Community Rules & Etiquette and Privacy Guidelines
Thank you for being part of our community. To ensure the best possible experience for all members, we have established some basic guidelines for participation.
By joining and using this community, you agree that you have read and will follow these rules and guidelines. You also agree to reserve discussions and shared files and content to that best suited to the medium. This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. Questions should be directed to MQG staff via the Contact Us link on this site or by email to info@themodernquiltguild.com.
The Modern Quilt Guild (MQG) seeks to foster a vibrant and inclusive organization built on encouragement and mutual respect, where all feel welcome. We support the participation of ALL interested in the growth and development of modern quilting and we value the diversity arising from differences that make us who we are.
The Modern Quilt Guild is committed to providing an environment that is free of discrimination of all types, and free of abusive, offensive, or harassing behaviors. All participants deserve to feel safe and respected.
This applies to everyone regardless of age; gender; gender expression or identity; sexual orientation; race; color; creed; ancestry; ethnicity; language; nationality; place of origin; immigration status; parental status; marital/partnership status; socio-economic status; education level; political beliefs; religion (or lack thereof); physical, mental or developmental (dis)abilities; neuro(a)typicality; size; appearance; work and behavioral styles; the perspectives of each individual shaped by their nation, experiences and culture; quilting style or level of experience; or any of the numerous other characteristics that make us who we are.
Please note that any exclusions from this list were not intentional – if there is another factor of diversity that you wish to see reflected above, please contact inclusion@themodernquiltguild.com.
Creating a safe environment for everyone
In order to ensure a safe environment for everyone, all attendees, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers at MQG events are expected to:
- Act with kindness, fairness, honesty, integrity, and openness
- Respect the differing viewpoints of others and offer critiques or opinions with respect
- Treat all with equality and dignity, as they would wish to be treated.
- Provide a healthy environment for the exchange of ideas
- Be inclusive – go out of your way when inviting and welcoming to others, especially those you don’t know as well
- Encourage and support other members of our community
- Be proactive in educating yourself about diversity topics – if there are any terms or concepts in these guidelines that are unfamiliar to you, go to an internet search engine and look them up! Try searching for “diversity and inclusion” and see what you find. There are many great resources and the more you research these issues, the easier it will be to identify appropriate behaviors.
Unacceptable behaviors
- Harassment – includes (but is not limited to) deliberate intimidation, stalking, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
- Discrimination – unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people; behaviors based on bigotry or implicit biases against a particular group.
- Making generalizations or reinforcing stereotypes about people who are different from you.
- Personal attacks or offensive verbal comments.
How to report unacceptable behaviors
The MQG’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee has developed an Unfair Treatment and Grievance Code to review grievances that arise during MQG events (either in person or virtual).
A grievance can be filed against any party that is affiliated with the MQG (board, staff, member, chapter, vendor, instructor/lecturer, event attendee, etc.) by any member of the MQG or by a non-MQG member in relation to an incident at an MQG event, either in-person or virtually.
If you wish to file a grievance, please review the complete Unfair Treatment and Grievance Code and then complete this form to begin the process. An MQG Equity Officer will acknowledge your grievance in writing within seven calendar days of receipt. Please note that you may be asked for further details or information after the initial review. A roadmap of what you can expect from the process is here.
The code was created with considerable thought and care. While we wish it were otherwise, human contact sometimes means human conflict, hurt and pain, often unintentionally. Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them. This code offers a positive way to resolve issues and provides clear, defined expectations of how grievances are addressed. While it is impossible to imagine every situation, the code is broad enough to cover many, and is a living code–that is, open to amendment as needed. We hope it will be useful in maintaining the MQG as a healthy, thriving organization.
Please be aware that the MQG prioritizes marginalized people’s safety and well-being over privileged people’s comfort. The MQG reserves the right not to act on complaints regarding:
- ‘Reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’
- Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”
- Communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial
- Criticizing oppressive behavior or assumptions
- Personality conflicts and gossip
If you have additional questions or concerns, you may contact the MQG at equityofficer@themodernquiltguild.com.
If you are interested in being a part of the IDEA Committee, please email inclusion@themodernquiltguild.com.
Response to unacceptable behaviors
MQG members or attendees of events who are asked to stop any unacceptable behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant (including vendors, speakers, and teachers) engages in harassing behavior, the MQG may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from all MQG spaces (without refunds of any fees).
The Legal Stuff
This site is provided as a service for the members of Modern Quilt Guild. Modern Quilt Guild is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. We disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by Modern Quilt Guild or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall Modern Quilt Guild be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.
Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants Modern Quilt Guild and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.
Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or impliedly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.
Modern Quilt Guild does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to the attention of Modern Quilt Guild we will take all appropriate action.
Modern Quilt Guild reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.
Privacy Policy
Any personal information you provide to us including and similar to your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address will not be released, sold, or rented to any entities or individuals outside of our organization except as noted below.
With Whom Do We Share the Personal Information We Collect Through This Site:
Our Service Providers
We may share your personal information with companies (including our affiliates) that perform services on our behalf, for example, companies that help process credit card payments. Our service providers are required by contract to protect the confidentiality of the personal information we share with them and to use it only to provide specific services on our behalf.
Business Transfers
Your personal information may be transferred to another entity (either an affiliated entity or an unrelated third party) in connection with a merger, reorganization, dissolution or similar corporate event. If such a transfer were ever to occur, the acquiring entity’s use of your personal information will still be subject to this Privacy Policy.
Government and Legal Disclosures
We may disclose the personal information we collect through this Site, when we, in good faith, believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law (or a court order or subpoena); to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements that govern your use of this Site; or to protect the rights, property or safety of our company, our users, or others.
External Sites
We are not responsible for the content of external internet sites. You are advised to read the privacy policy of external sites before disclosing any personal information.
Cookies
A "cookie" is a small data text file that is placed in your browser and allows us to recognize you each time you visit this site (personalization, etc). Cookies themselves do not contain any personal information, and we do not use cookies to collect personal information. Cookies may also be used by 3rd party content providers such as news-feeds.
Remember The Risks Whenever You Use The Internet
While we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information that you transmit to us and you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of any passwords or other account information. In addition, other Internet sites or services that may be accessible through our site have separate data and privacy practices independent of us, and therefore we disclaim any responsibility or liability for their policies or actions. Please contact those vendors and others directly if you have any questions about their privacy policies. For any other information please contact us using the Contact Us page or by emailing us at info@themodernquiltguild.com.