NOVA-LUG Member Handbook - v1.0

Last updated - February 2024

Table of Contents:

• Page 2 - Charter
• Page 3 - Membership Tiers
• Page 4 - Event Structure
• Page 5 - Displays and Participation
• Page 6 - Team Structure
• Page 7 - Dues Foreword
• Page 8 - Dues Breakdown
• Page 9 - FAQs

Links:

• Ledger (Members-only)
• Resource Tracker (Members-only)
• Meeting Notes compilation (Google Drive)

Need to:

• Add resource tracker link
• Add meeting notes link

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NOVA-LUG Charter

Who are We?

• NOVA-LUG is a group of builders focused on improving our skills, impressing the community, and showcasing the limitless creative potential of LEGO® bricks through collaborative builds, group projects, and display events.

What do we do?

• NOVA-LUG sponsors and participates in Public Displays and events to create a Welcoming Atmosphere for the LEGO building/collecting hobby and to foster Community Involvement. We are dedicated to Transparent Communication, Respect, and Collaboration in all we do.

How do we do it?

1. Public Displays

- We use our skills and collections to impress and inform the public.

2. Welcoming Atmosphere

- Every AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) is welcome to contribute to the conversation.

3. Community Involvement

- In addition to benefiting our members, we strive to positively impact our local community and AFOLs around the world.

4. Transparent Communication

- Any discussion, votes, or information that can be public, should be public

5. Respect

- No member of the group is more or less important than any other member, and all ideas will be heard and given measured consideration.

6. Collaboration

- We can build far more, and far more beautifully, when we work together.

Membership Tiers

Any level of Membership is contingent on:

• Adherence to The LEGO Group (TLG) Fair Play rules and Brand Values
• Adherence to any local, state, or federal laws when acting on behalf of the LUG
• Adherence to the NOVA-LUG Charter

Violation of any tenet will result in corrective action and/or removal from the LUG. NOVA-LUG has a zero-tolerance policy for racism, sexism, or bigotry of any kind against members, prospective members, and the public.

Event Structures

Monthly In-Person Meetings

• On the 1st Saturday (sometimes Sunday) of the month, we gather in one of the Fairfax County Public Libraries from 12-5 pm.
• We’ll have Member presentations, go over the results from our Monthly MOC (My Own Creation) challenge (and announce the theme for the coming month, find more info in the FAQs!), have activities like on-site build challenges or parts drafts, and a print-out detailing any noteworthy decisions made by the Teams over the last month.
• Members and guests should bring any builds they’ve made, to show off and get feedback!
• We’ll often coordinate brunch/lunch before the meeting, and/or a happy hour afterward. Everyone is welcome to attend! If you can block the whole day or only make the library time, we’d be glad to have you.
• Space reservations open 60 days in advance, so expect location announcements around 2 months in advance.

Monthly Dinners

• On the 3rd Saturday of the month, we visit a local LEGO store and get dinner in the area.
• We’ll meet at the store from 6-7 pm, and get dinner nearby from 7-9 pm.
• Everyone is welcome! Guests, family, etc.

Business Calls

• Periodically, members will gather on a Discord (or Zoom) call to go over any official business, or topics that require a vote.
• These will ideally be announced at least two months in advance, to allow for proper scheduling, and should be 30-45 minutes at the most.
• Voting Members are strongly encouraged to join and vote! Associate Members are welcome to listen in but will not be counted for voting purposes.
• These calls will not count as Meetings for membership qualification, but are considered an aspect of Voting Membership.

Unofficial events

• There are a handful of events that might not be officially hosted by NOVA-LUG, but any members are welcome to attend!
• Happy hours, pre-draft sorting parties, LEGO Masters watch parties (or re-watch parties), road trips to other LUG meetings/events, Adult Nights at the Springfield LDC.
• If you want to host any of these, just get in touch with the Location team and we’d be glad to get it on the calendar!

Displays and Participation

• Display opportunities come in all shapes and sizes! Some are short-term, only active for a few days or even a single day. Some can be set up for months at a time. Often they’ll be at a convention, but sometimes we’ll be set up in a business or library.
• Any display opportunities available to us will have their own channel in Discord, to coordinate locations, times, theming, etc. Each display would ideally have a General Team guiding it.
• Display opportunities will fall into two categories, A and B:
• A, NOVA-LUG is the only LEGO-related presenter.

• Could be a library or business display case, a public non-brick event like the Cherry Blossom Festival or a county fair, or a NOVA-LUG hosted display.
• Displays like these will often be themed, so most (but not all) personal builds could be brought in order to participate. MOCs (My Own Creations) brought to these shows aren’t always required to be part of a collab or a Monthly MOC challenge.
• Participation here would include bringing related MOCs, helping with setup and teardown, manning tables and engaging with the public, etc.

• B, NOVA-LUG is not the only LEGO-related presenter.

• These will be brick-related events like Brickfair or other fan conventions.
• Displays here will be split between personal build tables and LUG tables. Any builds displayed on NOVA-LUG tables need to be part of a club collaboration or a Monthly MOC challenge. NOVA-LUG tables at these events are meant for things that we’ve done together as a group. Any builds displayed on NOVA-LUG tables will qualify for participation in that display.
• Personal tables are also offered, typically arranged by theme and reserved by the member themselves, not organized by the club. A member could qualify for NOVA-LUG participation by bringing their own non-collab MOCs, and displaying them next to a card indicating that they’re a member of NOVA-LUG (cards ideally provided by the club).

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Team Structure

General Teams (GT)

• Intended to operate and improve any aspects of the LUG
• Forming a collab, coordinating an event, or any activity that’s bigger than 1 person
• General Teams can be formed and dissolved at will.
• Made up of Voting Members, in order to help focus efforts and ease decision-making
• Generally, a Team should be run by 2-4 Members to have a variety of viewpoints, while maintaining streamlined conversations.
• At launch, Team member numbers are not capped. As the club grows, caps could be developed for teams and individuals to encourage diversity and share the workload.

Key Teams (KT)

• 4 Teams dedicated to the crucial aspects of running the group.
• Made up of Voting Members, cannot be dissolved.
• As with General Teams, Key Teams are recommended to be run by 2-4 Members.
• Finance Team - Forming annual goals, planning and making club purchases, and ensuring dues are collected.
• People Team - Maintaining the list of active members, tracking Monthly MOC challenge participation and display participation.
• Location Team - Scheduling in-person meeting reservations and monthly dinners, helping scout for display space, organizing in-person build challenges for meetings.
• Media Team - Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, help the LUG have a larger presence!

Organizing Team (OT)

• Intended to keep the LUG aligned to its purpose.
• Role is to ensure that the other Teams are operating in line with the charter
• When votes are called, the OT must first vote on whether proposed changes would violate the charter. If changes are deemed to violate the charter by a majority of the OT, the OT will provide written feedback and suggestions for moving forward.
• The OT will grow as the membership grows, with at least 1 OT member for every 10 Voting Members. The OT will have no less than 3 and no more than 9 members.  
• Members of the OT will serve 18-month terms (offset by 6 months), with no term limits. The vote can be unanimous verbal consent to reelect, otherwise blind ballot.
• On the path to 501c7 status, it’s likely that a Board will be formed, probably comprised of the OT and one member from each Key Team (the Finance member would serve as Treasurer, etc). The finer details of this system will be addressed as we get closer.

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Dues Foreword

• NOVA-LUG will require Voting Members to pay dues, in order to help run and improve the club. Having access to funds enables us to make long-term purchases, like stanchions or banners that can be used for multiple events, and short-term buys as well, for meeting activities, giveaways, awards, etc.
• Once we start offering public shows (like RVA Brick Day, for example), we’ll be able to gain some funds through public donations. But these funds can only be 30% of our total funds, the rest must come from members.
• If/when we gain access to RLUG opportunities, like Lugbulk and Project Support, this will increase our member-sourced funds, which will allow us to increase the public-sourced funds.
• Dues will be sent to @nova-lug on Venmo. This account is held by Charlie S. On the road to 501c7 status, a Treasurer and club bank account will be established. No purchases, reimbursements, or funds transfers will be made without authorization from the Finance Team and the club at large.
• See examples of club purchases below and the dues breakdown on the following page.
• The Finance Team will assemble a Spending Goal breakdown for the year, proposed and voted on at the January business meeting/call.
• Any club purchases that are made or reimbursed will be listed at the next 2 monthly meetings, for general awareness. All funds will also be tracked on the Ledger, which can be found here - NOVA-LUG Fund Ledger - Access must be requested

Example Purchases:

One-time purchases:

• Discord bot
• Stanchions
• Tablecloths
• Club banner(s)        
• Sanitizer stations
• Floor mats (more)

Recurring:

• Sets for in-person meeting activities
• End-of-year awards
• Trophies for shows
• Badge bricks
• Renting space for shows
• Website hosting fees
• Eventual Jumper Plate subscription
• Business cards/etc
• Custom set giveaways for shows

Dues Breakdown

• Once you attend 3 in-person meetings and participate in 1 display, you are able to pay your first dues. Receipt of your first dues elevates you to a Voting Member.
• If you are a Voting Member by the September meeting, you must re-up your dues for the following year to maintain membership.
• Once you have re-upped, you need to participate in (at least) 2 in-person meetings and 2 displays in the following year to maintain Voting membership. Participation will not be counted until dues are re-upped.
• Dues are $60 for the year. If your membership begins after the January meeting, dues are pro-rated for the rest of the year ($5 per month; see FAQ for full breakdown). Membership re-ups will always be $60, since they are always for the full following year.
• Dues will be sent to @nova-lug on Venmo; please add $2 to your total to cover fees.
• Annual dues possibility breakdown:

FAQs

• Because the club has just begun, the membership standards can’t be met. So for the first 6 months of activity, anyone who qualifies as a member of a separate LUG can join NOVA-LUG with an Honorary Associate Membership (HAM), granting them all the corresponding benefits.

• Once an HA Member achieves the requisite 3 in-person meetings, their membership will shift to regular Associate Member status.
• Anyone who has displayed with their previous LUG during 2024 has the option to pay NOVA-LUG dues, and become a Voting Member for the year.
• After the first 6 months of club activity, HAMs will not be offered. The People Team reserves the right to make exceptions in extreme cases.
• At the end of 2024, any HAMs will expire, and any Members on that level will be counted based on their participation during the year.

• Anyone can be a member of any number of LUGs!

• Membership with another LUG does not bar anyone from participating with NOVA-LUG, and vice versa. There are a number of excellent LUGs in the area, including RVALUG and Charm City LUG, and anyone can maintain membership for multiple LUGs, as long as they achieve the standards. The only restrictions are for participating in LUGBULK and Project Support, which won’t be a concern for NOVA-LUG for some time.

• Is NOVA-LUG a nonprofit organization?

• Not officially yet! But we would very much like to be. We’re working on our roadmap, ideally we can achieve 501c7 status by the end of 2025.

• Is NOVA-LUG an RLUG (Recognized LEGO User Group)?

• Not yet! RLUGs get benefits from The LEGO Group (TLG) for putting on displays and spreading the good news. Once NOVA-LUG has been active for a year, we’re able to start the application process. But we can still do some cool stuff, even without the recognition just yet!

• What if I get called away for military service?

• Get in touch with the People Team! We can absolutely make an exception for our servicemen and women, and adjust for any lapse in membership that would be caused by military orders.

• The Teams setup is complicated. Who runs NOVA-LUG?

• NOVA-LUG is member-led. The Key Teams are there to ensure that no one is alone in dealing with the crucial aspects of the LUG, and reducing points of failure. The Organizing Team is the “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” Team, only being called into action if a vote would go against the Charter. It’s almost a ceremonial role, ideally not used very often. The real operational heft lies with the Key Teams.

• How does the Monthly MOC challenge work?

• At each meeting, we’ll go over the results of our previous Monthly MOC challenge, and announce the theme for the coming month. So in July, we’ll present and award the MOCs from June, and we’ll also announce the next theme so folks can build during July, and present at the August meeting.
• Anyone who builds for the Monthly MOC challenge and presents their build at the meeting will be entered into Raffle A, which will be drawn at the December meeting with a handful of prizes for randomly drawn participants. Each month is a new chance, so you can get entered there up to 12 times! You can build multiple entries for the challenge, but each person will only get one Raffle A entry per month.
• At the meeting, everyone who built for the challenge will vote on the best build. Whoever wins will get entered into Raffle B, which will also take place at the December meeting. Raffle B will have fewer prizes, but bigger!
• You do need to be present at the monthly meeting for your build to get entered into the raffle, but you do not need to be present at the December meeting in order to win a prize. We can get it to you later!
• Members are encouraged to keep their challenge MOCs, whether they win or not! Challenge builds are welcome to be displayed at NOVA-LUG tables at Brickfair and other conventions and display opportunities.

• I don’t want to use Venmo, how can I pay dues?

• Currently, Venmo is the only method that NOVA-LUG accepts dues but we’re open to explore other options in the future. In the meantime, members are welcome to connect with someone who is willing to use Venmo, and have that person send the dues. (If James doesn’t want to use Venmo, he can pay Brent in cash and then Brent can send the dues through Venmo)

• How do I interact with NOVA-LUG?

• The vast majority of our communication will be through the Discord server. At some point, things like RLUG benefits or specific coordination might need to take place through email, but those will all be announced at that time.