REGULA FUNDAMENTALIS
SOCIETATIS VIAE ROMANAE
I. Identity, Nature, Goals, and Principia1. The Societas Via Romana is a transnational fellowship and community dedicated to the remembrance, reenactment, and, as far as applicable, re-creation, of the Roman heritage of Mankind, especially in its humanism, universalism, and dedication to freedom under the rational rule of law, as well as the Religio Romana, the Lingua Latina, the philosophy, literature, and virtues of Rome, and other aspects of the multicultural Roman civilisation maintaining validity and worth to the present era.
2. The Societas is aware of the rôle of the internet in the contemporary world and consciously bases its existence and functioning thereon in lieu of traditional methods of national or local recognition. This shall in no wise prohibit collegia or other elements of the Societas from seeking external recognition as the Societas may deem appropriate. The Societas recognises only its own enactments as morally binding upon itself or its members qua members, in view of its transnational and autonomous character.
3. The Societas recognises Latin as its official language, permitting at the same time in the Roman and humanistic spirit of tolerant universalism the use of all other languages as may be expedient for self-expressive or communicative purposes. In the construal of any any formal document of the Societas the official Latin version shall govern, if extant, Latin being the default reference language, and all decreta comitialia must have an official and complete Latin version in the archives to be valid. All members ignorant of Latin at joining shall be strongly encouraged to begin systematic and long-term study thereof, although this shall be purely voluntary.
4. The Societas recognises the recreated and reformed Religio Romana as its official spiritual basis, but guarantees full freedom of religious belief, conscience and practice to its members in whatever tradition of faith they follow.
5. The Societas recognises the philosophical traditions of Graeco-Roman Civilisation to be a major intellectual treasure of the human race, and strongly encourages the practical appropriation thereof by the individual and the application of Philosophia individually and collectively for the betterment of the individual and the world, to which it is still highly relevant.
6. The Societas regards the Literature of Rome to be the foundation of the humanistic tradition, the interest of human being in human being, and the discovery of Western humanity, a vehicle bringing the living presences of the far past down to the present to fascinate, move and inspire.
6. Membership in the Societas Via Romana is not to be sought for itself, simply to belong passively. The Societas urges every member to find specific modes of active contribution for himself in one or more of its institutions. Membership in the Societas is a quest of exploration, an instrument of self-improvement and an offer of service.
II. Formal Basis
1. This Regula represents the supreme formal authority for the Societas Via Romana and all magistratus and institutions derive their authority solely herefrom. All decreta passed by the Comitia, magisterial edicta and Senatus consulta shall be valid only insofar as they are in accord with this Regula.
2. This Regula may be amended only by a vote of two thirds of the whole membership of the Senatus ratified by a decretum passed by a normal majority of the Comitia Generalia.
3. This Regula shall be the highest formal authority within the Societas Via Romana. It shall be followed in formal authority by notae issued by a Magister Morum, edicta issued by the Consules acting under the Senatus Consultum Ultimum, decreta properly voted and passed by the Comitia Generalia, Senatus consulta, and magisterial edicta in order of descending authority of the magistratus described in Article V of this Regula, praefectural edicta ranking equally with praetorial edicta, but valid solely in the provincia headed by the Praefectus. Should the action of a lower authority conflict with a higher authority, the higher authority shall prevail except as otherwise provided. However, a higher authority may not directly regulate matters assigned by this Regula to a specific lower magistratus except negatively by intercessio to avoid abuse or serious harm. Should a decretum passed by the Comitia or consultum of the Senatus or edictum of a magistratus contradict another passed by the same authority without explicitly superceding the previous one, the most recent shall nonetheless prevail.
4. The use of male pronouns, adjectives and titles within this Regula is solely for clarity of expression, and shall not be construed to imply any disparity of rights or prestige between genders in the Societas. The appropriate feminine titles shall be used in the case of female candidates and incumbents in office, and shall be exactly equivalent in legal significence and dignity to the masculine forms.
III. Members and Gentes
1. Membership
(a) Any person may apply for membership on a basis of equality, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic group, language preference or religious conviction. Sincere interest in Romanitas and membership in at least one collegium of the Societas prior to final membership approval shall be the main criteria for membership.
(b) The Societas discourages membership applications from extremist political, religious or ideological motivations. Members are also expected to be respectful towards the Religio Romana and its practice and practitioners, whatever their own religious faith.
(c) Membership shall be automatically granted by the Censores upon demonstration of fulfillment of all criteria. When both Censores believe an applicant to be unqualified for membership, the application may be denied, subject to a right of appeal to the Praetores, of which right the denied applicant must be adequately informed. The Praetores after investigation and acting collegially may overrule the Censorial denial, upon which the Censors shall register the applicant as a member.
(d) Membership in or public alignment with neo-fascist, ultra-rightest, ultra-leftist, racist, anti-semitic, totalitarian or terrorist organisations is considered adequate reason for denial or withdrawal of membership. Failure to mention such affiliation or orientation at time of membership application is due cause for summary expulsion by both Censores acting collegially. Subsequent evidence of such affiliations if discovered shall be reported to the Praetores for investigation and possible expulsion trial, or to the Magister Morum if one has been appointed.
(e) Membership may be involuntarily revoked by a praetorial arbitrium (judgement) sentencing a member to expulsion according to fixed conditions after due investigation of guilt in a case under his adjudication. This is subject to intercessio by his collega or by both Consules acting collegially, or to provocatio. Tribuni may in such cases exercise their intercessio only to guarantee the right of provocatio. Those losing in an act of provocatio before the Comita shall likewise have their membership revoked under the terms set by the arbitrium of the Praetor.
(f) A Voluntary relinquishing of membership may be effected by public statement on the Comitial Mailing List of the Societas Via Romana or a private letter to the Censores.
(g) Members in good standing having voluntarily resigned shall have the right to return at will through the normal application process, which may be accelerated for them if the Censores have their original records still available. The return of those whose membership was involuntarily revoked shall be as described in this Regula, by the original conditions of expulsion, and by pertinate decreta and praetorial edicta.
2. The following rights of the members shall be guaranteed, but are not limited to:
(a) Complete liberty of conscience and belief, and authority over personal and household rites and practices, pagan or otherwise, save that neither blood sacrifice, human or animal, nor bodily mutilation may be associated with the Societas or its religious teachings and practices either within the Societas or before the general public;
(b) The right to vote in elections as members of the Comitia Generalia on matters brought before the membership in such manner as described in this Regula, which right may not for any reason be denied or abridged except for conviction by the Praetores of an offense connected with voting or serving with malfeasance as Rogator;
(c) The right to participate in all public discussions in the principal fora of public discussion, specifically including the Via Romana Main Mailing List and the Comitial Mailing List. Regardless of their content, communications in these fora may not be restricted by any authority, except where they represent insult, harassment, slander, malicious ridicule, or incitement to hatred, violence or intolerance. Such officially sponsored fora shall be moderated in the interests of maintaining order and civility, and shall be open to all languages equally, save for a preeminence of honour to be accorded to Latin. (This shall not be construed as forbidding the establishment of collegial or provincial lists restricted to Latin together with only the official provincial languages, or of other specialised lists for discussion specifically in a given language.)
(d) The right to appeal to the Praetores for adjudication in case of a magisterial act relating directly to a particular member or definable class of members and perceived as being against the letter or spirit of this Regula or of decreta guaranteeing individual rights, personal dignity or freedom from discrimination. In such cases the Praetores may prevail over all other magistratus in the interpretation of the protective enactments of the Societas, save that this may not prevent the Tribuni from their exercise of intercessio.
(e) The right of provocatio, i.e. to appeal to a general vote of the Comitia Generalia a decision of a Praetorial court that would remove an elected magistratus from office or expel a member from the Societas, except as otherwise limited by this Regula.
(f) The right to be secure in one's own home, person, family, and property, and not to be required to pay any monies to the Societas except as approved by the Senatus and Comitia Generalia acting together as provided for in this Regula;
(g) The right to recourse before the Praetores for slander, libel, demeaning ridicule or injurious insult taking place under the immediate jurisdiction of the Societas, or for misbehaviour of magistratus in an official capacity, including provincial and collegial officals, towards an individual member or towards a collegium or provincia.
(h) The right as a new member to select or be appointed by the Censores a praeceptor (mentor) from among the more informed and responsible members of the Societas to provide personal guidance in learning the rules, rights, customs and procedures of the Societas, learning to take advantage of the educational, cultural and social opportunities available, and in finding concrete ways of making a specific contribution to the work of the Societas. This relationship of praeceptor/discipulus shall terminate at the end of six months, leaving no obligation on either side.
3. The Tres Ordines (Three Orders)
Members of the Three Orders are fundamentally equal except for prestige and as provided below. No member may be simultaneously attributed to more than one Order. The Three Orders into which all members shall fall are:
(a) The Ordo Patricius (Patrician Order). Those members who have proven their exceptional merit and commitment to the Societas Via Romana and its work may be elevated to the Patrician Order by collegial decision of the Censores. No more than five individuals or five percent of the total number of Plebeian and Equestrian members may be so elevated in any calendar year, whichever is the larger number, except as provided below for extranumerary elevations. All members having served as Rogatores or Quaestores for two full years, not necessarily consecutively, and guilty of no malfeasance in office shall automatically be elevated in the first year in which they are elegible. If the Censores do not choose to elevate the maximum number permitted in any year, the Tribuni Plebis shall be invited by the Consules to offer nominations, not to exceed the number of the shortfall from the maximum. All elevations by the Censores and nominations by the Tribuni shall be confirmed by a secret ballot of the Senatus before becoming effective. If at any point the total proportional membership of this Order reaches fifty percent of the total membership of the Societas, no further elevations shall occur except for those rewarding Rogatores and Quaestores until the proportion falls below this limit.
(b) Ordo Equester (Equestrian Order). The Equestrian Order shall consist of members who pay in any given calendar year a donation to the Societas equal to three times the normal annual dues owed by them or in the absence of decreta assessing dues applicable to them, a sum of not less than 100 Euros or other sum determined by decretum of the Comitia Generalia. This may include expenses paid for the work of the Societas directly by the member, provided that it is documented in a manner satisfactory to any relevant decreta, the Quaestores, and the Censores. For candidacy purposes the Equestrians stand for office in their original order, whether Patrician or Plebeian. An Equestrian for ten consecutive years shall become an Equestrian for life regardless of future contributions in excess of normal dues, if assessed.
(c) Ordo Plebeius (Plebeian Order) All other members belong to the Plebeian Order.
4. Familiae and Gentes
(a) Familia being the basic unit of Roman society, the prerogatives and responsibilities of the familia are of great importance to the Societas Via Romana. Except where specifically dealt with in this Regula and any relevant decreta, each familia shall have the right to determine its own course of action, and parents shall have the primary right and responsibility to make the decisions pertaining to the education and upbringing of their children.
(b) The Societas grants each member's children the right to be considered minor associates (socii minores) with full social privileges but no voting or legal rights as members until the age of 18, depending on the will of the parent member(s) for the minor. The Censores shall append such associates to the familia of the parent member(s). Within six months of reaching the age of 18 the child shall determine for himself whether to pass into full adult membership or be removed from the Alba of the Societas altogether, and shall so inform the Censores. Failure to contact them within the period stipulated above shall be construed as a desire for removal.
(c) The Societas shall encourage its members, if parents, to actively nurture the Roman virtues and an interest in Romanitas in their children, and shall endeavour to assist therein.
(d) Each familia shall be registered with the Censores, who shall maintain the Album Gentium with records of gens membership and other relevant information. No two familiae may have the same nomen (surname) plus cognomen combination unless they are differentiated by a discriminatory agnomen, and within a familia all male members must have the same such combination. The Censores shall be responsible for ensuring that this rule be observed.
(e) Each familia shall, through whatever means it may determine appropriate, designate a paterfamilias, materfamilias, or coequal pair, parentesfamilias, who shall act as the leader(s) of the familia and speak for it when necessary. The holder(s) of this position must be registered as such with the Censores.
(f) Gentes are those groupings of familiae who share a common nomen (surname). Gentes shall have the gentiles with the longest continuous membership in the Societas appointed by the Censores as their Principes Gentis, provided that these accept this nomintion. Gentes may, if they prefer by a majority decision indicated by a petition bearing the names of that majority, elect a Princeps Gentis to represent them, and order their collective gentile life democratically according to their own individual Regula Gentilicia, which must in that case be provided to the Censores for approval, subject to pertinent decreta. The Censores shall register these gentes, together with their Principes.
(g) All official names used in the Societas shall be Latin and Roman in structure, permissably incorporating Latinised elements associated with other Roman-area societies, consisting of a praenomen, nomen, and optional cognomen and agnomen. The Censores shall see to the grammatical and formal correctness of these names, and the consistency of the name with other familua members. Members may announce changes to their names to the Censores at their pleasure, providing that the above criteria are met. Men or women or both may change their nomina and thus gens affiliation at marriage, or a woman may add her husband's nomen in feminine form to her existing name as a variety of agnomen or vice versa without the necessity to change gens affiliation. No one may belong to more than one gens simultaneously. The grammatical gender chosen by a member for his or her name is presumed to indicate his or her preferred social gender.
IV. Comitia Generalia
1. The Comitia Generalia Societatis (General Assembly of the Society) shall be made up of all members. The Comitia may be convoked by a Consul, a Tribunus or a Praetor, and any of these convokers may lay issues for discussion and vote before the Comitia. Only the Comitia Generalia shall pass decreta governing the rules by which they shall operate internally. They shall have the following powers:
(1) To enact decreta binding upon the magistratus and all members;
(2) To elect all elected magistratus except those with purely provincial responsibilitities, who shall be elected by provincial comitia, or those within the several collegia;
(3) To vote for the recall of any elected magistratus by decretum revocationis (recall) - this may be publically proposed by any three members, in which case the Tribuni must bring it up for a vote within twenty days, or any other convening magistratus;
(4) To hear and judge in all cases of provocatio, i.e. appeals against a magisterial act that would deprive of elected office or membership;
(5) To make final judgment on appeals of collegia having been denied recognition by the Senatus;
(6) To vote to approve or reject the annual budget and annual revenue-raising relatio (bill) from the Senatus.
V. Magistratus
1. Magistratus are the elected and appointed officials responsible for the maintenance and conduct of the affairs of the Societas. Qualifications necessary to hold these positions may be enacted by decreta passed by the Comitia Generalia. Magistratus holding Auctoritas speak officially for the Societas as a whole in their own right as elected representatives of the membership and agents of this Regula and the decreta of the Societas. No member may be reelected to the same office until at least a full year shall have passed since he last held it, nor may a member serve in the same office more than twice within a five-year period. No member may hold two or more elective general or provincial magisterial positions simultaneously, but collegial positions may be held simultaneously with general and provincial positions, and with each other according to the provisions of the collegia in question.
2. Elections of the magistratus ordinarii (regularly elected) shall take place no later than the Ides of December each year, and these newly-elected officials shall assume their offices on the Calends of January of the year following. Should an office become vacant before the Calends of November and suitable candidates are at hand, an election shall be held in the Comitia Generalia to elect a successor to serve out the remainder of the term, i.e. a suffectus, within twenty-one days of the vacancy's occurring. Should one of the ordinarii be found to be derelict in his duties, that magistratus may be removed by a decretum of revocatio (recall) originating in the Comitia. The magistratus ordinarii, in decreasing order of authority, are as follows.
3. Censores: Two Censores shall be elected by the Comitia Generalia to serve a term lasting two years, to be elected in alternate years so as to have a one-year overlap of terms. The Censor shall have the following powers, and obligations:
(1) To maintain the Album Sodalium et Familiarum (list of members and families) and appropriate information regarding them;
(2) To maintain the Album Gentium (list of gentes) and appropriate information regarding them;
(3) To maintain the Album Senatorum (list of senators), and appropriate information regarding them;
(4) To maintain the Album Equitum (list of members of the Equestrian Order) and appropriate information regarding them;
(5) To maintain the Alba Collegialia (list of members of the Collegia) and appropriate information regarding them;
(6) To elevate members to the Patrician Order in accordance with the provisions of this Regula and pertinent decreta;
(7) To safeguard the public morality and honour through the collegial administering of notae of censure, which however shall not impair a person's normal membership rights or membership in the Senatus; (8)To admit applicants to membership in accordance with the provisions of this Regula and relevant decreta
(9) To appoint well-informed praeceptores of good character to new members or approve their selection thereof;
(10) To sit ex officio in the Senatus;
(11) To appoint and dismiss Scribae Censorii (Censorial Clerks) to assist with administrative and other tasks, as each shall see fit.
4. Consules: Two Consules shall be elected annually by the Comitia Generalia to serve a term lasting one year. They shall have the following honours, powers, and obligations:
(1) To hold Auctoritas;
(2) To issue those edicta desirable to advance the mission and purposes of the Societas;
(3) To convoke the Senatus and the Comitia Generalia to carry out their duties, and set matters before them for discussion and vote;
(4) To pronounce intercessio (intercession, a veto) against the other consul or a magistrate of lesser authority, except the Tribuni;
(5) To sit ex officio in the Senatus;
(6) To appoint and dismiss Scribae Consulares (Consular Clerks) to assist with administrative and other tasks, as each shall see fit.
5. Praetores: Two Praetores shall be elected by the Comitia Generalia to serve a term lasting one year. They shall have the following honors, powers, and obligations:
(1) To hold Auctoritas;
(2) To issue those edicta desirable to advance the mission and purposes of the Societas and set forth their principles for interpreting and administering this Regula and the decreta of the Societas in the process of rendering justice;
(3) To collegially investigate and reverse a decision by the Censores to deny membership to an applicant, in which proceedings their decisions shall be immune from intercessio and provocatio.
(4) To render judgement in adjudications and enforce the same, including removal from office of any magistratus, and removal of membership, subject to the limitations imposed by intercessio and provocatio, a Consul, however, having no right of intercessio in his own or his collega's case;
(5) To convoke the Senatus and the Comitia Generalia and set matters before them for discussion and vote when the Consuls are unavailable or delegate that task;
(6) To pronounce intercessio against the other Praetor or other magistratus of lesser authority, except the Tribuni;
(7) To sit ex officio in the Senatus;
(8) To appoint and dismiss Scribae Praetorii (Praetorial Clerks) to assist with administrative and other tasks, as each shall see fit.
6. Aediles. No less than two, and no more than six Aediles shall be elected by the Comitia Generalia to serve a term lasting one year. Candidates for this position receiving the highest or second highest number of votes shall be Aediles Maiores, and the rest shall be Aediles Minores. They shall have the following honours, powers, and obligations:
(1) To hold Auctoritas;
(2) To maintain order and civility on the mailing lists and other internet fora of the Societas, excluding those of the provinciae and collegia, including the power to place posters on monitored status or ban them for up to three months in accordance with any pertinent decreta and aedilician edicta, and to ban non-members permanently;
(3) To create and maintain the websites of the Societas;
(4) To pronounce intercessio against another Aedilis or magistratus of lesser authority, except the Tribuni;
(5) To investigate the practices and functioning of the collegia for democracy, legality and responsibleness, to subpoena information necessary thereto, and to appoint Prorectores in Collegia unable to elect a Rector;
(6) To serve on the Collegium Aedilicium made up of all Aediles, which body shall divide the duties of the Aediles among its members at the beginning of each year and collectively monitor the carrying out of he same;
(7) To sit ex officio in the Senatus, provided they are Aediles Maiores. Suffecti do not fall under this article.
(8)To appoint and dismiss Scribae Aedilicii (Aedilician Clerks) to assist with administrative and other tasks, as each shall see fit.
(9) To elevate Scribae Aedilicii to the status of Aedilis Suffectus when needed, by a 2/3 majority vote in the Collegium Aedilicium.
7. Quaestores: Two Quaestores Generales shall be elected by the Comitia Generalia to serve a term lasting one year, during which they shall not hold other elective or appointive office including in the collegia and provinciae. The Quaestores shall have the following powers and obligations:
(1) To coöperate with the Senatus and the members of the Societas in making an annual budget;
(2) To keep the Aerarium (Treasury) and all records associated with it and report to the membership once in each quarter on the financial status of the Aerarium;
(3) To keep detailed and accurate records of the official income and expenditures regarding the Societas of each magistratus and to make these available to the other magistratus, the Senatus and the membership.
(4) To be eligible for automatic elevation to the Patrician Order by the Censores, subject to Senatorial approval, after the second full year of service as a Quaestor, not necessarily consecutive.
(5) To be exempt, during any year in which they serve more than six full months, from any dues of the Societas which otherwise would owed by him for that year.
8. Tribuni Sodalium (Tribunes of the Members). Two tribunes shall be elected by the Comitia Generalia to serve a term lasting one year. They shall have the following powers and obligations:
(1) To protect the rights of the members;
(2) To be sacrosanct in their persons and immune to adjudicative procedures and any and all restrictions of their freedom of expression on the Mailing Lists under the control of the Aediles during their tenure in office;
(3) To be immune from intercessio pronounced by other magistratus except other Tribuni;
(4) To individually pronounce intercessio against the actions of any other magistratus including other Tribuni, Senatus consulta, and laws passed by the Comitia when they feel that the spirit and/or the letter of this Regula or any decretum protective of human rights is being violated thereby or any clearly unjust act being committed, this being subject to the intercessio of any other Tribunus;
(5) To be privy to the debates of the Senatus, and keep the members of the Societas informed as to the content and progress thereof;
(6) To convoke the Senatus and the Comitia Generalia and set matters before them for discussion and vote.
9. Rogatores Generales. Four Rogatores Generales shall be elected by the Comitia Generalia to serve a term lasting one year. If no Rogator is available to carry out the elections for other Rogatores, the Senate may appoint two responsible members not running for the office to carry out as Prorogatores balloting for one or more Rogatores. Rogatores shall have the following disabilities, powers and obligations:
(1) To count and register votes in the elections of the Comitia Generalia and secret votes of the Senatus;
(2) To be unable to vote in the year that they serve in this capacity;
(3) To be unable to stand for office in the year that they serve in this capacity;
(4) To be eligible for automatic elevation to the Patrician Order by the Censores, subject to Senatorial approval, after their second full year of service as a Rogator, not necessarily consecutive.
(5) To be exempt, during any year in which they serve more than six full months, from any dues of the Societas which otherwise would be owed by him for that year.
10. The magistratus extraordinarius is the Magister Morum. In times of emergency, the Senatus may by simple majority vote appoint a Magister Morum to serve a term not to exceed six months. The Magister Morum shall have the power to expel members from the Societas Via Romana at will by a nota expulsionis, or to remove a magistratus from office and forbid his holding any specified offices for up to two years by a nota dimissionis, in order to:
(1) protect the Societas' values of cultural, religious, political, sexual, personal, and philosophical freedom from authoritarian or otherwise intolerant individuals and ideologies, and (2) protect individual members and subgroups of the Societas from misuse of the Societas' institutional powers by any magistratus.
The duty of the Magister Morum is to uphold the dignitas of each member, especially in cases not amenable to ordinary resolution. At the end of the term of service of the Magister Morum, his performance shall be evaluated and his acts confirmed by the Senatus by secret majority votes, in which expelled and dismissed senatores ex officio shall not take part. Any dismissed member whose dismissal is not confirmed may return. Those others whose expulsions are confirmed may not return for a minimum of one full year from the date of expulsion, and any application for return by them after that period must be approved by two thirds of the whole membership of the Senatus and a majority of the Comitia Generalia.
VI. The Senatus
The policy-making and oversight authority for the Societas Via Romana shall be embodied in its Senatus. The Album Senatorum (list of Senators) shall be maintained by the Censores according to qualifications set by law. The Senatus shall be composed of all Rectores Collegiorum, Praefecti, Aediles Curules, Praetores, Consules and Censores. These members shall be Senators as long as they are serving in the capacity of said offices, ex officio. Each Senator shall have only one vote regardless of serving in more than one office. If a Senator has been in the Senatus for five full consecutive years or seven full years non-consecutively, his membership shall become for life. The Senatus may add other life members to its ranks by a secret two-thirds majority vote of its whole number, exclusive of the person in question if currently a Senator, who may in that case not vote. This may not be done at any point in time when thirty percent or more of the whole membership of the Senatus is already life members.
The Senatus shall have the following honors, powers, and obligations:
(1) As the repository of experience and wisdom in the affairs of the Societas, the Senatus shall have the authority to issue Senatus consulta (Advice of the Senate) on those topics upon which it shall see fit to comment. Proposed Senatus consulta may be draughted and issues brought up for consideration by any individual Senator according to the regulae of the Senatus.
(2) No later than the last day of November of each year, the Senatus shall prepare a budget for the following year, in coöperation with the Quaestores. This budget shall deal with the disbursement of funds from the Aerarium to the Quaestores to magistratus and collegia for various purposes. The Quaestores Generales shall be collegially responsible for the maintenance of the Aerarium, but no funds from it may be disbursed without the prior approval of the budget duely approved by Senatus and Comitia Generalia. The Senatus may, as required by changing circumstances, pass supplemental Senatus consulta to modify the annual budget. This budget in whole and part, and its modifications are subject to intercessio by the Tribuni and each original annual budget must be approved by the Comitia Generalia to take effect.
(3) The Senatus may, by Senatus consultum, impose dues, fees or other financial requirements on the members in order to carry out the goals of the Societas. This power is subject to intercessio by the Tribuni, and the specific financial requirements demanded of members must be approved annually for the subsequent year by the Comitia Generalia both as to amounts and means of collection.
(4) The Senatus shall have the power to issue the Senatus Consultum Ultimum (the Ultimate Decree of the Senate) in times of danger to the Societas internal or external. When in effect, this decree will supercede the normal rights and powers of all other administrative bodies and authorities except those of the collegia, and allow the Senatus to invest the Consules with absolute powers to deal with a specific situation, subject only to their collegial intercessio and review by the Senatus. All magistratus and members are required to coöperate with them for the security of the Societas. Even under the authority of the Senatus Consultum Ultimum, the Consules may only temporarily suspend the provisions of this Regula; they may not enact any permanent changes hereto, nor may they expel members from membership or collegia from recognition or magistratus from office without the approval of a majority of the Senatus, those being voted upon or their representatives being excluded from the vote. They may not remove the Tribuni from office or membership, who may, however, not pronounce intercessio against the Consules acting under the Senatus Consultum Ultimum. The Consules with the assent of the Senatus may declare new elections at their discretion to replace dismissied or expelled magistratus, and at the time of regular elections may with Seantorial assent conduct or postpone them. The term of a Senatus Consultum Ultimum may not exceed ninety days, nor may regular elections be postponed longer than sixty days.
(5) The Senatus may, by Senatus consultum, enact rules governing its own internal procedures and such Senatus consulta may not be overruled by laws passed in the Comitia, except those to ensure adequate transparency and disclosure. All votes of the Senatus should be made public for each Senator, including any comments a Senator may wish to make upon his voting in explanation thereof, except when legitimate protection of individual privacy, or matters affecting the security of the Societas are involved, or other matters for which this Regula specifically prescribes secret votes.
(6) The Senatus may recognise and derecognise collegia and create and dissolve provinciae by Senatus consulta as prescribed elsewhere in this Regula.
(7) The Senate may recognise the most able members of the Societas in the interpretation of this Regula and the decreta comitialia, edicta magistralia and regulae collegiales, and name them Iurisconsulti, their number not to exceed seven. They must have adequate knowledge of Latin to construe the enactments in that reference language, and must have been members for at least two years, except for the conditores of the Societas. The Collegium Iurisconsultorum Senatoriale so formed shall severally and collectively advise the Senate, magistratus and private members in matters of this Regula and all rules and enactments of the Societas, and their interpretations and interactions. The Collegium having at least three collegae, subsequent appointments shall be carried out only with the consent of the majority of the existing collegae. The Collegium may elect a Princeps from its number for a one-year renewable term if it so wishes. Membership is normally for life or until resignation, but a persistently inactive or unavailable Iurisconsultus may be removed from the Collegium by a two-thirds vote of the Senatus.
VII. Provinciae1. The Senatus may, by Senatus consulta, create provinciae for regional administrative purposes, if those future provinciae each contain at least five members. They are each to be governed by a Praefectus elected by the plurality of those members who fall within the given geographical boundaries of their provincia, who shall constitute the Comitia Provincialia of each provincia. Such election must be voted upon by the Senatus within forty days for approval. Lack of a vote within this time shall result in automatic presumption of approval. If a Praefectus is disapproved by vote of the Senatus, a new election shall be held within thirty days, and the Senatus may only disapprove the winner of the second or subsequent election by a two-thirds vote, the elected Praefectus not yet sitting or voting. The performance of these Praefecti is to be reviewed by the Comitia Provincialia of their respective provinciae each year, and these Comitia will vote on the proroguing of their Praefectus, or the election of a new one, should the position become vacant or should there be multiple candidates.
2. In case of a provincia being unable to successfully elect or prorogue a Praefectus for a given year, the Consules shall propose a Propraefectus to the Senatus, which may appoint the same by a majority vote. The Propraefectus shall have the same duties and rights as a Praefectus, uncluding siting ex officio on the Senatus, but may be replaced at any time by the pertinent Comitia Provincialia if they can agree on a specific replacement by a majority vote. If any new candidate presents himself during the course of the year until the Calends of October, the Propraefectus is obliged to convoke the Comitia Provincialia for a secret ballot within thrity days of the announcement of candidature. The new candidate, if uncontested, shall take office only by receiving an absolute majority of all votes cast.
3. Praefecti may be recalled by a majority vote of their Comitia Provincialia, any three members thereof having the right to demand a vote on this within thirty days. They may also be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the Senatus, the Praefectus in question not voting. Praefecti and other provincial magistratus may for cause be removed from office by adjudicative arbitrium of a Praetor. They are all also fully subject to the power of intercessio of the Tribuni.
3. The Praefecti shall each have one or two Quaestores Provinciales elected by the Comitia Provincialia to handle the disbursements of any funds that might come from the central government, keeping due financial records, as well as to manage any local funds. These shall be under the financial oversight of the Quaestores Generales, the Senatus and the Comitia Provincialia. If two or more qualified candidates present themselves there shall be two Quaestores, otherwise one. A provincia not having at least one validly-elected Quaestor in office shall have its aerarium transferred to an account of the Aerarium Generale under the direct management of the Quaestores Generales until a Quaestor Provincialis is elected.
4. All provinciae shall provide for their own Rogatores Provinciales by vote of their respective Comitia Provincialia, and shall also elect Aediles Provinciales to carry out duties related to the management of real property, festivals, public events, and the provincial internet presence. The numbers and responsibilities of these shall be set by the Praefectus and ratified by the Comitia Provincialia.
5. The Praefectus and his Legati, Quaestor(es) and Aediles shall constitute the Concilium Provinciale. It shall collectively take counsel for the administration of the provincia.
6. Praefecti shall have the following honours, powers, and obligations:
(1) To hold Auctoritas within the jurisdiction of their provincia;
(2) To proclaim those edicta desirable to advance the mission and purposes of the Societas Via Romana within the jurisdiction of their provinciae;
(3) To administer the day-to-day organization and administration of their provinciae in accordance with this Regula, all decreta of the Comitia Generalia and Provincialia, all Senatus consulta, and the edicta of the Consules regarding provincial matters;
(4) To appoint and dismiss Legati (Legates) to administer regiones of their provinciae with the delegated auctoritas of the Praefectus;
(5) To determine the number and functions of any Aediles Provinciales subject to the ratification of these provisions by the Comitia Provincialia;
(6) To convoke the Comitia Provincialia;
(7) To carry out adjudicative functions of a purely provincial nature, subject to the individual intercessio of the Consules, Praetores and Tribuni and a right of appeal for the judged to the court of a Praetor, and without right of expulsion of any member, but being empowered to ban a member from any stipulated provincial activities, except voting, for up to one year and to pardon the same, Quaestores Provinciales being exempt from this adjudicative power;
(8) To sit ex officio in the Senatus and to represent the interests of his provincia’s citizenry, ethnic groups, and ethnic languages in the Societas as a whole;
(9) To appoint and dismiss Scribae Praefectiales (Prefectural Clerks) to assist with administrative and other tasks, as the Praefectus shall see fit.
VIII. Collegia
1. The Collegia shall be the functional basis of the Societas Via Romana in which its principal activities as divided by theme shall be carried out. These collegia are meant to further the mission and spread of Romanitas in the world and in the Societas, and their purposes shall include, but not be limited to: study, research, re-creation, education, and discussion relating to the Roman and Roman-area civilisation and its appreciation and application in modern times.
2. Collegia shall be headed by Rectores, who are to be elected yearly by the members of the several collegia. If there is only one candidate, the prospective members of said collegium can still choose by majority vote not to appoint him Rector. The Aediles shall then collectively appoint an interim Prorector until another candidate can be found and voted upon. Whenever a new candidate proposes himself, the Prorector shall conduct balloting within thirty days according to the statues of the collegium. Such candidate shall take office, if unopposed, only by receiving an absolute majority of votes cast.
3. Collegia may be founded by a minimum of three members, and after organising themselves internally and electing a Rector, they must submit their application to the Senatus, which shall then vote on its recognition. Should the Senatus decline to grant such recognition, the collegium in question may apply to the Comitia Generalia, whose decision is final for the period of one year from the date of refusal, after which time a new application may be made. Should the Senatus or Comitia officially recognize the Collegium, the Rector thereof and his successors automatically become ex officio members of the Senatus during their tenure in office. Collegia may be derecognised by a two-thirds vote of the entire Senatus excluding the Rector of the collegium in question from the calculation and the vote. Collegia may also be derecognised by a majority vote of the Comitia Generalia in which members of the collegium being voted upon shall have full voting rights.
4. Every member of the Societas must be a member of at least one Collegium. Any member losing such minimum membership shall be warned by the Censores within thirty days of their learning of this, and if the member has not received membership in a collegium thirty days from date of censorial warning, he shall be temporarily suspended from the rights of active membership in the Societas until he has reacquired such collegial membership. To facilitate this, the collegia shall be required to promptly forward all new memberships and terminations of membership to the Censores.
5. Collegia are responsible for their own internal organization, and are not subject to interference by the Senatus or any magistratus, with the exception of the Aediles, whose responsibility it is to ensure that democratic procedures and the protection of individual rights are being carried out in each collegium, and that financial and legal responsibility are being reasonably exercised so as not to bring the Societas into disrepute or threaten its existence or security. Their internal organization should contain no less than three officers, and no more than four, at least one of them being responsible for the general leadership, one for the website, and another to count the votes. Magistratus and Praefecti may request information as they feel necessary from each collegium to carry out this task, and collegia are required to promptly provide all available information so requested. Collegia must also promptly report any changes in their Regulae to the Senatus, and are required to hold general elections end July or the beginning of August each year.
6. All members of the collegia must be members of the Societas Via Romana or applicants for the same whose confirmation is only contingent upon allegiance to a collegium. Collegia may introduce a class of coadiutores (associates) without voting rights if they wish, and these positions may be made available to non-members of the Societas.
7. Collegia may create legal corporations and foundations with the permission of the Senatus. The boards of directors or trustees of such bodies must be made up exclusively of members of the Societas.
8. Collegia may establish geographically-proximate circuli (circles) to carry out their activities in a limited area. They may also have their own regiones or provincial branches as they may see fit.
IX. Implementation
1. This Societas is declared founded by the Co-conditores, who collectively proclaim this Regula to be adopted and in force. Each is, all other provisions notwithstanding, a full member in good standing of the Societas Via Romana and member of the Senatus:
a)Gnaeus Dionysius Scorpio Invictus
b)Lucius Silvanius Florus
c)Quintus Pomponius Atticus
d)Marcus Pomponius Lupus
Collegium Philosophicum, Latinum, Religionis and Artium are simultaneously proclaimed to be founded, and as recognised by the Societas ab initio.
2. Initially the following special provisions shall obtain:
- Prior to attaining 15 members, the members of the Societas Via Romana shall elect as necessary (i.e. at least once annually) only the following officers: one Censor (for two years) with the full powers of both to keep the records, and one Rogator to conduct elections and votes, and one Aedilis to manage mailing lists and websites.
- The Censor, Aedilis and the Rectores of the four collegia initially established shall constitute the initial Senatus and collectively guide and direct the Societas, exercising collectively all the powers to eventually be distributed among the not-yet-extant magistratus as well as its own.
- In the absence of Praetores, it shall vote on appeals from membership applicants disapproved by the Censor, who shall not vote in such cases, and it shall conduct adjudicative procedures if necessary as a judicial committee of the whole, the involved parties not voting.
- Provinciae may be established whenever the conditions therefore are met, and their Praefecti added to the Senatus. Similarly, additional collegia may be admitted and their Rectores added to the Senatus.
- If any member has multiple rôles entitling him to a position in the Senatus, he may only vote once as one person.
- Until the election of the Consules, the Senatus shall elect a Princeps Senatus for a renewable six-month term to convoke the Senatus and the Comitia.
- Until a Rogator is chosen, all votes may be public in both Senatus and Comitia Generalia.
- Until there are 50 members, magistratus may be elected to the same office for unlimited consecutive terms.
3. When 15 members are enrolled, there shall be elections for Consules as necessary;
4. When 25 members are enrolled, there shall be elections for Praetores as necessary;
5. When there are 35 members, a second Censor shall be elected, an additional Aedilis shall be elected, and an additional Rogator shall be elected as needed;
6. When there are 65 members enrolled, there shall be elections extra Aediles, if the Aediles feel the necessity hereto;
7. When there are 100 members, there shall be elections for Tribuni Sodalium;
8. When there are 200 members, there shall be elections for the two Quaestores Generales and Quaestores Provinciales as necessary. Quaestores may not simultaneously hold any other offices. No aeraria (treasuries) shall be held by the Societas or its provinciae prior to the election of Quaestores.
9. If at any point no candidate presents himself for mandated positions, the Senatus by majority vote shall extend the deadline for announcement of candidature, and invite named suitable members to stand for these offices.