Article I. Name

The following by-laws shall govern the operations of this organization, the 1st Paintball Light Infantry also known as the "PLI" or ? PLI?? ?B??ich shall hereinafter be referred to as the "unit".

Article II. Purpose

Section 1. Non-Profit Corporation. The unit is a non-profit corporation, organized and operated for the purposes of educating paintball players and the general public concerning the safe participation in paintball games. This goal shall be accomplished through the organization of player to participate in paintball-related activities, ceremonies, encampments, and events with a common system of tactics, communications, and procedures.

Section 2. Organization. The unit will endeavor to organize small teams into larger organized units to play together in paintball scenario and big games. Member teams will be organized into detachments which will come together to form the unit.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Volunteer membership. Volunteer membership is defined and limited to the following types:

(1) Full Members. All full members will voluntarily join either individually or as a team. They must be at least 18 years of age. Members will serve as paintball light infantrymen for period of up to a week at a time. They must be physically and mentally fit and are required to conform to the By-Laws, General, and Special orders. Effective full members, as defined in the current General Orders, entitles full participation in all unit sponsored activities. Full members joining as individuals will not be permitted to hold field rank or have a representative on the BCC. Full members who are part of a team are entitled to hold field rank, and be a member of the Brigade Captain's Council (if otherwise qualified) and other benefits as outlined in the General Orders. Members of this council are generally supposed to be the Captain of their team, appointment to the BCC does not confer a PLI rank of Captain on the representative. Individual members who join then form a team will have their membership upgraded from Full (individual) to Full (team) Member and will enter the command matrix at the next entry level. The new team does not have to pay the registration fee as the individual member has already paid it.
(2) Student Members. All student members will voluntarily join either individually or as a team. They must be at least 12 years of age but less than 18 and meet the same physical and mental requirements as full members. They may hold field leadership positions, but are restricted from holding office. Individual Student members have the same restrictions as individual Full members. Teams of student members will be allowed to vote in unit business per the General Orders.
(3) Guest Members. All guest members must be approved by unit staff in advance of any event. They must meet the same physical and mental requirements as the full or student members dependant on their age. They may not hold firled leadership positions except by exceptional circumstances, cannot hold elected office, and have no vote in unit business.

Section 2. Application and Acceptance. Application for membership in the unit shall be formally made to the Executive Coordinator by individuals or teams in accordance with the General Orders. Criteria for membership acceptance shall include such items as complete and correct submission of current forms and payment of the application fee.

Section 3. Effectiveness Standards. All full and student members must be Effective as outlined in the General Orders to be accepted into any membership category or to be maintained in their current membership and to serve on the Brigade Captain?ouncil. These standards shall include such things as uniformity, attendance, standards of conduct, safety regulations, and unit tactics and communications.

Article IV. Organizational Leadership

Section 1. The Brigade Captain's Council. Each team of at least five members, which officially joins the PLI, shall receive a seat on the Brigade Captain's Council. The member may be selected by any method from the team to whom the seat is allocated, but must be classified as "effective" by the General Orders. These members will represent their teams for PLI meetings and shall exercise their team vote on unit issues. Members of the Brigade council may hold any leadership position at unit events and do not give up any of the rights of membership. Members of the Brigade Captain's Council (BCC) must have Internet access in order to fully participate in on-line meetings. Units shall be listed in the BCC based on seniority. The term ?gade Captain?ouncil?? used because generally speaking, the team captain is expected to fulfill this position. It does not confer the rank or title of ?tain??to the member chosen.

Section 2. The Executive Coordinator (EC). The EC will be appointed descendingly based on the BCC seniority list. Terms to run from January 1 to June 30 and from July 1 to December 31. The Executive Coordinator (EC) is responsible for all unit communications and decisions during their term. The EC may appoint staff members from the BCC to assist in unit planning or staff members from his/her unit to assist in PLI matters with majority BCC approval. Event planning is the responsibility of the Event commander and staff. The EC may assist in this planning, but holds the primary responsibility of representing the Brigade. The EC serves as the Chairperson at all Brigade Council meetings and holds no vote and cannot serve as the Event Commander during his term of office. The team from which the EC is appointed must designate another team member to serve as their BCC Representative. This is intended to keep the EC from facing conflict of interest problems when running the unit. In the event an EC cannot fulfill the duties of his/her office, another may be appointed by the team responsible for the EC position to complete the term. In the event that team cannot appoint an effective member to serve or chooses not to appoint a new EC, the next team in seniority will assume the office and will be allowed to serve the remainder of that term and their assigned term.

Section 3. EC Staff. In the event the EC deems it necessary to have help in the clerical, supply management, and monetary duties associated with that position, he/she may appoint a Clerk, a Quartermaster, and a Treasurer to serve at the EC?eisure with duties and responsibilities as assigned by the EC. These positions have no actual authority over any PLI member and exist solely to assist the EC in the day to day running of the unit. Persons holding these positions must be effective members and may come from any team, including the EC?in the PLI. It is only proper to recognize the burden of leadership placed upon the EC and plan for it accordingly. EC Staff members may serve on the BCC as their team representative. Only three staff members may be appointed without prior approval of the BCC.

Section 4. Membership Tiers. Members may old leadership position in the unit based on seniority, proven leadership ability, service to the unit, and thorough knowledge of the procedures and protocols of the PLI. Tier levels may be considered for field leadership positions. Tier levels and requirements will be established by General Order.

Article V. Field/Event Command

Section 1. PLI Event Command. The Event Commander for PLI events shall be determined by rotation of PLI teams with at least five effective members. The initial commanding team will be chosen annually by lottery conducted by the outgoing EC within seven days of July 1. Further commanding teams will be selected by ascending order of BCC seniority. New teams must be in the BCC rotation for a period of one year by June 31 of the year of the lottery to be allowed event command. Event command lotteries will be held every year to determine the first unit to command. All eligible units must command an event before any team is allowed to command a second event. Teams will chose who will serve as Event Commander. The Executive Coordinator is not eligible to command an event during his term. In the event there are more units than events in any one year period, a majority vote of the BCC can extend the lottery for up to twelve months to allow all teams that were in the lottery the chance to command. In the event the lottery is extended, teams that have joined since the lottery will not be added to the event command list until the new lottery is executed. A lottery must be held every two years.

Section 2. Other Events Field Command. Command rank will be limited by that which is appropriate for the number of men fielded and the event attended. If the PLI is to portray a Military Brigade, we will use the appropriate military ranks. If the PLI is falling in under another commander, or at an event where we are to represent a specific entity, we will use whatever ranking structure they designate or is appropriate to the event. If the PLI is to portray a mob, we will be a mob, if we are to be orcs, we will be orcs. The PLI will not force military command structure titles on events where it is not appropriate. We are not locked into any set military rank system. PLI tactics and procedures work equally well no matter the title given to our leaders. This is to help the PLI maintain the proper image in the field, and allow maximum flexibility.

Article VI. Meetings

Section 1. Types of Meetings.
A. General Meetings. The unit shall conduct an online General meeting open to all members and guests monthly in accordance with the General and Special Orders.
B. Event Meeting. The unit shall conduct online event meetings that may be monitored by all members. BCC representatives should serve as the individual member's voice in these meeting to facilitate ease of communication.
C. BCC Meetings. The BCC will conduct monthly online or face to face meetings in accordance with the General and Special orders. These meetings are only open to BCC members or approved effective members. In the event a vote is to be held, BCC members will be given a seven-day advance notice to solicit opinions from their team members concerning the vote issue(s).
D. Disciplinary Meetings. In the event a disciplinary action is undertaken against a member of the unit, the BCC will hold an online or face to face meeting. The Accused and the Accused's BCC representative shall present a defense. The EC shall serve as a neutral and detached judge. The member bringing the charge and their BCC representative shall act as the prosecution. Remaining BCC members shall serve as jury. Witness members may be called. General courtroom demeanor shall be maintained at all times. Charges and decisions shall be drafted in accordance with the General and Special Orders. Disciplinary meeting must take place within 28 days of the initial incident requiring disciplinary action. In the event the accused wishes to plead guilty, he or she may request an EC?ast. In the event this is done, the EC shall sit in judgement and pronounce punishment. In the event a Mast is chosen, there is no appeal.
E. Special Meetings. Nothing in these By-Laws shall prevent the general membership, BCC, or EC from calling a special meeting. In the event an emergency vote is needed within the seven-day announcement period, a special meeting will be called. All members will be allowed to observe the BCC vote.

Section 2. Quorum Requirements. For all meetings at which a vote is to held, a minimum of the EC and 50% of the BCC must be in attendance to constitute a quorum.

Section 3. Conduct of Meetings.
A. Governing Rules. Robert's Rules of Order as amended by the General Orders should govern conduct of meetings.
B. Agenda. Agenda format shall be in accordance with the General Orders. Every effort shall be made to keep meetings brief and to the point. At no time shall any meeting last longer than 90 minutes unless extended by the majority of members present. All members having issues to be raised shall submit a synopsis to their BCC representative who shall advise the EC in advance for inclusion as new business on the agenda.

Section 4. Voting
A. Voting Teams. Each team with five effective members shall be allotted one vote.
Teams with more than five effective members shall be allotted one additional vote for every five effective members over five. (Ex: A team with 17 Effective members has three votes). The right to vote shall be extended to all teams as outlined in these by-laws and General Orders. The EC shall publish a list of voting teams, effective strength of the teams, and number of votes per team with the Brigade Returns.
B. Proxy. All voting teams, as defined above, have a right to cast their vote(s) and may elect to have another voting BCC representative cast their vote(s) at an meeting in which they are not able to attend. Such proxies shall be in writing and shall indicate whether their proxy may be counted towards quorum requirements, voting on agenda items only and/or voting on all proper matters brought before the BCC. The EC shall make the final determinate as to who the voting teams are in accordance with the By-Laws and General Orders.



Article VII. Authority

Section 1. General and Special Orders. The unit shall be governed by the General and Special orders as promulgated.

A. These General and Special Orders shall be approved or modified as necessary by the EC. A General Order may be canceled by a majority vote of the BCC.
B. The EC or his designee shall be responsible for periodically publishing a list of Effective General Orders as General Order Number 1 (10-01-1998).
C. General Orders shall include information that is semi-permanent in nature and concerns all members. These shall include such matters as procedures for running meetings, membership application procedures, safety rules, readiness standards, etc. An effective date shall be included with each General Order number which will read Month, Day, Year. In the event the order is revised, this information will appear as well (Ex. General Order 3 (10-11-1998)[rev 11/99]). Copies of the General Orders shall be maintained by the EC or his designee and copies provided to all member teams.
D. Special Orders shall be used for specific instructions which are either temporary in nature or concern only select individuals. These shall include such items as: Operational Orders or Instructions for a specific event, special assessments, instructions to specific individuals or BCC members, etc. A specific date and cancellation date (if necessary) shall be included in the special order number (Ex Special Order 15 (10-01-1998) (Expires 10-3-1998)). Copies of Special Orders shall be maintained by the EC or his designee and the addressed individual(s) or unit(s).

Section2. Order of Precedence. In the event of conflicting instructions, the following order of precedence shall be followed:
A. Articles of Incorporation
B. By-Laws
C. Special Orders
D. General Orders
E. Operations Manual
F. Brigade Returns
G. Other official written directives
H. Verbal orders

Section 3. Limits of Authority. At no time shall orders, either written or verbal, violate or appear to violate Federal, State, or Local laws or supersede the health and safety standards of unit members, recruits, other players, or the general public.

Section 4. Compliance. Compliance with these Articles, all General Orders, and applicable Special Orders is required of all members and recruits. Failure to comply may result in termination of participation in an event or other disciplinary action including loss of membership as outlined in the General Orders.

A. Implied Consent. Although membership in the unit is voluntary, the purpose of forming a paintball mega-team requires that members submit to basic rules, responsibilities, control, and discipline. During events, all members are expected to show the appropriate behavior and portray the role to which they are assigned. If you are an elf, be an elf. If you are a General, be a general. Attendance and participation at an event implies consent to PLI protocols and event rules. Violation of either may result in loss of privileges, and/or dismissal from the event. Serious violations or incidents will result in convening a Disciplinary Court Martial by the BCC as outlined in the By-Laws and General Orders.
B. Rank Accountability. Acceptance of leadership positions implies responsibility and accountability for the safety and well being of the men under your cognizance and insuring the unit and other players have fun. If a member is willing to carry out your orders, then you must be willing to ensure that his health and well being is secured. Failure to carry out your duties as a leader may result in immediate loss of position, and/or dismissal from the event. Serious violations or incidents may result in convening a Disciplinary Court Martial by the BCC as outlined in the By-Laws and General Orders.

Section 5. Discipline. Disciplined members are an important part of the PLI. There will be three levels of punishment. Verbal reprimands may be given by any BCC representative. Written reprimands may be given by any BCC representative or Team Captain and will be placed in the defendant member or teams PLI file maintained by PLI HQ. The Defendant may elect to place an explanation or denial in their file with the written reprimand. Serious breaches of conduct shall be dealt with by disciplinary hearing as outline in section 5(A) or EC?ast.
Minor infractions by members or member teams may be dealt with by any BCC representative by verbal reprimand. These need not be reported to PLI HQ. More serious infractions such as multiple safety violations, repeated violations of the PLI protocols, or failure to heed two verbal warnings may result in a written reprimand.
Three written reprimands against any one player (or team) in a two year period will result in a Disciplinary Hearing. If a violation of the zero tolerance rules, cheating, breach of conduct, or a gross violation of the PLI Protocols that is serious enough that the BCC Representative believes it warrants immediate removal of a member or member team from an event, or any criminal act occurs, it will be brought to the attention of the PLI Event Commander who will make a final determination on the member or member teams status at that event. The EC should also be notified as soon as possible and an initial report from the Field Commander should be submitted to PLI HQ within seventy-two hours of the conclusion of the event. In the event any member or team is removed from an event or any criminal act occurs, a disciplinary hearing must be held.

When a disciplinary hearing is held the following guidelines will be strictly adhered to:

A. The complainant shall submit a written report detailing the charges against the member to include the time, date, location, specifics of the incident, and witnesses to the incident. A complainant need not be a member of the PLI.

B. The defendant shall be presented a copy of the accusation report and will have not less than seven days to submit a defense report to include the time, date, location, specifics of the incident, and witnesses to testify on the defendant's behalf.

The BCC will hold an online or face to face meeting. The complainant, and his BCC representative (if any) shall present their accusations if full detail to include presentation and questioning of any witnesses to the incident. The defendant and his BCC Representative shall present a defense and may present their own witnesses as well as question the witnesses of the complainant. Once each side has rested the complainant or his BCC Representative (if any) shall have not more than five minutes to form a summary argument. The defendant or his BCC Representative shall have not more than five minutes to present a summary argument.
The jury will be made up of the remaining members of the BCC. In the event any member of the BCC is involved in the incident, accused, a witness for the complainant or defense, or has any conflict of interest, the member team shall designate an Acting BCC rep to sit in his stead. The jury shall decide the guilt or innocence and the punishment (if any). A 3/4 vote of the BCC members sitting as jurors to convict will result in a guilty verdict.
The EC shall serve as a neutral and detached judge. In the event the accused comes from the team of the EC, an Acting EC will be appointed from the next team in the command rotation. In the event the EC stands accused, the next team in the organizational command rotation shall choose an Acting EC to preside over the case. General courtroom demeanor shall be maintained at all times.
The BCC shall present their findings to the EC. The EC will then announce the verdict and punishment. The disciplinary meeting must take place within 28 days of the initial incident requiring disciplinary action.
In the event the defendant admits his or her actions and wishes to plead guilty to the charges as written, and said charges would not be generally seen as warranting removal from the unit, they may request an EC?ast. In this instance the EC serves as judge and jury and may deliver whatever sentence is appropriate after conducting an investigation. The defendant is entitled to a copy of the relevant documents pertaining to the EC?ecision at their request. There is no appeal to an EC?ast.
Results from disciplinary hearings and EC?asts will be posted on the PLI Forum. The member and complainant?ame will be kept confidential. The PLI will not cover up its mistakes. Publication of these events shall include the complaint, date of the incident, incident number, charges, defendant?lea, findings, sentence, and recommended preventions.

Section 6. Punishment. If found guilty, a member or member team may be disciplined by written censure, suspension from PLI activities for up to one year, or dismissal from the unit. Any unit dismissed from the PLI may not rejoin for a period of five years and loses all rights inherent to membership including the wearing of the PLI patch, flying of the PLI flag, or association with any PLI activities. PLI logo items will be returned to PLI HQ that will remit their purchase price, less the value of any damage to said logo items, back to the former member team. Failure to surrender PLI logo items may result in civil action. The PLI maintains proprietary ownership of ALL PLI logo merchandise issued from the Brigade Stores.

Article VIII. Drug, Alcohol, Code of Conduct Policy

Section 1. Zero Tolerance Policy. The PLI adheres to a strict zero tolerance for the use, intended use, possession, transportation, or distribution of any illegal substances. Violations of this policy will result in immediate removal from the event, immediate (within 24 hours) Disciplinary Hearing, and notification to the appropriate law enforcement agency for conferring of charges.

Section 2. Intoxication by Members. Members of the PLI are strongly encouraged not to drink any alcoholic beverages during unit events, this particularly applies to members serving as officers or non-commissioned officers. No alcoholic beverages will be carried onto the field of battle or staging areas of the event. Alcohol should be confined to the PLI permanent camp, parking areas, or designated locations. In the event a member chooses to drink they will not be allowed to drive their vehicle off site or participate in the event until cleared by the event commander. Any member who becomes intoxicated will be subject to immediate removal from the event and Disciplinary hearing. Violations of the law will be reported to appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Section 3. Drinking by Underage Members. PLI members who are under the legal drinking age are not allowed to drink alcohol at unit events. Violation shall result in immediate dismissal from the event, notification to parent or guardian, and Disciplinary hearing and notification to appropriate law enforcement agency for conferring of charges if necessary.

Section 4. Interaction with Other Units and the Code of Conduct. In the event the PLI interacts with any other unit at non-PLI hosted event, members are expected to display appropriate decorum and abide by the PLI policy. Violations of the event rules, or any violation that the member feels constitutes a safety issue, shall be reported immediately to the Event Commander. The event commander shall do all that is necessary to insure the safety of members up to and including withdrawal of the PLI from an event. In the event another non-PLI unit falls in under PLI leadership for an event, the PLI event leader will inform them verbally of the PLI code of conduct. Non-member teams must agree to abide by this code of conduct, or the PLI Event Leader will request they be reassigned. The PLI code of conduct used will be that which currently appears on the PLI web site.

Section 5. Enforcement. All members of the PLI are responsible for enforcing the drug and alcohol policy and code of conduct. Violations should be immediately reported to the EC and Event Commander who will take immediate action on the violation in accordance with the By-Laws and General Orders.

Article IX. Modification of Articles

Section 1. Submission. With the majority (51%) approval of the BCC, these articles may be modified or deleted, and/or new articles added. Proposed amendments may be submitted by any member of the BCC, or individual member through their BCC representative. The proposed modifications shall be submitted to the EC or his designee for publication a minimum of thirty days prior to debate and vote at any subsequent unit meeting.

Section 2. Publication and Effective Date. The EC or his designee shall publish the results of the vote in the Brigade returns after the official voting has been tallied. Amendments shall become effective upon the majority vote.

Section 3. Filing. A numerical listing of all changes shall be filed after Article IX including the actual wording of the article(s) modified, added, or deleted.

Section 4. Substantial Change. In the event of changes which substantially change the character or organizational structure of these Articles, the By-Laws in its entirety shall be redrafted and ratified upon the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the BCC.

Last Updated: 4/30/00