UK Garrison Rules and Guidelines

Date: March 2023

Contents

UKG General Rules

1. 1. General and forum rules
2. 2. Clearance
   3. New Recruits (NRs), induction and induction events
3. 4. Events
4. 5. Maintaining active membership
5. 6. Associate members
6. 7. Expenses
7. 8. Suggestions and ideas
8. 9. Complaints and disciplinary procedure
9. 10. Safeguarding Policy
10. 11. Fan films
11. 12. Media interviews
12. 13. Merchandise
13. 14. Public Liability Insurance
14. 15. Closure

Appendix A: Organisational chart

Appendix B: Common terms and abbreviations used by the UKG

UKG General Rules

The UK Garrison and its extensions (including the 501st Legion, Reel Icons and Rebel Command) are costuming clubs run by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. The UK Garrison remains the inspired product of the late Graham Campbell and continues on in his name. These rules and guidelines are there to protect the club and its members as well as try and reflect Graham's vision for the UK Garrison and the staff endeavours to ensure that this vision is fulfilled in every way.

In order to become a full member of the UKG (or its extensions) you must own a costume that meets basic clearance requirements (see section 2) and to remain an active member you must attend at least one troop/event each year (see section 5).

You cannot apply to become a member (or Associate member) of the UK Garrison if you have an unspent criminal conviction that involves any of the following:

• Requirement to register on the Registered Sex Offenders database
• Conviction for ABH (Actual Bodily Harm) or above
• Convicted of any offence for Class B drugs possession with intent to supply or cultivation
• Convicted of ANY Class A drugs offence
• Convicted of any offence relating to theft

Please refer to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 for a more detailed explanation of when a conviction is deemed as spent. If you have concerns about any spent convictions, please get in contact with a member of Command Staff via command@ukgarrison.co.uk.

By joining the UK Garrison (or any of its extensions), you are agreeing to abide by the rules set out in this document. Please read them carefully. These rules and guidelines are subject to change, as such, we ask that you review them regularly to keep up to date with any changes.

For UK Garrison Star Wars Imperial costumers who are therefore by default also members of the 501st Legion, the UK Garrison Rules and Guidelines must be adhered to in conjunction with the 501^st Legion Charter and the 501^st Operations Protocol.

The following sections will guide you through the rules we have implemented to ensure the club is run as smoothly as possible. The UK Garrison includes all other extensions of the club and their abbreviated names, which are:

UKG	UK Garrison
IWS	Imperial Welsh Squad
RI	Reel Icons
RC	Rebel Command

Other abbreviations (including offices) that are commonly used within the UKG are:

501st Legion Command Staff

LCO	Legion Commanding Officer
LXO	Legion Executive Officer
LCoG	Legion Captain of the Guard
LEC	Legion Events Coordinator
LPRO	Legion Public Relations Officer
LCR	Legion Charity Representative
LWM	Legion Webmaster
LMO	Legion Membership Officer
LMBO	Legion Branding and Merchandising Officer

Garrison Command Staff

(G)CO	Commanding Officer
(G)XO	Executive Officer
SL	Squad Leader
GCoG	Captain of the Guard
GML	Garrison Membership Liaison
DGML	Deputy Garrison Membership Liaison
GWL	Garrison Web Liaison
(G)PRO	(Garrison) Public Relations Officer
(G)MBO	(Garrison) Merchandising and Branding Officer
(G)EC	(Garrison) Event Coordinator
Webmaster	Responsible for all technical aspects of running the UKG website
Treasurer	Responsible for all UKG related finances

Other roles

Moderator	Has authority to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum to prevent users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.
Armourer	UKG costume subject matter expert who advises on costume builds
DL	501st Detachment Leader
EA	UKG Event Administrator
DEA	UKG Deputy Event Administrator
UKG Event organiser	The EC, EA or DEA who, upon receipt of an event request, is assigned to organise the UKG’s participation in that event.
Events Team	Team comprising of the ECs, EAs and DEAs.
Legion Founder	Founder of the 501st Legion, TK-210 Albin Johnson
Crew/Spotter/Helper	A member or associate member of the UKG at a troop who is undertaking a non-costuming role for the club at an event, most often this will be looking after troopers
Day Supervisor	A member who has been designated by the Events Team to run an event on the day
Safeguarding Officer	Point of contact and action for all issues detailed within the UKG Safeguarding Policy
Suggestions Review Team	A team that reviews and discusses suggestions put forward by the members

Further details about current officers and staff can be found in the Meet the Team section and an Organisational Chart can be found in Appendix A.

1 General and forum rules

1.1 Written communication can be misinterpreted; this is a fact of life. Be mindful that your comments on the forum may be "taken the wrong way" or simply misunderstood. Please word your statement carefully and read it through before you post it to the forum. Note: The use of emoticons can help make clear the tone of your post.

1.2 Flaming, baiting, spamming or trolling is strictly prohibited on this forum. Any evidence of this will result in the post being removed and action may be taken against the poster.

1.3 Ensure you post your comments in the appropriate section of the forum. If you are unsure where your post should go, read the "sticky" instructions at the top of each forum section or the 'Forum rules' link at the top of the section which details any rules specific to that forum. Any posts that are in the wrong forum section will be moved to the correct section.

1.4 The "sticky" instructions posted at the top of each forum and/or the details in the 'Forum rules' link are the rules for that particular forum section. Please make sure that you are aware of these rules before posting. These instructions are subject to change, please review them regularly.

1.5 The content of personal mail/private messages is confidential and for the intended recipients only. If the original sender did not post the content to this forum, DO NOT post copies or replies to this forum without prior agreement of the originator(s).

1.6 If you believe the content of a private message or email, sent via this forum, may breach any rules, causes personal offence or you believe it warrants further investigation please bring it to the attention of the Command Staff.

1.7 Inappropriate use of the forum.

Examples of inappropriate use of the forum include, but are not limited to:

The accessing, saving or distribution of any content that might constitute bullying or harassment on the grounds of gender, sexuality or sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, disability, size or age.
The accessing, saving or distribution of any form of pornography, obscene or other offensive material.
The unauthorised accessing, alteration, saving or distribution of confidential information about other members, the 501st Legion, UK Garrison, UKG Squads, Reel Icons, Rebel Command or any other subsidiary of the UK Garrison or its events, customers, clients or contacts.
Disclosure of your forum or related passwords to any other individual.
Accessing the account of another member, with or without their permission

The UKG Command Staff have the final decision as to whether they consider material to be inappropriate or offensive. If users receive material that they feel is not appropriate they should notify a member of the Command Staff who will advise what to do.

Members who make comments on other websites (including social networking sites / mini blogging sites etc.) which may be considered derogatory to the UK Garrison, its members or any other element of the club including the wider 501st, may be subject to disciplinary action and/or refused access to the forum.

1.8 Discussing armour makers on the forum.

Members may name and discuss armour and related vendors on the forum in appropriate context.  However, the UK Garrison does NOT endorse ANY vendors nor does the UK Garrison take any responsibility for the products that a vendor produces.
A list of vendors for a particular costume or item may be provided within the appropriate Armoury section or as part of the Armourers' advise.   An Armourer may advise members to look at more than one vendor to help them with their build, again, this is not an endorsement of the vendor(s).
Each vendor works to a different level of screen-accuracy and their products may need modification to reach the required clearance standard of the club. The vendor list within the Armoury, or in an Armourer's advice, is provided as a base to help a member with their research, these lists are not exhaustive.  Research is vital and is the individual member's full responsibility and any subsequent purchase at their sole discretion.

2 Clearance

2.1 Before a costume can be worn at a UKG official event, it must be cleared by the appropriate GML

2.2 Clearance requests must be submitted using the UK Garrison clearance application system, linked from the 'My UKG' page. Before a costume is submitted for clearance, pictures of the costumer making the costume (if applicable) and wearing the completed costume should be posted in a Work In Progress (WIP) thread in the relevant sub-section of the Armoury section of the forum. An Armourer will check that the finished costume is ready for clearance. To complete the application process, a link to the WIP thread should be copied into the clearance application, along with pictures of the costumer wearing the completed costume.

2.3 The UKG reserves the right that, on rare occasions, costumes can be cleared by members of staff other than a GML. This is at the discretion of the CO alone and dependent on the availability of appropriate staff at the time.

2.4 Costumes are usually cleared within 14 days. However, the process may take up to 28 days as experts in a certain field may need to be contacted for specific advice.

2.5 Once you have been cleared to wear a costume at UK Garrison official events, you will be able to sign up to your induction event (also known as an induction troop).

Your first troop must be an induction event. Please refer to section 3.1 for more details.

2.6 Your clearance is for you in the costume that you detailed in your clearance submission (along with any accessories you may have also submitted). You may apply for clearance with as many costumes as you like.

2.7 Your costume may not be lent to another member or non-member for clearance, or to attend a UKG event.

2.8 Alterations and additions.

Any alterations or additions that change the overall look of your UKG cleared costume are themselves subject to clearance by a GML. Clearance must be received prior to trooping with the modifications. These should be submitted to the appropriate GML in the usual manner. As always please allow enough time for clearance before the event that you wish to costume at.

2.9 When selling a costume that has previously been cleared, any decal applied must be removed before the costume is sold. This applies even if the costume is being sold to another UKG or 501st member. Note that purchasing a 'pre-cleared' costume does not guarantee clearance, and it will need to be re-submitted for clearance because the requirements of clearance are constantly evolving. If in doubt please consult the appropriate GML/Armourer prior to any purchase.

3 New Recruits (NRs), induction and induction events

3.1 Once a member has been cleared, their first troop must be an "Induction" event.

An induction event is an event where a member of staff is present and will have time to conduct new member inductions. These events can be identified by the "INDUCTION" logo in the event title and description. Induction events are the only events that New Recruits (NRs) are permitted to sign up for. Fortunately, there will be many events in this category.

Please note that in order to cover everything that is required for an induction troop, the Troop must allow sufficient time to allow the NR to crew and costume for a reasonable amount of time.

As a NR you should report to the member of staff running the event upon arrival. Your induction will involve learning how the UKG works, having the rules and their meanings explained to you and will, of course, enable any questions you may have to be addressed.

For a period determined by the member of staff, you, as an NR, will be expected to "crew". "Crewing" is the act of being a helper/spotter for our members in costume. Once you have crewed we will then ask you to get into your costume. At this point the member of staff may inspect your costume and any issues that may have been missed by the GML may be brought to your attention. In extreme cases you may not be allowed to troop until these issues are addressed.

Before you troop, your costume will be branded with the official UKG decal where appropriate.

At the end of the event, you are expected to report back to the staff member where any additional questions can be asked and feedback can be offered. Once completed, you will be able to sign up for any event your costume is required for subject to availability.

3.2 When a NR is given full access to the forum, the member will be assigned the 'rank' of "New Recruit", which will show on their profile and below their avatar. This rank will be removed after the member has successfully completed their induction.

4 Events

4.1 Before attending an event:

4.1.1 Make a note of the event description, its requirements and any special instructions for the day, which will be detailed in the event sign-up thread.

4.1.2 Please ensure that you are reasonably certain you can attend the event before you sign up for it. We always need to confirm attendance numbers in advance of an event with the host organiser.

4.1.3 It is also important that you understand the nature and the length of the event. If you attend an event with the UKG, you will be expected to be in costume or act as crew for the full length of the event. If you know that you cannot be there for the whole duration of the event, let the UKG event organiser or a member of staff know your plans in advance and where possible they will try and fit you into the day's schedule. Agreement for a member to attend for part of an event is at the discretion of the UKG event organiser and you may be asked to step aside for someone who can fulfil the event in its entirety.

4.1.4 We understand that circumstances can change, if there are any reasons you are not able to attend the event please inform the UKG event organiser as soon as possible. This, in some cases, can permit the UKG the opportunity to allow another member to attend in your place.

4.1.5 It is generally considered very bad form for a member to drop out of a charitable troop in favour of a non-charitable event.

Please note that although we are volunteers the act of volunteering commits us to fulfil an agreement.

4.2 Members are required to sign up for an event via the forum, this is on a 'first come, first served' basis. Do not ask someone else to sign up for you if you are unable to do so yourself.

4.3 Please keep the sign up threads tidy. The only posts on these threads should be to sign up, or to ask a pertinent question relating to the event.

4.4 When in costume at an event, you should endeavour to stay in the character appropriate to the costume that you are wearing. This is one of the UKG's major selling points and is what the UKG is known for. Please try to uphold this at all times whilst in public in order to maintain the illusion. Please do not use your mobile phone, go shopping, eat lunch or the like whilst in costume and don't carry bags with your shopping in. Remember to BE the character, not just someone dressed up as the character. Try to include the public in the act. You are in character, so interact with the public AS that character.

4.5 When in costume, you should stay in full costume whilst in the public eye. This means not removing your helmet, other armour parts or any other parts of your costume that would not be in character, or true to the movies. Exceptions to this are:

• When instructed by the police or similar
• In the event of an emergency
• Where staying in costume is a health and safety risk to yourself or a third party

4.6 Where possible/practical, crew should wear UKG approved clothing/apparel. This helps the public and the event organisers know who you are. Please note that when dressed in UK Garrison apparel you are representing the UK Garrison. Our name is on your clothes, so your actions will reflect on us. Please maintain a professional attitude and demeanour at all times. You can purchase UKG crew clothing through the Garrison Merchandise section of the forum.

4.7 At an event it is vital that you pay attention to the designated day supervisor and any crew tasked with looking after you. Follow their instruction; help them to help you.

4.8 Do not bring any real world weapons to an event. This includes deactivated firearms, crossbows, knifes, swords etc. Toy guns that have been re-worked to look more realistic are currently not against the law, but we must be careful and sensitive about this. Airsoft guns can be used at some events, at the event organisers' discretion – please check with a member of staff before taking an airsoft weapon to an event. Even then, you must ensure that the airsoft weapon has no ammunition, no batteries/gas and that the weapon is not taken out of the confines of the event. Please remember to be responsible and sensible with weapons whilst in public. Safety is paramount and if you are ever told to holster your weapon by a member of the UKG crew, event staff or by the authorities it is essential you comply.

4.9 Adhere to any specific rules and guidelines for an event and pay attention to any briefing given. Please be aware that information or requirements may change during an event.

4.10 A UKG event is defined as an event prearranged by the UKG Events Team. These events will be subject to all UKG rules and protocol and are covered by the UKG’s Public Liability Insurance.

4.11 If you are aware of an event that you believe would be appropriate for the UKG to attend, please contact the Events Team or ask the event host/contact to complete an ‘Event Request’ (we welcome and encourage members sourcing new opportunities and events for us but have to make sure they meet all of the basic UKG requirements).

4.12 If you attend a non-UKG event in your UKG cleared costume you must remove or cover your UKG decals if present and may not wear UKG apparel. Please note that as the UKG Public Liability Insurance (PLI), see section 14, covers only official UKG events you would not be covered in this instance.

4.13 The UKG attends events to raise money for charity and to help charities fundraise. We are occasionally asked to attend ‘Cast’ and ‘Paid’ events by LfL/Disney, these will be addressed on a case by case basis. We are sometimes offered perks and gifts, which the member is at liberty to do with as they wish but NEVER ask for a reward whilst representing the UKG.

4.14 Do not ask for goods or donations from the event hosts or staff. If you feel there is an opportunity for a donation or to obtain items to be raffled/auctioned off to raise money, bring this to the attention of a member of staff or day supervisor running the event.

4.15 Children at events

The UK Garrison requires a person to be at least eighteen (18) years old in order to join and participate as a member.

The UK Garrison has put in place the following conditions for a member with a family who wish to attend an event where the 'child friendly' logo is shown on the event sign-up, in these circumstances:

4.15.1 A child under the age of eighteen (18) years will be required to have adult supervision at all times from a responsible parent/guardian who is not participating in the event (this participation includes, but is not limited to, costuming or spotting).

4.15.2 As guests of our event host, children will be expected to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and respect the costumers and crew at the event. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure this is adhered to.

4.15.3 Children will have their own changing room but in certain instances they will be allowed into the adult changing room e.g. during the lunch break. If at any time a member feels uncomfortable with this, please approach a member of staff. Please bear in mind that on troops where lunch and snacks are provided this would be for participating members only unless otherwise stated.

4.15.4 A parent/guardian and any child attending under the conditions in section 4.15 should not expect free admission or other privileges extended to the participating member.

4.15.5 if your role at the event is that of the responsible parent/guardian, then the event will not be added to your Service Record.

These privileges may be revoked from any member at the sole discretion of the UK Garrison Command Staff and this may result in the parent and child being asked to leave the event.

Note: Point 4.15 is predicated on the following considerations:

• The event contact (i.e. the company or person engaging the UK Garrison) must give prior permission;
• Members participating in the event should if possible alert a member of staff of any reservations or concerns about having children in the changing room prior to the event;
• The event coordinator, or the person running the event on the day, must give permission.

5 Maintaining active membership

All UKG members are expected to own a costume that has been cleared to troop and attend a troop/event in costume at least once a year.

5.1 Members with costumes in multiple sections of the UK Garrison

The UK Garrison has three costuming sections: 510st Legion, Rebel Command and Reel Icons.  All of a member's costumes in a section are treated as a group for the purposes of Active, Reserve and Retired status.

5.2 Reserve members

All of a member’s costumes in a section (501st, Reel Icons, Rebel Command) will become ‘Reserve’ if the member has not trooped any costume in that section within 12 months.  501st members will be subject to the 501st rules regarding 'Reserve' members and may lose some access to the main 501st forums. A UKG member cannot vote while in ‘reserve’ status.

All of a member's ‘Reserve’ costumes in a section will be returned to active status upon attending a troop and costuming in any cleared costume in the related section (providing they have been in ‘reserve’ status for a period of no longer than 12 months). 501st members will need to contact the GML to have their access to the 501st sections of the main 501st forums restored.

5.3 Inactive (Retired) members

All of a member’s costumes in a section (501st, Reel Icons, Rebel Command) will be ‘Retired’ if they have not trooped any costume in that section within 24 months (i.e. another 12 months on from becoming ‘Reserve’). At this point they will lose access to the costume section’s ‘non-public’ content. 501st members will be subject to the 501st rules regarding 'Retired' members. An ‘Inactive’/’Retired’ member cannot vote.

‘Inactive’/’Retired’ members who wish to return to active status must resubmit their costume(s) for clearance as outlined in section 2.2. 501st members will need to contact the GML to have their access to the 501st sections of the UKG forums and the main 501st forums restored.

Please note costume standards are constantly evolving and as such previously cleared costumes may require upgrades to reflect current standards before being cleared.

A member will revert to a Public Member, (losing access to all non-public UKG forum content) if they have no active costumes.  Public members of the UKG are unable to attend troops.

5.4 Exemption from trooping requirements

Exemptions may be granted at the CO's discretion.

5.5 Members without costumes

The UK Garrison is a costuming club and members are therefore expected to own a costume that has been cleared to troop. Members may temporarily be without a costume and in these circumstances the Command Staff may allow members working on a new costume, with the intention of submitting it for clearance, to attend troops as a spotter.

5.6 Removal of accounts

Public Members will have their accounts removed if they:

• have not logged into the forum within 6 weeks of registration/approval; or
• have not logged into the forum within 6 months and have never posted; or
• have not posted within a 12-month period, even if they have logged into the forum in that time.

5.7 Discharged members

A discharged member will have all access to the UKG forum and if relevant the 501st forum revoked. Any account directly linked to a discharged member’s account, including any Associate member’s account, will also have all forum access removed and their membership to the UKG will also cease.

6 Associate Members

An Associate member is defined as a nominated person attached to a cleared member's account and is allowed to attend events as an official spotter subject to successful completion of an induction.

6.1 Associate membership may be granted subject to the following conditions:

6.1.1 The nominating member must be a fully-cleared costuming member who has attended at least 6 troops of which at least 2 troops must have been charity/community events;

6.1.2 Only the partner of a cleared member can apply for Associate membership; this is not open to extended family or friends;

6.1.3 The proposed Associate member will be required to have his or her own independent account on the UKG Forum;

6.1.4 The Associate member agrees to attend at least 5 troops in a 12 month period of which at least 2 troops must be charity/community events;

6.2 If the above conditions are not met after a 12-month period the Associate membership may be permanently revoked. Command Staff may consider any exceptional circumstances that may have prevented the Associate Member from fulfilling their commitment if these are presented within the 12-month period.

6.3 Command Staff reserve the right to revoke the Associate membership at any time, including where the nominating member had been discharged (see 5.7).

6.4 Associate membership is a privilege not a right and it would be expected that those who are granted Associate membership will respect and abide by all UKG rules and guidelines whilst representing the club.

6.5 Individuals who wish to apply for Associate membership should contact the CO in the first instance.

 

7 Expenses

For certain events the reimbursement of expenses may be offered by either the event host or at the discretion of the CO. Reimbursement may include costs of transporting props, travel costs, fuel costs, parking costs and/or food. Please refer to the information on the event sign up regarding what may be claimed for if expenses are offered, and how to claim it. The amount that can be claimed may also be capped at a pre-set limit. This limit is not a target and where possible we should endeavour to reduce the cost to the host, by car sharing etc.

No expenses will be paid for attending a troop other than those specified in the event sign up thread.

Non-event related expenses that may include PR materials, repair materials for props, etc. may also be reimbursed under certain circumstances at the discretion of the CO.

7.1 How to claim expenses:

7.1.1 For expenses incurred on troops, these may be reimbursed in one of two ways:

• The event host may offer to pay the pre-arranged expenses on the day, or;
• Expenses will be claimed from the UK Garrison Supporter’s fund, in which case a claim must be submitted to the Treasurer detailing the expense; a copy of all relevant receipts must be attached.

Regardless of the method of reimbursement, all receipts should be retained as the claiming of expenses will not be possible without these.

7.1.2 For any other expenses which members wish to claim, a request must be submitted in writing (in advance of incurring any expense) to both the CO and Treasurer to obtain agreement that the expense can be reimbursed from the UKG Supporters’ Fund. The request should include an itemised list of the expenses being requested for reimbursement, along with an expected cost (estimated where not known). To claim the actual expense reimbursement, a claim must be submitted to the Treasurer detailing the expense; a copy of all relevant receipts must be attached. This process applies to any requests for members to embark upon any project on the behalf of the UK Garrison that may involve out of pocket expenses that they would like reimbursed.

8 Suggestions and ideas

8.1 Suggestions are always welcome and should be posted in the Suggestions section of the forum. This area is for suggestions and ideas regarding the general running of the UKG. Please do not post ideas or comments in any other section.

8.2 The Suggestions Review Team will then review and discuss your suggestion and if they decide it is feasible they will put a proposal to the Command Staff for review and possible implementation.

9 Complaints and Disciplinary procedure

All complaints should ideally be received in writing so there is a record for all parties.

9.1 How to raise a concern or complaint:

9.1.1 If you have a concern or complaint about another member (including a member of staff or Associate member), you should bring it to the attention of the CoG in the first instance.

9.1.2 If the CoG is unavailable, unable to satisfy your complaint/concern, or is the subject of your complaint/ concern then the issue can be directed to the XO or CO.

9.1.3 If you would rather not raise your issue with the CoG, XO or CO or you would rather raise it anonymously then you can approach the Safeguarding Officer who can help resolve it or escalate it on your behalf. As with the any Staff member you raise this with, the Safeguarding Officer will deal with your issue in strictest confidence. See also section 10.

9.1.4 After this stage the person to whom you raised the complaint will advise you of the escalation procedure, which for 501st issues will ultimately be the LCoG.

9.1.5 All complaints will be dealt with confidentially and according to UKG (and 501st) rules as applicable.

9.2 The level of any disciplinary action to be taken will be determined on a case-by-case basis. This may range from a short suspension from the forum, to exclusion from the UKG (and the 501st if applicable) and any detachments associated with the aforementioned.

9.3 Official disciplinary procedure for lesser offences

Lesser offences can include but are not limited to:

• Harassment of fellow members
• Abuse or violation of forum privileges
• Inappropriate behaviour whilst attending a UKG event
• Inappropriate contact with an event host
• Inappropriate contact with the media

These incidents will be dealt with by the relevant person (see 9.1) on a case-by-case basis. 501st members are at liberty to escalate to the LCoG if circumstances warrant (full details of this process can be found in the 501st Legion’s Operations Protocol under Disciplinary Hearing Process);

Guilty offences may result in either a period of probation, a period of suspension or discharge.

9.4 Offences constituting Gross Misconduct

UK Garrison members (or Associate members) who engage in acts of gross misconduct may be permanently excluded from the club subject to an investigation of the alleged behaviour(s). The following list is an indication of some offences that may fall within this category, which includes (but is not limited to):

• Theft, embezzlement, fraud or falsification of financial records or funds intended for charity;
• Fighting with or assault (including sexual) upon another person;
• Violent or sexual acts against children;
• Wilful disregard of safety rules or precautions;
• Threatening harm against the person or property of an individual via phone/voice mail, messages, texts, forums, social media, or in writing.
• Deliberate damage to another person's property, including the UKG's or event host's property;
• Serious negligence, which causes unacceptable loss, damage or injury;
• Being impaired at a UKG event due to the influence of alcohol or other substances;
• Distribution or administration of an illegal substance at a UKG event;
• Discrimination or harassment for any reason including acts of incitement or discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexuality or sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, disability, size or age;
• Involvement in activities which create a direct conflict with UKG interests;
• Criminal behaviour resulting in:
  • The requirement to register on the Registered Sex Offenders database;
  • A conviction for ABH (Actual Bodily Harm) or above;
  • A conviction for any offence for Class B drugs possession with intent to supply or cultivation;
  • A conviction for of ANY Class A drugs offence;
  • A conviction for any offence relating to theft.
• Undisclosed unspent criminal convictions of any of the above offences will result in a default discharge. Please refer to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 for a more detailed explanation of when a conviction is deemed as spent.

In the event of a member being accused of being involved in an offence of this nature, a full investigation of the circumstances will be undertaken immediately. If the investigation finds any merit in the charges then this will be escalated to a private hearing held by:

• In the case of 501st members, the Legion Council (See Hearings for Major Offenses in the 501st Legion’s Operations Protocol);
• For all other members, the GCoG.

If appropriate, the member may be suspended during the period of the investigation.

If the GCoG, or in the case of 501st members the Legion Council, are satisfied that the member is guilty of the offence of which they are accused, that member will be discharged from the UKG (and 501st if applicable) without further notice.

A member of the 501st will have the right to appeal against termination through the LCoG.

  10 Safeguarding Policy

The UKG has implemented a Safeguarding Policy managed and overseen by a UKG Safeguarding Officer whose role is to be the point of contact and action for all issues detailed within the safeguarding document.

The Safeguarding Policy describes what you can expect and what is expected of you when it comes to safeguarding all during your time with the UK Garrison. Please ensure you read and understand this policy.

The UKG Safeguarding Officer is a role independent from the UKG staff. They act on their own initiative and without bias.

11 Fan films

The UKG does not officially or otherwise endorse or support any fan films.

If you agree to appear in a fan film, you must remove/cover all UKG decals from your costume and may not wear any UKG apparel. Also, be aware that you do this as an individual and not as a member of the UKG as such the UKG Public Liability Insurance will not cover you.

12 Media interviews

12.1 All media interviews must be sanctioned by the GPRO or GCO prior to participation.

12.2 Costumed members must not participate verbally in filmed interviews. A crew member or one of the Command Staff should be nominated to respond to interview questions. Costumed members may be seen in shot.

13 Product Endorsement

At the request of LFL, costumers should endeavour to not be seen to be endorsing a commercial product or company in public. This includes, but is not limited to, holding, pointing, wearing, sitting or standing on any branded item or logo. This also includes LFL/Disney licensed products without the express permission of LFL/Disney. Endorsing charities is permitted. Members in official UKG clothing at an event also need to be mindful of this directive.

14 Merchandise

14.1 Any items bearing the words "501st Legion", "Fighting 501st", "Vader's Fist", the 501st Logo, “UKG”, “UK Garrison”, “ISS”, “Imperial Scottish Squad”, “VRS”, “Vectis Remnant Squad”, “IWS”, “Imperial Welsh Squad and their respective logos and URLs are considered representative of the 501st Legion/UK Garrison. Any proposed items must be submitted in the first instance to the GCO and GMBO for approval. The GMBO will then submit details of the item to the LMBOs for legion level approval. Further details can be found in the Merchandising & Branding section of the 501st Legion Operations Protocol

14.2 Reel Icons and Rebel Command merchandise requires approval from the GCO and GMBO only.

15 Public Liability Insurance

The UKG holds Public Liability Insurance for the members of the UKG to the value of £5,000,000. This insurance is in places to cover the attendance of the UKG at UKG sanctioned events. A copy of the insurance can be obtained by contacting the UKG Events Team or command@ukgarrison.co.uk.

16 Closure

The UKG reserve the right to amend and update these rules at any time. In such instances, where possible, due notice will be given. In all cases an announcement will be posted to alert members to the update.

It is the member's responsibility to keep abreast of the rules and to familiarise themselves with the new or amended rules.

These rules are a condition of your Membership with the caveat that they will not infringe upon your human rights.

Appendix A: Organisational Chart

Further information regarding UKG staff roles and our current staff members can be found in the Meet the team section.

Appendix B: Common terms and abbreviations used by the UKG

ANH	A New Hope
AotC	Attack of the Clones
CRL	Costume Reference Library (found on the 501st legion website)
Detachments	Special resource groups that focus on a specific costume or costume category
ESB	Empire Strikes Back
Forum	The online discussion forum on the UKG website provided for use by members
GA	Galactic Academy. Star Wars costuming club for the under 18s
Gold Patch	Awarded to members who have gone out of their way to benefit the UKG in some way
Graham Campbell Award	Awarded periodically to an outstanding member who exemplifies the ethos of the UK Garrison and who has gone above and beyond as a member to forward the vision and beliefs of our founder Graham Campbell
Greeblie	A detail piece added to a prop or costume to add depth and dimension to the piece.
LfL	Lucasfilm Limited
HF	Honorary Friend
HM	Honorary Member
NR	New Recruit
Outpost	Outposts are fledgling 501st Garrisons with less than 25 members
PLI	Public Liability Insurance
PM	Private Message
PR	Public Relations
RL	Rebel Legion. 501st Legion’s sister club that covers Star Wars costuming for the “good” guys
RLUK	Rebel Legion UK. UKG’s sister club in the UK that covers Star Wars costuming for the “good” guys
RotJ	Return of the Jedi
RotS	Revenge of the Sith
Squad	A sub-group of a Garrison concentrating on events and trooping in a specific geographical area
TCW	The Clone Wars
Tech Droid	UKG’s webmaster
TFA	The Force Awakens
TOTM	Legion trooper of the month
TOTY	UKG trooper of the year
TPM	The Phantom Menace
Troop/event	An occasion where the services of the UKG have been officially engaged
Website	The UK Garrison public website at www.ukgarrison.co.uk and all other related URLs

 

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