"CONSTITUTIONS AND BY-LAWS: Guardians of Good!"
by Adam Davila: USS BOUNTY: Region 7

As a member of a newly commissioned chapter, getting the feel and spirit of what we saw our chapter to be into our by-laws was paramount to us. Of course, with ten people involved, our vision on what that chapter was to be and how to express it differed. To this Tom offered the suggestion of stepping back and thinking whether the clause in question is really needed. Good advice, but what if it is needed?

In sports, rules form a frame of reference to insure that the game is fair so that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy it. The same applies to STARFLEET. Well-written by-laws ensure that each member knows what are their rights and responsibilities and also set forth the expectations of those chosen to administer the organization. This applies whether it be an individual chapter or the club as a whole.

I have been involved with STARFLEET on and off for more than a dozen years and the first chapter I was a part of suffered from a lack of good by-laws. This lead to a totalitarian like regime by its president. He took actions such as replacing other members in positions of responsibility if they disagreed with him. At the time, STARFLEET vested full authority in the “Captain” of the chapter, so there was little recourse for the members against this tyrannical leader. Many dissatisfied members left STARFLEET entirely. Eventually, a group of members “jumped ship” and formed a new chapter, the USS AVENGER. Had there been clear and just bylaws at both the local and fleet levels, such drastic action would not have been necessary and many good people would have stayed with STARFLEET.

Tom stated that he has seen by-laws tear apart an organization. A chapter, however, is only as good as the people who are in it. I believe that it more likely that the people who lost sight of the original intention of the club are the ones who tore apart the chapter. Badly written by-laws may have been a tool they used, but the by-laws themselves did not destroy anything.

By-laws must be designed to protect the individual member’s rights to be a part of a fair organization. In our democratic society, that is usually accomplished by putting the final authority in the hands of the individual by the power of the vote. From a STARFLEET perspective, the intent should be for the will of the majority to prevent a minority from disrupting the enjoyment of the club. To use the much quoted line from STAR TREK, “The good of the many outweighs the good of the few or the one.”

Unlike Tom, I do not see constitutions and by-laws as a necessary evil. To me they are the solid foundation on which an honest and ethical organization should be based. They ought to be clear, concise, and above all fair. That way each member can be proud to be a part of a club that states its honorable intentions for all to see.