Pegasus Fleet Constitution


This page has been adopted by the PFA as an official policy.

The following is the 11th Fleet Constitution; it and by-laws passed under its authority serve as a guide to Pegasus Fleet's membership.

Article I - Mission Statement

Pegasus Fleet seeks to provide a positive, creative and challenging environment for members to write about the Star Trek universe, whilst being both safe and enjoyable for all. We shall strive to provide an environment in keeping with gene Roddenberry's vision - free of any form of discrimination or harassment, where members are encouraged to express originality, inventiveness, and to pursue and harness their full potential, exploring the farthest reaches of the Star Trek realm. We shall aim to provide a fleet whose simulations speak of excellence in quality, whose members are held, and hold others, in the highest respect. Through an ever evolving system of governance, we shall provide support and resources to all members, and shall strive to be ambassadors to all others in the Star Trek community. Above all else, we shall aim to let our imaginations take flight, and soar boldly where no one has gone before.

Article II - Structure of the Fleet

In order to make the operation of any fleet feasible and as efficient as possible, it is necessary to establish a certain structure to the fleet. Each sim will be assigned to a Task Force, whose operation will be vested in a Task Force Commanding Officer. The operation of the fleet as a whole is vested in the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty. The main operations of Pegasus Fleet are in what will be referred to as the "post-Nemesis time frame". In time, and if appropriate interest is shown, accommodations may be made for those members in Pegasus Fleet interested in simming in other eras of Star Trek.

Section 1 - Chain of Command

  1. All members of Pegasus Fleet have the responsibility to follow the Chain of Command. Positions marked with a (+) are not regarded as steps in the chain of command with regards to disciplinary measures.
  2. It is important to note that for disciplinary matters, the chain of command begins with the person being disciplined, then upwards from them, not with the superior of the person who wishes for the person to be disciplined. Should a player feel that their issue has not been properly handled, they may request a CO Council hearing to evaluate the ruling. (See Player Appeal Policy)
  3. The Chain of Command for the Fleet is as follows, from lowest to highest:
    • General Player
    • Sim Department Head(+)
    • Sim XO(+)
    • Sim CO
    • TFCO/PFA Member's Deputy(+)
    • CFOps/PFA Member
    • The Pegasus Fleet Admiralty
    • Pegasus Fleet Executive Officer
    • Pegasus Fleet Commanding Officer
  4. Under special circumstances a Committee or another PFA member may be assigned to oversee the department normally assigned to another PFA Member.
  5. Unless a PFA member has been assigned to oversee a department where the PFA position is currently vacant or that PFA Member is on leave, the Department Deputy will run that department temporarily. Deputies acting as their department head will not gain the voting rights of that PFA Member.
  6. Any Fleet Member may, upon being disciplined, or who is about to be disciplined, may request a player appeal before a CO Council.

Section 2 - Task Forces

  1. All sims will be supervised by the Chief of Fleet Operations (CFOps), who may be assisted by additional members of Fleet Operations Staff, as required.
  2. A Task Force (TF) is defined as a smaller number of sims grouped under the supervision of a Task Force Commanding Officer (TFCO).
  3. The TFCO will report to the CFOps.
  4. TFs shall be created and modified by means of by-law.

Section 3 - Pegasus Fleet Admiralty

  1. The operations of Pegasus Fleet shall be overseen by a council of senior members of the fleet known as the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty (PFA).
  2. The PFA shall make decisions in a fashion so as to best meet the needs of Pegasus Fleet and its members.
  3. A list of the topics being discussed by the PFA shall be kept in a publicly accessible area on the Pegasus Fleet Wiki, and shall be updated on the 1st and 14th day of every month.
  4. Admiralty members shall encourage the members of their Departments to forward their views on matters being discussed through the chain of command.
  5. In order to ensure that each member of the PFA can speak frankly, and because some content may be sensitive to the persons involved, the votes and opinions expressed by the members of the PFA will be kept in the strictest confidence.
  6. Once finalized, all decisions of the PFA will be supported in full by all members of the PFA.
  7. PFA members shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of documents outlining how their departments shall be run as described in Article VI.3.
  8. The PFA may delegate some of its powers to committees established by By-Law.
  9. The PFA shall consist of the following voting members:
    • PF Commanding Officer shall be the chair of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty
    • PF Executive Officer shall be shall be the executive officer of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty
    • Academy Commandant shall run the Fleet Academy
    • Chief of Fleet Operations shall run all Task Forces
    • Chief of Public Relations shall run the Office of Public Relations.
    • Director of Resources shall run Pegasus Fleet Department of Resources

Article III - Rights and Responsibilities

Some members of Pegasus Fleet may fall into more than one category. All members enjoy the rights and responsibilities of Section 1, as all are players on some sim somewhere in the fleet.

Section 1 - General Players

  1. All players have the right to have an unresolved dispute mediated and resolved by a CO Council. (See Player Appeals Policy)
  2. All players have the right to have the Laws of the Fleet applied to them in a fair and even manner, no differently than any other player in the fleet.
  3. All players have the responsibility to follow the chain of command; questions surrounding the interpretation of rules or any proposals to introduce new aspects to PF canon should be addressed to the next level in the chain of command from the position in which they occupy, and through that level to the next level and so forth. The chain of Command is outlined in Article II, Section 1.
  4. All players shall leave the determination of the rank of their character to their simulation Commanding Officer so as to ensure an equitable ranking system across the fleet. A player shall not have the rank of their character lowered when transferring from one PF sim to another without the consent of the player or for just cause. A player reviving a former PF character shall be subject to the same restrictions as a new character and the rank shall be determined by the CO with that in mind.
  5. All players shall post to any sim in which they are a member at least once every two weeks unless they are on a leave of absence or the sim CO has determined otherwise on a ship-wide or personal basis. Posting requirements different than these must be clearly posted on the ship's website.
  6. All players will respect the role of a sim CO and shall not start new missions or significantly alter the plot of the sim without the permission or direction of the CO.
  7. All players will recognise the restraints of Star Trek and PF canon and will not create unusual and abnormal classes of ships, types of weapons and alien creatures without the approval of the PFA.
  8. At the discretion of the CO, a player may control or 'own' secondary characters or "PNPCs" on the sim, but the player must designate which is his primary character for the purposes of promotions, awards, and sim reports. PNPCs are not to be included in the sim's IFS manifest, and are not to be included in the CO's monthly report. A player may only have one primary character on each sim they are on.
  9. All players will show respect for the characters of other players and shall not use them in a fashion that would not be condoned by or has not been approved by the player owning the character in question.
  10. All players who wish to resign their character or position will do so by informing their commanding officer. They will not announce their resignation by posting to a public forum such as the sim mailing list, the PF COs list, the PF Forums, and so on.
  11. All players will try to resolve any disputes with other players in a respectful manner and will try to resolve them first with the other player and then with the next person in the chain of command before taking action with higher levels of the chain of command. The exception to this is if they have been disciplined or are about to be disciplined, in which case they may request a player appeal before a CO Council.
  12. All players will refrain from starting petitions or spamming mailing lists or other means of communication in order to advance their position on a particular issue. In order to make things manageable for those players who volunteer their time to help run the fleet, all concerns and proposals should be directed through the chain of command.
  13. All players shall agree to the terms of the Pegasus Fleet Constitution and as such shall play in any Pegasus Fleet sims within the restrictions laid out in this document and shall also enjoy the rights laid out in this document.

Section 2 - Sim Commanding Officers

  1. A Sim CO shall be required to complete and pass the command academy, develop a website for his or her sim, and obtain a minimum crew of 5, excluding the CO, before the sim can be declared 'active'. During the time where a sim is considered ‘inactive’, the CO may still conduct their sim administration as they would normally, with no additional hindrances. However, the sim will be a more primary focus for the Task Force and Public Relations Staff, to attempt to help the CO attain ‘active’ status.
  2. Sim COs have the right to administer their games as they see fit so long as they do not violate the terms of the Fleet Law. This includes the right to demote or remove players from his or her sim and to set the scope and nature of the plot of their sim. The demotion or removal of a player shall be reported to the Office of the Judge Advocate General, who shall follow up the action if an appropriate and just reason is not provided.
  3. Sim COs have the right to set the ranks of their crew up to and including the rank of Commander (or its equivalent in marine or alien rank). Further promotions shall be approved by the CFOps.
    • No member of a sim may exceed the rank of the sim's Commanding Officer, under any circumstances.
    • A member of a sim may only hold a rank equal to the sim's Commanding Officer if approved by the CFOps.
    • No member of a sim other than the Commanding Officer may exceed the rank of the sim's Executive Officer.
  4. Sim COs have the right to create and award their players with special citations created by the CO, in addition to those created by the Pegasus Fleet Commanding Officer and the PFA.
  5. Sim COs shall not permanently damage, destroy, change the class of, or parts of the specifications of the class, as defined by Director of Resources, of their in-character ship or starbase without the approval of the CFOps. All changes to ship class specifications shall be approved or denied in conjunction with the Department of Resources.
  6. Sim COs shall not destroy or otherwise do anything to affect any base, ship or other sim that currently exists in Pegasus Fleet, including mothballs. To that end, any event on one sim taking place in the gaming environment of another shall only occur with the consent of all affected Sim COs. "Event" shall be taken to mean anything that changes the back story or nature of the sim such as the location, status, whereabouts, and so on. In the case of ships or stations which do not have a CO (such as mothballs and queued ships), the event requires the consent of the PFCO.
  7. Sim COs shall have the final responsibility for recruiting members of their sim and shall do so within the restrictions set by Fleet Law. They may enlist help and support in this from the Office of Public Relations and their Task Force staff, if they desire it.
  8. Sim COs shall direct any applications to their sim or existing players on their sim which do not attain quality posting standards as set by the CO to an Academy established for training purposes under the Pegasus Fleet Academy Commandant, or remove them from their sim.
  9. No player shall command more than one sim in Pegasus Fleet.
  10. In order to receive command, all Sim COs shall agree to obey Fleet Law. COs are also responsible for ensuring that all players on their sim are aware of Fleet Law, the rights they enjoy therein and the responsibilities of the Sim CO.
  11. Sim COs shall have the right to conduct their game in whatever platform they wish, so long as it is viable. A CO should inform the CFOps upon being accepted for their command of the platform they intend to use, so that he or she may ensure that the IFS records are properly updated. If a CO wishes to change from one platform to another, the CO must inform the CFOps.
  12. Sim COs who wish to have their ship visit a base contained in another PF sim shall have the responsibility of contacting the Base CO and undertaking any procedures that the Base CO may require for interaction of the two sims. Should the requesting sim CO be unable or unwilling to comply with the requirements of the Base CO he or she shall visit another PF base or, alternatively, interact with an NPC base.
  13. Sim COs shall file a monthly report to their TFCO, in the form prescribed by the Integrated Fleet System (IFS), no sooner than the 26th of the month the report is dues for, and no later than the 3rd of the next month. (January’s monthly report must be submitted between 26th Jan and midnight on 3rd Feb)
  14. A sim CO that resigns from his or her position shall be barred from taking a new command in PF for 90 days in order to allow for a "cooling off" period. During this time, the player can re-evaluate his or her ability to command. Should a sim CO resign in a public area, as is prohibited by the constitution, an additional 6 months shall be added to the cooling off period. Not withstanding the above, a sim CO may rescind his or her resignation within 24 hours and face no penalty.
  15. Not withstanding any provisions in the by-laws imposing restrictions on such matters, the CFOps may award command of a sim to the XO or another crew member when a CO resigns or is removed providing said member is not already a CO within Pegasus Fleet. Such a CO will be required to complete any requirements laid out in this section, if they are not already completed, immediately after assuming the role of CO. If the CFOps does not award command of the sim to the XO or another existing crew member, then the crew of the sim shall be reassigned by the Office of Public Relations.
  16. The CO is responsible for maintaining a minimum of 2 posts per player (ppp) per month in order to maintain an active status on the sim. If the player is unable to do so, they will receive assistance from fleet staff to try and raise activity. The sim will be evaluated the following months to see if there has been an improvement. If there is no improvement and the opinion of the admiralty is that no significant effort is being made to resolve the issue, they will receive a yellow demerit at the end of the second month, and at the end of the third receive a red demerit and be removed from command.
  17. The CO has the option of requesting a “low-pace” simulation status. This would mean that the CO intends to run a sim that clocks between 1ppp to 1.999ppp a month. Their ship would be marked in IFS as such. This provision will be allowed to no more than 10% of the fleet (rounded up). If a vessel with the “low-pace” status begins hitting 2ppp or higher a month consistently, they will lose that status.

Section 3 - Chief of Fleet Operations

Summary of CFOps responsibilities

In general, the Chief of Fleet Operations (CFOps) is the In-Character, Administrative and Out-of-Character leader of their Task Force. The COs can look to the CFOps for guidance and advice, and expect from the CFOps a person who will listen to them with all matters concerning their individual sims. Specific CFOps responsibilities

  1. CFOps has the right to reject any applications for players or COs.
  2. CFOps has the right to administer the Task Forces as they see fit, including the right to choose their own TF staff, within the confines of Fleet Law.
  3. CFOps has the responsibility to work closely with their TFCOs, if applicable.
  4. CFOps and TFCOs have the responsibility to advertize for their Task Force, and to assist in the recruiting of new players for sims within the Task Force.
  5. CFOps has the responsibility to bring to the attention of the relevant PFA member any and all suggestions and ideas made by members of their Task Forces that have been approved by the CFOps, for possibility of becoming PF canon.
  6. CFOps has the right to give initial approval for major changes to sims (including ships/starbases, technology, and specification alterations) while waiting for final approval from the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty or one of its members, whichever is most applicable.
  7. CFOps has the responsibility to encourage COs and players to participate in Pegasus Fleet by setting a good example. This includes sending news articles, using the chatroom and the forum.
  8. CFOps has the responsibility to keep the PFCO and PFXO updated on any sim changes.
  9. CFOps has the responsibility to ensure that training is provided for all new Sim COs.
  10. CFOps has the responsibility to add COs that have removed or resigned to the Command Probation list, and note the circumstances of their departure. The CFOps also has the right to refer a CO who has resigned to the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty if he/she feels the circumstances of the departure merits a longer probation than the standard defined in the constitution.

Section 4 - Pegasus Fleet CO/XO

  1. The PFXO may be selected from one of the four voting departments as an additional title with the added responsibilities listed for the PFXO below. However, in the event the PFXO is filling another Admiralty role the PFXO does not receive an additional vote.
  2. The PFXO shall temporarily take over the duties of the PFCO in the event of his or her absence.
  3. The PFXO shall perform other such duties as delegated to them by the PFCO or by the PFA.
  4. The PFCO shall have a deciding vote in the case of a tie for matters before the PFA even if he or she has already cast a vote.
  5. The PFCO has the final say in all matters brought up the chain of command that do not require a decision of the PFA.
  6. The PFCO shall nominate persons to occupy all PFA-level positions, subject to approval of the PFA. The PFCO, when nominating someone in a TF chain of command, is advised to consult with the CFOps to determine the suitability of a person prior to nominating him or her for the PFA.
  7. The PFCO may delegate any of their powers, save those surrounding executive orders, to other members of the PFA.
  8. The PFCO hall have the responsibility of calling a vote on a matter within the PFA, once they have determined that sufficient discussion has taken place on the subject in question.

Article IV - Pegasus Fleet Admiralty

Section 1 – Membership

  1. The Pegasus Fleet Commanding Officer (PFCO) shall be the chair of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty.
  2. The Pegasus Fleet Executive Officer shall be shall be the executive officer of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty
  3. The Chief of Fleet Operations shall be a member of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty.
  4. The Pegasus Fleet Academy Commandant shall be a member of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty.
  5. The Chief of Public Relations shall be a member of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty.
  6. The Pegasus Fleet Director of Resources shall be a member of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty.

Section 2 – Responsibilities

  1. The members of the Pegasus Fleet Admiralty have the responsibility to run the fleet in an ethical and legal manner.
  2. PFA members shall ensure that the laws of the fleet are obeyed by all parties, and not ignored or by-passed when it suits.
  3. In a case of the vacancy or absence of a PFA Member, their Deputy shall will be assigned the rights and responsibilities of that member. Where this is a simple LOA whose start or end falls within the period of a vote, the Deputy shall not have voting rights on that issue.
  4. PFA members may only hold no more than one PFA-level position except on an acting or emergency basis until a qualified person for the position can be found, with the exception of the PFXO.
  5. PFA members have the responsibility to build and maintain a website for their respective department.
  6. PFA members have the responsibility of submitting a monthly report to the PFA and PF COs mailing lists in the format prescribed by the PFCO no later than the 7th of each month.
  7. PFA members have the responsibility to attend any Fleet Staff meetings when held, unless other arrangements are made.
  8. PFA members have the responsibility to encourage players to participate in Pegasus Fleet by setting a good example. This includes sending news articles, using the chatroom and the forums.
  9. PFA members have the responsibility to participate in the PFA mailing list to the best of their ability.
  10. PFA members have the responsibility to keep the PFCO and PFXO updated on any changes and projects in their respective department.
  11. A PFA member does not cast a ballot in any vote directly involving themselves (such as position appointments or promotions).

Section 3 – Powers

  1. The PFA shall have the sole authority to permanently pass and amend the by-laws and standing orders of Pegasus Fleet, as per Article VI.
  2. The PFA, in conjunction with the COs of the Fleet, shall have the authority to pass and amend the Constitution and Policies of the Fleet, as per Article IV.
  3. Members of the PFA have the right to administer their respective departments as they see fit, including the right to choose their own departmental staff, within the confines of this constitution, the Selection Policy, and the by-laws.
  4. The PFA shall, in conjunction with the COs, determine what constitutes PF canon.
  5. PFA members have the right to speak freely in any discussion that comes before it without fear of penalty for their opinions. Internal Discussions of the PFA will be kept private to insure this right.
  6. PFA members have the full right to vote on any matter that is brought before it.
  7. The PFA may delegate any of its powers to a sub-committee by By-law or the PFCO may do so via Executive Order.
  8. Membership on the PFA does not automatically grant the member any moderator/administrator powers on the PF Forums, PF Wiki, IFS, chatroom or elsewhere in the fleet unless it is required in order to perform the duties of their position.
  9. All matters before the PFA will be decided by a simple majority (>50%) vote, except as defined elsewhere.

Article V – Fleet Law Structure

This Article details the procedures involved in enacting or amending the laws of the Fleet, their purposes, and how they interact with one another. All voting procedures will be set to take one week from when they are announced to those who may vote, unless all votes are received before the week has expired.

Section 1 – The Constitution

The Constitution has primacy over all other documents, and is the document through which all other laws of the fleet are empowered.

  1. Any part of the constitution, unless otherwise specified below, may be amended by a 66% majority of each vote of the entire PFA and those COs who vote.
  2. Articles I and VI can only be amended if the PFA votes are all in favor.
  3. Pegasus Fleet CO's must be given the opportunity to vote.
  4. Constitutional Amendments may be put up for discussion by any PFA member.
  5. All CO votes must be cast on the CO Mailing List after the vote has been announced there. PFA Members should not vote on this list.
  6. All PFA votes must be cast on the PFA Mailing List after the vote has been announced there.

Section 2 – Policies

Policies shall be important documents that affect the Fleet as a whole and shall have primacy over all other documents except the Constitution.

  1. Where two or more Policies contradict each other, the Policy which was first established shall have primacy over the other, unless the newer policy is meant as a replacement to the earlier one.
  2. Policies may be put up for discussion by any member of the PFA.
  3. Policies are adopted by a simple majority (>50%) vote of the COs and PFA who vote.
  4. All votes must be cast on the CO Mailing List after the vote has been announced there.

Section 3 – By-Laws

By-Laws shall be created by the PFA to assist in the administration of the fleet, the execution of their duties, or as required by the Constitution. They shall have primacy over Standing Orders.

  1. Where two or more By-Laws contradict each other, the By-Law which was first established shall have primacy over the other.
  2. By-laws may be put up for discussion by any member of the PFA
  3. By-laws are adopted, revoked, or altered by a simple majority vote of the PFA.
  4. All votes must be cast over the PFA List after the vote has been called for there.

Section 4 – Standing Orders

Standing Orders shall be documents that regulate the internal procedures of individual Departments that constitute the Admiralty, and any Committees that are established.

  1. Standing Orders are developed, maintained, and put up for discussion by the PFA member whose department they will govern.
  2. Where Standing Orders and Executive Orders conflict, the Executive Order shall have primacy over the Standing Order.
  3. Standing Orders always replace the previous Standing Orders for a Department.
  4. Any changes to Standing Orders must be approved by a simple majority vote of the PFA.
  5. All votes must be cast over the PFA List.

Section 5 – Executive Orders

Executive Orders are temporary instructions that handle emergency situations within the Fleet.

  1. The PFCO may make temporary changes to the laws of the Fleet by means of executive order when urgent action is required.
  2. Any executive order shall be referred immediately to the PFA for consideration as a permanent change.
  3. All executive orders shall expire under whichever of the following conditions comes first:
    • The Executive Order is passed or failed under the appropriate guideline for the type of law that the order falls under.
    • The PFCO revokes the Executive Order
    • After 90 days have elapsed.
  4. Should a matter be dealt with by Executive Order and later be rejected by a vote, such a matter cannot be dealt with again by Executive Order.
  5. Executive Orders are not meant to be used to remove people from the Fleet without following proper protocol, but may be used to limit the access and authority of people on a temporary basis until either disciplinary proceedings can take place, or until a proper decision can be made on the matter.