Scarab phases of membership (In Game)

Recruit
Scarab actively recruits in all of the games it is currently playing. To join Scarab please check the Game Message Board and look for a post entitled "Recruitment or How to Join", follow the guidelines laid out in that message and you will be a Full Member in that game in no time at all. The exact length of time and requirements to move into Full Membership from Recruit status varies from game to game and is a function of the in-game leadership.

Full Members:
These members wear the SCARAB tag, but may also join other guilds and/or play on other servers in sanctioned (have an Official Scarab presence) games.

• Full members have access to all non-secure SCARAB message boards.
• Full Members will be granted access to the secure message board for the game(s) they are involved in.
• Full Members have voting privileges in any game they are involved in. An example of this would be if the Guildmaster (GM) asked the players if they wanted to absorb another guild.
• Full members may join SCARAB in other games by petitioning that game's GM and Master/Mistress of Admissions(MoA) and following their recruitment system.

Game Officers:
These positions are created by the GM of a game and may be either appointed by the GM or elected from the game's population at the GM's discretion.

• The GM has complete latitude over the role and quantity of the officers for that game.
• Game Officers are not by themselves granted Inner Circle access, however, Inner Circle members may be game officers and are strongly encouraged to participate in games.

Guildmaster:
This position is the highest level of in-game leadership and inter-guild diplomacy.

• The Guildmaster should be well spoken and levelheaded, intimately familiar with guild policy and game mechanics, and be willing and able to lead Scarab in in-game activities.
• Only Elder Members of the guild may serve as Guildmasters.
• You can only serve as the GM of one game at a time.
• The GM is the permanent representative of that sanctioned game to the IC and has equal voting rights with elected IC members.
• The Guildmaster is responsible for delegating in-game officers as needed to ensure the success of Scarab.
• The Guildmaster will hold this position until they decide to step down, the guild decides to stop playing the current game they are actively involved in, or by a vote to remove the GM is passed by 3/4 vote of the Inner Circle.
• The Guildmaster of each game will moderate an officer board to discuss in-game issues with their appointed in-game officers.
• The GM is responsible for setting up a system of recruiting in that game consistent with the needs of the guild in that game and in keeping with the Scarab tradition of finding quality members.
• No formal approval of the recruitment policy is required by the IC per se, but the GM should remember that any Regular Members added in one game may eventually petition for Elder Member Status and therefore a diligent effort should be made to find quality candidates.

Out of Game Membership:
Elder Members (Updated June 15, 2008):
Being invited to be an Elder is the highest honor bestowed upon a member of Scarab. It is at this point that the relationship between other Elders and a Full Member transcends the game and extends into real life. When three existing Elders decide that a person is someone they (hopefully after meeting them in RL) would allow into their own home, they can petition the IC for Elder membership. Those Elders must make a case for their prospect based on years of friendship, trust, love, and maybe even how they play the game du jour. These are people that are to become our family members... our kin, our blood, our FAMILY. So the request should reflect that consideration. At the same time, Elder membership is not offered whimsically. Before you accept, consider whether you are prepared to make a long term commitment to uphold and demonstrate guild principles. Also consider that in order to maintain Elder status there are certain expectations:

• Elder members are Scarabs who have chosen to forego joining other guilds and who have dedicated themselves to building the Scarab family.
• Elder members may join another guild in games where there is no Scarab presence.
• Elder Members have voting privileges for any non-game specific vote and any in-game vote for which they are a member of that game.
• Elder members are automatically granted membership in all SCARAB sanctioned games.
• Elder Members will receive access to all secure game boards plus the General Secure board and the Scarabs Together board.
• If an Elder Member leaves in good standing, the IC may grant continued access to the Scarab Together forum.
• Only Elder Members may volunteer to serve on the Inner Circle.
• Any Elder Member who leaves Scarab in a sanctioned game in order to play with another guild will lose all membership of Scarab for 6 months. The member will have to re-apply as a recruit after this period. A repeat violation will result in permanent removal from the guild.
• Elders are expected to vote in the IC elections and on matters pertaining to Guild policy when such measures are put before the Guild.
• If an Elder member does not vote in two consecutive Inner Circle Elections, they will be reduced to Full Member for a period of at least 6 months, or until the next IC election cycle. (An abstention is considered a vote if the Elder Member submits that by email)These members may return to Elder Status after petitioning the IC and a vote taking place.
• Continued participation in guild forums, and acquaintance thereby with an assortment of SCARAB's.
• Intimate (friend, significant other) or familial relationship with existing Elder SCARAB(s) will be given due consideration for immediate instatement as Elders with the approval of the IC.

Additionally, while there is no age restriction to becoming an Elder Member, we have put the following age restrictions on certain forums, positions or attendance of events:

• Access to the Scarab Together board - 18 or older.
• Inner Circle or Guildmaster service - 18 or older.
• Invitation to Scarabfest events - 21 or over.

Inner Circle:

• Members of the Inner Circle provide leadership through shaping policy and voting on key issues.
• The Inner Circle is not an in-game leadership body.
• Its purpose is to handle issues that affect the guild as a whole (website administration, discipline issues, involvement in non-core games, policies that impact multiple games, etc).
• Members of the Inner Circle must maintain an active presence by participating in all official discussions and all votes unless they have given some prior notice that they will be unavailable.
• The Inner Circle will abide by the Code of Leadership. They will not treat their position as one of authority and will at all times perform their duties to the best of their ability and treat all members with respect.
• Inner Circle members have no individual authority. In order to prevent possible abuse, the full Inner Circle must approve all actions through votes called by the Inner Circle Leader.
• There will be an election every 6 months to keep the Inner Circle and the Leader of the IC active and representative of the guild as a whole.
• If an Inner Circle member steps down, that position will not be filled until the next general election.
• There is no set limit to the number of terms an Elder Member may serve on the IC.
• The Inner Circle has a secure forum to discuss issues.
• The Inner Circle will have a minimum of seven members, with a ratio of 1:7 IC to voting Elder Members. If the ratio dictates more than seven members, then as many Inner Circle positions that correspond to the ratio will be elected.
• If you serve in a game, or the guild in general, in a capacity that allows you to be on the Inner Circle and have voting privileges, you may not run for IC (i.e. GM). If you step down, or the chapter is dissolved you will retain full Inner Circle access, as well as normal voting rights, until the next term. At that time, you would need to run for the Inner Circle.
• If you serve in a game, or the guild in general, in a capacity that allows you to have access to the IC board but you do not have voting privileges, you may run for the Inner Circle so that you can have voting rights (i.e. an MOA, Webmaster, Guild Historian).
• Inner Circle members will be granted access to all Scarab message boards.
• Inner Circle members must be age 18 or older.

Inner Circle Leader:

• This position is voted upon by the Inner Circle Members at the start of each term by simple majority.
• The Inner Circle Leader shall report weekly to the guild on the General Secure board a summary of discussions being held by the Inner Circle.
• The Inner Circle Leader shall call all votes being held on the Inner Circle board.
• The Inner Circle Leader should cast the final vote so that his/her vote may be used to break a tie.

Webmaster:
This position is appointed by the IC, rather then elected. The Webmaster shall have access to the IC board but will not have voting rights. The Webmaster position shall be held by one person indefinitely, until such time as he/she steps down, or the IC votes to remove and replace the individual. Any major changes to the website (determined by the Webmaster) shall be brought before the IC for discussion and/or voting. The duties of the Webmaster include, but are not limited to:

• Providing a consistent look to our website.
• Roster Updates.
• News Updates.
• Making sure the website is up and running.
• Delegating projects to other guild members.

Historian:
This position is appointed by the IC, rather then elected. The Historian shall have access to the IC board but will not have voting rights. The Historian position shall be held by one person indefinitely, until such time as he/she steps down, or the IC votes to remove and replace the individual. The historian's duties are meant to keep record of historically significant events that shape the in game and out of game life of the guild. Responsibilities of the historian include, but are not limited to:

• Compiling yearly historical volumes about the in game and out of game events of the guild.
• Receiving member submissions on historically relevant information.
• Recording election results for guild leadership positions.

Other game information:
We support our members in their desire to play games, and therefore, Scarab provides secure message boards for other games for which there is sufficient interest level. Scarab members in another Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game can petition the Inner Circle to become an officially sanctioned Scarab presence (in that game) by following these provisions. While we certainly do not expect all Elder Member playing games to form a chapter, wherever there seems to be an interest in a game a guild chapter should at least be attempted before Elder Members begin tagging in other guilds.

• At least (3) three Elder Scarab Members are intending to play the game.
• The in-game world would logically support a guild of Scarab’s nature, belief and rules.
• Follow the Code of Conduct and the Code of Chivalry stated in the Charter.
• Created a basic list of rules for that chapter that includes what the approach to crafting, raids, recruitment....
• One of the Elder Members in the guild agrees to serve, and is elected by simple majority, as Guildmaster for the game.

If approved by the Inner Circle, the active players in that game would be welcome to:

• Use the moniker “Scarab” with their names.
• Begin recruitment of additional players from the game to join the guild as Regular Members.
• Have a General, Secure and Officer Message board started for members of that game.

To assist with our membership in their enjoyment of online gaming it may become necessary to remove an official Scarab sanction from a game. The rules governing this are as follows:

• Three or fewer Elder members are currently maintaining active accounts.
• The Inner Circle has voted and passed the motion to remove the guild sanction with a 75% vote.

Complaints:
We will treat a complaint from any Recruit, Full or Elder member in the following way:

• The person lodging the complaint (complainant) will send either a Private Message to the Guild Master (GM) of their game or to the Inner Circle Leader (ICL). This message should contain a general idea of the complainant’s problems.
• The GM or the ICL will review the complaint and contact the member to ask questions and to gain a greater understanding of the problem.
• The GM or the ICL will contact the accused and ask for their side of the story.
• The GM or the ICL will post the complaint and all details on either the Officer Board or the Inner Circle Board.
• The in-game officers or the IC will debate the problem and issue a decision.
• The decision will be sent to both the complainant and the accused, as well as posted in the message thread. The thread will be locked on the message boards but retained in case of future disputes or problems.
• The case will be considered closed.

Defining "Scarab Presence"
The Inner Circle as a whole shall define what the Scarab Presence means for a particular game. Some of the basic rules governing this will be:

• Type of Servers available in a game.
• Type of Playstyles available in a game.
• Factions of characters and how they interact.

For example - Scarab at the time of this update (June 16, 2008) maintains two different presences in World of Warcraft. The first is on a Player versus Enviroment (PvE) Server playing the Alliance Faction. The second is a RolePlaying (RP) Horde Faction presence. No Elder Member may be in a different guild unless that guild is on a Player versus Player server (PvP).