Charter for the Order of the Holy Lakes

The Charter for the Order of the Holy Lakes is the constitution of the Order of the Holy Lakes, and by extension, also over Hurmu. It was adopted by the Senate of the Lakes on 17.XIII.1720 and replaced the constitution adopted during the Vesüha Accords (and later amended).

Text

The Senate of the Lakes, as sovereign of the Order of the Holy Lakes, in the name of the King among the Lakes, the Princes and Princesses among the Lakes, and the Knights, Ladies and Companions of the Holy Lakes, pronounces the following Charter for the Order of the Holy Lakes.

Membership

Almanac of the Holy Lakes

1. Members of the Order of the Holy Lakes shall be inscribed in the Almanac of the Holy Lakes.
   1. It is the duty of the Chancellor, or, in the absence of the Chancellor, the Commander, or, in the absence of both the Chancellor or Commander, such other person to whom the Senate directs, to keep the Almanac of the Holy Lakes updated.
   2. Births, marriages, divorces, and deaths shall be inscribed.
   3. Only persons recorded in the Almanac of the Holy Lakes shall be considered members.

Induction or election

1. Membership to the Order of the Holy Lakes, by right of induction or election, is extended to persons who:
   1. have been inducted to the Order of the Holy Lakes by decree or decision of the head of state of Hurmu, or
   2. have been inducted or elected to the Senate of the Lakes (without having previously been members), or the unified Senate of Elwynn and Hurmu between 1574 and 1599, or
   3. have been the ultimate head of state of Hurmu, either executive or symbolic, and recognized as such by the Order of the Holy Lakes
2. When a person is inducted or elected to the Order, the Chancellor shall ensure that the name of the new person is inscribed into the Almanac of the Holy Lakes.

Descent

1. Membership of the Order of the Holy Lakes, by right of descent, is extended by blood or adoption (if adopted as a minor) to any person descended from a person inducted or elected to the Order of the Holy Lakes.
2. It is the responsibility of parents, being members of the Order, to report the birth of their child, so that the child is inscribed into the Almanac of the Holy Lakes.
3. Persons who are not inscribed into the Almanac of the Holy Lakes may petition the Chancellor to be inscribed into the Almanac of the Holy Lakes. Such petition shall be granted if:
   1. the person can prove an unbroken chain of descent (by blood or adoption as a child) from a person inducted or elected to the Order.

Marriage

Right of Marriage

1. Membership to the Order of the Holy Lakes by right of marriage is extended to persons who are married to a member by right of induction, election or descent, provided that,
   1. the marriage is legal, and considered marriage or equivalent to marriage, in the jurisdiction in which it occurred,
   2. the marriage is reported to the Order of the Holy Lakes and inscribed in the Almanac of the Holy Lakes
   3. in case of death of the person from which the member by right of marriage claims membership, membership in the Order shall continue only until remarriage outside the Order (that is, if there is a subsequent marriage to someone outside the Order, membership shall lapse)

Dissolution of Marriage

1. If a divorce, annulment or otherwise dissolution of marriage, occurs, the parties shall report it to the Order, and it shall be inscribed into the Almanac of the Holy Lakes.
   1. If there is a dispute between the parties with regard to whether the dissolution has occurred, the dispute shall be brought to the Senate which shall arbitrate or, failing arbitration, adjudicate the dispute.
2. Petition for dissolution of marriage may also be brought to the Senate directly.
   1. If the parties are in agreement, the Chancellor may testify to the dissolution and inscribe it in the Almanac of the Holy Lakes.
   2. If there is a disagreement between the parties as to whether the dissolution should occur, the Senate shall consider the petition on its merits and arbitrate, and, failing arbitration, adjudicate the dispute.

Loss of membership

1. Membership is lost if,
   1. derived by right of marriage
      1. upon divorce,
      2. after being widowed, upon remarriage,
      3. by petition
      4. by resolution of the Senate
      5. by loss of membership from whom the member derives claim
   2. derived by right of induction or election
      1. by petition
      2. by resolution of the Senate
   3. derived by right of descent
      1. by petition
      2. by resolution of the Senate
      3. by loss of membership from whom the member derives claim
2. The Senate may resolve to remove a person from membership of the Order, if that person
   1. has committed treason against the Order, for example, by waging war against the Order
   2. has, through a repertoire of behaviours, or by committing and being found guilty of a criminal offence, brought the Order into disrepute, dishonour, or threat.
3. A person, who has been a member of the Order and was removed from membership of the Order due to the loss of membership from someone whom that person had previously derived claim of membership, may petition the Senate for a restoration of membership. If the Senate finds that the person is of good repute and loyal to the Order, it shall restore that person to the membership of the Order by right of induction.

Rank and titles

1. Membership exists in the following ranks, from highest to lowest:
   1. King among the Lakes / Queen among the Lakes [Konung aa meðal sjooa / Drottning aa meðal sjooa]
   2. Prince among the Lakes / Princess among the Lakes [Fyrste aa meðal sjooa / Fyrstynna aa meðal sjooa]
   3. Senator of the Lakes / Senatrix of the Lakes [Aldermaðr sjooa]
   4. Knight of the Holy Lakes / Lady of the Holy Lakes / Companion of the Holy Lakes [Riddare helgo sjooa / Froyja helgo sjooa / Ryss helgo sjooa]

King or Queen

1. The title King among the Lakes or Queen among the Lakes, having been bestowed upon His Majesty Andreas Alexis Pellegrino-Brown (Craitman VII), in 1689, is vested in his most senior legitimate heir, with preference to elder siblings and their descendants over younger siblings and their descendants.

Prince or Princess

1. The title Prince among the Lakes or Princess among the Lakes is vested in the most senior legitimate heir of Prince Rashid Aradas Audon Arsalani Kalirion Andelarion (Prince Andelarion), with preference to elder siblings and their descendants over younger siblings and their descendants.
2. The title Prince among the Lakes or Princess among the Lakes is vested in the most senior legitimate heir of Prince Daniel Kalirion, with preference to elder siblings and their descendants over younger siblings and their descendants.
3. The title Prince among the Lakes or Princess among the Lakes is vested in the most senior legitimate heir of Prince Nathan Dariolin of Waffel-Paine, with preference to elder siblings and their descendants over younger siblings and their descendants.
4. The title Prince among the Lakes or Princess among the Lakes is vested in the most senior legitimate heir of Prince Elijah Ayreon, with preference to elder siblings and their descendants over younger siblings and their descendants.
5. The title Prince among the Lakes or Princess among the Lakes is vested in the most senior legitimate heir of Prince Tarjei Einhornsson, with preference to elder siblings and their descendants over younger siblings and their descendants.

Senator of the Lakes

1. Each member of the Senate of the Lakes is a Senator (or Senatrix, if female and choosing to use that title) of the Lakes.

Knight or Lady or Companion

1. Each member of the Order, who does not hold the rank King, Queen, Prince or Princess among the Lakes is Knight of the Holy Lakes, Lady of the Holy Lakes, or Companion of the Holy Lakes, as per personal preference.

Elector of the Holy Lakes

1. A member of the Order of the Holy Lakes, who during the the year in question, will turn 18 years of age or have turned 18 years of age, is eligible to vote in all elections and referendums which have been called by the Senate as an elector of the Holy Lakes.
   1. A female elector may, by her own choice, be known as Electress.

Offices and officers of the Order

Chancellery

Chancellor

1. The Chancellor of the Order of the Holy Lakes is the highest officer in the Order of the Holy Lakes.
2. The Chancellor is also ex officio the presiding officer of the Senate of the Lakes and the chief representative of the Senate and the Order.
3. The Chancellor shall, in consultation with the Senate and the Secretariat of State, appoint and accredit such missions to other powers and such persons who shall represent the Order of the Holy Lakes to those powers.
4. The Chancellor is elected by majority vote in the Senate, and may be removed by a majority vote by the Senate.
   1. Whenever there is a vacancy for the position of Chancellor, the Commander shall temporarily assume the powers of the Chancellor until such time the Senate has elected a new Chancellor.

Commander

1. The Commander of the Order of the Holy Lakes is the chief executive of all internal matters of the Order of the Holy Lakes.
2. The Commander is also the Commander in Chief of the military arm of the Order of the Holy Lakes.
3. The Commander is elected by majority vote in the Senate, and may be removed by a majority vote by the Senate.
   1. Whenever there is a vacancy for the position of Commander, the First Secretary of State shall temporarily assume the powers of the Commander until such time the Senate has elected a new Commander.

Secretariat of State

1. The Secretariat of State holds the executive powers over the territories held in right by the Order of the Holy Lakes. It consists of the first secretary of state and such other secretaries that the Senate shall appoint. It may also consist of ministers whom the First Secretary appoints.

First Secretary of State

1. The First Secretary of State is elected by majority vote in the Senate, and may be removed by a majority vote by the Senate.
   1. Whenever there is a vacancy for the position of First Secretary of State, the Commander of the Order of the Holy Lakes shall temporarily assume the powers of the First Secretary of State until such time the Senate has elected a new First Secretary of State.

Senate of the Lakes

Powers

1. The Senate of the Lakes is the sovereign for the Order of the Holy Lakes and such territories held in right by the Order of the Holy Lakes.
   1. The Senate has power to grant, amend and remove constitutions or laws for such territories, as well as enter into treaties for them.
   2. The Senate has power to declare war and make peace for such territories held in right by the Order of the Holy Lakes.
2. The Senate holds all ultimate legislative, military, executive and adjudicative power not otherwise delegated by this Charter elsewhere.

Membership

1. The Senate of the Lakes consists of the Senators elected by the Members of the Order of the Holy Lakes in 1718 and inaugurated on the first day of 1719, and such persons as have since replaced them in accordance with the law of the election, or from the promulgation of this Charter, in accordance with the provisions within it.
2. All Senators rule their own seats. The seat may be gifted or willed away to another member of the Order.
   1. If senators leave, or die from, their seats, without an intended heir by last will and testament or otherwise information to the Senate, their most senior heir under the rules of absolute primogeniture shall inherit it.
   2. If there is no heir to inherit the seat, the seat shall be destroyed.
   3. Changes to the owner of a seat shall be reported to the Chancellor.
3. The Senate may, by resolution of at least two thirds of its members, elect a member of the Order of the Holy Lakes to take up a new seat in the Senate.
4. The Senate may, by resolution of at least two thirds of its members, destroy a seat if the owner has shown disinterest in holding it.
5. The Senate may, by resolution of more than one half of its members, destroy a seat upon the petition of its owner.
6. The Senate may call for an election of members of the Order of the Holy Lakes to fill one or more seats in the Senate.

Rules of procedure

Presiding officer

1. 1. Presiding officer does not vote unless there is a tie.
   2. Presiding officer is Chancellor of the Order of the Holy Lakes.
   3. In the absence or recusal of the Chancellor, the Commander of the Order of the Holy Lakes presides.
   4. In the absence or recusal of both the Chancellor and the Commander, the most senior Senator presides.
      1. The longer a Senator has served in the Senate, the more senior the Senator is.
      2. If two senators have equal length of service, the older of them is the senior one.

Legislative Proposals

1. 1. Any Senator bring forth a proposal for the consideration of the Senate. A proposal is free to be debated at any time.
   2. For any vote, other than votes to amend proposal, a second Senator shall agree with the proposal.
   3. Friendly amendments are encouraged. If not friendly, or if there are competing amendments, the Presiding Officer shall issue an order of procedure of voting on the proposal and its amendment(s).
   4. Voting shall last for at least 36 days [72 hours], unless all Senators have already voted, in which case voting may conclude earlier.

Petitions and Judicature

1. Any person with standing may bring a case for review, arbitration or adjudication to the Senate of the Lakes.
   1. A case shall be relevant to the law of the Order of the Holy Lakes or any territory held in right by the Order. If the case is related to territory held in right by the Order, the judicial process in those territories must first be exhausted before the Senate shall review the case.
2. Cases are brought to the Chancellery – and if either officer of the Chancellery recuses themselves (which they must in case of clear conflict of interest) – the case shall be brought to the Secretariat.
3. Matters of procedural matter may be decided by the presiding officer on the matter alone, but may upon the motion of one senator, and the seconding of another, be brought to a vote.
   1. All senators may at all times vote on procedural matters for the case, however, only those who are not recused may preside over the case.
4. The Presiding Officer of the case may order persons to appear to testify before the Senate, make evidence available to the Senate, and so on.

Final provisions

1. This charter may be amended by the passing of the bill to the effect by the Senate of the Lakes, either
   1. by a vote of three quarters' majority, or
   2. by a vote of the majority, if, that bill specifies a referendum among the electors of the Holy Lakes, and that a majority of the electors vote to approve the bill.

In witness whereof, the Senators of the Lakes have here unto set their hands and sealed with their coat of arms.

Done at the Ruins of the Palace of the Elenaran, this seventeenth day of the thirteenth month, in the year after the death of Emperor Norton, one thousand and seven hundred and twenty.