Anthrocon Standards of Conduct (v.2.3)
The primary purpose of Anthrocon is for our attendees to have fun. To ensure that the greatest number of people achieve this objective we have established certain rules of conduct. By them we seek only to ensure that the behavior of any one small group does not disturb the membership as a whole, nor does it detract from the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of the convention. Anthrocon welcomes all parties with an interest in anthropomorphics; however, the convention's management reserves the right to deny or revoke the membership of any individual at any time for any reason. This action may be undertaken in the event that an individual's presence or behavior causes significant interference with convention operations or adversely affects the organization's relationship with its guests or with its venue. Anthrocon also reserves the right to amend these rules at any time without prior or posted notice. If you have any questions, please contact the convention operations staff, and they will assist you. Anyone who accepts a membership badge agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Anthrocon, Inc. from any claim for personal injuries or other damages or equity arising out of any individual's activities at Anthrocon, even if such injury or damage is caused by negligence by or on the part of Anthrocon, Inc. General Rating of the Convention and Public Decorum Anthrocon prides itself on presenting an atmosphere that is comfortable for anthropomorphics fans of all ages and from all walks of life, and Anthrocon members are expected to act accordingly. All convention areas are considered to be "PG" at all times, with the exception of events or exhibits that are specifically noted to be inappropriate for minors and access to which is monitored by Anthrocon Security staff. Public displays of affection beyond what is appropriate for polite company are frowned upon. You will be asked to express your devotion to your significant other either in less conspicuous ways, or in private. Shirts, pants/shorts, and footwear must be worn when in the lobby of the hotel, in the Convention Center, and in any restaurant. Bathing suits in the lobby or the Convention Center are not considered to be appropriate attire. Costumes (fursuits) are considered "appropriate attire" in all areas of the hotel and Convention Center except for the restaurants and the pool area, provided that the costumes are not unacceptably revealing. Costumes are not permitted in the restaurants or the pool area due to concerns for the safety of the costumer. Attendees, when in public areas, may not wear clothing which is overly revealing or inappropriate to the atmosphere of the convention. The latter includes fetish-related garb and accoutrements. Collars are acceptable and are worn by numerous attendees as a fashion statement, but leashes attached thereunto are not. Anthrocon strives to maintain an environment that is safe and enjoyable for all members of all ages; we cannot, however, take responsibility for the actions of individual members, neither will we assume responsibility for those who are the legal responsibility of someone else. A minor, defined as a person under the age of 18 years of age who has not been legally emancipated from his or her parents, must either be accompanied at all times by a parent or legal guardian, or present a signed and notarized statement (available on Anthrocon's web page or from the registration department) indicating parental permission to attend unescorted. Even with such permission, minors must not attempt to attend any events intended for mature audiences unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. In the past, minors have attempted to enter the convention under false pretenses or by forging documentation. In these instances, Anthrocon has no choice but to remand the minor in question immediately to the custody of the local police. To ensure the safety of all those attending the convention, Anthrocon maintains a very strict weapons policy. These policies are enforced at all times. Anyone who has questions about this policy should speak directly to the Chief of Security. No weapons or any item that can be easily mistaken for one may be carried either openly or concealed at any time in convention space, regardless of any concealed carry permits you may possess. Padded swords, bokken and similar striking implements used to practice swordplay may not be used in any convention area. Weapon replicas may be worn as part of a costume only at the Masquerade and during convention-sponsored costuming events at the discretion of the Masquerade Director, and must be cased or otherwise secured when being transported to and from that event. If you have any questions as to the permissibility of a prop for your masquerade performance, please contact the Masquerade Director prior to the convention. An exception will be made for folding pocket knives such as Swiss Army knives provided they contain no double-edged blades and no blade longer than four inches (which would make them illegal to carry in Pennsylvania). If at any time these items are held or used in such a way that would be construed as threatening, however, they will be considered weapons. Anthrocon does not allow pets. This is for the protection of the pet, the pet owner, and our attendees as a whole. Service animals are permitted in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Posting of announcements, fliers, etc. Anthrocon provides a message board in a public area where members may post messages, place announcements for get-togethers, etc. Since the message board is in a public area, please do not post anything that may reflect poorly on the convention as a whole. The staff reserves the right to remove any posted materials that are considered inappropriate. Do not affix anything to the walls of the hotel or Convention Center, including in the elevators. Hotel and Convention Center staff are authorized to remove any unauthorized postings on sight. Likewise, please do not affix any postings, or deface in any way, the directional signs placed by Anthrocon. These cost money and are easily damaged by tape being placed upon them. The offering for sale of any merchandise at the convention may be undertaken only in the Dealers' room, in the Art Show and in Artists' Alley; in all cases the sale will be governed by the rules applicable to those areas. Please note that it is illegal according to multiple local regulations to sell merchandise or services in any area of the hotel or Convention Center that are not so designated. Such activities constitute "illegal solicitation," and may result in the perpetrator being removed from hotel grounds. Personal conduct in convention areas and in public areas of the hotel. Anthrocon functions are open only to members, and all attendees should wear their membership badges at all times. A badge is valid only for the person to whom it was issued; badges may not be shared under any circumstances. There is no smoking in any portion of the Westin Hotel, even in the sleeping rooms. There is likewise no smoking in any portion of the Convention Center. Our hosts respectfully request that those people who step outside to smoke kindly refrain from standing directly in front of any of the entrances, as the smoke is simply carried inside. Please remember that you are a guest of the hotel, and that there may be other guests staying or dining at the hotel who are not members of the convention. It is only common courtesy to maintain a level of noise appropriate to the time and place. We expect everyone to cooperate fully with Anthrocon and with local security personnel. "Disorderly conduct" may result in revocation of your membership, and includes any and all fighting, any inappropriate horseplay, or any actions that directly or recklessly cause undue disturbance or disruption of any convention or hotel function. This restriction also holds for the Convention Center. No items of any kind, including paper airplanes, may be thrown or dropped from the hotel or Convention Center balconies or patios. No water pistols, silly string, or any other projectile-type toy may be used in any public area of the hotel or Convention Center. No sleeping in the lobby, the hallways, the meeting rooms or the Zoo. Get a room, please! Requests for room amenities such as towels and pillows beyond the number that is reasonable and customary for a single room will not be honored. Kindly bring such extra items from home if they are expected to be required. A very small number of individuals who have engaged in disruptive behavior in the past have had their membership privileges revoked and are not permitted to attend the convention. We ask that our members respect such a decision, which is always made after careful consideration by the entire Board of Directors. Deliberate attempts to circumvent this restriction by facilitating the transportation, housing or attendance by an individual known to be unwelcome at the convention constitute "disorderly conduct" and will be addressed in the appropriate fashion. Attendees must not attempt to cross any barriers (such as curtains or stanchions) without being accompanied by an Anthrocon staff member. Crossing such a barrier or otherwise entering an area that is off-limits to our attendees may result in suspension of your membership and removal from the convention. Anthrocon maintains a cordial and mutually-supportive relationship with the local labor unions. Any disagreements with hotel or Convention Center staff should be directed immediately to Anthrocon's Operations Office. Anthrocon is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable convention experience for everyone. Harassment of any kind, including physical assault, battery, deliberate intimidation, stalking, or unwelcome physical attentions, will not be tolerated. If people tell you "no" or to leave them alone, your business with them is done. Leave them alone. Do not follow them or attempt to disrupt their convention experience in any way. If you continue to attempt to have contact with those people, you may be removed from the premises. Anthrocon is not responsible for solving any interpersonal problems that may arise between individual members. In general, we can take no action to prevent a person from attending the convention unless that person has made a specific and credible threat toward the convention itself. If you feel that a threat exists against your person, we advise you to seek a restraining order against the individual in question and to present it to the chairman in advance of the convention; otherwise, we recommend simply avoiding that individual. If that individual stalks, harasses, or attempts to assault you at the convention itself, you may report that individual to a member of the security staff and the appropriate action will be taken. Conversely, any attempt to have an innocent person removed from the convention by falsely accusing him or her of threats will be itself treated as an act of harassment and will be dealt with appropriately. The responsibility for settling interpersonal disputes lies solely with the individuals involved, and Anthrocon will not tolerate being used as a leveraging point in such disputes. The sale or other distribution of any illegal or controlled substances is not welcome at Anthrocon. Any individual found to be distributing such substances will be removed and reported directly to the local authorities. Bottled alcoholic beverages may legally be given as gifts (but not sold by unlicensed individuals in Pennsylvania). Anthrocon asks that such beverages be consumed in the privacy of a hotel room and not taken into any convention function or function space. Please note an important caveat involving minors: Anyone knowingly or unknowingly providing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 will be guilty of a felony and will be turned over to the authorities. It is the sole responsibility of persons serving alcohol in room parties to ensure that every person in attendance is over the age of 21, even if that person is not drinking alcohol. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is extremely serious about this law and we ask our members to respect it. Use of video or audio footage and Media Relations Anthrocon members are welcome to record their memories of the convention for their own personal use. Additionally there is a chance that Anthrocon members may end up with their likeness in the Convention highlights video or similar media productions produced by Anthrocon. To account for this and to protect members from exploitation by unscrupulous parties, the following rules have been implemented. For the purposes of this section the term "recording" is representative of any media capturing medium or devices, audio, visual or otherwise. Anthrocon, Inc. (hereafter Anthrocon) retains the rights to all recordings of the convention. Individual members are allowed private use of any recording they have personally recorded at the convention. Public broadcast of a recording of any part of the convention is prohibited without written permission from Anthrocon. The sole exception to this rule involves still photos. Anthrocon permits (and encourages) members to share photographs of their convention experience on personal web pages. Video and audio recordings, however, may not be made available on the internet without written permission from Anthrocon.
Please note that Anthrocon is a 501(c)7 nonprofit organization. As such, donations to the organization are not deductible from individual U.S. Federal income taxes. Anthrocon is pleased to accept personal checks. Checks that are presented against insufficient funds, however, must be charged a fee of $30 per check. Anthrocon also accepts a variety of credit cards as payment. We will attempt to resolve any dispute involving a credit card payment to Anthrocon in an amicable fashion. Chargebacks (denying payment to a credit card company for a specific charge) that are made for the sole purpose of avoiding payment, that are made without sufficient cause, or that are made without first attempting to resolve the dispute with Anthrocon may result in permanent revocation of membership privileges and possible legal action. Members who have an outstanding balance due to Anthrocon must settle that balance before being permitted to attend the convention. Anthrocon cannot involve itself in financial disputes between individual members, and cannot divulge information about an individual member to any party other than to banking officials or legal authorities. The standards of conduct for Anthrocon will be strictly enforced by Anthrocon security volunteers who will be clearly identified as such on site. Please remember that your con badges are property of Anthrocon for the duration of the convention, and must be presented and/or surrendered to any Staff member requesting it. If you have any problem with any action taken by a Staff member you may take the matter up with the Chief of Security or Anthrocon's Chairman. We shall make every attempt to be fair and lenient in the case of infractions, but we cannot tolerate behavior which threatens the peace and well-being of our members. Anthrocon accepts no liability for events or actions by individuals in the confines of private hotel rooms. Anyone intending to host a party is strongly suggested to check for Anthrocon badges on party goers, and to deny entrance to any person who is not a member of the convention. Responsibility for incidents occurring in hotel guest rooms rests solely upon the individual in whose name the room is rented. This includes payment for any and all damage, whether caused intentionally or unintentionally (such as from hanging something on a sprinkler head. Don't do that.) Please note that if Anthrocon is provided with sufficient evidence to suggest that illegal activities, particularly those that may cause harm to another person or to the well-being of the convention as a whole, will be taking place in a hotel room, we have both a civic and a moral responsibility to report such information to the appropriate authorities. Please be reminded that these rules involve, of course, "worst-case" scenarios and are put into place to ensure the safety and comfort of our members. We anticipate no difficulties, as our members as a whole are rational and responsible adults. Anthrocon is prepared to deal with any or all of the above scenarios in as rapid and efficient a manner as possible should they occur. We thank our members for their past cooperation and for their continued assistance in making this a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. Have fun - just please remember to be courteous of those around you while doing so! Dr. Samuel Conway
Chairman, Anthrocon Inc. |
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