Article I
Who We Are1.1) The name of the organization shall be Epoch Toronto.
1.2) The Membership Year shall be from January 1 through December 31.
1.3) Epoch Toronto is a not for profit club whose purpose is to organize and promote the sport of live action role playing in the Southern Ontario area.
1.4) Epoch Toronto uses the current version of the "Epoch" rules set as developed, distributed and sold by The Howling Falcon.
Article II
Membership2.1) Any person over the age of 18 may become a member of Epoch Toronto by paying a yearly membership fee. Any Member or Temporary Member is eligible to participate in an Epoch Toronto Event, subject to payment of applicable site and player fees.
2.2) Membership allows an individual to participate in any events organized by Epoch Toronto through the Membership Year from January 1 through December 31. Membership also gives the individual the right to be heard and the right to cast a vote at a General Meeting of Epoch Toronto.
2.3) Any member of the Executive Board may suspend a Member for any reason at their discretion. Said Member may be required to give an explanation for the actions leading to their suspension at an Executive Board Meeting. If any Members actions are serious enough to warrant expulsion from the club, the Executive Board must vote on the motion and the vote must pass by a two of three majority.
2.4) Any person wishing to try an Epoch Toronto event for the first time may become a Temporary Member, for the duration of the Event, at a reduced fee. A portion of this fee shall be applied to a full membership if the Temporary Member wishes to become a full member within 1 calendar year of acquiring Temporary Membership.
2.5) All club fees shall be detailed yearly in the club by-laws.
2.6) Any sanction imposed on either a player or any one of their characters will be subject to a majority vote of the standing club executive.
Article III
Executive Board3.1) Epoch Toronto shall be run by an Executive Board consisting of a Club President, a Treasurer and Ombudsman .
3.2) Each Executive of Epoch Toronto shall be elected for a 1 year term by the members of Epoch Toronto at a General Meeting. All candidates for the Executive position will be listed on a ballot. All eligible members in attendance and any proxies will select their favoured candidate and submit their ballot in secret. The candidate with the most votes wins. In the event that there is only one candidate, only a "yea" or "nay" will be listed. If the candidate receives a majority "yea" vote he/she will become the new Executive.
3.3) The term of the President and the Treasurer shall run from January 1st to December 31st. The term of the Ombudsman shall run from April 1st to March 31th. These terms are staggered to insure that at least one experienced member is on the board at all times.
3.4) In the event that a member of the Executive Board resigns prior to the completion or his/her term a new board member will be elected by the membership. That board member will serve the remaining portion of the resigning board member’s term.
3.5) A member of the Executive Board may be removed from his/her position prior to the completion of their term by a vote of Non Confidence by the membership at a General Meeting. In the event of a non confidence vote only a "yea" or "nay" will be listed on a ballot asking the membership the following question: "Do you wish ______ to remain as ______ ?". If the Executive Member receives a majority "yea" vote he/she will remain in their position. If not, a new Executive Board Member shall be elected by the membership at first opportunity.
3.6) The Executive Board Members may elect Officers to assist in their duties. An Officer serves for one Membership Year. An Officer is elected by a two of three majority of the Executive Board. The Officers job description will vary according to need and will be defined in the By-laws.
3.7) The duties of each Officer shall be reassessed at the beginning of each Membership Year at which time the position will either be terminated or re-opened for election.
3.8) All three Executive Board members are required to be in attendance or represented by proxy to hold an Executive Board meeting.
Article IV
Executive4.1.1) The Club President shall assume responsibility for club business as it relates to the Epoch Toronto membership.
4.1.2) The Club President shall act as chair and facilitator at General Meetings, Event Meetings and at meetings of the Executive Board.
4.1.3) As needed the Club President shall appoint or hire an Artistic Director as a consultant to write and direct the creative aspect of Epoch Toronto events and a Technical Director to supply the needs of the Artistic Director. The Artistic Director shall create a campaign arc consisting of short and long term plots as well as role-playing and combat intensive scenarios in a reasonable balance, and has the responsibility to demonstrate this to the Club President. The Artistic Director may select, subject to the Club Directors approval, any additional Event Directors or Assistants, as needed, to help him in his duties. The Artistic Director and Technical Director shall have their job descriptions fully outlined in a contract. All positions on this creative team are answerable to the Executive Board in general and the Club President in particular.
4.1.4) The Club Ombudsman shall be the collection point for any complaints, concerns or questions relating to club affairs, events or finances. The Club Ombudsman will then present the views of the membership at the Executive Board meetings.
4.1.5) The Club President is responsible for all rules interpretations. Anything proposed by the Artistic Director which is not clearly covered in the rules must be approved by the Club President. Members may bring rules disputes or clarifications to the attention of the Club President or his Rules Officer during or after an event. Any Executive Members or Officers may give immediate rulings during the game. Should the judgment be challenged after the event, the original ruling and its effect shall not be overturned but will be clarified and announced to the membership for future reference.
4.1.6) If the posts are required, the Rules Officer, Safety Officer, Food Officer, Logistics Officer, etc. shall be elected by Executive Board, and report to the Club President. Their duties shall be outlined in the Club By-laws.
4.2.1) The Treasurer shall assume responsibility for club business as it relates to Epoch Toronto finances. This includes but is not limited to, booking and paying for sites for Epoch Toronto events from club funds, acquiring and paying for insurance from club funds, collecting all waivers and fees from members and recording and presenting all club transactions to the membership.
4.2.2) Any purchases that are required for Epoch events or Epoch Toronto as a club, using club funds, must first be approved by the Treasurer.
4.2.3) The Treasurer is required to ensure that Epoch Toronto has all legal rights and permissions necessary to use any land, objects, or physical assets owned by another party for the production of an Event. This may include but is not limited to acquiring permission from private individuals, governments, or corporations who own the land or buildings, which are to be used for the Event.
4.2.4) The Treasurer shall provide waivers, to be signed by all members participating in an Event, which hold members and landowners harmless in the event of an accident. These waivers are to be signed and dated at the beginning of each Membership year.
4.2.5) If the posts are required, the Financial Officer, etc. shall be elected by Executive Board, and report to the Treasurer. Their duties shall be outlined in the Club By-laws.
4.2.6) Any purchases of $150 or more must be approved by the Treasurer and all of the standing club executive.
4.3.1) The Ombudsman shall represent the 'conscience' and 'voice' of the club membership at Executive Board meetings.
4.3.2) The Ombudsman shall represent the membership in any complaints against the members of the Executive Board or their decisions. The Ombudsman may, on behalf of the membership, force an issue to be re-examined by the Executive Board, though there is no guarantee that the previous decision will be reversed.
4.3.3) The Ombudsman can recommend that important issues be presented to the membership at a General Meeting. The recommendation must be passed by a two of three majority of the Executive Board.
4.3.4) Either the Club President or Club Treasurer may represent the membership in any complaints against the Ombudsman.
Article V
Meetings5.1.1) Epoch Toronto will hold a General Meeting three times per Membership Year. At these General Meetings the Executive members and their Officers shall report on the progress of their duties from the last General Meeting to the present one.
5.1.2) An agenda shall be posted 3 weeks prior to a General Meeting. Minutes of the meeting will be posted one week after a General Meeting. Time limits shall be imposed upon each agenda item.
5.1.3) Members unable to attend a General Meeting may give their proxy, in writing, to another member who will be attending the meeting. Their vote for each agenda item shall be listed as appropriate.
5.1.4) Unless otherwise stated, any item presented at a General Meeting shall be passed by a majority vote.
5.1.5) Additional General Meetings may be scheduled through a unanimous (three of three) vote of the Executive Board.
5.1.6) If the soul purpose of a general meeting is to elect a replacement or replacements for executive board positions that are unfilled, the agenda for that meeting may be posted 1 week prior to the general meeting instead of the usual 3 weeks prior to the general meeting.
5.2.1) The Epoch Toronto Executive Board shall hold meetings as required. Any one of the three Executive members may call the meeting when an issue requires the attention of the Executive Board.
5.2.2) The Executive Board shall address any issues not resolved at the last General Meeting in addition to any other aspects of club business and finance as they arise, at the Executive Board Meeting.
5.2.3) Unless otherwise stated, any item presented at an Executive Board meeting shall only be passed by a two of three majority vote of the Executive Board.
5.2.4) Club members may address the Executive Board with important issues as the first order of business after which they are to be dismissed. The issue must be brought to the attention of the Club President prior to the meeting to be put on the agenda.
5.3.1) Prior to the start of an Epoch Toronto event, all players and cast participating in the event shall attend an Event Meeting. Any members not in attendance at this meeting shall not be permitted to participate in the event. It is the responsibility of any members missing the Event Meeting to arrange an Event Meeting with a member of the Executive Board. Any members found playing without having attended an Event Meeting may be expelled from the event.
5.3.2) At the Event Meeting all safety rules for the site will be read and potentially dangerous or off limits areas will be identified. The Artistic Director or Event Director will also have an opportunity to make any announcements regarding the Event at this time.
Article VI
Events6.1) An Event shall be defined as any live action role playing gathering organized by an agent of Epoch Toronto (herein referred to as the Event Organizer).
6.2) The Event Organizer will consult the Club President prior to the Event in order to verify that all elements of the Event comply with the "Epoch" rules. The Event Organizer will give the Club President a reasonable time to evaluate the elements of the event. The Club President will respond in a reasonable time. The Club President and the Event Organizer will come to an agreement on what are reasonable times are when the Event Organizer is appointed.
6.3) Participation in an Epoch Toronto event will require the member to pay a Site Fee as a minimum.
6.4) Members playing a character created for their own use shall also pay a Player Fee in addition to the Site Fee. Any member paying both fees shall receive 2 experience points per named day, or part thereof, of the event for allocation to their own character whether they are able to participate in the event or not.
6.5) Site and Player Fees are to be set and posted at the beginning of the season. Pre-registration discounts may apply to these fees. All fees are subject to change without notice.
6.6) All funds remaining after an Event Organizer has recovered losses resulting from the Event must be retained by Epoch Toronto and used by the Executive for the benefit of Epoch Toronto.
6.7) The Club President shall appoint capable members of Epoch Toronto to serve as "Safety Marshals" at each Event. These appointees will inspect the safety of all articles brought into game and maintain the safe conduct of all players during the Event.
Article VII
By-Laws7.1) The Executive Board may pass or rescind any by-laws they or the membership feel necessary for the smooth and efficient running of Epoch Toronto as a club or the events of Epoch Toronto.
7.2) A by-law may be passed or rescinded by a two of three majority vote of the Executive Board.
7.3) A complete list of all Epoch Toronto By-laws is to be posted on the Epoch Toronto web site (if available), at Epoch Toronto events and shall be made available at the request of any member.
Article VIII
Intellectual Property of the Members8.1) Any Characters or Character Histories created by individual Members, for their own use, remain the intellectual property of said Member until such a time as these Characters or Character Histories are donated or sold to Epoch Toronto or The Howling Falcon.
8.2) Any Characters, Character Histories or Scenarios created by individual Members which have been submitted to Epoch Toronto as suggestions for future plots become the intellectual property of Epoch Toronto.
8.3) Any intellectual property of Epoch Toronto may only be sold or donated to The Howling Falcon by a two of three majority of the Executive Board.
Article IX
Amendments to the Charter9.1) The Charter of Epoch Toronto may be amended by a unanimous (three of three) vote of the Executive Board and a majority vote of the membership at a General Meeting.
