Subnavigation

This document founds the base structure and the procedures of the Pirate Party Belgium. This is the foundation of the Pirate Party as a “Grass roots” movement, the principles are simple and can be repeated perpetually. The “Three pirate rule” is explained in this document, together with some financial rules.
 
Three Pirate Rule
 
The Three Pirate Rule is a fundamental principle of the Pirate movement. The idea behind the Three Pirate Rule is to guarantee the freedom of initiative, vision and opinion for everyone. 
 
The Three Pirate Rule tells us that only three pirates are necessary to execute an idea. They don't need any further “Permission” to continue and run this idea as an “official” Pirate Party activity.
 
There are three exceptions to the Three Pirate Rule:
 
1. Don't do anything illegal
2. Don't do anything that can damage the good name or the reputation of the party.
3. Don't use any funds of the party. You may ask for funds.
 
Pirate Crew
 
Another idea is the Pirate Crew. It's an organizational model which both works and is easy to understand.
Even better, it works even in big cities where a lot of people live.
The Pirate Party is a “Grass Roots” movement. We build from the foundations up, next to what we need to do to exist and work as a federal party. This is made possible by the local Crews. Pirate Crews are build on the Three Pirate Rule. 
 
What's a Pirate Crew?
 
 Brought back to the mere essence, the concept of a Pirate Crew works as follows:
 A Crew is a self-organizing local entity of the Pirate Party. The Crew serves mainly as to build a network, to reach consensus and to bring knowledge to new pirates.
Crews are local entities which work from a geographic point of view.
This in contrast to teams which work on themes and are called workgroups (limited in time) or project groups (limited in time by a deadline). These are both Squads.
Every pirate is member of a single Crew. A pirate can be member of one or many different work- or project groups.
A Crew exists of three to eleven pirates. Seven pirates is considered the optimum and we seriously advice to aim for and keep at this number. With this number of pirates you can sit around a table and have a meaningful conversation. If the Crew exceeds the maximum number of eleven members, then it splits into two new Crews. This can also happen earlier. If the Crew diminishes under three active members, then it dissolves or merges with another Crew.
Every member picks an anchoring spot to hold regularly meetings.
An anchoring spot is a public place (bar, library, public center, …). The Crew assembles whenever it wants, but at least once a month. If not, the Crew is first considered sleeping, and later dissolved by the party. The Crew writes a report on the meetings and publishes it.
Crew members live by preference as close as possible to the anchoring spot. This makes regular meetings easier. Exceptions are accepted.
Every Crew picks a specific name. This makes the Crew easier to recognize and evades confusion with other pirate Crews.
Decisions are taken by consensus. The best decisions are the ones with which everyone agrees. If that doesn't work, decisions are made by a normal majority. The minority then either accepts the decision of the majority or starts a new Crew.
Every Crew maintains its own wiki page. This page contains at least the name of the Crew, the names of its members, the location of the anchoring point, the date of the Crew meetings and the reports of these meetings.
Every Crew assigns a Captain and a Navigator. The position of Captain and Navigator changes every three months. They don't have any additional votes or right on decisions. The Captain presides the meetings and represents the Crew to the outside world. The Navigator coordinates the meetings, helps new members and is responsible for the updates of the wiki page. Captain and Navigator can be forced to resign by voting at any time.
If a Crew makes a banking account, it also needs to appoint a treasurer and a vice-treasurer. The funds of the Crew need to be maintained in an open and transparent way, as mentioned at the end of this document. The PPBe can also open an internal account for the Crew, contact the treasurer.
New pirates are invited to participate at Crew meetings of the Crews in its area.
Crews can cooperate for the coordination in its larger areas. Usually the Captains and Navigators will raise a new Crew for this. These Crew rules also apply in this situation.
Crews can apply for a new mailing list at the secretary of the party. The party secretary passes this on to the IT workgroup. You can find the contact information at the end of this document.
If you think this is a good idea and you know other Pirates with which you can form a Crew, then you don't need any further cheers or permission.
Use the Three Pirate Rule and start your own Pirate Crew. 
 
These limitations do apply:
Don't do anything illegal.
Don't do anything that might damage the reputation of the party or the party itself.
You can't use party funds unilaterally, but you can ask for means.
 
If you want to collect funding yourself as a Crew, talk about it first with the PPBe treasurer The PPBe needs to follow strict regulations and the party can make a separate account for the Crew, if desired. So don't fund on your own and contact the treasurer first!
 
Pirate Squads
 
Squads are built around themes and activities. For example a Pirate Party Student Club (with to much members to form a working Crew), groups around Pirate themes (Free Culture Squad, …), organizing a LAN party, shared love of a kind of beer, …
Squads can be formed by any number of pirates, with a minimum of 2..
The only condition to join a Squad is the intention and the capacity to participate to the activity of the Squad
A pirate can join any number of Squads
A Squad needs to have a 'home port', a central communication point. This needs to be the easiest way for the largest number of participants. For example: a forum, a mailing list or the anchoring spot of a Crew.
Every Squad picks its Captain and Navigator. There can only be one Captain and Navigator in each Squad, Captain and Navigator may be replaced at every meeting. Captain and Navigator have no other authority then the fulfillment of their role and the representation of the Squad. Crew rules concerning the organization also apply here.
Decisions are being made according to the Crew model.
When coordination is needed between Squads or Crews, a meeting ('Meeting of the Fleet') is being planned to plan the activities.
Every Squad maintains a wiki page according to the same principle as the Crews.
Every decision requiring financial help needs to be approved by the party first.
If a Squad wishes a banking account or a money box, the rules of the party apply (as described later in this document).
Squads can replace project workgroups but never functional groups (e.g. Governing Counsel, I.T., General Assembly, arbitration, …) These functional groups and their actions remain under the management of the Pirate Party on the Federal level.
Crews can ask the Party Secretary for a mailing list and a wiki page. The Party Secretary will pass this request on to the IT workgroup. You can find the contact information at the end of this document. 
 
Financial Structure
 
The rules hereunder apply to the Pirate Party Belgium, its Crews, its Squad, workgroups, project groups and every formal or informal structure or entity which presents itself as being a part of the Pirate Party Belgium.
All possessions and funds of the PPBe should be used for the aim of the objectives of the Pirate Party Belgium, and only for this aim.
Every member can freely, on the request of the federal counsel, gain access to the financial reports of the PPBe.
All banking accounts of the PPBe will:
be kept in separation of these of its members
require more than one sign to release funds or payments
and use the wording PPBe (or Pirate Party Belgium) in its name
All accounts of the PPBe, including Crews, Squads, work- or project groups or any formal or informal entity presenting itself as a part of the Pirate Party Belgium, will be subjected to a yearly audit on which bases a report is made. The audit report will be let known to all members on the yearly Congress of the Pirate Party.
All Crews, Squads, work- and project groups and every formal or informal entity or group presenting itself as a part of the Pirate Party Belgium needs to inform the treasurer of the Pirate Party Belgium immediately at the creation of a banking account or a money box. Are being let known: the necessary financial information, and the names and contact addresses of the responsible treasurers. Every change needs to be shared immediately with the Federal Treasurer. On request of the Federal Treasurer or its adjunct(s) an accounting and a bank account need to be presented.
Every Crew, Squad, work- and project groups and every formal or informal entity or group presenting itself as being a part of the Pirate Party Belgium declares that the for the Pirate Party collected funds are the exclusive possession of the Pirate Party. At the abolition of the earlier mentioned, they hereby commit to immediately hand over all funds and all existing property the the Pirate Party Belgium.
The not following of these financial rules leads to an immediate exclusion and possible prosecution.