We the Rounder Writers, in order to insure a more harmonious and enjoyable playing environment, do ordain and establish this Declaration of Principles for the various Rounders of the Dominion. We regret that this action has become necessary, and hope that this Declaration makes clear what we believe to be in the intended spirit of the Rounders, and that these Principles will be understood and agreed upon by most or all of those who wish to be Rounder Writers. We believe that they will be to the benefit of all Rounder Writers.

The purpose of the Rounders, first and foremost, is to have fun. Any and all further purposes Writers may choose to pursue must be understood to be subject to this fundamental, and must not interfere with the pursuit thereof.

a.: We hold it to be self-evident that art is a necessary element of life, equal to food, water, air, and shelter. Art includes uncountable forms, and one of the chief among these is writing. In writing, one may create new worlds and new ways of seeing old worlds. When a writer creates a world whose vision is shared by many people, that world may grow in influence and import. Perhaps no mortal can so closely aspire to a kind of godhood as can a writer by the creation of a new world so loved by so many.
b.: At some point a writer may choose to allow other writers to play in his or her world; and some writers may choose to play in another's world of their own accord. Such writers must remember to pay homage to that world's creator by attempting to keep their writing as much as possible within the spirit of that world as intended by its creator. Always remember, the writer who created the world in which you play is that world's god.
c.: When playing in another's world, without the express approval of that world's creator, or of the duly appointed custodians of that world (e.g. Star Trek's Berman-Piller-Taylor), it must be remembered that anything you write is entirely unofficial. Therefore, while a certain degree of content must be included from the official world, it will also be acceptable and in fact necessary to included concepts which are foreign to the official world, and perhaps could not work in the official world, and may even be overtly contrary to the continuing development of the official world. Even if some unofficial concepts seem impossible, remember, it's all in fun.

a.: The world we expect chiefly to play in, though there will be others, is Star Trek, whose god is Gene Roddenberry. One of this world's governing principles, which well applies not only to the world of Star Trek but also to that which we see as the real world and to many other fictional worlds, internally to their stories and in the writing of them (with which we especially concern ourselves), is the principle of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (IDIC). Remember not to hold too tightly to the belief that there is one right way, particularly that there is one right way to write, or that one storyline must clearly and without possibility of deviation be followed. Though it is good to try to keep a story more or less on track, new ideas and new directions can sometimes also be good.
b.: Remember also that another purpose of the Rounders is the congregation of fans of worlds such as Star Trek. We rejoice in our commonalities, but also in our differences. We all love the worlds in which we choose to play, and no one of us has more or less right to play therein than does any other. Some of us may consider ourselves writers professionally. Some may consider writing to be an intrinsic aspect of who we are. Some may just write as a hobby. If any of us create our own worlds, if we have our personal literary works published extensively outside the worlds in which we play in the Rounders, even if we should write officially for these worlds, we are in the Rounders the equals of those who write nowhere else but in the Rounders. All our ideas and points of view are valid, and are not lightly or maliciously to be dismissed.

a.: We realize that in any group there will exist the possibility of disagreement on one or more issues, and that swift and mutually just settlement of these disagreements is desirable. While we must endeavor in all cases to achieve this, we realize also that it may not always be possible. In such cases, after presentation of arguments by all sides of the dispute, it must be put to a vote by all active Rounder Writers who do not choose to abstain. If there is a majority, it must rule. If the outcome is equal, the votes must be recast until there is a majority (or until it is decided that the vote is unalterably deadlocked, in which case a "mistrial" is declared and the "defendant" wins). We would wish that in all cases a consensus of all concerned could be reached, but if it cannot, we should remember that it is not because the majority is right and the minority wrong; in fact there will not likely be any case where one side is wrong and the other right, but compromises must sometimes be made. We must strive never to be bad winners or bad losers, but accept graciously the outcome, whatever side we may have been on, and move forward together in the development of the story.
b.: The majority vote may be overruled by a world's god or its duly appointed custodians in the unlikely event that they should be or become aware of the rounder and dispute in question, and hearing all the arguments of all sides, decide in favor of the minority, and make their decision (and proof of their identit(ies)) known to the entire body of active Rounder Writers.
c.: A majority vote may also be overruled by a later vote by the active Rounder Writers, upon further arguments, if the original decision is appealed.

a.: For the making of decisions in disputes, and for general discussion of the ongoing story or stories, and whatever other needs there may be in the writing of the Rounders and the interaction of their Writers, a Rounder Council should be established, to communicate regularly through discussion articles, e-mail, and/or chatting, as well as any other means of communication with which the Writers may feel comfortable.
b.: All active Writers shall be equal members of the Council, and new members shall be equal to those long established, as long as they remain active.
c.: All members of the Council shall be required to adhere to the Declaration of Principles of the Rounders, in order to remain in good standing, and to demonstrate their agreement with the Principles detailed herein, which are in keeping with the spirit of the creation of The Original Rounder in 1995.
d.: Amendments to this Declaration may be made by unanimous vote of the Rounder Council.

The ratification of this Declaration shall be done on (date here ______________,1998 ) by the undersigned Rounder Writers (real names optional):

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