Membership Rules

Excluded Offenses

1. Any topic that is excluded from the Membership Rules is subject to be added as an amendment on a per case basis. If no repercussions exist before the amendment is made, any offender will be grandfathered in for that one instance and is hence forth held to any repercussion for future occurrences.

Amendments

1. Proposals to amend the Membership Rules must be presented to the board for review and approval.
2. The final approval for amendments to the Membership Rules must pass a 2/3rd vote by the board of directors.

Group Promotion

1. Promotional pictures, accounts, and / or other recollections of meetings or events may be recorded via video, photograph, or audio recording to be used in future advertising or promotion.
2. If you would prefer not to be involved in promotional materials please feel free to avoid being in a location where you may be included in a picture/video that is being taken.

Rules for Members

Becoming Member

1. All new members must fill out an application of intent to join. The application is located at https://knoxmakers.org/join/
2. New members are probationary members for 1 calendar month.
3. Probationary members are required to pay the first month's dues as the application fee. This fee is refundable if membership is declined by either party. If the application fee is paid after the 15th of the month, the dues will be valid through the end of the next month.
4. Members must sign a waiver of liability and assume responsibility for their own safety.

Transferring Membership

1. In order to foster a sense of community among hackers everywhere, new members that are transferring from another hackerspace may request instant access.
2. If the leadership team of the other hackerspace can be contacted through their publicly listed contact information, and will unanimously vouch for the new applicant, then they will be granted keys during their probationary period to allow unsupervised access to the workshop.
3. At the end of the probationary period, the transferring member will be evaluated for membership as with any other probationary member, as described below.

Accepting New Members

1. Probationary members having completed 1 calendar month of participation in the group will be eligible for keyholder status.
2. Any issues with probationary members should be communicated to the board directly.
3. Issues raised will be discussed by the board prior to deciding upon promotion of the probationary member.

Member Sponsorship

1. Member sponsorship is defined as one member paying the dues for another member. The sponsorship program is intended to provide affordable access to Knox Makers. It can permit families to have an additional membership at a discount, as well as allow members the ability to sponsor people in our community who would benefit from access to Knox Makers, but may not be able to afford membership directly.
2. Any member who pays dues at a non-discounted rate may sponsor one additional member at the sponsorship rate, as defined in the section on dues. Members may sponsor additional members with board approval. Determinations of additional sponsored members will be made on a case-by-case basis.
3. An applicant may sponsor another applicant to go through the probationary period concurrently.
4. The sponsored member will be a keyholding member pending approval of their probationary period.
5. The sponsorship may continue as long as the sponsor wishes to fund.
6. Sponsored members who lose their sponsor may continue their membership uninterrupted by paying the appropriate individual dues.

Reinstating Former Members

1. Former members who have resigned their membership on good terms and do not owe money or other property to the organization may be reinstated by the board without a probationary period if they were members in good standing within the previous 12 months.
2. Former members who have not been members in good standing within the last 12 months must undergo a new probationary period.

Probationary Member Limitations

1. Probationary members are expected to attend meetings and put forth effort to get to know the group.
2. Probationary members will only have access to the space during open house events or meetings when other keyholding members are present.
3. Probationary members will not have unsupervised workshop access.

Eligibility

1. Members must comply with the eligibility requirements specified in the Bylaws.

Dues

1. Membership fees are due on the 1st of every month and considered delinquent on the 1st of the following month.
2. The membership fee for individuals is $50 per month. This fee provides membership for one person.
3. A sponsorship rate of $25 per month is available. See section on Member Sponsorship for details.
4. A discounted rate for membership is available for students and seniors. The discounted rate will be $20 per month.
5. In the event of financial hardship for a member, a special arrangement may be established with approval of a simple majority of the board. Special arrangements may not exceed six months in duration, and only one hardship exception may be granted to a member with any 12 month period.
6. The Board of Directors reserves the right to have the final say on any and all special arrangements.
7. Any special arrangements are made / held in confidence.
8. Failure to pay dues in the specified month will result in suspension of membership privileges, as specified in the Bylaws.
9. Any dues that are paid ahead are non-refundable for any reason.

Safety

1. Your safety is your responsibility
2. Proper safety precautions should always be exercised.
3. If safety is in question, stop until any safety concerns can be addressed.

Responsibility of Members

1. Members must act in a safe and responsible fashion at all times. Egregious acts that endanger yourself or others may be grounds for termination of membership.
2. Ensure that dues are kept current.
3. Members must be responsible for guests that they bring to the space or group-sponsored events. See policy on visitors below.
4. It is the responsibility of members to make sure that all guests to the space sign a waiver of liability before they use any tools or equipment.
5. Minors may be permitted in the space in the presence of their parent or guardian, or with a signed parental permission slip and waiver of liability.
6. Members must remember that education is the primary purpose of Knox Makers. As such, regularly scheduled classes must take precedence over private and/or group projects. That does not mean that members are prohibited from working on projects during regularly scheduled classes. It does mean that members should avoid activities disruptive to the class during the scheduled time frame.
7. When leaving, ensure that at least one other person in the space is a keyholding member. If this is not the case, any probationary members or guests must leave with or before the keyholding member. The last person to leave must confirm that all lights are turned off, all exterior doors are locked, and the main gate is locked.
8. If you break a tool, or come across a broken tool that's not been tagged out, it's mandatory that you notify the board and czar/czarina of the zone via the /oops Matter Most command or the https://knoxmakers.org/oops/ URL, and tagging the equipment that it's broken (and the date).

Suspending and Terminating Membership

If members do not abide by the responsibilities required of them, the board may vote to take disciplinary action in the form of verbal warning or returning a member to probationary status for a minimum of a month. Additionally, membership may be suspended or terminated from the organization for any of the following reasons:

1. Any reason specified in the Bylaws Article IV, Sections 6 and 7.
2. Any egregious activity which results in the endangerment of the safety of members, the status of the organization, or the welfare of its property, as determined by the board.
3. Using resources of Knox Makers to knowingly violate the law, or knowing violating the law while at the space or any event hosted by Knox Makers.
4. Any activity judged by the board to be outside of the realm of acceptable behavior.

Conflict Resolution

Purpose

1. This policy is intended to promote and support the comfort and safety of the Knox Makers membership, and to provide a clear path to conflict resolution.

Process

1. When members find themselves in conflict, they should make a good faith effort to resolve the matter directly and privately. Only concern for personal safety justifies the bypassing of this first step.
2. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, it can be taken to a Peace Officer. Ideally, both parties will approach the Peace Officer together and collectively work toward a solution.
3. When a Peace Officer is involved, they should be provided with both specific details of the grievance and a proposed resolution. Should they deem it necessary, the Peace Officer will engage in independent fact-finding. Ultimately, the Peace Officer will recommend a way forward.
4. Should one or both parties reject the proposed resolution, or should the Peace Officer judge that one or both parties are not making a good faith effort toward resolution, they may call an end to mediation. In this circumstance, the Peace Officer will brief the Board of Directors and recommend a solution. The Board will discuss the matter and take remedial action by 3/4 majority vote.

Corner Cases

1. If the grievance involves a Peace Officer, the dispute may be taken to another active Peace Officer (if more than one is in place) or directly to the Board.
2. If the organization has no active Peace Officers, the dispute may be taken directly to the Board.

Privacy

1. Allegations of harassment over gender, sexuality, race, or religion will be referred to the Board immediately; in all other cases, the Peace Officer will engage in discussion and inquiry with discretion and respect for privacy.

Documentation

1. All disputes brought to a Peace Officer will be documented for future reference.
2. Accumulated documentation will be shared among Peace Officers only.

Election of Peace Officers

1. Peace officers are selected by 3/4 majority Board vote, but their position is contingent on majority vote of the general membership at the Annual Meeting.
2. The Board should ensure, insofar as possible, that there are at least two Peace Officers in place at all times, at least one of which is male and at least one of which is female.

Visitors

1. Non-Members are welcome to the space during regularly scheduled open house meetings or other open house events.
2. Any member providing their means of access to a guest without being present is subject to having their means of access removed for a period of two weeks.

Solicitations

1. Any outside solicitations to group members must be board approved.

Workshop Rules

Use of Chemicals

1. Members may bring paints, resins, or other chemicals with them in order to use in the scope of their projects.
2. These chemicals may be stored on a short term basis at our space. All flammable chemicals, such as spray paints or solvents, must be kept in the flammable storage cabinet when not in use.
3. These chemicals should be removed promptly when they are no longer needed. Knox Makers cannot be responsible for disposing of your unused chemicals.
4. Always remove chemicals from Knox Makers when no longer needed. Never, under any circumstances, improperly dispose of chemicals by pouring them in the trash or down a drain.
5. When using any chemical such as spray paint, solvents, resins, or other chemicals that may be offensive to other members, please use those chemicals outside, so as not to create a situation where others may be exposed to fumes or vapors unnecessarily.

Drugs, Alcohol & Tobacco Policies

1. No illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia under any condition are to be present or used in the space, or at any function sponsored by the group.
2. Anyone obviously under the effects of drugs may be asked to leave the space, or any function sponsored by the group.
3. Use of alcohol must be limited to persons of age, no exceptions.
4. The use of power tools is prohibited for 12 hours after the consumption of the last alcoholic beverage.
5. Tobacco usage will be prohibited inside the space, or within 25 feet of the main entrance, operable windows, or HVAC air intakes.
6. At sponsored functions, members will be required to comply with all prohibitions of alcohol or tobacco set by our host.

Alcohol Probation

1. In the event that a member is observed violating the 12 hour prohibition on power tools after consuming alcohol, the following penalties will be applied:

Three strikes

1. First occurrence, 2 weeks no alcohol consumption or alcohol intoxication on site and surrounding area.
2. Second occurrence, 1 month no alcohol consumption or alcohol intoxication on site and surrounding area and 2 weeks of no usage of tools.
3. Third occurrence, go to board for further review. Membership may be terminated by a 2/3rds Majority of board members. Other, non-terminating punishments must pass a simple majority vote.
4. The board reserves the right for all decisions and actions taken pertaining to alcohol consumption or drunken conduct on site and surrounding area, as well as any event sponsored by the group.

General Prohibitions

Animals

1. Animals are not allowed in the space, except for legally recognized service animals.

Crafting of Destructive Devices

1. The manufacture, modification, or marking of firearms is strictly prohibited on the Knox Makers property. This prohibition includes firearms, frames, receivers, mufflers, and silencers.

Tools & Equipment

General Usage

1. Certain equipment may not be operable by anyone under the age of 21 as decided by the board on a per equipment basis
2. Tools should be used according to manufacturer's guidelines to ensure safety and prevent damage.
3. We encourage design, development, and prototyping, however, Knox Makers equipment and services should not be used for ongoing income generation. The board will be the final arbiter of what is or is not ongoing income generation if any question comes up.

Loaned Equipment

1. Equipment owned by the group may not be loaned to members or otherwise removed from the space.

Individual Owned Tools

1. Individuals may keep equipment at the space, subject to the approval of the board. The board will most often approve this; however, it may be necessary to limit the number of duplicate tools. The board may delegate this authority to a committee.
2. The tools may be used by other members, and risk of damage to equipment is assumed by the owner.
3. If it is feasible for the equipment to be added to inventory for insurance purposes then it will be included on the list while it resides at the location.

Projects and Storage

Member Storage Included with Membership

1. Members have the right to designate up to one storage space as their own in the member storage shelving. Members designate their space by clearly marking it with their name or other unique identifying mark.
2. One storage space is defined as one half of one shelf, roughly 17" by 24".
3. Members may only store items in their marked storage area, or in their currently rented spaces, as described below. Do not leave projects or other materials in common areas.
4. Members may not store anything on top of the member storage shelving.
5. Items on the member storage shelves in unmarked locations are at risk of being thrown away.