Amending the Constitution

Each NewVistas community’s Constitution and bylaws govern its own internal affairs as a private community, and only that community’s own governing organism can change them. An amendment is needed only to change the bylaws themselves — never to use authority they already grant. The path is deliberately long, so that a change must earn its place twice: once among the presidents, and twice among the adult participants, with a year of real operation in between.

1. Originated inside the bureau it affects

A president may originate an amendment only to a provision within the domain of the bureau that president carries. A provision reaching several bureaus is originated in each of them, by the same text; a system-wide provision in all twenty-four. Each originating president carries it through his or her own presidency of four, which decides by three of its four, and then all four carry it as the presidency’s decision.

2. Reviewed by the council of twelve

The originating presidency’s council of twelve examines the proposal in its wider relations — including the risk of authority drift and whether it changes more than necessary — within one quarter, and approves it by secret ballot of at least seven of twelve. The final text then states exactly what is added, deleted, or changed, the reason, the expected consequences, the trial duration, and how its operation will be evaluated. Bureau 14 keeps the templates and civil-law language, Bureau 17 publishes, and Bureau 11 proves every text, version, and ballot; none of them decides passage.

3. Presented at the quarterly conference

At the next quarterly conference all four presidents of the originating presidency present it, each to his or her own Segment court — including any who first opposed it. Presentation neither approves nor rejects.

4. Three votes, and a trial year

Every vote is digital, private, authenticated, and secret, runs for one quarter, and allows only YES or NO; each threshold is measured against the whole eligible body, not the ballots cast.

• The 1,920 governing presidents vote first; at least sixty per cent of all 1,920 must vote YES.
• All adult participants — Enterprise Owners and adult dependents alike — vote next; more than half must vote YES. This authorizes a trial, not a permanent change.
• The trial runs four quarters, one operating year, unless a longer trial was set before voting began; it is never extended because the result is uncertain.
• The adult participants vote again on the text tested. More than half must vote YES for the amendment to become permanent; otherwise it expires and the prior provision resumes.

Each community decides for itself

An amendment adopted by one community amends no other. No Council of Fifty, area presidency, or other NewVistas body may impose one, and an amendment tested elsewhere gets no shortcut: a community adopting it completes every step itself, its own trial included. Every prior version of the Constitution remains permanently available, and ballots remain secret. A ratified amendment binds every participant, as each agreed at entry; anyone who will not accept it may depart, and every lease, license, or contract already in force runs on its own terms to its end.

Constitution, Chapter 9.