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The Constitutions and General Regulations

The Constitutions

Art. 1

An international Order is established under the name "DIGNITY. ORDER FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN DIGNITY."

Art. 2

The Order is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

Secondary offices may be established in any country worldwide.

Art. 3

The purpose of the Order is to promote the moral, cultural, and social advancement of humanity. In particular, it seeks to develop intellectual activities such as philosophy, science, medicine, law, economics, art, religion, and communication through projects that express harmony and respect for all conceptions of humanity and life.

With a universalistic vision, the Order seeks and fosters ethical and cultural projects with the participation of all those who carry within themselves the light to dispel the darkness threatening humanity. Special importance will be given to the education of new generations, providing them not only with the tools to understand the world they live in but also and above all with the ethical principles necessary to create harmony among people.

Art. 4

Members of the Order are individuals who, regardless of gender, race, language, religion, or culture, apply for admission and are accepted.

Within the Order, distinctions are made between:

  • Founding Members;
  • Ordinary Members.

Founding Members are those who participate in the constitutive act. However, the Order’s Council may grant other members the same privileges as Founding Members.

Ordinary Members are all those who, having applied and committed to respecting the Order’s objectives, are accepted as part of it.

The competent bodies review the admission applications at their sole discretion and communicate the outcome.

There is no obligation to justify the rejection of an application.

Art. 5

Membership is lost through death or resignation. A resigning Member is not entitled to any liquidation.

In case of conduct contrary to the Constitutions, Regulations, and Principles of the Order, the competent bodies may decide on expulsion, without obligation to provide justification or liquidation.

Art. 6

The assets of the Order consist of:

  1. movable and immovable property owned by the Order;
  2. donations, grants, and bequests made to the Order and accepted by it;
  3. contributions from the State, local authorities, public entities, and private individuals allocated to the Order’s objectives;
  4. any reserve funds formed with budget surpluses.

Art. 7

The bodies of the Order are:

  • The Grand Master
  • The Grand Master’s Council
  • The Board of Directors of the International Dignity Association
  • The Grand Priorates:
    • The Grand Prior
    • The Order’s Council
    • The Priorates
    • The Commands
    • The Council of the Priors
    • The Council of Commanders.

Art. 8

The Grand Master is the moral guide of the Order. He appoints the Grand Priors and represents the Order worldwide. He remains in office until he decides to step down.

Art. 9

The Grand Master’s Council consists of the Deputy Grand Master, the Grand Priors, and the Grand Secretary/Grand Treasurer.

It is chaired by the Grand Master.

All Council members are appointed by the Grand Master and serve for three years. They may be removed by the Grand Master if their actions contradict the Constitutions, Regulations, or Principles of the Order.

Art.10

The Grand Master is assisted in carrying out his functions throughout the world by the “Mission & Communication” Team.

Art. 11

The Grand Master may establish a Grand Priorate in any country. The Grand Priorate is governed by a Grand Prior appointed by the Grand Master. The Grand Prior, in turn, appoints Priors, Commanders, and Order Councilors within his territory. Grand Priors are responsible for expanding the Order in their respective countries by organizing Convents and Events and establishing relationships with public and private institutions. They must submit an annual report to the Grand Master on the state of their Grand Priorate. They will set annual membership fees for the Order’s activities.

Art. 12

The nature, structure and functions of the Order will be defined in the “General Regulations”.

General Regulations

The General Regulations of the Order comprise rules by which the fundamental purpose outlined in Article 3 of the Constitutions is achieved: "The Order aims to promote the moral, cultural, and social advancement of humanity. In particular, it seeks to develop intellectual activities such as philosophy, science, medicine, law, economics, art, religion, and communication through projects that express harmony and respect for all conceptions of humanity and life. With a universalistic vision, the Order seeks and fosters ethical, cultural, and social projects with the participation of all those who carry within themselves the light to dispel the darkness threatening humanity. Special importance will be given to the education of new generations, providing them not only with the tools to understand the world they live in but also and above all with the ethical principles necessary to create harmony among people."

The Grand Master

The Grand Master is the moral guide of the Order. According to ancient traditions, he is elected by the Grand Master’s Council. His election requires unanimous approval. He remains in office until he chooses to step down.

The Founder of the Order will be the Grand Master.

From the day of election, the Grand Master exercises the powers and privileges of his rank as outlined by tradition, the Constitutions, and the Regulations. In the event of his death or resignation, the Deputy Grand Master must convene the Grand Master’s Council within fifteen days to elect a successor.

The Grand Master appoints Grand Priors and establishes Grand Priories worldwide.

No communication may be addressed to the Grand Master except through the Grand Secretary.

The official title for the Grand Master is: "Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master."

The Grand Master’s Council

The Grand Master’s Council consists of:

  • The Grand Master
  • The Deputy Grand Master
  • The Grand Priors
  • The Grand Secretary/Grand Treasurer

The Deputy Grand Master assumes all powers and privileges in the absence of the Grand Master.

The Grand Secretary issues notices for all Council meetings, attends these meetings, and records minutes.

The Grand Treasurer prepares the general financial statement of the Order, based on reports received from individual Grand Priorates.

All Council members are appointed by the Grand Master for a three-year term and may be removed if their actions contradict the Order’s principles.

The Grand Master’s Council has the power to issue, amend, and repeal the Order’s Regulations while preserving its esoteric traditions.

It also has the authority to investigate, regulate, and decide on matters concerning the Order and its Grand Priorates. It sets the annual contribution each Grand Priorate must pay to the Grand Treasurer at the beginning of each calendar year.

Council members elect the Grand Master.

The official title for Council Members is: "Most Eminent."

The Grand Master’s Council meets four times a year in Vienna or at a location chosen by the Grand Master. All members will be notified by the Grand Secretary at least fifteen days in advance. The Grand Master may also call extraordinary meetings.

Grand Priorates

The Grand Priors represent the Order in their respective countries. They appoint Priors, Commanders, and Order Councillors. They determine the annual fee that individual members must pay at the beginning of each calendar year. They authorize Convents and Order Events. They resolve conflicts that may arise among members, Commanderies, or Priories. They must prepare a report on the status of their Grand Priorates, which they will submit to the Grand Master at the end of the calendar year. They must also prepare an annual financial statement, which must be sent to the Grand Treasurer.

The official title for the Grand Priors is: "Most Eminent."

Admission to the Order

The selection of individuals is fundamental to the existence and development of the Order. Candidates must possess intrinsic qualities such as dignity, honor, loyalty, altruism, and respect. The Sponsor is responsible for the conduct of the Candidate, who is accepted based on their presentation. This responsibility does not end with the Candidate’s admission but continues into the future.

The risk of failure in selecting Candidates, unfortunately, exists. No matter how rigorous the admission criteria, it is always possible that someone lacking the required qualities may enter. The only way to minimize this risk is to establish precise rules and strictly adhere to them.

The first golden rule requires that the Candidate solemnly commits, on their honor, to fully and unreservedly share the Principles of the Order.

The second golden rule states: "Those who must stay out cannot enter, but those who can enter must not be kept out." This means avoiding two opposite extremes: excessively broad or overly restrictive admission policies. If the criteria are too lenient, unworthy individuals may be admitted. If they are too stringent, worthy individuals may be excluded. The first risk arises from the desire to have a numerically large Order, while the second results from excessive caution. The solution lies in Aristotle’s golden mean, avoiding extremes and ensuring harmonious growth.

The third golden rule concerns harmonious quantitative development. Harmony is the fundamental objective of the Order. Growth must cease when harmony can no longer be guaranteed.

From this premise, the following rules are codified.

Rule 1

Candidates must undergo a thorough evaluation to ensure they possess the required qualities: dignity, honor, loyalty, altruism, and respect. Sponsors are responsible for the conduct of the Knights and Dames they propose.

Rule 2

The admission application must be submitted to the respective Commander, who will conduct an initial review. If the Commander, after consulting Knights and Dames, approves the application, it is forwarded to the Grand Prior for final approval. If no negative information emerges, the Grand Prior authorizes the investiture procedure.

Rule 3

The primary role of the Commander is to govern their designated territory. They are responsible for developing the Order according to its Constitutions and Regulations, resolving disputes, promoting activities, and ensuring order and correctness.

Rule 4

The primary role of the Prior is to represent the Grand Prior in their territory and foster harmony among their Commanders. They organize and preside over regular meetings to address concerns and resolve disputes among Commanders.