Charter of FirstOnlineSchool

Last Updated 26 November 2022

Definition

§1 Definition and Scope

FirstOnlineSchool, abbreviated FOS, is a primarily Discord-based open community operated by volunteers. This document is the charter of FirstOnlineSchool, and is to be interpreted internally within the organization of FirstOnlineSchool.

§2 Mission Statement

The mission of FirstOnlineSchool is to:

• Provide educational support and resources to students and other learners
• Promote and maintain a safe and healthy online community

Structure

§3 Board

The board of FirstOnlineSchool consists of a minimum of two members and has the job of:

• Regularly reviewing and discussing the status and long-term planning of FirstOnlineSchool;
• Enacting and approving decisions about FirstOnlineSchool by vote.

§4 Chairperson

The board must consist of a minimum of two members, one of whom must act as the Chairperson. The Chairperson is responsible for ensuring that the board fulfills its duties correctly.

§5 Principal

FirstOnlineSchool has a principal, who acts as the primary executive authority. The principal may veto any decision enacted by vote in the board. In the event that the board of FirstOnlineSchool has one member, the principal must also be a member of the board so that it has two members. In the event that the board of FirstOnlineSchool has no members, the principal may appoint one member to the board to form a board consisting of: the principal, and the new board member appointed by the principal. There must always be a principal of FirstOnlineSchool.

§6 Change of Principal

In the event that the principal of FirstOnlineSchool wishes to resign their post, the current principal is to nominate a new principal. The nominee must then be approved unanimously by the board by vote to become the new principal. If there is no board, then the current principal must form a new board as outlined in §5.

§7 Members and Staff

Members of the FirstOnlineSchool Discord server are considered members of FirstOnlineSchool, or as otherwise defined by the statutes (see §12). Members of FirstOnlineSchool may also be staff members, meaning that they contribute to the operations of FirstOnlineSchool.

Decisions and Voting

§8 Enacting Decisions

The board must conduct a vote to enact the following categories of decisions:

• A decision that is financial in nature;
• Approval of a contract with an external party;
• A change to the statutes (see §10);
• A change to the structure of the board.

§9 Voting

All members who have been approved and chosen as members of the board have the right to vote. Proposals must take the form of yes or no decisions. For a proposal to be valid, it must be readily visible by all eligible voting board members. A proposal must receive more votes for ‘yes’ than for ‘no’ to be approved.

After an eligible proposal is given, a period of 72 hours is given for all board members to cast their votes or abstain. After 72 hours, the voting closes. A proposal is immediately approved if more than half of possible voting board members vote ‘yes’; likewise, a proposal is immediately rejected if more than half of possible voting board members vote ‘no’.

§10 Records

Records are to be kept by the board on all decisions enacted by vote, and they are to be accessible to all members of FirstOnlineSchool (see §6) upon request.

Authority and Validity

§11 Modification of the Charter

The charter of FirstOnlineSchool may not be modified except through a unanimous approval by all members of the board. The principal must additionally approve the modification.

§12 Statutes

FirstOnlineSchool has a set of statutes that determine procedures and rules within FirstOnlineSchool. Statutes may be added, modified, or removed by a vote in the board (see §7). Statutes may not contradict the charter of FirstOnlineSchool. A vote is not required for editorial changes to the statutes, or if a statute found to contradict the charter of FirstOnlineSchool is to be removed.

§13 Interpretation and Dispute

The board is to interpret the statutes, and the board and the principal are to interpret the charter. In the case of a dispute with the statutes, the case is to be taken to a vote in the board as to how the dispute should be interpreted. In the case of a dispute with the charter, a decision as to how the dispute should be interpreted requires a vote with unanimous approval from the board and from the principal.

§14 Limitations

No statute or decision may be enacted that shall contradict any contract signed with an external party and approved by the board of FirstOnlineSchool. All members of FirstOnlineSchool have the right to terminate their membership with FirstOnlineSchool at any time.

§15 Dissolution

FirstOnlineSchool may be dissolved by unanimous vote from the board and the principal.