REGULATIONS

Article 1 – Given the international character of the UCCI, the Secretary General is allowed to use French as well as Italian as official languages of the Union . The National Delegations are allowed to use the language of their own country, but they must provide the Secretary General with a copy of all documentation, drawn up in Italian or French.

Article 2 – When admitting Members, the documentation set out in article 4 of the Articles of Association shall not be a firm requirement in the case of well known personalities or those individuals guaranteed by an introduction from a Member. For the applicants belonging to Evangelical or Orthodox Christian Churches , the “certificate of baptism or equivalent” therein indicated can be substituted by a certificate of membership in the respective church and denomination. The aforementioned Oath shall be as follows:

“IN JOINING THE FAMILY OF CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS, I HEREBY SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I SHALL MAINTAIN FAITH IN THE COMMITMENT TO PROTECT THE WEAK, TO COMFORT THE SUFFERING AND TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST THROUGH ACTS, WORDS AND DEEDS, FOR HUMAN BROTHERHOOD.”

The Members are divided into Founding Members – High Protectors – Members of the Court of Honour – Merit Members – Supporter Members – Ordinary Members. Life Members are admitted upon adequate donation.

Article 3 – The Chairman shall lead the Union and, upon proposal from the General Secretary and advice from the Executive Committee, issues the provisions necessary to reach the objectives set out in the articles of association. The Chairman shall appoint a Vice Chairman to represent him whenever he is unable to fulfil his functions due to absence or illness. Likewise, he can be represented from time to time with appropriate “Credentials”. The Chairman also grants some of the purely honorary officers to exempt, fully or partially, from contributions, those Members he feels merit it, for effective collaboration and merits acquired towards the Union . The Chairman may also publish a monthly or occasional bulletin or newsletter, containing the official documents of the Union and anything else inherent to the development of the same and the historical-legal problems regarding Heraldry and Chivalry, to be distributed to the Members, requesting voluntary donations.

Article 4 – The Secretary General has the representation and the administrative direction of the Union . He is assisted by the Administration Secretary. He is personally responsible for looking after keeping financial and administrative records, as well as relationships between Members and with the Firms or private bodies which enter into relations with the Union . In this work, he shall be assisted by the Vice Secretary Generals, one of which is “Responsible for Abroad”. Within 31 March of each year, the Secretary General is required to present to the Executive Committee for their approval a detailed report of the activity undertaken during the previous calendar year with Final and Draft Accounts, duly reviewed by the Auditors. He must call the meeting of the Executive Committee for this approval and whenever required by the Chairman. As well as a “Vice Secretary General for Relations with Abroad” the Secretary General of the Union shall have a “Secretary Official” for every Nation or Language represented in the Union , who will be responsible for relations with the State of “Language” represented.

Article 5 – The General Treasurer collects and looks after the Union’s funds and sees to the relative payments, upon a mandate from the Secretary or a Vice Secretary General of the Union . The General Treasurer shall use a bank account with a national bank for the safekeeping of the aforementioned funds. The faculty to operate on this account is granted to the President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer General, who can operate with a separate signature.

Article 6 – The National Delegates are responsible for their relative Delegations and are required to inform the Secretary General of their activities through Reports to be submitted every four months. By 31 January of every year, they must send the Secretary General a detailed report of activities undertaken during the previous calendar year, together with the relative Final and Draft Accounts, reviewed by the Auditors of the Delegation and the relative receipts. A similar report must be sent every month by the Municipal Delegates to the Provincial Delegates; every two months by the Provincial delegates to the Regional Delegates; quarterly by the Regional Delegates to the National Delegates. Every Delegate can be assisted by a Female Delegate, by Vice Delegate or by an unlimited number of “Correspondents”.

Article 7 – Individual Delegates are obliged to promote all those cultural, assistance, sporting activities within their territory which they feel appropriate to fulfil the statutory objectives, obtaining prior approval from the Secretary General and scrupulously following his relative instructions.

Article 8 – Every National, Regional, Provincial or Municipal Delegate, as well as the individual Delegates and Inspectors, both men and women, youth, Correspondents, Priors and Chaplains, shall also have Vice Delegates and Vice Inspectors, as well as “Press Officials” and “Officials” for various activities and an adequate staff of Secretaries and Administrations who shall be appointed specifically for any institutions which are created over time. Every Delegation will establish an “Advisory Board” comprising three members, appointed by the Chairman upon recommendation from the Delegate. The members of the Advisory Board shall serve for a renewable three year tern. One Particular Secretary is assigned to the Chairman.

Article 9 – The members of the Union may meet in groups of men, women, youth, with specific Officers and Group Leaders. Those who belong to a specific Christian Denomination are allowed to attach themselves, individually or collectively, to Bodies or Institutions of their own Denomination.

Article 10 – The Union , an apolitical and non-partisan Institution, is open to men and women, without distinction according to Denomination, Class or Race, and is international in scope. Within its international framework, the Union seeks to vigorously respect current national laws. It can undertake civic, religious, recreational, sports, cultural, philanthropic or benevolent activities and to this end it shall establish and manage associations, gyms, sports teams, charity committees and anything else useful to the aforementioned objectives to be reached.

Article 11 – In order to reach the aforementioned objectives, the members of the Union may establish “formations” divided into “Municipal Nuclei”, “Provincial Groups”, “Regional Groups” and “National Groups” under the leadership of their respective Commander in the person of their respective “Delegate”. The current Chairman of the Union holds by law the title “Supreme Commander”, for reasons of his role. He holds the rank of “General Captain” and will be assisted by the Secretary General and Vice Secretary General, with the rank of “General Lieutenants”. It is severely prohibited for these “formations” to bear arms of any type and nature during their meetings, even for those thereby authorised by law. It is also obligatory for the same to follow national laws regarding the life and organisation of similar “formations”.

Article 12 – The GREETING between members of the UNION will be given, energetically holding the right arm to the height of the chest and pronouncing the motto: “ Usque Christum ”; the response, repeating the same gesture and pronouncing the motto: “ Christi Itinere ”.

Article 13 – The “Badge” described in Article 11 of the Articles of Association shall consist in the “Emblem” described in the same article, decorated in relative enamels.

Article 14 – In the countries where its use is allowed, the “Cloak” described in the aforementioned article shall be of light blue cloth with a dark blue Nehru collar and frogs which correspond to the role within the organisation, thus: for the Municipal Delegate, a golden fillet at a right angle; for the Provincial Delegate, two golden fillets; for the Regional Delegate, three golden fillets; for the National Delegate, four golden fillets; for the National Delegate, a wide golden fillet, with badge; for the Secretary General, Vice Secretary Generals, Administration Secretary, General Treasurer, two wide golden fillets with badge; for the Chairman, three wide golden fillets with badge. The Inspectors will have frogs equal to those of the corresponding Delegates. There is a similar distinction for Priors and Chaplains. The “Radiant Cross of Christ” will be in gold on the left side of the “Cloak”. For the Founding Members, this “Cross” will be supported by two crossed branches: one of laurel and the other of oak, with golden acorns. Upon the death of the Founding Member, this badge shall be passed on by law to his first descendant in the male line who is a member of the Union .

The said cloak shall be worn over tails or a dark suit, with white tie and gloves, or else on the “Uniform” in countries where its use is allowed. The normal head covering shall be the original Spanish “beret” in the same colour as the cape, fringed on the left side by a gold “plaque” reproducing the coat of arms of the Union . The full dress uniform shall have a “cocked hat” of the same colour, with ostrich feather, gold spurs and court sword. Everyone is free to use their own decorations, as legally allowed. Dames shall wear a light blue cape over a dark dress and the “Court Veil”: black if they are married or widows, white if they are unmarried.

Article 15 – The “Uniform” comprises light sky blue trousers, with a double stripe in dark sky blue; jacket the same colour as the stripe, double breasted or Nehru collar, in black velvet, decorated by two rows of silver buttons, with the Emblem of the Union placed diagonally from the breast to the belt. For their identification, Cadets – Applicants – Soldiers are obliged to wear one, two or three silver diagonal fillets on the left arm, at wrist height. For the identification of the positions described above in article 12 , the distinctive signs therein described are to be reproduced on the “Uniform”.

Article 16 – The “Medal of Merit” described by article 11 of the Articles of Association, shall bear on its front the Emblem of the Union and on its back the date of establishment: “Catania, 16 March 1963” surrounded by the words:

“International Christian Chivalric Union – Legion of Christ – U.C.C.I.”

The said Medal will be coined in Bronze, Silver and Gold and will be solemnly awarded by the Chairman, upon proposal from the General Secretary, to illustrious personalities or those who have acquired particular merits within the Union . If it is in bronze or in silver, it will be worn on the left side of the breast, hanging on a light blue silk ribbon, with white edges; if it is on gold, it shall be hung from the neck, with a wide fascia of the same colours. This is not a “Decoration” but a simple Badge, within the Union .

Article 17 – The following holidays are planned:

16 March: date of foundation;
Christmas;
Easter;
Pentecost.

Article 18 – “Religious assistance” is entrusted to the municipal, provincial and regional “Chaplains” and to the National Priors, of the Christian Churches represented in the Union .

Article 19 – The “Court of Honour” described in article 9 of the Articles of Association, shall decide on statutory and disciplinary violations for members of the Union , with a majority of votes. In every provincial headquarters, a “Section” shall be established, comprising four “Members” chosen by the “Delegate” who will act as Chairman. According to seriousness, the sanctions allowed are: Censure, Temporary Suspension or Expulsion. The latter implies the loss of Diplomas and Distinctions of Honour previously granted.

The investigation must always be conducted with a spirit of Christian charity, granting the accused party the widest range of methods of proof. The accused has the right to be heard personally and to appeal against any decision, within fifteen days of notification, to the “Court of Appeal of Honour” established at each national Delegation, with the same methods. Appeal is allowed against any decision within thirty days of notification and should be made to the Chairman of the Union , who will call a meeting of the “Supreme Court of Honour”, established, under him as Chairman, by four “Members of the Executive Committee” of his choice.

Article 20 – In urgent situations, for the ready protection of the statutory principles, the Chairman is allowed to issue all those provisions required as necessary, with his own immediately executive “Decree”, following specific motivation He shall notify the interested parties, granting them the right to appeal for any cancellation of the provision within the peremptory term of thirty days to the “Court of Honour” described by article 9 of the Articles of Association with the methods described above in article 19 of the Regulation.

Article 21 – Upon a proposal from even just one Member, the Executive Committee has the right to resolve upon any further modification or addition, as long as this is not in contrast with the principles and principal objectives of the Union.

Regulation drawn up by Notary Antonio Las Casas and registered in Catania on 8 June 1963 at n. 12,856 and Additions to the Regulation as set out in the minutes of the “Executive Committee” meeting dated 25/05/1965 filed with Notary Antonio Las Casas and registered in Catania on 2/8 at N. 7984