Lotus Fleet Code of Conduct

[Sainthill]

                                                  Lotus Fleet Code of Conduct Code of Conduct
                                                                             Version 2.8




Article I – Intent
Article II – Conduct
Article III – Fleet Interactions
Article IV – Chain of Command
Article V – Discharge of Duties
Article VI – Recruitment
Article VII – Academy, Command School
Article VIII – Offenses
Article IX – Fleet Advocate Rights
Article X – Leaving Lotus Fleet
Article XI – Commanders
Article XII – Pledge
Article XIII – CoC Changes


Article I – Intent
1.1 Lotus Fleet is an organization formed for the purpose of bringing a multitude of like-minded individuals together from across the world that enjoys Star Trek, science, science fiction fantasy and the federations founding principles and philosophies. Lotus Fleet organization follows the naval structure found in Star Trek.  Our goal is to promote the enjoyment of of what Star Trek represents to it's members, including things like, world-wide community.

1.2 The Fleet Admiral can appoint all Flag Officers of Lotus Fleet at his discretion however the Fleet Admiral may delegate the authority to appoint a Division Executive Officer to that Division’s Commanding Officer.

1.3 The Fleet Admiral, in conjunction with the Fleet Officers, shall be responsible for the day to day operation of Lotus Fleet as dictated by the Chain of Command. The Fleet Admiral is empowered to take all legal and ethical actions deemed necessary to protect the integrity of Lotus Fleet.

1.4 The Fleet Executive Officer answers only to the Fleet Admiral. His duties include not only to maintain the executive link between the Fleet Admiral and the rest of the Fleet, but to stand for the Fleet Admiral at his call or in case of any other leadership need, like during his absence.


1.5 All other Fleet Officers shall have such duties and responsibilities as may be assigned either by the Fleet Admiral or the Fleet Executive Officer.

1.6 The Fleet Admiral and Fleet Executive Officer have the authority to promote and or demote to all ranks; powers to promote or demote can be handed down by the Fleet Admiral and the Fleet Executive Officer to other Fleet Officers.

1.7 Any and all promotions or demotions can be overruled by the Fleet Admiral or the Fleet Executive Officer. In the event that a dispute arises in regards to demotions or promotions, the Fleet Admiral will have final authority.

1.8 All Admiralty are empowered to discipline officers below them, provided such discipline is fair and in accordance with the Chain of Command and Code of Conduct (C.o.C). This does not include the power to demote, unless the admiral is directly above the officer in chain of command.

1.9 Finally, as stated in the charter hereto, Lotus Fleet is deemed to exist independently of its members. Accordingly, no member, regardless of his/her rank, shall have the authority to disband Lotus Fleet for any reason. The sole authority to disband Lotus Fleet resides in the discretion of the Fleet Officers. The Motion to Disband the Fleet must be submitted to all of the Fleet Officers and must receive a unanimous affirmative vote of all Fleet Officers. If these contingencies are not met, the Motion to Disband fails. Additionally ANY proposal for the alteration of the Flag Officers (Fleet Admiral/Fleet Executive Officer) for the disbandment/alteration of command must also be approved by all Flag Officers.

1.10 The CoC acts in conjunction with the Fleet General Orders and both must be adhered to without considered and planned forethought aimed at breaching said articles unless other Articles in this document are in breach by any other Fleet Member.

Article II – Conduct

2.1 All Fleet Officers, Staff Officers, provisional/non-commissioned officers, and cadets of Lotus Fleet, shall behave at all times in a positive manner that reflects the nature of what it means to be a member of Lotus Fleet. Personal insults and derogatory comments directed to other Fleet members, non-fleet members, or other Fleets will not be tolerated. While the use of "colorful" language is not condoned, it is not strictly prohibited. However, continuous and excessive foul language will be handled on a case by case basis. For the purpose of this Article, each member of Lotus Fleet is reminded that he/she is deemed to be a representative of Lotus Fleet at all times. Your actions shall be your own and can affect your standing within Lotus Fleet. At no time will it be permissible to say you acted alone without Lotus Fleet collaboration. As a member of Lotus Fleet, your actions reflect upon you as well as the Fleet and therefore you will be held accountable for those actions.

2.2 All Fleet Officers, Staff Officers, provisional/non-commissioned officers, and cadets of Lotus Fleet shall, at all times, conform to a code of truth and integrity in all of their endeavors. No member is to publicly accuse another individual (whether a member of Lotus Fleet or not) of cheating, hacking, or having taken advantage of unfair gaming conditions (i.e. "lag") unless the member can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their accusations are valid.

2.3 The word of a Lotus Fleet member given to anyone, whether friend or foe, shall be considered that member’s sacred oath.

2.4 Each Lotus Fleet member is expected and required to report any violation of the Lotus Fleet Charter, General Orders, and/or Code of Conduct to his Commanding Officer at the soonest opportunity. Any commanding officer receiving any notification of a violation of the above articles shall ensure that a Board of Inquiry Request Form (Fleet Advocate Inquiry Form) is filed to notify the Fleet Advocate Office of the violation. Possible violations will be reported to the Fleet Advocate Office for investigation.
 2.5 Violation of any of the stipulations (whole or in part) of this Article shall be charged as a Category I offense.

Article III Fleet Interactions

3.1 All Lotus Fleet Members shall show civility and deference for other community members at all times. Accordingly, non-sanctioned ganging-up on non-Lotus Fleet personnel in a game, taunting an opponent in a game, and/or maliciously interfering in an on-going game created or started by another is forbidden unless as stated above it is a sanctioned action.

3.2 Lotus Fleet will not actively engage in "Spying" or any form of "Espionage" that is intended for the purpose of stealing information or doing damage of any kind to any other fleet within the Star Trek community or any type of gaming guild or community in any type of game or interaction setting unless an integral part accepted in said setting.  

3.3 With regards to forums and discussions held, the following guidelines apply; Violation of these guidelines will be considered a Category II Offense.

3.3.1 Exercise common sense and be considerate toward your fellow users. Diversity of opinion and intelligent civil discourse is encouraged; by the same token, insults and “flaming” are not tolerated. Disagreeing with an idea of another community member is different from attacking that individual.

3.3.2 Do not post off-topic. Please keep your comments consistent with the subject and purpose of the conversation thread. Deliberate disruption, such as consistent off-topic and/or frivolous commentary, will not be tolerated. Such posts will be deleted or redirected to a general discussion area.

3.3.3 No all-caps (FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THIS) or all-bold posts please. It is extremely hard to read, and can be interpreted as shouting or aggressive communication. Posts submitted in all-caps or all-bolds will be deleted.

3.3.4 Ranting is prohibited. A rant is a post which is long-winded, redundant, and filled with angry, non-constructive comments. A free exchange of ideas is essential to building a strong sense of community and helpful in the development of the game, however, rants are disruptive and incite flaming and trolling. Please post your thoughts in a concise, clear manner and avoid going off on rambling tangents.

3.3.5 Personal attacks are prohibited. Commonly known as flaming, personal attacks are posts which are designed to personally berate or insult another. Text of this nature is not beneficial to the community spirit and will not be tolerated.

3.4 Role Players (RPers) are cautioned to avoid allowing an "in character" (IC) dispute to become an "out of character" (OOC) personal attack. The RP section is designed for role playing and/or portraying a role and it is sometimes easy for tempers to flare when the lines between the virtual world and the real world are crossed. Roleplayers shall always and only post OOC comments in red and as much as possible confine such comments to the appropriate posting section or in private messages (PM).

3.5 Trolling is prohibited. Trolling is a post that is deliberately designed for the purpose of angering and insulting the members of the forum community. Posts of this nature are disruptive and do not convey a friendly attitude.

3.6 Posting personal information is prohibited. Please respect the privacy of other members/guests and do not give out information such as phone numbers and addresses.

3.7 Private communication between the Administrators, Moderators, and Forum Users is not to be made public on these forums or by any other venue.

3.8 You are not permitted to publicize any private correspondence (including petitions) received from any of the aforementioned.

3.9 Spamming and bumping are prohibited. Spam is considered to be repetitive posting of the same text again and again or nonsensical posts that have no substance and are often designed to annoy other forum users. Bumping posts in order to keep them near the top of the list is also prohibited. Posts of this nature are not conducive to community spirit and are unwelcome.

3.10 Do not post about bugs and exploits. Bugs and exploits should be reported to the Developers of Star Trek Online per their guidelines on doing so.

3.11 Redundant threads will be deleted. As a courtesy to others before beginning a new thread, please look to see if an active thread on that topic has already been established. If so, place your comments there instead. Multiple threads on the same subject clutter up the forum needlessly. Keep discussions about one topic to one thread only.

3.12 Impersonating another Forum User, Moderator, or guest is strictly prohibited. You are expressly forbidden from impersonating anyone else, including those named above, on the forums even in jest. This may be grounds for permanent banning from Lotus fleet.

3.13 Lotus Fleet and its moderators reserve the right to delete posts and/or whole conversations we determine are of an irrelevant, abusive or disruptive nature.

3.14 You alone are responsible for the material you post. You will not knowingly post content or links to content that violates the copyright, trademark, patent or other intellectual property right of any third party. You will remove your post should you discover that you have violated this provision. Likewise, you may not post content or links to content that is libelous, defamatory, offensive, obscene, racist, abusive, that violates a third party's right to privacy, that otherwise violates any applicable local, state, national or international law, or that is otherwise inappropriate. You will indemnify Lotusfleet.org, it’s members, staff, and affiliates from any and all claims and/or damages (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees) resulting from any claim brought by any third party relating to content you have posted.

3.15 We shall have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor any and all content of the Lotus Fleet websites to determine compliance with all sections of this Agreement and any other operating rules established by us. We shall have the right in our sole discretion to edit, refuse to post, remove, or otherwise alter any material submitted to, or posted on, the chats or forums. Without limiting the foregoing, we shall have the right to remove any material that we, in our sole discretion, find to be in violation of this agreement or inappropriate for any reason whatsoever without consent.

3.16 Notwithstanding all of the foregoing, users remain solely responsible for the content of their messages.

3.17 We further reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to remove a user's privilege to post content in our discussion forums. Suspended members who re-register with new accounts will have those accounts deactivated without notice. Repeated attempts will result in our contacting your ISP with a complaint.

3.18 You understand and agree that Lotusfleet.org is not responsible for any content posted by third parties. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, or any other user of the forums, are those of the respective author(s) and not of us.

3.19 You acknowledge and agree that you use and/or rely on any information obtained through the discussion forums at your own risk. Lotusfleet.org is not in any manner endorsing the content of the forums and cannot and will not vouch for its reliability. The disclaimer of liability contained in this section applies to any damages or injury caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortuous behavior, negligence, or under any other cause of action.

3.20 Each user specifically acknowledges that we are not liable for the defamatory, offensive or illegal conduct of third parties, subscribers, members or other users of the chats and forums and that the risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with each user.

3.21 You understand and agree that these discussion forums are to be used only for non-commercial purposes. You may not solicit funds, promote commercial entities or otherwise engage in commercial activity in the chats or forums. You may not contact other participants privately by any means without their express prior permission.

3.22 Finally, remember that we are all here to have fun and enjoy each other’s contributions. Please keep that in mind when interacting with fellow members of Lotus fleet, guests and any others you may encounter out there.

3.23 Only members of the Lotus Fleet diplomatic department should register on other forums using the Lotus Fleet Tag [LF]. Using this tag indicates that you are an official representative of our fleet. Doing so without being authorized by Lotus fleet Command or an official member of Lotus Fleet diplomatic department shall be identified as identity usurpation as per article 3.12 above with the specified consequence.


3.24 Violations of the provisions of this Article shall be considered a Category II offense.

Article IV – Chain of Command

4.1 All members of Lotus Fleet shall be required to, and shall at all times, follow the Chain of Command. Most importantly, all members of Lotus Fleet shall accomplish or perform the orders, commands, and/or assignments issued to them by an officer whom is superior in rank. Should the order be characterized as illegal, it should be immediately reported to the next higher officer in the Chain of Command. An order given to a subordinate officer may only be given by a superior officer that is within the direct chain of command of the above said subordinate. Overriding orders may only come from the Fleet Admiral or Fleet Executive Officer.

4.2 No member is permitted to publicly question the propriety or wisdom of an order or directive issued to him/her, nor is any officer permitted to privately question OR TO EVEN DISCUSS an order issued to him/her with any person not a member of Lotus Fleet. If a member is troubled by an order, directive, or assignment issued to him/her, they are to immediately state their concern to the issuing officer, who shall note such concerns and then either withdraw or affirm the order. In the event the order is affirmed, the member to whom the order, directive, or assignment is issued shall diligently perform the duties required of him/her until the assignment is completed. In no event may the officer delay in performing a confirmed order he/she questioned to seek redress from a higher authority. Such delay shall be considered insubordination, even in the event the order itself is eventually withdrawn.

4.3 If after performing the order, duty, or assignment the officer in question still feels that the order and/or assignment was not correct, he/she may take his/her case to his/her Commanding Officer. In the event that the Commanding Officer is the officer issuing the order, then the officer in question is permitted to take his/her complaint to the next highest ranking officer.

4.4 Any member receiving a complaint regarding an order or assignment given is to report it to his Commanding Officer and it is to be passed along the Chain of Command until it reaches the Fleet Executive Officer. The Fleet XO will then make a determination regarding the legitimacy of the order. Fleet Members also have the right to file their complaint utilizing the Board of Inquiry Request Form (Fleet Advocate Inquiry Form) which will cause the case to be reviewed by the Fleet Advocate Office. Refer to Articles VIII and IX.

4.5 Members of Lotus Fleet are strictly prohibited from ever disclosing the source of an order, directive, assignment, or policy position to any person not a member of Lotus Fleet for any purpose at any time. This provision shall be deemed to be an implicit part of each order issued by any officer of Lotus Fleet.

4.6 No member of Lotus Fleet is permitted to issue an order, directive, or assignment in the name of Lotus Fleet Command, nor is any officer permitted to post a message in the name of Lotus Fleet Command unless such has been specifically authorized by Fleet Admiral or Fleet Executive Officer. Orders, directives and assignments from Lotus Fleet Command are binding on all officers.

4.7 All Fleet members are required and expected to follow the Chain of Command with respect to those orders which may be issued to them by officers’ superior in rank to them in the same manner as any other officer of Lotus Fleet. No Lotus Fleet Officer may issue an order to the Commanding officer or Executive Officer of another division on issues pertaining to that Officer’s respective Fleet Division. Only orders from the Fleet Admiral and Fleet Executive Officer may be issued to Fleet Division leadership.

4.8 An officer placed in a command position, by the Fleet Admiral, is the highest authority in command. The individuals assigned to him play a subordinate role regardless of their rank.

4.9 In the absence of both the Fleet CO and Fleet XO the following requirements must be met in order to determine who will be the acting of each above position: Individuals must fall into one of the four following positions: Command Division Commanding Officer Operations Division Commanding Officer Academy Division Commanding Officer Whichever individual has the higher rank assumes the CO position and the subordinate assumes the XO position. If both are equal in rank, then the individual who has more time in grade will assume the CO position and the subordinate assumes the XO position.

4.10 If the Fleet CO, XO, and Division CO's are not present, the Fleet will enter Blue Alert until such time as the Fleet CO or Fleet XO terminates Blue Alert.

Article V – Discharge of Duties

5.1 All officers of Lotus Fleet are expected and required to complete any task, order or directive assigned to them and to discharge all of their duties diligently and expeditiously. All members are expected to be active within Lotus Fleet Forums. Members who may find themselves unable to remain active on the Lotus Fleet Forums with regularity are required to make a formal Request for Leave to their Commanding Officer.
5.2 Failure on the part of a Lotus Fleet Commissioned or Non-commissioned officer to discharge his/her duties as indicated in this Article shall constitute cause for transition to inactive status or may constitute grounds for a Category II offense.

Article VI – Recruitment

6.1 Recruitment of new members into Lotus Fleet, by all means and definitions, shall be the responsibility of Recruitment Department. It is important that all recruiting is handled through the appropriate channels of Lotus Fleet.
6.2 All recruitment conducted for Lotus Fleet must be done in a manner that follows the guidelines of the Lotus Fleet General Orders. Any exceptions to this must be approved by the Fleet CO or Fleet XO.  However, every member of lotus Fleet is allowed and even encouraged to recruit new members that would potentially enjoy and ideally contribute to the community.

6.3 All recruits and members of Lotus Fleet are expected to act in a mature manner.

6.4 Official recruitment activities should only be carried out by the Recruitment Department or by persons assigned to recruiting by the Recruitment Department. Failure to comply with regulations can result in a disciplinary action.
6.5 Recruitment is off limits to any student who is currently enrolled in the Academy. Recruitment can only be conducted by Lotus Fleet Recruitment Officers or Lotus Fleet Staff Officers and Fleet Officers, or by members specifically selected for this duty.  Recruitement by members is not considered official but only probationary and remains under the authority of the Recruiting Department for final approval.     

Article VII – Academy, Command School
7.1 All joining members of Lotus Fleet are required to attend all 4 years of the Academy.

7.2 Cadets will finish all course work in an academic year prior to advancing to the next year group.

7.3 Courses are marked as Core, Required, or Elective. Each semester has a required number of core and elective courses that each cadet is required to take; the cadet has full discretion as to which classes to take as long as the required number is met. Reference the program plan for options.

7.4 Exams will be given to Academy cadets at the end of most courses at the Academy. Answers will be added into the Cadet User Interface (CUI) and most will be graded automatically. For the Prime Directive course which requires manual grading, the cadet should inform the Professor of Operations of the need to have the exam graded via PM using the Forums. If the professor does not grade the exam within 2 days, the cadet should inform the Dean of Academics.

7.5 Once a cadet has completed the required courses within an academic year, the cadet must request the next year’s course keys using the Course Key Request Form. The Dean of Academics will then verify their completion of the current year and respond with the new keys.

7.6 All tests given at the Academy are given via the CUI. Tests are given on the honor system. It is the requirement of this institution that tests will be taken without the aid of the course materials or other cadets. You, as a cadet, are on your honor to follow this regulation. Cadets who are found to have violated this rule will be subject to censure.

7.7 Cadets have two chances to take the exam for each course; an average of below 60% constitutes a failure. The cadet must inform the Dean of Academics via PM of any failure.

7.7.1 The first failure will constitute a re-take of that course.

7.7.2 A second failure in that same course will constitute re-taking the entire academic year.

 7.7.3 A third failure in the same course shall constitute starting the Academy over from the beginning at which time the cadet has the option to change to a different degree.

7.8 Any cadet failing a course will not be eligible for Lotus Fleet Academy Honor Graduate status. 7.9 Cadets will select an area of expertise prior to year 2. Courses required for certain disciplines must be completed prior to moving on to the next Academy year. A cadet's choice for area of expertise must be on record with the CUI and the Dean’s office.

7.10 The Academy CO is the final authority on all issues with regards to the Academy except those that directly involve the Academy CO. All cadets should follow proper procedure for dealing with any issues. Cadets with an issue must follow the appropriate chain of command:

7.10.1 Cadets may not take Academy issues outside of the Academy.

7.10.2 Cadets should first take all questions and issues to their professor.

7.10.3 Should their Professor be unable or unwilling to help them, cadets should contact the Dean of Academics.

7.10.4 Should both the Professor and the Dean of Academics be unable or unwilling to help the cadet, the cadet will then contact the Academy CO to have the situation reviewed and resolved. The Academy CO is required to inform the Fleet Executive Officer of instances where a Cadets problem is being resolved by the Academy Commanding Officer or is being reviewed by the Fleet Advocate.

7.10.5 Failure to follow these guidelines and attempts to intentionally circumvent the Academy subsection of the C.o.C. will be considered a Category II offense.

7.11 All Cadets will retain their right to a Fleet Advocate Office investigation should they feel as though the Academy Division has not satisfied their issue in a fair and dignified manner.
7.12 In order to graduate from Lotus Fleet Academy, a cadet must maintain a GPA equal to or greater than 60%. However, graduation from Lotus Fleet Academy does not ensure that a cadet can join Lotus Fleet as a member. In order to apply for membership into Lotus Fleet, a cadet must have a GPA equal to or greater than 70%.

7.13 Fleet Command School

7.13.1 Command School is required for all Tier 4, 5, and 6 officers.

7.13.2 Once admitted, all officers have 30 days to become certified. Any exceptions will be at the approval of the Fleet CO.

7.13.3 A person may be appointed into a Tier 4 position without taking Command School, but must attend and become certified within 30 days of being appointed to the Tier 4 position.

7.13.4 Tier 2 or 3 officers may be nominated to attend Command School by their Division CO or XO, however any Fleet Officer may nominate.

7.13.4.1 The officer must be at least a Lieutenant Commander in order to be accepted. 7.13.4.2 The officer must have scored at least a 90% GPA in the Academy to be accepted.
7.13.5 Students must achieve a minimum of 85% GPA in order to become certified from Command School.

7.13.6 Students have three attempts to take a module exam. The highest grade of the three attempts will be used as the final score. A final score of below 75% constitutes a failure. The cadet must inform the Dean of Accession via PM of any failure.

7.13.6.1 Failure of either exam will constitute a review board of the Academy CO, XO, and Dean of Accession to decide if the student should be allowed to continue with Command School, or be dismissed.
7.13.7 Failure to certify from Command School could result in reduction of rank and/or loss of position.

Article VIII – Offenses

8.1 Only a member of Lotus Fleet may file a complaint against another Lotus Fleet member. Any person from outside of Lotus Fleet wishing to lodge a complaint may do so via e-mail ONLY to the Fleet Admiral or Fleet XO. If the Fleet Admiral or Fleet XO decides that there is a case to hear, the information will be forwarded to the Fleet Advocate Office.

8.2 Category I Offenses: All Violations of the General Orders are considered a Category I offense.

8.3 Category II Offenses: Any violation of the CoC that is not a Category I Offense is a Category II offense.

8.4 Your Right To Object:

8.4.1 All members of Lotus Fleet accused of a Category I or Category II offense have the right to counsel and representation by a Fleet Advocate Office Defense Advocate or duly appointed representative. A member may choose to refuse representation, however, still retain the Defense Advocate’s counsel as a subject matter expert. The member may both accept and agree to the specifications of charges lodged against them, or they may dispute the charges by utilizing the Fleet Advocate Office.
8.4.1.1 Although not recommended, a member may choose to refuse representation and opt to assume alone his own defense.  A member may choose any Fleet member to represent him , but it is strongly recommended to take advantage of a mandated Fleet Advocate from the Fleet Advocate Office as each is well versed and experienced in the Fleet's CoC, Charter and Chain of Command and bound by duty to keep the interest of the Fleet member at heart.

8.4.2 To make your objection known, you must communicate to only the Fleet Advocate Office DIRECTLY. DO NOT post it on the Lotus Fleet Forums. You must privately communicate (PM/e-mail) with the Fleet Advocate Office.

8.4.3 After the issue has been presented to the Fleet Advocate Office, the course is set and must be allowed to reach a conclusion. All matters in the purview of the Fleet Advocate Office will follow through their inevitable course until a verdict is announced. The Fleet Advocate is required to inform the Fleet Executive Officer of all cases except in the event that said case involves the Fleet Executive Officer. At such point, the Fleet Advocate will inform the Fleet Admiral.

8.5 Your Defense:

8.5.1 Fleet members may choose to have a conflict moderated by the division Commanding Officer or Executive Officer of the members in question. If moderation does not resolve the conflict, or the Fleet members opt otherwise, the Fleet Advocate Office will represent members on both sides of the conflict, conduct an investigation to gain an understanding of the issues, and resolve the conflict by order of the Fleet Advocate. Refer to paragraph 8.4.1 for a member’s right to representation.

8.5.2 In situations where a Fleet member has a conflict with any Fleet Officer, the conflict MUST be handled by the Fleet Advocate Office. This is to ensure that the rights of all Fleet members are maintained. The Fleet member should notify the Fleet Advocate Office via private communication or by filing a Mediation Request Form.

8.5.3 The Board of Inquiry Request Form (Fleet Advocate Inquiry Form) should be utilized for any complaints or accusations of misconduct that a Fleet Member chooses to have investigated by the Fleet Advocate Office. Only members of the Fleet Advocate Office, the Fleet Admiral, and the Fleet Executive Officer can view Board of Inquiry Request Form (Fleet Advocate Inquiry Form) submissions. If the grievance is against the Fleet Executive Officer, the Fleet Admiral will ensure that the Fleet XO does not interfere or influence the investigation or judgment in any way and vice versa. If the complaint is against someone in the Fleet Advocate Office, the Fleet Admiral and/or Fleet XO will ensure that individual is not involved in the investigation. While under Fleet Advocate Office investigation, a Fleet Officer will not have the authority to appoint and/or remove personnel until such time as a determination of guilt or innocence has been made.

8.5.4 If a Fleet Member wishes to challenge a Fleet Advocate verdict, the member may make an appeal in writing via the Fleet Advocate Appeals Form which will be reviewed by the Fleet Admiral and Fleet XO. A Judicial Review Panel will be convened consisting of the Fleet Admiral, Fleet XO, and a third Fleet Officer who will review all information regarding the associated case. After review and discussion, the Fleet Admiral will make a final decision on the matter.

Article IX – Fleet Advocate Rights

9.1 The Fleet Advocate Office shall serve as the Lotus Fleet investigatory body. The chief responsibility of the Fleet Advocate Office will be as a focal point for all potential misconduct that is committed by Lotus Fleet members. The Fleet Advocate will hand-down punishment and come to decisions in regards to guilt or innocence of an investigated matter. The Fleet Admiral retains the authority to override any punishments handed down by the Fleet Advocate and replace such punishments with a higher or lower form of punishment.

9.2 The Fleet Advocate and the Fleet Admiral sit on the same plane in the Lotus Fleet Organizational structure.  This means that ultimately they must agree upon any final decision made, however the Fleet Admiral has the ability to completely submit to the Fleet Advocate, depending upon his specification.  This is only negated when the Fleet Admiral is involved in any case, whatsoever.

9.3 The Fleet Admiral can vote to veto a decision the Fleet Advocate proposes, at which point he must submit a proposal to the Advocate, if the Fleet Admiral and the Fleet Advocate cannot agree then the Flag Officers of Lotus Fleet must take a vote on which proposal to accept. All Flag officers must vote.
Admiral has the ability to completely submit to the Fleet Advocate, depending upon his specification.  This is only negated when the Fleet Admiral is involved in a case, whatsoever

9.3.1 All members/cadets have the right to Fleet Advocate Office representation regardless of rank, title, or time in service. Should a member need to file a complaint to the Fleet Advocate Office, they may do so by utilizing the Board of Inquiry Request Form (Fleet Advocate Inquiry Form) or Mediation Request Form. Once submitted, the complaint will be investigated in full and a judgment rendered.

9.3.2 The Fleet Prosecutor and Defense Advocates should be utilized by Fleet members for the purpose of providing counsel. If a member is uncertain if a legitimate case exists or is uncertain of a course of action prior to filing a Board of Inquiry Request Form (Fleet Advocate Inquiry Form), the Fleet member should privately contact the Fleet Prosecutor or a Defense Advocate for a consultation. The conversation will remain confidential. As a result of the confidential conversation, if the Fleet Advocate Office representative is made aware of a violation, the Fleet Advocate Office representative must file the complaint for a full Fleet Advocate Office investigation per paragraph 2.4 unless the Fleet Member files a Board of Inquiry Request Form (Fleet Advocate Inquiry Form).
 
9.4 Method of Investigation and Judgment:

9.4.1 In the event that a situation arises that the Fleet Advocate Office must investigate, all pertinent information and all said information shall be made available to the Fleet Advocate Office without incident. The Fleet Prosecutor
and Defense Advocates will gather all information related to the situation, both negative and positive.

9.4.1.1 The Fleet Prosecutor will represent the person making the complaint; this could be the Fleet, or a Plaintiff.  The Fleet Prosecutor will become intimately familiar with all of the facts surrounding the situation, and will present the case as to why a violation has occurred.

9.4.1.2 The Defense Advocate is either;

9.4.1.2.A  A Fleet Officer in a Command position (Captain or Higher) Selected by the defendant.

9.4.1.2.B If the defendant has no person to elect, then a representative will be selected from available Fleet Command Staff (An Admiral of the fleet) that will assume the case, and role of the Defense Advocate.

9.4.1.3 The Defense Advocate(s) will represent and defend the person(s) being accused. The Defense Advocate(s) will become intimately familiar with all of the facts surrounding the situation, become familiar with the defendant’s reasoning and rationale, and will present the case as to why a violation has not occurred or, if it is clear a violation has occurred, why the defendant took the actions that were taken.

9.4.1.4 The Fleet Advocate will listen to both sides of the case, ask questions as necessary, deliberate, and come to a judgment of the situation. If necessary, the Fleet Advocate will also render a sentence (punishment). The Fleet Advocate may utilize the Deputy Fleet Advocate as a sounding board for deliberating on judgments and sentencing. The Fleet Advocate will make a report to the Fleet Admiral and Fleet XO regarding the outcome of all hearings, except in the case where the Fleet Admiral or Fleet XO are under investigation.

9.5 Should the Fleet Advocate become involved in a situation, the Deputy Fleet Advocate will assume the role of Fleet Advocate as presented above.

9.6 The Fleet Advocate will use the below punishments as a guide for sentencing but has the right to amend as he sees fit as the situation dictates.

9.7 Upon submission, the Fleet Advocate will work with the Fleet XO in informing Division Commanders that a Fleet Advocate review of said individuals is taking place in their division. The Division CO will be briefed in on the reported issue, but not given specific detail into the investigation as this may comprise the integrity of the investigation. The Fleet XO will coordinate any meetings between all involved parties within that Division and ensure that the Chain of Command is maintained and respected with regards to this investigation. Upon final judgment from the Fleet Advocate, the Fleet XO will brief the Fleet CO on all details of the case.

9.7.1 Any member found guilty of a Category I offense may be dismissed from Lotus Fleet, demoted, and/or any other punishment deemed appropriate by the Fleet Advocate. A ruling of dismissal will be affirmed by the Fleet Admiral.

9.7.2 Any member found guilty of a Category II offense shall be subject to the following discipline: 1st Offense – Written warning or demotion 2nd Offense (w/in 6 months) – Written warning or demotion or dismissal 3rd Offense (w/in 6 months of 2nd offense) – Demotion or dismissal 4th Offense (w/in 6 months of 3rd offense) – Dismissal

9.8 Fleet Members have the right to appeal the verdict of the Fleet Advocate ruling as outlined in paragraph 8.5.4.

Article X – Leaving Lotus Fleet

10.1 At some point, a Fleet member may choose to leave Lotus Fleet. The method in which a member chooses to leave the Fleet affects said member’s account and the condition upon which said member may return to the Fleet if he/she chooses to do so. The Fleet Admiral has the sole authority to refuse an individual wishing to return to Lotus Fleet after any period of time. This decision may be reached by receiving council from the Fleet Officers or solely at his/her own discretion.

10.2 In order to notify Lotus Fleet that an individual is leaving the Fleet, said individual should file a “Farewell Lotus Fleet” Form. The form’s purpose is to ensure that the rights of an individual are observed by allowing the individual to clearly express the terms of their departure from Lotus Fleet. The two methods of departure that the form covers are “Resigning” and “Quitting”.
 
10.2.1 When an individual retires from Lotus Fleet, they indicate that at a future date it is likely they might return to the Fleet. Returning is not a requirement; however, by retiring the individual’s Lotus Fleet record and account will be maintained. All earned awards and the last held rank will be kept on record so that the individual can essentially pick up where they left off.

10.2.2 If a Fleet Officer resigns from the Fleet, they may request to return and will be commissioned with a Reserve Fleet Officer Rank based upon what their last active rank was in Lotus Fleet, until such time as they apply for a new position. If, by chance, a Fleet Officer position of equal or lesser rank range as what was previously held by that officer is open for that Fleet officer to return to, then he/she may do so upon acceptance of his/her application. This is solely at the discretion of the Fleet Commanding Officer and Fleet Executive Officer.

10.2.2.1 If an officer resigns from the Fleet, they may request to return and will be commissioned with a Provisional Officer rank based upon what their last active rank was in Lotus Fleet, until such time as they apply for a new position.

10.2.3 When an individual quits Lotus Fleet, they indicate that they have no intention to ever return to the Fleet. As the individual no longer wishes to be part of Lotus Fleet, they shall immediately be removed from their position (if one is held). Their account will not be maintained, meaning the record of rank and all awards will be erased. Should the individual change their mind and wish to return to Lotus Fleet, they must re-start as a new cadet.

10.2.3.1 A member shall transition to Inactive Status when that member fails to log onto the Lotus Fleet forums for 45 consecutive days. If a member changes to inactive status, Fleet Leadership shall take that as a statement that the individual has neither any interest in Lotus Fleet or any intention of returning to active status within the Fleet. As such, Lotus Fleet will not be required to maintain the individual’s account. The individual’s rank and awards will be forfeit.
10.3 An exception to this policy MAY be considered under special circumstances such as military/government service, natural disaster, or any other condition which prevented an individual from notifying Lotus Fleet of their extended absence.

Article XI – Commanders

11.1 Those officers of different divisions that are given the privilege of being appointed a Commanding Officer do hereby take charge of all operations regarding that division, regardless of rank, at the discretion of the Fleet Admiral. The Commanding Officer of said division may choose their Executive officer.

11.2 Commanding Officers may appoint their division’s Executive Officer only if the individual’s rank is at the level of Captain, and the appointment is accepted by the Fleet Admiral and the Fleet Executive Officer. A waiver may be given to individuals currently holding the rank of Commander to be appointed as the division’s Executive Officer by the Fleet Admiral, at which time the individual will receive a promotion to the rank appropriate for the position held.

Article XII – Pledge
"I, (insert name here), pledge to be a committed member of the Lotus Fleet. To overcome adversity and triumph over obstacles. To uphold the ideals of the United Federation of Planets. I will be the eyes that see over vast distances, the wings that carry people across stars, and the claw that defends and gives rest to the weary. My heart knows no bounds. I am Lotus Fleet”

Article XIII – CoC Changes

13.1 In the event that updates or changes need to be made the Lotus Fleet Code of Conduct they will be submitted to the Fleet Executive Officer. Only after he or she has fully reviewed the submission will an alteration be made.

This document was originally written by Ryan White, Erik Tims, and Mike Crowl and has subsequently been heavily rewritten and changed by Kheren, Thomas Sainthill, Jamie Donaldson and Jae Onasi.

[Sainthill]

                                                                        Lotus Fleet Code of Conduct
                                                                                     Version 2.7
                                                                                   Amendment 1
                                                                                     Version 1.3 




1.1 Lotus Fleet exists because of the democratic stance of the Federated Planets.  Lotus Fleet shall, every year, take elections to decide the Tier 6 Leadership of the Fleet. 

1.2 Hence forth from this year, the elections will take place every December, operating from the 22nd-29th Days of the aforementioned month.

1.3 The democratic method of counting these votes will be the “First Past the Post Method”, similarly described as the candidate with the majority share of the votes.

1.4 A candidate has ONE vote, that they may use, per position that they are voting in, for which they may use to vote for themselves.

1.5 A voter has one vote per position that is being voted upon (two).

1.6 The positions for election, as to be considered separately, and there can only be one, entry per candidate per position.
 
1.7 Fleet Advocate Office, will initiate the Elections, Usually the week beginning 8th-15th, using some sort of online voting system, most likely this will be Google forms to count the votes.

1.8 Once the medium has been specified the Candidates will be announced, this must also be completed at least once week before the specified election week, usually 8th-15th.

1.9 The Voters must, and will only ever be the Tier 6 and 5, Fleet Officers, currently in a Commanding Officer, or Executive Officer Position, of the three main division, these being Command, Operations and Academy, they will, at the request of the Fleet Advocate’s Office, begin voting for their preferred choice of candidate.

1.10 Once the voting, has started place, usually taking place for a whole week, rather than one day for example, the Fleet Advocate’s Office will tally the Votes and announce the winners, for each position

1.11 Immediately following the announcement of the Fleet Admiral, and Fleet Executive Officer position winners, all data pertaining to the amount of votes received will be released, this data MUST be anonymous.