vield
Posts: 354
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline
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You are getting a lot of good advice, Mike. The posts here reflect that not everyone agrees on ways and means, and this is correct because life is that way.
I've seen a lot of groups of several types form and have helped with some of them. I have seen some fail, too.
I suggest that you and those you plan to share leadership with simply put your heads together and start listing what you want and what you do not want this group to accomplish.
You can go very simple, with few membership requirements, no agenda, no demos or speakers and with simply a regularly scheduled time and place for people to get together and socialize. You will need to require an age minimum for legal purposes. No group containing any legal adults can have people below the legal adult age as members without breaking a number of laws, even if you do not play but only discuss things. The one possible exception is if the group becomes a church legally certified as such by your state.
E-groups are easy to form on yahoo and other places, but without regular meetings at a known time and place these will not get you very far. Some groups require attending meetings before joining an e-group, some do not.
As most such groups meet in bars in this part of the country, members usually will have to meet drinking age requirements. Often gay bars are very open to allowing BD/SM meetings on their premises, especially at slow times like a Saturday afternoon.
If you have a maximum age limit you will need some way to verify that.
If a simple social group has no membership paperwork at all, there is nothing to be subpeonaed if an opposing group like the religious right objects to you.
Many groups do require members to attend a meeting and sign a waiver agreeing to follow the group rules, which can be as simple or elaborate as you like. The group will need to agree about who keeps the waivers and what info they include. Most agree to respect group rules, the privacy of other members, and some agree not to use cameras including cell phone cameras at gatherings.
One can go the route of developing bylaws and elected officers or one can "own" a group personally and decide what happens yourself, or many options between those choices.
You can become a corporation. Then you will need legal advice.
If you have required membership fees you will automatically come under government rules in most states about establishing things like record keeping, tax numbers and paying taxes, and paid members may be liable for a portion of any legal judgements a group may suffer. This may in fact be the right way to go if the group is going to rent property or run a business.
If you simply request donations, most of these legalities need not come up.
Before you try to rent a hotel and have a big regional scene party, best get the cadre of your group organized and make sure you have people who know what they are doing to staff the event. Especially an adequate staff of trained DM's will be necessary, and a trained security staff covering entry and exit to your play space.
Your own group or your new group can be great fun, but if it is to succeed it will be a lot of work too.
_____________________________
As always, your mileage may vary!
vield
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