1. Purpose
This document describes the policies and procedures by which Northwest Objectivists operates. It is intended to be a set of guidelines and principles by which the coordinators and members of the group abide. Coordinators may deviate from the rules set forth in this document if they judge it necessary, and this document may change as seen fit by the coordinators.
2. New Members
Persons interested in joining NWO must meet all of the following criteria:
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1)They agree with everything they know about Objectivism. This does not imply that the person must know a great deal about Objectivism, only that they are in agreement with everything they have learned so far.
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2)They are physically able to attend at least one event per year. This implies they must either live sufficiently close or be sufficiently willing to travel to make it to an event at some point during the year.
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3)They are pleasant company for other Objectivists. This explicitly excludes: persons with ideas hostile to Objectivism, current members of the Libertarian party, supporters of The Objectivist Center (and other pseudo-Objectivist groups), and people who cannot conduct themselves in a pleasant manner in a group setting.
Individuals who meet these criteria may apply for membership by submitting a written application to any coordinator of the group. At a minimum, the application must answer the following questions:
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1)What is your current career, and what is your life's central purpose if you have selected one? (Ayn Rand distinguished ultimate purpose in life, which is happiness, and central purpose in life, which is the productive activity that makes up the core of one's life.)
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2)How long have you been interested in Objectivism?
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3)What part of Objectivism is your favorite and why?
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4)Which Objectivism-inspired organizations do you support or participate in, if any?
Once an application is received, all of the coordinators will review it (and any other information available to them) to decide whether the candidate meets the membership criteria stated above. If all coordinators agree, then the new member will be admitted. Unless the new member objects, their introduction is then published to the rest of the group via email and posted on our (members-only) Facebook page.
Each person wishing to join NWO must apply independently of any other individual. In particular, spouses and philosophically aware children (i.e., approximately 16-18 years old) must apply independently of their spouse/parent.
3. Guests
All members are welcome to invite a guest who will contribute positively to an event. At a minimum, a guest must agree with what he knows of Objectivism, and either self-identify as an Objectivist or be interested in learning more about it. To invite a guest, a member must contact one of the coordinators to request permission, and to indicate why they think the guest would contribute positively to the event. In addition, the guest must contact the coordinators to request permission for himself, and to affirm that he is in agreement with Objectivism (so far as he knows it). The coordinators will review the request, and if all agree, the guest will be invited to attend that specific event. Should guests wish to attend another event, they must repeat the process to receive another invitation (or simply apply for full membership).
4. Official Potluck Events
One of the primary activities undertaken by the NWO network are potluck socials at the Seattle coordinators' home every other month. Each attendee is required to bring an item equivalent to what they intend to consume (this is usually two meals, but may be more or less). Attendees are requested to communicate their selection to the hosts well in advance so that duplicates may be avoided. Typical selections include: cheese platters, appetizer platters, wine/beer, a vegetable side dish, a main course, fresh fruit, or some other personal speciality.
Attendees are requested to RSVP for themselves, family, and guests as far in advance as possible. Children are completely welcome, and an infant/toddler safe environment and appropriate toys are available. Parents are expected to supervise (and clean up after) their children as needed. Overnight guests are also welcome, but advance notice is necessary as we have limited ability to accommodate them.
In keeping with the purpose of the club, the primary purpose of these events is to facilitate enjoyable socializing for all attendees. Attendees are encouraged to bring games or other activities which are appropriate to the setting. Lively discussion is a common occurrence, and it is strongly encouraged so long as participants keep it civil and friendly.
5. Member-Hosted Events
Members are strongly encouraged to host their own events in addition to the official potluck social events. In the past, we've done walking tours of downtown Portland, toured the Nucor steel plant, held a BBQ on top of a skyscraper in downtown Seattle, and toured a decommissioned nuclear power plant. For best attendance, such events should be held on months between potluck socials, but this isn't strictly necessary. Event hosts should plan about 3-6 months in advance, and communicate with a NWO coordinator early in the process to make sure it gets advertised on the group's Facebook page and mailing list.
6. Use of the mailing list
The NWO email list is held privately by the coordinators of the group, and is used primarily to communicate about the group's activities. Individual members may request topical email of general interest to the group be broadcast to the entire list. NWO is glad to announce activist or scholarly groups and activities in our routine announcements. However, to best support ongoing activism, we encourage (and assist) our members to form separate activist organizations with their own goals and mailing lists.
7. Use of the Facebook page
All of NWO's activity is communicated via our Facebook page, and members are strongly encouraged to have an account. Members are expected to use their actual names for their accounts, but to bear in mind that Facebook (and the internet in general) is a public forum. All NWO events are posted on our Facebook group page, as are all member introductions (unless the member objects). Members are invited to post on the wall or use the discussion forums. For any member-hosted events, please contact a coordinator, and it will be added to the Facebook page.
8. Loss of Membership
Any member who is found not to meet the basic membership criteria (is in agreement with Objectivism so far as they know it, and is pleasant company at social events) may be removed from the group at the sole discretion of the coordinators. Depending upon circumstances, a member may reapply for membership should they satisfy the membership criteria at a future date.
9. Emeritus Membership
All members are expected to attend at least one event per year and live (at least part time) in the Pacific Northwest. Any current member who no longer meets these criteria will become an Emeritus member of NWO. Emeritus members will be removed from the Facebook group and regular email list, and therefore will not receive regular notices of the group's activities. However, if the member plans to be in the area, he may contact the coordinators to receive the calendar of events during the visit, and is welcome to attend.
10. Organizational Affiliation
NWO is not officially affiliated with any other group or organization. We do approve of the Ayn Rand Institute and Ayn Rand Center, but no connection exists between those organizations and NWO. Members are strongly encouraged to form other groups for specific purposes which are not within NWOs range of activities (e.g., study or activism), and such groups may advertise to NWO members using the Facebook page and mailing list. However, NWO will not be affiliated with any other such group.
