WM Circle of Knights Charter

[ravenb]

Kingdom of Westmarch Knight's Charter
June 2023 rev 1.0

Purpose
Mission Statement
Guildmaster of knights
Knight’s Meetings
Online Presence
Voting
Advocates
Candidates for Knighthood


Purpose
This document is to provide a set of guidelines by which the Circle of Knights (COK) should
follow and describe the activities which take place within the circle. Additionally, there is a goal
of this document to provide more transparency and a clear understanding to the people of
Westmarch regarding the activities of the Knights Circle.


Mission Statement
The Westmarch Circle of Knights exists to provide several functions. Its goal is to encourage,
teach, and guide the next generation of leaders, teachers and those that seek assistance within
the Kingdom. It will provide an advisory function to the Kingdom Monarchy. It will vote on
citizens of Westmarch who are eligible per the Amtgard Rules of Play and the Westmarch
Corpora, in consideration of elevation to Knighthood.


Guildmaster of Knights
Guildmaster of Knights (GMoK) provides a leadership function within the COK.
They should be the primary contact for all official communication from within the Circle. They act
as a liaison with the Kingdom Monarchy and distill the many different views and opinions from
within the Circle to provide clear messaging for both the Kingdom Monarch and candidates.
Additionally, they plan Circle meetings, set the agenda for those meetings, and provide any
administrative functions that are necessary for the Circle to operate.


Knight’s Meetings
The Circle of Knight's must convene at least once a reign, but should strive to meet at least
monthly. This can be either online or in person, but all votes must be available online.
The GMoK shall set the agenda for the meeting. Any Knight may bring up new items for
discussion either before or during the meeting. Circle meetings are concluded with a majority
vote.
People from outside the WM COK may request to speak at a meeting. This would be approved
by the GMoK. The GMoK may also invite those outside the WM COK to attend. Examples in
both instances would include potential candidates for knighthood, their advocates or the WM
Monarch.
Meeting minutes must be taken for every COK meeting, and must be posted wherever the WM
COK holds its official online presence. Minutes must include complete notes on candidates
which should reflect the general view of the COK.


Online Presence
The COK shall establish and maintain an official online presence that is open to only the Knights
of Westmarch (both active and inactive). Currently the official online presence is located on
Facebook.
This online gathering place will be used to contain and keep a record of previous COK minutes,
decisions, and discussions. This is used as a place to plan upcoming meetings, and to discuss
issues before votes are held.


Voting
All decisions within the Circle require a majority to pass. Abstentions count towards quorum, but
do not count towards any vote total. The GMoK shall decide all ties.
Any item may be brought for discussion to the circle by the GMoK. If the Guildmaster of Knights
does not bring an item for vote, any new item can be brought for discussion (and potential vote)
as long as the item is proposed and seconded. The COK cannot make decisions which conflict
the WM Corpora or Rules of Play.

Any topic may arise for voting by the COK which can include (but is not limited to):
● recommendations for Knighthood
● COK charter changes
● language for COK communication
● COK agenda items.


Advocates
An Advocate is a member of the COK who is able to speak on behalf of a candidate to the rest
of the Circle. This Advocate would represent candidates who are not squired or whose knights
are not active within the Kingdom of Westmarch.

The job of the Advocate is to speak to the COK on the progress of the candidate. Additionally
they should also assist the candidate in their progression towards elevation to Knighthood
where possible. Their job is to act as best as they are able as a mentor and guide to the
candidate.
Should a request for an Advocate be presented, the Circle will select an individual to represent
the candidate. These requests may either come from the Monarch or from an individual qualified
for Knighthood.


Candidates for Knighthood
One of the primary functions of the COK is to vote on qualified candidates for Knighthood. The
COK will then provide the results of their votes (pass/fail) along with any other recommendations
to the Monarch.

In general, all qualified candidates for Knighthood must be discussed and voted on every reign
and the COK must vote on any candidates as requested by the Kingdom Monarch.
The standards of what makes a Knight and yield a “yes” vote, is different for every individual
Knight. Historically some of the factors that the COK will take into account when voting on a
candidate will include:
● Good character and attitude
● Exemplary skill and achievement in the path for which they are qualified
● The ability of a candidate to promote their masterhood/skills/ path
This short list is a subjective standard that goes beyond award qualifications. The intent is to
ensure that Knighthood as an award goes to those in the Kingdom that are good
representatives of the club, role models for others, and people that will use their talents to
improve the Kingdom.

Any time a knight votes against a candidate being elevated, they should be able to provide
specific reasoning as to why they do not think the candidate should pass.
When a candidate fails a vote, the Circle will need to come to a consensus of why that
candidate did not pass, and what steps would lead that candidate to passing a future vote.
These steps would need to be specific and actionable. They should also allow for multiple paths
for the candidate to improve and pass their next vote if those steps are successfully taken.
The result of this consensus would need to be reflected in the COK meeting minutes, and also
result in a discussion between a representative of the COK and the candidate.
Those items should then be communicated to the candidate by the Circle. This can be done by
inviting the candidate to the Circle meeting, by the GMoK, the Candidate’s Knight (if they have
one), or another representative chosen by the Circle.