OperationsProtocol

The Operations Protocol is a supplemental set of rules, guidelines, and instructions for day-to-day operations of the 501st Legion. The Operations Protocol acts as the bylaws of the organization, as referenced in the Legion Charter.

Section 1: Code of Conduct

The 501st Legion recognizes that its costumes represent characters from the STAR WARS™ films and as such, costume-wearers carry the responsibility of portraying these characters professionally and tastefully while in public. For these reasons, all members are prohibited from acting in a manner disrespectful towards the image they are portraying, towards fellow organization members, or towards the public at large while in costume at any event where the 501st Legion or its sub-units and members are official participants.

The 501st Legion maintains that part of the fun of trooping is to be able to do so in reasonable safety. It is the intention of the Legion to provide an outline of behavior wherein it has a Code of Conduct for the safety and security of its members the Legion defines the behaviors thought by society to be violent, illegal, or anti-social in nature. It is not the intent of the Legion to abridge the standard rights or practices of the individual member, but rather to protect all members against suffering from the defined behavior. In any event, common sense must prevail.

Harassment is defined as the act of systematic and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one member or a group of members, including but not limited to spamming, trolling, threats, and demands via phone, voice mail, forum, electronic social media or in writing of any kind. The purposes may vary, including but not limited to racial prejudice, religious prejudice, sexual orientation prejudice, personal malice, an attempt to force someone to quit the club, grant favors of any kind, apply pressure to commit an illegal act, or merely gain sadistic pleasure from making someone fearful or anxious.

Harassment takes many forms, and is not necessarily limited to the type of language used, but the intent. Repeatedly targeting a specific member with harassment can lead to more severe action. The idea behind this is to prevent any one member from consistently being uncomfortable in the forums or at troops. This category includes but is not limited to both clear and masked language, images, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which insultingly refer to other members or groups of people resulting in ongoing harassment to those other members or groups of people.

Sexual harassment is harassment that includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other conduct of a sexual nature. Additionally, where the alleged offender and victim are both in the same jurisdiction, local legal definitions of sexual harassment, if any, shall apply notwithstanding any other definition herein.

Threats are defined as a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, or harm against a person or property of an individual including but not limited to phone calls / voice mail, forum, electronic social media or in writing of any kind. Threats must be direct and unmistakable to the average person. This category includes but is not limited to both clear and masked language, images, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which refer to violence in any capacity that is not directly related to the costume / fantasy world.

Spamming / Trolling is defined as, but not limited to, excessively communicating the same phrase, similar phrases, or pure gibberish, creating posts for the sole purpose of causing unrest in electronic social media or the forums, Examples include but are not limited to causing disturbances such as picking fights, making off topic posts that ruin the thread, insulting other posters, making non-constructive posts, abusing the Reported Post feature by sending false alarms or nonsensical messages, IBTL (In Before The Lock) comments, or any other fad statements.

Racial Prejudice is defined as, but not limited to, both clear and masked language, images, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which promote racial/ethnic hatred, are recognized as a racial/ethnic slur, or allude to a symbol of racial/ethnic hatred.

Sexual Orientation Prejudice is defined as both clear and masked language, images, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which insultingly refer to any aspect of sexual orientation pertaining to themselves or other members.

Religious Prejudice is defined as, but not limited to, both clear and masked language, images, and/or links to websites containing such language or images which negatively portray major religions or religious figures.

While some actions (as defined under Section 1.12: Major Offenses) may require removal from the Legion, there are other behaviors that do not require such extreme actions. It is the intent of the Legion to reduce the number of cases requiring removal where other less extreme actions can and will suffice.

Membership in the 501st Legion is a privilege granted by this private organization, not a social or legal right. Membership applications may be denied due to behavior contrary to the code of conduct with permission of Legion Command.

Major Offenses

1. Violent or threatening acts against a member of the 501st Legion. These acts are defined as:
   • Physically striking another member with the intent to cause bodily harm with or without cause, unless defending one’s self from a violent attack.
   • Threatening harm against the person or property of an individual via phone/ voice mail, forum, electronic social media or in writing. (Threats must be direct and unmistakable to the average person)
   • Cease and Desist orders or other legal action or documents issued by a member’s attorney due to justified and properly documented disciplinary action by the unit's Commanding Officer, Legion Captain of the Guard, or Legion Command.
2. Trooping under the influence of an illegal substance. These acts are defined as:
   • Arriving to a troop under the influence of an Illegal substance.
   • Use, distribution, or administration of an illegal substance during a 501st event.
3. Violent or sexual acts. These acts are defined as:
   • Physically striking another person, member or non-member.
   • Sexual harassment against another person, member or non-member to include:
     • Unwanted sexual advances
     • Unwanted requests for sexual favors
     • Unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature
4. Embezzlement of funds intended for charitable donation. Embezzlement is defined as:
   • Failing to ensure that funds are submitted to the receiving charity within a reasonable period of time following the event.
   • Failing to ensure that funds are submitted to the receiving charity.
   • Spending funds intended for charitable donations on personal or group expenses, including but not limited to patches, coins, cards, and personal expenses including and not limited to any expense which can be viewed as a "living expense."
5. Undisclosed criminal history is defined as convictions, which are not limited to but involve the following types of crimes or attempted crimes:
   • Sex Crimes and/or Sex Offender Registry Entry
   • Embezzlement and/or Theft
   • Violent Crimes
   • Crimes Against and/or Involving Children
   • Felony Drug offenses (or felony equivalent under the convicting nation's laws)
6. Doxing The Offense of Doxing (or doxxing), is defined as the act of revealing private or identifying information about an individual, without their permission, for the intended purpose of exposing them to harm, or with the reasonably foreseeable outcome that others may inflict harm. Such information includes, but is not limited to, real name(s), home address(es), workplace details, personal phone number(s), financial information, private correspondence, criminal history, and personal photo(s). The harm may be emotional or physical, may lead to real-world implications, and may impact others closely related to the victim.

Undisclosed Criminal History may result in a default discharge upon presentation of incontrovertible proof of conviction on the criminal history. Discharging the member for an undisclosed criminal history falls exclusively to the Legion Captain of the Guard with the mutual consent of the Legion Commanding Officer and Legion Executive Officer. An e-mail must be sent to the unit's Commanding Officer and all Detachment Commanding Officers, if this clause applies to a member of his or her Garrison/, Outpost, or Detachment. Discharge of said member must occur within a reasonable time frame upon discovery and confirmation. Should there be ongoing criminal cases of any kind, misdemeanor/felony, the member will be placed on Administrative leave as to protect the Legion.

Said member will have 10 days to respond to LCOGs, in writing, to explain the conviction or convictions. After hearing the explanation the LCOG will make a determination, with the mutual consent of the Legion Commanding Officer and Legion Executive Officer, if the member will be allowed to remain. This would apply to all cases except crimes against children, which would still be an automatic discharge from the Legion

If a member is found guilty of any of the above listed items of the Code of Conduct, he or she has the option to submit an appeal to the office of the Legion Captain of the Guard within one week after notification of the change in status of membership. If the office of the Legion Captain of the Guard finds merit, they must call a hearing of Legion Council members to hear the appeal, where the number of councilors is an odd number greater than or equal to seven, and no Councilors who were involved in an earlier hearing on these charges. The decision of this Council panel is binding and cannot be appealed further.

Lesser Offenses

Conduct Unbecoming a Trooper

Legion members are expected to treat each other, our event sponsors, the public, and Lucasfilm, Ltd. (LFL) with common sense and respect. Examples of inappropriate behavior that may result in disciplinary action include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Harassment of fellow members.
2. Merchandise and branding infractions
3. Abuse or violation of message board privileges
4. Inappropriate behavior during trooping or unit events
5. Inappropriate contact with an event host, sponsor, or LFL
6. Misrepresentation of a unit or the Legion

Disciplinary Hearing Procedure

A Disciplinary Hearing shall follow the steps below.

1. A written complaint is filed with the local unit Command Staff and/or the Legion Captain of the Guard(LCOG). If the local unit Commanding Officer deems that a formal hearing is required, they will forward the complaint to the LCOG.
2. The LCOG will investigate and assess the merits of the charges, whether they are received from local Command or directly from a Complainant.
3. The LCOG, upon satisfactory determination of merit, will:
   • advise the Complainant(s) of the merit outcome
   • advise the Defendant of the charge(s) and provide a copy of the complaint
   • randomly select a Jury Panel consisting of an odd number of Legion Council members greater than or equal to seven
   • open a hearing forum on the Main Legion Forums. that contains sufficient areas where:
     • the hearing can be conducted in view of all participants
     • the Complainant(s) and Defendant can ask questions of the LCOG who are conducting the hearing, in view of all participants
     • the Jury Panel can deliberate in a separate area that the Complainant(s), Defendant, representatives and witnesses cannot view
4. The Complainant(s) can each designate one additional individual to be granted participation access to the hearing. The Complainant(s) or their representative(s) will present the charges and evidence. Witnesses may be called to provide additional testimony.
5. The Defendant can designate one additional individual to be granted participation access to the hearing. The Defendant or their representative will present their defense. Witnesses may be called to provide additional testimony.
6. A discussion phase will follow, where Jury Panel members in the hearing forum may address questions to the Complainant(s) and Defendant.
7. At a time determined by the LCOG, the discussion phase of the hearing will be closed.
8. The Complainant(s) and Defendant will all be given 36 hours to concurrently make a closing statement.
9. The LCOG will then open a separate, simple majority poll for each offense in the Jury Panel's separate area to determine the Defendant's guilt or innocence. The LCOG shall abstain from voting in this poll.
10. If the Defendant is found innocent of all charges, there are no penalties imposed. The hearing is concluded.
11. . If the Defendant is found guilty of violating the Legion Code of Conduct, then a single, second poll shall be opened for the Jury Panel to determine the sentence, based on the sentencing options below. Polling may be repeated until a single sentencing option receives the majority vote. The LCOG shall abstain from voting in this poll. At the conclusion of the sentencing poll, the LCOG shall inform the Complainant(s), the Defendant and the Defendant's unit Commanding Officer of the sentence and shall carry it out, effective from the date of the sentencing poll's closing.
12. If a sentence of probation is imposed, the Jury Panel area will remain open for an additional 5 days, for the local unit Commanding Officer to seek clarity, through the LCOG, of any imposed Jury restrictions.
13. Any sentence duration may be reduced by up to one half, at the discretion of the local unit Commander.
14. If a member is found guilty of any offense(s), they have the option to submit an appeal to the LCOG within one week after notification of the change in status of membership. If the LCOG finds merit, they must call a hearing of Legion Council members to hear the appeal, where the number of councilors is an odd number greater than or equal to seven, and no Councilors who were involved in an earlier hearing on these charges. The decision of this Council panel is binding and cannot be appealed further.

Sentencing options:

For a defendant's first guilty lesser offense:

1. Six month probation
2. One year probation
3. Six month suspension
4. One year suspension

For a defendant's second or subsequent guilty lesser offense, including being found guilty of multiple lesser offenses in the same hearing:

1. Six month probation
2. One year probation
3. Six month suspension
4. One year suspension
5. Two year suspension
6. Discharge

For a defendant found guilty of a major offense, regardless of also being found guilty of a lesser offense in the same hearing:

1. One year probation
2. Two year probation
3. Six month suspension
4. One year suspension
5. Two year suspension
6. Discharge

Requirements:

All disciplinary actions taken by the unit's Commanding Officer must have the approval of and notification provided to the Legion Captain of the Guard. The Legion Captain of the Guard, Legion Commanding Officer and Legion Executive Officer must be made aware of any appeal in writing. All hearings and alternative dispute resolution meetings must take place on the Legion Forums in a private area sectioned off for such purposes. Any member may appeal disciplinary actions at the local level to the Legion Captain of the Guard. If the Legion Captain of the Guard finds merit, they must call a hearing of Legion Council members to hear the appeal, where the number of councilors is an odd number greater than or equal to seven, and no Councilors who were involved in an earlier hearing on these charges. The decision of this Council panel is binding and cannot be appealed further.

Dispute Resolution

In an organization as large as ours, disputes and disagreements are bound to occur. With this in mind, the Legion requires that any disputes of a minor or semi-major degree must be resolved. Determination of the mechanism for dispute resolution resides with the Legion Captain of the Guard, the Legion Commanding Officer and the Garrison Commanding Officer. The policy in reference to Alternative Dispute Resolution is contained below.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alternative dispute resolution is used when a disagreement arises between two or more members that could escalate into a Charter violation. The Captain of the Guard, Commanding Officer, or Command Staff may recommend moderated mediation. All parties involved must agree to actively participate in good faith in the process in order for Alternative Dispute Resolution to be effective.

The procedure for Alternative Dispute Resolution is as follows:

1. The Member(s) or unit's Commanding Officer must submit a request for a hearing room in writing to the Legion Captain of the Guard.
2. The Legion Captain of the Guard and/or either or both Legion Commanding Officer or Legion Executive Officer will monitor and moderate all discussions occurring in a private hearing room on the Legion Forum.
3. Members are free to discuss their issues without prejudice.
4. The Legion Captain of the Guard, Legion Commanding Officer, or Legion Executive Officer will provide methods to enable resolution.
5. Resolution may be:
   • mutual agreement of the parties involved
   • an arbitrated settlement proposed by the COG, LCO, LXO and accepted by the Members involved in the dispute.
6. Failing Alternative Dispute Resolution, the command staff or the affected member may request a disciplinary hearing only after all other avenues have been exhausted.

Administrative Leave

In order to protect the Legion and its membership from involvement in real-world legal proceedings, the Legion will not be involved in any legal action between or involving members and may take action necessary to protect the safety of the Legion and the membership. Any such actions will be at the discretion of the Captain of the Guard with the consent of the Legion Commanding Officer and may include placing members on temporary Administrative Leave and suspending Legion Hearings until such real-world legal proceedings are complete.

Administrative leave will be the functional equivalent of "Retired Status" and will end when the member has finished their involvement in the legal proceedings. Once returned to active status, the member will have six months grace period to troop if they wish to remain on active status.

The use of Administrative Leave is not intended to impact a member's status negatively or permanently and is only meant to be used as a temporary action to protect the Legion and its membership from undue involvement in legal proceedings.

Forum Moderation

1. Use of the 501st Legion main forums requires adhering to the Code of Conduct and the posted Forum Guidelines.
2. Forum moderators include the LCO/LXO and those appointed by them, and are advised by LAS.
3. LCO/LXO shall serve as the immediate escalation path in cases of issues with forum moderation.
4. Within the first two months of every term, LCO/LXO shall form a Moderation Oversight Committee consisting of volunteers from Council (voting and non-voting) to review summary reports of actions taken by the moderators, and to assist LCO/LXO in cases of complex escalations.
5. LCO/LXO shall present Forum rules, and detailed moderation and escalation process to Council to be confirmed by simple majority vote at the beginning of term and any time a change is made.

Section 2: Membership

Active Members

An Active Member is defined as a member in good standing who meets the following requirements:

1. Meets all 501st Membership Requirements (i.e. ownership of an approved costume, is over 18 years of age, etc).
2. Has an approved membership record in the 501st Legion Membership Database
3. Maintains active contact with their CO or GML. Active contact and participation will be confirmed during the annual Legion Census held each year during the month of October.
4. Maintains contact information/membership record in the 501st Legion database either through their CO or GML.
5. Participates in at least one Garrison or Legion activity per year while wearing an approved 501st costume owned by said member as recorded in the Legion Census. One year is defined as the period from Legion Census to Legion Census. Examples of an activity include, but are not limited to conventions, charity events, or any activity designated as an official event by a coordinating administrative unit of the Legion.
6. Members who serve in military branches are exempt from activity level requirements if their service renders them unable to meet these requirements.

These Minimum Activity Level Requirements should be administered as justly and with as much common sense as possible.

A member may retain active status, even if they do not meet all of the requirements listed above at the discretion of their unit Commanding Officer or Legion Command.

At the discretion of their unit CO, even if they do not meet all of the requirements listed above, a member may retain active status. (Any status conflict should be determined by the LMO’s as final arbiters or LCOG’s in the event of a dispute).

The following exceptions are listed as beyond discretionary determination: (Meaning any member claiming any of the below listed items, is given an exemption to the trooping requirement)(In any Legion DB information, this will simply be listed as "CO Exemption")

Military deployment, humanitarian aid, emergency relief, and employment transfers.

Members who serve in military branches, humanitarian aid, emergency relief, or employee transfers are exempt from activity level requirements if their service renders them unable to meet these requirements. Military duty and aid/relief/work away from the member's primary residence for a period of 179 days or more shall be followed by a grace period of 3 months upon return to their primary residence. Members who transfer from one duty location to another or are discharged from service are exempted from trooping until the completion of the next census period or three months (whichever is greater)

Medical exemptions

Medical, or physical incapacitation (a medical certificate can be provided in jurisdictions where local laws allow to support the waiver but are not mandatory, if this document is provided then no copy is to be retained on any database), extreme weight fluctuations (e.g medical procedures that make a costume unwearable) until the member has stabilized and costume adjustments can be made. This clause extends to member limitations as a result of pregnancy, post-natal recovery, and gender reassignment.

Mental health exemptions

If a member is unable to actively troop due to a mental health condition, they should inform and attempt to maintain communication with either the unit CO/CS or GML to maintain their active status. Privacy must be ensured and medical details aren’t a mandatory requirement but will support the retention of active status.

Voluntary disposal

If a member voluntarily disposes (elects to sell, give away, or dispose of by any means of their own volition) of their only approved costume they may, at the discretion of the unit CO or for LCS staff the LCO, for LAS staff their Lead, be allowed to stay active until the completion of the following census term. The member may not hold a Legion/unit command staff position until they are re-approved in their replacement costume.

Involuntary disposal

If a member loses possession (accidental loss, theft, or similar incident of approved costume) of their only approved costume, the unit CO or for LCS staff the LCO, for LAS staff their Lead, will make a determination on exercising their discretion on a case-by-case basis as per charter/OP’s discretionary allowance. This determination shall be subject to the census time limits above.

Alternatively, if it is determined at any point during the year that more than twelve consecutive months have passed since a member's most recent unit or Legion activity, a unit Commanding Officer may exercise their discretion to move that member to reserve status.

The Legion Membership Officer is the final arbiter of a member's activity status.

An Active Member is eligible to:

1. Vote in polls of the Active Membership.
2. Vote in local and legion elections.
3. Run for and/or hold elected or appointed offices in the 501st Legion (including Detachment Leadership).
4. Coordinate/host official 501st events as designated or allowed by their unit leader.
5. Buy or create official 501st / member-only merchandise.
6. Have their picture and/or profile displayed on 501st.com in the membership section.
7. Participate in official 501st events (i.e. charity benefits, celebrity appearances, guest escorts, etc).
8. Have access to the 501st legion message boards and applicable unit messages boards.

Reserve Members

A Reserve Member is defined as a member in good standing who meets all of the requirements of an Active Member, except for the annual costumed participation in a 501st Legion event, as defined above.

A Reserve Member must still participate in a supporting role for the Garrison, Outpost or Legion at least once per census year as defined above.

Examples of supporting activities include, but are not limited to the following: armor parties, out-of-costume event help, and/or any other non-administrative support functions to be approved by their unit's Commanding Officer as qualifying activities or contributions.

A Reserve Member is eligible to:

1. Have limited access on 501st.com & Legion forums.
2. Have access to Garrison/Outpost planning forums and public or semi-private discussion areas.
3. Have access to Detachment forums.
4. Have a picture and/or profile displayed on the 501st membership and costume designation pages, marked with a "Reserve Duty" indicator.

A Reserve Member is NOT eligible to:

1. Vote in unit or legion polls or elections.
2. Run for office or accept an officer or administrative position.
3. Buy or create 501st or Unit merchandise.
4. Participate in limited access events or requests.
5. Retain full access on the Legion Forums.
6. Access unit members-only forums. This is reserved for active members who meet the requirements of active membership at the discretion of the unit leader.

Retired Members

A Retired Member is defined as a former member in good standing, that no longer actively participates in the 501st, has left in good standing and who (one or more of the following):

1. Does not have an active costume or does not own a 501st approved costume.
2. Does not maintain active contact with his/her Outpost CO, Garrison CO or GML, nor participate in the annual Legion Census held each year during the month of October.
3. Has been listed as Reserve Duty for more than one year, and has not actively contributed to the Legion via non-costumed activity during that time.
4. Leaves the Legion voluntarily.

A Retired Member is eligible to:

1. Retain a displayable legion profile with .Retired. indicator.
2. Return to active status via a written request, re-approval of their costume, and completion of or immediately pending completion of a troop.
3. Have their membership information and ID number saved/maintained in the 501st Legion database with the member from cradle-to-grave, unless otherwise reassigned by a judgment of the Legion Council through a 2/3 majority vote of the Legion Council members.

A Retired Member is NOT eligible to:

1. Vote in unit or legion polls or elections.
2. Run for office or accept an officer or administrative position.
3. Buy or create 501st Legion or Unit merchandise.
4. Coordinate official 501st events.
5. Participate in limited access events or requests.
6. Access the main Legion forum.
7. Access unit members-only forums. This is reserved for active members who meet the requirements of active membership at the discretion of the unit leader.
8. Have their picture posted in the 501st.com membership section.
9. Be brought on charges for violations of the 501st rules and regulations

Suspended Members

A Suspended Member is defined as a member in poor standing as imposed by a governing unit leader or Legion officer during, or as the result of, a disciplinary action, administrative action or investigation. This status is meant to be temporary, pending either a return to active status or a change to Discharged status.

All event, forum, merchandise, voting, polling, administrative, election, and membership privileges are suspended, pending the outcome or any proceedings that were the catalyst for said status change, or at the end of the duration of the suspension that is established by said hearing.

Discharged Members

A Discharged Member is defined as a member in poor standing who has been removed from the legion based upon disciplinary proceedings or criminal offense or a member who leaves deliberately to avoid the loss of good standing or to avoid administrative or disciplinary action.

A Discharged Member is NOT eligible to:

1. Vote in any 501st Legion poll or election.
2. Run for and/or hold elected or appointed offices in the 501st Legion (including Detachment Leadership).
3. Purchase or create official 501st Legion or Unit merchandise.
4. Have their picture and/or profile displayed on 501st.com.
5. Coordinate/host official 501st events.
6. Participate in official 501st events and functions.
7. Have access to the 501st Legion or Legion Unit forums.
8. Members who are discharged shall have a record of the discharge noted in members profile.

In Memoriam

An In Memoriam Member is defined as a member in good standing who has passed away.

An In Memoriam member will have:

1. Their identification number preserved and not reissued.
2. Their profiles, minus contact information, displayed perpetually on the 501st.com Eternal Legionnaires page.

Members with Probationary Standing

A member with Probationary standing (aka "on Probation") is a member who has received a guilty verdict in a disciplinary hearing where the panel has determined a lesser punishment of probation is warranted. This standing is meant to be temporary. Length of time of the probationary period is decided by the panel and is used as an evaluation period. The affected member's actions will determine whether a change to Suspended status is warranted as a result of any violation of the terms of the defined probationary period.

A Member with Probationary standing is eligible to:

1. Vote in polls of the Active Membership.
2. Vote in local and legion elections.
3. Buy official 501st / member-only merchandise
4. Have their picture and/or profile displayed on 501st.com in the membership section.
5. Have access to the 501st legion message boards and applicable unit messages boards.

A Member with Probationary standing MAY be eligible to (as decided by panel):

1. Hold already existing elected or appointed offices in the 501st Legion (including Detachment Leadership) until the term is served.
2. Coordinate/host official 501st events as designated or allowed by their unit leader (restrictions apply, see below).
3. Participate in official 501st events (i.e. charity benefits, celebrity appearances, guest escorts, etc) once the time period stated in item three of the "Not Eligible" items seen below has expired.

A Member with Probationary standing is NOT eligible to:

1. Run for elected or appointed offices in the 501st Legion (including Detachment Leadership).
2. Create official 501st / member-only merchandise.
3. In the first Month after the Period of Probation has started, participate in official 501st events (i.e. charity benefits, celebrity appearances, guest escorts, etc) and coordinate/host official 501st events as designated or allowed by their unit leader.
4. Any other specific restrictions deemed necessary by panel.

Any violations are to be reported to the LCOG office. No less than five LCOG will make the determination by majority vote if an equivalent suspension term of no less than six months will be imposed.

Honorary Members and Friends of the Legion

Honorary Members (HM) are special members who have contributed their time, skills and talents to the Star Wars Universe in some special way and have been recognized by the Legion for their efforts and contributions while working on Star Wars.

Friends of the Legion (FL) are individuals or organizations who may not have specifically worked for Lucasfilm, but who have shown tremendous support of the 501st Legion and Star Wars fandom.

Honorary Members and Friends of the Legion must be nominated by an active 501st Legion member.

HM and FL nominations must be submitted via the process laid out within the HM section of the forums. All members submitting a nomination are required to notify the Commanding Officer (CO) and Executive Officer (XO) of the member’s unit sponsoring the nomination as follows:

Garrison and Outpost - CO/XO Detachment - DL Legion - LCO/LXO

In the event a unit does not have a CO, the LCO has the ability to step in for the purposes of “notifying a CO.”

If a presentation is taking place at an event, the CO of a unit should be notified of Detachment or Legion presentations.

The Honorary Membership Liaison (HML) Office is supervised by the LCO. The HML is appointed by the LCO. The Honorary Membership Committee is appointed by the HML. The HML accepts and processes HM and FL nominations. The HML notifies members of the result of the committee’s decision, but the HML does not participate in the committee’s voting process. The HML will act as the tiebreaker in instances where the committee’s voting results in a tie. The HML can make changes to the guidelines for nominations with the permission of the sitting LCO. Those changes cannot supersede the Charter or Operations Protocol (OP).

Honorary Members and Friends of the Legion are eligible to:

1. Have their picture and/or profile displayed on 501st.com in the honorary membership section.
2. Participate in official 501st events (i.e. charity benefits, celebrity appearances, guest escorts, etc).
3. Have access to the 501st legion message boards and applicable unit messages boards.
4. Purchase official 501st / member-only merchandise.

Honorary Members and Friends of the Legion are NOT eligible to:

1. Vote in unit or legion polls or elections.
2. Run for office or accept an officer or administrative position.
3. Run for and/or hold elected or appointed offices in the 501st.

Section 3: Elections

The Legion Commanding Officer, Lead Legion Captain of the Guard, Lead Legion Webmaster, Garrison Commanding Officer, Outpost Commanding Officer, Squad Leader, and Detachment Leader are all elected positions within the Legion. All other positions are appointed by their respective commander or leader. Only those in good standing are eligible to nominate, run for, and maintain elected or appointed positions. Elections for leadership positions are held once a year. The election term is defined as the period between the installation of the newly elected unit commanders/ratified officers and the beginning of the nominations for the elections the following year.

Elections for Legion Commanding Officer, Garrison Commanding Officer, Outpost Commanding Officer, Squad Leader and Detachment Leader

1. Nominations starts the Monday before the beginning of the elections and conclude at election start.
2. Elections for the positions named above will begin at 12:01am GMT on the 1st Saturday of February (Day 1) .
3. Question-and-answer phase will be opened for 5 days beginning on Saturday (Day 1) and concluding at 11:59pm GMT on the Wednesday (Day 5) immediately following.
4. Thursday (Day 6) is reserved for candidates' closing statements.
5. Voting will open at 12:01am GMT on the Friday following closing statements (Day 7) and be available for 5 days, ending at 11:59pm GMT on the following Tuesday (Day 11).
6. The next 5 days (Day 12-16). are reserved for transitioning between administrations. Elected candidates will take office at 12:01am GMT on the following Monday (Day 17).

Every active member in good standing may vote for candidates for Legion Commander, and candidates for their respective units. Notice of upcoming elections will be posted on the Legion forum at least one week prior to the beginning of the nomination period. Notification of any elections to individual members is ultimately the job of Garrison and Outpost Commanding Officers for members in their region, and Detachment Leaders for members in their Detachments.

The Legion Commander is elected by popular vote of the entire Legion. The offices of Garrison and Outpost Commanding Officers, Squad Leader, and Detachment Leader are all voted on by members of each respective unit by popular vote. Annual elections are mandatory for every unit.

Detachment participation is required to vote in detachment elections or be eligible to run for detachment office, and is defined by both having a forum account with detachment affiliation rights, and by logging onto said forum at least once during the election term. Failing this, the Legion member has no voting rights in that year’s detachment election and may not run for Detachment Leader. The detachment affiliation roster will be locked once the voting period of an election begins.

Elections for Lead LCOG and Lead LWM

1. Nominations are made by members of the Legion Council. Any member who meets the qualifications to run for this office can be nominated by a member of the Legion Council.
2. Nominations for Lead LCOG and Lead LWM will begin at 12:01am GMT on the Friday following April 1st and run for 2 days, concluding at 11:59pm GMT on Saturday.
3. Question-and-answer phase will begin immediately and end after 3 days, at 11:59pm GMT on Tuesday.
4. Voting will open at 12:01am GMT on the Wednesday following the conclusion of Q&A, ending after 4 days at 11:59pm on Saturday.
5. Elected LCOG and LWM will take office at 12:01am GMT on the day following the vote. The next 3 days are reserved for holding ratification polls for additional members of the LCOG and LWM teams.

Members of the Legion Council may vote for candidates for Lead Legion Captain of the Guard and Lead Legion Webmaster. The Lead Legion Captain of the Guard and Lead Legion Webmaster are elected by popular vote of the Legion Council.

Election Administration

All elected positions are selected using the Legion forum for voting, and are selected by a simple majority (meaning any number of votes greater than 50% of the votes cast). In the event more than two candidates have been nominated and accepted for any election, a STV (Single Transferable Vote) system is to be used. For any elected office, every eligible voter, in respect of each respective candidate, may cast a single vote that is ranked from their most preferred to their least preferred candidate. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and each vote given to that candidate is transferred to other remaining candidates according to the respective eligible voter's stated ranked preferences, in proportion to any surplus or discarded votes. The process is repeated by calculation to arrive at a winner that holds more than half of the votes thus cast. In the event an automated STV system is not available for use, a run-off system will be designated by the LCOG to address any election results where no candidate has more than 50% of the participating vote. In a run-off system, a second election poll would be created for the top two candidates and voting would restart without a new round of questions, within 24 hours of the first poll end.

If no one challenges the incumbent leader of a unit, an election may be waived.

If a member of a unit suspects impropriety in a campaign or subsequent election within their unit, a written appeal must be submitted to the Legion Captain of the Guard, who may intervene or audit an election.]

Qualifications and Limitations

All offices require a member to be in good standing for the contiguous year immediately preceding election commencement and not have been previously recalled from that office. Following the regular elections of February 2020, some positions cannot be held by the same individual. These positions are as follows:

The Legion Commanding Officer (LCO) and Legion Executive Officer (LXO), Lead Legion Captain of the Guard (LCOG) and Lead Legion Webmaster (LWM) cannot also serve simultaneously in any other Legion Officer position, or as Garrison Commanding Officer (CO), Garrison Executive Officer (XO), Garrison Captain of the Guard (GCOG), Garrison Webmaster (GWM), Detachment Leader (DL), Detachment Executive Officer (DXO), Outpost Commanding Officer (CO), Outpost Executive Officer (XO), or Squad Leader (SL).

Legion Captains of the Guard cannot serve simultaneously in an aligned Garrison role, such as Garrison Captain of the Guard.

Legion Merchandise and Branding Officers (LMBOs) cannot simultaneously serve as Garrison Merchandise and Branding Officers (GMBOs) or Detachment Merchandise and Branding Officers (DMBOs).

The Legion Membership Officer (LMO) cannot serve simultaneously as a Membership Liaison (GML), DL or DXO. DLs and DXOs cannot simultaneously lead more than one detachment.

The Legion Charter Review Officer (LCRO) cannot also serve simultaneously in any other Legion-level or Legion Command Staff position, or as Garrison Commanding Officer (CO), Garrison Executive Officer (XO), Detachment Leader (DL), Detachment Executive Officer (DXO), Outpost Commanding Officer (CO), Outpost Executive Officer (XO), or Squad Leader (SL).

Legion Commanding Officer

1. Minimum of 3 years of 501st membership
2. Minimum 1 election term of service, as defined above, in any of the following offices or functions:
   • Garrison CO
   • Garrison XO
   • Outpost CO
   • Detachment Leader
   • Second Council representative (of a Garrison)
   • Legion Officers (LXO, LCOG, LMO, LMBO, LPRO, LWM, LCR, LDO, LEC)

Lead Legion Captain of the Guard

1. Minimum of 3 years of 501st membership in good standing

- or -

1. Minimum 1 election term of service, as defined above, in any of the following offices or functions:
   • Member of Legion Council
   • Unit GG

Lead Legion Webmaster

1. Minimum of 3 years of 501st membership in good standing

- or -

1. Minimum 1 election term of service, as defined above, in any of the following offices or functions:
   • Member of Legion Council
   • Unit WM

Legion Charter Review Officer

1. Minimum of 3 years of 501st Membership - or -
2. Served for 1 year on the CRC.

Garrison Commanding Officer

1. Minimum of 1 year of 501st membership -OR- prior experience on the Garrison's command staff

Squad Leader

1. Minimum of 6 months of 501st membership

Outpost Commanding Officer

1. Minimum of 6 months of 501st membership (except for a brand new Outpost's inaugural CO)
2. Extenuating circumstances regarding length of membership and standing may be waived at the discretion of the Legion Command.

Detachment Leader

1. Minimum of 1 year of 501st membership
2. Ownership of a costume covered by the Detachment
3. Trooped in a costume covered by the Detachment within 1 year of the commencement of the election
4. Extenuating circumstances regarding length of membership and standing may be waived at the discretion of the Legion Command.

Emergency Elections

In the event a Commanding Officer or Leader of any unit is unable to continue in office, that unit must notify the Legion Captain of the Guard in writing and follow the procedures below to maintain unit leadership.

1. If the unit in question has an XO, continue to step 2. If it does not, hold an emergency election as outlined below.
2. The LCOG will secure written intention from the XO of their willingness to assume the role of CO for the unit in question. If so, continue to step 3. If the XO is not willing, hold an emergency election as outlined below.
3. The LCOG will hold a simple confidence vote for all eligible voting members of the unit in question. If the unit votes by simple majority to allow the XO to continue, the XO of the unit becomes the CO. If not, hold an emergency election as outlined below.

Emergency Election: The election will follow the schedule of 5 days for nominations, 5 days for questions and answers, and 5 days for voting. These time frames may be altered by the Legion Captain of the Guard as necessary. During this time period, the unit's Executive Officer assumes the role of the acting commanding officer or leader until the elections are completed.

If there is no Executive Officer or both the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer resign or are deemed unable to serve, the Legion Captain of the Guard will assume the nominal role of Commanding Officer or Leader for that unit and will administer the election until it is completed. In the case of Squads, acting leadership will fall to the parent Garrison's Commanding Officer. A determination of inability to serve may be deduced from either voluntary self-removal or a period of 30 days of unresponsiveness to communications from the Legion or its members.

In the event the Lead Legion Captain of the Guard is unable to continue in office, they must notify the Legion Commanding Officer in writing. An emergency election will be held as outlined above. The Legion Commanding Officer will select a member from the LCOG team to oversee the Emergency Election and act as interim Lead LCOG.

In the event the Lead Legion Webmaster is unable to continue in office, they must notify the Legion Captain of the Guard in writing. An emergency election will be held as outlined above.

Recall Elections

Any member of the Legion may address problems in leadership by calling for a recall election of their elected leader. A recall election against an Outpost Commanding Officer or Squad Leader requires only one active member of that unit. A recall election against a Garrison Commanding Officer or Detachment Leader requires three active members of that unit. A recall election against the Legion Commanding Officer, Lead Legion Captain of the Guard or Lead Legion Webmaster requires five active Garrison Commanding Officers.

If a request for a recall election against the Legion Commanding Officer, Lead Legion Webmaster, Garrison Commanding Officer, Outpost Commanding Officer, Squad Leader or Detachment Leader is made, the Captain of the Guard will assess the merit of the request. If the Legion Captain of the Guard determines the complaint has merit, the unit Executive Officer will temporarily assume leadership of the unit. If the unit Executive Officer is unable to assume the duties of interim unit Commanding Officer then the LCOG, or their designated representative, will temporarily assume command of the unit in question (with the exception of Squads, which default to the parent Garrison's Commanding Officer).

The Legion Captain of the Guard will open a forum for 5 days to discuss the charges. After this, a poll will be opened for 5 days and a vote taken of the members of that unit (with the exception of Squads, which includes the entire Garrison's membership), with no minimum number of voters required. A recall vote must pass by at least two-thirds of the vote, in which case the Commander or Leader is removed from office immediately. Otherwise, the Commander or Leader retains the office. If a recall election does result in a removal from office, the Captain of the Guard will administer an emergency election as described above. The recalled Commander or Leader is ineligible to run as a candidate for the office they were just removed from. They are not an eligible candidate for that office again in any subsequent election, nor are they eligible to serve in an appointed version of that office in the future.

If a request for a recall election against the Lead Legion Captain of the Guard is made, the Legion Commanding Officer will request 5 volunteers from the Legion Council to form a panel and assess the merit of the request. The Legion Council panel will have 3 days to decide whether the complaint has merit. If the Legion Council panel determines the complaint has merit, the Legion Council will hold a vote lasting for 3 days to select a member from the LCOG team who will oversee the recall election and act as interim Lead LCOG.

The interim Lead Legion Captain of the Guard will open a forum for 5 days to discuss the charges. After this, a poll will be opened for 5 days and a vote taken of the general membership with no minimum number of voters required. A recall vote must pass by at least two-thirds of the vote, in which case the Legion Captain of the Guard is removed from office immediately. Otherwise, the Legion Captain of the Guard retains the office. If a recall election does result in a removal from office, the interim Lead Legion Captain of the Guard will administer an emergency election as described above. The recalled Legion Captain of the Guard is ineligible to run as a candidate for the office they were just removed from. They are not an eligible candidate for that office again in any subsequent election, nor are they eligible to serve in an appointed version of that office in the future.

No officer may be subject to a recall election more than twice in a single term.

Other

With any election, in the event of a tie, the poll will be reopened for three additional days in hopes that uncast votes will break the tie.

In the event of no nominees or an unbreakable tie, the Legion Council will deliberate for 5 days and vote for 5 days to appoint a new interim leader for the unit in question until regular elections are held (with the exception of Squads, which default to the parent Garrison's Commanding Officer for appointment).

Section 4: Merchandise & Branding

Definition of Merchandise

As defined in Article IX of the Charter, merchandise is any physical item which bears names, logos, URLs, imagery, or other references to the 501st Legion and/or any of its sub-units in any language. The allowable categories of merchandise are:

• General Merchandise: Items meant to display Legion and/or unit membership including, but not limited to, coins, patches, and apparel,
• Special Event Merchandise: Items meant to celebrate a member or date, including, but not limited to, conventions, troops, and memorial items.
• Branding Items: Items meant to display Legion and/or unit branding to members and the public, including, but not limited to banners, flags, member awards, and name tags.
• Promotional Material: Items of a nominal cost given freely to members and the public, including, but not limited to, stickers, trading cards, certificates, posters, and brochures.

All merchandise is subject to the following rules and regulations:

Branding Rules

Branding is the identity of the Legion and its sub-units. All Legion designs, including unit logos, merchandise, and Public Relations materials must adhere to Legion branding guidelines and requires LMBO and/or LPRO approval:

• All 501st Legion designs must bear the Legion name either as “The 501st Legion”, “501st Legion”, or for items smaller than 1 inch, “501st”.
• Unit (Garrison, Outpost, and Detachment) and sub-unit (Squad) designs must include the Legion name, unit name, and if applicable, sub-unit name in the design. Unofficial unit names are not permitted.
• The Legion name must always be written in English. While English is preferred, Unit names may be written in any real-world or canon Star Wars language.
• Designs utilizing Legion and unit logos must use the most up-to-date version unless there is a justifiable design reason (such as an anniversary).
• Designs utilizing real-world elements in conjunction with canon Star Wars Intellectual property (IP) are permissible on a case-by-case basis. Refer to the "LFL Merchandise Guidelines" thread on the Legion forum for more information.
• Approved unit logos created before September 2019 featuring design elements that no longer meet current LFL guidelines may continue to be used in quantities under the current LFL threshold; old and disbanded unit logos may only be used if their design meets current Legion and LFL guidelines.
• Approved unit logos, and simple recolors of approved designs, do not need LMBO or LPRO approval for digital use (e.g. Social Media). New designs, even those intended for digital-only use, must be approved by the LMBO.
• 501st Legion designs should not be tied to any outside commercial entity or venture.
• 501st Legion designs must not contain vulgar or illegal material

Merchandise Rules

Restrictions

• Any member producing merchandise understands that the IP is owned by LFL, and as such all rights, claims and use of the IP is at their discretion.
• New-to-the-Legion units will have a 6 month to 1 year merchandise probationary period where they are barred from making merchandise. New Squads are subject to a 6 month probation. New Garrisons that did not previously exist as a Squad or Outpost, new Outposts, and new Detachments are subject to a 1 year merchandise probation. Garrisons that were previously a Squad or Outpost are exempt from any additional merchandise probationary period. The merchandise probation is independent of the unit Probation described in Section 5: Legion Units.
• Merchandise applications will be put on hold following Day 6 of the Legion elections period (as outlined in Section 3) to allow the LMBO time to finalize outstanding approvals from the previous term; applications sent during the transition period will not be considered and must be re-submitted after office ratifications conclude.
• Unofficial merchandise items that do not represent any official units of the 501st Legion are made at the individual’s own risk and are not monitored or controlled by the 501st Legion.
• Availability and purchase of merchandise is defined in Article IX of the Charter.

Copyright

All official 501st Legion designs (as defined under Section 4.2.3 Copyright Notice) must contain at least one copyright notice. The notice may be hidden in the design (inner collar of a racing shirt, or laser engraved on a coin edge, for example) but must be clearly legible. Legibility is at the discretion of the LMBO.

Items should use the longest legible copyright that does not interfere with the items design:

• Shortest Copyright Notice: "© LFL"
• Shorter Copyright Notice: "© & ™ LFL"
• Short Copyright Notice: "© & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd."
• Standard Copyright Notice: "Star Wars and all associated items are the intellectual property of Lucasfilm. © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Used under authorization."
• Full Copyright Notice: "The 501st Legion is a worldwide Star Wars costuming organization comprised of and operated by Star Wars fans. While it is not sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., it follows generally accepted ground rules for Star Wars fan groups. Star Wars, its characters, costumes, and all associated items are the intellectual property of Lucasfilm. © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Used under authorization."

Approval of materials based on length of notice used is at the sole discretion of the LMBO and LPRO

Approval

All merchandise must be submitted for approval prior to production.

• Written approval must be obtained from the unit Commanding Officer or Detachment Leader, and if applicable, the unit MBO and/or Squad Leader.
• Approval must additionally be sought from any other unit(s) whose name or logo are part of the submitted design.
• Any active member in good standing can submit for merchandise approval.
• Complete and submit the Merchandise Approval Form in its entirety. Failure to complete all sections will result in denial of your submission.
• Merchandise quantities greater than the current LFL threshold (as described in the "LFL Merchandise Guidelines" thread) require additional approval from LFL. Promotional material and name tags are exempt from this restriction. This quantity includes the sum of all variants.
• Approval of items is at the discretion of the LMBO, and may be denied if a unit produces excessive merchandise, branding items, and/or promotional material.
• Once approval is obtained, merchandise may be produced.

Production

• All merchandise must be produced and sold at cost.
• Upon payment, a copy of the vendor's receipt must be provided in a reply to the original approval. Receipts must contain the following information:
  • Manufacturer
  • Quantity
  • Price per piece
  • Any additional costs or fees
• Additional documentation may be required by the LMBO and/or LCOG.
• Should a denial be received, the producing member will receive reasoning for the denial.

Legion and Detachment items may be considered for local production, to assist with savings to members (such as shipping costs) at the sole discretion of the LMBO. Templates will be provided upon approval. Runs must be vetted by the LMBO via a proof, to ensure that quality standards are met before full production may begin. Items must be consistent in color, quality, and size across vendors; failure to meet consistency standards will result in the produced items being considered error merchandise, and return to the manufacturer or destruction will be required as per Section 4.3.5.

Merchandise Regulations

Slots

• The Legion will receive 7 merchandise slots per Legion year.
• Each Garrison/Outpost/Detachment will receive 5 merchandise slots per Legion year.
• Each Squad will receive 3 merchandise slots per Legion year.
• The type of merchandise to be produced for each slot is at the discretion of each unit.
• Transfers of slots from one unit to another are not allowed.

General Merchandise

• Item Sets: Each item in a set (coins, patches, etc.) produced uses one merchandise slot. A 3-item set, while produced at the same time, would use 3 merchandise slots.
• Dual-unit Items: Items that consist of dual (or more) branding, such as two or more Garrisons/Outposts/Detachments, use a slot from one of the participating units. The exception to this is dual-club items, e.g. Rebel Legion/501st Legion branded items, which must use a slot from the respective Legion unit.
• Samples/Prototypes/Errors: Pre-production and error merchandise items are not to be sold or distributed. These items should be returned to the manufacturer or destroyed. Proof of destruction may be requested by the LMBO.
• Customization: If applicable, customization of items without requiring a slot/variant is at the discretion of the LMBO.
• Variants: Merchandise items are allowed a single variant. Variants must be materially the same design to be considered for approval. Variants are at the discretion of the LMBO

Coins

All coins must follow these additional guidelines:

• Size: Round coins must be between 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) and - 1.75 inches (4.5 cm) in diameter. Non-round coins must not exceed 2 inches (5.08 cm) of height or width and the area must be no greater than 2.41 sq in
• Customization: Face and edge engraving are allowed.
• Variants: Allowable variants include color or plating options, however both coins must use the same mold.

Patches

Patches must follow these additional guidelines:

• Size: Round patches must be between 3 inches (7.6 cm) and 15 inches (38.1 cm) in diameter. Non-round patches must be at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) in height and no more than 15 inches (38.1 cm) in width.
• Variants: Allowable variants include color or size.

Apparel Items

Apparel includes, but is not limited to, hats, t-shirts, racing shirts, and must follow these additional guidelines:

• Customization: Names, TK IDs, interchanging of approved unit logos (for example, on racing shirts) and other customizable aspects of a design are allowed.
• Variants: Allowable variants include colors and styles (e.g. hoodies or sweatshirts). Sizes and fit (Unisex, Men's/Women's/Youth, etc.) are not considered a variant.

Standard Logo Items (Slot Exempt)

Standardized unit logo items do not require a slot. These items are meant to display Legion and unit branding to members and the public. These items are available each Legion year to all units (no sub-units or unofficial groups), and must follow these additional guidelines:

• Items must use the approved unit logo. If the Legion and/or Unit is celebrating a major milestone (1 year, 5 year, and every 5 years after), units may substitute the Legion and/or unit logos for the approved anniversary logo.
• Unit coin: This coin must contain the Legion logo on one side and the unit logo on the other side.
• Unit logo patch.
• Unit logo shirt: This shirt may be a t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, or hoodie (no racing or button-up style shirts). The shirt design must contain approved Legion and unit logos. Sub-unit logos are permissible as an additional element, as long as the primary unit logo is prominently displayed (on a sleeve, for example).
• Name tags and armor bin placards: These must contain the approved Legion logo, unit logo and/or name, sub-unit logo and/or name, and member name and TK ID. No unofficial logos are permitted.
• Parade banners and flags: These must use the approved Legion and unit logos.
• Large logo decals and/or magnets: For use on vehicles or other display purposes.
• Variants: Allowed and subject to the same regulations listed above.

Special Event Items (Slot Exempt)

Special event items do not require a slot. These items are produced for an event (such as a convention or troop) or to memorialize fallen members, and must follow these additional guidelines:

• Dated event items must include the name of the event(unless the name is copyrighted) and the year the event took place; when possible the full date should be included.
• Event merchandise must be produced in one of the two Legion years that the event occurred.
• Memorial items must include the name(s) and/or TK ID of the individual(s) in the design.
• Variants: Allowed and subject to the same regulations listed above.

Promotional Material

Promotional material are merchandise items of nominal cost, generally under $1.50 USD or equivalent local currency per piece. For items priced over this threshold, quantity and approval is at the discretion of the LMBO.

Merchandise Audits

All Merchandise runs require maintaining documentation (as outlined in Section 4.2.4 - Approval and Production) for use in the event of an audit. Documents to retain and make available can include, but are not limited to:

• Receipt(s) from the vendor that include total quantity purchased, price per unit, and date of payment.
• Shipping receipt(s), showing cost paid by the shipper, for all member shipments.

In the event of an audit, failure to provide documentation may result in a merchandise violation.

Merchandise Violations and Sanctions

Any member that knowingly produces merchandise that violates the above guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action and sanctions with regard to the member’s ability to submit further merchandise for approval. Examples of violations include, but are not limited to, adding unit logos or affiliation to unofficial merchandise, failure to provide vendor receipt(s), profiteering from the membership, and selling or promoting merchandise to the public or on any third party auction or sales sites All merchandise violations are to be reported to the LMBO. Once a violation is received, the LMBO will review the merchandise in question to determine if it has violated Legion guidelines. If a violation is confirmed, the member producing the merchandise will be referred to the LCOG for discipline in accordance with according to the Legion charter.

Section 5: Legion Units

Garrison

Garrisons are the primary subdivision of the Legion, defined by a geographic territory. Garrisons are responsible for coordinating local events, recruiting and coordinating local members, and promoting the 501st Legion locally.

A Garrison requires at least twenty-five (25) members and is headed by a Garrison Commanding Officer (CO), who is elected by the active members of the Garrison. Garrison COs are free to adopt reasonable local policies and procedures, so long as they are supported by the local membership and do not conflict with the Legion Charter, Operations Protocol, or the Legion's policies and procedures.

Creation of a Garrison

The Garrison may form when an Outpost reaches sufficient membership or when a region within an existing Garrison(s) demonstrates the need to break off and form a new Garrison. The proposed members of the new Garrison must create their new Garrison name, roster of members from the 501st main membership roster, territorial boundaries, Garrison logo, working Web site and forum, and a brief statement of purpose outlining the reasons for their Garrison to be formed. The new Garrison name and logo must not be similar to the name or logo of any existing 501st Legion unit, unless the new Garrison is continuing the use of their Outpost or Squad name.

The proposed membership of the new Garrison will elect, by simple majority, a proposed Garrison Commanding Officer (CO). The Commanding Officer will appoint proposed Garrison Officers and additional administrative staff as needed.

The Unit Change Approval Process will then be followed, with the following clarifications:

• The existing Outpost or the entire existing Garrison(s) are the involved unit(s) for the approval
• LCOG will verify the membership status of the proposed members and the completeness of the application.
• LMBO will verify the proposed Garrison logo for compliance with branding standards.
• The designated probation period for a Garrison is 12 months, during which it must demonstrate that it can operate as an independent body.
• If the Garrison is being formed from an outpost, with no change in territory, the Approval Process will include a simple majority vote by Legion Council to waive probation.

Maintaining Garrison Status

Garrisons that fall under the minimum number of members required to apply for Garrison status will have a grace period of one year to return the membership level to or above the minimum, or they will be subject to a simple-majority vote by Legion Council to dissolve the Garrison. Regardless of any grace period, Garrisons are immediately subject to Council Seat adjustments based on their size, as specified in Section 7: Council. Garrisons that fall to less than half of the minimum required number of members for a Garrison will be immediately subject to a simple-majority vote by Legion Council to dissolve the Garrison. A dissolved Garrison will either return to its original Outpost status or its previous Garrison.

Squads

A Garrison can create squads within their unit. Squads are defined by a geographic territory within the territory of the parent garrison, and they are responsible for coordinating local events within the squad territory.

A Squad requires at least ten (10) members and is headed by a Squad Leader (SL) who is elected by the active members of the Squad.

Squad affiliation is normally based upon geographical boundaries and each member's primary residence. A member of a Garrison residing within a squad's boundaries can petition their CO to be exempt from membership in that squad. A Garrison member not living within a squad's boundaries may request to join a squad, but the permission of both the Garrison CO and the Squad Leader is required. A member of a Garrison with multiple squads may also request switching squad affiliations from the one they reside in to another. In such cases the approval of the CO and both squad leaders (from the squad of residence and the adopting squad) must approve the transfer.

Creation of a Squad

The proposed members of the new Squad must create their new Squad's name, roster of members from their local Garrison membership roster, territorial boundaries, squad logo, and a brief statement of purpose outlining the reasons for the squad to be formed. The new Squad name and logo must not be similar to the name or logo of any existing 501st Legion unit.

The proposed membership of the new Squad will elect, by simple majority, a proposed Squad Leader (SL).

The Unit Change Approval Process will then be followed, with the following clarifications:

• The entire Garrison is the involved unit for the approval.
• LCOG will verify membership status of the proposed members and the completeness of the application.
• LMBO will verify the proposed Squad logo for compliance with branding standards.
• The LCOG will inform Legion Council of the Squad creation in the same manner as any other unit creation, but without a vote. The date Legion Council is informed will be the Squad's official creation date.
• The designated probation period for a Squad is 6 months, during which it should demonstrate that it can operate as a productive and harmonious entity within the Garrison
• After the first 6 month probation period, the Garrison CO and/or Squad Leader will present the Squad activities to the Garrison. The Garrison members will vote by simple majority to pass the Squad's probation. If the vote fails, probation will be extended by another 6 months, after which another vote of Garrison members will be taken. This extension may only be granted once. The CO will inform the LCOG, who will then inform Legion Council of any passed, failed or extended Squad probation.

Maintaining Squad Status

Any squad that falls under the minimum number of ten (10) members will have a grace period of 12 months to return their membership level to or above the minimum requirement. A squad that cannot regain the required number of members within this 12 month period will be dissolved by the Garrison CO. The CO must notify the LCOG of the dissolution. The LCOG will inform Legion Council.

Outpost

For areas that lie outside existing Garrison territory, and do not have enough members to form a Garrison, an Outpost may be formed. An Outpost requires only one member and is headed by an Outpost Commanding Officer (CO), who is elected by the active members of the Outpost.

Creation of an Outpost

Applicants for a new Outpost must create their new Outpost name, roster of members from the main 501st roster, territorial boundaries, and Outpost logo. The new Outpost name and logo must not be similar to the name or logo of any existing 501st Legion unit.

The Unit Change Approval Process will then be followed, with the following clarifications:

• The proposed Outpost members are the involved unit for the approval.
• LCOG will verify the membership status of the proposed members and the completeness of the application.
• LMBO will verify the proposed Garrison logo for compliance with branding standards.
• The designated probation period for an Outpost is 12 months, during which it must demonstrate that it can operate as an independent body.

Maintaining Outpost Status

Outposts that lose all active members will be considered an inactive Outpost for a period of one year. If an Outpost gains a member or reactivates previously inactive members, the Outpost will be considered active without delay. If an Outpost remains inactive for one year, it will be considered abandoned, and any new Outpost in that region will require a new application.

Detachment

Detachments are specially themed units to improve the quality and awareness of a specific costume category in the Legion's Costume Reference Library (CRL). These units serve as a resource for costumers both in and out of the Legion. Accordingly, their websites and forums may contain both public and 501st-only areas. Access to said areas and the decorum thereon are dictated by the Legion's membership and forum policies.

A detachment requires five (5) members (detachment membership is defined in the following paragraph), and is headed by a Detachment Leader (DL), who is elected by the active members of the detachment.

Formal detachment affiliation requires that a Legion member be an active member of the 501st, own a qualifying costume as represented by the detachment, and have the corresponding detachment affiliation in their profile. Ownership of a qualifying costume is verified annually as part of the Legion census. Affiliation with a detachment is optional, and a Legion member can be affiliated with more than one detachment. Detachment affiliation is initiated by the Legion member in their member database profile and requires that they create a detachment forum account, follow that detachment’s process to gain forum access rights for those with “Detachment Affiliation” and participate on the Detachment forums at least once in each election term.

Creation of a Detachment

Applicants for a new detachment must create their new Detachment name, roster of costumes to be included in the new detachment, and Detachment logo. The new Detachment name and logo must not be similar to the name or logo of any existing 501st Legion unit.

The Unit Change Approval Process will then be followed, with the following clarifications:

• The proposed members of the Detachment are the involved unit for the approval.
• LCOG will verify the membership status of the proposed members and the completeness of the application.
• LMBO will verify the proposed Garrison logo for compliance with branding standards.
• LMO will verify that the costume qualifies and does not encroach on any existing detachment costume coverage.
• The designated probation period for a Detachment is 12 months, during which it must demonstrate that it can operate as an independent body.

Unit Change Approval Process

The Unit Change Approval Process applies to the following actions:

• Creation of a new unit, excluding Squads
• Unit name change
• Dissolution of a unit for reasons beyond failing to maintain minimum membership (This must include a plan for transfer of territory and/or members to new units as needed, and these new units are considered an "involved unit" as defined in the approval steps)

For these changes, the process for approval will be:

1. The approval of the CO of the involved unit(s)
2. The approval of members of the involved unit(s) by simple majority vote
3. Submission of the change request to Legion Command
4. Review by Legion Command for process completeness, compliance, and to enact required IT changes
5. The approval of Legion Council by simple majority vote; if this fails, the change request cannot be made again for 12 months

For newly created units, Legion Council will also vote to end probation by simple majority vote at the end of the probation period. If the Council vote to end probation fails, probation will be extended by 6 months, followed by another Council vote. If that vote fails, the unit will be dissolved and is prohibited from re-applying for 12 months. If it is a Garrison that has failed probation, the members will be returned to their original Outpost status or original Garrison.

For the following changes, only steps 1 through 4 as detailed above need to be completed, and Legion Council be notified of the change:

• Geographic territory movement between Units
• Creation of a Squad

The individual unit sections above may add additional clarity or restrictions to the above steps in specific situations.

Member Affiliation

Member affiliation with a Unit is by default based upon geographical boundaries and the member's primary residence. A member can request to change affiliation to a different Unit subject to the following conditions:

• If a member wishes to transfer to a new Unit without physically moving to/crossing a Unit's geographical boundaries:
  • A member must submit a request via email to ask for a transfer. The request must be sent to the current Unit's CO and LCOG Office.
  • The LCOG Office will oversee all transfer requests, and may advise the new Unit's CO of any past/current disciplinary actions regarding the member requesting the transfer.
  • The current Unit's CO will be given up to 14 days to provide feedback to the new Unit's Leader prior to executing a transfer.
  • Only with Agreement of the new Unit's CO, the LCOG Office shall proceed with the transfer, update the membership database and inform all parties involved.
  • The member will be unable to request another unit change for 1 year following the transfer date unless extenuating circumstances require it or they physically move to another Unit's geographical boundaries. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the LCOG office, whose decision is final.
• If a member physically moves to another Unit's geographical boundaries:
  • The member may request the LCOG for Transfer without further Agreement of any Unit's CO as a simple administrative task, a notification will be sent to the involved Unit's COs by the LCOG Office. -or-
  • The Unit's CO may request the LCOG for Transfer, in which case the LCOG needs to determine whether transfer is necessary after hearing the member on the matter. If the LCOG decides the member should be transferred, a notification will be sent to the involved Unit Leaders by the LCOG Office.

Section 6: Legion Officers

All Legion Command officers are appointed by the Legion Commanding Officer, each of whom must be confirmed via a simple majority poll by the Legion Council prior to taking office. All non-elected Legion Administration officers are appointed by their respective elected Lead, each of whom must be confirmed via a simple majority poll by the Legion Council prior to taking office. All Legion officer positions are required to be listed under Charter Article VI: Legion Officers. No such confirmations are required at the Garrison, Outpost, Squad, or Detachment level.

Appointed officers serve at the discretion of the elected official who appointed them, and are subject to being relieved of duty once the officer who appointed them is no longer in office. The incoming officer will have the option of retaining or replacing them.

Creation of new Legion Command or Legion Administrative offices

If a Legion Command or Administrative office not currently existing under Article VI of the Legion Charter is to be created, a trial run may be held. If the trial is deemed successful, the new office may be created. The procedure under which a new office can be created shall be as follows:

• The LCO shall submit a proposal to the Legion Council with the following information:
  • Name of the new office.
  • Required Legion access for the new office.
  • Duration of the requested trial. This should be at least 3 months, though no longer than 6 months.
  • Explanation of the new office, including but not limited to the reason and need for the office, which areas of the Legion will be affected, whether other offices will be impacted, etc.
  • Suggested candidate officers for the trial. Their confirmation occurs via the trial approval poll.
  • The proposal shall furthermore include language to be used under Article VI in case the office is to be added to Article VI.
• After submitting the proposal to the Legion Council, the Council will discuss for 5 days.
• After the discussion period, a simple majority poll will be held to allow for the trial to be held with the proposed candidate officers. This poll will last for 5 days.
• The duration of the new office trial starts with the successful conclusion of the poll, for the duration and under the terms mentioned in the submitted proposal.
• A monthly report shall be issued to the Legion Council with an assessment of the new office's progress.
• The trial can be paused by the office of the Legion Captain of the Guard at any time during the trial if the new office or its officers are deemed not to be operating within the spirit of the Legion bylaws. When this happens, the LCOG shall explain the reasoning to the Council, and have Legion Council vote by simple majority whether it wants to continue the trial or prematurely end the trial.
• Upon completion of the full duration of the trial, the LCO may request for a maximum 6 months continuation of the trial via a simple majority poll. This request can only be made once.
• If no continuation of the trial is requested or is not granted by Council, the LCO may submit a proposal to have the new office added to Article VI of the Charter. The proposal shall follow the normal rules and guidelines as mentioned under article VIII of the Legion Charter.
• If the trial did not successfully complete any of the above steps, another trial for the same office may not be held within a 12-month window.

Section 7: Council

The Legion Council is the chief legislative body of the 501st and is comprised of Legion Command Officers, Outpost Commanding Officers, Garrison Commanding Officers, and their Second Council Seat appointees. Each Council member has no more than a single vote on the Council, regardless of the number of vote-bearing offices that person holds.

The allocation of Council seats and votes are as follows:

• Legion Commanding Officer: 1 Voting Seat
• Legion Executive Officer: 1 Voting Seat
• Other Legion Officers, as listed in Article VI of the Charter: 1 Non-Voting Seat
• Detachment Leader: 1 Non-Voting Seat
• Outposts/Garrisons with:
  • 12 or fewer members: 1 Non-Voting Seat
  • More than 12, but fewer than 25 members: 1 Voting Seat and 1 Non-Voting Seat
  • 25 or more members - 2 Voting Seats

Section 8: Costuming Standards

Costume Reference Library (CRL)

The Costume Reference Library is a collection of visual guides intended to aid members and Garrison Membership Liaisons (GML) in the creation and review of costumes. Both the library as a whole and individual entries in the library are commonly referred to as “CRLs."

Each CRL contains the minimum requirements for a costume's approval by a GML but may also include up to two additional approval tiers to assist a member wishing to build a more accurate costume. Individual CRL entries are comprised of text and images that attempt to detail the components of a costume that are required for approval.

CRLs may appear in the Library in the following states:

• Requires Legion Approval (RLA): CRLs where reference images and/or text are not complete. These costumes must be approved by the LMO with guidance from the detachment experts.
• Ready for GML Approval: CRLs in this state are ready for local GML approval.

Approved costumes with an RLA status, including new to the Legion costumes, must be updated when the CRL becomes completed and ready for GML approval.

• Members shall have a six month grace period to update their costume to final CRL standards.
• Upon completion of modifications, the local unit GML will review the costume to ensure that all required changes have been made.

If changes are not complete by the end of the six month period, the costume will be retired by the local unit unless granted an extension by the local unit commanding officer.

CRL Development

Costuming standards are developed by the detachments under the supervision of the LMO. In cases where there is no detachment affiliation, the LMO shall work directly with the member(s) to develop a standard.

By default, the Detachment Leader shall act as the CRL liaison to the LMO. The Detachment Leader may choose to designate one or more detachment members to act as CRL liaisons, if necessary.

• The detachment CRL liaison(s) shall solicit feedback from the membership and use that feedback to develop a standard that is fair and achievable while still maintaining the level of quality expected of the Legion.
• The detachment CRL liaison(s) may publish the content as a work in progress directly to 501st.com or submit changes to the LMO team.
• The LMO will review the CRL entry to ensure that it is accurate and represents an acceptable level of guidance.
• Completed CRLs will be marked as approved in the Legion membership database by the LMO and locked to prevent further editing. (see "CRL Revisions" below)
• For a new to the Legion costume to be added to the database, it must be confirmed as acceptable for inclusion in the 501st by the Legion Membership Officer (LMO).

CRL Revisions

Once a CRL is marked complete, it is expected that changes shall be infrequent. These are living documents, however, and may require periodic review. The detachment leader and/or LMO team may initiate such a review as needed, subject to the following:

• Substantive changes to the standards (changes to the costuming requirements) must be communicated to all GMLS.
• Non-substantive changes (grammar, punctuation, text formatting, image replacements) may be made by the LMO at any time.
• All changes must be reviewed and approved by the LMO.

Revised by Kasiusa 02-06-2024