Qualifying Orders for SDLKJ
As admission to membership as a Crusader Class member of the Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (a dependency of The Augustan Society, Inc.), petitioners must demonstrate membership in an Order that fought in the Crusades, or which legitimately descends from such an Order. In order to simplify the review process, it's necessary to maintain a list of qualifying Recognized Orders for SDLKJ.
The responsibility for considering recognition (or delisting) is delegated to the Chivalry Committee, who submit their recommendation to the Board for final adoption.
Most considerations for both listings and delistings will be done by the Committee motu proprio, but one would expect the Dean of the SDLKJ to have the authority to initiate reviews based on petitions.
The Procedure is this:
- The decision is made to review an Order by the Chivalry Committee Chairman, Chivalry Committee, or Dean of the SDLKJ.
- Headquarters Staff is notified that a review is in progress; though this may take the form of an email to the Committee which normally copies them as ex officio members.
- The Chairman may request supporting data from Headquarters Staff, which will be forwarded to either the Chairman or the entire Committee, as directed.
- The Chivalry Committee Chairman distributes the material to all members of his Committee.
- Committee members who feel obliged to recuse themselves from the discussion may do so, provided the majority of the Committee members remain.
- If recognition (or delisting) hinges on the fons honorum of the Order, the Chivalry Committee Chairman or the Chivalry Committee may refer that question to the Royalty & Nobility Committee for a determination. Discussion may be suspended pending a recommendation from the Royalty & Nobility Committee.
- After what the Chivalry Committee Chairman feels is sufficient discussion, he puts the question to a vote of the Committee.
- The Chivalry Committee Chairman conveys the vote of the majority of the Committee membership, recommending recognition (or delisting) to the Assistant Secretary. He must also convey the identity of the fons honorum behind the Order unless already listed.
- The Assistant Secretary places the recommendation on the next available Board Agenda. Normally, it is placed in the Consent Calendar, but if either the Chivalry Committee Chairman or Assistant Secretary believe the matter will be subject to debate, it is placed under New Business instead. (It may also be pulled from the Consent Calendar by any Director present at the meeting.)
- If the proceedings include recognition or delisting of a fons honorum, the recommendation from the Royalty & Nobility Committee will also be placed on the Agenda. If the fons recommendation is not placed in the Consent Calendar, neither shall the Order recommendation be.
- Upon distribution of the Minutes of the meeting, the Assistant Secretary will so inform the Webmaster, who will update the website.
- The Assistant Secretary will add the fons honorum to the list of Recognized Fontes Honorum.
- The Assistant Secretary will send a letter of notification to the Dean of the SDLKJ.
- The Webmaster will amend the relevant pages on the website to reflect the Board's decision.
Notes:
- At this time, there is no list of Recognized Fontes Honorum. The Royalty & Nobility Committee has announced plans to develop one in 2016/17. Until this is complete, all recommendations to recognize Orders must include recognition of the fons.
- At some future date, it is expected that the list of Recognized Fontes Honorum will be placed on the main website and made public.
- Recommendations may be recalled by the Chivalry Committee Chairman (or Chivalry Committee Vice-Chairman, if the Chairman is unavailable or unresponsive) if they are received by the Assistant Secretary before the start of the Board meeting. Such recalls should only be made when new information has been uncovered that might cause the recommendation to be reversed.
- Recommendations from the Royalty & Nobility Committee may be recalled in the same way, and if received the Chivalric recognition recommendation will also be recalled.
- If the Board declines to recognize the related fons, the Order will be automatically delisted or the recommendation to recognize withdrawn.
The above is an unreviewed and untested draft of the Procedure and Notes, and may well need adjustment or additions.
