# Change of Charter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648 "2019-05-08T01:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648/1 "2019-05-08T01:25:13Z")
The branch of the US Army I support sent an email that its charter is changing. This word “charter” is a word I may never understand. I understand the King of England granting certain people land charters. I can understand a charter bus. But, can someone explain what this use of “charter” means in this instance? There’s a mission, and often the mission keeps evolving. But, I have never heard of a charter in the 15 years I have been supporting this division. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648/2 "2019-05-08T01:51:24Z")
> **[Historic charter signing unites 10th Mountain Division cavalry units](https://www.army.mil/article/73169/historic_charter_signing_unites_10th_mountain_division_cavalry_units)** > > FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Dozens of Stetson-clad Troopers gathered Jan. 27 at the Commons on Fort Drum to celebrate cavalry tradition, spirit and camaraderie and to write another chapter in the history of the 10th Mountain Division (LI). > [@](#): > > For the first time ever, three cavalry regiments serving the 10th Mountain Division – the 71st, 89th and 6th – have come together to form the Order of the Mountain Cavalry, a professional organization dedicated to sharing tactics, techniques, procedures, and esprit de corps. Commanders and command sergeants major from across these regiments marked the occasion by signing a charter, codifying the union. > **[Active, Guard, Reserve leaders sign landmark charter](https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/646995/active-guard-reserve-leaders-sign-landmark-charter/)** > > As a part of the Army Total Force Policy implementation, representatives from Reserve and National Guard units throughout the region gathered Jan. 22 at Fort Drum to sign a landmark charter during the > [@](#): > > Units from the 42nd Infantry Division have trained with units through the Northeast region and have implemented the ATFP, yet it’s “grown exponentially,” according to Miller, since its first signing. Last May, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey L. Bannister, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, traveled to Vermont and signed the first charter agreement. Then, only three other original members – 42nd Infantry Division and the adjutant generals of New York and New Jersey – signed. > > Going forward, the Northeast Regional Partnership working group will meet semi-annually to continue its charter agreements, and the integrated component units will ramp up for training and other opportunities, but what Bontrager envisions will be the greatest value to future conferences will be the “relationships” it will form and strengthen. Is this the right context? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648/3 "2019-05-08T02:11:57Z")
A company charter is a document outlining the objectives, the structure, and the plans of the entity. It’s what you file when you want to register your company. You file it with the local (state) or federal government for approval. I imagine a militray organisation would also have a similar charter. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648/4 "2019-05-09T08:31:27Z")
Etymologically, the word “charter” is derived from an Ancient Greek word that was passed on through many languages, coming to Europe via Latin, and the original meaning of which was any material intended to be written upon; it could, depending on context, mean papyrus or, in the Middle Ages, paper. But the general theme is stuff on which you write. In some Romance languages, the Latin version of it, “carta”, still means paper. From this, associated meanings developed, so “charter” and “carta” came to mean any written document that has a legal significance. That’s the story behind the meaning of “charter” as a legal privilege granted by a higher authority, such as a monarch, to an organisation; it’s also the story behind the “Magna Carta” in medieval England. From that, it’s only a small step towards “charter” meaning a constitutional document setting up an organisation and outlining its governance structure; synonyms in that sense would be “constitution”, “articles of association” or “bye-laws”. Since the local branches of many organisations have a “charter” in that latter sense, the word also came to mean the local branch itself. In that sense, it is synonymous to “chapter”, which sounds very similar but has a different etymology, or “section”. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648/5 "2019-05-09T11:16:49Z")
Yup, all…that makes sense. (It’s still a weird word to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648/6 "2019-05-09T11:43:51Z")
An odd instance of the use of “charter” is in the lyrics to the patriotic British song _Rule Britannia_: “When Britain first at heaven’s command / Arose from out the azure main / This was the charter, the charter of the land / And guardian angels sung this strain” I suppose it means the promise of a divine favour for Britain in this context. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-of-charter/833648/7 "2019-05-09T15:48:35Z")
Was it an announcement of “change of charter?” Sometimes that indicates a senior level of management change for a unit that is not a command (which would be a change of command ceremony). Some units call it a change of responsibility others call it a change of charter since the organization was created via charter as mentioned above. I’ve found this prevalent in large defense acquisition programs mostly.