About Chattooine
Chattooine is a charity costuming group based in the Chattanooga area.
Founded in 2004 as a non-profit FanForce club, Chattooine has grown to become a staple of the Chattanooga community. Although Chattooine started out as a Star Wars fan club, as our family grew, so did our interests and influences. We are now a group of pop culture fans who enjoy dressing up as our favorite characters and giving back to the community through charity and volunteer work. From Marvel to DC, fantasy to horror, anime to sci-fi, and anything else pop-culture, Chattooine is THE place to get your geeky fix!
Our Mission
Our mission is to spread happiness and joy through costuming, contribute to the local community through costumed charity and volunteer work, and encourage creativity while sharing the fun of pop culture and fandoms with others.
CHATTOOINE BYLAWS
I. Date of Club Foundation
Chattooine was established on September 16, 2004 and became an official chapter of FanForce on September 30, 2004. It was initially called the Chattooine Outer Rim Lookouts.
II. Policies
Chattooine is recognized as an official FanForce Chapter, but otherwise is not affiliated with LucasFilm or any other property. However, we do work with LucasFilm to secure official Star Wars events. Chattooine does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, religion, physical handicap, sexual orientation, race, nationality, or ethnicity. Chattooine will strive to have contact and emergency information available to the officers. This information will not be made public. Chattooine is not responsible for transportation to and from gatherings.
III. Membership
There are several tiers of membership based on activity level and payment of annual fees. A participants membership level is reassessed every January except as noted below.
A. General Membership: If you join the forums or the Facebook page, if you attend a Chattooine meeting or social event, or if you costume or handle at a costumed event: congratulations, youre a general member of Chattooine! All members should be courteous to the public, other members, and venue personnel at Chattooine gatherings, as they represent the group. There are no other obligations at this level.
B. Paid Membership: Immediately upon payment of the $10 annual fee (due at the January meeting), the Paid Member and their minor children gain the following privileges:
1.Event attendance begins counting towards full membership.
2.Access to the Paid Member section on the Chattooine forum.
3.First choice on "face" characters for Chattooine Invasions where costuming is involved.
4.Access to any "extra" perks the venue is willing to provide beyond benefits stemming from the day or "day-of" event. "Day-of" and "extra" perks are only available to members who actively participate in the event for a minimum of a two hour shift at the event where the perks are offered, unless more detailed instructions or shifts are specified in the event description. Violating this guideline will be considered General Misconduct. For events shorter than two hours, members must actively participate in the entire event to receive perks. (Example: Attending a movie for free on the day of the invasion is a "day of" benefit, extra passes to see a movie at a later date is an "extra" benefit available only to Paid Members).
5.Granted a discount on purchases of Chattooine Merchandise (T-shirts, etc.)
C. Full Membership: Full Membership is attained when a paid member posts on the forum and/or Facebook group regularly and has attended no less than one-fifth of gatherings (meetings, social events, costumed events, etc.) in the past calendar year (January through December). Full Members retain Paid Member privileges and gain full voting privileges. After six months of inactivity a full member will revert to Paid Member status until their status is reassessed the following January.
IV. Official Meetings
We have a monthly meeting at 6:30 pm on the second Monday of the month. The location of this meeting will be determined each month in the announced monthly meeting event. Any permanent change of venue, time, or date will be considered a change to the bylaws to be voted upon by the Full Membership. A meeting can be a quorum as long as three elected officers are present. Such a quorum cannot enact permanent policy or bylaw changes, but can make time-sensitive treasury expenditures of up to $50, and can make other short term decisions. If council meetings are called, attendance is restricted to council members unless the full council agrees on the inclusion of any other specific persons.
V. Voting Regulations
All Full Members will be allowed to vote on leadership and on any changes to the bylaws. All Chattooine elections require a simple majority.
A. Policy Election
1. Changes to the bylaws can be proposed in writing on the forum by anyone
2. Will be voted on and possibly amended by the Council in the Officer section of the forums.
3. If passed by the Council, the change to the Bylaws will then be voted on by the Full Membership in the Elections section of the forums.
B. Leadership Elections
1. Held yearly by secret ballot at the February meeting
2. Nominations accepted on the Elections section of the forums throughout the month of January.
3. Full Members can nominate themselves
4. Nominations must be seconded by another Full Member and accepted by the nominee for the nominee to be placed on the ballot
5. Nominees shall participate in a question and answer session prior to elections.
6. Proxy votes accepted by the Vice President or the Secretary via PM or email until 5 pm the day before the election.
7. If no nominations are made for a specific position, the current holder of that position will maintain their current post unless they choose to decline
8. Officer nominees must not have previously abandoned or been removed from the same officer position in the past.
C. Special Elections
1. Held within two months if an elected position is prematurely vacated.
2. Nominations accepted on the Elections section of the forums throughout the month prior to the election
3. Full Members can nominate themselves
4. Nominations must be seconded by another Full Member and accepted by the nominee for the nominee to be placed on the ballot
5. Nominees may participate in any question and answer sessions or debates as they see fit, but such interactions must be held in the Elections section of the forums
6. Proxy votes accepted by the Vice President or the Secretary via PM or email until 5 pm the day before the election
VI. Misconduct
While it is hoped that no member must be disciplined by the group, it is prudent to have measures in place should the need arise. If any member of the club feels that another member or officer has violated Chattooines rules of conduct, that person is encouraged to approach a Sergeant at Arms or any other officer they feel comfortable approaching with their complaint. If the infraction is not immediately witnessable by the officer, the complaint must be in writing and delivered via PM, email, or written letter. The officer receiving the complaint must present the complaint to the Council of Officers within 24 hours. At that time, the Council will begin an investigation and discussion of the complaint, and determine the best course of action.
A. General Misconduct includes being disorderly or in any way disruptive at Chattooine gatherings or on Chattooines various webpages. In such circumstances, the offender will be asked to leave the gathering, or their online posts will be documented and removed. Repeated instances of such behavior becomes Severe Misconduct..
B. Severe Misconduct warrants expulsion, which requires the consent of a supermajority of no less than three-fourths of the officers. Expelled members cannot access the forums or Facebook page, and cannot attend gatherings except as members of the general public. They can only be readmitted after one year and with a unanimous vote of the Council of Officers. Severe misconduct includes but is not limited to such actions as:
1. Possession of drugs or firearms at any Chattooine gathering
2. Being under the influence of drugs at any Chattooine gathering
3. Intoxication or possession of alcohol at a private Chattooine gathering when the host has not expressly stated that alcohol is permitted
4. Threatening any member with physical violence in person or online
5. Harassing or stalking another member in person, in writing, by phone/text, or online
6. Repeated, unsolicited sexual advances toward another member
7. Litigation or threats of litigation against the club or its officers regarding club activity
C. Criminal Misconduct is defined as any illegal activity at a Chattooine gathering or on Chattooines websites. It warrants expulsion and possibly involvement of local law enforcement. Members expelled due to criminal misconduct for which they are tried and convicted can never be readmitted to the group.
VII. Underage Members
Anyone, regardless of age, may become a member, post on the forums, and attend official meetings and events.Chattooine is comprised of members that reflect all ages. However, it is important for parents to be aware of several things if they choose to let their minor child join the club.
A. No one will be supervising minors. While it is never the club's intention to allow a minor to get into trouble, the responsibility of the child's actions lay with the child and his/her parents or guardians.
B. The club encourages parents to attend meetings and events to get to know the members of the group and what types of activities the club engages in.
C. While no alcohol will ever be served or consumed at any public meeting or event by a club member, be aware that an official meeting or event may take place in a venue such as a restaurant where alcohol is being served to others. Private Chattooine meetings or events will also not have alcohol served unless posted prior to the gathering.
D. The group attempts to maintain all discussions at the PG-13 level. However, some inappropriate language might inadvertently be used.
E. Members of the club will not be responsible for transporting a child to meetings and/or social events. If a parent chooses not to attend a meeting or event with his/her child, it is the parent's responsibility to ensure that the child has a safe mode of transportation to and from the meeting or event.
VIII. Officers of Chattooine
Chattooine has elected officers chosen by the Full Members as well as appointed officers chosen by the Council of officers. An individual may only run for one officer position during an election, but may fill an elected position and an appointed position or more than one appointed position if able to fulfill all duties.
A. All Officers
1. Must be a full member the previous year
2. Must be at least eighteen years of age
3. May resign at any time
4. Serve as administrator on the forum and Facebook.
5. May be removed with a vote of no confidence by the elected officers, requiring a simple majority.
B. Elected Officers:
These positions are filled by an election of Full Members every February. To be eligible to run for an elected position, the member must also have attended a minimum of six monthly meetings in the calendar year prior to the election. If any of these positions are vacated prematurely, the other Council members will fill in until a special election can be held to fill it.
1. President
a. Chairs meetings
b. Receives reports from other officers and offers direction
c. Helps set meeting agenda items with the help of other officers
d. Helps organize events as needed
2. Vice President
a. Assumes the Presidency is the position is vacated prematurely
b. Chairs meetings in the Presidents absence
c. Fulfills the meeting duties of other officers if they are absent from meetings
d. Assists in organizing meetings and events, and whatever else is required
3. Secretary
a. Writes and publishes meeting minutes
b. Takes attendance at meetings (and events as needed).
c. Keeps a log of all the member names, addresses, phone numbers, emergency information, and email addresses and makes this information available to the other officers as needed
d. Manages all documents needed for the club
e. Maintains an archive collecting all clippings, flyers, and other media that serves as a record of Club activities
4. Treasurer
a. Single point of contact for all financial matters b. Maintains active log of club treasury balance, income, and expenditures c. Provides a treasury summary at monthly meetings d. Collects all money taken along with the member's name, the amount they have paid, and the cause
5. Public Relations/Event Coordinator
a. Tracks and identifies the need for promotional materials b. Serves as a point of contact for media and event venue personnel c. Organizes events and appearances
C. Appointed Officers:
These positions are filled on appointment by a simple majority vote of the Council.
1. Webmaster
a. Maintains Chattooines website and forums
b. Single point of contact for any technical concerns regarding Chattooines website, forums, Facebook page and group
c. May appoint assistants to help cover individual aspects of the job, such as forum maintenance or Facebook updates. Such assistants would not be officers.
2. Sergeants at Arms
a. Ideally filled by two individuals to minimize conflicts of interest and help ensure availability for events
b. Maintains order at official meetings and events
c. Main point of contact for any complaints issued against a member and conflict resolution resulting from such complaints
d. Politely addresses any members of the public that are monopolizing or abusing the time or other resources of Chattooines costumers at events
3. The Council may create other appointed positions as needed.
IX. Dissolution of the Club
If, for any reason, Chattooine should ever disband, the officers shall be charged with the liquidation of all club assets, settlements of all liabilities, and taking down the website. If sufficient funds remain, the current years dues will be returned to all members, with any remaining funds divided among Full Members. If insufficient funds remain to refund dues, those remaining will be divided equally among all Paid Members and Full Members.
Adopted 6 November, 2004
Amended by Council 10 February, 2006
Amended by Council 12 October, 2009
Amended by Council 18 October, 2011
Amended by Council 16 May, 2012
Amended by Council 14 October, 2013
Amended by Council 2 February, 2016
Amended by Council 13 February, 2017
Dues - Advanced memberships require $10 annual dues. These funds are used to maintain the groups website, make promotional items (such as banners, business cards, and fliers), charity, and occasionally help fund social events like parties. From the day dues are paid, a Paid Members gathering attendance is counted to determine when Full Member status is achieved. Dues are not prorated, are collected in the final quarter of the year (October-December), and must be submitted by the January meeting for a Full Member to be eligible to vote the following month (if qualified). In other words, the sooner you pay dues, the sooner attendance will count toward Full Membership.