house-policy.md

For meetup or event serves drinks, it’s recommended you have some kind of house policy, or some best practices to mitigate drink-related issues.

Type Brigade, sibling meetups, and contributors to this document are not lawyers and this should not considered legal advice. Rather, we’re simply investigating how to make these events more friendly and safe.

The entire following section is more of a TODO or ideas list than a completed document.

Establish a dress code?

Organisers could be indicated by pins, hats, t-shirts, or something similar. Making it clear who you can approach if something goes wrong is important. Many events, like Type Brigade, are probably small enough that this could be excessive

How to create a calm culture among organisers and attendees

Still learning.

Setting expectations while monitoring the door

Minors

It’s important that meetups have indicated in advance on their license that minors will be attending. With more and more students attending, this is becoming an increasingly common possibility.

Always treat patrons in a professional and knowledgeable manner.

Remind about the code of conduct as necessary

Refuse to accept inappropriate behaviour by attendees. Intervene early to avoid problem situations. Act firmly but fairly.

Provide alternative drinks

• We should have Coke, coffee, and good looking jugs of water
• “Good looking” jugs of water
• Possibly coffee

Reduce beer costs anyway

Food

If you’re providing food, there’s food allergies to worry about. I don’t want us to have to deal with this and so Type Brigade will not be providing food. Wanting to get food together is also a good excuse to have people leave the venue on time.

Avoid over-promoting drinks

Important for intermission, we have beer but should just be reminding people we have them at most, not overly encouraging people to get more

Signs

Possibly put up a sign that shows we take liquor stuff seriously? Just a reminder we have the licenses, we want you to have a good time but remember we are in a borrowed space, recycling options, etc.

Apparently the liquor board has these: “The Liquor Control and Licensing Branch website provides links to downloadable posters that can be printed and displayed at appropriate locations in the establishment to support staff that refuse service.”

They sound heavy handed but might be some things we can draw on. Could put that organisers can look up buses, cab, whatever for you.