Recruit,

1) I, Sponsor, give my name as your sponsor in our Kinship.
* Prior practice is to allow only one character into the Kinship per Recruit.  When he or she has achieved Membership status, they are at liberty to bring alts into the Kinship at their discretion.
* Prior practice is that only Officers of the Kinship may enroll new Recruits.  Members may forward names of prospective Recruits to an Officer, but should refrain from constant lobbying of Officers to recruit new members.
* If an Officer should refuse to admit a suggestion of recruitment, that is their discretion.  The Member may then forward their suggestion to the The Leader for final arbitration.
* Sponsors should introduce their Recruits to the Kinship at large via Kinship Mail (in-game).

2) Your actions are considered extensions of mine own.  I have no cause to doubt either your behavior or your willingness to help fellow kin.
* Officers who intend on inducting a new Recruit must have, prior to the invitation, had the opportunity to interact with that player on at least more than one or two occasions.
* Officers should meet with, discuss, and otherwise play with prospective Recruits to determine their level of expertise, level of maturity, and willingness to be a part of the Kinship and all that entails.
* Once a prospective Recruit is admitted to the Kinship, it is understood by the Membership of the Kinship that this Recruit has been suitably scrutinized by his or her Sponsor.  Therefore, Members of the Kinship should try to include the Recruit and welcome him or her as best as they can.

3) I shall be held accountable for your deportment within the Kinship until granted the autonomy of Member status at Convocation.
* Sponsors are ultimately responsible for the behavior of their Recruit, both in and out of the Kinship.  Meaning, the behavior of the Recruit outside the auspices of the Kinship is still a reflection of the Kinship as a whole.  Therefore, all complaints against a Recruit, regardless of their origin, are valid concerns.
* Sponsors will initially deal with their Recruits in the case of such complaints.  An attempt on both parties must be made to rectify the situation.  Any Officer of the Kinship can serve as a mediator at the request of both parties if necessary.
* If such cannot be agreed upon, then the Recruit can be removed from the Kinship as the discretion of The Sponsor, The Leader, or by a quorum of Officers at Convocation.
* Sponsors and Kinship Members are expected to treat any new Recruit with fairness and respect.  Complaints regarding a Sponsor or any Member of the Kinship should be forwarded to The Leader if an initial meeting between the parties involved take place and the issue is not resolved.
* Sponsors who are found to be consistantly irresponsible in their selection of Recruits will be reduced to Member status or disallowed Recruiting powers by a quorum of Officers at Convocation.

4) Member Status will be granted to Recruits by a quorum of the Officers at Convocation after a period of time within the Kinship.  Officer Status will follow the same procedure.

Promotion: Recruit to Member
* In order to Promote a Recruit to Members Status, their Sponsor must submit an official Recommendation for Promotion either
	o a) to The Leader (for posting to the Officer Discussion forum), or
	o b) by posting the Recommendation directly to the Officer Discussion forum.
* A quorum of the Officers must have the opportunity to assess and discuss the fitness of any possible Recruit candidate at Convocation.  A vote shall be taken, with a simple majority being necessary for Promotion.

Elevation: Member to Officer
* In order to Elevate a Member to Officer Status, at least two (2) Officers must submit an official Recommendation of Elevation to Officer Status via the means stated above.
* A quorum of the Officers must have the opportunity to assess and discuss the fitness of any possible Recruit candidate at Convocation.  A vote shall be taken, with a 2/3 majority being necessary for Elevation.


5) In the Kinship, We speak in whole sentences of English spelling (albeit old English for some of us) and occasional unrepentantly _ADULT_ nature.
* Prior practice dictates that we need to communicate clearly via chat or voice, therefore English spellings and usage are the expected norm.
* Considering that LotRO is an international platform for communication, variations in this are expected and are to be tolerated as much as possible.
* Gamer Slang is not considered the norm unless it is easily understood by a majority of the Membership in chat.  Accepted forms of such jargon would include:
1. BRB (Be right back)
2. AFK (Away from keyboard)
3. W00T (Happy me)
4. LOL, derivatives (Laugh out loud)
5. Smileys of any sort
* LotRO Slang is the norm, but should be explained to those new to its use.
* Adult Language happens.  Cursing, though understandable and effective for communication, can happen but should be kept to a reasonable level.  Reasonable levels are determined by the majority of Membership online at any time.  If cursing bothers you, turn your filter on.  If it does not, you've been warned.  Under NO circumstances will any sort of cursing used to berate or otherwise hurt others be tolerated.  Period.
* MEMBERSHIP IS LIMITED TO THOSE OF 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.  This is recognized in the United States of the legal age of adulthood, and is the norm for our Kinship.  There is no deviation from this.

6) Speaking of the the world beyond this one (i.e., the Real World) is at the discretion of the members involved in the conversation.  We all hold our privacy dear, but we each are responsible for what we choose to risk in disclosure.  We are adults and can make this decision for ourselves.
* Discussion of the outside world happens.  Since this is considered OOC (Out-of_Character) language, prior practice has been to include brackets or parenthesis as a means of differentiation.  This shall continue as the accepted norm.
* Each Member of the Kinship is at their discretion to share as much or as little of their Real Life as they wish.  Pushing for such information is considered rude and should be avoided.
* Prior practice has been that Real Life/Mundane names are to be avoided at all times.  Until a revision is made, this will remain the current practice.  In some cases, it may also apply to Gender, but this is left to the discretion of individual members.
* The use of Ventrilo or other In-Game Voice Chat is voluntary at all times.  Voice chat of any type may be used by members for social or game purposes, and its use is per the discretion of all Members involved.

7) Within the kinship, there is no established system for Crafting.  Speak to members of the Kinship, especially Crafting Mentors, for further information regarding crafting.
* Crafting Mentors are designated by their past service and authority in their areas of crafting.
* All materials gathered by Kinship Members may be sold, auctioned, or shared at the discretion of the Member or Members involved.

This Statement of Kinship Policy
officially edited and approved at
Convocation I on October 5, 2008.
Wilholm Brandyoak, Leader