Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct is to provide guidance to all Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous (GFGR) members. It is to help ensure that the behavior of one individual does not adversely disturb the rest of the members and that all members, regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual preference, age, or nationality have a safe and welcoming environment in which to game and socialize. It applies to all pre-con, at con, and post-con activities as well as any game days hosted or co-hosted by GFGR. All members are encouraged to read this Code and ask questions about anything that they do not understand.

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous is prepared to deal with any violations of the code as legally, rapidly, and efficiently as possible. We hope that all members will help to make Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous an enjoyable experience for all, by respecting the rights of all attendees while in attendance.

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous reserves the right to revoke membership and eject any individual at any time from any Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous related event or activity. No refunds of membership fees will be provided.

Failure to adhere to the code of conduct may result in any or all of the following:

Click links below to view individual sections

BADGES:

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous is a membership event and membership badges must be worn at all times by all members and staff, except during special events when badges are not required. A badge is only valid for the individual to whom it was issued. Badges may not be shared. Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous requires that all individuals have membership badges for the convention, and that they be clearly visible by being worn above the waist when at Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous. Badges for infants or small children may be worn or carried by a parent or guardian.

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PERSONAL INTERACTION – HARRASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION

We ask that you respect others so that everyone is comfortable and feels safe while attending Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous.

Harassment of others will not be tolerated and is a violation of the code of conduct and subject to the penalties for violating the code of conduct.

If someone asks you to leave them alone or tells you no, you walk away, and you do not approach them again. There is no reason for you to have any further interaction with them. Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated and is a violation of the code of conduct.

Discrimination is not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or physical/mental disability.

If you feel that you have been harassed or discriminated against:

PLEASE keep in mind that unless an incident is reported, nothing can be done.

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ETIQUETTE:

All Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous members should follow basic etiquette at all GFGR pre-con, con, and post-con events. Basic etiquette includes, but is not limited to:

No dice throwing. GMs reserve the right to ask any player to leave the table for throwing dice, minis, pens/pencils, or anything else in anger or frustration. Failure to comply may result in GFGR security or staff being called.

Limit your profanity. GFGR does not seek to hinder free speech, but we are a private organization that is family oriented and reserve the right to ask members to limit their profanity in public areas, such as the merchants’ room, art room, hospitality room, large gaming room, and hallways, as these are areas most likely to also have children present. In the semi-private gaming rooms, profanity will be allowed solely at the discretion of GMs running games. If a GM requests you watch your language, please comply with the GM’s wishes. The GM has a right to ask anyone who fails to comply to leave the table. Failure to leave may result in GFGR security or staff being called.

Police your area before you leave. After your game is over or after a panel is over, please take ALL garbage and personal belongings with you. You may be asked to return and pick up after yourself if you fail to comply. If you are asked to pick up after yourself and you decline to do so, GFGR security or staff may be called.

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PUBLIC PARTIES:

At this time, no public parties are allowed in conjunction with Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous.

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HOTEL INTERACTIONS:

We ask that you follow any and all rules set by the convention hotels.

The person whose name the room is rented to is solely responsible for the conduct of all individuals in the room and the condition of the room. Excessive trash, any act of vandalism, deliberate or excessive damage to hotel room and its contents, or any interference with hotel staff that may present a hazard to said hotel staff will result in the hotel taking control of the situation.

Individuals, regardless of whose name the room is rented in, will be billed for said damages by the hotel. In addition, individuals may be evicted from the hotel and/or the convention and may also face criminal charges.

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SMOKING:

The Montana Clean Indoor Air Act (Montana Code Annotated 50-40-1) requires all enclosed public places and workplaces to be smoke free and it requires businesses to prominently place smoke free signs on all public entrances.

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PETS:

The hotel is “pet friendly”, but does have a specific policy on pets. Please check with the hotel on the specifics of their pet fees and policy. Any pet owners must strictly adhere to the hotel policies.

Service/companion animals will always be allowed at GFGR events.

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COSPLAY AND COSTUMES:

These rules are for costumes (cosplay) and props worn around the event location, at events, and in public areas. If you’re not sure if your costume or prop is acceptable, ask a GFGR staff member. Costumes and props are unacceptable if any of the following apply:

The cosplay or prop is used or handled unsafely. Don’t use a cape to block someone’s vision, don’t spin around while swinging your foam sword, etc.

The cosplay or prop fails to comply with local laws. Your cosplay leaves your feet bare. Some form of footwear must be worn at all times. The cosplay or prop includes any total or partial nudity. Nudity is defined as fully visible and/or uncovered nipples, buttocks, and/or genitals. Please note that accidental “wardrobe malfunctions” if taken care of quickly do not constitute a violation.

Your cosplay or prop has vulgar remarks or hate speech. While you may know that your Axis Powers Hetalia cosplay is just for fun, others – especially hotel guests not attending GFGR –might not realize that your authentic Waffen-SS uniform complete with swastika is from an anime.

Your cosplay or prop will damage hotel property. If you’re wearing spiked shoulder pads, you may end up tearing up seats and/or walls. Any damage to the hotel that you cause, you are liable for.

Your cosplay or prop extends more than six inches (6”) from your body. Props can’t be greater in height than the person carrying them. Your 13-foot tall BattleMech may be awesome, but it could easily topple over and hurt someone.

No live steel. This is any object crafted from metal with a blade or a pointed edge, whether it is sharp or blunt. All prop weapons – fake swords, daggers, axes, etc. – must be kept in a sheath or hanging from a belt loop at all times. Long weapons, such as quarterstaves or fake spears must never be swung around or pointed at anyone. All prop weapons must be peace bonded at all times. For staves or fake spears, the peace bond is symbolic of your acceptance of the rules not to swing or use the prop weapon. All props must be peace bonded at Registration or Security. Security personnel will be responsible for monitoring for peace bonding and may ask you to leave if you remove the peace bonding outside of the costume contest. An exception to the rule on sheathed weapons is the Cosplay Contest. Weapons may be unsheathed/unholstered and used as part of your presentation, but must return to the sheath as soon as the contest is over. This only applies to individuals actually entered into the contest.

No actual firearms, real or replica. This includes Airsoft guns. GFGR would hate for your experience to include a free trip to jail, courtesy of GFPD, or worse, a not-so-free trip to the ER, courtesy of someone who didn’t know your Airsoft M4 wasn’t real and wasn’t being pointed at them. If you must have some sort of replica (like a blaster for your Han Solo cosplay or Mal Reynold’s pistol), then it must be obvious it is not a working weapon – such as a blaze orange tip to the barrel.

No fireable props. Any Nerf guns must be unloaded and bows must be unstrung.

No laser pointers.

If you are wearing body paint, please properly seal it! Body paint can be difficult for hotel staff to remove and may even cause damage to the hotel.

Males wearing tight fitting costumes are required to wear a dance belt. If you do not adhere to this rule, we will ask you to leave and change.

All military, law enforcement, and other emergency service costumes should be easily distinguishable from official uniforms.

If your cosplay or props are unacceptable, GFGR staff will ask you to return to your room and remove said cosplay or prop. If you are unwilling or unable to do so, you will be in violation of the Code of Conduct.

Again, if you’re unsure what is acceptable or not, please contact a GFGR staff representative and we’ll be happy to help.

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PRIVACY, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND ELECTRONIC RECORDING:

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous members should be aware that photographs, video, and audio recordings occur during the convention, and that their likenesses may appear in these recordings. Attendees and members agree to assign without compensation the use of their likenesses for the use of promotion material.

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous welcomes members of the press to all events. All journalists, media photographers, and any other members of the press are required to display an official Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous badge or be accompanied by a GFGR staff member at all times.

Members should be polite and ask before taking photographs or recordings of members and attendees whenever possible. photographs, video, and audio recordings for personal archival use is generally acceptable, unless an individual makes it clear that they do not wish to be photographed or recorded, in which case it becomes expressly forbidden.

The usage of photographic or recording devices is prohibited in certain area of the convention including the AMV Room, Art Show, and Art Auction. Where allowed, please take photographs before or after a program event to avoid distracting panelists and audience members to the maximum extent possible.

Secretly photographing or videoing/filming anyone in a lewd manner or taking “upskirt” photos/videos will be dealt with under the Personal Interaction section of this code, and may result in criminal charges via Montana Code Annotated 45-5-223 (Surreptitious visual observation or recordation).

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SALES OF MERCHANDISE:

The offering for sale of any merchandise may only occur in designated areas with the permission of Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous. Typically, this will only be the merchants’ room and the art room, but may include other areas at the discretion of the GFGR staff.

GFGR will provide security for the merchants’ room and art room during operating hours and will lock the doors to the rooms at night. GFGR security will do their best to prevent any loss of merchandise, but ultimately GFGR is not financially responsible for the loss of any merchandise. Any lost or stolen merchandise should be reported to GFGR security or staff as soon as possible. If necessary, Great Falls Police will be summoned as well.

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GENERAL DISCLAIMERS:

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous is not responsible for the damage, loss, or theft of any personal property. Any games, game materials, costume props, cameras, cell phones, or any other property is the sole responsibility of the owner. GFGR security and staff will assist in attempting to find or recover lost or stolen property, but are not financially responsible for the items.

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INTERPRETATIONS:

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous reserves the right to amend the code of conduct at any time without prior or posted notice and reserves the sole right of interpretation. The rules stated above are not all inclusive and involve worst case scenarios. Any action or behavior that is illegal, unsafe, or causes significant interference with convention operations, excessive discomfort to members, or adversely affects Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous’ relationship with its guests, the venue, or the public is strictly forbidden.

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