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The BESS Newcomers Team Handbook
(Please use this link if you wish to download a
Word version of the handbook)
Contact Email: newcomers team
Revised July 23, 2007
1 Mission Statement
The mission of the BESS Newcomers Team is to assist individuals in the process of understanding, accepting and valuing their identity both within the BDSM and the broader communities. That process includes exploring one's identity, sharing it with others and coping with society's responses and attitudes. The Team will facilitate this process by providing information and support to newcomers as they journey from their private exploration of their BDSM identity to exploration within the larger BDSM community.
2 The Philosophy
The Newcomers Team coordinates an on-going, pan-BESS effort to provide the information and support necessary for newcomers to comfortably and safely integrate into the real-life BDSM community. The Team makes reasonable efforts to work collaboratively with other BESS teams.
There are generally two approaches to initiating newcomers into the BDSM community. The first is a traditional, group-centric approach, emphasizing the education required to make the newcomer a good BDSM citizen. This approach reinforces appropriate group behavior and understanding of group rules. The second is a newcomer-centric approach, which emphasizes outreach and the services that the newcomer, rather than the group, feels is necessary to feel comfortable in the BDSM community. This approach emphases social interaction, support, and establishing comfort levels, including personal acceptance. While the BESS Newcomers Team acknowledges the necessity of the first approach, its primary focus is on the second.
In the continuum of activities necessary to bring about behavioral changes, "preparation" and "action" represent the two stages that take place after an individual decides to make a change. In the preparation stage, an individual decides to make a lifestyle change in the immediate future. In the action stage, an individual implements these changes. The BESS Newcomers Team helps individuals through the preparation stage by providing individuals with the information necessary to make concrete action plans, and through the action stage by providing feedback and social support.
The primary purpose of the Newcomer Team is not to solicit new members for BESS. It is a service offered by BESS to the BDSM community at large and provides information on whatever service is required by the newcomer.
3 Responsibilities Of The Newcomers Team
The tasks performed by the BESS Newcomers Team can be divided into two general categories: outreach and education. The outreach performed by the Team involves providing resources and information about resources. Team education efforts target newcomer needs specifically and will be developed as a compliment and as a bridge to the regular BESS education program.
The specific activities pursued by the Team to meet its goals are fluid. Specific activities may be created, modified or deleted, depending on the need. Currently, Team activities include:
1. A separate new contributor orientation for prospective BESS Contributors who are new to the BDSM community. The Newcomer Orientations allow newcomer specific questions to be answered in the limited, available time slotted for orientations, and they provide a less threatening environment for newcomers to ask questions.
2. An e-mail address to which newcomers can write for information about any BDSM issue. The e-mail account is maintained by one individual who directs (triages) the incoming messages to appropriate individuals on the Newcomer Team members. This individual is responsible for matching newcomer issues with the experience and knowledge of each Team member. This provides a "personal touch" to correspondence with the newcomers group by providing the opportunity for one-on-one exchange with a Newcomer Team member.
3. A webpage that provides general information for newcomers, including: information on local newcomer resources, FAQs, a TNG contract for individuals between 19 and 35, and reviews of beginners BDSM books.
4. An email discussion list (BESS-Mentors) for newcomers. The purpose of the list is to provide newcomers with a place to ask questions and discuss issues in a safe and nonthreatening environment. Ideally, the great majority of the discussions will be among the newcomers themselves. The list is "staffed" by the Newcomer Team members, who are the only �experienced� individuals on the list and may respond to emails as appropriate.
5. Weekend workshops that provide basic information for newcomers. The workshop can be conducted by the team or out-sourced to other individuals and organizations. The focus of the workshops is not on learning skills as an end until itself, but to provide an opportunity for interaction among newcomer peers and to instill in newcomers the sense of confidence that comes with knowledge.
6. Pre-party munches, to establish a newcomer peer group that can then go on to the party together.
4 Newcomers
For purposes of the BESS Newcomers Team, a "Newcomer" is an individual who is attempting to move from their private exploration of their BDSM identity to exploration within the larger BDSM community.
Each Newcomer Team activity will have its own attendance requirements. As a general rule, however, a newcomer should not be participating in Team activities for more than one year after their first contact with the Team.
Experienced individuals (who are not members of the Newcomers team) will not be allowed to attend Newcomer Team activities. The only exception will be made for individuals who are personal attendants to newcomers with a physical impairment. Such experienced individuals may be present but will be asked to conduct themselves as "staff" during the activity by refraining from participating in workshop discussions and by refraining from interfering in the newcomer peer bonding process at munches and parties.
5 Newcomers Team Members
5.A Composition of the Team
Every effort will be made to ensure a diversity of gender, BDSM and sexual orientations, and organizational skills among Team staff. To reflect the pan-BESS nature of the Team, the education and outreach team leaders will be invited to participate on the Newcomer Team discussion list. A representative of the BESS TNG and Baltimore AT-EASE will be invited to be members of the Team.
The Team will make an effort to include newcomer volunteers on the team. Newcomer volunteers are of particular value to the Team, since they have clear ideas on and a personal connection to the issues.
Each Team member will be encouraged to take primary responsibility for a specific task within the Team. Team members must also be willing to provide reasonable support and participation in Team efforts led by other staff. Each Team member will be required to attend periodic team meetings. Team members also will be required to join and participate in the team discussion list.
In participating in Newcomer activities, however, Team members should keep in mind that a major purpose of all activities is for newcomers to interact with and to develop social supports with other newcomers. Therefore, team members should ensure that their participation in newcomer activities do not in any way interfere with this goal.
Newcomer Team activities are intended to provide safe, comfortable spaces for newcomers. Therefore, team members should avoid engaging in an intimate relationship with a newcomer until one-year has passed since the newcomer's first Team activity. A team member who meets a newcomer outside of the Team and subsequently wishes his/her newcomer partner to participate in Team activities must resign from the Team.
For similar reasons, low key deportment is appropriate for Newcomer team members. Use of "scene titles" is forbidden for team members during Team activities and to be discouraged among out-sourced facilitators of workshops and other Team activities.
5.B Team Members and their Duties
Team Leader
The Newcomer Team Leader is responsible for coordinating all Newcomer Team activities. The team leader serves as the interface between the Newcomers Team and the BESS Board, the BESS Treasurer and other BESS officers. The team leader maintains the Newcomer Team Team Handbook and coordinates the Team budget. The Team Leader coordinates the Contributor Orientations for Newcomers in consultation with the BESS Contributor Team leader.
Mentoring Facilitator
The Mentoring Facilitator is responsible for maintaining and moderating the BESS-Mentors discussion list.
Information Coordinator
The Information Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the information that will be available on the BESS Newcomers webpage and for interfacing with the BESS Outreach Team Leader and the BESS webmasters.
Support Activities Facilitator
The Support Activities Facilitator is responsible for coordinating Newcomer Team munches and other social efforts.
Newcomer Workshop Coordinator
The Workshop Coordinator is responsible for the development and management of special workshops for newcomers. The Workshop Coordinator also is responsible for checking the Newcomer email account for Workshop RSVPs and triaging other Newcomer requests for information that are received via email.
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