Code of Conduct & Policies

SAGA/RinCon Code of Conduct

6/6/2024

SAGA/RinCon is dedicated to providing a welcoming, inclusive experience for everyone, both in online/social media environments and at in-person events. In order for us as a community to do so, we all agree to uphold the following standards regarding harassment and safety:

We will refrain from using slurs and other language that reinforces social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion.

We will respect others’ limits and if someone feels uncomfortable, we will not question their choice to step away or use table safety tools like the X card. We will also respect others’ requests for clarification or explanation of game rules without judgment; we are here to grow the gaming community.

We will refrain from unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate physical contact of other members. We will ensure we have enthusiastic consent before physically engaging with another person, and past consent does not indicate current or future consent.

We will not engage in deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, or unwanted photography or recording.  

We will not engage in sustained disruption of talks, panels, or other events.  This includes interrupting, derailing or monopolizing conversations, and speaking over other individuals.

We will support each other in maintaining a safe physical environment: no running, jumping, throwing, climbing, roughhousing, etc., and no engaging in behaviors that would cause others to feel afraid.

We will support each other in creating a friendly, kind, and engaging social environment. We’re all here to have fun!

We’re all human, and will support each other in taking care of ourselves, both physically (eating, sleeping, showering, medical needs, etc.) and emotionally (engaging with or stepping away from a situation as necessary).

We will treat others’ belongings, including vendor and SAGA/RinCon property, with care and respect. This includes maintaining clean hands and play area when handling game materials.

We all have the right to advocate for our safety and identity. Participants asked to stop any behavior described above as inappropriate are expected to comply immediately. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of SAGA/RinCon staff immediately. If a participant engages in inappropriate behavior, the convention organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the convention with no refund. If necessary at an in-person event, SAGA/RinCon staff will be happy to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the convention.  

Many thanks to CritHit! for allowing us to use their code of conduct for reference in the development of this document. Other details derive from the Gen Con published versions, licensed under Creative Commons, which means you can freely adapt them to fit your own convention or event.  Please email us at info@rincongames.com if you have any questions about the policies.

Policy on minors at RinCon & other SAGA events

6/6/2024

SAGA and RinCon are welcoming to all, including minigamers! We want to support families bringing up the next generation of folks who love the hobby! However, RinCon cannot and does not accept in loco parentis responsibility for any minors. In addition, due to laws regarding gambling, no-one under the age of 21 is allowed to enter any part of the gaming floor at the casino resort. This includes the slot machine area in the main lobby. In order to go to any area outside the conference center, minors must be accompanied by someone over 21.

Attendees 12 and younger must be under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian at all times. Depending on age/maturity/gaming style of the minigamer, this may consist of the adult sitting with them throughout their game session in the Kids’ Track programming area, or the adult playing a game at a nearby table on the same gaming floor. The parent/guardian takes full responsibility for their minigamer, and needs to respond immediately if any issues arise.

Attendees 13-15 years of age must have a parent or adult guardian onsite at all times. This adult must remain reachable throughout the event, and the young attendee must have their own way of reaching their responsible adult (phone, wifi tablet, walkie-talkie, etc). They may play games independently, although parents/guardians should use their discretion regarding the content rating of any games the young attendee wishes to play.

Minor attendees 16 and older may attend RinCon independently. They are expected to follow all rules, directions from RinCon or event site staff, and the Code of Conduct, and are subject to all policies.

We will be presenting a track of programming for those between the ages of 6 and 12 at RinCon 2024. The intent of this track is for minigamers to be able to learn and play games that are age-appropriate, taught and facilitated by experienced and supportive GMs. Adult guardians may stay and play the games with their minigamer(s), or may allow them to be more independent, depending on the age/maturity/gaming style of the mingamer(s). However, the guardian must stay at a nearby table in the same gaming area, and be able to respond immediately to any issues.

COVID Policy

6/18/23

The safety of our community is extremely important to us. If you have COVID or symptoms of COVID or other viruses (fever, chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle/body aches, sore throat, headache, new loss of smell or taste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), please stay home, rest and recuperate, and contact us – we will be happy to refund your ticket.  As of this writing (6/18/23), the community level of COVID, as described in CDC policy, is LOW. We’ve lost too many members of our community and are supporting too many others as they struggle with long COVID to not take this seriously, though.  SAGA/RinCon supports the wearing of masks at community events, and will provide them for attendees to use if they wish.  We expect that attendees be considerate of others if they are asked to wear a mask at a game session that does not allow for social distancing.  We will be implementing onsite procedures consistent with mitigating the spread of all illness, including COVID (and con crud!). We also truly hope that those who are medically able to be vaccinated do so, in order to reduce further spread.  Let’s keep our fellow gamers, their friends and family, and the community at large as safe as we can!

Privacy Policy

4/15/2023

We at SAGA/RinCon are serious about maintaining the privacy of your personal information.  Email addresses that are given to us in any way (signing up to receive our newsletter or notifications, purchasing tickets through our ticketing service, creating an account on sched.com or any other scheduling services, donating money on our third-party site, signing up to run games at SAGA events, interacting with SAGA or RinCon representatives by email or web forms, etc.) are maintained in a database on mailchimp.  At present, the sole use for this database is to send notifications and updates through mailchimp regarding RinCon-related news; at any time, you may unsubscribe from this service.  Phone numbers given to us for coordination while volunteering or running programming at SAGA/RinCon events will be used only for that purpose, and if you prefer to have the number deleted after that need has been met, we are happy to do so.  We maintain a database of past and present volunteers and their contact information at Zeffy, and use this information for coordination purposes and to ask for help when there are volunteer opportunities.  We do not, and will never, sell or otherwise distribute your contact information to any outside entity without your permission in an opt-in manner.  In short, our personal contact information is in these locations as well; we won’t do anything with your personal information that we wouldn’t want done with our own.

Service Animals Policy

6/7/2024

Many people with disabilities use a service animal in order to fully participate in everyday life, and the presence of these animals must be permitted in places of business. A service animal, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Arizonans with Disabilities Act (AzDA), is a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the service animal must be directly related to the person’s disability, including:

  • assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks,
  • alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds,
  • providing nonviolent protection or rescue work,
  • pulling a wheelchair,
  • assisting an individual during a seizure,
  • alerting individuals to the presence of allergens,
  • retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone,
  • providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and
  • helping individuals with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors.

The ADA and the AzDA require that service animals be under the control of the handler at all times. In most instances, the handler will be the individual with a disability or a third party who accompanies the individual with a disability. The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. If a service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, SAGA/RinCon and Casino Del Sol staff may request that the animal be removed from the premises. However, the individual must be allowed to return to the public place without the service animal if they wish.

Providing only emotional support, well-being, comfort or companionship are not “work” or “tasks” under the ADA and AzDA. There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA or the AzDA, and the U.S. Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.