Fightclub Ohio Bylaws

1) Munches:

Munches shall be held on the second Thursday and third Saturday of the month. Thursday munches will be moved to the first Thursday if the Thursday and Saturday munches would fall in the same week. A rotating schedule where Saturday Munches will trade off between Dayton and Cincinnati will be maintained. Thursday munches will cycle between Dayton, N. Cincinnati (I-275), Middletown, and Northern Kentucky. Exceptions may be made in instances where a related event is happening in a particular city.

Munches are open to members, potential members and friends of members or potential members without regard to age or eligibility. If a member (or potential member or guest) is disruptive or disrespectful, he or she may be asked to not to come to any further munches (after a simple majority vote of the council).

2) Parties:

2.1. Orientation
Attendance at orientation is mandatory prior to Party Attendance. At orientation, an FightclubOhio Council member will walk potential attendees through the rules of the organization and asked to sign a document that acknowledges those rules, agrees to follow them and acts as a liability waiver. The orientation can occur after a munch, before a party or at a separate time at the FightclubOhio Council member’s discretion.

2.2. Schedule/Party Format
The “Eat and Beat” party will begin @ 6:30 on the 2nd Saturday of every month.
6:30 – 8:00 Arrival/Food/Fellowship
7:00 – 8:00 (Even Months) a FightclubOhio Membership Meeting.
8:00 – 9:00 Demonstration/Seminar (if scheduled)
9:00 + Open Play

2.3. Attendance

• Party attendance is limited to FightclubOhio members and non-members coming as a guest. A guest may come only once prior to becoming a member. Every new member must attend as a sponsored guest before becoming a member.
• Potential Members/Guests may become sponsored in one of three ways:

1. As a guest already known to another member
2. By coming to a munch, meeting a member (and then meeting again outside of FightclubOhio events) who is willing to sponsor him or her.
3. By coming to two munches and being sponsored by a member or a FightclubOhio Council member.

• All attendees will have completed a membership screen prior to attending a party.

2.4. Hosting Party

Hosts will be sought in each city and will chosen at the discretion and majority vote of the FightclubOhio Council. Note that a dungeon is a nicety, but is not a requirement. It is important that the majority of FightclubOhio members be comfortable in a host’s home and it is up to the council to determine which potential locations will make good Party venues.

• Hosts should be members in good standing that have had a minimum of 6 months active membership.

2.5. Party Rule Statement

This section is to be included in the RSVP for each party and is to be reviewed during every orientation. A copy is also to be posted at the entrance of the party location.

2.5.1. Party Etiquette

Very simply, in our chosen lifestyle, etiquette can be summed up as Respect each
other, each other’s space and possessions.

• What you see here, hear here, say here, stays here. Period
• Refrain from talking in the play space (downstairs) while scenes are
  going on, which includes the beginning, and the coming down
• Do not touch other’s toys or equipment without permission
• Do not attempt to join in someone’s scene, if someone wants you to
  participate, they will have negotiated with you prior to starting
• Reserve any comments or questions on a scene until afterward and in the social area(upstairs), keep in mind, however that folks sometimes need a bit of time to “come down” before they are ready to engage in conversation
• Keep your voice low if you are in the play area
• Regardless of your orientation, Dominant or submissive, if you desire to play with someone, approach in a respectful manner, and if it is decided you will play, negotiate fully before hand, if you need some privacy for this please see one of the hosts and you will be accommodated

2.5.2. Party Rules

• These rules will be strictly enforced
• No sexual intercourse, oral sex, or exchange of bodily fluids. We also
  have no facilities for blood; urine or scat play at this time. Play piercing
  is acceptable, provided you have some experience, please inform the hosts
  prior to beginning needle play
• Street attire is required outside the house at all times
• Do not carry anything in that is obviously BDSM related, talk to the
  host about how to get the item in the house first
• The hosts on hand have final say, if your scene is stopped and you feel
  that it should be negotiated with the hosts, please do so outside the playarea
• As we will have folks encompassing a wide range of experience levels and
  a varying degree of play intensity, please understand that if you observe
  play which concerns you you should address it to the host outside of the
  play area, keeping in mind if the host is present, they have already made
  their judgment on the continuation of the scene. If something seems too
  intense, feel free to go to the social area ’til the scene is complete
• No food or drink in the play area except for a drink for the participants
• No smoking in the house, please go outside. Please throw cigarette butts
  in the fire bucket provided
• No drugs, No alcohol before or at the party, no exceptions
• The universal safe word for the parties is “RED”
• No photography or video will take place at any party, unless prearranged
  with the hosts and council members and a warning is posted to the
  members-only list and/or party invitation prior to the party
• All guests of this party are known to and invited by the hosts
• Everyone attending is required to have signed an acknowledgement of and agreement with the rules of FightclubOhio before admittance to the party

2.6. Waivers

Each FightclubOhio Member will sign a comprehensive yearly waiver which holds the FightclubOhio Council, membership or party hosts not accountable for any physical or mental injury sustained as a result of being part of the group or one of the group’s activities.

3) Membership:

3.1. Eligibility
To become a member, 4 conditions must be met. Prospective member must:

• Pass the basic membership screening (no person convicted of a sexual offense will be allowed membership or attendance at a party)
• Have a Member Sponsor
• Attend a New Member Orientation and one party as a guest of a member.

3.2. Maintaining membership

To maintain membership, a member must:

• Attend at least 2 events per year.
• Participate at least minimally on the mailing lists
• Maintain the rules of the group

4) Website:

The FightclubOhio Website shall be regularly maintained and updated at least monthly.

• Articles will be added at regular intervals including:
• My First Munch/Play Party (personal accounts from members)
• Information Sections on a variety of fetish/play practices. (e.g. Wax Play: What it’s about. Safety advisory. Do’s & Don’ts. Or Bondage with rope: What it’s about. How to’s. Safety advisory. Do’s & Don’ts)

The current month’s schedule will be displayed on the first page of the site as well as the events page which will include future events for at least six months.
The members-only section will be password protected and will contain surveys (as required), links to the New Member Application, and Council member contact information.

The members-only section will also contain exact locations of munches (whereas the city will only be listed on the public areas of the site). User information (e.g. LiveJournal, YIM, AIM, GIM & ICQ user names, email addresses, etc) will be available on the password-protected, members-only section by the members who wish to provide the information.

5) Groups and Mailing Lists:

5.1. General

5.1.1. Terms of Service

As FightclubOhio is a group of trust, it is imperative that our conversations with one another be conducted with the utmost respect, tolerance and patience. Make an effort to read and re-read your emails/posts prior to sending them. Realize that your tone (humor, sarcasm, frustration, etc) may be heard differently than you intended. Take extra care to make sure your intent is clear.
If someone on a forum says something that you find inappropriate, please avoid escalating the situation. Instead, please contact the Member Advocate.

5.1.2. Removal from a list/group

A member (or potential member) who (by a majority vote of the council) it is deemed has caused excessively destabilizing and/or polarizing influence or exhibited a disrespectful attitude on any of the mailing lists will receive a singular warning. If he or she violates the terms of the mailing list after that, he or she will be removed from the list/group (again, after a majority vote of the council).

5.2. Yahoo!Groups Members Only List

Full members will be added to the Members-only Yahoo!Group by one of the council members after their membership is approved. The council secretary will post the monthly council minutes to the members-only list. In addition, if there is sensitive information for only members, it should be discussed on this list.

5.3. Yahoo!Groups Public List

The general day-to-day FightclubOhio news, information, articles, items in the news, etc will be conducted on the Public List. This list is used to inform, allow members and potential members an opportunity to interact, and to encourage discussion of BDSM-related issues.

6)By-Law Administration:

This document shall be considered to be the governing document of FightclubOhio. These by-laws shall be considered to be in effect upon review and vote by the group membership.

6.1. Adopting By-laws

• A supermajority vote on each section passes it.
• If someone disagrees with the section, input as to why should be given
• Sections that fail to be passed will be revise given the input above and resubmitted to the group. They can then be passed by simple majority

6.2. Changing the By-laws

Any changes to the by-laws may be proposed by any member and must be voted on by the membership. A supermajority vote shall be required for any change(s) to be in effect. Change recommendations should be solicited annually, wording formalized and the amendment submitted to the group for review

7) Accountability

Membership in FightclubOhio is at the pleasure of the members of FightclubOhio. The membership expects its members to act in a manner consistent with the well being of the group as a whole and its individual members. As such, members may be asked to leave the group or prospective members may be refused membership under the following conditions. Recognizing that there are varying levels of offense, the conditions are organized in the following sections:

7.1. Cardinal Offenses:

Members will be asked to leave the group immediately, be removed from all list serves, and be barred from future attendance at any FightclubOhio function:

• They are/have been convicted of a sexually-based offense.
• Violation of a Red call (or use of the safe word) when 3 witnesses state that it was clear that the Red call had been made and heard.
• Outing any member of the group. (If that person requires the dismissal)
• Upon the receipt of the 3rd admonition

7.2. Admonishable Offenses

Members will receive an official admonition in the following cases. Multiple admonitions can result in expulsion from the group.

• Violation of the rules of the party
• He or she attempts to attend a party under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. (They will be refused entry as well as receiving an admonition.)
• Ignoring DM orders at a party
• Being a destabilizing or polarizing influence as determined by a majority vote of the council
• Being inappropriate with another member after being asked to cease and desist the behavior. (i.e. Insistently asking someone to take part in a scene when the invitation has already been refused.)
• Public embarrassment of group
• Posting photos of members without permission
• Putting others at risk as determined by a majority vote of the council

8 ) Membership “Dues”:

Membership dues are not a requirement for membership. Dues shall be given on an entirely voluntary basis. Dues shall be used to cover the expenses incurred by the council and party hosts of the group.

8.1. Collection

Collection shall be accomplished by an entirely voluntary “passing of the hat” at munches and a collection location at parties. There is no expectation, frank or implied, that any member need to contribute.

8.2. Distribution

The Council Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for collecting reimbursable expenses from party hosts and council members and fairly dividing any collected funds among them. The secretary will be fully accountable for recording publicly (on the members-only list) how much was collected and what it was used for. Should funds exceed need, then the hat should not be passed around until such a time that money is again needed.

• Receipts must be provided by the party host to the treasurer for reimbursement.
• Expenses must be approved if they are not normal (as defined by the by-laws)

8.3. Reimbursable expenses

• Website hosting and domain registration fees
• Party expenses including Paper Plates, napkins, plasticware, etc.
• Advertising (Fliers, Business Cards, etc)
• Other items as discussed and approved by the council prior to purchase

9) FightclubOhio Council:

9.1. Mission Statement

The Council’s core responsibility is to protect to a reasonable extent, the physical safety of members at a party, the emotional context of the group and the privacy of the membership. It’s secondary duty is to facilitate the events, membership and administration of the group, while maintaining accountability to the group as a whole.

9.2. Eligibility

• At least six months of membership in the group
• Participation in at least 50% of munches in member’s home town the past six months
• Participation in at least 50% of parties in the past six months
• No more than one member of any couple/relationship

9.3. Service Length

• A council member will hold his/her position for a length of one year but may be re-elected.

9.4. Responsibilities

• In addition to their duties as described by their job title (see Council Makeup, below) each council member will be a backup for another member, so that in the event a council member leaves, is removed, or must be away for a time (vacation, illness, etc) the responsibilities of that position are covered.
• Each council member shall be a moderator on the FightclubOhio Mailing Lists and should be responsible for performing administrative tasks such as adding and welcoming new members.
• Each council member shall be responsible for starting one BDSM-related topic of conversation (Question of the Day, Safety article, BDSM in the news, etc) on the Public list per month.
• Each council member is required to attend no less than 50% of munches in his or her hometown in any six-month period.
• Each council member is required to attend no less than 50% of parties in any six-month period.
• It is the responsibility of the council as a whole to ensure that at least one council member is at every munch and party.
• It is the responsibility of the council to vote on each new potential member.
• It is the responsibility of the council to introduce new members to the group at parties and munches
• It is the responsibility of the council to enforce that the membership adhere to the bylaws.

9.5. Council Makeup

9.5.1. Secretary/Treasurer

• Records and publishes to the Members-only list minutes from monthly council meeting.
• Collects and records any member “dues” deposited at any party or munch
• Distributes “dues” money to hosts and those council members incurring expenses on the group’s behalf

9.5.2. Member Liaison/Advocate

• Greets all new Public List Members privately upon signup
• Greets all new Public List Members publicly upon introduction
• Coordinates New Membership forms, and first signing of yearly Waiver
• Background Checks
• Coordinates yearly renewal of Membership Form
• Coordinates yearly renewal of Waiver, and keeps waivers on file
• Works with membership to bring member problems to the notice of the council

9.5.3. Promotions/Webmaster

• Works with local vendors to obtain discounts
• Maintains website, ensuring at least monthly that Events are up to date, new articles or BDSM in the News links are posted, works with members who have difficulty with the site.
• Designs and produces Promotional materials (Fliers, Business Cards, Cafe Press t-shirts, mugs, etc)
• Distributes Promotional materials to local vendors and area conferences.

9.5.4. Events Coordinator

• Schedules munches, coordinates Rsvps, makes restaurant reservations
• Coordinates Party Host Schedule
• Works with Webmaster to make certain all events are posted to site
• Encourages membership to post and make public atypical events (Non Munch/Party events)

9.5.5. Outreach Coordinator

• Works with other BDSM organizations to encourage multi-group outings/events
• Encourages membership to attend outside events

9.6. Election Process

Each eligible potential council member will be nominated (by someone else or by his/herself). An online ranking vote of the nominees by the membership will determine the top 5 elected. Nominees will be determined before the end of December and voted on the first week in January in 2006/2007. In future elections, nominees will be determined by mid-October and be voted on by mid-November. Council terms will begin January 1st of each year and end December 31st of the same year.

9.7. Accountability to Membership

• Council meeting minutes should be distributed on the private listserve except where topic is deemed sensitive by 80% of council members.

9.8. Council Member Dismissal

A council member found to be in violation of the council rules may be asked to leave after a vote by the other council members.
A super-majority vote (66% of council members) must be in place before a council
member can be asked to leave. The following are reasons a council member might
be dismissed.

• Violation of by-laws
• Violation of the Council Code of conduct
• Loss of trust of the membership

Should a council member leave or be removed, an immediate election should commence and the person voted in shall serve the remainder of the leaving member’s term.

9.9. Exceptions

Exceptions and considerations for extenuating circumstances with regards to eligibility, service length and accountability will be handled at the council’s discretion, with a majority vote.