Terms of Agreement (T.O.A) January 2020

Haunted-Devon is a NON-PROFIT making group run by volunteers. Membership is Subscription based, details of which are explained in the membership section.

We reserve the right to make changes at any time. This document covers the Formation, discipline and terms of agreement with Haunted Devon.

Should you have any questions regarding these rules please ensure they are directed to our Chairperson. It is the member’s responsibility to make themselves aware of the content of this document.

Your Committee

 

Abbie Dent - Chairperson - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kelly Welsh - Treasurer - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sallyann Clench - Secretary - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ben Welsh - Technical Manager - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ben Welsh - Web master - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mark Woodhall - Venue Manager - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abbie Dent, Sallyann Clench - Press and Media - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mission Statement

 

Haunted Devon is committed to providing sound and reliable paranormal investigative skills in order to increase awareness of the paranormal in Devon.

Our goal is to become one of the leading paranormal teams in the country and to continually advance and develop upon our skill set.

Our promise to you is that we will always do our best to foster a good working relationship Between, those that believe and those who are sceptical, and to deliver investigations that are Respectful, accurate, and above all safe for all who attend.

Insurance details

Public liability: £5 million

Policy Number: RKL 23413/04/154

Underwritten by: Royal and Sun Alliance plc

Discipline - Terms and Conditions

As a member of Haunted Devon you will be expected to abide by a set of rules laid out for the good of the club.

The conditions below are correct as of the date above. The most recent version will ALWAYS be web based and will come into force on posting. Paper copies taken prior to the release date are void and therefore should be destroyed.

On changes made to the terms of agreement an email will be sent to all users and posted within our internal message system. It is YOUR responsibility to verify the changes.

Some Venues adopt a ZERO publicity policy, which will be made clear on booking of the venue. Any member found breaking this policy will be subject to having their membership cancelled.

Membership

• Membership is open to those who are over 18 years only. Proof of age may be required. • All members will receive details of forthcoming vigils and investigations with the Haunted Devon team via the online membership area.
• Reports/personal experiences are to be forwarded to our secretary by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Team members will be expected to submit their personal experience statement along with reviewed photographic and audio footage etc, to the club secretary within 14 days of attending every investigation.

• Members that do submit their evidence within the time limit will have the opportunity to advance to “senior investigator”. If you have difficulty in submitting the work please email us and we will be able to help, however it is imperative that we receive the information.
  • Automatic renewals of membership will not be taken from your account. It is your responsibility as a member to pay your membership yearly. A reminder will be sent to your e-mail address.
  • Any activities, external liaison, forum, e-mail or web posts in relation to club matters
• to external sites or in relation to disciplinary matters MUST be cleared through the chairperson. • Possible breaches of the TOA are to be reported through the chairperson
• will then decide what action should be taken.
  • During the months of July and August the club will have no formal investigations, but may hold social, Dartmoor events, or training events.

Memberships

Full single membership: -

• subscription of £15 per year plus discounted venue fees.
• All new members will be subject to a 6-month probationary period

Joint memberships: -

• Joint membership: application for Joint membership will be required. All requests and details must be forwarded to the webmaster via E-mail, for further information and for second membership to be activated: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Venue cost are at the same level as a full single member per person.

Additional rules committee membership:

• The current term of committee membership is 24 months and can be subject to renewal at a bi-annual AGM meeting.
• Committee members will be expected to attend all committee meetings and AGM or give their apologies at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
• Committee members MUST communicate as a team and are to log into both the site and forum at least once every 48 hrs.
• Any activities, external liaison, forum, email or web posts in relation to club matters to external sites or in relation to disciplinary matters MUST be cleared through the chairperson.
• Possible breaches of the TOA are to be reported through the chairperson who will then decide what action should be taken. As members of the committee you have agreed to the responsibility to protect all members and club information at all times, under data protection law, any breach of this can result in criminal and/or legal action taken against you under the data protection act 1998. The data protection act controls how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government. Everyone responsible for using data has to follow strict rules called data protection principles. They must make sure the information is used fairly and lawfully used for limited, specifically stated purposes used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive, accurate and kept no longer than is absolutely necessary, handled according to peoples data protection rights, kept safe and secure not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection.
• As committee members we lead by example and our actions and behaviour should be beyond reproach at all times. Committee members who fail to comply with this will be subject to Disciplinary action being taken against them. If further failure to comply continues committee Status will be revoked immediately, and membership will be called into question. All property of Haunted Devon intellectual, digital (passwords etc.) or actual must be returned to Haunted Devon.
• If you wish to resign your committee role for any reason before the AGM you must first notify the Chairperson who will in turn inform all other committee members. Only once this has been done Can resignation letters etc. be posted on the Haunted Devon forum. Resignations must not be Posted on social media or carried out via mass email. All property of Haunted Devon intellectual, digital (passwords etc.) or actual must be returned to Haunted Devon

Code of Conduct

• Members of Haunted Devon will be expected to respect the instructions given by the lead investigator whilst on site. Members who refuse to comply with instructions given may be requested to leave the venue and, in some circumstances, will lose their membership.
• Paranormal investigations should be treated with sensitivity and both the venue and the venue owner and any possible spirit entities and any neighbours should be treated with respect.

• We treat our investigations seriously and excessive noise will not only disturb others around you but potentially disrupt or suspend paranormal activity. Please keep noise to a minimum whilst on site.
• Haunted Devon venues are subject to privacy matters unless the venue owner consents to publicity. There will be no discussion of Haunted Devon venues on any social networking sites unless the owner has given permission to do so.

• Haunted Devon is a ZERO alcohol group and anyone having consumed alcohol may well lose their membership without warning. Alcohol will impair your judgment and has no place on a paranormal investigation. Our insurers will also insist on this.
• Haunted Devon has ZERO tolerance of drug use and any member found to have been taking any recreational drugs prior to, or whilst on investigation will lose their membership
• without warning. If you are under medication you MUST ensure that you clear attendance with your own GP.
• Any emergency medication that maybe be required during any investigation must be reported to the team lead and first aider e.g. Inhalers, epi-pens, heart mediation etc.
• All vigils are designated NO SMOKING areas unless otherwise stated - SMOKE can interfere with photographic material.
• No member is to make remarks or to produce written material that may offend any other paranormal team or individual. This includes posts on social networking sites, external forums or sites.

Anyone found manipulating evidence will be contacted about the matter and your membership WILL be called into review.

Health and Safety

• All members on a vigil will be obliged to attend a Health and Safety briefing prior to the start of an investigation.
• All members attend Haunted Devon investigations at their own risk.
  • Haunted Devon has Insurance in place that provides limited cover to all members whilst participating in any event organised by Haunted Devon. However, if any member wishes to obtain personal insurances over and above that cover provided by Haunted Devon they may do so. Copies of our insurance are available on request.
  • Except where provided or required by law and as such cannot be excluded – all members will agree to absolve Haunted Devon and its team members from all liability from injury or damage (whether fatal or otherwise) arising from their participation in any Haunted Devon event.
  • As from the moment of reading this, you have been informed that while every step has been taken to ensure your safety on site, paranormal investigations are not without risk of injury. You have voluntarily read, accepted and understood this warning and understand the inherent risks upon investigation.
  • Any injury received on site MUST be reported to the lead investigator or their nominated representative prior to leaving the venue.
  • If you are suffering from any form of medical condition or taking medication you MUST notify the core team on registering for an event. This will help us to assist with your care if required but will also ensure that the venue is suitable.
  • Pregnancy: you will be required to inform the chairperson once you reach 15 weeks gestation. From that time you will no longer be able to attend investigations with Haunted Devon, due to the health and safety aspect of an investigation.
  • Persons suffering from mental illness or stress should NOT attend any paranormal event. Such persons are more susceptible to psychic attack or other issues.
  • Whilst Haunted Devon will attempt to work towards inclusion of those who suffer from a disability it must be fully understood that often venue constraints will restrict
• You are advised to contact a member of the committee for the venue concerned to obtain up to date details on facilities for the disabled, access and other related information.
  • Where transport to and from a venue is agreed between members you should accept at YOUR OWN RISK. Haunted Devon and its members cannot be held for any incident that takes place when travelling to or from any venue.
  • Guests of Haunted Devon members are welcome to attend up to 3 investigations before having to become a member, after permission is granted from the venue manager. This will be at a higher guest rate for insurance purposes.
  • Guest of Haunted Devon will be requested to sign a venue disclaimer form the venue lead, for the purpose of our insurance.

Members are responsible for their guest’s actions, any breach may result in your membership being reviewed.

Fees and Payments

• All fees collectively cover the cost of hiring a venue, insurance contribution, web fees, safety equipment and other club costs. As a NON-COMMERCIAL club we are totally self-sufficient and therefore use the venue and subscription fees to support the club.
• Venues must be paid for prior to the event via the online booking system normally within a cut off period of 24 hours prior to the start of the event. PayPal is the only acceptable method of payment.
• Your VENUE FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. If you are unable to attend a venue it is the members responsibility to advertise/sell their place on the forum to another member at the same cost. They must inform the Webmaster and Venue Manager of the change of member attending the venue.
• A financial statement of affairs will be made available from time to time and published on the forum. The statement will have been prepared by the treasurer and endorsed by the committee. A club member can request a copy of the club accounts at any time.
• If you are a member of another group, you are reminded whilst on a Haunted Devon investigation you are expected to abide to the confidentiality agreement of Haunted Devon and the clubs TOA. Failure to do so WILL result in termination of your membership.

Venues

• We reserve the right to change or substitute venues often at short notice for the good and benefit of the club. The committee may also cancel any venue where it is likely that we will have insufficient funds to cover the total venue cost. In the event of a cancellation monies paid will be refunded to the member. Unless subject to non-refundable deposit.
• We reserve the right to invite press or media representatives to ANY investigation without prior notice to members. Any individual disclosure issues will be respected by Haunted Devon.
• Haunted Devon will normally accept requests for joint investigations – however written notice must be provided prior to the event. Guests are to abide by the standard Haunted Devon TOA.
• Haunted Devon has a range of technical equipment available for members use while on investigations. If a member so wishes to bring their own equipment they do so at their own risk.
• No member may initiate formal communication to other agencies under the Haunted Devon name. Communication is ONLY to be made by the Venues Manager, committee members or their nominated representatives with approval from the chairperson.

General investigation points:

1. Please ensure that you arrive at the stated arrival time for your venue.
2. For insurance, health and safety reasons you will not be permitted to enter the venue unless you have been given permission to do so.
3. Please ensure that you are dressed for the venue with warm clothing – carrying spare clothing as required.
4. Please ensure you have a working torch, notebook and pen.
5. Please treat the venue, neighbours and any possible spirits with respect. 6. Please contribute towards the investigation – be honest!
6. Please do not leave until clearance has been given by the venue coordinator.
7. Video and still cameras are welcome on our investigations unless specified by the venue hosts– we would however request where possible you share your images with us.
8. Haunted Devon will not conduct any experiment that members feel uncomfortable with. 10. The use of communication spirit boards will be used only at the discretion of the venue

Web Material and Copyright

• Articles and submissions to Haunted Devon will be assumed to have been gifted and subsequently copyright will be vested in Haunted Devon. Where a member leaves the club, their material posted shall be entitled to remain on the website. In this case the former member will be credited for the submission.
• Unless requested in writing – photographic images and audio material of any member will be used on the website: www.haunted-devon.co.uk
• By accepting these terms, you hereby grant Haunted Devon exclusive and full rights over all
• images and written material submitted by you. As we will generally be bound by copyright of the, venue owners. Members should NOT post audio, video or other material elsewhere on the web
• obtained throughout Haunted Devon Investigations this includes social networking sites such as YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK.
• If in doubt please email the Chairperson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Venues completed under the Haunted Devon name are not to be published elsewhere i.e. personal websites, unless consent has been given by the committee. Generally, this will be given however Haunted Devon may have agreements in place with the venue that may prevent such use.
• The Haunted Devon name is copyright and is NOT to be used on ANY membership documentation, emails, forum correspondence or other documentation without our express permission. Members found using the Haunted Devon name under such circumstances are likely to lose their membership. If a member leaves Haunted Devon with HD branded material he / she should be aware that the use of such material in order to gain entrance to other venues may be considered to be an infringement of copyright held by Haunted Devon is held for your membership purposes only. It will NEVER be released to a third party or any other member of the Haunted Devon team without your consent. Please do NOT request personal details from us we will NOT disclose them for ANY reason.

Conflict resolution

 

• As a group, we have believers, non-believers and those that sit somewhere in the middle. While we will accept healthy debate, we WILL NOT tolerate incidents that leave another member upset or distressed. Such circumstances may lead to the forfeit of your membership without warning.
• Haunted Devon is made up of a large and varied group of personalities and the potential for people to clash might occur on rare occasions. If those circumstances present themselves members are requested to enter into dialogue with each other in order to resolve those issues. This initial meet must be conducted OUTSIDE of Haunted Devon. E-mail or communication between members should remain polite and abusive behaviour under any circumstances will not be tolerated.
• The forum is NOT the place to discuss or vent personal issues. If you see a post which you find offensive – please email a member of the committee who will remove the said post. DO NOT take matters into your own hands it very often makes matters worse. Please think things through BEFORE sending the e-mail or post; very often a misplaced word can change the context of the post. There are a full set of forum rules; please read them in conjunction with the T.O.A.

Complaints

 

• Haunted Devon is a NON-COMMERCIAL club and not a business. We always attempt to prepare for and administer our venues professionally and to the best of our ability. If a member has a complaint or suggestion concerning a venue, then the member should speak directly to either the venue coordinator their team leader or to site coordination. Invariably the problem can be rectified at the venue to everyone’s satisfaction.
• Committee members hold a position of trust within the group. In the event that your complaint is against one of the committee, you are requested to try and speak directly to that person in order that the matter may be resolved. If you do not feel this is possible then please contact a member of the committee feel you can speak to.

Signed on original document:

Abbie Dent

Chairperson

Haunted Devon