GUIDELINES FOR ALL MEMBERS WHEN TROOPING

You must remember that when attending an event with or on behalf of 99th Garrison you represent not only yourself but the entire group.  Please also remember that your conduct in the public arena will reflect upon the entire Garrison and we do not want to attract any negative publicity.  
If you have a costume it must be cleared BEFORE you wear it at an event.  Any member of 99th Garrison MUST wear visible 99th Insignia on their costume when attending a 99th Garrison event as a member of the 99th Garrison - No other visible insignia will be allowed and must be removed when requested or required to do so.  Failure to adhere to this guideline could have serious consequences for our Public Liability Insurance and any member who does not comply with this request will be required to leave any such event.  In order that the appearance of costumes is not spoiled by the use of insignia, it is permissible to wear 99th Garrison insignia in a discrete location, although most members in white armour have the insignia on their left shoulder-bell.  Please check that permission is first sought from the senior Garrison member on site.  It is your responsibility to make sure you have the required insignia however the senior officer at the event may be able to supply you with a spare insignia should you lose yours.
Please remember not to huddle in groups as this can be off-putting to someone who is looking for a photo, you should be available for photo opportunities at all times.  Remember that photos mean donations!

You should always be aware of your surroundings when holding conversations with other Garrison members in earshot of the public.  This is especially important if you have a Rom FX or similar voice-box as you can be heard some distance away.

We endeavour to makes dreams a reality and to entertain people.  Please attempt to stay in character whilst trooping as this makes it far more entertaining for the general public. On occasion you may be asked to do something out of character for the purposes of a photo opportunity or client request. We can usually accommodate most requests as long as they are safe and appropriate. If in doubt please check with an officer.If for any reason you cannot stay in character please attempt to remove yourself from the public eye before doing so.  For those members that troop wearing helmets please, where possible, do not remove them in sight of the public.  This can spoil the effect for the public.

Costumed and non costumed members of 99th Garrison will be civil, approachable and polite to members of the public.  The Garrison will not tolerate rudeness or discourtesy to members of the public.

When 99th members are in the public arena they WILL NOT use foul language, aggressive behaviour, obscene hand gestures, and under no circumstances must participate in any course of action that could be construed as offensive or discriminatory.  Remember your voice-box may be heard even if you do not appear to be talking loudly!!  Any breach of this guideline will result in that member being requested to leave an event and could result in their permanent ban from any future Garrison events.  Please be aware that whilst in public you are still subject to the normal and usual requirements of the law.

Always oblige people who ask for photos wherever possible. It will make their day and gives them a great memory.  In certain instances, where the event is held entirely for the benefit of a charity for example, a small donation to the charity may be requested before granting permission for any pictures to be taken.  Even where a request for a donation is refused any reasonable request for a picture should be granted.
Remember that some people are more than willing to pose with us and will readily adopt the “on your knees” pose.  Don’t try to push people into doing something they are not comfortable with as it may spoil their experience with us and they may make a complaint.

It is essential to take regular breaks.  You may need to hydrate!!  If no break is planned at a particular time but you need a break you MUST NOT go off on your own.  Ask a member of the crew to escort you.  This is for your own safety.  Costuming can be hot and hard work so you need to make sure that you drink sufficient liquid to avoid becoming dehydrated, especially on a hot sunny day.  However, please remember that taking too long a break, when other members of the Garrison are waiting for their break is not a good idea.  20 mins break max and 45 – 60 mins for lunch so you need to be back out in those timescales.  Also remember that the public will also be waiting for you to return for photographs.

You do not need a costume to be a member of the group but costumers are encouraged in a friendly manner to continually improve current costumes and to be original and inspirational in their efforts to make new costumes.  This should be done for personal satisfaction in presentation and simply because it feels good to have a good looking costume.  You should keep your costume in a good state of repair, even those that are meant to look worn and old.  This is to ensure that there are no sharp/ broken pieces that may cause injury to you or to a member of the public.  Children are the biggest risk because in a costume with a lid it is not always possible to see where they are.  Remember, costuming is about having fun but it is also about being proud of your costume.  Please also see the costuming guidelines if you are attending an official event.

Crew are just as vital to the success of a given event as a costumed member is. Crew are essential and beneficial to the costumed members and to the public.  DO NOT wander off on your own.  Costumers who wear restrictive costumes (eg with poor vision or mobility such as a Stormtrooper or alien costumes, etc) should always be accompanied by a non costumed member at a minimum ratio of one crew per two costumed members.  If you have a restrictive costume and you wish to take a walk at an event, always ensure that you take a member of crew with you.  If there is no member of crew available then you must wait till one is available.  YOU DO NOT GO WANDERING OFF ON YOUR OWN.  This is for your own protection from over exuberant members of the public.

Most events will be short on crew and as such you may be required to take your turn at crewing as this makes it fair on all concerned.  Please do not take offence if you are requested to de-kit and crew for a period of time.
We tell the people we are attending an event for that we will have certain costumes on display.  If you are in costume you MUST NOT de-kit to crew unless asked to do so or it is agreed that you can de-kit by the 99th event organiser or a senior member of the group.  This may leave the costumed member short on numbers.  If you have to leave an event early for any reason, make this clear on the forum prior to the event and to the 99th event organiser or the senior member at the event, if possible.

The consumption of alcoholic drinks is not permitted at any event whilst in costume or crew uniform.  Although alcohol may be available at an event, anyone who is found to be under the influence of alcohol will be removed from the site and their membership of the Garrison will be suspended and subject to review by the Senior Officers.  

The use or abuse of non-prescription drugs, solvents or other substances whilst attending an event will NOT be tolerated at any time under ANY circumstances whatsoever.  Any member found under the influence of or abusing non-prescription drugs, solvents or other substances will be removed from the site and their membership of the Garrison terminated immediately.

99th Garrison operates a zero tolerance policy towards substance abuse.

You will adhere to Government legislation on smoking and ensure that you also adhere to any local policies.  Please do not smoke in costume in sight of the public.  If you need to smoke please do this when a break is due and inform crew or another costumer where you are going.

99th Garrison is covered by an appropriate Public Liability Insurance Policy provided by the event organiser.  If the Garrison is collecting for The Christie Charitable Fund it will be covered by their PLI.  If the Garrison is attending an event organised by Heroes4Hire it will be covered by their PLI.  In all cases you MUST be a member of 99th Garrison to be covered by this insurance.  Please direct all enquiries relating to Public Liability Insurance to the Garrison Commanding Officer, Charities Officer or Executive Officer.

You are requested to be safety conscious at all times.  99th Garrison wishes to be as entertaining as possible; however this must be coupled with the legal obligation not to put ourselves or others at risk.  Where it is considered that an item or items of a costume are unsafe then those items will not be used and must be withdrawn from a member's costume (this could relate to loose items such as lightsabers, blasters, rifles and such, but this list is not exhaustive).  For indoor events please refer to senior 99th Garrison Officers or the organiser who will instruct you on fire escape procedures etc, before the event commences.  Please refer any questions on site health and safety at any event to the senior 99th Garrison officer on site.  
All costumed members, especially those who have restricted vision due to their helmets or masks, must be acutely aware of where they are with regard to the public and especially children who will be outside the field of vision.  Be careful with your blaster or any object you may carry which could hurt if it comes into contact with a child’s head!!  This is only one example.

When you sign up for an event can you please ensure that you are 100% committed to the event.  Last minute drop outs make life very difficult for Admin and everyone else involved in the event and it could result in us losing future events.  Although we are providing a free service this does not make it any the less professional.  If you cannot make an event due to unforeseen circumstances please ensure that you notify the Events Officer as soon as practically possible, even on the day of the event, as this saves people from waiting around not knowing you aren't going to arrive.

If you are going to attend an event please ensure that you set off in sufficient time to reach the event and that you are not late in arriving.  It is useful to swap mobile phone numbers with other Garrison members attending an event.  If you are going to be late for ANY reason whatsoever please contact the senior member on site as soon as you know you are going to be late so that alternative arrangements can be made.

Please also remember that when you attend an event you will be expected to be out there with the public.  Whilst it may be that you have not seen some of the other members for some time please dont take too long on catch up!  
Also if you attend an event for the 99th you should not use it as an opportunity to engage in your own business activities, promote your own or another business, another group or give out any literature not connected with the 99th or the event we are attending or promoting.  As well as being extremely rude this activity is not permitted and if you do this you will be asked to de-kit and leave the event.

These guidelines are lengthy and wordy, however they have been written to protect you and to ensure that any event goes off with the minimum of hitches.  Please take note of them and refer back to them periodically.  You will be reminded again of the trooping guidelines upon your arrival at any event.  We want the event to be remembered for the right reasons and we may be invited back!  Remember the most important part of trooping: