Post by BadWolfGirl on May 20, 2014 22:47:26 GMT
We have a number of new members (awesome!) who may be wondering, "what's it all for?" So here's a little FAQ that explains this group in a nutshell.
1. What is the Order of Gallifrey? We are a costuming club! This means that, not only do we advise and assist each other with costume build questions and sourcing the right parts, we also do events ("adventures") together!
2. What kind of adventures? We'd love your ideas! As of now, we are trying to get groups to costume together at conventions, Ren Faires, Galliday at Disneyland, etc. We have applied for fan tables at upcoming conventions as well, and will have our first table at Long Beach Comic Con in September! But that's not all - we also hope to start doing fundraisers and participating in events for charity.
3. Who is welcome to join the Order? Anyone who is a fan of the Doctor, whether or not they've done costuming or prop building in the genre (or at all) before. We are at the point where we need to start getting organized, and that means we need to start setting up requirements for full membership, so we know who we've got and what costumes they have. Of course, as always, anyone - whether official member or not, and whether you have a costume or not - is welcome to participate on our Facebook page and in our forums, and is welcome to join us at any of our social gatherings and meetups, i.e. at Disneyland, the Fair (or Faire), etc. We had a recent discussion on the Facebook group and took a vote, and the following membership types were approved:
1. Voting Member (provisionally titled "Cardinals"): Full voting rights, right to run for office, access to special events that require "Endorsed" costumes. Members of High Council of Gallifrey (club legislative body.)
Requirements:
* Aged 18+ (16+ with written consent from Parent/Guardian)
* One (1) Costume or Substantive Prop that has been "Endorsed"
* Registration on Order of Gallifrey Forums (orderofgallifrey.proboards.com)
2. Associate Member (provisionally titled "Time Lords"). Invited tot he vast majority of events, where they will of course be permitted to costume with what they have if they so choose. This is a good category for those who are still working on their costumes/props and not quite ready to submit for Endorsement. Unable to vote or hold office, except in the cases of emergency votes (such as this) or when an office is not elected but appointed.
Requirements:
* Aged 16+
* Interest in Whovian Costuming/Prop Building
3. Academy Student (provisionally titled "Scholar"). May attend most events with Parent/Guardian permission and presence (which implies permission.)
Requirements:
* Designed for members aged 15 or younger who wish to participate and work on their costumes, props.
All members shall have the right to access our forums and to seek the guidance and support of our members. At no time shall any "Membership Status" be used as a means of infringing upon the rights of said members, nor shall any bullying, harassment, or elitism be tolerated.
4. Where are you located? Everywhere and anywhere. Although you'll see many of us are from Southern California, we have members all over the US and in the UK. We've started creating "sectors" with fun names, like Gallifrey Sector (in the UK, naturally), Bad Wolf Sector (So Cal) Demons Run Sector (Northeastern US), and Skaro Sector (Texas). Want to start a sector in your area? Just speak up!
5. What types of costumes are members working on or wearing? Everything from Doctors, to companions, to Cybermen, Daleks and other baddies, as well as custom Doctor Who-inspired outfits (like TARDIS dresses, etc.) Also propmaking, so if you are interested in building a TARDIS or a Face of Boe, for example, that's great & encouraged!
6. Do you have formal club stuff like bylaws and officers? Not yet - but keep an eye out here and on Facebook, because we're now to the point where we are so big we need to get a bit more organized, especially if we're going to be getting fan tables at conventions.
The first thing we have to get out there is a basic code of conduct. While fortunately most Whovians appear to strive to be "the best of humanity," we want to be sure that now that our club name is out there, our members hold themselves out in a positive light in the cosplay/fan community. Or at least don't go around causing massive mayhem! 
Some ideas have been proposed on the Facebook page, so soon one of us will take those ideas and try to write it into a coherent draft.
We hope to soon have a website with a hub to connect to the forum, Facebook and Twitter, as well as member galleries and a couple other fun features! Anyone wanting to help with the website, please let us know!
And when we get to talking about things like charter and bylaws and circulating drafts, every aspect of these documents will be open to discussion and ultimately a vote. We strive to be a democracy that values all our members' contributions, opinions, etc!
8. What is Endorsement and how does it work? You can get a costume "Endorsed" if your costume meets the guidelines contained in standards created by our members (available in the Files section of the FB page and on these forums). These have a list of the minimum pieces needed, along with tips for upgrading over time, if you desire. Don't see one? Feel free to draft one and post up for members to comment, for a costume you have, are working on, or have researched. Designed to answer the question "what is an 11th Doctor/ TARDIS/ Amy Pond/ etc costume," the point is to meet these -basic- guidelines set out by our members as to what they expect to see from, say, Romana I, or the 10th Doctor. How much you want to upgrade from that point is your choice. And you don't even have to get Endorsed if you don't want to, and you're welcome to come out and play with us for meetups and the vast majority of events. Exceptions would be, if we ever get to the point where we start getting specific requests from an event host for specific Doctors - that's when we'd look to a list of Endorsed Doctors.
Also, we definitely will Endorse Whovian "inspired by" costumes - for example, "femme" versions of the Doctors, Doctor Who mashup costumes (one of our members is currently working on a 10th Doctor/ Ariel costume which is great), and custom TARDIS and Dalek dresses.
We will also Endorse substantial props - Daleks, K-9s, TARDISes, etc.
To get Endorsed, post one or more pics of yourself in costume or your prop in the appropriate thread:
Costumes: www.orderofgallifrey.proboards.com/board/54/costume-endorsements
Props: www.orderofgallifrey.proboards.com/#category-15
Pics should show the costume from head to toe. A rear-view shot isn't necessary for most costumes unless there's a specific costume piece or element that can only be seen from the back.
Then there will be a poll set up so others can vote. We felt that would be more egalitarian at this point than having one or more designated costume judges. Comments on Endorsement requests are perfectly fine, but all posts must be constructive and positive. Also - and this should go without saying but I'll say it anyway - we welcome costumers of any race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, age (subject to the limitations above for minors), sexual orientation, or body type, and we do not discriminate against anyone for any of these reasons.
Any questions? Please feel free to post them here! Also, if anyone wants to chime in with additions to the FAQ or things that weren't covered, please do so!