|
CONSTITUTIONAL STATUTES
OF
THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER
OF CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS OF THE ROSE
1 This is formed, between the undersigned to this present constitution and those who shall subsequently join and fulfill the conditions of membership, an initiatory order of chivalry, whose usages and customs rest upon a history of secret and investigative service, wherein messages and tools of need were buried beneath a rose bush and meetings of a confidential nature were carried on with a rose placed on a table, and upon Christ's admonition to conduct our acts of charity in secret. This order will be generally known as The Knights of the Rose.
2 The order is called "The Most Honourable Order of Christian Knights of the Rose", herein also referred to as the Order.
3 The Headquarters of the Order will initially reside at the domicile of the Grand Master until a formal structure is built or obtained for this express purpose.
4 The Order has as its objectives the perpetuation of a traditionalist order of chivalry and its initiatory teaching, the creation between members of mutual assistance, extension of assistance to servants and children of Christ, be it moral or material or martial, and the extension of compassion to all who might require it, regardless of race, creed, or religion.
5 The duration of the Order is unlimited. It was initiated on the tenth day of January 2001 by Brent Richard Spencer of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada. It was endorsed by Mark Samuel Douglas of Jamestown, North Dakota, U.S.A., Dan Winger of Lakewood, California, U.S.A., Eric Vincent of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and by Paul Grant, of London, England. On April 27th, 2001 the Order received apostolic blessing from his grace the Right Reverend Peter Compton-Caputo, Bishop in the American Anglican Council.
6 A "postulant" is a prospective member of the Order. The Order accepts as postulants Christians who are over 18 years of age and who have made a public declaration of personal faith in Christ.
7 The Order is open to all adult persons over 20 years who have made a public declaration of faith in Christ and who recognize and accept the aims and obligations specified in this constitution.
8 A postulant will be referred to as a Squire or Lady in Waiting. A full member will be either a Knight or Dame of a given rank and may be referred to as Chevalier, Dame, Knight of the Rose, or Lady of the Rose.
9 A postulant must provide for their induction to the grade of Knight or Dame a passage fee, and annually thereafter a nominal oblation fee or other gift (its value up to the discretion of the donor) to the Order to remain a member in good standing. Within one year of their accolade they must obtain a black mantle in accordance with the approved styles of the Order, and within two years men should obtain a sword and sword belt. Provision may be made for any member to pay a life-membership oblation and such membership status may be granted in recognition of a particularly generous gift or service to the Order.
10 All admissions shall be decided by members of the High Council. Titles and duties shall be conferred by the Grand Master, who holds office for life. Members with High Council appointments may hold their office for life. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the Grand Master due to resignation or demise and without a designated successor, the High Council must proceed to an election within ninety days. In the case of a vacancy in an office of Grand Prior due to resignation, demise, or removal, the High Council may put forward to the Grand Master a recommendation for appointment. Executive positions within Grand Priories will be elected by the general membership for terms not to exceed four years and not to exceed two terms. Appointed positions within Commanderies may be renewed by tacit approval of the Commanding Knight/Dame unless refused by the members for a justifiable reason.
11 On admission a member must provide to the Registrar General a copy of their birth certificate, a recent photo, a specimen of their signature, and reference letter from a member of the clergy attesting to their character and faith.
12 A member of the Order against whom a sentence has been pronounced by a court or tribunal for a common-law offense may be suspended from their duties and titles, as well as membership. Renewal may be dependent upon producing an official pardon and convincing executive superiors that their membership is of such value that it should be renewed.
13 The hierarchy of the Order is consists of six grades
1) The Office of the Grand Master
2) Convent of Master Knights
3) The High Council, consisting of:
* Master Knights * Grand Dames
* Justiciar * Registrar General
* Chaplain General * Secretary General
* Chancellor * Grand Seneschal
* Chief Herald * Grand Marshal
4) The "Arc of Steel" - 7 senior knights, 4 of which
are members of the High Council. Held by
appointment;may be by recommendation. The Arc
of Steel protects Order property and treasury
of savings.
5) Commandery and Chapter members, including the
"The Ladies Council" for Dames of the Order.
6) Postulants - Squires & Ladies in Waiting
14 Funds of the Order are composed of gifts, fees, sales of approved regalia, and money raised by various other ways and means. A reserve, called "the Shield", is settled upon the Arc of Steel. This treasury may only be used in case of absolute necessity and grave danger to the Order and its members.
15 The Secretary General is appointed by the High Council and holds this position for three years, which is renewable by tacit agreement. The Secretary General assists the Order in its administration and helps ensure high standards of ethical behaviour are maintained by the membership.
16 The complete membership of the Order will be called the General List. At the behest of the Grand Master, the Secretary General or Grand Marshal may call for an assembly of the membership, which shall be designated "General Council".
17 General Council alone decides, on a majority vote, all changes to the constitution and all such changes must by validated by the seal of the Grand Master.
18 No deliberation of the General Council shall be deemed valid unless it attended by 60% of the members of the Order. If such a quorum is not effected and issues need to be dealt with, a Convent of the High Council will have the authority to deal with the matter and inform the General List of their decisions or actions as soon as is reasonably possible.
19 All ceremonial practices, accoutrements, symbols, heraldry, and insignia designs intended for use by the Order or any of its Grand Priories and their charges shall be submitted in writing and/or design illustration to the Office of the Grand Master for approval. The Marshals of the Order will help ensure continuity, with due respect given to the wishes of the members.
20 Matters of day to day operation and ceremony will be dealt with as "Regulations for Good Order" to be detailed in a Member's Manual. The use of titles and post-nominals will also be detailed in the Regulations for Good Order.
21 All members are to endeavour to live in accordance with the spirit of the tenets of the code of chivalry and display courtly manners in speech, writing, and behaviour.
22 Definition of Offices/Titles - job descriptions:
a) The Grand Master - is responsible for the general well-being of the Order in all regards.
b) The Grand Prior - is the member responsible for the conduct of the membership on a national boundary basis or a defined region chosen by the membership of that region in consultation with the High Council. The Grand Prior may also be referred to as the Master of their particular regional responsibility and may hold this position as a Knight Commander or Master Knight, Dame Commander or Grand Dame. They may use the post-nominal GPKR or MKR.
c) The Grand Seneschal - is the Senior Counsellor or Advisor to the Grand Master based on his/her experience in chivalric order administration, history, and expertise in a multitude of issues relating to the conduct of ceremony, finance, protocol, and general operation of a corporate body.
d) Justiciar of the Order - is the legal advisor to the High Council and Grand Master. Reviews and helps with drafting constitutional statutes, bylaws, and regulations, and will assist in matters of question, dispute, or discipline within the Order as needed.
e) The Registrar General - is responsible for assisting in collecting and archiving membership information, ensuring integrity within the membership list, acting as an advisor in Order business, and acts as an ambassador for the Order to other organizations or agencies.
f) The Grand Marshal - is responsible for good order and discipline, proper ceremony as may be laid down or established in a manner traditional to the Order, proper wear of Order insignia and regalia, and other duties as may be required from time to time at the behest of the Grand Mastership.
g) The Chaplain General - is responsible for directing the spiritual guidance of the Order and overseeing religious ceremonies as required in gatherings and meetings of the Order's membership. The Chaplain General will encourage and lead Grand Priory and Commandery Chaplains as required, and pray for the membership, work, and needs of the Order.
h) Chief Herald - will work with the Grand Master in the design and implementation of heraldic symbols used by and within the Order and will maintain a record of letters patent held by members of the Order.
i) The Chancellor - is the Chief Financial Officer and will help govern the business operations of the Order and will oversee the work of Priory and Commandery Treasurers.
23 Other Positions Available:
Chamberlain - oversees premises owned or occupied by entities of the Order. Announces guests to be recognized to the senior officer in house at the time.
Standard Bearer - protects the flags and banners of the Order. Ensures they are present and in place for ceremonial functions. Ensures they return to their rightful place at the conclusion of ceremonial functions.
Sword Bearer - may be a Marshal's assistant or Honour Guard for ceremonial functions. Will carry and protect swords used in ceremonies of the Order.
Marshals, Chaplains, Treasurers, Secretaries, Stewards Sword Bearers, Hospitallers, Armourers, Captains of the Guard (Parade/Protection), Couriers
24 Breakdown of the Order:
Office of the Grand Master National entities - Grand Priories Regional entities - Commanderies City or area sub-units - Chapters
eg. Lakewood Chapter, California Commandery, Grand Priory of the United States.
25 Rankings within the Order:
a) Grand Master
b) Grand Prior - Master Knight or Grand Dame
c) Knight or Dame Commander
d) Knight or Dame Officer
e) Knight or Dame Member
f) Postulant - Squire or Lady in Waiting
26 Special Designation - "DSR"
Members of the Order who can establish bona fide credentials showing that they have service experience in military, law enforcement, or church organizations that involves intelligence or investigation work will be entitled to use the designation "D.S.R." as a post-nominal, meaning Dagger Sub Rosa, and to use or wear approved markings or insignia on ceremonial garb and cards or stationery used by the Order.
This constitution will by the standard under which by-laws and regulations for good order are based on for the Order. These statutes are brought into effect with the consent of the founding members of the High Council as of the 1st day of June in the year of our Lord 2001.
Brent R. Spencer
Grand Master
Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Canada
Mark S. Douglas
Justiciar of the Order
Jamestown, ND
U. S. A.
Dan Winger
Grand Prior (US)
Lakewood, CA
U. S. A.
Eric Vincent
Registrar General
Saskatoon, SK,
Canada
Paul Grant
Grand Seneschal
London, England
U. K.
Peter Compton-Caputo Granted the Charter
Chaplain General (Bishop) 04 July 2001
Annapolis, MD, U.S.A.