanded into other games. Currently, RoH is an international community that enjoys gaming with mature and respectful friends. We have established a leadership structure, core values, organizational objectives, and various characteristics one would expect to find in a socially-developed organization that is primed for long-term growth and stability. RoH is built on a foundation of integrity, maturity, and respect for others, and our commitment to these tenets has helped us grow, evolve, and survive as a community. Over the years, we have found that it is not what game you play, but with whom you choose to play. In keeping with this, our guild motto became "Light from the few can be a beacon to many."
Core Values - Our community is built on principles of respect, tolerance, fairness, inclusion, equality, kindness, and enjoyment.
Democratic System - We routinely elect individuals into key leadership positions and involve our members in direct votes when significant changes are made to the way we operate as a group.
Multi-Gaming Platform - We are not limited to a single game. Our members play a wide variety of games, and our structure is designed to support membership should they wish to establish Remnants of Hope as a presence in those games.
Efficient Leadership - While democratic values underlie our structure, our form of interaction with each other is designed to be efficient. We have taken great care to ensure that our general desire for fairness and equality does not hinder our ability to function as an online gaming community.
Mission Statement - Remnants of Hope strives to be a fun, family-friendly, and mature gaming community that is adaptable to the interests of its members.
Charter Objectives
First and foremost, this defines the way in which our organization operates. We have collectively agreed on unbiased and fair methods to approach the management of our community. The resulting policies and procedures detailed within this document are for all to see, remember, and follow. We wish to be transparent to all who seek to join our community by making this document publicly available. As with any community, disputes and conflicts do occur. The presence of this Charter ensures that we are capable of reaching an amicable resolution to all such conflicts. Our members agree to respect all outcomes reached through the use of this charter.
Key Concepts
Separation of powers. There is not a single individual in Remnants of Hope that controls all aspects of the community. We have purposely employed the use of checks and balances that are designed to guard against abuses of power.
Two-tier structure. This concept permits us to create branches in various games that function independently, but which are still unified under a single banner. That central body is our 'Community', and the individual games that we play are satellite groups, called 'Divisions'. This charter is focused on defining the higher levels of RoH, whereas Divisions are largely left to their own devices, with a few key exceptions.
Balancing bureaucracy with fairness. It is not our desire to create a bloated or convoluted system of procedures, but we do recognize that a lack of established policies may compromise the level of fairness that we strive to provide for members. We have designed RoH with the intent of striking a reasonable balance between these two considerations. We strive to maintain a balance between fairness and excessive bureaucracy in the way we operate.
Binding, but amendable. Every member of RoH must adhere to all rules detailed within the Charter. As times change, however, RoH must also change. Members may seek to make modifications to the Charter, and if sufficient support is obtained, the Charter can be amended. In this way, the Charter is a living document designed to adapt to our members' needs.
Table of Contents
Organizational Structure
Election Procedures
Code of Conduct
Discipline Policy
Moderation Policy
Amendment and Veto Policies
Recruitment Policy
Division Creation and Dissolution Policies
Organization Structure
Remnants of Hope has two distinct levels of structure:
Community
Division
Community Structure
Position: High Elder (HE)
Description:
The High Elder is the elected representative and speaker of the community, and is the head overseer and moderator thereof. The High Elder is expected to keep the community running successfully. The High Elder is expected to be an active advisor to the community leaders on all matters of discussion.
Responsibilities:
Hold full tier one root access to communications platforms (information technology managed by or on behalf of community leadership, a Division, or a Department) along with the Web Admin and Treasurer.
Direct supervisor and advisor to the Elder Council, Community Manager, Web Admin, Treasurer, and Division Commanders.
Should hold a game’s Guildmaster/Leader title if active in the game. If the High Elder is not active in said game, the title will pass on to an Elder Councilor or Division Commander.
May approve expenditures requested by the Web Admin as outlined in the Web Admin section of the Charter.
Will act as the tie-breaker in Elder Council decisions.
Looked upon to provide guidance and wisdom for members and leadership alike.
Uphold and enforce the Charter and Code of Conduct in-game, and in our VOIP when necessary.
Restrictions:
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of Elder Councilor, Web Admin, Community Manager, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Department Officer.
Prohibited from being in a real life/online relationship with any Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Web Admin, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Attainment:
The High Elder is elected by the community once every six months in accordance with the Election Procedures. Applicants must be a member or above to be eligible. A member with an active disciplinary restriction is ineligible for this position.
Removal:
The High Elder may only be removed from their position through one of the following scenarios:
Defeat in an election
Vote of No Confidence
Any Member is entitled to initiate a motion of No Confidence in the High Elder by contacting the Elder Council. Once the motion is received, the Elder Council must create a vote among the Division Commanders and Elder Council. At least half (50%+) of the Division Commanders and Elder Council must approve of the motion for the Vote of No Confidence be brought forth to the community.
If approved, the Elder Council (with the help of the Web Admin) will temporarily limit the High Elder's administrative access on communications platforms during this time. The Elder Council will then create a poll that will last for exactly seven days and be accessible to ALL members of the community. Trial Members are not eligible to vote.
For a Vote of No Confidence to pass, it must meet the following vote requirements:
The number of participants in the vote must be at least 60% (sixty percent) the number that voted in the previous High Elder election.
The number of approval votes must be at least 70% (seventy percent) of the total voters.
If the Vote of No Confidence does not succeed, the motion fails and the High Elder retains their position and administrative rights restored. If a Vote of No Confidence succeeds, the Elder Council will initiate and carry out an emergency High Elder election.
Should a process of removal for an Elder Councilor or Division Commander already be in motion, another removal process may not be started until the current one has ended in order to prevent the possibility of retaliatory removal processes.
Position: Elder Councilor (EC)
Description:
The Elder Council is a team of 4 (four) members that is charged with resolving disputes; making policy and disciplinary decisions as a group; conducting all election, legislative, and Vote of No Confidence polls; reviewing member-submitted policy changes; assisting the High Elder with communication platform management; and ensuring the Charter and policies are upheld.
Responsibilities:
Hold tier two administrative access to the communications platforms for the purposes of moderation and management
Make decisions on issues of discipline
Create and enact policies in the best long-term interests of the community following the Amendment Policy
Manage member proposals following the Amendment Policy
Will hold the Guildmaster/Leader title in-game if the High Elder is not active in said game. If an Elder Councilor is not active in said game, the title will pass on to the Division Commander.
Uphold and enforce the Charter and Code of Conduct in-game and on communications platforms when necessary
Will be the acting Division Commander if such position is temporarily vacant due to the resignation or removal of the prior DC, until a new one is elected
Restrictions:
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of High Elder, Web Admin, Community Manager, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Division Officer. With Division Commander and Community Manager approval, an Elder Councilor who is also an Assistant may serve as a temporary Department Officer during a Department Officer leave of absence for a maximum time period of two weeks.
Prohibited from being in a real life/online relationship with any High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Web Admin, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Attainment:
The High Elder appoints the Elder Council. The High Elder must accept applications for a minimum of 48 hours. Applicants must be a member or above to be eligible. A member with an active disciplinary restriction is ineligible for this position.
Upon selecting a candidate for the Elder Council, the High Elder must send the candidate's application materials to the Division Commanders. The High Elder must allow Division Commanders a minimum of 48 hours to review and discuss the candidate's application. Any Division Commander who believes the candidate should not be appointed to the Elder Council may call for a veto.
Veto Procedures:
If the High Elder recommends a candidate for the Elder Council who any Division Commander believes to be unqualified for the position, that Division Commander may call for a veto vote. A successful veto will meet the following requirements:
The vote must be called within 48 hours of receiving the candidate's information from the High Elder (or longer if specified by the High Elder or if extenuating circumstances will prevent one or more Division Commanders from reviewing the information within the set timeframe).
Once a Division Commander has called for a veto, all Division Commanders must vote or recuse themselves within 48 hours.
A majority of Division Commanders must vote in favor of the veto.
Failure to meet the above requirements will result in the veto failing and the appointment of the candidate to the Elder Council at the High Elder's discretion. If all requirements are met, the veto passes and the candidate may not be appointed to the Elder Council until a new vacancy and application process takes place.
Removal:
There is no limit to the amount of time an Elder Councilor may serve in the position, but the High Elder can remove an Elder Councilor if the High Elder deems them no longer suitable or active enough for the responsibilities of their position. The High Elder must inform the community of this decision and state the reason(s) for removal.
Members of the community can make a petition to the High Elder for removal of an Elder Councilor. The petition must have at least 35 unique signatures. The High Elder will review the petition and give their decision within five days of the petition send date.
Should a process of removal for the High Elder, Elder Councilor, or Division Commander already be in motion, another removal process may not be started until the current one has ended in order to prevent the possibility of retaliatory removal processes.
Position: Community Manager (CM)
Description:
The position of Community Manager is intended to be purely an administrative role. The Community Manager oversees the Membership application process, as well as the membership roster. The Community Manager fulfills a deeply trusted role, as they are expected to be intimately familiar with the Remnants of Hope recruitment process.
Responsibilities:
Hold tier two administrative access to the communications platforms for the purposes of moderation and management
Provides administrative oversight for the entirety of the recruitment process.
Permitted to remove Members from the community should they fail to meet the minimum standards established by the Activity Requirements section of the Charter or post in the Departure Thread in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
In the event of a tie during Stage One votes among the Recruitment Officers, the Community Manager is authorized to act as the tie breaker.
Uphold the Charter and Code of Conduct in-game, and on communications platforms when necessary.
Ensure the Remnants of Hope Recruitment Policy is being followed and carried out accordingly.
Communicate any concerns regarding divisional recruitment to the Division Commander and Recruitment Officer.
Ensure the membership roster is up to date, administering yearly/bi-yearly roster purges as necessary.
Expected to train all new Recruitment Officers, Division Commanders, or temporary proxies in the recruitment policy and process.
Expected to facilitate meetings as needed with the Recruitment Officers.
Expected to provide a monthly report to the High Elder on the state of recruiting process, concerns, and training.
Restrictions:
Oversight on recruitment is restricted solely to ensuring compliance of our recruitment policy as mandated by the Charter. Not allowed to direct a Recruitment Officer, Divisional Officer, or Division Commander to vote a certain way during any stage of the recruitment process.
Cannot vote in Stage One of the recruitment process unless a tie breaker is needed.
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of High Elder, Elder Council, Webmaster, Treasurer, Division Commander or Divisional Officer.
Prohibited from being in a real life/online relationship with any High Elder, Elder Councilor, Web Admin, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Attainment:
The High Elder appoints the Community Manager. The High Elder must accept applications for a minimum of 48 hours. The High Elder will seek the opinion of all Division Commanders on each application prior to any decision being made. An applicant must be a member who has served or is serving as a Recruitment Officer to be eligible for this position. A member with an active disciplinary restriction is ineligible for this position.
Removal:
There is no limit to the amount of time a Community Manager may serve in the position, but the High Elder can remove the Community Manager if the High Elder deems them no longer suitable or active enough for the responsibilities of their position. The High Elder must inform the community of this decision and state the reason(s) for removal.
Members of the community can make a petition to the High Elder for removal of the Community Manager. The petition must have at least 35 unique signatures. The High Elder will review the petition and give their decision within five days of the petition’s delivery date.
Position: Treasurer (TR)
Description:
The position of Treasurer is intended to be purely a managerial role. The Treasurer performs a set of clearly defined duties involving the security of our guild finances.
Responsibilities:
Hold full tier one root access to the communications platforms, along with the High Elder and Web Admin, for emergency purposes only.
Maintains the Treasury Report, with a monthly reconciliation to the High Elder.
Manages community expense payments and purchases.
Manages access to our financial account(s).
Maintains the security of the community funds.
Restrictions:
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of High Elder, Elder Councilor, Web Admin, Community Manager, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Prohibited from being in a real life/online relationship with any High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Web Admin, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Attainment:
The High Elder appoints the Treasurer. The High Elder must accept applications for a minimum of 48 hours. Applicants must be a Member or above to be eligible. A member with an active disciplinary restriction is ineligible for this position.
Removal:
There is no limit to the amount of time a Treasurer may serve in the position, but the High Elder can remove the Treasurer if the High Elder deems them no longer suitable or active enough for the responsibilities of the position. The High Elder must inform the community of this decision and state the reason(s) for removal.
Members of the community can make a petition to the High Elder for removal of the Treasurer. The petition must have at least 35 unique signatures. The High Elder will review the petition and give a decision within five days of the petition’s delivery date.
Position: Web Admin (WA)
Description:
The Web Admin is the head of the Web Team, leading a team of Web Specialists. This individual reports directly to the High Elder and acts as a bridge between the Web Specialists and the High Elder. The duties of the Web Admin are authorized to be fulfilled by any member of the Web Team during periods of absence. The same privileges and restrictions will be applied to the Web Specialist when performing in this capacity.
Responsibilities:
Hold full tier one root access to all communications platforms.
Maintain all communications platforms.
Oversee major and minor updates such as new features, site coding, theme changes/updates, group colors, group title bars, etc.
May request funds from the Treasurer when approved by the High Elder with the following restrictions:
Purchases over $25, purchases with recurring fees, or multiple purchases under $25 within a one-month period must obtain community approval.
Receipt/Confirmation of purchases must be included in the monthly report to the High Elder.
Notify the community of all major changes to communications platforms and of all purchases and their costs.
Maintain all passwords for RoH and its Community Services and set password policy for the community.
Share the root password for RoH servers and any change to it with the High Elder and Treasurer.
Share all other web-related and Community Services passwords and any changes to them with the Elder Council and High Elder.
Provide appropriate security to RoH user groups - Root (tier 1) for High Elder, Treasurer and Web Admin; Admin (tier 2) for Elder Council and Community Manager; and Design Access (tier 3) for Web Specialists.
Change passwords to Community Services on a semi-annual basis or when a member of leadership steps down or leaves the community.
Set up or alter usergroups and permissions in accordance with the Charter.
Ensure that all services are functioning properly and correct or delegate reported issues to the Web Specialists.
Ensure that the Web Specialists are actively monitoring the Bug Tracker.
Perform database overhauls, such as pruning of table content, for the purposes of cleanup or size management.
Appoint Web Specialists to the Web Team after ensuring there are no disciplinary restrictions in place.
Submit monthly change log reports to the High Elder detailing every major and minor action done by the Web Team in regard to communications platforms.
Restrictions:
Not allowed to access or tamper with the site administrator logs in any way, moderate communications platforms, or make non-IT-related announcements.
Not allowed to make modifications to the Remnants of Hope motto or logo without community approval.
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Prohibited from being in a real life/online relationship with any High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Attainment:
The High Elder appoints the Web Admin. The High Elder must accept applications for a minimum of 48 hours. Applicants must be a Member or above to be eligible. A member with an active disciplinary restriction is ineligible for this position.
Removal:
There is no limit to the amount of time a Web Admin may serve in the position, but the High Elder can remove the Web Admin if the High Elder deems them no longer suitable or active enough for the responsibilities of their position. The High Elder must inform the community of this decision and state the reason(s) for removal.
Members of the community can make a petition to the High Elder for removal of the Web Admin. The petition must have at least 35 unique signatures. The High Elder will review the petition and give their decision within five days of the petition’s delivery date.
Position: Web Specialist (WS)
Description:
Assistant to the Web Admin, Web Specialists specialize in various aspects of web development and server administration and perform duties as assigned by the Web Admin. Web Specialists may fill in as acting Web Admin during times of absence where they will receive the same privileges and adhere to the same restrictions defined in the Web Admin position description.
Responsibilities:
Hold role-specific access on the discord to perform their duties.
Maintain all communications platforms.
Monitor and assist in resolving Bugs and Suggestions posts.
Perform minor updates such as site coding, theme changes/updates, group colors, group title-bars, etc.
Submit Change Log Reports detailing every major and minor action done regarding communications platforms to the Web Admin monthly.
Restrictions:
Not allowed to access or tamper with the site administrator logs in any way, moderate communications platforms, or make non-IT-related announcements.
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Treasurer, or Division Commander.
Attainment:
The Web Admin will post a thread about the vacancy. Each applicant can be given an application and/or interview depending on how the Web Admin wishes to appoint the new assistant. In order to be eligible the following requirements must be met:
Must be a full Member
Must not have an active disciplinary restriction
Upon selecting a Web Specialist, the Web Admin must send a notification of the appointee to the Elder Council 48 hours before an official announcement on the discord is made. While approval is not required, this ensures that the appointee meets all eligibility requirements. The Elder Council may require Web Specialists to sign a separate Code of Conduct when receiving additional communications platform privileges.
Removal:
The Web Admin reserves the right to remove a Web Specialist for any reason at any time. The Web Admin must provide reasoning to the High Elder, Elder Council, and Web Specialist before removing the Web Specialist. Web Specialists can also be removed immediately by the Web Admin, Elder Council, or High Elder if there is a clear violation of the Charter.
Position: Member
Description:
This is the basic-level position for applicants who were successful in completing their trial for membership and is intended to be a long-term position for the vast majority of our membership. Members function as voters during movements to amend the Charter, when Votes of No Confidence are initiated, and during High Elder/Division Commander election processes. Members interested in playing multiple games with Remnants of Hope are granted the ability to pass freely between divisions as they desire.
Privileges:
Authorized to attain the rank of High Elder, Elder Councilor, Web Admin, Treasurer, Web Specialist, Division Commander, Divisional Officer, or Divisional Assistant.
Granted a single vote during Charter Amendment votes, the election cycles for High Elders and Division Commanders, and during Votes of No Confidence in the High Elder or Division Commanders.
May request to join any division without having to go through the application process again.
Authorized to propose amendments to the charter through the Charter’s Amendment Process.
Access to communications platforms.
Attainment:
Granted by their respective division leadership through successful completion of their membership trial.
Removal:
Members can be removed by the Elder Council in accordance with the Discipline Policy.
Position: Trial Member
Description:
A Trial Member is someone who has submitted a formal application to join Remnants of Hope and whose application was accepted by the Community Recruitment Team. They must then complete the trial process in order to be considered for membership.
Privileges:
Access to communications platforms.
Restrictions:
Trial Members do not possess many of the privileges granted to Members. They cannot participate in votes (High Elder elections, Division Commander elections, Votes of No Confidence), create proposals or suggestions, or enter into leadership or assistant positions.
Attainment:
Must submit an application to Remnants of Hope and be granted Trial Member status by the Community Recruitment Team.
Removal:
A trial membership may be terminated for any reason by the Recruitment Officer during Stage Two of the trial process, which will result in an immediate dismissal from the community for the applicant. Upon reaching Stage Three, a failing vote made by the Division Commander and all Officers for the division applied to will result in an immediate dismissal from the community for the applicant. Trials found in violation of the Code of Conduct are subject to immediate dismissal by RoH leadership.
Position: Friend (of Member)
Description:
A friend is one who has joined the community, but has not submitted a formal application to join Remnants of Hope. Granting and revoking the rank is up to the discretion of the Elder Council.
Privileges:
Access to non-divisional portions of other communications platforms.
Access to divisional PUG voice channels upon invite
Restrictions:
Friends cannot participate in any votes, create proposals or suggestions, or enter into leadership or assistant positions.
Friends cannot join Divisional in-game Guilds.
Friends playing Divisional games will be treated as guests during Divisional events; Members and Trial Members will be granted priority for event attendance.
Attainment:
A Member must send a Private Message to the Elder Council on the Discord explaining their relationship to the individual and why the member wishes to associate the person with RoH.
If granted, the Friend must sign the Code of Conduct thread within 72 hours of the rank being granted.
Removal:
Friends found in violation of the Code of Conduct are subject to immediate dismissal and ban from the community by the Elder Council.
Position: Pre-Trial Applicant
Description:
A pre-trial applicant is someone who has submitted an application to join Remnants of Hope through an in-game guild finder and has been added to the in-game guild by the division's Recruitment Officer. A pre-trial member is not considered part of the community as a whole. The pre-trial member must apply to the community officially as soon as possible but their pre-trial phase can last no longer than 7 days. It is encouraged that division leadership push any pre-trial applicants to apply to the community officially as soon as possible.
Privileges:
Access to discord PUG channels only (upon invite). No other communication platform permissions. No website permissions.
Restrictions:
Pre-Trial applicants do not possess many of the privileges granted to Members. They cannot participate in votes (High Elder elections, Division Commander elections, Votes of No Confidence, Proposal Vetoes), create proposals or suggestions, or enter into leadership or assistant positions.
The pre-trial period may last no longer than 7 days from the time of application. This is to be tracked by the division's Recruitment Officer in whatever means they choose to use.
Any events joined during this phase are not counted towards any future trial objectives.
If an official application to RoH is not received in 7 days the member must be removed from the in-game guild.
If a Pre-Trial applicant is dismissed from the in game guild due to hitting the time cap, they are still allowed to apply formally to the community.
Pre-Trials are restricted to the division they applied for until making a formal application and becoming a trial member.
Attainment:
Added to the in-game guild by the divisional Recruitment Officer via the in-game guild finder tool. It is imperative that the Recruitment Officer review the CoC with the pre-trial member.
Removal:
A Pre-Trial member may be terminated for any reason by divisional and community leadership, which will result in an immediate dismissal from the community. Pre-Trials that haven't applied to RoH within the 7 day limit must be removed. Pre-Trial members found in violation of the Code of Conduct are subject to immediate dismissal and ban from the community by the Elder Council.
Divisional Structure
Position: Division Commander (DC)
Description:
The Division Commander is the elected representative and speaker of the division, and is essentially the Guild Leader in each game; the Division Commander has the right to temporarily request the full administrative powers in-game if the HE or EC hold guild leader rank in the in-game guild. The Division Commander is expected to be the face of the community in the respective game, and the representative of the division in matters of policy changes. When it comes to in-game activities and happenings, the Division Commander has the authority to carry out their ideas and visions. The Elder Council is expected to take a step back to the Division Commander and entrust them to run the in-game guild as the Elder Council focuses on the entire community.
Responsibilities:
Ensure the division is functioning properly and up to community standards.
Uphold and enforce the Charter and Code of Conduct in-game and on communications platforms when necessary.
Oversee and delegate tasks to respective officers and ensure all departments are running efficiently.
Submit monthly division reports to the Elder Council for a written record of events.
Expected to be the bridge and voice for the division with the Elder Council.
Will hold the Guildmaster/Leader title in-game if the High Elder and/or an Elder Councilor are not active in said game.
Moderates the members in their division. Moreover, Division Commanders are the point of contact for any issues and problems members in their division may have.
Be the face of the community in the division; show class and represent Remnants of Hope with integrity.
Required to vote on Stage III Trial Member acceptance threads for recruitment.
Must be able to maintain the in game requirements to retain full use of guild amenities in order to hold the Guildmaster/Leader rank within division; i.e. if a subscription is required to keep full use of guild bank/housing/etc., a Division Commander must be and remain a subscriber throughout their term.
The Division Commander is allowed to put requirements on Divisional Officers if they feel it is necessary, such as attendance to officer meetings or monthly reports. Requirements must be reasonable and appropriate.
Restrictions:
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of High Elder, Elder Councilor, Web Admin, Web Specialist, Community Manager, or Treasurer.
Prohibited from being in a real life/online relationship with any High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Web Admin, Treasurer, Division Commander, or Divisional Officer.
Attainment:
Division Commanders are elected by the community once every six months in accordance with the Election Procedures. To be eligible to run for office, individuals must be a Member or above, and if a subscription is required to maintain the full use of guild amenities, individuals must hold a subscription. A member with an active disciplinary restriction is ineligible for this position.
Removal:
A Division Commander may only be removed from their position through one of the following scenarios:
Defeat in an election.
The Elder Council can remove a Division Commander when there is a clear violation of the Code of Conduct or in accordance with current Discipline policy.
Vote of No Confidence
Any Member is entitled to initiate a motion of No Confidence in their Division Commander by contacting the Elder Council. Once the motion is received, the Elder Council must conduct a vote among the Division Commanders (excluding the affected Division Commander) and Elder Council. At least half (50%+) of the voting Division Commanders and Elder Council must approve of the motion for the Vote of No Confidence be brought forth to the community. If approved, the Elder Council (with the help of the Web Admin) will temporarily limit the Division Commander's administrative access on communications platforms during this time. The Elder Council will then create a poll that will last for exactly seven days and be accessible to members of the division. Trial Members are not eligible to vote. For a Vote of No Confidence to pass, it must meet the following vote requirements:
The number of participants in the vote must be at least 60% (sixty percent) the number that voted in the previous Division Commander election.
The number of approval votes must be at least 70% (seventy percent) of the total voters.
If the Vote of No Confidence does not succeed, the motion fails and the Division Commander retains their position with administrative rights restored. If a Vote of No Confidence succeeds, the Elder Council will initiate and carry out an emergency Division Commander election.
Should a process of removal for a High Elder, Elder Council, or Division Commander already be in motion, another removal process may not be started until the current one has ended in order to prevent the possibility of retaliatory removal processes.
Position: Divisional Officer (DO)
Description:
The Divisional Officer is a position each official Remnants of Hope division will need to have. Divisional Officers are essentially the support for the Division Commander. In short, they are specialists that help maximize certain game aspects for the member base to enjoy on a consistent basis. They are expected to police the guild and help moderate the members should situations arise.
Responsibilities:
Organize events/activities within the division to maximize quality, incorporating different aspects of the game (RP/PvE/PvP/Recruitment/Etc) to them
Provide an engaging environment for their Divison.
Appoint Divisional Assistants.
Uphold and enforce the Charter and Code of Conduct in-game and on communications platforms when necessary.
Encourage in-game activities with use of communications platforms and in-game tools.
Required to vote on Stage III Trial Member acceptance threads.
May moderate their division discord category for cleanliness and per Moderation Policy.
If a Divisional Officer must go on a Leave of Absence longer than 3 days (or 1 day, in the case of Recruitment Officer), the Divisional Officer is required to appoint a current Assistant within that department or request the Division Commander as the temporary Divisional Officer. An Assistant may make decisions as the acting Divisional Officer but will not receive additional in game or discord powers, except that the Community Manager may assign a recruitment assistant the Recruitment Officer secondary role on communications platforms for purposes of recruitment automation with the approval of the Division Commander and Recruitment Officer. The Divisional Officer must send a PM to their Division Commander indicating who is to be in charge, as well as announce it in the Leave of Absence post. If no Leave of Absence is posted or temporary replacement choice is made, the Division Commander is automatically appointed after three days. Upon theDivisional Officer’s return, they resume all responsibilities and authority.
A Divisional Officer is allowed to put requirements or assign duties to Assistants at their discretion if they feel it is necessary, such as attendance to department meetings or monthly reports. Requirements and duties must be reasonable and appropriate.
Restrictions:
Not allowed to simultaneously fulfill the role of High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Web Admin, Treasurer, or Division Commander.
Prohibited from being in a real life/online relationship with any High Elder, Elder Councilor, Community Manager, Web Admin, Treasurer, or Division Commander.
Attainment:
The respective Division Commander will post a thread about the new vacancy. Each applicant can be given an application and/or interview depending on how the Division Commander wishes to appoint the new officer. In order to be eligible the following requirements must be met.
Must be a full Member
Active in respective division and specialized department
Must not have an active disciplinary restriction
Upon selecting the Divisional Officer, the Division Commander must send a notification of the appointee to the Elder Council 48 hours before making an official announcement on the Discord. While approval is not required, this ensures that the appointee meets all eligibility requirements.
A member applying for the Recruitment Officer position in any division must first have served as Recruitment Officer, Recruitment Assistant, Recruitment Officer, or Division Commander (in any division). Recruitment Assistants and Division Commanders must have served for a minimum of 7 days to be eligible. If a member relies solely on experience as a Division Commander, the member must obtain approval from the Elder Council that their specific experience qualifies them for Recruitment Officer.
Removal:
The Elder Council can remove a Divisional Officer when there is a clear violation of the Code of Conduct.
The Division Commander can remove a Divisional Officer, but must notify the High Elder and Elder Council via private message 24 hours in advance with their intention before posting an announcement stating when and why the officer is being removed.
Members of the community can send a petition to the Division Commander, Elder Council, and High Elder for removal of a Divisional Officer. The petition must have at least 10 unique signatures. The Division Commander will review the petition and give their decision within five days of the petition’s delivery date.
Position: Divisional Assistant (DA)
Description:
Assistants are Members, and they are not included in the leadership structure, but are chosen and removed by the Divisional Officer. You can be an assistant for multiple departments. A Divisional Officer may be an Assistant for another department.
Responsibilities:
Assist their Divisional Officer in overseeing and managing their respective tasks.
Carry out events in collaboration with fellow assistants and Divisional Officer.
Work in tandem with the Divisional Officer to help with day-to-day activities.
Assistants may be given additional rights of access either in game or on the Discord in order to perform their duties.
Restrictions:
Must be at least a Member to be eligible for this position.
Attainment
Divisional Officers may select as many assistants as they have the need for, to be able to help run various activities within the division. If a Divisional Officer requires more Assistants, the Department Officer may submit a request to the Elder Council. The Divisional Officer will appoint and announce Assistants on the Discord. A Divisional Officer must submit their request for additional assistant in-game permissions to their Division Commander, while additional communication platform permission requests must be submitted to the Elder Council.
The Elder Council may require Assistants sign a separate Code of Conduct when receiving additional communications platform privileges. Recruitment Assistants, due to elevated Discord privileges, must not have an active disciplinary restriction. The Community Manager may also assign a Recruitment Assistant the Recruitment Officer secondary role on communications platforms for purposes of recruitment automation with the approval of the Division Commander and Recruitment Officer.
Removal
Divisional Officers reserve the right to remove an Assistant in their own department for any reason. That reason must be shared with the Assistant, and notice with reasoning must be sent to their Division Commander, forwarded to the Elder Council and High Elder.
Assistants can be removed immediately by their Divisional Officer or a higher rank if there is a clear violation of the Charter.
Assistants are tied to the Divisional Officer, not the department itself. After a Divisional Officer resigns and a new Divisional Officer assumes command, all previous assistants are automatically removed. Should they desire to continue, they may reapply to the new Divisional Officer.
Election Procedures
Elections are a cornerstone of Remnants of Hope and held regularly for our most influential positions, High Elder and Division Commander. The Elder Council administers elections and, due to the sensitivity inherent in passing positions of authority from one individual to another, elections must be carried out exactly as written in the procedure.
At the beginning of each calendar year, the Elder Council is required to publish a schedule of dates in the community forum potion of discord identifying when each election is set to start and end during the forthcoming year.
Basic Election Process
The Elder Council must announce that an election cycle is beginning at least one week before proceeding to Step 2. This announcement should include a brief overview of the election process to remind members of the procedures, and must contain a timetable. The timetable should include set dates for major election milestones, including the day each election phase (nomination and voting) begins and ends and the day the elected candidate will first take the office. These dates must also be posted on the Remnants of Hope calendar.
All standard election cycles must begin with a seven-day application phase. The Elder Council is responsible for developing the application questions. During this time, eligible members are invited to apply or nominate other members for the position being elected. Nominated individuals must accept the nomination before the end of the seven days in order to become an official candidate. Nominations must be sent to the Elder Council via private message.
High Elder Applications
If the current High Elder wishes to pursue another term and no other applications are submitted during this phase, the current High Elder will be considered re-elected, bypassing the Q&A and voting phase.
In all other scenarios, the High Elder can proceed with only one applicant, so if no applications have been submitted by the deadline, it will be extended until one application is received. A three day deadline will be given once the the first late application is submitted, giving others the opportunity to apply if they wish to force an election. At the end of the three days, if there is no second application, the first applicant will be automatically appointed, bypassing the Q&A and voting phase.
Division Commander Applications
If the current Division Commander wishes to pursue another term and no other applications are submitted during this phase, the current Division Commander will be considered re-elected, bypassing the Q&A and voting phase.
In all other scenarios, Division Commander elections can proceed with only one applicant, so if no applications have been submitted by the deadline, it will be extended until one application is received. A three day deadline will be given once the the first late application is submitted, giving others the opportunity to apply if they wish to force an election. At the end of the three days, if there is no second application, the first applicant will be automatically appointed, bypassing the Q&A and voting phase
Immediately after ending the application phase, the Elder Council must begin the question and answer phase. The Q&A phase will last for a period of five days, and all eligible voters will be able to pose questions to the candidates. Questions must be directed to ALL candidates. Candidate-specific questions may be private-messaged to the Elder Council for approval. If they deem the question appropriate, they will post the question on behalf of the voter. The voter must request their name be included in the question, otherwise it will be posted as an anonymous question.
Note: Division Commander Elections will be held in a Discord thread posted in the divisions general chat. High Elder elections will be held in the discord general chat for all members to participate.
Immediately after ending the Q&A phase, the Elder Council must begin the voting phase. The voting phase will last for seven days, and all eligible voters will be entitled to vote for their desired candidate.
At the end of the voting phase, the results must be tallied by the Elder Council. For any candidate to win, they must accumulate more than 50% of the total votes. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the total votes, the two candidates with the highest vote total will participate in a runoff election, lasting for five more days. The candidate that receives more than 50% of the total votes in the runoff election will be declared the winner.
Upon the election of a new leader, the previous leader’s privileges are removed, and the new leader’s privileges will take effect once their announcement and orientation has occurred.
Elected Positions
Position: High Elder
Term Length: 6 months
Eligible Candidates: Members and above only
Eligible Voters: Members and above only
Position: Division Commander
Term Length: 6 months
Eligible Candidates: Members and above only
Eligible Voters: Members and above active in that particular division
Emergency Election Procedures:
Emergency election procedures are to be employed immediately when an office holder resigns or is removed before their term is set to expire. Emergency elections are to follow the same basic procedures as a standard election, with the following differences:
The Elder Council is not required to provide notice before beginning an emergency election’s application phase.
The application phase must be only four days in duration.
The Q&A phase must be only three days in duration.
The voting phase must be only five days in duration.
The newly elected office holder’s term should begin immediately after the voting phase has concluded and orientation has occurred.
After an emergency election is held, the Elder Council is expected to revise the published election calendar with the updated dates.
Code of Conduct
1. Communication and Discussion
All Remnants of Hope communications platforms are subject to the Code of Conduct. We do not allow threats or discussion of violence, drugs, or pornographic or sexually-suggestive material. Trolling and mean-spirited content of all kinds are unacceptable. Any discussion of other potentially contentious topics is expected to be conducted only in a mature, respectful manner. Anyone who is going to use our communications platforms must moderate any foul language, and never use such language in an insulting fashion towards another individual.
When using the community live communication platforms, members are held responsible for any disorderly behavior and may be asked to leave if they are causing issues. When in a live communication channel during any official community or division events, members are expected to limit their interruptions of users.
If a member or moderator finds inappropriate content on the Discord, following the Moderation Policy, they may hide that content and/or notify the Elder Council, who will review the moderation and choose to uphold (and possibly discipline the member) or remove it. Remember, however, that moderators are not here to censor anybody beyond what is outlined in this CoC, and all moderators are simply trying to use their best judgment. Please do not take offense if your post is moderated.
2. Malpractice
Remnants of Hope operates under the rules of all games we are involved in. If you are found to be in violation of those terms of services, you will be considered in violation of our Code of Conduct. Such actions include but are not limited to hacking, illegal monetary farming, or harassment. Do not use any means of communication provided by RoH to organize other illegal activities.
3. Respect and Tolerance
Remnants of Hope promotes a stress-free environment for members to relax and enjoy the games they are playing. We are a diverse population of gamers from all backgrounds. Remnants of Hope is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism. More specifically, we believe in fostering an authentic sense of belonging through the diversity of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and experiences, and the inclusion and equality of people regardless of their gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, first language, accent, national origin, religion, disability, age, or neurodiversity. It is mandatory for all of our members to show respect and tolerance to each other and our allies; our diverse backgrounds do not justify a lack of respect. The requirement for respect and tolerance applies in any situation where you identify yourself as a member of Remnants of Hope or interact with another Remnants of Hope member, regardless of context. If a community leader is informed that your words or actions are making another member uncomfortable, you may be asked to alter said behavior. That being said, we are also committed to creating a safe and secure environment where members feel free to be who they are, and will not censor posts or reprimand members unless they are in violation of the CoC. Elitism is not tolerated, and members are expected to show a reasonable amount of respect toward all players. Harassing "pugs" or openly berating other players negatively represents RoH and is a CoC violation. Harassment of fellow members may result in immediate removal from Remnants of Hope. We understand that sometimes gamers will look for fights, but we expect our members to take the high road and walk away from hostile situations. Remnants of Hope is a PG-13 community, and any such acts that would not fall under that classification should be kept in private.
4. Naming Policy
Upon joining Remnants of Hope, you are expected to represent a professional image of our community. One of the biggest reflections about you as an individual is what you choose to call yourself. We consider your account and character name another expression of communication, subject to all the same limitations as listed above. If you are unsure whether a name would be considered inappropriate, please ask the Elder Council. Do not take or imitate the names of other members within the community. This policy applies to our website, our VOIP, and any of our games.
5. Using Discretion With Issues
The Elder Council and Officers are more than happy to address any member’s concerns as long as they are brought up through confidential discussion through Discord Direct Messages. Not only does this allow us to address your problem more quickly and more efficiently, it prevents fights and emotional debates from erupting. Failing to use proper discretion with issues you have may result in disciplinary action.
6. Expectation of Officers and Leaders
Representing the community as an Officer is a privilege that requires a lot of responsibility. It is your job to help enforce the rules and maintain a safe and respectful environment. Members may come to you with personal complaints or issues in confidence, and should always be met with respect. All private discussion between officers, and any issues or complaints submitted by members, should not be shared with other non-officers. This includes any disciplinary actions, complaints, or disagreements between officers. If an Officer is found to be abusing their authority, the Officer will be subject to discipline and removed from their position. Abuse of power can include but is not limited to the excessive use of moderator tools as well as using the position to intimidate or coerce members. Leaders expecting to be gone for longer than two weeks are required to designate an acting Department Head to be in charge of the department as per the Charter.
7. Administrators and the Use of Chat Logs
While administrators of any website have potential access to logs or private messages, we value the privacy of our members and it is strictly prohibited to view these for any reason. All logs are automatically deleted. The permission to view the log tabs has also been removed rendering them unusable. If any administrator is found to have attempted to or successfully reinstated the code to view those logs, or to have viewed any member’s private messages, they will be immediately and permanently removed from the community.
8. Activity
Upon joining Remnants of Hope, you become a permanent member of our community. We expect members to maintain a reasonable level of activity. Characters within our divisional games that remain idle for longer than 90 days may be subject to removal from their respective divisional guilds. Members that go inactive for a period of time may be subject to removal from Discord and/or other modes of communication presently used by the community. However, even if your account is removed due to inactivity, and has no outstanding disciplinary strikes, you will always remain a part of Remnants of Hope and can contact divisional leadership to be added back to the in-game guild and to have your account reinstated.
9. Leaving / Rejoining Policy
If a member is having a problem, it is easier to talk with a member of leadership to see if mediation is possible before leaving. Remnants of Hope always encourages members to think carefully before leaving the community. If a member decides to leave the community, they are required to wait 30 days before reapplying to Remnants of Hope, at which point the former member will need to fill out a new application and restart the trial process. Former members wishing to apply sooner than 30 days can request a waiver from the Elder Council; If the waiver is approved, the former member may submit their application and restart the trial process.
10. Multi-Guilding
RoH members are full owners and partners in the community, with RoH as their guild home. As an RoH member, you are expected to represent RoH though tabards, guild tags, or however your game shows membership and pride in your guild. However, as a PvX, play‐your‐way community, RoH cannot satisfy every interest in a game mode, and you can participate in other guilds or communities in Division games. If you choose to join another guild for specific activities, you are expected to act in a way that is consistent with your commitment to RoH. If a Division Commander has more specific expectations about multi‐guilding in their Division, they may publish them on the forums after Elder Council approval.
11. Discipline
Member(s) who violate the CoC will be disciplined in accordance with the Discipline Policy. Trial Members and Friends, however, are subject to immediate dismissal in the event of any Code of Conduct violation.
Except as provided below, all discipline is kept completely confidential with the exception of member removal; for removal, the Elder Council, in accordance with the Discipline Policy, will share a short post without specifics outlining which CoC policy was broken to warrant removal.
Any person directly involved in a matter potentially or actually resulting in discipline may waive their individual right to confidentiality by sending a private message to all EC members, but information will only be released if and in a form approved by EC after considering other interests. If a person directly involved in a matter potentially or actually resulting in discipline shares inaccurate information about the matter without EC approval, EC may consider that sharing a constructive waiver of that individual's interest in confidentiality as well as a potential violation of the Code of Conduct.
12. Unstated Guidelines:
This Code of Conduct covers the most common concerns in online gaming, but it is impossible to cover every possible situation. Anyone accepted into our community is expected to maintain a good sense of maturity and avoid actions that are likely to cause controversy. If a member's words or actions are seen as inherently provocative or malicious, or if they are viewed as severely objectionable but not otherwise in violation of the Code of Conduct, community moderators reserve the right to hide such posts or take other appropriate action in accordance with the Discipline Policy and Moderation Policy procedures. This document is subject to change, and members are responsible for maintaining knowledge of the rules and keeping up with changes.
Discipline Policy
All members are required to read and follow the Code of Conduct (CoC) when joining RoH. The Elder Council encourages all members to remain familiar with it to ensure they are not violating our shared rules. The following guidelines are provided to ensure consistency and transparency in the types of discipline applied for CoC infractions and to help encourage compliance with the CoC.
The Elder Council will use a 'three strikes' system where consequences escalate each time an infraction occurs while already under probation*. Each warning comes with a minimum 6-month probation, but it can be extended if the Elder Council deems it is warranted.
Where the violation(s) and discipline may have an impact on other members or the community at large, the Elder Council should advise the Division Commanders of the member's violations and discipline to keep leadership informed of potential issues within the games in which the member is currently active. The Elder Council will remind recipients of this information that per the Code of Conduct's 6th Clause, this information is to remain in strict confidence with the Division Commanders. The Division Commanders may request that the Elder Council allow them to share it with specific Division Officers under the agreement that it is not to be shared with assistants or others, but the Elder Council retains the right to reject such a request if there doesn't appear to be clear reasons to allow sharing of such information.
The 'three strikes' are:
First Warning/Probation:
A CoC infraction by member(s) without any current disciplinary measures receives a warning with a minimum 6-month probation. The EC will document the discipline in the confidential EC Discord forums and notify the member(s) of their infraction and probation length. The EC may add specific stipulations on a member related to their infraction and discipline. The warning will be removed after probation has expired.
This first warning does not automatically remove the member(s) from a leadership position, but the EC reserves the right to exercise that option if the offense is deemed serious enough. If a member is removed from their leadership position due to a violation, they will be unable to run for any leadership position until probation has expired. The exception to this is if the offending member is the High Elder or on the Elder Council: they will be given a warning and be automatically removed from their respective position.
Second Warning/Probation:
A CoC infraction by member(s) already under a warning receives a second warning with, again, a minimum 6-month probation. The EC will document the discipline in the confidential EC Discord forums and notify the member(s) of their infraction and extended probation. The EC may add specific stipulations on a member related to their infraction and discipline. The member(s) will be advised that any further infraction while under probation will result in their removal from the community. The warning will be removed after probation has expired.
A second warning will automatically remove the member(s) from any leadership position, and they will be unable to run for any leadership position until probation has expired.
Community Removal:
A CoC infraction by member(s) already under their second warning will result in their removal from the community. The EC will document the discipline in the confidential EC Discord forums and notify the member(s) of their infraction and community removal. For removal, the Elder Council, in accordance with the Discipline Policy, will share a short post without specifics outlining which CoC policy was broken to warrant removal. The member(s) will not be allowed to reapply to the community for a minimum of 1 year, and then only after review and approval by the EC.
*In normal operation, the EC will follow this Discipline Policy to respond to infractions, but does reserve the right to take more immediate and severe actions should the situation warrant it or if the community's health or success are endangered by the slower standard responses. In particular, proof of harassment, threats, and other severe infractions can result in a member being banned without warnings.
Moderation Policy
Community moderators, who have the task of keeping discussions and/or Discord clean and updated, include the following positions: High Elder, Elder Council, Community Manager, Division Commanders, and Department Officers.
Moderators of our community are given some extra tools to do so in the areas they are charged with overseeing (community or divisional). These tools are to be used only for the purpose of the betterment of the community. All moderation should include a PM to the party being moderated with the reason for the action taken, with these exceptions:
If a duplicate thread or post is made; in this case, no PM is necessary and the duplicate thread may be merged with the original or deleted
Moving posts to archives or trash
If the message was in a discord channel that has a clearly outlined, specific purpose, and that message does not fit that channel’s purpose
If the moderation involves a violation of the Code of Conduct, the member’s Division Commander and the Elder Council must also be included in the PM notification. In the case of text moderation, a screen shot of the moderated message must also be included in the PM to the Division Commander, the Elder Council, and the High Elder. This PM is to be sent immediately after moderation.
Voice Chat Moderation
For voice communication issues, first ask the disruptive member to stop. If that fails, and no moderator is present, reach out to any community moderator for help, if none is available in your division. For simple audio issues (background noise, static, etc.), move or mute the member. For disruptive intentional interruptions, mute the member, and file a moderation report. The moderation report should include the complaint, list other members present, and be sent as a PM to the Division Commander, Elder Council, and High Elder. If you mute a member, remove the mute when the event ends. For serious CoC violations, you may leave the mute active, and explain why in the moderation report.
At no time will a moderator edit the text of any member's post without the permission of the post's author to do so first.
Failure to consistently follow this moderation policy may result in disciplinary action for the moderator.
Rank-Specific Requirements
Divisional Officers: When moderating communication that may involve a breach of the Code of Conduct, you must not only PM the affected member and EC/HE, but also the Division Commander of the respective game explaining what was moderated. The Elder Council will then review the moderation and choose to uphold, reverse, or work with the member to resolve the issue. The inclusion of the Division Commander in the Divisional Officer's PM is only for documentation purposes.
Division Commanders: When moderating communication that may involve a breach of the Code of Conduct from within a different Division's portion of a communication platform, you must not only PM the affected member and EC/HE, but also the Division Commander of the respective game explaining what was moderated. The Elder Council will then review the moderation and choose to uphold, reverse, or work with the member to resolve the issue.
Community Manager: When moderating communication that may involve a breach of the Code of Conduct, you must not only PM the affected member and EC/HE, but also the Division Commander of the respective game explaining what was moderated. The Elder Council will then review the moderation and choose to uphold, reverse, or work with the member to resolve the issue.
Elder Council: When moderating communication that may involve a breach of the Code of Conduct, you must not only PM the affected member, but also document the action within the Elder Council Discussion Discord forum in lieu of sending the EC/HE a PM. The remaining Elder Councilors and the High Elder will review the moderation and choose to uphold, reverse or work with the member to resolve the issue.
High Elder: When moderating communication that may involve a breach of the Code of Conduct, you must not only PM the affected member, but also document the action within the Elder Council Discussion Discord forum in lieu of sending the EC a PM. The Elder Council will review the moderation and choose to uphold, reverse or work with the member to resolve the issue.
Amendment Policy
Within Remnants of Hope, modifications to our codes are enacted in one of two ways: by the Elder Council introducing changes or policies, and by members proposing modifications for the community. The following outlines the process, including the checks and balances at the community’s disposal.
Council-Driven Amendments
The Elder Council is charged with making decisions for the benefit and longevity of the entire community. Sometimes, this will result in a wish or need to update our policies. The Elder Council can enact amendments, but are balanced by the existence of the Veto Policy, which allows members to call for a veto of any council-driven amendment. The process is as follows:
The Elder Council decides to consider a new amendment. The amendment is discussed amongst all Elder Councilors and the High Elder, with optional inclusion of the Division Commanders, Web Admin, and/or Community Manager, until a finalized policy is created.
This finalized policy is provided to the community in the form of an announcement on the #Announcements in the Community section of the discord for a period of no less than 3 days. Within that time, members may suggest alterations to the policy that the Elder Council can implement at their discretion, and any member may call for an outright veto of the amendment.
If a veto is called for, the Veto Policy will take effect, and the amendment is frozen until resolution.
If the review time has passed with no or minor changes required, the amendment will take effect.
If the review time has passed and resulted in substantive changes, the Elder Council will provide an extra 3-day review period for the adjusted policy, during which the veto option remains active.
Member-Driven Amendments
Any member may also submit amendments to our policies, and the community will have the ability to vote on and enact them. Member amendments are also subject to the Veto Policy. The process is as follows:
Members are encouraged, but not required, to post their amendment suggestion in a thread created in the general chat of our discord to get public feedback and ideas.
Once decided, a member can post their amendment to a thread created in the general chat of our discord.
The amendment proposal will remain up for three days before voting begins to allow the community to review it, ask questions, and gain an understanding of the proposal. On the fourth day, a community moderator will put up a poll, and members can cast their votes for or against the amendment for another seven days.
For a member-driven amendment to pass, it must meet the following vote requirements:
The number of participants in the vote must be at least 60% (sixty percent) the number that voted in the previous High Elder election.
The number of approval votes must be at least 70% (seventy percent) of the total voters.
If an amendment does not meet the voting requirements after the allotted voting time, it does not pass.
If an amendment meets the voting requirements after the allotted voting time, the amendment then passes to leadership, who have the opportunity to use the Veto Policy.
If the Veto Policy is used, the amendment is frozen until resolution.
If the amendment passes the Veto Policy stage, it becomes part of official policy.
Veto Policy
Both the Elder Council and the community are involved with creating policy for all of us, and the Veto Policy provides a layer of checks and balances on both groups to ensure policies are amenable to the community as a whole. The Veto Policy works in one of two ways depending on who is asking for the veto.
Veto Policy for Council-Driven Amendments
If the Elder Council delivers a policy amendment that membership finds undesirable, members may call for a veto. Once done, the Elder Council must put up a poll for the veto vote that will remain open for 3 days. A successful Council amendment veto vote must meet the following requirements:
The number of participants in the vote must be at least 60% (sixty percent) of the number that voted in the previous High Elder election.
The number of votes to approve the veto must be at least 70% (seventy percent) of the total voters.
If the veto vote successfully passes, the amendment is immediately removed and does not take effect. If the veto vote does not successfully pass, the remainder of the Council-Driven Amendment process proceeds.
Veto Policy for Member-Driven Amendments
If the membership passes a policy amendment that leadership feels is detrimental to the community, the Elder Council and Division Commanders will have the opportunity to call for a veto of their own within 3 days. Once called for, the EC and DCs will begin a poll in the leadership channel in the discord that will remain open until the end of that 3 days. A successful member amendment veto vote must meet the following requirements:
The number of votes to approve the veto must be at least 75% (seventy-five percent) of currently-filled EC and DC positions.
If the veto vote fails, the amendment becomes official policy at the end of the 3-day consideration. If the veto vote passes, a member of the EC will post the group’s reasoning for the veto on the amendment proposal thread for the community to see for 3 days.
If a member-driven amendment has been vetoed by the EC and DCs, the community has the ability to override that veto. Within the 3-day veto review period, members may call for an override vote, at which point a community moderator will add a poll question to the proposal, and voting will last for 3 days. A successful veto override vote must meet the following requirements:
The number of participants in the override vote must be at least 60% (sixty percent) of the number that voted in the previous High Elder election
The number of votes to approve the override must be at least 90% (ninety percent) of the total voters.
If the override vote successfully passes, the amendment proposal becomes official policy. If the override vote fails, the veto remains in place, and the amendment proposal does not pass.
Recruitment Policy
Logistics: The Tools at Your Disposal
The Recruitment Spreadsheet
The recruitment spreadsheet is a tool used to track accepted Trial Members and their progress in the Remnants of Hope trial period. All divisions need some form of it! You must also have it posted in the division's Recruitment channel within discord where leadership can review it. Spreadsheets must include the following:
An Applicant's Discord Name
An Applicant's In-game Account ID
A Trial Start Date
A Trial End Date (two weeks from the start date)
Whether they have been accepted or denied (with a reason for denial)
Not required, but recommended:
A Trial Member's halfway point in the trial (for a halfway reminder check)
Columns to track certain trial objectives, such as in-game activities
A comments section for noting any special circumstances
This spreadsheet can be maintained by either you or one of your assistants, but remember: keeping this up to date is the easiest way to make sure everybody is accounted for. A summary of the month’s activities in recruiting (applications received, declined, accepted, and in progress) should be included in your monthly report to your Division Commander, who will in turn include it in their monthly report to the Elder Council.
Guild Advertisements
Advertising for applicants is a part of recruiting, and finding the best places to get new recruits can be taken care of by either you or your assistants. Feel free to use whatever means you desire to bring in new applicants, but some popular advertising options include:
Official forums for that game
Reddit threads to promote the game
Popular fan-site forums
Zone/map chat blasts (if you use this method, please use discretion and don't spam messages over and over)
You may also hold events open to the general public of your game, sponsored by Remnants of Hope. Make sure that with every advertisement you make, whether it be through public or private communications, you provide a link to our front page and direct potential applicants to our website to read more about us and to apply.
Process: The Procedures for Recruitment
When an application is first received, the applicant begins a process to become a full member of Remnants of Hope. The logistics mentioned above are tools to help the Recruitment teams oversee the recruitment process. The process has three main stages, as described below:
Stage One: Initial Application and Community Recruitment Voting
WHEN AN APPLICATION IS POSTED IN THE DISCORD
The application is posted in the #recruit-new-application in the Recruitment section of Discord
The app is to be approved or declined by the Recruitment Officer or assistants of the division the applicant is applying for
Stage Two: Trial Period and Trial Objectives
Membership is not determined by discussion, biases, etc. it is solely maintained on following community rules of conduct. Each individual division may set their own objectives to membership
THE OBJECTIVES
The trial objectives, at a minimum, must include the following:
Joining the in-game guild for the division to which they are applying
Post an introduction
Additional trial objectives may be included at the Recruitment Officer's discretion, but all objectives added should be aimed at gauging a Trial Member's overall activity in game, on communications platforms, and in the overall community, as well as the ability to showcase a Trial Member's integrity, maturity, and loyalty.
PARTICIPATING IN OTHER DIVISIONS/GAMES
If a Trial Member chooses to participate in another division, they must declare their character or account name in their application thread.
Trial objectives will be tracked only for the division for which the Trial Member originally applied. If a Trial Member wishes to finish their trial period in a different division from which they started, then they can speak to their Recruitment Officer about how to do so.
FAILING OR REMOVING A TRIAL
Incomplete Objectives
If a Trial Member is unable to complete all objectives assigned in the 30 day period, an extension can be offered to the Trial Member.
If no extension is requested or granted, the trial membership will be ended and the applicant will need to reapply after at least seven days have passed. Completed trial objectives do not carry over to a subsequent trial period.
Removal by Recruitment Officer
A trial membership may be terminated at any time for any reason by the Recruitment Officer during Stage Two, which will result in an immediate dismissal from the Community for the applicant.
Removal Notification
If a Trial Member is denied or quits, The Trial member will be removed from Discord and their character removed from in-game guilds. If the Trial Member was in multiple division guilds that is known, the divisional recruitment officer should be notified
COMPLETING A TRIAL
Completing Objectives
After one week, if a Trial Member has completed all their objectives, they may, at the Recruitment Officer's discretion, Move on to Stage 3
Stage Three: Divisional Voting
After the trial period, a vote will be held in the applicants discord thread. Each divisional officer is given one vote.
Once a member is accepted, the recruitment officer should post in the #recruit-rank-change-request in discord for the Community Leader to update their discord rank
Miscellaneous Things
Trials Swapping Divisions
If a Trial Member seeks to swap divisions within their first week of the trial, the following steps should be followed:
The Trial Member should send a request to the Recruitment Officer of the division for which they applied.
The original Recruitment Officer should then communicate the request to swap to the Recruitment Officer of the division to which the Trial Member wants to swap.
Community Manager will manually move the trial application thread to the new division trial application area.
Community Manager will manually copy/paste the trial objectives for the new division into the trial application thread as a post.
Community Manager will change the title of the trial application to match the new division.
The Trial Member continues their trial at Stage Two in the new division under the new RO's observance. The Trial Member’s time will be officially reset and all trial objectives should be restarted with the new division.
Recruitment Assistants
Recruitment Assistants are an important part of the recruitment team and as such, it is vital that they are given tasks to help ease the burden on a Recruitment Officer.
Recruitment Assistants may:
Maintain and update recruitment spreadsheets
Invite Trial Members to the in-game guild
Conduct reviews
Perform in-game promotions of Trial Member to Member
Keep up with Trial Members in-game and make sure they are settling in well
Monitor trial objective progress and track it as needed
Help the RO keep the various recruitment tools and posts up to date
As always, Recruitment Assistants are encouraged to share their opinions on all Trial Member discussions for their division.
Recruitment Officer Meetings
It is encouraged that all Recruitment Officers and the Community Manager meet as needed to create a good flow of communication between divisions.
Division Proposal Process
Note: Division proposals are distinct from Charter amendment proposals.
This is the standard template for division applications to the community. These are only the minimum requirements for the proposal. The proposal should be well-researched and professionally written. Approach the proposal as if you were pitching this product to the Elder Council. Your proposal will have more support if it took effort and is easy to read.
Game Information
You should include as much essential information concerning the game as possible. Good examples would include the setting, overview, max group size, aspects of play, and type of game.
We should also have some sort of timetable for the implementation and release of this game. Are there open or closed betas in which the community could participate?
Provide links to the game's website and some good examples of media as well.
Community Support and Playability
Provide examples and arguments as to why this game is a good choice to adopt into Remnants of Hope.
What guild activities are available?
Does this game incorporate any type of guild features?
What advantages are there to playing this game as a community?
Structure and Organization
How do we go about organizing and structuring a division for this game?
There needs to be a nomination for a potential candidate for Division Commander in this section. This nominee must accept their nomination prior to proposal submission. The nominee can also be the author of the proposal.
How is recruitment going to function in this game?
How are we to attract players in our own community and those outside to our cause in the game?
What website and community modifications must we implement?
Are there multiple factions in the game? How do we approach this?
Activity and Sustainability
What evidence can you provide that implies this division can sustain itself?
Give a brief overview of member interest in the community for this game.
What activities can we create and take advantage of in this game on a daily basis?
Division Creation Process
The decision to create or dissolve a division rests wholly with the Elder Council. The Elder Council are encouraged to follow the below criteria when making such decisions. The Elder Council is not permitted to create a Division Proposal.
New Division Requirements:
A dedicated, suitable, and willing leader
A detailed proposal
Interest within the community
The division addition process is the following five-stage plan. This process is overseen by the Elder Council.
Stage One: Proposal
This stage begins when a proposal following the above proposal requirements is submitted in a direct DM containing all members of the Elder Council.
If all requirements are met, the Elder Council will make a public announcement stating interest within the guild for adding another division.
If the proposal does not meet requirements (i.e. lacks vital information) and is found inadequate, it will be returned to be revised.
Once either the initial proposal is approved or an additional proposal is submitted and approved, then Stage Two will fully begin.
Stage Two: Alternative Proposals
When the Elder Council approves a proposal and announces interest in the creation of a division, members will have up to one week to post any alternative proposals that they feel would better suit the community and game.
A new topic will be created for all members of the community to express their ideas that argue for or against the creation of a division. This topic will be left unlocked for at least one week, with extensions at the Elder Council’s discretion.
The Elder Council will consider all arguments for or against the creation of a division during this stage. No proposal is guaranteed to be accepted, nor do they mean that a new division is certain.
Members should begin to think of proposed Division Commanders in this stage.
First Division Commander:
The very first Division Commander of a newly-created division is to be appointed by the Elder Council. If multiple members make themselves known as potential candidates for the position, however, the Elder Council is encouraged and authorized (but not required) to initiate an election for this position. Regardless of the first Division Commander's method of appointment, divisions must always utilize elections after the first term.
Stage Three: Elder Council Proposal Decisions
During this stage, the Elder Council will review all submitted proposals that passed the first two stages.
The Elder Council will decide whether or not the proposals provide enough grounds to justify the creation of a division in the community.
There is no definitive timetable for this stage, but it would be rare for it to be longer than one week.
Stage Four: Division Commander Applications
If an actual proposal is approved and decided upon by the Elder Council, then Stage Four will begin.
Division Commanders and Officers seeking to apply for the new Division Commander and Recruitment Officer positions are required to provide a two-week notice to their current Division Commander (assuming it is an Officer) or the Elder Council (assuming it is a Division Commander).
During this time, members may make Division Commander and Recruitment Officer submissions to the Elder Council. The winning proposal's Division Commander nomination will be immediately included in the ballot for the position.
The Elder Council will announce any interview or application requirements, as well as the time period for accepting applications. Standard eligibility requirements listed in the guild structure will apply.
This stage may be no longer than one week.
Stage Five: Division Creation
The Elder Council will decide either to appoint a new Division Commander or hold an election. If an election is chosen, it will be initiated by the Elder Council via the Election Procedures outlined in the Charter.
Afterward, the new Division Commander and the Elder Council will confer about the recruitment applications and the Division Commander will choose their Recruitment Officer.
Before recruitment may officially begin within the division, an application and trial process/requirements must be established.
Once the Division Commander is chosen, the DC and the Elder Council will begin setting up the division.
After the division is implemented, maintenance and election of future division commanders becomes the responsibility of the division and is no longer in the Elder Council’s jurisdiction.
Division Dissolution Process
Division Validity Requirements:
For a division within [ROH] to remain valid and not be dissolved, it must meet the following minimum staffing requirements:
Division Commander – A designated individual responsible for overseeing the division and ensuring its operations are in line with organizational goals.
Recruitment Officer – An individual assigned to manage recruitment efforts and ensure the division maintains adequate membership levels.
At least one Divisional Officer – An officer designated to assist in the division’s daily operations and support the leadership structure.
If any of the above positions are unfilled or if the division fails to maintain these minimum requirements, the division will be subject to dissolution.
As we all know, things do not last forever. This community, and the games we play, is in a continuous state of growth and change. At times it may be necessary to move on from a particular game; perhaps the game itself reaches sunset, or the community as a whole has decreased interest in that game.
With that in mind, the following process should be followed to address a declining division:
If there is decreased activity in the division, and/or the Division Validity Requirements are not met for a period greater than two weeks, then the EC should consider the state of the division by a vote.
Division Dissolution Process:
Initiating the Discussion: If the majority votes to consider the division for dissolution, the Division Commander and Officers will be added to a private message (PM) where the Elder Council (EC) will share their concerns and invite feedback from the division's leadership regarding its future.
Decision by Division Leadership:
If the Division Commander and Officers agree that the division has run its course within the community, it will be closed.
If the Division Commander and Officers wish to continue the division, they will have one week to develop an action plan focused on revitalizing the division’s growth and activity.
Probationary Period: The division will then enter a four-week probationary period, during which weekly updates on the action plan’s progress will be provided in the PM discussion. The EC will review these updates regularly.
Post-Probation Review: At the end of the four-week period, the EC will meet with the Division Commander and Officers to reassess the situation. The following outcomes are possible:
If the division has successfully recovered, it will be removed from probationary status.
If the division shows progress but has not fully recovered, it may be granted a two-week extension by a majority vote of the EC.
If the division has not recovered and has not made sufficient progress, it will be removed as an official division and considered a casual game.
If the Division is Dissolved or Moved to Casual Status:
A section within the Casual section of discord will be created for the former division, and all division-specific posts will be moved there.
The in-game guild and its associated resources will be transferred to the former Division Commander, who will be able to manage them according to the needs of the community that still participates in the game.
Recruitment templates will be updated to reflect the game’s new status, removing its formal association with Remnants of Hope.
The Division Commander, Officers, and Assistants will be returned to Member status on all communications platforms.
Members who do not participate in any other officially supported games by Remnants of Hope will retain their community membership.
The former division may be reinstated in the future by going through the Division Creation Process again.