Fraternity-Testvériség, 1965 (43. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1965-03-01 / 3. szám
members present shall say whether the member is innocent or guilty of the charges brought against him. If the majority finds the member guilty, the president of the branch shall determine the punishment which may be: a) admonition; b) reprimanding; c) suspension from membership rights; or d) expulsion from the branch. If the member has any objection to the disciplinary action, the propriety or impropriety of the president’s decision shall be voted upon by the majority of those present; if the meeting approves the president’s decision by the majority of the votes, his decision shall become valid and carried out. 84. The member disciplined by the branch shall have the right within a month to make a written appeal to the Secretary of the Federation, over which the Supreme Officers shall make the final decision, except in the case of extreme punishment of expulsion from the Federation recommended either by the branch or Supreme Officers. The judgment of expulsion shall be rendered only by the Supreme Council after consulting the advice of the Counsellor-at-Law and in conformance with the respective state law. 85. The institution of disciplinary procedure against any officer of the branch may be requested by the members, by the president of his branch, or by the respective officers, in which case the first authority to pronounce judgment is the branch itself; in case of appeal, the second authority is — 43 — the meeting of the Supreme Officers, and the third and final authority is the Supreme Council. 86. Complaints or charges against the Members of the Supreme Council shall be sent in writing to the President, or in case where the President is involved, to the Vice Presidents of the Federation. The President or the Vice Presidents shall institute and conclude disciplinary procedure against the accused member if the by-laws justify the same. The Supreme Council shall, on the basis of the vote of a majority of the members present and voting, determine either to dismiss or sustain the charge and pronounce the judgment immediately. The defendant has the right to appeal his case to the final quorum of the Convention. The Supreme Council shall have the right to decide whether the appealing official shall be permitted to continue the duties of his office until his case under appeal shall be decided. At the Convention the matter shall be turned over to the disciplinary committee which shall report before the Convention the results of their investigation and the necessary hearings, and shall make recommendation in regard to the final decision. The Convention shall decide according to the majority of the votes of the delegates and, inasmuch as it absolves the defendant from the judgment of the Supreme Council, it shall reinstate the absolved official into all his rights; but in case the Convention upholds the decision, the defendant shall not be eligible for any office. (To be continued) — 44 — FRATERNITY
