First off, hello! My name is Juicer, some of you may already know me, or maybe heard of me. If not, I'll just let you know that I have been in Bel for quite a while. I am actually currently running for the office of Vice President of Belegarth, which brings me to my point. Welcome to the sport! We are glad to have you! I highly recommend getting on the Belegarth forum if you aren't already, there are thousands of resources there to help your budding realm. Speaking of which, here's a copy of the bylaws if you are interested in eventually getting speaking or voting rights on the Bel War Council: Bylaws.pdf
I'll direct you to article 15, but also let you know that this IS NOT required. If you want to just play the game and whatever, by all means do so. You can still be a realm without gaining speaking rights.
Have fun, and if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask!