Mission Statement
The Fifth Fleet (‘The Fleet’, ‘Fifth’ or ‘T5F’) is a free online group dedicated to providing opportunities for fun roleplay and creative, collaborative storytelling set in the Star Trek universe. It is our aim to provide a home for all who wish to join and to ensure that members are free from harassment and discrimination in all forms.
Rights and Responsibilities
All members have the right to be partake in the Fleet community, without being harassed, bullied, or discriminated against. As such it is the responsibility of all members to conduct themselves in a manner that supports this goal. Any member who witnesses behavior that violates a member’s rights to a safe community shall report them to a community moderator.
Community Moderation
The responsibility for community moderation is at the discretion of the Fleet Leadership and may include members of the Command Council. All members and guests of The Fifth Fleet are expected to follow all valid requests from those with moderator and administrative privileges throughout the community and its services such as Discord, the Portal and individual sim Novas. Any member found to repeatedly disregard a moderator’s requests, violate rules, or disregard policy and procedures may have corrective actions taken against them.
Corrective actions may include official warning, removal from service (kick), temporary suspension from membership (timed ban), or permanent ban. Any ban lasting greater than thirty (30) days requires a review and vote of the command council or unanimous vote of the Fleet Trustees. All bans will remain in place until the completion of the vote.
Structure of Leadership
The leadership of The Fifth Fleet is split between 2 bodies:
• Fleet Operations Group
• Command Council
The Fleet Operations Group is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the fleet and its various departments. The Command Council is made up of all of the Simulation Game Masters and Assistant Game Masters, or equivalent roles. A Simulation GM and AGM are collectively known as a “Simulation Command Team.”
Fleet Operations Group
The Fleet Operations Group is responsible for the day to day management of the fleet, and carrying out the mission and objectives of The Fifth Fleet. The Fifth Fleet Operations Team will consist of the Fleet Commanding Officer, plus the following appointed roles:
• Fleet Executive Officer
• Fleet Operations Officer
• Community Relations Officer
Fleet Commanding Officer
The Fleet Commanding Officer (FCO) is responsible for the day to day operations of the fleet and its leadership. The FCO sets the direction of the fleet and goals to meet the related objectives carried out by the fleet leadership on the behalf of the command council. The Fleet Commanding Officer must be a Commanding Officer.
Election of the FCO
The election of the Fleet Commanding Officer shall begin January 1st of each year with nominations. Each member of the Command Council may nominate a sim commanding officer to serve as Fleet Commanding Officer. Nominations shall end with the beginning of voting on February 1st of each year and shall last seven days. A vote will require a simple majority (over 50%) with an additional election if a tie occurs between only the two members holding the most votes. Transition to the new Fleet Commanding Officer shall occur on March 1st of each year.
Should a special election need to be convened due to loss of FCO outside of term limits the Fleet Executive Officer shall become acting Fleet Commanding Officer while the Fleet Trustees conducts elections using time limits determined at their discretion.
Should the election nomination period close with a single nominee, an election is not required. The Trustees may cast a single ballot and the in election shall end with a simple majority for the sole nominee.
Removal of the FCO
The Fleet Commanding Officer may be removed from duties for inactivity or failure to complete duties as FCO. Any member of the Command Council may make a motion before the council for removal of the FCO. A vote requiring 75% or greater of the majority must be reached to successfully remove the FCO from office. The vote shall last seven days and a quorum of all active council members must be reached. (All members not on an officially declared Leave of Absence are considered active.)
Appointment to Fleet Operations Group
All members of the Fleet Operations Group, with the exception of Fleet Commanding Officer, shall be appointed by the Fleet Commanding Officer and serve at their pleasure. Appointments may occur by the elected Fleet Commanding Officer from the conclusion of their election in February throughout their term. Any members appointed to a leadership role after elections but prior to the Fleet CO assuming command will not take on the role officially until the change of command.
Removal from Fleet Operations Group
Members of the Fleet Operations Group, with the exception of the Fleet Commanding Officer, shall be at the discretion of the Fleet Commanding Officer. Additionally, the Command Council may move for the removal of a member of the Fleet Operations Group. The motion requires a three-fourths super majority (75%) of the Command Council’s active members (All members not on an officially declared Leave of Absence are considered active). Unless otherwise ordered by the Fleet Commanding Officer, the member in question will remain in their role until the vote is completed.
Fleet Executive Officer
The Fleet Executive Officer (FXO) is the de facto second in command of the fleet and serves at the pleasure of the FCO. The FXO is responsible for supporting all members of the fleet leadership in completing their duties, especially when a position remains vacant. The FXO coordinates the various departments within the Fleet Operations Group to keep the fleet operating smoothly. The FXO must be a member of the Command Council and serves as its secretary and vice-chairperson. Should the FXO be acting as chairperson they shall designate a secretary, as needed. The Fleet Executive Officer must be a member of a simulation command team.
Additional Duties/Responsibilities
As the FXO is responsible for filling in for vacant Fleet Operations Group positions and acting as FCO, in their absence, the duties and position authority are fluid. The FXO may assume any powers of a role they are acting in as needed or designated, at the FCOs discretion.
Community Relations Officer
The Community Relations Officer (CRO) is responsible for the overall growth and health of the community. They are responsible for the management of community services, such as message boards, Discord, etc. The CRO is also responsible for driving the fleet-wide recruitment and retention strategy, with oversight of the fleet news service, social media, and awards system. The CRO reports to the FXO and FCO and receives a vote in the Command Council, if not already a member. No command team membership is required for a person to be appointed to this role.
Fleet Operations Officer
The Fleet Operations Officer (FOPS) is responsible for the overall operations of the community such as assisting with website management, overseeing database/wiki creation/management, and working with canon coordinators to present fleet canon appropriately. The FOO reports to the FXO and FCO and receives a vote in the Command Council, if not already a member. No command team membership is required for a person to be appointed to this role.
Command Council
The Command Council is the advisory and ratifying body within The Fifth Fleet. It comprises the named roles within the Fleet Operations Group, and the Command Teams from individual member simulations. Under the chairmanship of the Fleet Commanding Officer, they ratify rules and vote on issues that affect the fleet as a whole.
Canon Coordinator
A canon coordinator coordinates efforts of all units (sims) within the fleet in a specific canon storyline. While the Canon Coordinators have no direct authority over other members of the Command Council, they are empowered to chair all discussions regarding the storyline they oversee. Coordinators are also responsible for the creation of database articles and official canon write-ups as decided by the unit GMs within a canon group. A canon coordinator must be a GM or AGM within the canon group they are assigned coordinator of.
Appointment and Removal of Duties
Canon Coordinators shall be appointed by the Fleet Operations Officer and/or the Fleet Commanding Officer and serve at their discretion. Removal is also as the discretion of the Fleet Operations Officer and/or Fleet Commanding Officer.
Game Master
Responsible for the day to day operation of their individual sim (based on a Starfleet unit) within the fleet. GMs are responsible for all administrative matters both in and out of character for their sim. A Game Master is a member of the Command Council and may vote on all matters. The alternate title of Unit Commanding Officer may also be used.
Appointment and Removal of Duties
Game Masters shall be appointed by the Fleet Commanding Officer, Fleet Executive Officer, and any other member with related duties stated in the fleet policies/procedures. A designee may be made by the Fleet CO in an acting capacity due to leave as necessary. Unit Commanding Officers may be removed by the Fleet Commanding Officer, Fleet Executive Officer, and any other member with related duties stated in the fleet policies/procedures. It should be noted that removal of a Game Master removes the sim from the fleet. Fifth Fleet will at no time assume ownership of a sim without the express consent of the Game Master.
Assistant Game Master
Assistant Game Masters (AGMs) are appointed by the GM of each individual unit (or sim) and shall serve as an alternate representation of the simt. An Assistant Game Master is a member of the Command Council and may vote on all matters.
Appointment and Removal of Duties
Each Game Master may appoint an Assistant Game Master to serve as an additional member of the command council and assist in the management of their unit (sim). Removal of a unit’s Assistant Game Master is at the sole discretion of the unit’s Game Master. Additional staff may be appointed internally on each sim/unit by the GM but only one may be allowed entry to the command council.
Additional Fleet Staff
Members of the Fleet Operations Group may request the addition of a single Deputy and additional Assistants (IE: Deputy Operations Officer > Assistant Operations Officer) with approval of the command council to add/remove the role. Appointment of the personnel shall be at the discretion of the officer requesting a deputy/assistant with approval of the Fleet Commanding Officer. Removal of these positions will be at the discretion of the appointing officer, Fleet Commanding Officer, or expiration of the FCOs term. These additional staff members may take on the authority to complete departmental duties at the discretion of the appointing officer including community moderation and other administrative roles as related to their direct duties. These additional staff members are not considered members of the command council and have no vote in the council.
Command Council Operations
The purpose of the Fleet’s Command Council is to advise the elected Fleet Commanding Officers and other members of the Fleet Operations Group in a sound direction of fleet development. While the Operations Group is elected and appointed to deal with all day-to-day operations, major procedural changes and any changes to the charter must be approved by the council. The following are the required duties and operational procedures for the council.
Required Votes of the Council
The following matters require a vote of the Command Council as described in the procedures below:
• Election/Removal of the Fleet Commanding Officer
• Ratification and amendments to the Fleet Charter with the exception of minor grammatical, spelling, and typing related errors.
• Review of any ban lasting longer than thirty (30) days of a fleet member.
Voting Procedures
Each vote may be brought forward to the council by a motion by any member. Voting will be led by the Fleet’s Commanding Officer or Executive Officer at their discretion as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Command Council respectively. Each voting period shall be seven days and require a quorum of 75% of all active members of the council. Any member of the council who is not on a declared Leave of Absence (LOA) or Absent Without Leave (AWOL) is considered active. All votes of the council shall be completed with a simple majority (over 50%).
Council Members with Multiple Roles
All members of the Command Council regardless of the number of unit commands and/or fleet leadership roles are afforded a single vote as a member of the command council.
Absent Without Leave
A member of the Command Council who becomes incommunicado from the Fleet Operations Group and/or the sim they are Game Master of the Fleet Commanding Officer may determine them Absent Without Leave beginning after fourteen days. The Fleet Commanding Officer may leave them in the status of AWOL for a total ninety days and if no contact is regained they shall be removed from duty by the Fleet Commanding Officer.
Administration of the Fleet / Fleet Trustees
While The Fleet has an elected and appointed leadership, the organization holds necessary infrastructure and property not necessarily provided by the council or the leadership.
Members of the fleet who provide financial, administrative, or other operational support such as hosting, etc shall retain administrative roles as needed within the fleet. These members are collectively known as the Trustees. The Fleet Trustees are charged with:
• protecting the long term viability of the organization.
• holding ‘master’ accounts for the preservation of The Fifth Fleet’s digital assets.
• ensuring that actions taken by any member do not have a detrimental effect on the organization.
• ensuring the fleet resources are efficiently managed.
• keeping the organization in compliance with applicable laws and regulations
Members of the Fleet Trustees, may advise the command council on all matters but do not hold an active vote within the command council, unless they concurrently hold another role within the Fleet. Founding members of the fleet, as well as previous FCOs, may be invited/elected to join the group by the existing trustees.
In the event that a member of the Fleet Operations Group fails to discharge the duties of their role for a period of 3 months OR in the collective opinion of the Fleet Trustees, the member of the Fleet Operations Group will cause irreparable harm to the organization then the Trustees will;
• remove the member of the Fleet Operations Group
• if necessary immediately call a special election for the role of Fleet Commanding Officer following the rules of a special election
• if necessary, appoint an interim Fleet Commanding Officer should no existing member of the Fleet Operations Group be willing or fit for the duties of the office.
Founding Trustees will retain a lifetime appointment to the Fleet Trustees unless they resign from the role. Additional Trustees will retain their appointment while they continue to provide for real-world infrastructure and are in good standing within the organization.
The Fifth Fleet Charter was ratified by the Command Council on January 21st, 2021 and is effective as of January 25th, 2021. The most recent updates to this document occurred on January 23rd, 2021 with some grammatical changes for posting to the website.