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[Alf Cunha]

NEXUS COUNCIL BYLAWS


The Nexus Council is the governing body of the Avatars of the Nexus, serving in both a legislative and a judicial capacity.  The Nexus Council is to meet no less than twice each Nexus Cycle (year).  Each House in the Nexus is represented on the Council through a representative chosen by that house.  Any seat that is held in dispute will have no representation until the House in question has settled that dispute. 


(Section I - Council Officers)


A. Representation – a House may employ any method it wishes to determine its representative. A representative shall serve a term of one Nexus Cycle.  A non-Avatar may sit as a House representative, but an Avatar ‘interpreter’ will be required to validate the representative’s vote.


B. Council Officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Bailiff, Secretary) - the Council officers work to ensure that the Council functions in the most effective manner possible, according to their respective duties.  A Council Officer shall serve a term of one Nexus Cycle.


1.  Council Chair - The Chair serves to guide and moderate Council meetings and present proposals.  Council Chair is elected via plurality of Council Votes (unweighted).

A candidate for Council Chair must be an acting House representative and may be nominated by another acting councilor.  Each House is allowed a single nomination for Council Chair, which must be seconded.


2.  Vice-Chair - The Vice-Chair serves to act in the capacity of Chair in the event that the Chair is unable to perform their duties.  The Vice-Chair may be called upon by the Chair for assistance in the administration of Council affairs.  Vice-Chair is elected via plurality of Council votes (unweighted).

A candidate for Vice-Chair must be an acting House representative and may be nominated by another acting councilor.  Each House is allowed a single nomination for Vice-Chair, which must be seconded.


3.  Bailiff - The Bailiff serves to maintain order during Council meetings, as directed by the Council Chair.  As a non-elected officer, the Bailiff may not participate in Council votes.

The position of Bailiff is an appointed position, granted by the Council Chair. The appointment may be overturned via a majority vote of Council.


4.  Secretary - The secretary serves to maintain accurate records of all Council meetings and votes.  The secretary is to make any Council records available to the public by request (unless such records have been deemed sealed by the Council).  As a non-elected officer, the Secretary may not participate in Council votes.

The position of Secretary is an appointed position, granted by the Council Chair. The appointment may be overturned via a majority vote of Council.


C.  Vote of No Confidence - Any officer may be removed from their position for failure to fulfill their duties, through a vote of no confidence.  This removal may be effected via a 2/3 majority vote of Council.



(Section 2 – Council Meeting Procedures)
   

In order to ensure effectiveness and expediency during Council proceedings, the following format will be followed during all Council meetings.


A.  Roll Call – All Council meetings will be scheduled to take place at a predetermined time and will be held in the Nexus Council Chambers.  Roll Call will be taken at the beginning of the meeting.

Council may only meet in an official capacity when it has a quorum of two-thirds (10 representatives).  An official Council Meeting must be opened by either the Chair or Vice-Chair.


B.  Open Forum – The first portion of each Council Meeting will begin with an open forum for any Avatars who wish to air grievances or agendas they wish to be addressed by the Council.  Each avatar will be given 30 seconds to make their presentation, which will then be addressed by Council in closed session (time may be extended, at the discretion of the Chair).

C.  Closed Session – Once all non-Councilors have been given an opportunity to address the Council, the representatives will continue the meeting in a closed session.  Closed session is open solely to the duly-elected House representatives (or their second), Council Chair, Secretary, and Bailiff.  Closed session will proceed as follows:

1.  Emergencies (if any Councilor feels that there is an issue that must be immediately addressed, it will be brought to the Council’s attention at this time)

2.  Old Business (issues that have been previously addressed by Council will be discussed and/or brought to a vote.  All issues that directly affect the Nexus and its populace will be deemed a weighted vote)

3.  New Business (issues that the representatives wish to be addressed by the Council, or those that have been presented in Open Forum, will be brought to the Council’s attention)

4.  Adjourning of the meeting (once all issues have been presented and discussed, the council chair will close the meeting)


D.  Voting Procedures – Once an issue has been discussed to the general satisfaction of the Council, it may be brought to a vote by the Chair.  Each Councilor will be asked to cast a vote either favoring or opposing the issue.  When a vote is called, the Chair will determine the form of the vote:
   

1.  Simple Votes – Any vote that affects the general functioning of the Council, and does not directly impact the lives of the Avatars, will be declared a Simple Vote.

2.  Weighted Votes – Any vote that directly impacts the lives of the Avatars will be declared a weighted vote.  In a Weighted Vote, each representative is granted a percentage of a 100-point total (distributed according to house population).

All votes are decided through majority and will be recorded by the Council Secretary at the time of the vote.  At the conclusion of the vote the Secretary will announce the final result.


E.  Removal of Councilors – Any time an individual behaves in a disruptive manner that individual may, at the discretion of the Chair, be removed from the Council session.  A councilor that has been removed has the right to name another house member to take their place for the remainder of the session.



(Section 3 – Council Abilities)


A.  Council Chambers – Nothing may affect a Councilor (House representative) or Council Staff (Secretary/Bailiff) without that individual’s consent while in Council Chambers.  The Bailiff’s ability to eject a Councilor is not subject to this restriction. 

The Council Bailiff has the ability to instantaneously eject an Avatar from the Council Chambers if so directed by the Council Chair (an avatar removed in this way may not return to Council Chambers for the duration of the meeting).


B.  Judicial Review – In the event that a denizen of the Nexus is brought before the Council for trial, a Judicial Panel will be assembled.  The Judiciary panel will be chosen as follows: the accused denizen will choose one Councilor they do not wish to sit on the panel, the denizen’s accuser will then do the same.  This process will continue until five Councilors remain – thus forming the Judiciary Panel, which will decide the case via majority vote.

   
C.  Amending the Bylaws – In order to make a change to the Bylaws of the Nexus Council a two thirds weighted vote (67 votes) must be passed by the representatives of Council.

   
D.  Mystic Assent – In the event that the Council requires direct intervention on behalf of the Nexus, a Mystic Assent may be called.  A Mystic Assent is called as per standard voting procedures and may only be enacted through a unanimous vote of the Nexus Council.




Enacted via Mystic Assent:  2006.0714

[LucasJamison]

Maybe this time, they'll last longer.

[Arwen Galen]

Maybe this time, they'll last longer.

Define longer...longer than what?

Arwen Galen
Technomage
bookie at large
House Galahad

[SigmaCaine]

Define longer...longer than what?

Exactly.

[GM John]

1.  Council Chair - The Chair serves to guide and moderate Council meetings and present proposals.  Council Chair is elected via plurality of Council Votes (unweighted).

I completely missed this.  Was "unweighted" a typo or did the Council actually mean to reverse the only vote mandated as Weighted by the Nexus?

[Alf Cunha]

I completely missed this.  Was "unweighted" a typo or did the Council actually mean to reverse the only vote mandated as Weighted by the Nexus?

**  This is how it was written back in '04, and that's what was passed at the last Council meeting

.

[GM John]

*sigh*

[Alf Cunha]

(insert halo)

.

[`_100003005030 (Zero)]

I don't remember it being that way in the FINAL copy we had when the thing was drafted.  I won't argue that it's what was passed at the last meeting, though.

And while House Renaissance has no reason to object, we suspect our colleagues in House Fleming may think otherwise.

Hoo boy!  [bangs head on desk]

Linda

[LucasJamison]

I completely missed this.  Was "unweighted" a typo or did the Council actually mean to reverse the only vote mandated as Weighted by the Nexus?

Intentional, and given some significant thought and discussion, actually.  I can't possibly express strongly enough that the Councilors, being well aware of the official rules the Nexus has for them, have decided to do things differently.  This are informed and active choices made by Councilors, for perfectly rational in-game reasons.  I'm sure there will be IC consequences for these choices, and welcome their resolution in game.  The constant dropping OOC to say, "hey, that's not what's in the rules, and based solely on that OOC understanding of OOC rules, I won't do it that way IC" has been the most infuriating part of attempting to advance political change in the Nexus over the years.

[Bron Price]

And even with an unweighted vote, Bron got elected.  How about that?  You like him, you really like him!!

[LucasJamison]

I completely missed this.  Was "unweighted" a typo or did the Council actually mean to reverse the only vote mandated as Weighted by the Nexus?

I decided to actually read the rulebook for the first time in a year or so, just now, and don't see this stipulated there.  Not that it would have to be (and maybe it will be in 3.0), but in light of recent discussions, I find it funny that even THIS rule isn't a published one.

[wcshoe]

And still... any vote can become a weighted vote at the request of one Councilor. That has not changed.

[LucasJamison]

And still... any vote can become a weighted vote at the request of one Councilor. That has not changed.

I'm pretty sure it's left to the sole discretion of the chair, at least under the procedures outlined in the bylaws.   If the Nexus keeps a different account of events than the Council, that's it's own business, of course.

[Lovious]

'04... that was SO SO long ago... a new set should be drafted... besides, Section 2-E is WAY out of line... should have never been allowed in there in the first place... any document with something that out of line can't be expected to be held as worth anything now a days.

I suggest that we have a meeting of more current avatars who would know better what the needs NOW are to come together and formulate a new process by which the council should adhere to, and not something based on such ancient history.

Michael Smith
Writer of the first passed constitution of the Nexus (with ratification, and has never officially been retracted as per the laws of the constitution itself)
Writer of the second, unfinished, and unpassed constitution of the Nexus (Much more work for people who requested it, then promptly ignored it, then even quicker railed against it)