Article 22
Diplomatic Corps and Missions
22A.
Diplomatic Corps
- 1. The Diplomatic Corps of the Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich and The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta is a branch of the Orders which deals with carrying out, but not limited to, diplomatic missions by HI&RH the Superior Grand Master or the Council of the Imperial House of Rurikovich - the Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich and The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta.
- 2. This branch of the Order was created particularly so that missions will be more official and clearer not only inside the Order but also to the public. The Diplomatic Corps branch is under the supervision of the Office of External Affairs.
- 3. Diplomatic Corps Delegation-In countries where priories are not present and where priories nearby cannot carry out a certain mission Order, HI&RH the superior Grand Master or Family Council may send out a delegation to officially represent the Order of the Imperial House of Rurikovich-Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich and The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta to carry out the task.
- 4. The members of the delegation must be members of the Order, regardless of rank, or Allied Parties with a decree of approval from HI&RH the Superior Grand Master or the International Council of the Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta.
- 5. The delegation may contain any number of individuals so long as it will not be a burden to the Order or will not jeopardize the success of the mission.
22B.
Delegation Officers
The head of the delegation shall have full control of all the activities of the delegation.
The Deputies when the Consul is absence.
Officer who does general clerical and administrative work such as: word- processing, filing, arranging appointments for the delegation.
When a new member has been recruited, but has not yet been invested,
especially in missions to establish priories, he/she can be a member
of the delegation.
22C.
The Consulate
- 1. A consulate is an official meeting place or a headquarters of the delegation.
The delegation may hold all its activities connected to the Order within the consulate.
- 2. This format should be followed when naming a consulate: Consulate of the Imperial House of Rurikovich and Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich o The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta (Full name of the country).
- 3. When the mission is successful; the consulate may remain as it is or dissolved depending upon the decision of the authority that created the mission.
22D.
The Mission Order
- 1. When sending a mission, a mission Order must be submitted to the members of the delegation and if possible, to the appropriate authorities in the area of operation.
- 2. The mission Order must include the starting members of the delegation and the delegation's head. It must request the delegates to be treated according to the Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963.
22E.
Authorized Missions to be Carried Out
Mission to Establish Priories
- 1. In missions where the objective is to establish active priories, the Consul may recruit new members and can act as "Acting Country Grand Master".
- 2. The Consul may accept new recruits into the Order but only as Squires. All Squires will automatically become Knights and Dames once the Consulate has been raised to the level of Grand Priory.
- 3. The Consul will be Country Grand Master, but the newly elected or appointed priory officers will replace the rest of the temporary officers.
- 4. The Country Grand Master will stay as Superior Country Grand Master until appointed higher rank in the Order, like member in the international Council.
22F.
Goodwill Missions
- 1. Missions where the Order has sent a delegation to perform a mission to carry out projects subscribing to the Order's principles are classified as Goodwill Missions.
22G.
Miscellaneous Missions
Delegations officially sent to represent the Order in conferences or the like or do work for the Order in some ways are classified as Miscellaneous Missions.