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Team Constitution

Please Note
This document, in effect since 2005, is slated to be completely rewritten in the future.
Some aspects of the day-to-day operation of the team are not reflected in this document.

TEAM SPECIAL FORCES is an online computer gaming community that stresses the values of entertainment, camaraderie, discipline, honor, and common achievement throughout our ranks. To achieve these things, we have established this Constitution to outline the goals and structures of the Team to ensure stability, trust, and prompt action in the face of trial.

WE ARE COMMITTED to achieving our objectives in a professional and honorable way, since that is the way of the warrior. We recognize that the spirit of the warrior leads our intentions to be honorable not only to others but to our fellow team mates, to follow the directions of our leaders, to be patient in our affairs, to learn and to teach, and to never waver or surrender in the face of the enemy.

TO THIS DO WE SWEAR: That we will do everything in our power to make this community a safe and enjoyable place of entertainment for all our members; that we will always conduct ourselves professionally and honorably, even in the midst of immaturity and treachery; that we will always treat each other with the respect and good humor that we value in others; that we will be unrelenting in our engagements with the enemy, even to the point of sacrificing ourselves for our fellow teammates; and that we shall stay together as brothers until the end.

DE OPPRESSO LIBER!

All masculine language within this Constitution also applies equally to the female sex.

Article I -- The Superior Officers and the Team Council

The Supreme Commander is the chief and sole executive of the whole Team, and vested in him is the final executive authority in all issues of the Team.
1. He has the authority to appoint his successor, to appoint an Acting Supreme Commander in his absence, and to set the terms and conditions of all officers below him.
2. He appoints Commanding Officers to preside over the affairs of the various Divisions, and he has the authority to remove those Officers from their positions at any time. He reviews the actions of those Officers and may amend or reverse their actions.
3. He may convene and set the rules of the Team Council, and he is the presiding officer of the Council. He may approve the appointment of officers to positions in the Council and remove officers from the Council at any time.
4. If the Supreme Commander is absent for a period not less than fourteen days without communication with the Team Council, a successor will be appointed in the manner dictated by the Standing Orders contained within this Constitution (see Article IV).
5. He has final jurisdiction over all issues within the whole Team, and he may issue any punishment against any member. He may expel any member from the Team for any reason, and he may permanently ban any person from returning to the Team.
6. He considers motions to revoke the suspensions or other punishments against members made by any other officer, and he is the sole authority on the revocation of expulsions from the whole Team.
7. He considers and approves requests to establish or dissolve Divisions, expand into new games, and to cut ties with existing games.
8. He has final authority in all issues related to the naming and public identity of the Divisions, their game tags, and other pertinent items of public identity, and he may order these items changed in any Division at any time.
9. He has primary jurisdiction regarding the internal structure and basic mission of each Division, and any changes to these items are to be requested from the Supreme Commander by means of the Team Council.
10. He reserves all powers not listed in this Constitution to himself, and he may assign them to others.
11. No provision of this Constitution may be construed in such a way to deny the Supreme Commander from any authority within the whole Team.
The Commanding Officers are the authority figures of their respective Divisions, and through the power granted to them by the Supreme Commander they execute their duties to manage their Divisions effectively and to uphold the Expectations of the whole Team.
1. The Commanding Officer of a Division is responsible to the Supreme Commander for all of his actions.
2. He may organize and run his Division in any way that he seems appropriate so long as it conforms to the rules set forth by the Supreme Commander, so long as it does not interfere with or change the operations of other Divisions or the whole Team.
3. He may ask the Supreme Commander to approve Adjutants under him that may lead his officers as his chiefs of staff, so long as that individual is not a Commanding Officer or an Adjutant of another Division, and the Supreme Commander may set the conditions for approval of Adjutants.
4. He may issue ranks and awards to members, honor them with recognition, and take appropriate action to correct their actions. He may assign certain obligations to the members of his Division in order to assist him in the execution of his duties, but he may not consign executive authority to anyone.
  1. He may assign specific operational duties to officers under his command, but he retains final responsibility for the execution of these duties to the Supreme Commander.
  2. He may at his discretion make any member under his command an officer or demote any member from the rank of officer at any time and for any reason.
  3. He may have his Adjutant organize and oversee his officers and have regular reports from his Adjutant on the performance of those officers.
  4. He may allow his officers to communicate privately with him by means of a private message board. The members of his staff may advise him on issues of operational relevance to his Division, but he may not allow his staff to make any binding decisions of any nature, nor may any member of his staff use the privacy of their communications to conspire against members, spread rumors, or in any other way cause dishonor to the Team.
5. He is responsible for maintaining the roster of the Division within the game.
  1. No existing member of the whole Team may be denied entry into his Division unless:
    1. the roster of the Division is full,
    2. the stated purpose of the Division is based on its members' geographical location and the member does not meet this requirement, or
    3. special consideration has been granted by the Supreme Commander regarding the circumstances of the member in question and his relation to the Division, in which case the member may appeal directly to the Supreme Commander.
  2. The Commanding Officer may suspend the acceptance of members into his Division for a period of time so long as the suspension applies evenly and fairly to all activities for the roster unit affected and that he does not accept certain individuals into that roster unit and not others during this time period.
  3. He may remove members from his Division for reasons of inactivity, disinterest, retirement, resignation, or other non-disciplinary reasons, and those members may remain eligible to remain on the Team unless they violate the standards of conduct or if they join another team in a game which the Team has a Division.
  4. He may expel members from the whole Team for breaches of the Expectations, for violations of conduct, and for dishonorable behavior. He must notify the Supreme Commander by means of the Council immediately so that the case may be reviewed.
  5. He is obligated to remove any member from his Division if that person has been expelled from the whole Team, even if the expulsion was enacted by the Commanding Officer of another Division.
6. If at any point the position of Commanding Officer is vacant, the Supreme Commander selects a new Commanding Officer.
7. If a Commanding Officer wishes to retire or resign, he must inform the Supreme Commander fourteen days before he intends to leave. He must release any rosters and any other external methods of Division control to the new Commanding Officer as appointed by the Supreme Commander.
8. If a Commanding Officer is unavailable or his whereabouts cannot be determined, or if a Commanding Officer neglects his duties or fails to meet the objectives set forth to him by the Supreme Commander, the Supreme Commander may remove him from his position and choose a replacement immediately.
9. No officer should be appointed Commanding Officer of a Division unless he has sufficient experience in the game, in the Team, and as a leader. His attitude must be constructive with the Council and with the Supreme Commander and he must share the ideals and objectives of the Team without exception.
10. The Commanding Officer may conduct relations with outside organizations and individuals in a manner consistent with the wishes of the Supreme Commander. No other officer or member (except the Supreme Commander) may represent the Division to the outside world or conduct any administrative affairs in the name of the Division except where explicitly permitted by the Commanding Officer.
11. No Commanding Officer may hold that position in more that one Division, and he also may not be an Adjutant in another Division.
The Team's Executive Staff is composed of Officers in Command appointed by the Supreme Commander, and those individuals will be Council Members and senior advisers to the Supreme Commander.
1. Positions in the Executive Staff which are not listed in this section may be created by amendment to this Constitution.
2. The Supreme Commander may appoint a Chief of Staff to direct the activities of the Officers in Charge.
  1. The CoS shall serve as the Presiding Officer for the Executive Staff and Team Council.
  2. He is responsible for ensuring that the team is run in accordance with the Team Constitution and the wishes of the Supreme Commander.
  3. He shall ensure that the Chiefs of Operations and Commanding Officers work in a coordinated manner.
3. The Supreme Commander may appoint an Chief of Technical Operations to direct and oversee the operations of the Team's website and other services.
  1. The CTO shall create and enforce the Terms of Use and rules of the website and services that the Team provides, and will be the executor of those Terms and rules.
  2. He will be the chief administrator of the Team's website and may assign responsibilities for the management of the website and services to others.
  3. He will coordinate the development and growth of the website and services with the Supreme Commander and he will accommodate the needs of the Commanding Officers for the management of their Divisions.
  4. He may remove members from the whole Team, ban users from the website and services the Team provides, and take other disciplinary actions to protect the community at large in accordance with the wishes of the Supreme Commander.
  5. He is trusted to manage any emergencies regarding the Team's safety or security, and he may take immediate actions to these ends so long as he provides a full accounting of his actions to the Supreme Commander.
4. The Supreme Commander may appoint an Chief of Financial Operations to oversee and report to him regarding the financial affairs of the team in the following manner:
  1. The CFO reports directly to the Supreme Commander on all financial matters concerning the Team.
  2. The CFO, in consultation with the Commanding Officer, appoints a Finance Officer (FO) in each Division to report on the financial state of that Division. The FO has no command responsibilities within the Division resulting from their appointment. The FO may be the CO, or an officer within the Division, depending on the Division's requirements.
  3. The FO will report to the CFO only on matters pertaining to the finances of the Division. This will take the form of a detailed monthly accounting on all income and expenses of the Division. The format and required details will be determined by the CFO.
  4. The CFO will collate the reports from the Divisions and submit an overall report for the Team. This report is to be posted in a prominent place on the website, accessible to all members of the Team.
  5. The CFO will also report on those expenses not associated with the individual Divisions regarding the overall operations of the Team. In this instance the CTO, or his designate, will liaise with the CFO.
  6. The FOs will be responsible for any fund-raising activities for the Division in consultation with the CO and the CFO.
  7. Decisions regarding the termination of any agreements with outside service providers will remain with the CO of the division concerned, or with the CTO for other operational concerns.
  8. Decisions regarding the commission of the Team to any new expenses will be made in consultation with the CFO and Supreme Commander. Input from other interested parties will be considered in the decision making process.
  9. The CFO will provide assistance and advice to the Supreme Commander and Commanding Officers in respect of any additional expenses under consideration by the Supreme Commander.
  10. The CFO will undertake any other financial assistance, not specified above, as directed from time to time by the Supreme Commander.
5. The Supreme Commander may appoint an Chief of Recruitment Operations to oversee the application process for membership in Team Special Forces.
  1. The CRO shall receive applications for membership in the whole Team.
  2. He may grant new members acceptance to the whole Team, and he may decline members from the whole Team in accordance with the rules set forth by the Supreme Commander.
  3. He may not accept a new member into the Team if that person has a conflict with any of rules set forth by the Supreme Commander.
  4. He may set certain guidelines for the acceptance of members into The Team under the following conditions:
    1. Applicants are to be treated fairly throughout the consideration process.
      1. No applicant may be denied entry into the Team based on any factors related to their real-life condition, such as race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religious or political affiliation, or any other personal or physical state or condition, except as outlined in this section, and this information may not be solicited during the recruitment process or disseminated throughout the Team.
      2. The age of the applicant is only to be used to ensure that the applicant meets the minimum age requirement, and no other use of this information is permitted.
      3. The geographical location of the applicant may be used to place him in a roster unit designed for people of a specific geographical area, but may not be used as a basis to deny that applicant membership.
    2. No applicant may be denied entry into the Team based solely on in-game skills or qualifications such as kill ratio, length of playing experience, variety of playing experience, or any other statistical or normative measures of skills. Factors such as the attitude of the applicant and his favorable qualities and abilities are to be the primary basis of consideration.
    3. No applicant may be accepted into the Team if he does not possess a genuine desire to play with his teammates regardless of their skill level and playing experience, nor may he be accepted if he cannot cooperate with his teammates and others in a manner that is professional and cordial.
    4. Additional conditions may be added by the Supreme Commander, and any conflicts regarding these conditions are to be submitted to the Supreme Commander by means of the Team Council for prompt resolution.
The Team Council exists under the permission of the Supreme Commander to advise him and to bring to his attention issues of importance throughout the whole Team.
1. Membership of the Team Council
  1. The Supreme Commander, the Executive Staff, and the Commanding Officers are members of the Council, as their positions are outlined in this Constitution. The Supreme Commander may create additional permanent Council positions at his discretion by amendment to this Constitution.
  2. The Supreme Commander may designate members with the greatest amount of leadership experience as Contributing Advisers, and they will use their knowledge and experience in the Team to advise the Supreme Commander.
  3. Each Division may have four (4) members on the Team Council.
    1. The Commanding Officer
    2. The Division's Adjutant
    3. A staff member appointed by the Commanding Officer
    4. A Team member elected by the Division.
      1. Elected Council Members shall serve for a term of 4 months.
      2. Elected Council Members must be members in good standing during their term and active members of the Division they represent.
      3. The Chief of Staff shall conduct the elections.
2. The Operations of the Team Council
  1. The affairs and discussions of the Council are to be kept confidential. This is to ensure that all Team affairs are reviewed in a professional manner without fear of retribution or suspicion of political motive. Council Members are prohibited from using the confidentiality of the Council to conspire against members, spread rumors, or in any other way cause dishonor to the Team.
  2. From time to time, the Supreme Commander may issue Dispatches to the whole Team announcing the activities of the Council and of the Team. He may also assign this duty to another officer at his discretion.
  3. The Supreme Commander may ask that Council Members advise him in regards to a pressing issue, and the input of the Council Members shall not be construed as to be a vote in support or against the issue at hand.
  4. The powers of the respective Officers are to be clearly separated, and all Council members are to adhere to the separations of those powers.
  5. All Council members may monitor the affairs of all the Divisions and make remarks to the Supreme Commander regarding those affairs, but no Council members except for the Commanding Officer of the Division may intervene in the internal affairs of that Division, unless such issues specifically require the direct attention of the Supreme Commander or in unusual circumstances where immediate intervention is required for the welfare of the Team.
3. In the event that a Council member has a grievance against another Council member, that grievance is to be privately communicated to the Supreme Commander with a justification for the grievance and proposed solutions to that grievance.
4. No Council member may act as a Commanding Officer in a Division in which the Supreme Commander has not appointed him to that role, and no Council member may supersede the authority or actions of that Division's Commanding Officer except as explicitly described in this Constitution.
5. Any problem in regards to the relationship between the Divisions or any unusual conflict within them is to be referred immediately to the Supreme Commander by means of the Council for resolution.
6. The Team Council may not make decisions regarding any Team affairs except as explicitly stated in this Constitution.
7. All Council Members are obligated to follow the Code of Conduct that the Supreme Commander creates for them, and to commit any breach of discipline is grounds for expulsion or dismissal.

Article II -- The Team Members

In order to join the Team, a prospective member must be at least fourteen years old, but Commanding Officers may set their age requirement higher than that.
Members are to follow the Expectations set forth for them by the Supreme Commander and they must possess an attitude of cooperation, professionalism, and honor.
No member may engage in dishonorable conduct as they are both a friend of other members and an ambassador of the Team to the public. Members are expected to act in a civil manner in all their affairs and to avoid the use of foul language in all their communications.
No member may engage in any form of cheating in any of the games in which the Team has a Division, nor may any member willingly act in cooperation or aid anyone engaged in cheating of any kind, or any other conduct that gives a player a distinct advantage in those games where the rules do not allow it. Any violations of this provision will result in expulsion from the whole Team.
Dismissal from the Team is final unless a substantive appeal is made to the officer responsible for the dismissal, or to the Supreme Commander.
A Member has lifetime membership in the Team unless he is dismissed from the Team or resigns from the Team to join another team.
A Member is obligated to follow the policies set forth by his Division's Commanding Officer, and if he fails to meet these policies he may be dismissed or reassigned to another Division with the consent of the Commanding Officer of the Division he is to be transferred to.
Members are to treat all information provided to them privately as a confidentiality of the Team, and they are not to disclose information regarding strategies, tactics, or other sensitive, personal, or privileged information to anyone outside the team or to anyone not specifically authorized to have that information.
If a member joins a game in which the Team has a Division, he is to notify the Commanding Officer of that Division if he intends to be an active player in that game. He may not join another clan or team in which the Team has an operating Division.
Members may request membership in a Division other than the one to which they are assigned with the approval of the Commanding Officer of the Division they wish to join. A member may not be in more than one Division within the same game at the same time.
A Member may seek an administrative appeal regarding the actions made against him by his Commanding Officer from the Supreme Commander.

Article III -- Ratification and Amendment

This Constitution shall go into effect immediately upon the approval of the Supreme Commander.
This Constitution may be amended by approval of the Supreme Commander, and amendments are to take effect immediately upon approval, unless the text of the amendment states otherwise.

Article IV -- Standing Orders for the Succession of the Supreme Commander

In the event that the Supreme Commander is absent from his position for no less than fourteen days without notification of the Executive Staff, a Caretaker will follow specific procedures to ensure the timely and proper transition to a new Supreme Commander.
1. The Caretaker shall be Magician, unless he is unavailable to perform these duties, in which case a Caretaker will be chosen by the Executive Staff from within its ranks by a simple vote.
2. During the first fourteen days in which the Supreme Commander is not in contact with the Executive Staff, the Caretaker will not act as Supreme Commander and he shall not make any executive decisions in the place of the Supreme Commander. The Executive Staff may remove the Caretaker from his position and appoint a new one immediately by a simple vote in the event that he becomes unable to perform his duties or if he exceeds the authority granted to him by these orders.
3. Once fourteen days have passed since the last known contact with the Executive Staff, the Caretaker will announce to the Council that these orders of succession are in effect, and for an additional fourteen days afterwords he will attempt by any reasonable means to establish contact with the Supreme Commander.
4. After the announcement by the Caretaker that these orders are in effect, unless otherwise indicated by the Supreme Commander, he will assume the role of Acting Supreme Commander. If fourteen days pass after the announcement and he is not successful in contacting the Supreme Commander, the plan of succession listed below will immediately be put into effect.
The Caretaker will maintain a succession list for the position of Supreme Commander created by the existing office holder to be kept in confidence until such time as it is needed as required by this procedure. This list is to contain only current officers in the Team who are in good standing and have the approval of the Supreme Commander, who will set the order of succession. The Caretaker may not modify this list except to remove the names of officers who are no longer able to exercise the duties of the position.
If one of these officers is present, ready, and willing to assume the role of Supreme Commander, the Acting Supreme Commander will immediately announce that they have been appointed. Otherwise, if the above candidates decline to take the position or are no longer members of the Team, the Acting Supreme Commander will convene the Council in executive session, and they will select one person from within the ranks of the Council to be the Supreme Commander by simple vote. If the result ends in a tie, the Acting Supreme Commander may add an additional vote to break the tie.
A successor must be appointed in a timely manner to ensure no disruption to the Team, and if the process is delayed the Acting Supreme Commander may expedite the proceedings to complete the transition.
The appointment of a successor will be communicated to the Team by a Dispatch immediately after a decision is made, and he will be installed immediately as the Supreme Commander and assume all powers reserved to him.

This constitution was established and enacted the thirtieth day of May, 2005.

Last updated by amendment: March 18, 2007.
Last editorial revision: June 27, 2010.