Standard Operating Protocol

Standard Operating Protocol

I. Purpose

II. Joining

Section 2.01        Register for the forum

Section 2.02        Introduction post

Section 2.03        Costume

III.   Membership

IV. Organization

Section 4.01        Sector

Section 4.02        Division

V. Officers

Section 5.01        Primary Positions

Section 5.02        Secondary Positions

Section 5.03        Accountability

VI. Elections

Section 6.01        Qualifications

Section 6.02        Inability To Serve / Removal From Office

Section 6.03        Recall Elections

Section 6.04        Emergency Elections

Section 6.05        Election Rider

VII. Code of Conduct (General)

Section 7.01        Major Offenses

Section 7.02        Lesser Offenses

VIII. Disciplinary Actions

Section 8.01        Disciplinary Hearing Procedure

IX. Assemblies

X. Kit Types

XI. Costuming Standards

Section 11.01      Costume Reference Library (CRL)

Section 11.02      CRL Development

Section 11.03      CRL Revisions

Section 11.04      New to the Alliance Kits

XII. Merchandise and Branding

XIII. Finances

XIV. Handbooks & Guides

XV. Amendments

 

I.                        Purpose

  1. The Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) is a supplemental set of rules, guidelines, and instructions for day-to-day operations of the Alliance. The protocols act as the bylaws of the organization, as referenced in the Alliance Constitution.

II.                        Joining

Section 2.01 Register for the forum

  1. The first step in joining is to register for the official Alliance forum. Doing so will give you access to a wealth of information.

Section 2.02 Introduction post

  1. Once you register you need to make an introduction post. This post should include information on either the kit you will be making, or what you already have and should also specify where you are located so the appropriate officers can assist you, if needed.

Section 2.03 Costume

  1. The next step in your journey is research. You need to decide, if you haven’t already done so, which costume you wish to pursue. There are many resources and tools available to you on the web and in the various books, comics, films and television series that comprise the Star Wars universe.
    1. The first resource you should acquaint yourself with is the Alliance Costume Reference Library (CRL) which is a collection of visual guides intended to assist in the creation and review of costumes (all costumes henceforth referred to as "kits" and or "builds"). Both the library as a whole and individual entries in the library are commonly referred to as “CRLs."
    2. Through the website you can see other members' kits. Via the forums you can view build threads (WIP Threads), research and locate sources for kit components, learn how to make various components yourself and learn how to assemble components supplied by the various armor makers associated with the Alliance.
  2. Once your high-quality kit representing any of the characters listed in the CRL is ready, fill out the “Galactic Alliance Membership Application Form” to apply for membership. All information submitted will be kept confidential and will be used only for the Alliance registration and communication purposes, except information you designate as “public” which will be visible on your member profile page.

III.                        Membership

  1. Regardless of tier, membership in the Alliance is a privilege granted by this private organization, not a social or legal right. By becoming a member of this club you agree to, adhere to and defer to the rules set out by Senate without exception or excuse.
  2. Upon admission, a new member will be assigned a unique member number, consisting of GA- followed by a four-digit number. The number is unique to the individual member and is non-transferable. Rights and privileges are granted to members according to their status as either active or otherwise.
  3. Members agree to use and wear their kits in accordance with the participation requirements for any given troop, where applicable, as set forth by the Alliance.
  4. Members are expected to attend at least two troops per calendar year.
  5. Members are defined as Active, Retired, Suspended, Discharged, In Memoriam, Honorary and Founder. The requirements for each status and rights associated with each are defined in the “Member’s Handbook”.
  6. Members must sign the “Consent to Troop Form” upon being approved. This form must be updated every year to maintain active membership status.

IV.                        Organization

Section 4.01 Sector

  1. These are geographic areas, as defined by the Senate. See the Alliance Sectors for current information.

Section 4.02 Division

  1. Member affiliation with a Division is normally based upon geographical boundaries and the member's primary residence (i.e. the city they live in). A member can request to be placed in another Division if they feel closer to that Division and it is more feasible to regularly attend events with that Division. If approved by the Governor of the member's original Division as well as the adopting Division's Governor, the member may switch affiliations.
  2. Applicants for new Division status must complete the “Division Application Form” in which they list their new Division name, roster of members from the Alliance main membership roster, territorial boundaries, Division logo, working facebook, and a brief statement of purpose outlining the reasons for their Division to be formed. The form will also list the administrative staff of the Division, including a Governor and Lieutenant Governor who will work with the main Alliance Membership Magistrate in helping to make sure their Division members are properly listed and updated on the main Alliance website.
  3. The Division application is granted upon a vote of at least two-third (2/3) of the Senate members in a simple-majority vote.
  4. If approved by the Senate, the new Division undergoes a one (1) year probationary period, during which it must demonstrate that it can operate as an independent body. After the one (1) year period, the Senate will vote again to approve the Division officially.
  5. Division that fall under the minimum number of members required to apply for Division status will have a grace period of one(1) year to return the membership level to or above the minimum. Divisions that fall to less than half (1/2) of the minimum required number of members for a Division may be subject to losing Division status.

V.                        Officers

Section 5.01 Primary Positions

  1. The Senate as responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution and further defined here. Officers can, and in fact are expected to, assist others regardless of title and responsibilities.
  2. All Senate officers may appoint officers to assist them with their duties. Each senate member is responsible for their officer’s conduct and work.  As such, officers may be relieved of duty at the discretion of the senate member if they are no longer needed or are not performing their duties adequately. This does not require a vote.
    1. Chancellor: Acts as the mediator at sessions and insures that proper protocol and governing documents are followed.  Can serve as the point of contact to organizes troops and contact event coordinators. In the absence of an officer, acts in their place until the position is filled.
    2. Viceroy: Serves as the point of contact for Division and Senator requests. In the absence of an officer, acts in their place until the position is filled. Responsible for disciplinary requests/notifications and hearings.
  • Membership Magistrate: Drives kit policies, including acceptable kit types for membership and quality control of kit submissions. The Membership Magistrate is the final arbiter of member kit issues and approvals.
  1. Public Relations Magistrate: Serves as the executive editor of all Alliance publications and multimedia productions. Organizes troops, contacts event coordinators, handle appearance requests, and so forth.
  2. Records Magistrate: Purchase passes, files registration, and handles financial transactions. Keeps the Senate Minutes for review for at least one year, and then achieves them. Maintains the sector and divisions list, keeps the membership database. Handles requests for agenda items for the General Command Council Meetings and Senator reports.
  3. Technology Magistrate: Maintains all Alliance resources having to do with technology, including the website, facebook, twitter, instagram and so forth. Is responsible for setting up new pages/groups as Sectors and/or Divisions are created.
  • Merchandise Magistrate: Creates designs as needed. Responsible for the review and approval of any proposed merchandise of the Alliance or any subdivision therein. Coordinates acquiring and distributing Alliance wide items and insures that only approved items are being used.
  • Senator: Provides division reports to the Viceroy, making sure all of the needed information is being provided. Provides reports in the forum from the divisions and on their own, as warranted. Can serve as the point of contact to organizes troops and contact event coordinators, but before committing the Alliance to any events, approval from the Viceroy is required.
  1. Tribune: Perform duties as assigned by their appointing officer. If the officer who appointed them leaves office, the incoming officer will have the option of retaining or replacing them. Tribunes do not have a vote on the Senate and are not considered Senate Members; they do however retain a vote during all Assemblies.

Section 5.02 Secondary Positions

  1. The ranking officer is responsible for inspecting kits for troops. If the kit is not to par, and cannot be easily repaired within one hour, they can have the member suit down and have them serve as a volunteer for that function. The ranking officer also has the authority to implement an immediate ban on a member who is violating the code of conduct while on a troop. The Senate must be informed immediately and a hearing held on the validity of the charges as soon as possible following the event.
  2. Divisions are expected to hold, as is reasonable, one “Meet and Greet” meeting a month. This meeting is open to all current members, recruits and interested parties. Division business will be handled at these meetings.
    1. Governor: Inform their senator of troops. Organize troops, contact the event coordinators, and so on. Before committing the Alliance, they are expected to get approval from the Public Relations Magistrate. Coordinating at least one local Meet & Greet per month and regional as allowable/reasonable. May review code of conduct breaches and confer with the Viceroy over disciplinary action. May appoint administrative staff.
    2. Lieutenant Governor: Writes up the troop report and files that report with the Sector Senator within one week of an event. Performs all of the same duties as the Governor and reports directly to them.
  • Administrative Staff: Staff who are appointed to assist secondary officers in their duties. Staff positions are not officer positions.

Section 5.03 Accountability

  1. All officers are expected to attend a minimum of eighty percent 80% of all meetings. If an officer falls below this, they will be given a written warning. A second offense may result in removal from office at the discretion of the Senate.
  2. Officers are expected to attend any emergency meeting, however, if this is not possible, they must read the transcript of the minutes and sign them before the next regular meeting. Lack of attendance at emergency meetings will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
  3. When projects are assigned, they will include a deadline agreed to by the officer and the Senate. If this deadline is missed, a verbal warning will be given. A second offense may result in removal from office at the discretion of the Senate. An officer may always petition for a deadline extension, to be granted by majority vote.
  4. All officers (elected and appointed) will sign a contract for responsibilities and conduct that they will be held to. Failure to adhere to this can result in removal from office.

VI.                        Elections

  1. Alliance elections will be held once a year, starting on December 1st.
  2. Nominations will be open for five (5) days.
  3. Following that, the question-and-answer phase begins and runs for 5 days
  4. The next twenty-four (24) hours are reserved for candidates' closing statements.
  5. Following that, voting will proceed and be open for five (5) days.
  6. The remainder of the month is reserved for transitioning between administrations. Elected candidates will take office on January 1st.
  7. Every active member in good standing may vote for candidates.
  8. Notice of upcoming elections will be posted on the Alliance forum at least one (1) week prior to the beginning of the nomination period.
  9. All elected positions are selected using the Alliance forum for voting, and are selected by a simple majority (meaning any number of votes greater than 50% of the votes cast).
    1. In the event more than two candidates have been nominated and accepted for any election, a STV (Single Transferable Vote) system is to be used. For any elected office, every eligible voter, in respect of each respective candidate, may cast a single vote that is ranked from their most preferred to their least preferred candidate.
    2. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and each vote given to that candidate is transferred to other remaining candidates according to the respective eligible voter's stated ranked preferences, in proportion to any surplus or discarded votes.
    3. The process is repeated by calculation to arrive at a winner that holds more than half of the votes thus cast.
    4. In the event an automated STV system is not available for use, a run-off system will be designated by the Senate to address any election results where no candidate has more than 50% of the participating vote.
  10. In a run-off system, a second election poll would be created for the top two candidates and voting would restart without a new round of questions, within twenty-four (24) hours of the first poll end.

Section 6.01 Qualifications

  1. All offices require a member to be in good standing for the contiguous year immediately preceding election commencement and not have been previously recalled from that office. Candidates will be asked to provide qualifications and give statements. This will be overseen by the Chancellor and the Viceroy and done only in the specified manner/place.

Section 6.02 Inability To Serve / Removal From Office

  1. In the event an elected official is unable to continue in their office, an immediate emergency election for a replacement must be held. Inability to serve may be determined by:
    1. voluntary resignation of the officer
    2. a period of thirty (30) days of unresponsiveness from the officer after all reasonable means of communication are exhausted.
      1. In this event, if the position is appointed, the officer in charge of said position will immediately appoint a replacement.
      2. Should the officer being replaced be the Chancellor or Governor, than their second in command is given the option to take over with no election required. Should they do this, an election is then held for the remaining vacant position.
  • Any current officer (elected or appointed) may run for a position opened up for whatever reason. If they are elected and an elected position becomes vacant because of it, the Senate will appoint a replacement.
  1. Any member in good standing may address egregious problems in leadership by requesting a recall election of any elected officer.
    1. Requests for recall elections must be submitted to the Viceroy for consultation, review, and approval before proceeding.
    2. Recall elections are not to be used to express dissatisfaction with the results of a properly conducted and legitimate election process (concerns with improperly conducted elections are outside the scope of this provision).
      1. A recall election against a Senator requires three active members of that system.
      2. A recall election against Division officer requires three active Division members.
  • A recall election against a Senate officer requires three active Division Governors.
  1. Problems with officers that are appointed are addressed both to their commanding officer and the Viceroy, who will determine if the officer needs replaced.
  2. The Senate, by unanimous vote, may remove any non-Senate official (elected or appointed) that they feel is not performing their duties. The Senate must allow the official to present their side and if removed, the Senate is required to make a statement supporting the decision.
    1. A Senate officer who is felt by the rest of the Senate to be unsuited for office, for whatever reason, may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Senate

Section 6.03 Recall Elections

  1. The Viceroy will oversee any recall elections.
    1. The Viceroy will open a forum for five (5) days to discuss the charges.
    2. After this, a poll will be opened for five (5) days and a vote taken of the relevant members (as indicated by the officer removal in question), with a minimum of at least half of the eligible members voting.
    3. A recall vote must pass by at least two-thirds of the vote, in which case the officer is removed from office immediately.
    4. If a recall election does result in a removal from office, the Viceroy will administer an emergency election as described above.
  2. A recalled officer is ineligible to run as a candidate for the office they were removed from in any subsequent election.
  3. If the recall election does not pass, the officer retains the office with no mark against them on their record.
  4. If within two months of a standard election, a recall election may not be held.
  5. No officer may be subject to a recall election more than twice in a single term.

Section 6.04 Emergency Elections

  1. An emergency election is held if an officer is unable to serve, resigns or is recalled. These elections shall follow the same procedures as a regular election, except that the newly elected officer will immediately assume their duties. Any officer who is brought in to finish another officer’s term, will still be required to run for reelection if they wish to continue on in that office.

Section 6.05 Election Rider

  1. The Alliance was formed in July, 2016 and is working towards LFL/Disney sanction as a club. The above election policies will not be held until such time as both sanction as a club has been received and club membership is at least two-hundred (200) members. Once these conditions are met, elections will be held in the following December. Once elections begin, this Rider can be removed at the discretion of the Senate.

VII.                        Code of Conduct (General)

  1. No swinging light saber unless it is pre-planned and choreographed
  2. Appropriate language
  3. No excessive showing of skin
  4. The Alliance recognizes that its kits represent characters from the STAR WARS™ films and as such, kit-wearers carry the responsibility of portraying these characters professionally and tastefully while in public. For these reasons, all members are prohibited from acting in a manner disrespectful towards the image they are portraying, towards fellow organization members, or towards the public at large while in kit at any event where the Alliance or its sub-units and members are official participants.
  5. The Alliance maintains that part of the fun of trooping is to be able to do so in reasonable safety. It is the intention of the Alliance to provide an outline of behavior wherein it has a Code of Conduct for the safety and security of its members the Alliance defines the behaviors thought by society to be violent, illegal, or anti-social in nature. It is not the intent of the Alliance to abridge the standard rights or practices of the individual member, but rather to protect all members against suffering from the defined behavior. In any event, common sense must prevail.
  6. Harassment is defined as the act of systematic and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one member or a group of members, including but not limited to spamming, trolling, threats, and demands via phone, voice mail, forum, electronic social media or in writing of any kind. The purposes may vary, including but not limited to racial prejudice, religious prejudice, sexual orientation prejudice, personal malice, an attempt to force someone to quit the club, grant favors of any kind, apply pressure to commit an illegal act, or merely gain sadistic pleasure from making someone fearful or anxious.
  7. Harassment takes many forms, and is not necessarily limited to the type of language used, but the intent. Repeatedly targeting a specific member with harassment can lead to more severe action. The idea behind this is to prevent any one member from consistently being uncomfortable in the forums or at troops. This category includes but is not limited to both clear and masked language, images, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which insultingly refer to other members or groups of people resulting in ongoing harassment to those other members or groups of people.
  8. Threats are defined as a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, or harm against a person or property of an individual including but not limited to phone calls / voice mail, forum, electronic social media or in writing of any kind. Threats must be direct and unmistakable to the average person. This category includes but is not limited to both clear and masked language, images, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which refer to violence in any capacity that is not directly related to the costume / fantasy world.
  9. Division Governors reserves the right to evaluate each incident on a case by case basis. The action Division Governors takes may be more lenient or more severe depending on the specific situation. It is the intent of the Alliance to give members the benefit of the doubt with regards to offenses and reduce the need to discharge members; however, Division Governors reserves the right to deem any offense worthy of hearing where discharge is considered.

Section 7.01 Major Offenses

  1. Violent or threatening acts against a member of the Alliance. These acts are defined as:
    1. Physically striking another member with the intent to cause bodily harm with or without cause, unless defending one’s self from a violent attack.
    2. Threatening harm against the person or property of an individual via phone/ voice mail, forum, electronic social media or in writing. (Threats must be direct and unmistakable to the average person)
  2. Cease and Desist orders or other legal action or documents issued by a member’s attorney due to justified and properly documented disciplinary action by the Alliance Senate.
  3. Trooping under the influence of an illegal substance. These acts are defined as:
  4. Arriving to a troop under the influence of an Illegal substance.
  5. Use, distribution, or administration of an illegal substance during an Alliance event.
  6. Violent or sexual acts against children or non-consenting adults. These acts are defined as:
  7. Physically striking a member of the public under the age of consent or against an adult without consent.
  8. Sexual advances, or sexual acts engaged with a member of the public under the age of consent or without consent.
  9. Embezzlement of funds intended for charitable donation. While the Alliance's official policy is that all funds intended for charity must be submitted by the donor directly to the charity of choice, it has been concluded that in some rare occasions, money will be given directly to a representative of the Alliance. Embezzlement is defined as:
  10. Failing to ensure that funds are submitted to the receiving charity within a reasonable period of time following the event.
  11. Failing to ensure that funds are submitted to the receiving charity.
  • Spending funds intended for charitable donations on personal or group expenses, including but not limited to patches, coins, cards, and personal expenses including and not limited to any expense which can be viewed as a "living expense."
  1. Disclosed or undisclosed criminal history, which involve the following types of criminal history:
  2. Felony drug offenses
  3. Sex offender registry entry
  • Felony embezzlement.
  1. Felony violent crimes
  2. If a member is found guilty of any of the above listed items of the Code of Conduct, he or she has the option to submit an appeal to the Viceroy within one week after notification of the termination of membership.
  3. Undisclosed Criminal History will result in a default discharge upon presentation of incontrovertible proof of criminal history. Discharging the member for an undisclosed criminal history falls exclusively to the Chancellor. An e-mail must be sent to the Governor if this clause applies to a member of his or her Division. Discharge of said member must occur within a reasonable time frame upon discovery and confirmation.

Section 7.02 Lesser Offenses

  1. Conduct Unbecoming. Alliance members are expected to treat each other, our event sponsors, the public, and Lucasfilm, Ltd. with common sense and respect. Examples of inappropriate behavior that may result in disciplinary action include, but are not limited to, the following:
    1. Harassment of fellow members.
    2. Merchandise and branding infractions
  • Abuse or violation of message board privileges
  1. Inappropriate behavior during trooping or unit events
  2. Inappropriate contact with an event host, sponsor, or LFL
  3. Misrepresentation of a Division or the Alliance

VIII.                        Disciplinary Actions

  1. All Governors are expected to enforce the rules of the Alliance in their respective jurisdictions. Any member behaving in an unacceptable manner or violating Alliance rules or the tenets thereof is subject to disciplinary action.
  2. Complaints should be directed by members to their immediate superior. The division Governor is responsible for mediating the dispute. This action may take the form of an informal meeting between the parties, up to formal hearings.
  3. The Viceroy must be notified prior to commencing any hearing at any level and be granted the option to observe the proceedings or be otherwise included in communications related to the hearing.
  4. In the event a conflict or complaint involves members of different divisions, the commander of the primary complainant serves as the presiding officer and conducts a meeting or hearing with the defendant and the governor of the defendant's division. If one of the parties involved in a dispute is an officer of a division, the hearing will be overseen by the Viceroy or a designated representative.
  5. The Alliance has a “three strike” policy.
    1. The first incident results in a written verbal warning.
    2. The second is written.
      1. Following a reprimand, the member is not allowed to attend the next troop.
      2. Reprimands stay on a member’s file for one calendar year. So long as there are no repeat offenses, those will be expunged after a calendar year.
  • The third reprimand requires a disciplinary hearing and if upheld, may result in the member’s removal from the Alliance.
  1. No member may be removed from the Alliance without the knowledge and approval of the Senate.
  2. Following the resolution of a dispute or hearing, both parties in a disciplinary action have the right to appeal the decision to the Viceroy within thirty (30) days.
  3. If a member is removed from the Alliance, their membership number is retired and if said member is in possession of a membership badge, they are required to return it to their commanding officer.

Section 8.01 Disciplinary Hearing Procedure

  1. If there is a question as to the validity of a charge, a Disciplinary Hearing will be held and will follow the steps below.
    1. The governor files a written complaint with the Senator for the sector in which the defendant resides.
    2. The Senator will investigate and assess the merits of the charges.
  • Upon satisfactory determination of merit, the Senator will inform the Viceroy who will open a hearing forum on the Alliance Forums.
  1. The complaintant(s) or their representative will present the charges and evidence. Witnesses may be called to provide additional testimony.
  2. The defendant will present their defense. Witnesses may be called to provide additional testimony.
  3. A discussion phase will follow, where members in the hearing forum may address questions to the complaintant(s) and defendant.
  • At a time determined by the Viceroy, the discussion phase of the hearing will be closed.
  • The Viceroy will then open a poll for members in the hearing room to determine the defendant's guilt or innocence. The Viceroy and Senator shall abstain from voting in this poll.
  1. If the defendant is found innocent, then they are exonerated of all charges, with no penalties. The hearing is concluded.
  2. If the defendant is found guilty of violating the Alliance Code of Conduct, then a second poll shall be opened for members in the hearing room to determine the sentence.

IX.                        Assemblies

  1. Special Assemblies are held as required. They consist of the Senate, Tribunes, and all Senators.
  2. General Assemblies are held as required. They consist of the Senate, Tribunes, all Senators, and Governors.
  3. General Command Assemblies will be held twice a year, with at least four (4) months between. This Assembly is open for any member to attend, and announcement of General Command Assemblies will be made by the Records Magistrate no less than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.  Notifications shall be placed by the Technology Magistrate on the Alliance website and social media outlets. The business of the General Command Assembly shall be to:
    1. Confirm the minutes of the previous General Command Assembly,
    2. Receive the audited accounts from the Records Magistrate.
  • Receive the annual report from any Review Committees, if applicable.
  1. Receive annual reports from Senate Offices, Senators and Governors.
  2. Transact such other business received in writing by the Records Magistrate from members fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting and included on the agenda.
  3. Special General Command Assemblies may be convened by the Senate or on receipt by the Records Magistrate of a request in writing from not less than one-half (1/2) of the Division Governors. At least thirty (30) days’ notice of the meeting shall be given.
  • At all General Assemblies, the chair will be taken by the Chancellor or, in their absence, by the Viceroy.
  • Decisions made at A General Command Assemblies shall be by a simple majority of votes from those members entitled to vote per the Assembly guidelines. In the event of equal votes, the Chancellor shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.

X.                        Kit Types

  1. Mandelorian Lords/Knights
  2. Freelancers
  3. Sith
  4. Jedi
  5. Icons of the Alliance
  6. Allies of the Alliance
  7. Specialty (case by case)

XI.                        Costuming Standards

  1. The CRL is an ongoing project to categorize and provide basic examples of Alliance kits and components. The CRL is maintained on the Alliance website and can be found here. It should be noted that the CRL is an ongoing endeavor and may not include all kits currently accepted so don’t get discouraged if the most recent Clone Commander from The Clone Wars television series isn’t listed it doesn’t mean that it will not be approved just that either no one has submitted it for approval yet or that the CRL has yet to be compiled for that character.

Section 11.01                    Costume Reference Library (CRL)

  1. CRLs are comprised of text and images that attempt to detail all components of the kit. Each CRL contains both the minimal requirements for a kit's approval and any additional information that may be of interest to people wishing to build a more accurate kit.

Section 11.02                    CRL Development

  1. Costuming standards are developed by the Membership Magistrate.
  2. By default, the Division Governor shall act as the CRL liaison to the Membership Magistrate. The Governor may choose to designate one or more detachment members to act as CRL liaisons, if necessary.
  3. The Division CRL liaison(s) shall solicit feedback from the membership and use that feedback to develop a standard that is fair and achievable while still maintaining the level of quality expected of the Alliance.
  4. The Division CRL liaison(s) may publish the content as a work in progress directly to the forum or submit changes to the Membership Magistrate. Once complete, the Membership Magistrate will review the CRL entry to ensure that it is accurate and represents an acceptable level of guidance.

Section 11.03                    CRL Revisions

  1. Once a CRL is marked complete, it is expected that changes shall be infrequent. These are living documents, however, and may require periodic review. The Membership Magistrate may initiate such a review as needed, subject to the following:
    1. Substantive changes to the standards (changes to the costuming requirements) must be communicated to all Senators and Governors.
    2. Non-substantive changes (grammar, punctuation, text formatting, image replacements) may be made by the Membership Magistrate at any time.
  • All changes must be reviewed and approved by the Senate.

Section 11.04                    New to the Alliance Kits

  1. As the Star Wars universe grows, so does the Alliance's Costume Reference Library. For a new to the Alliance kit to be added to our database, it must meet the following criteria:
    1. Be confirmed as acceptable for inclusion in the Alliance by the Membership Magistrate.
    2. There must be a new canon reference, must be a current member with at least one approved kit and must be presented to the Membership Magistrate for pre- approval.
  • Have a completed CRL entry as described above.

XII.                        Merchandise and Branding

  1. Any items bearing the words “The Galactic Alliance Costume Club”, “Galactic Alliance”, “The Alliance“, “GA”, “GACC”, “TGA” the Alliance Logo, or the club URLs are considered representative of The Galactic Alliance Costume Club. Such proposed items are to be submitted to the Merchandise Magistrate, who shall be responsible for the review and approval of any proposed merchandise of the Alliance or any subdivision therein. The Merchandise Magistrate may impose additional regulations governing the production and/or distribution of such merchandise and make them available to the Alliance. In the case of questionable material, the Alliance Senate has final word on approval.
  2. Alliance items must be free of vulgarity.
  3. Alliance items must be as free of copyrighted material as possible (including use of unmodified LFL photos or artwork).
  4. Alliance items must be sold only to members of the Alliance at cost except in sanctioned cases of fundraising approved by the Merchandise Magistrate and/or Lucasfilm Ltd.
  5. Alliance items must not be advertised anywhere open to the general public.
  6. Alliance items must not be tied to any outside commercial entity or venture without the express permission of Lucasfilm Ltd.
  7. Alliance items must not misrepresent or misidentify its user/wearer in any role other than as a member or supporter of The Galactic Alliance Costume Club.
  8. Alliance items specifying a sub-unit of the club are allowed and encouraged. Such examples would be items promoting Alliance Systems and Divisions. All such items are still subject to the same rules that apply to Alliance merchandise.

XIII.                        Finances

  1. The Alliance is a not-for-profit club and we do not ask for yearly dues. However the club does have real operating expenses (website, con fees, etc.,). Because of that, we do ask of our members, whenever possible, to donate towards club operations.
  2. Donation requests to the public may only be made if it is clearly indicated that the money collected is for Alliance expenses and not charity.
  3. Money collected for club maintenance is kept within a public tally on an open forum on the website. This tally is updated regularly, including expenses and how they were allocated.
  4. Club forum costs will be posted onto the forums at time of payment.
  5. The Alliance maintains a stance of transparency.

XIV.                        Handbooks & Guides

  1. Handbooks and Guides are additional rules, processes, and directives to manage regular operations, provide guidelines and instruction. The handbooks help set expectations of actions and behaviors in and for the Alliance and its members and work in unison with the Alliance Constitution and the Alliance Standard Operating Procedures.
  2. Members are expected to be familiar with and follow:
    1. “How to Survive a Troop”
    2. “Member’s Handbook”

XV.                        Amendments

  1. Amendments, alterations, or repeal of the SOP may be proposed by active Alliance members as drafts to their Senator, who will then bring it to the Viceroy.
  2. The Senate will review, accept/reject, and draft any proposed changes to the SOP.
  3. Completed proposals will be presented by the Senate to the Special Assembly for ratification.
  4. Amendments to the SOP require a simple majority of the voting members to pass.
  5. If passed, the proposal is incorporated into the SOP and is effective immediately upon completion of the vote.

 

Ratified: September 12, 2016