Saber Guild Charter - Saber Guild

Article I: Membership Requirements
Article II: Show Requirements
Article III: Costuming Standards (regulations)
Article IV: Code of Conduct
Article V: Saber Guild Organization
Article VI: Honorary Members and Friends of The Saber Guild
Article VII: Disciplinary Action
Article VIII: Elections and Voting
Article IX: Merchandising and Promotion
Article X: Charter Amendment Procedure

VISION STATEMENT

Saber Guild International strives to be a leader in the global effort for our world by utilizing our costumed lightsaber choreography as a conduit for charity, community, and philanthropy.

MISSION STATEMENT

Saber Guild International volunteers use costumed lightsaber choreographed performances that support charities, and local communities events using the highest quality representation of costumed characters from the light and dark side of the Star Wars Universe. Saber Guild, Two Sides, One Force!

ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Saber Guild is an equal opportunity organization and will not discriminate against existing or prospective members on the basis of race, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or philosophy. In order to gain full membership one must be of legal age, have an approved costume that follows current costume standards, and a contact-grade quality lightsaber. Because we are a performance group, we do not accept “gray” characters due to their inherent ambiguity – we must have a clear distinction between light and dark on stage. By joining Saber Guild, attending official practices and rehearsals, representing Saber Guild at an event, or signing up on the forums an existing or prospective member agrees to follow and abide by the Saber Guild Charter and decisions rendered by local and global leadership.

Although Saber Guild is a voluntary club, we are not required to permit membership to those who prove to be troublesome or disruptive. Per Article IV of the charter, disruptive or disrespectful behavior will not be permitted and such behavior will result in official membership denial or disciplinary actions, such as suspension and/or expulsion from the club.

1. Official Membership requires a minimum age of 18 or 13 with parent or guardian permission.

A) Official Membership, also referred to as Full Membership, is defined as legal adults or a person of the age of 13 with the written permission of a parent or legal guardian that is present at all events at all times. Only full Saber Guild members with approved costumes and battle quality lightsabers are allowed to perform in a Saber Guild live show. Forum Members, persons who have joined Saber Guild on the forums only, must be at least 13 years of age. No one under the age of 18 will be permitted to participate in any live action show of any kind without a parent or guardian present at all times.
B) Forum Members are not Official Members and therefore cannot troop in costume as such at charitable events and conventions, or regularly perform in Saber Guild shows.
C) Official Members must complete one performance or two troops per calendar year to remain an Active Member of Saber Guild (exceptions are made for medical conditions or if a member is military and deployed overseas). If a member becomes inactive, they must re-submit their costume according to the guidelines outlined in this charter and the posted costume submission procedures.
- 1) Each calendar year beginning on September 1st and concluding 14 calendar-days later the following year, Local Directors will be asked to complete a census spreadsheet and annotate the status for their temple’s membership for the past calendar year. The spreadsheet should be delivered via email to the Saber Guild Council email no later than September 15th.
- 2) It is the responsibility of the Local Directors to maintain records of event attendance to substantiate the active or inactive status of their membership that is to be reported. Members who joined Saber Guild after September 1st of the census’ calendar year are considered exempt from the census as they may not have had an opportunity to troop or perform. These members are to be recorded as active on the census spreadsheet for that calendar year.
- 3) Members who are not affiliated with a temple will receive an email and must reply to that email by September 15th in order to maintain their active status. Unaffiliated members must also meet the same standard of two troops or one performance per calendar year.
D) Special guest performers may be approved on a case-by-case basis by Saber Guild Global Council and/or Global Director.

2. Photo submissions are required in order to become a Full Member.

A) Photos must be unaltered and of adequate quality to assess accuracy of the applicant’s costume.
B) Pictures must show the costume in its entirety, with full front, rear and side-views, and are to be void of non-
canon accessories, such as baseball caps and sunglasses. All submission photos must be submitted through the Saber Guild website. Photos must also include the lightsaber as part of the costume.
C) Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis through Saber Guild Global Council approval.
D) There can be no loosely-hanging objects from the costume.

3. Forum Membership status may be granted to those who do not possess a costume yet and wish to participate in any existing web forums if the following criteria are met.

A) Prospective member meets the minimum age requirements.
B) Member adheres strictly to all codes of conduct set forth within this charter.
C) All Memberships, both Forum and Official, are approved by members of the Saber Guild Council, as described within this Charter.

4. Meetings and Event Planning

There are weekly meetings and rehearsals for Saber Guild shows. Attendance at such meetings is not required for membership. Attendance IS required at weekly rehearsal prior to an event. In order for a member to participate in the event being rehearsed for, however, Local Directors have final decision-making ability regarding who may perform, on a case-by-case basis, regardless of practice attendance. (See Article II for performance and show requirements). There are no monetary dues collected by Saber Guild from members.

5. Guidelines for Members That Are Not Associated with a Temple

A) When there is a circumstance that has led to a member or group of members operating without a temple, the following rules are to be applied:
- 1) The member(s) will not operate autonomously, they will report directly to the Global Council, as if the Global Council was their temple leadership.
- 2) The member(s) will not operate as a temple, nor have any branding as such, until the time they meet the requirements to become a temple and are based in an area that is not currently serviced by an existing temple. These members may join a newly established Temple that gets approved within their area but only after that Temple is established officially according to this charter.
- 3) The member(s) will not compete with existing Temple(s) in their area. If members do not wish to join the Temple in their area for whatever reasons, members will only be permitted to attend venues outside the existing Temple(s) areas to service. These member(s) cannot establish a new temple within an area that is currently serviced by an existing Temple.
- 4) The member(s) will not coordinate any event. Coordination for all events will go through the Global Council. Member(s) will not utilize personal email addresses to communicate for Saber Guild events. Requests must come directly from the venue and will be assigned to the member(s) if there is no servicing temple within that area. All requests and coordination must occur through the use of the Global Council Saber Guild email address that the Global Council oversees.
- 5) The member(s) must complete mission reports to the Global Council for every event they attend representing Saber Guild, to include name of the event, the location of the event, members that attended, event point of contact, and the charity supported.
- 6) The member(s) are still held accountable to the requirements of the annual census.

ARTICLE II: PERFORMANCE AND SHOW REQUIREMENTS

1. PERFORMANCE AND REQUIREMENTS

Lightsabers: The tool of a Saber Guild member. We use them to raise money for charity and bring excitement to our fellow Star Wars fans. This is the cornerstone of Saber Guild and these are the parameters we have set that should result in a safe and spectacular performance.

Sabers: Must be combat and performance ready. Blades should be designed for full contact purposes. They must be made of polycarbonate. Blades made of acrylic and all other forms of plastics are prohibited. Although round tipped blades are preferred, pointed tips are acceptable, at Local Director’s discretion. Pointed tips should be dulled if the Local Director feels it may be too pointy. LED and neopixel lightsabers are acceptable. EL Wire or tape style lighting is prohibited.

Saber Hilts: Custom metal saber hilts are preferred. They must be combat ready and safe for use by the performer with no sharp metal blades attached. Sound is a positive enhancement, but not required.

2. PERFORMANCE AREA

The performance area must be safe and clear of all obstacles and 16′ X 12′ is the smallest area that should be performed on. Stage is not a requirement but is preferred and should be away from crowds during performances.

Sound systems: A soundtrack is a requirement for all performances—professional PA systems are preferred. Music can be edited or be of a simple Star Wars soundtrack. Microphones are a welcome enhancement and should be either a headset or lapel in nature. Handheld microphones are prohibited.

3. SHOW REQUIREMENTS

All Saber Guild lightsaber shows must be choreographed. No live combat shows are allowed. Only Official Saber Guild Members are allowed to perform. Performers must attend a minimum of six of eight scheduled rehearsals prior to a large show and at least the last two rehearsals. The number of smaller show rehearsals and mandatory attendance are at the local directors’ discretion. Special exceptions are allowed for actors to perform or appear with Saber Guild. Any stage combat sequence requires one Saber Guild member to participate. No guest actor is allowed to perform stage combat with another guest actor (i.e. Boba Fett cannot stage punch a Stormtrooper). All choreographed saber duels must be practiced with members on a regular basis and no last minute choreography is allowed unless needed for an emergency.

A) Children’s Version: NO killing of performers. Use instead a slice of a leg, arm or a saber to the body with a yield from the Sith.
B) Adult Shows: Performed at conventions and can have death during performances. Saber duels with minors that are not members of Saber Guild are prohibited.

4. CHOREOGRAPHY AND CHOREOGRAPHERS

All lightsaber choreography should be shared with Saber Guild members; no one member has exclusive rights to said choreography. No member of Saber Guild will perform or duplicate the Jedi Academy unless receiving express authorization from LucasFilm Ltd.

ARTICLE III: COSTUMING STANDARDS

An approved costume is required to join Saber Guild. All costumes should in some way reflect the themes and brand of Saber Guild International. The primary themes of Saber Guild include the use of lightsabers and simulated Force techniques, to provide entertaining and safe shows, that bring people into the Star Wars Universe. As a result, the Saber Guild “brand” includes characters that own and wield lightsabers on a consistent basis, and are also known to be “Force sensitive.” This allows most characters to be integrated into stage shows, childrens’ trainings, and other performances, that revolve around the use of lightsabers, in practiced and safe choreography.

All costumes will be reviewed by the Local Costume Consular (LCC) of the Saber Guild “Temple” before submission. If there is no appointed LCC, the Local Director (LD) will fulfill this duty, until an LCC is elected. Once the LCC (or LD) feels the costume is ready, they will submit the costume to the Global Costume Consular (GCC) team for review, approval or denial/corrections. Final judgement on all costumes rests with the Global Council. All costumes are subject to approval by the GCC team, headed by the Global Costume Director.

LDs and/or LCCs can submit an appeal directly to the Global Council, if there is a dispute regarding final judgement of a submitted costume. The Global Council will discuss, with the final decision will be delivered.

Original/custom characters are the most common type of approved costume and are determined based on rules and guidelines, set forth by the Global Council. Guidelines and regulations will reflect up-to-date costume standards, Star Wars resources, and references. Guidelines will refer to colors/pantones, costume design, materials/textures, as well as quality and general Star Wars Jedi/Sith/Force user aesthetic. Saber Guild costume standards, guidelines, and regulations are living documents that will continuously change over time, as new resources and references appear. The Global Council maintains and updates the documentation on these standards, with input and review by the Global Senate, to ensure that there is a mutual agreement regarding the appearance of Saber Guild costuming, as a consistent and quality brand.

These regulations are considered open for a change twice a year. The first is during the period of the first day of each calendar year until the final day of February (the “Regulations Review Period”). During this time, the Global Council will consider all changes to Addendum Regulations and then present their changes to the Senate during the first two weeks of February. After the first two weeks, the remaining weeks of February will be used to incorporate all changes into the current version, to be presented to the Saber Guild membership on the first day of march for use.

The second period will be from June 1st to June 30th of each calendar year. The first half of the month will be used to consider changes to the Addendum Regulations. Minor changes are defined as being that no new additions can be made, but alterations or additions to existing regulations can be considered. Once these changes to existing regulations are considered they will be submitted to the Senate for review on June 16th of the calendar year. Any changes that are adopted into the Addendum Regulations will go into effect July 1st.

All new costume applications, whether made by Forum Members or Full/Official Members, submitted on or after March 1st of any calendar year shall be reviewed based on the latest version of the Addendum Regulations.

All new costume applications, whether made by Forum Members or Full/Official Members, submitted on or before February 28th of any calendar year (or, in the event of a leap year, submitted on or before February 29th of said calendar year) shall be reviewed based on the previous version of the Addendum Regulations.

Grandfathering will not be included for original character costumes if something that was approvable before becomes unapprovable. However, notwithstanding any provision contained herein, Full/Official Members shall have a six-month grace period, to the first of September of the subject calendar year, to update their previously approved costumes to reflect any new regulations. Any costumes considered during the Regulations Review Period and approved based on the previous version of the Addendum Regulations must still be updated on or before September 1st of the subject calendar year to reflect the latest version of the Addendum Regulations.

Templates are a guideline created to allow members to create new Generic Costumes that follow a commonality in Star Wars fiction, but not are not covered by standard costume rules. Members can create Templates for new generic costume guidelines for Saber Guild. These new Templates should follow a pattern in Star Wars media that can be tied to more than one character and reflect commonalities in all character outfits that fit the Template. This Template should use as many visual resources as possible in order to establish specific instructions on how a costume should be created. It is recommended that any member looking to create a Template must contact the Global Costume Director for additional guidance on what is needed to create the Template. It is recommended but not required for a Global Costume Consular to work with members in the creation of each Template.

Face Characters, which are characters defined as being characters from Star Wars lore, that are known due to films, television shows, comics, video games, or other forms of media, are permitted in Saber Guild. Rules for Face Characters will reflect what is the best available information to the club for costume building and reviewing procedures. Face Characters that are acceptable in Saber Guild include those mentioned as being consistent lightsaber wielding characters that are known to use the Force and have their own lightsaber.

All Face Character costumes should be made to reflect Screen Accuracy as much as possible. This means that a costume is made of high quality materials to look as much like the costumes seen in movies. In regards to other sources of media, high quality materials are still required for those characters’ costumes, and accuracy should be as close as possible in the transition from that source of media to a physical representation of the character. Possible exceptions to screen accuracy can be approved by the Global Council on a case by case basis.

Screen accurate lightsaber hilts are preferred, but not required for Face Characters. Members must have the same blade color as the character they are portraying. Screen accurate hilts for picture taking is encouraged, but not required. Certain characters, such as Kylo Ren and Darth Maul, are required to have hilt styles that reflect their on screen appearances, though they do not have to be perfectly screen accurate.

Exceptions can be made, through approval by the Global Council, in the cases of those characters, that may fulfill only one of the stated requirements of consistent lightsaber wielder and Force sensitive. Exemptions can be submitted to the Global Council for consideration on a case by case basis. Such exemptions will be listed in the Charter for members and prospective members to see and will include:

Original Trilogy Emperor Palpatine
The Force Awakens Luke Skywalker
Issue 12 Leia Organa

The basic requirement for costumes is that they should be readily identifiable as a believable character from the Star Wars Universe. Costumes must be functional and not cause a hindrance to the performer or show itself, during the course of choreographed performance.

All lightsabers used for characters must be Combat Ready. This means the use of a lightsaber that is able to hold a polycarbonate blade and is able to hold up to repeated strikes due to choreographed combat. Day blades are recommended and preferred, but not required.

Members may be approved for “Trooping Only” status on Face Characters in the event they do not yet have their own combat ready lightsaber. They can be changed to full membership, if they are able to show they have a lightsaber that fits requirements and is combat ready. Proof of combat ready saber must be submitted before members designated as “trooping only” can perform choreographed fighting in shows.

For non-human characters, whether original characters or Face Characters, Saber Guild requires theatrical-quality or movie-quality makeup, which includes prosthetic makeup. In addition, for any human characters, whether original characters or Face Characters, Saber Guild requires theatrical-quality or movie quality makeup, which includes prosthetic makeup, for any fake scars or wounds.

ARTICLE IV: CODE OF CONDUCT

Our members, and non-official members representing Saber Guild at events, are expected to maintain professionalism and respect towards others, in and out of costume. It is understood that all Official Members of will behave in a professional manner towards other people, be they other costumers or the public at large, while representing Saber Guild at events or on public forums.

Foul language, obscene gestures, use of alcohol, tobacco, vaping devices, prescription/non-prescription drugs that affect one’s ability to perform, or marijuana and are prohibited while in costume or official Saber Guild gear in view of the public as they jeopardize the club’s image. Acting in a threatening or violent manner, committing of harassment or misconduct, theft, and other illegal activities while representing Saber Guild are prohibited. This applies to members in or out of costume at Saber Guild events, or events in which Saber Guild has been invited. This also extends to non-official members assisting Saber Guild at events, as well as posting on any Saber Guild venue such as the forums or closed social media groups.

Members who engage in such conduct may be subject to disciplinary action based on procedure covered in Article VII of the charter.

Harassment Policy

Harassment is defined as the act of persistently tormenting, annoying, pestering, or making unwanted verbal or sexual advances on another person. Standard harassment which includes inflicting unwanted attention on another, as well as being physically or verbally intimidating towards another, is a punishable offense.

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, requests for sexual favors in exchange for advancement or special privileges, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature, offensive comments about a person’s sex or gender identity, or retaliatory behavior after advances have been turned down, especially where it creates a hostile practice, performance, or trooping environment.

Harassment is not accepted for any reason. This includes race, gender expression, sexual orientation, religious preference, disability, or political preference. Saber Guild is a safe environment that welcomes everyone who wishes to work together to better our communities and support charity work.

A single act does not necessarily constitute harassment. If the person who commits the act responds positively to a warning by local leadership they will not be escalated onto the Discipline stage of intervention. Continued minor actions or a single major action will be moved onto the Discipline stage of intervention as shown in Article VII of the Charter.

This policy extends towards LucasFilm Limited (Including actors, developers, staff, or representatives). Professional criticism with regards to LFL properties is permitted, provided personal attacks are not made on any of the LFL staff or connected individuals.

Non-Member Policy

If a discipline case is brought against a potential/pending member of Saber Guild with significant evidence, Saber Guild is within its right as a private entity to refuse membership for a certain individual for a predetermined amount of time. If a case is brought forward, the Global Council will examine the evidence, talk to witnesses and reach out to the individual the case was brought upon. If proven guilty, the potential/pending member will receive a letter – along with the local commanding officers of fan organizations detailing our decision.

Public Lightsaber Interaction

Members are not permitted to allow any person outside of Saber Guild to handle any lightsaber in a manner depicting lightsaber combat. However, members at their own discretion may allow anyone in the general public to handle their lightsabers for photo opportunities. These photo opportunities should not be used to depict acts of violence or harm to another.

Saber Guild members are permitted to teach choreography classes to participants 18 years of age and over who sign a waiver, or minors 13-17 whose parents have signed a waiver, at public Saber Guild events. Public events include any event that is not considered practice by the Temple, such as but not limited to: Conventions, Community Events, and Private Events. All eligible non-members are allowed to be trained in lightsaber stage combat at private rehearsals/practices.

Temples are also permitted to teach kids classes with non-battle ready sabers as long as there is limited contact and there is parental supervision. Limited contact should be considered any contact in which the Official Members are in charge of how the sabers are being swung and are able to be guided in a safe manner. There must be no actual fighting between the participants and members. Members should severely discourage fighting between participants and other participants. Parents should either sign a waiver to allow their children to participate, or be presented with the waiver and allowed to sign their children up in another capacity. Kids classes should not involve direct contact with named Dark Side characters such as Darth Vader or Kylo Ren and should not use established Disney names or terminology such as “Jedi Academy” without express permission from LFL.

ARTICLE V: SABER GUILD LEADERSHIP

Only Active Members of Saber Guild are eligible to hold positions of office in Saber Guild.

1. SABER GUILD GLOBAL COUNCIL

Saber Guild Global Council consists of five (5) positions. In the event that one person occupies two positions on the Council (i.e. AGD and PR are same person), resulting in a split vote, or there is a tie, the vote of the Global Director (GD) will be the deciding vote. Saber Guild Global Council is the overall governing body of Saber Guild, and administrates all Temples, including Temples that are self-governed.

The term for the positions on the Global Council shall be for Two Years beginning after the Global Election for that position and continuing until the results of the next Global Election or until the Council member is removed or resigns. The five Council positions will be broken up into two groups, with elections for each group occurring on alternating years in order to maintain consistency on the Council.

The positions of Global Director, Global Costume Director, and Public Relations Director will occur during even numbered years.

The positions of Assistant Global Director and Global Membership Director shall occur during odd numbered years.

If the election is an off-cycle emergency election, the term shall run until the normally scheduled global election for that position. Persons running for a Global Council position must not have had any disciplinary actions within the last 12 months to be eligible for election. One year of Local Temple leadership experience is required for any Global Council position.

All Global Council positions are part of the Saber Guild Global Council and are required to vote on issues raised by the Global Council and the Global Senate. All are responsible for maintaining communication with the rest of the Global Council and the Global Senate and should attend the regularly scheduled monthly Global Senate Conference Calls.

A) The Global Council Members are as follows:

(GD) – Global Director
(AGD) – Assistant Global Director
(PR) – Public Relations / Charity Director
(MD) – Membership Director
(CD) – Costume Director

Global Council Members:

(GD) – GLOBAL DIRECTOR

Duties for the Global Director: The Global Director of Saber Guild International is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization, including but not limited to procedures, media representation, membership, and costuming. The GD is responsible for setting the standard of ethical behavior, professionalism, and philanthropic endeavors and guides the organization in these attributes. The GD chairs and oversees the Global Council. The Global Director manages the assignments of the Global Council Members and the Local Temple Directors, through the Global Senate, and reports issues and concerns to the Global Council. The GD presides over the Global Senate and the monthly Senate meeting. While individual Council members will have their specified areas of focus, in the end, the final approval resides with the Global Director. The primary responsibility of the Global Director is to promote the success of the organization as a whole, while taking into consideration the following items:

• The need to foster Saber Guild’s business relationships with LFL, event coordinators, suppliers, charities and other costume organizations
• The consequences of any decision in the interests of Saber Guild members
• The impact of Saber Guild’s operations on the community and the environment the desirability of Saber Guild maintaining a reputation for high standards of standards
• Procedures, conduct issues, and the need to act fairly between members of Saber Guild

The Global Director is the main point of contact for interactions with Lucas Film Limited (LFL), the upper levels of management for the 501st Legion, the Rebel Legion, Mandalorian Mercs, the Dark Empire, and major vendors and hosts of major events and/or venues.

(AGD) – ASSISTANT GLOBAL DIRECTOR

Duties for the Assistant Global Director: The Assistant Global Director’s main responsibility is maintaining the Saber Guild forums, including creating and moderating all elections as well as membership requirements and permissions. The Assistant Global Director also assists the Global Director in the overall operation of the club.

The AGD is responsible for investigating all complaints of breaches of the Saber Guild charter and is also responsible for conducting the investigations when a complaint is filed. Once an official complaint is received, the AGD directs all parties to maintain confidentiality, then gathers evidence of the claims made in the complaint, and contacts the accused party or parties for their rebuttal according to the guidelines outlined in this charter. The Assistant Global Director then compiles the case, along with a recommendation in accordance with the charter, and delivers it to the Saber Guild Global Council for vote. The AGD officially informs all parties of the Council’s final decision. If a member is suspended, the AGD informs that member and temple leadership when the suspended member is reinstated. The AGD is responsible for maintaining case logs, suspension histories, and final decisions made by the Global Council on matters of conduct.

(PR) – PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR

The Global Public Relations Director (GPRD) is responsible for managing and overseeing the public face of Saber Guild through social media, creation of merchandise, and the creation of branding materials. The GPRD responds to the majority of external event contact and media requests from the public. The GPRD manages all comments to posts on Saber Guild social media. The GPRD is also responsible for communicating and managing brand expectations with Lucasfilm LTD when necessary. The GPRD is responsible for appointing and overseeing the Global Archivists and Global Brand Officers.

Global Archivist: A Global Archivist is a non-voting senate seat, appointed by the GPRD as needed and ratified by the Senate through popular vote. The GA team is responsible for managing the front and back end of the Global Saber Guild website, as well as the Saber Guild Global Forums and other global IT related concerns. The GA team reports directly to the GPRD.
Global Brand Officer: A Global Brand Officer is a non-voting senate seat, appointed by the GPRD as needed and ratified by the Senate through popular vote. The GBO team is responsible for producing social media graphics and global merchandise to create a uniform look for Saber Guild International. The GBO team reports directly to the GPRD.

(MD) – MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR

Duties for the Membership Director: The MD is responsible for the policies and procedures of the Member of the Month program. The MD is responsible for greeting new members on the forums, answering initial inquiries from prospective members, and assisting with questions when new squads and temples develop. The MD oversees programs and policies on the formation and establishment of new squads and temples. The MD will develop and maintain recruitment literature and work with the Public Relations Director through Social Media to promote Saber Guild in areas where there is no Saber Guild awareness. The MD will oversee establishment of Facebook groups for coordinating recruitment in specific areas.

The MD will act as the membership’s advocate during an investigation regarding charter infringements, acting in the best interest of the member under investigation. The MD will be objective in all cases that require representation. If there is a conflict of interest, the Membership Director must notify the remainder of the council and recuse him/herself from the proceedings. In this case, the PR Director will assume the role of advocate for the membership.

(CD) – COSTUME DIRECTOR

Duties for the Costume Director: The CD oversees and works alongside the Global Costume Consulars. The CD is responsible for the overall approval of costume submissions from Local Temples. The CD is responsible for establishing costume submission procedures, writing charter language, new costume standards, and updating the existing standards in support of the overall mission of Saber Guild. The CD is responsible for providing constructive feedback on all costume submissions except for submittals from his/her own local temple. The CD is responsible for assisting the Local Costume Consulars (LCCs) in answering initial costume design questions, materials selection, costume component selections, and all costume standards questions. The CD will maintain communication between the LCCs, GCCs and CD through internet communication programs (Facebook, Skype, etc.) or through telephone calls. The CD is responsible for maintaining the Official Saber Guild Membership Rosters.

B) Global Costume Consulars

(GCC) – GLOBAL COSTUME CONSULAR

Global Costume Consular is an official member appointed by the Global Council and the Costume Director (CD).

The GCC appointment shall be for a one year term beginning July 1st ending June 30th or until a GCC is removed or resigns.

Procedure for Appointment: Each June 1st, the application process will open for consideration for any anticipated vacancies. Incumbent GCCs do not need to reapply if they wish to continue their tenure for an additional year. The pool of applicants for consideration for GCCs will come from official members that have served as a Temple LCC. Applying LCCs must not have had any disciplinary actions within the last 12 months to qualify. Applying LCCs will need to write up a short narrative explaining their experience and interest in becoming a GCC and submit it to the Costume Director no later than June 15th. The Global Council will then rate and rank the applications by June 25th. A selection will be made by June 30th. Those selected will be appointed on July 1st to begin their one year term. An appointed GCC may continue acting in their role as LCC for their Local Temple (see paragraph ii).
Duties for the GCC: The GCCs are overseen by the Costume Director. The GCCs are responsible for the approval of costume submissions from Local Temples. The GCCs will monitor the Official Member Submission Forum on the Saber Guild Forums. The GCCs are responsible for the evaluation of costumes that are submitted for consideration. The GCCs are responsible for assisting in the establishment of new costume standards and updating the existing standards. The GCCs are responsible for providing constructive feedback on all costume submissions with the exception of submittals from their own local temples. The GCC should assist the LCCs in answering initial costume design questions, materials selection, costume component selections, and all costume standards questions.
The GCC appointment does not qualify individuals for Global Council positions. One year of Local Temple leadership experience is still required for any Global Council position.

2. SABER GUILD GLOBAL SENATE

Saber Guild Global Senate is composed of all local directors and assistant directors from the local temples (see below). Each director will have access to the Senate forum to discuss, vote and suggest policies to the Global Council. The Global Council will then ratify or veto the decisions, results and suggestions. The Global Senate will have one collective vote when the Council proposes any changes to the charter or costuming standards.

3. SABER GUILD TEMPLES

Different areas throughout the world are grouped into sub-units known as “Temples.” Temples shall be created to cover geographical areas that are not currently served by the organization. Additionally, new Temples can be created in geographical areas that already have Temples when certain conditions are met, as explained in subsection 3D below.

A. A Saber Guild Temple will consist of five or more official members, including an elected local director and an elected local costume consular. Additionally, temples must elect an assistant director when they have 10 or more official members. Temples have the option of electing a local stage director when they have 15 or more official members. For clarity, a temple can elect all four positions at their discretion if they have less than 15 members. Elections occur as per Article VIII below.
B. Three or more official members in an area will be termed a “Squad”. Squads and areas with less than three official members will report directly to Saber Guild Council.
C. Temples will be divided by state unless or until: the Temple requests a further division of territory; the Temple requests an expansion of territory; a new prospective Temple requests formation. All requests will be decided by Global Council vote.
- i. Members will choose one Temple as their “Home Temple” where they will attend the majority of their rehearsals and events.
  - a. Members are eligible to change their Home Temple once per year between the time period of October 1st (the start of the Saber Guild calendar year) and August 31st. Changes will not be permitted in September during active local elections.
  - b. Members may only run for leadership and vote in their Home Temple, regardless of their participation in other regions.
  - c. When a Temple is hosting an event, preference should be given to members of that Temple for spots at the event. Additionally, members from other Temples can attend if there is room at the event and if it is agreed upon by Local Leadership for both Temples.
  - d. Attendance for events that are jointly hosted by multiple Temples should be determined by Local Leadership to fit the needs of the event.
- ii. Unaffiliated Official Members MUST report any event requests they receive to the Global Council prior to confirming their attendance.
  - a. The Global Council will first make contact with the nearest Temple territory to confirm there are no known issues with the event requestor.
  - b. The Global Council will also confirm that the local Temple does not have the capacity, ability, or desire to attend the event in question.
  - c. The Global Council will be copied on all official communications that occur with the event requestor for recordkeeping purposes.
  - d. Failure to contact, forward, and/or update the Global Council regarding these event requests may be considered conduct unbecoming and grounds for review and/or discipline by the Global Council.
D. The Global Council holds all rights to accept or deny request for official Temple creation. Any new brand establishment or alteration must also be approved by the Global Council and is done on a case by case basis.
- i. Consideration for Temple division is based on the geographical need for event coverage in a region, as well as the burden of distance between the Member and the Temple’s rehearsal space.
  - a. Global Council and Temple leadership (of previously established Temple) will work together to determine if need exists.
    - 1. If existing Temple leadership agrees to the split, then no further documentation needs to be established.
    - 2. If a disagreement exists for the need to split the Temple then documentation on coverage area, average number of events, and established distances to reach practice locations need to be corroborated.
  - b. The Global Council will then determine if the need exists for a new Temple in an existing Temple’s area of influence
    - 1. Distance traveled for practice must be demonstrated to be at least more than one hour, traveling at a reasonable speed, from a given practice location.
  - c. Once a new Temple is established, that temple will assume control of events in their geographical region.
    - 1. If an event requestor is directed to the incorrect temple, it is the responsibility of the senior temple to make certain proper contact is made.
    - 2. Failure to uphold this condition may be considered conduct unbecoming and grounds for review and/or discipline by the Global Council.
- ii. Dissatisfaction with current leadership is not grounds for division of territory.
- iii. Applications for new Temples cannot be submitted during Global Elections in May. Applications for Temple status may begin again two weeks after Global Elections complete

4. SABER GUILD TEMPLE LEADERSHIP

Local Temple Leadership consists of three elected positions (with the option of a fourth position). In the event that one person occupies two positions within the Local Temple Leadership (i.e. the ALD and LSD are same person), resulting in a split vote or a tie, then the vote of the Local Director (LD) will be the deciding vote.

A) Local Temple Directors are as follows:

(LD) – Local Director

(LCC) – Local Costume Consular

(ALD) – Assistant Local Director

(LSD) – Local Stage Director

Local Club Directors

(LD) – LOCAL DIRECTOR

LD is in charge of Local operations of the Local Saber Guild Temple, oversees all weekly meetings / practices.

(LCC) – LOCAL COSTUME CONSULAR

The LCC is a required position for all temples, and squads with at least three official members. The Temple should elect an official member who has experience in costuming or is willing to learn costuming. The LCC is responsible for the submission of costumes from their Temple to the Global Costume Consulars (GCCs) via the Official Member Submission Forum on the Saber Guild Forums. The LCC acts as a liaison between the Temple and the GCCs. The LCC is responsible for the screening of costumes prior to submission. The LCC should assist members (both official and unofficial) in answering initial costume design questions, materials selection, and costume component selections. If the LCC does not have access to such information, the LCC is to consult with the GCCs prior to having the member commission, purchase, or start work on the costume. The LCC is responsible for enforcing the Saber Guild Costume Standards within their Temples.

(ALD) –ASSISTANT LOCAL DIRECTOR

ALD assists the LD with Local operations of the Local Saber Guild Temple and assists with all weekly meetings / practices.

(LSD) – LOCAL STAGE DIRECTOR

Oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a Saber Guild production and ensures the quality and completeness of the production. LSD leads the members of the creative team to realize their artistic vision for a performance.

5. SABER GUILD SECRETARY

The Saber Guild Secretary is an Active Member, not a current Global Council member or in local leadership, appointed by the Global Council from a pool of nominees offered by the Senate. This is a non-voting position, and the Secretary will not be eligible for election to the Global Council unless they were previously in Global or Local leadership for one year. Responsible for taking notes at Global Council and Senate meetings, and then posting notes afterwards. Responsible for drafting new charter language once agreed upon by the Global Council for vote by the Senate. Responsible for scheduling Council meetings in advance of monthly Senate meetings, putting out a call for Senate agenda items and compiling the agenda in advance of Council meetings, then compiling and posting the Senate agenda every month.

ARTICLE VI: HONORARY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE SABER GUILD

As defined and outlined below, Saber Guild bestows two different types of recognition to Star Wars alumni, and those that have been of invaluable assistance to Saber Guild: Honorary Friends and Members of Saber Below is the induction process for Honorary Members, and Friends of Saber Guild, as well as how each category is defined:

The process will take about eight weeks of preparation. If you know of a convention or appearance near you (at least two months ahead of the current date) of a Star Wars celebrity, Lucasfilm personality, Star Wars author, or any alum of the Star Wars saga, you may have the privilege of inducting them as an Honorary Member in Saber Guild, with Saber Guild Global Council approval first.

1. “Friend of Saber Guild” can be anyone that has directly impacted the promotion of Star Wars and/or Saber Guild in a positive way. Friends of Saber Guild can also be children that Saber Guild has also had an impact upon, such as children of the Make-A-Wish foundation, children that are hospitalized and / or that have special needs, etc. Parental approval is required before a minor can be approved for such appointment. If you wish to nominate someone, you must be a full costumed member of Saber Guild, which means you are an adult and you have a costume that has been approved for full membership. Again, this process will take eight weeks; you must notify a member of the Council, preferably the GD or the AGD, of your intent to induct the person of your choice. The Council will then decide whether to approve the person for Honorary Friend of Saber Guild status. Once the Council approves the person selected for such status, you are the “sponsor” or “presenter” to the person you have selected. You will be mailed or delivered to in person (if applicable) a printed and signed certificate with plaque by Saber Guild Global Council. You will be responsible for purchasing these items (these are inexpensive). Your next responsibility is to attend the convention, arranged meeting, or other event that your selected recipient will be attending. You will need one extra person to photograph you presenting the plaque to the recipient. It is not required, but highly recommended, that you perform this action while in costume and that at least one other member is with you, also preferably in costume. This will present a much more photogenic and official atmosphere to the person being honored. One photograph of the person(s) being honored receiving the certificate from the presenter is required. Email the photograph to the Council and it will be posted on our When you present the plaque to the intended recipient, you (the presenter) are required to give a very short, specific statement detailing why the honor is being bestowed. More than likely (almost always, and preferably), the person being honored will be surprised, as these presentations are most often done without the recipient’s knowledge of your intent to induct them. Your statement to them at the time of presentation can be anything you want to say, however, should be modeled along these lines:

“We, the members of Saber Guild, a Star Wars costuming performance organization, in gratitude for your contribution to the Star Wars movies (and/or our club, if applicable), would like to honor you with an honorary membership in our group. Please accept this as a token of our appreciation for your work.”

2. Other organizations considered Friends of Saber Guild are the 501st Legion, Rebel Legion, The Mandalorian Mercs Costuming Club, The Dark Empire, The Dark Alliance, The Jedi Assembly, The Twin Suns, R2 Builders, and LMB (Leia’s Metal Bikini) members.

ARTICLE VII: DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Saber Guild is a volunteer organization, but even volunteer organizations require rules and structure to ensure a safe and fulfilling environment for those participating. In the course of any organization some of those rules will be broken and it is necessary for Saber Guild Global leadership to address those infractions. How each infraction will be addressed depends upon the severity and magnitude.

Minor offenses are encouraged to be handled by Charter recognized elected Local Leadership of a Temple. This means that those chosen by the membership during October elections should handle investigation matters brought to their attention and ruling on the result of the matter. Which members of elected leadership handle the investigation can be determined by the Temple based on which positions have been elected and who is most appropriate to participate.

Temples may escalate investigations to Global if they feel there is cause including: Conflict of Interest, a Global Council Member being involved, a locally elected and charter recognized member being involved, and other reasons that can be discussed with the Global Council.

The process should follow protocol for minor offenses and be reported to the Global Council for record and documentation purposes. Communication with the Council should commence once the offense review process has begun.

The exception to this is when a member causes undue strife between Saber Guild and our fellow LucasFilm costuming clubs. Any such instance should be brought to Global Council’s attention to handle the matter. This includes if someone causes issues on a local, national, or global level between Saber Guild and said fellow clubs.

Major offenses should be reported to the Global Council to handle the investigation and decision of punishment, if any is merited. The Council will follow protocols set below to handle the investigating, debating, and questioning of those involved with the offense. It will then decide upon appropriate punishments for the offender, if applicable, and ensure they are carried out.

Appeals for offenses adjudicated by Temples may be brought to the Global Council who can decide if they will reopen the hearing based on provided evidence from both sides.

In most cases, the accused have a right to face their accuser. The exception is when sexual harassment is involved. Saber Guild has a zero tolerance policy for retaliation as a result of an ongoing investigation. However, the nature of sexual harassment means that a person is more likely to be placed in harm’s way after the accusation. As a result, those leveling sexual harassment accusations may remain anonymous so long as the Global Council members investigating the decision know who is providing the testimony and evidence.

Locally elected leadership is encouraged to report potential charter violations to the Global Council for review, especially where the Code of Conduct has been violated. Members are encouraged to report potential charter violations through their locally elected leadership. If a member shows that they have reported a potential charter violation to their local leadership and it has not been passed on to the Global Council in a timely manner (10-14 days) nor has the member been given a good reason for it to not have been passed on, then that member is encouraged to report it directly to the Global Council. A member is also encouraged to reach directly to Global if the matter concerns members of locally elected leadership.

While members are encouraged overall to bring their own complaints through the assistance of their local leadership, there are some exceptions and extenuating circumstances. Third party complaints may be submitted under these specific circumstances, and the third party must prove to the council (rather than to other involved parties) both pressing reason and a lack of relevant significant conflict of interest for involvement in order to bring a complaint. Pressing reason could include any of the following:

Direct victims cannot safely bring complaint (someone who is at risk for disproportionately harmful retribution from the person(s) complaint is regarding)
Third party has a position of power/responsibility/leadership that empowers them to speak in the interest of the victims (e.g. victim is a minor or otherwise needs the assistance of the third party for other reasons)
The victim is a non-member who does not have standing to bring a complaint directly (e.g. a prospective member, or someone participating in an event)
The harm is to the reputation/well-being of the organization as a whole

Third party reporting will be the exception, and whenever possible, should still be filed through local leadership. Members should default to bringing their own complaints, for the most part.

Minor Offenses include but are not limited to:

Submitting false accusations, charges, or testimony for an investigation: This is when the act is willful and malicious done to negatively affect someone, including but not limited to: doctored screenshots, tampered evidence, and given testimony that can be proved unequivocally false.

Inappropriate behavior during a troop or performance: This includes abusive or crude language, mistreatment of people attending events, using costume pieces for suggestive acts, using alcohol, tobacco, or vaping while representing Saber Guild at and official event or at practices

Inappropriate contact or actions towards an event host: This includes members being abusive or using crude language, or unwanted acts or threats of violence towards event hosts or staff. Members should also not contact event staff regarding an event without permission from elected leadership.

Violation of merchandising and branding regulations: This includes producing merchandise without the Global PR Director’s approval and consent, producing/selling merchandise above cost, and selling branded merchandise to the public. This is a result of LFLs stated preference that all merchandise be sold at cost.

Allowing a member or potential member to wear an unapproved costume: While sometimes people forget pieces of a costume, this is intended for when a member refuses to change out of an unapproved costume at a troop, lying about a costume being approved, or locally elected leadership allowing a member to wear a costume or costume piece while trooping that has not been approved by the Global Costume Consulars or Global Council.

Major Offenses include but are not limited to:

Abusive behavior on forums, social media, or message boards: this includes unwanted, and constant use of foul language, name calling, or derogatory comments on or in official Saber Guild chats, forums, Temple Groups, Social Media sites, websites, and on official chat programs.

Causing undue problems or strife between Saber Guild and other costuming clubs – Note that this offense should be brought to the attention of the Council Immediately as it falls under the purview of the Social Media Policy.

Violent actions against another member of Saber Guild: This includes unwanted, and unwelcome physical contact in any way that offends, causes harm, or fear of the member affected by such contact. Please note: We do understand accidents happen over the course of practice, but are easily distinguishable from intentional contact.

Violent actions against a member of the public at a Saber Guild event This includes unwanted, and unwelcome contact in any way that offends, causes harm, or fear of the member affected by such contact. Please note: We do understand accidents happen over the course of practice, but are easily distinguishable from intentional contact.

Attending an event or practice while under the influence of an illegal or controlled substance: This includes alcohol and marijuana (where legal). Members should also be mindful if they are under the influence of legal substances such as cold medication, prescription drugs, and other over the counter medications. Members must follow their local leadership’s direction regarding trooping and should never perform under the influence of such substances.

Using charitable funds received for anything but donating to the charity they are intended: This includes not using money raised at an event to cover expenses such as the cost of raffle items or materials made to put on the raffle.

Causing undue problems or strife between Saber Guild and LucasFilm Limited (“LFL”) or Disney: If either entity contacts Saber Guild Global Council regarding a member, this offense is invoked. This also includes any harassment against all staff of both companies, as well as any talent who have been involved with LFL projects.

Harassment

At Saber Guild, no form of harassment is acceptable. This includes but is not limited to: Joking remarks or other abusive conduct (including verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct) that demeans or shows hostility toward an individual because of his/her/their race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other prohibited basis and that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Due to the potential severe and dangerous nature of harassment, such transgressions are being given their own section with regards to how they are handled and potentially punished. Please see the Code of Conduct, Section IV, for a definition of Harassment. All harassment charges should be directed to the Global Council.

Harassment of other members: this includes but is not limited to: Unwanted, abusive, or constant attention, both verbal and physical, at official Saber Guild activities including practices, performances, and events. Harassment of this type can carry a one level of Sanction per verifiable instance.

Physical Harassment: this includes but is not limited to: Unwanted physical contact of a non-sexual nature. Constant poking, tickling, teasing, and smacking of any kind that is not done to harm or cause injury. Harassment of this type, if proven, carries with it an automatic 30 day suspension and can be increased depending on the number of instances it occurred.

Sexual Harassment: Unwanted advances and attention, physical or verbal, towards another member or bystandard in a non-consensual sexual capacity. This includes but is not limited to: The use of pet names, comments of sexual nature, and unwelcome physical contact. Harassment of this type is considered a major offense and so starts as an automatic 3 month suspension. This can be increased if the offense is deemed severe enough.

Social Media Policy:

Saber Guild recognizes that personal social media pages belong to the individual. However, when a public posting causes a detrimental effect on Saber Guild and its relationship with other entities the Global Council reserves the right to intervene. List of entities include but are not limited to: Charities, public organizations, LucasFilm Limited, Disney, and other costume clubs.

Examples of such postings include, but are not limited to, the following: harassment of other members, inappropriate contact or actions towards an event sponsor, statements that cause strife between Saber Guild and other costuming groups, or statements that cause strife between Saber Guild and LucasFilm Limited or Disney, including employees, management, or talent of said companies. If any of these actions are taken by an individual, they will be contacted by the Global Council regarding potential charter violations and action will be taken as appropriate.

If a member places on their personal Social Media page that they are “employed by Saber Guild” in any capacity then what they post falls under the Social Media policy. Saying you are employed by Saber Guild denotes a level of involvement beyond most members and thus can be construed that statements on your page reflect the Club as a whole.

Zero Tolerance Policy:

Saber Guild maintains the right to enforce a Zero Tolerance policy where criminal activity is concerned. The Global Council reserves the right to permanently remove that person as a member without following standard procedure, If it is discovered that a member has committed a criminal act against another member, a member of the public, or a child. The Global Council may seek out a statement from the offending member if the Council feels there is enough doubt on the matter. The Council reserves the right to consider the matter and facts pertaining to it before rendering a decision on removal, exoneration, or if a formal hearing for a major offense is more appropriate.

Sanctions:

The sanction(s) to be imposed shall depend on the level of offense, as well as the number of incidents at the time of the conviction. Each instance of a minor offense shall cause an increased level of sanction along the below scale. A major offense shall serve as the equivalent of three (3) minor offenses for the purpose of initial punishment based on the below scale. If a member is found guilty of committing the same level of offense for which they had been previously sanctioned, then the previous sanction shall be taken into account when a new sanction is imposed. For instance, if someone is found guilty of the minor offense of harassment and receives an Official Warning and then is found guilty a second time of a minor offense of any sort, they shall automatically move onto the next level of sanction along the below scale, which would include a suspension. If a member is sanctioned at a Temple level due to the offense being minor, the Global Council will enforce the level of sanction that is deemed appropriate.

Official Warning
30 Day Suspension
90 Day Suspension
6 Month Suspension
1 Year Suspension
Removal from Saber Guild membership

If a member that holds a charter recognized position, either elected or appointed, is sanctioned they may be removed from their position under one of the following conditions:

Major Offense
Harassment Charge
The sanction is a result of negatively affecting relations with a sister club

If a member is removed from Saber Guild membership they may request to be allowed to reapply, with the Global Council’s approval, after 12 months. The member must show contrition for the actions that lead to their removal, that they have not continued to engage in the activities that resulted in the membership removal, and that they are willing to adhere to any rules set forth by Saber Guild. Failure to adhere to the rules set forth by the Global Council can result in a permanent ban from the organization.

The Global Council does not have to grant permission to reapply.

If a member resigns from Saber Guild in order to avoid disciplinary action, including but not limited to an investigation into a charge or complaint, an adjudication of a charge or complaint, conviction of an offense, whether major or minor, and/or imposition of sanctions as a result of conviction, such resignation by the member shall result in them being permanently banned from reapplying to Saber Guild.

Procedure:

All investigations must be finished no more than 45 days after the initial accusations have been delivered to the Global Council or Local Leadership. All contact should happen via email or other official channels in which one or more members of the investigating body should be present or have access to gathered evidence to ensure access remains available for future use.

The first step for an investigation involves informing the accused that they are having charges pressed against them. Evidence or the name of accusers do not need to be presented at this time, but a clear understanding of what they are being accused of needs to be provided. The accused is allowed to ask questions regarding the charges. The accused is also allowed to present any witnesses they might feel are appropriate to the circumstances surrounding the charges.

The second step for an investigation involves gathering of evidence. This includes contact the person who has leveled the accusation, as well as any witnesses that are put forward the accuser. Evidence includes, but is not limited to: Statements from witnesses, screenshots of discussions over social media or text messaging, and audio-visual files.

Once all evidence is gathered, the accused is then presented with the full accusation, as well as statements regarding the evidence against them. Names of witnesses should be withheld when delivering evidence to the accused. In the case of harassment accusations, the name of accusers should also be withheld from the accused to protect them for further harassment. Screenshots and audio-visual evidence can be presented to the accused so long as it is of conversations in which they have been involved. Evidence of conversations between other individuals should be withheld to prevent further harassment.

The accused then has seven days to respond to the accusation. They may do so using their own evidence if they have any prepared to share. Once the rebuttal has been received by the person handling the investigation, it should be brought to those who are deciding on the outcome of the accusation. In the case of the Global Council this involves the Global Director, Assistant Global Director, and Membership Director who is responsible for ensuring the accused receives a fair hearing. For local incidents, elected officials should handle the final decision of any sanctions based on evidence provided. Locally determined sanctions should follow the above punishment scale, primarily for minor offenses.

Once the decision has been made, the accused, and the Global Council, must be contacted with full results of what has been decided. The accuser should also be informed of the outcome, though full details should be withheld. Everyone involved is expected to maintain confidentiality surrounding an investigation and the outcome, unless it becomes necessary for the Global Council to reveal details to the public.

Reasons that it may prove necessary include but are not limited to: Accused or Sanctioned members spreading false information, harassment of people involved in the case, approval by those sanctioned to discuss the matter with their fellow Temple members.

Appeal:

All who are convicted of an offense have the right to an appeal within 60 days of sanctions being handed down. If a member is convicted at the Temple level, the appeal then moves to the Global Council. The Global Council will review the evidence and testimony of a given situation and then decide if the investigation was properly conducted, and if the level of punishment fit what was found.

If a member is convicted by the Global Council they have the right to appeal to the Senate. The Senate consists of the elected Local Directors and Assistant Local Directors of the Temples that make up Saber Guild. Nine members of the Senate, including Local Directors and Assistant Local Directors, will be selected for a Jury and given the evidence that was used to determine the guilt of the member. The Jury will have one week to review the evidence and then, through a simple majority vote, if the investigation and sanctions were properly applied, or if the outcome needs to be changed.

Selection of the Jury will be handled by members of the Global Council who were not involved in the investigation. Senate members from the Temple of the member who is appealing are not allowed to serve on the Jury. Senate members from any Temple within 200 miles of the appealing members Temple can also not be selected for the Jury due to potential familiarity. Senate members will also be disqualified if there is determined to be an established link between the appealing member and the potential juror. Such cases include, but are not limited to: previous Temple membership, previous transactions such as the purchasing of goods, having previously sat on a Jury regarding the member, having brought said member up on charges before, or if proof is shown the juror has a bias against the appealing member.

If no Global Council member is considered detached from the decision enough to select a jury, the Senate will nominate and vote on a jury Foreman to help select the other jurors. Previous restrictions still apply.

If none of the potential jury candidates are considered to be detached from the incident being investigated, such as if the incident happened in public or in a shared chat/social media environment, then all members not within the 200 mile geographic limitation are considered eligible.

If need be, the Global Council may reopen an investigation if they feel it is warranted for a Temple Level Sanctioning. Equally, the Jury may force the Global Council to reopen an investigation if they vote that the previous investigation had been incomplete and did not provide enough evidence to show that the conviction was warranted.

The result of either appeal is considered binding, and no further appeal can occur.

Vote of No Confidence:

This Procedure is designed to maintain order within Leadership. A “Vote of No Confidence” may be called against any elected official, should it be determined that official is not performing their duties adequately pursuant to the Charter. Only Official Members of Saber Guild may call a Vote of No Confidence. Votes may be called at: An official meeting of the Temple, of the Senate, or in an appropriate Forum section on the Saber Guild Forums.

The specific person receiving the Vote of No Confidence must be named and a reason given for the Vote to be called. The Vote is then brought to the Global Council for review and an official Vote of No Confidence declared. The person who the Vote is brought against well be allowed to answer the charges in a forum post in the appropriate section. The defense will be allowed to include a written response to the charges, as well as any evidence they have to present such as screenshots or testimony. The Vote should happen in the appropriate section of the forums and last no more than 5 days. If a Vote passes, the affected official must be informed within 72 hours and an off cycle election created to fill the vacated position.

Local Leadership: A Vote of No Confidence may be called against an elected official within a Temple by Official Members of said Temple. The Vote of No Confidence must be seconded by another Official Member of the same Temple. The final Vote will be open to all Temple members to decide if it passes or fails. If an official has a successful Vote of No Confidence brought against them, they are unable to run for another locally or globally elected position for a year.
Global Leadership: A Vote of No Confidence may be called against a member of the Global Council either by a member of the Global Council, or a member of the Senate. The call for a Vote of No Confidence must be seconded by another member of the Council or the Senate. The final Vote will be open to the Local Directors of all Temples to decide if it passes or fails. If the Council member has a successful Vote of No Confidence brought against them, they are unable to run for another globally elected position until two elections have passed.

RECIPROCITY OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS BY OTHER CLUBS TAKEN AGAINST DUAL SABER GUILD MEMBERS.

In situations where a Saber Guild member is also a member of another Star Wars costuming club (i.e. Rebel Legion, 501st, Mandalorian Mercs, etc.), and that costuming club has taken disciplinary action against a member that is also a Saber Guild member (i.e. probation, suspension or expulsion), that organization may request that the Saber Guild also consider upholding and imposing the same action in this organization. This would not be automatic and only considered on a case-by-case basis where the circumstances of the case and action were serious enough to warrant reciprocal implementation for the best interest of Saber Guild, its members, its reputation and in the best interest of our relationships with our sister organizations. In this situation, formal charges from a Saber Guild member has not been filed and there has been no formal hearing conducted by Saber Guild.

1. The Commanding Officer, Executive Officer or Captain of the Guard (or organizational equivalent) can submit to the Global Council in writing the request for reciprocity of action which should contain what action was taken, and a complete summary of the circumstances that led to the decision of action. The Global Council can then work with the organization’s equivalent authority for more information and investigate as necessary.

2. The Global Council will decide and vote to support or deny the request by a simple majority vote. If suspension is considered, the council must also determine if it is to be imposed only at established known joint troops where the Saber Guild is participating or if it is to apply to all Saber Guild activities.

3. If the action is ratified and approved, the Global Council will notify the requesting organization in writing that the request has been approved and when the member has been notified of the action taken by the Global Council. The Global Council will also draft/send the notification to the Saber Guild member and get acknowledgment/understanding of the action. The Global Council will also ensure the member’s Local Director is also notified of the action.

ARTICLE VIII: ELECTIONS AND VOTING

Saber Guild recognizes a democratic practice in the selection of the leadership roles within its organization. The following is a description of the election and voting procedures to fill these offices. Elections for all positions are held as follows.

1. ELECTIONS AND VOTING PROCEDURES FOR OFFICES.

A) Notice of upcoming elections will be posted on the forums and be sent out by a mass email at least one week or more prior to the election by the Council. However, notification of any elections to individual members of a Temple is ultimately the job of Local Director (LD). The local nomination and election cycle will begin five days before the first full weekend in October and will be open for Five Days, followed by five days of a Question and Answer period, and then five days of voting if necessary. Candidates will have 24 hours after the end of the Q&A period to answer any remaining questions. All Council nominations and elections will begin on May 1st. Assistant Global Director and Membership Director will be elected on odd numbered years. Global Director, Public Relations Director, and Global Costume Director will be elected on even numbered years. The nomination period for Global Positions will last for five days, followed by five days of a Question and Answer period, and then five days of voting if necessary.

B) Local Council positions are nominated and elected by a simple majority vote comprised of their Temple’s active membership. To become a candidate to run for any Local Council position a member must obtain a first and second nomination from the Temple’s active membership during the nomination period. Should the member nominate themselves they must received a first, second, and third nomination from the active Temple membership. Once a candidate has received the necessary nominations they may accept or decline the nomination. Should they accept the nomination they will officially become a candidate for the position for which they are running. All nominations and voting are conducted in special threads managed by the global council for the specific election taking place. Only active members of Saber Guild are eligible to vote in elections.

C) If a member transfers from one Temple to another they will not be considered eligible to vote in a local election until they have been a member for 30 days and attended at least one trooping event. Exceptions can be made at the request of the member to the Global Council.

D) Global Council positions are elected by the Temple Electoral College (TEC). Each Temple will receive one vote to cast in favor of a Global Council candidate. Every Temple will have active members vote to decide which candidate will receive that Temple’s vote for the Global Council position up for election. Once the period for the Temple vote is completed, the Local Director of the Temple will vote for the candidate on behalf of their Temple’s majority vote. A Local Director may not cast a vote against the majority vote of the Temple. The Local Director must vote in line with the results of their Temple’s majority vote. If the Temple vote is evenly split then that Temple will abstain for voting for that particular Global position. If a tie occurs in the Electoral vote for the Council positions, the winner will be decided by the popular vote. The popular vote is that total number of individual votes by each Temple and the candidate receiving the most overall votes will receive the position. Votes from Temples forced to abstain due to a split vote will still have their votes counted towards the popular vote. All members who are currently Unaffiliated with Temples will be allowed to cast votes for Global Elections. The Unaffiliated Member Vote shall have the weight of a single TEC vote that will be monitored and cast by the Assistant Global Director and cannot deviate from the results of the voting. IF the vote is evenly split and no clear candidate is selected by the Unaffiliated Member Vote, than that vote will abstain, but will be counted in the case of a majority runoff.

E) When a new Saber Guild Temple is formed, or when an elected officer resigns or becomes otherwise unable to fill their post, the Global Council will immediately call for an off-cycle or “emergency” election to elect a Local Director and Local Costume Consular. If no official temple member runs for the LCC position at temple formation, the LD must assume the LCC responsibilities. Likewise, if a temple experiences growth (i.e. they have their 10th or 15th member approved), an off-cycle election will be called to fill the new post. However, if any of the above scenarios occur two months or less before the regular election, the election will proceed as scheduled with no emergency election

F) No campaigning will be allowed during the election time frame. Candidates should keep their campaigning to the Question and Answer portion of the election and shall not send written or verbal request for people to vote for them at all during the election period. Membership should ask for clarification on positions or answers on the associated forum threads so that all questions may be answered and visible for the membership.

Campaigning is defined as coercing someone into voting for a specific candidate. This can include written, verbal, or visual forms of coercion.

The encouraging of someone to run for a position or answering another members query regarding whom you intend to vote for are not considered campaigning. The latter must involve another person asking the question, and not the person giving their answer bringing it up on their own.

If a Saber Guild Member is proved to be campaigning for a candidate they shall lose their ability to vote during the current election. A candidate proved to be campaigning will be disqualified from running for their position. If a prospective member is found to be campaigning, the Global Council will determine, based on an investigation, if that person had done so at the direction of the candidate or their own discretion and sanction that prospective member appropriately. Saber Guild Global Council will be the arbitrator in all accusations of campaigning.

2. NOMINATIONS

A) All nominations must be seconded and accepted. A member may nominate themselves and that will require a second and third nomination. Elected officers must post their desire to seek another term or decline to seek another term (no response is considered a decline). No second is required for elected officers. Any officers who were not elected in the previous election cycle must run for election and be nominated and seconded (or receive a third nomination if they nominate themselves).

B) If no nominations are made for a particular office, then the officers holding these positions will remain in office.

C) If a standing Local Director (LD) does not seek another term and no nominations are made for that temple, the Assistant Local Director (ALD) must accept or decline being promoted to Local Director (LD). If the Assistant Local Director (ALD) declines (no response is considered a decline) then the Council is empowered to assume governance over the Temple until new Temple leadership can be formed.

D) Global Council membership requires a minimum of no less than one year of Local Temple office.

E) Any member of the Saber Guild Global Council that was not elected in the previous election cycle will need to run for election and be nominated and seconded (or receive a third if they nominate themselves) for the position they currently occupy at the next scheduled election should the Global Council Member desire to remain in office.

F) Nominees for the Global Director position must have served at least 6 months on the Global Council or 2 full years of experience as a Local Director.

ARTICLE IX: MERCHANDISING AND PROMOTION

1. Saber Guild is a not-for-profit club based on property owned by Lucasfilm LTD and is not authorized to profit off the sales of merchandise bearing images or ideas from Star Wars.

a. Saber Guild Merchandise is herein defined as any items bearing the Saber Guild logo, the words “Saber Guild”, “Two Sides, One Force”, as well as the names and any logos used by encompassing subunits.
b. As SG numbers are assigned for life and member specific, the SG number does not fall under this provision.
c. Saber Guild owns all rights and designs for any content created for the organization’s use.

2. Under no circumstances may Saber Guild merchandise be sold to the general public. Saber Guild merchandise and materials shall only be sold at cost to the following peer organizations:

a. The 501st Legion
b. The Rebel Legion
c. Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club
d. The Dark Empire
e. The Droid Builders Club

3. All merchandise designs and sales must be approved through the acting Global PR Director.

a. All merchandise MUST include an LFL legal line somewhere on the design as listed: © & ™ LFL
b. To receive approval for distribution, the organizer should prepare a proposal with completed design and manufacturing plan, including but not limited to the vendor’s contact information, number of pieces, and overall production cost before shipping.
c. For additional guidance on design, the organizer should review the brand guidelines (coming soon).

4. Per Lucasfilm guidelines, items to be sold above-cost for charity MUST be approved through both the Global PR Director and Lucasfilm LTD. These items follow the same sale guidelines as outlined above, but may also be sold at a single on-location event. Lucasfilm LTD does not allow the sale of club merchandise for profit.

5. Saber Guild does not endorse the sale of costume pieces and will not intervene in the private sales or transactions of non-Saber Guild merchandise.

ARTICLE X: CHARTER AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

This Charter was designed to be amended, as deemed necessary by the Saber Guild Council. A majority vote of the five-member Council shall be required on all decisions pertaining to amendments of this Charter. Local Leadership can expand upon the Charter for the creation of Local additions but must have approval from the Council and cannot change the intent of any article with their Local additions.