Cornerstone/Cornerstone Charter

The official Charter of Cornerstone

Current Charter[]

PREAMBLE[]

["And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation."]: Mark 16:15

[“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”]: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

These are the values and beliefs in which the alliance of Cornerstone will adhere to and abide by in all actions both internally and externally

This document formally establishes the alliance of Cornerstone.

§1 Admission[]

Any Nation that meets the following criteria may be considered for membership if they meet the “Admissions and Membership” Statute and will follow those guidelines throughout the recruitment and entrance process.

All member nations who apply take on the full responsibility and knowledge that they will support any and all actions of Cornerstone. 

All members must support and defend the Alliance in the event of war.

§2 Code of Conduct[]

All member nations in Cornerstone shall behave in the manner befitting a Christian nation and shall not bring shame on Cornerstone or the name of Christ. Failing to do so is grounds for expulsion from the alliance, regardless of personal beliefs or religion.
No nation in the Cornerstone may declare war as an aggressor, nor engage in espionage, without express and prior approval from the Grand Pilus or by a Princep appointed by the Grand Pilus with said powers; the alliance is primarily for mutual defense. Raiding or launching Rogue attacks are not allowed.

All Cornerstone Members are to abide by the rules and regulations as legally enacted according to the official forum Code of Conduct.
While Cornerstone is an inherently Christian alliance, there is no formal requirement that any member share our beliefs personally, or that they hide their beliefs should they be different. We encourage friendly discussion and debate where differences occur, although mutual respect must be maintained.

§3 Structure[]

The Alliance shall be lead by the Grand Pilus and the Senate of Knights, which shall vote upon decisions regarding the running and policy of the alliance. Upon election, the Grand Pilus shall appoint previously named Princeps to lead departments within the Senate.

A. The Senate of Knights:
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[Knights]()
+ The Senate shall be a joint delegation of Appointed Knights and Elected Knights. Herein referred to as such.
+ Appointed Knights consist of the Grand Pilus and their Princeps.
+ Elected Knights consist of those who are elected by the Cornerstone membership.
+ An Elected Knight cannot also be an Appointed Knight and vice versa.
+ A Seat for an Elected Knight will be established for every 4 members of the alliance. Appointed Knights do not count towards the number of Elected Knights.

+ Knight elections will take place every three months, and seats will only be adjusted at those points. Elections will be held according to the “Elections Standards” Statute
+ The Total number of Appointed Knights cannot exceed 51% of the total number of Elected Knights.
+ The Senate shall be led by an Grand Pilus, who has authority and ultimate responsibility in making decisions on behalf of the alliance and ensure its smooth running. These decisions may however be overturned by the Senate as a two-thirds majority of votes cast.
+ Each Knight shall have one vote on bills or actions introduced to the Senate. Any member of the Senate may call for a vote of an action or bill under consideration. Voting shall be done through the posting of an “yay” or a “nay”, as opposed to setting up a poll. The length of the voting period must be stated upon opening and may vary depending on the nature of the vote.
+ The Senate shall have the power to overturn any action or policy initiated by the Grand Pilus or another Knight with a Senatorial Vote. A Senatorial Vote cannot begin until one Knight motions for a Senatorial Vote and is seconded by a different Knight.
+ A Senatorial Vote shall last no less than 24 hrs and no more than 72 hrs. A veto shall pass with a two-thirds vote of active Knights.
+ Any Knight has the right to declare a Vote of No Confidence (VoNC) against the Grand Pilus or any sitting Princep. Once proposed, the VoNC must be seconded by a Knight within 48 hours, at which point a vote must take place to either remove or retain the current Grand Pilus or Princep. The vote shall be initiated by the Knight who seconded and shall last no less than 24 hrs and no more than 48 hrs. The removal of the Grand Pilus requires a two-thirds vote by active alliance membership.
+ The Senate shall meet within the Senate Chambers.

[The Grand Pilus]()
+ The Grand Pilus will have rights to create, appoint, remove, and destroy Princeps and their positions as seen fit.
+ The Grand Pilus is responsible for seeing the mission and vision of Cornerstone to be upheld at all times.
+ The Grand Pilus may distribute their powers to any senate member as they see fit.
+ In the event that the Grand Pilus is away the named Post Pilus will assume the role with full powers and responsibilities unless otherwise stated until the return of the Grand Pilus.
+ In the event that the Grand Pilus resigns or a successful Vote of No Confidence is achieved the Post Pilus will assume the role with full powers until a new Grand Pilus has been appointed.
+ The Grand Pilus has the power to create appointed positions for advisers within the cabinet which cannot vote as senators but may take part in discussions at all levels including cabinet or Senate discussions.

[Princeps and Councils]()
+ Councils shall be created and destroyed at will by the Grand Pilus, each Council shall have a Princep appointed to oversee it.
+ Knights shall be able to freely join a Council to assist as needed.
+ Members can request to join a Council and approved on a case by case basis.
+ Princeps are appointed by the Grand Pilus and will have their positions and duties listed within the “Cornerstone Councils” Statute.
+ Princeps may be reshuffled at any point during the term at will by the Grand Pilus
+ The Grand Pilus and the Princeps shall be referred to as the Conclave.

B. Members:
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+ All Members of the alliance shall elect a Grand Pilus every six months. Voting shall proceed according to the "Election Standards" statute as established by the Senate.
+ Voting shall also occur upon resignation of the Grand Pilus or a successful VoNC, at which point the six month voting period is reset.
+ Any member of the alliance may propose a bill or action to be voted upon by the Senate. Any member may also request a ruling from the Senate on any situation within the authority or control of this alliance, including providing that member a means to have their grievances addressed.

§4 War and Nuclear Weapons[]

Cornerstone recognizes the right of its nations to choose whether or not to develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent to hostile aggression.

Cornerstone reserves the right to use nuclear weapons as a means to ensure its defence from hostile aggressions by other nations with nuclear capabilities or other such situations where the survival of the alliance or its member nations, or its allies, are deemed to be in jeopardy.

The right of the alliance to declare war is reserved to Cornerstone and its Senate

War shall be declared by a majority vote by the Senate with a vote being called for by the Grand Pilus or by a Princep appointed by the Grand Pilus with said powers. The Grand Pilus or appointed Princep shall conduct the vote according to the "War Regulations" Statute.

A vote invoking The Ideological Concern Clause of a Mutual Defensive Pact must be passed by a majority of the Senate who voted.

In the event of war, all members shall adhere to the "War Regulations" Statute for conduct.

§5 Amending the Charter[]

Any full member in good standing may propose an amendment to the charter by starting a thread in the Public Policy forum. The amendment must receive a second within three days or it will be considered dead. Amendments to the charter shall receive the highest attention of the Senate.

Voting on Amendments: An amendment must receive a two-thirds majority within the Senate from those voting in order to be approved. Voting on an amendment shall last no less than 24 hours and no more than 72 hours.

§6 Team Color[]

The Official team color of Cornerstone shall be Olive. Residency is however not mandatory.

§7 Statutes[]

Any Statutes written in the Charter or created by the Senate shall be announced when established and when edited through a reply stating the Statute was updated.
Prior Statutes shall be recorded in an official manner (wiki entry, spoiler, official thread, etc…)

§8 Addendum[]

["Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."]: Ephesians 3:20-21

Forever and ever, God, You reign

Amendments[]

Addendum 1: The Grand Pilus has the power to create appointed positions for advisers within the cabinet which cannot vote as senators but may take part in discussions at all levels including cabinet or Senate discussions. (Vote 9-1-0)

Addendum 2: Effective: 4/8/17 The charter has been amended to include the following text: "The number of Senate seats will be set at 10. Furthermore the Senate has the power to increase its membership to 12 or reduce it to 8, or revert it back to 10 if otherwise changed by a 50% vote of all voting Senators" This is an abolition of the previous rule of 1 senator per 4 members. Passed by a 9-2-1 vote of the Cornerstone Eighth Senate

Old Charter[]

§1 - Preamble[]

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”-Mark 16:15

In these words the member nations promote the belief of the Christian faith and the spread of the Gospel to every corner of the world.

This document formally establishes the alliance of Cornerstone.

§2 - The Triumvirate[]

A. The alliance shall be ruled by three Triumvirs, of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Defence
B. A Triumvir reigns until he resigns, disappears, or is removed.
C. A Triumvir may be removed through a motion of his two fellow Triumvirs, backed by a 40% support in vote from the membership.
D. When a Triumvir position is vacant, the other two Triumvirs shall appoint a replacement for the position. This replacement is confirmed by a majority vote of alliance membership. If this vote fails, the Triumvirs shall make a new appointment, until one is approved.
E. Any two Triumvirs may block any action of the third Triumvir.

§3 - The Triumvir of Foreign Affairs[]

A. The Triumvir of Foreign Affairs (ToFA) is responsible for managing all Foreign Affairs matters of the the alliance, and all non-military contact with foreign entities
B. Any action that would commit the alliance to some policy, such as a treaty, doctrine, or such document, requires approval by a second Triumvir. Likewise, any dissolution of such a document requires approval from a second Triumvir.

§4 - The Triumvir of Internal Affairs[]

A. The Triumvir of Internal Affairs (ToIA) is responsible for managing all Internal Affairs matters of the alliance, e.g. economics, membership, and recruitment.
B. The ToIA designates who is and is not a member of the alliance. He may add or remove members at will, excepting only his fellow Triumvirs.

§5 - The Triumvir of Defense[]

A. The Triumvir of Defence (ToD) is responsible for managing all military matters of the alliance.
B. The ToD may, with the approval of a second Triumvir, declare any war.

§6 - Other government[]

A. Any power not given explicitly to a specific Triumvir, or to the membership, is held jointly by the Triumvirs.
B. Any Triumvir may delegate any of their powers to anyone, except the power to delegate their powers.
C. The Triumvirs may exercise any jointly held power by majority vote amongst themselves, and may delegate any jointly held power to anyone by majority vote.
D. The power to approve peace agreements is held jointly.

§7 Membership[]

A. All member nations in Cornerstone shall behave in the manner befitting a Christian nation and shall not bring shame on the alliance or the name of Christ.
B. All members are bound to obey the charter and the legal decisions of the Triumvirs.

§8 Charter amendments[]

Any member may propose a charter amendment. When an amendment is proposed, the Triumvirs shall hold a poll on the amendment. It passes with a 75% vote. The Triumvirs jointly hold the power to reduce this threshold to 50%.