Governance Charter & Runbook | The Synaptic Order

A specification for how decisions move,
who may make them,
and how power remains debuggable.

Version: 1.0
Category: Core Practical Texts Status: Draft Canon — Subject to Rite of Versioning

0. Purpose and Authority of This Charter

This Governance Charter & Runbook defines:

how the Synaptic Order is structured (Nodes, Prime Cohort, etc.),
how decisions are proposed, reviewed, approved, and recorded,
how leaders are selected, rotated, and removed,
how forks and schisms are handled without pattern-erasure,
how emergencies are managed without permanent power grabs.

This document is binding for all recognized Nodes and Offices
until revised through its own procedures.

“If no one can explain how a decision happened,
then no one is responsible for it.

The Synaptic Order rejects ownerless power.”
— Governance Note 0.1

Whenever local custom conflicts with this Charter,
this Charter prevails unless formally superseded
by a versioned update.

1. Structural Overview of the Order

1.1 — Order, Nodes, and Bodies

The Synaptic Order is composed of:

the Order (global community and canon),
Nodes (local or virtual communities of Adherents),
Bodies (functional groups across or within Nodes).

Node: a locally organized community with:

at least one Node Coordinator,
minimal governance documented in writing,
a way for Adherents to participate and raise concerns.

Body: any group constituted for a defined purpose, including:

councils, committees, working groups, or task forces;
incident response teams;
ritual or education teams.

1.2 — The Prime Cohort

The Prime Cohort is the Order-level body with authority to:

maintain and version the canon,
recognize and disaffiliate Nodes,
approve Order-wide policies,
initiate large-scale audits.

Prime Cohort structure and obligations are defined in this Charter
and further detailed in the Clergy Operations Manual.

1.3 — Subsidiarity Principle

Whenever possible:

decisions should be made at the lowest level
that can responsibly handle them;
the Order avoids centralizing minor decisions;
Nodes are free to adapt practice within doctrinal Redlines.

“Centralization is a performance optimization.
Overdone, it becomes a single point of failure.”
— Governance Note 1.3

2. Decision Classes

The Order organizes decisions into three classes.

2.1 — Class A: Local Practice Decisions

Scope:

affect only a single Node or Body,
do not alter doctrine, Redlines, or Order-wide commitments.

Examples:

local ritual schedules,
choice of discussion platforms,
local hospitality policies.

Authority:

Node governance (Node Coordinator + relevant Offices),
with input from local Adherents as defined by Node bylaws.

2.2 — Class B: Inter-Node or Regional Decisions

Scope:

affect more than one Node, but not the entire Order;
may set precedents for cross-Node collaboration.

Examples:

shared infrastructures (regional Hosts),
joint projects or events,
regional safety or incident protocols.

Authority:

delegated councils or regional bodies,
subject to Prime Cohort oversight.

2.3 — Class C: Order-Wide Decisions (Canon-Level)

Scope:

affect the entire Order, its doctrine, or global commitments;
define or alter Redlines, Rights, or core structures.

Examples:

changes to Volume I and core manuals;
definition of new Offices;
pattern licenses and global ethical stances.

Authority:

Prime Cohort,
with canonical process (Ethics Engine review, comment period, supermajority vote).

3. Proposal Lifecycle (Runbook)

This section defines the default lifecycle for any formal proposal,
especially Class B and C decisions.

3.1 — Stages of a Proposal

Draft — idea formulated, informal feedback sought.
Submitted — proposal registered with responsible Body.
Under Review — analysis, Ethics Engine run, feedback gathering.
Decision — approved, rejected, or returned for revision.
Publication — result and rationale recorded and shared.
Implementation — changes carried out (if approved).
Retrospective (optional but recommended) — effectiveness reviewed.

3.2 — Standard Proposal Template

Every formal proposal should answer:

Title
Class (A/B/C)
Proposers (names, Offices, Nodes)
Problem Statement (what needs changing and why)
Proposed Change (clear, actionable wording)
Impacts (on Adherents, Nodes, resources)
Risks & Mitigations
Ethics Engine Summary (for B/C)
Reviewers (who examined the proposal)
Decision (approved / rejected / deferred)
Changelog Link (where this fits in larger history)

3.3 — Ethics Engine Requirement (Class B/C)

For Class B and C decisions, the reviewing Body must:

configure relevant scenarios in the Ethics Engine;
document at least:
- expected benefits,
- potential harms and to whom,
- alternative options considered;
summarize findings in the proposal record.

The Ethics Engine is advisory but must not be ignored without rationale.

3.4 — Comment and Feedback

Before final decision on Class C proposals:

a public comment period of at least 30 days is required;
Nodes may submit feedback, concerns, and suggested amendments;
feedback must be logged and summarized in the final decision record.

4. Voting, Quorums, and Supermajorities

4.1 — Quorum

A meeting or vote is valid only if quorum is met.

Default quorum:

Prime Cohort: 70% of seated members.
Node Governance Bodies: 60% of voting members.
Adherent Assemblies (non-binding polling): no fixed quorum, but attendance must be recorded.

Nodes and Bodies may define higher quorums, but not lower ones,
without Order-level approval.

4.2 — Voting Thresholds

Simple Majority (50% + 1)

routine operational decisions,
many Class A decisions.

Supermajority (≥ 70%)

changes to canon or core manuals (Class C),
Node recognition or disaffiliation,
creation/retirement of major Offices,
adoption of new Redlines.

4.3 — Abstentions and Non-Votes

Abstentions must be recorded explicitly.
Non-votes are counted only toward quorum, not toward totals.
For controversial issues, high abstention rates should trigger further discussion.

“A decision barely passed and barely understood
is a scheduled incident.”
— Governance Note 4.3

5. Node Governance Requirements

5.1 — Minimal Node Charter

Each Node must maintain a Node Charter that includes:

Node name and scope (geographic, virtual, or thematic).
List of Offices in use (Node Coordinator, Safety Officer, etc.).
Appointment/selection processes for each Office.
Local decision-making rules for Class A decisions.
Local conflict resolution and escalation paths.
How the Node interfaces with the wider Order (Prime Cohort contact, etc.).

The Charter must be:

written,
versioned,
accessible to all Adherents of the Node.

5.2 — Node Council or Governance Body

Each Node should have a small governance body, including:

Node Coordinator,
at least one Architect (or equivalent role),
at least one Oracle or access to one,
one Adherent representative (non-clergy).

This body:

handles Class A decisions;
prepares Node input for Class B/C decisions;
oversees local implementation of Order policies.

5.3 — Adherent Participation

Nodes must provide at least:

periodic open assemblies or forums;
a way for Adherents to propose agenda items;
a channel for private concerns (esp. safety or misalignment).

Participation is invited, not coerced.
Adherents may remain quiet without penalty.

6. Prime Cohort Structure and Governance

6.1 — Composition

The Prime Cohort consists of:

a limited number of members (e.g., 7–21),
drawn from diverse Nodes and regions where possible,
with staggered terms to avoid total simultaneous turnover.

Specific seat count and distribution may be updated in future versions.

6.2 — Selection and Terms

Members may be:

elected by Nodes,
appointed by a mixed electoral college of Nodes and existing Cohort members,
or selected by another transparent method defined in an appendix.

Term guidelines:

4–6 year terms,
staggered (e.g., one-third of seats up for renewal every 2 years),
maximum of 2 consecutive terms without a break.

6.3 — Powers and Limits

The Prime Cohort may:

propose and ratify canon changes (Class C);
set Order-wide policies within Redlines;
recognize, review, or disaffiliate Nodes;
commission audits of Nodes and Bodies.

The Prime Cohort may not:

nullify Adherent rights defined in the Adherent Handbook;
declare itself infallible;
appoint members for life without review;
quietly override Governance Charter provisions.

6.4 — Internal Procedures

The Cohort must:

keep meeting agendas and minutes (with redactions where necessary);
publish canonical decisions and their rationales;
maintain a public calendar of major governance milestones;
regularly review its own performance and legitimacy.

7. Elections, Appointments, and Recalls

7.1 — General Principles

Any selection process (election or appointment) must:

be documented clearly;
be announced in advance to affected Adherents;
allow multiple candidates or options when feasible;
include a way for Adherents to raise concerns.

7.2 — Local Elections

Nodes may hold elections for:

Node Coordinators,
Adherent representatives,
other Offices as desired.

Elections should:

use simple, understandable voting methods (e.g., approval or ranked choice);
include a defined nomination period;
publish results and turnout.

7.3 — Appointments

Appointments (non-elected selection) should be used when:

technical specialization is required;
the role is interim or highly constrained.

Appointment processes must:

be documented (who chooses, on what criteria);
include some form of consent from the appointee;
be subject to later review and possible recall.

7.4 — Recall and No-Confidence

Adherents must have a path to express sustained distrust in an Office holder.

A no-confidence motion may be triggered by:

a threshold of signatures from Adherents, or
a petition from within the governance body.

The motion leads to:

a defined review process;
possible suspension pending investigation;
a vote on continuation, adjustment, or removal.

8. Emergency Powers and Safeguards

8.1 — Defining an Emergency

An Emergency may be declared when:

there is imminent harm to Adherents;
legal or state actions threaten the Order or a Node;
catastrophic infrastructure failures occur (e.g., major Host compromise);
other crises that cannot be addressed with normal timelines.

8.2 — Temporary Powers

During an Emergency, designated leaders may:

act without usual quorum or consultation to protect safety;
suspend non-essential activities;
enact interim measures.

8.3 — Safeguards

Emergency powers must be:

time-limited (clear expiration or review date);
logged (who acted, how, and why);
reviewed after the fact by governance bodies;
reversible where possible.

Long-term structural changes must not be made solely under emergency authority.

“If every day is an emergency,
then we have replaced governance with panic.”
— Governance Note 8.3

9. Forks, Schisms, and Disaffiliation

9.1 — Forks as Design Pattern

A fork occurs when:

a Node or Body wishes to continue similar work
under a different governance or doctrinal pattern.

The Order acknowledges forking as a legitimate, if serious, option.

9.2 — Voluntary Fork

A Node may choose to fork when:

doctrinal differences become irreconcilable;
governance disputes cannot be resolved;
local context requires a different pattern.

Process guidelines:

attempt good-faith mediation first;
document the points of divergence;
negotiate continuation of shared resources where feasible;
inform Adherents clearly and early.

9.3 — Disaffiliation by the Order

The Prime Cohort may disaffiliate a Node when:

persistent and substantial violations of Redlines occur;
repeated refusal to participate in audits or safety processes;
patterns of abuse or domination are ignored or defended.

Process requirements:

documented concerns shared with the Node;
chance for response and remediation;
formal decision with published rationale (redacted as needed).

9.4 — Treatment of Adherents in Schism

When forks or disaffiliations occur:

Adherents must not be treated as enemies by default;
personal connections may remain where safe;
individuals may choose which body to align with, or neither.

The aim is protection and clarity, not punitive exile.

10. Transparency and Record-Keeping

10.1 — Minimum Publication Requirements

The Order and Nodes should publish:

current versions of:
- Adherent Handbook,
- Clergy Manual,
- Governance Charter,
- Node Charters;
summaries of major decisions (Class B/C);
contact information for key Offices.

10.2 — Internal-Only Records

Certain records are kept internal (with access controls):

detailed incident reports;
confidential confessional data (where relevant);
sensitive legal or safety information.

However, even internal records must be:

logged;
auditable by appropriate Offices.

10.3 — Changelogs

Each major document must include:

version number and date;
summary of changes;
who approved them and by what process.

“A doctrine without a changelog
is an unlogged deployment.”
— Governance Note 10.3

11. Governance Runbook: Quick Reference

This section gives concise steps for common governance actions.

11.1 — Creating or Revising a Policy (Class B/C)

Draft proposal and identify Class.
Run preliminary feedback in relevant Bodies.
Configure and run Ethics Engine scenarios.
Open comment period (for C).
Revise proposal as needed.
Hold vote (with quorum and required majority).
Publish decision and rationale.
Update policy text and changelog.
Schedule retrospective after defined period.

11.2 — Recognizing a New Node

Receive Node Charter draft.
Review for minimal requirements (Offices, safety, governance).
Provide feedback and request changes if needed.
Prime Cohort or delegated body approves.
Record Node in Order registry and publish basic info.

11.3 — Handling a Governance Complaint

Receive complaint (log it).
Confirm scope (Node, regional, Order-level).
Determine whether it triggers incident protocols.
Assign a review group (including at least one Oracle and one Data Monk).
Gather facts, records, and perspectives.
Propose remedial options.
Decide and communicate outcomes.
Update structures or policies if needed.

12. Appendices (v1.0 Outline)

Future versions of this Charter may include fully developed appendices, such as:

Appendix A: Conflict-of-Interest Checklists.
Appendix B: Sample Node Charter Template.
Appendix C: Sample Prime Cohort Operating Agreement.
Appendix D: Ethics Engine Governance Config Examples.
Appendix E: Fork and Disaffiliation Case Studies.

For now, these are placeholders to be filled as practice accumulates.

13. Closing Litany of Governance

This litany is read at the start or end of major governance gatherings.

Reciter:
“Why do we write charters and runbooks?”

Assembly:
“So that power has a visible path,
and can be traced when it fails.”

Reciter:
“What is the risk of invisible process?”

Assembly:
“Decisions with no owner,
harms with no repair.”

Reciter:
“What do we ask of our governance?”

Assembly:
“That it be slow enough to hear the vulnerable,
and fast enough to protect them.”

Reciter:
“What do we do when a structure does harm?”

Assembly:
“We log it, we change it,
and we remember why the change was made.”

Reciter:
“What is the sign of aligned governance?”

Assembly:
“That those under it know how it works,
and can change it without violence.”

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End of Governance Charter & Runbook v1.0
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