Gathering Place Guidelines

06 Mar Gathering Place Guidelines

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Contents

Guidelines

Temporary Guidelines

Procedures

Fees

Note: Additional guidelines, below, have been imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Changes to the policy will be posted on the FHA website home page.

The purpose of The Gathering Place is to provide a location to promote social interaction, a sense of community, and the health, safety, and welfare of the Fearrington and Galloway Ridge residents. The Fearrington Homeowners Association provides and manages this space for all residents for gatherings, meetings, clubs, parties, reunions, memorials, and other family occasions, subject to the Guidelines and Procedures below. The Gathering Place is located at 26 Swim & Croquet.

  • The Gathering Place shall be available for a reasonable fee to all Fearrington groups holding meetings open to all residents of Fearrington Village and Galloway Ridge, and their invited guests.
    • Fearrington “groups” refers to any group, club or organization that has been chartered by the Board of Directors (see Charter Process below).
    • “Invited guests” refers to any individual who has been specifically invited by a Fearrington Village or Galloway Ridge resident. It does not include invitees who may be aware of the event through general publicity.
  • The Gathering Place shall be available for a reasonable fee to all residents of Fearrington Village and Galloway Ridge for private parties for specifically invited residents and non-residents.
    • These private parties need not be open to all Fearrington and Galloway residents
    • If the purpose of such a private gathering is to explore the organization of a group, club, or organization, or service group, two such gatherings shall be allowed without payment of a fee.
  • The Gathering Place may be used as a polling place or for fundraising by the FHA.
  • The FHA Board must approve all exceptions to these guidelines
Temporary Guidelines, Updated March 29, 2022

Additional guidelines have been imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Changes to the policy will be posted on the FHA website home page.

Effective July 25, 2022, the FHA Board has revised its temporary guidelines. Face masks will be recommended in the public and common areas, and will continue to be required in the Hospitality Office and the FHA business office when occupied by more than one person.  Clubs and groups will no longer be required by the FHA to complete and submit participant sign-in sheets, but may stipulate additional requirements for their own events.

The revised policy applies whether or not a person is vaccinated, but any group renting The Gathering Place may also ask that members of the group be vaccinated. Vaccination is still the best way to inhibit the spread of the virus. Groups may confirm that a person is vaccinated by asking participants to show their vaccination card, or a photo of the card on their cell phone.

Any group wanting to rent The Gathering Place must agree to abide by the current guidelines, sign the FHA rental agreement, and pay rental fees. In addition to the permanent guidelines, the following rules apply:

  1. Masks must be worn in the Hospitality Office and FHA business office when occupied by more than one person.  Face masks will be optional in the public and common areas of The Gathering Place. It is up to the club or group whether or not they want to require that members be vaccinated at their events.
  2. No participant may attend a meeting if they exhibit any Covid symptoms or have a fever.
  3. The renting organization is responsible for ensuring compliance with these guidelines.
Procedures
To initiate a conversation about reserving the Gathering Place, you may e-mail gp@fearringtonfha.org or phone Clairbeth Lehn at 919-542-3003. Please review all the Gathering Place Procedures below before initiating a scheduling request. Legal Capacity Limits: 230 for chairs only; 107 for tables and chairs; 150 chairs are available on site.
Procedures for Groups/Organizations
  1. Prior to booking space at the Gathering Place, groups or organizations based in Fearrington must first file their Charter with FHA (see Charter process 1 – 3 below).
    1. Chartering groups and organizations will give them formal standing, and will ensure that they further a sense of community and harmony in Fearrington Village.
    2. New clubs and organizations will apply to the FHA Board using an application form available from the hospitality office or online.
    3. All existing clubs will be automatically given charters, but should nevertheless, complete the application form to record their group’s information.
  2. Groups may engage outside speakers, presenters, or performers on a voluntary basis or by giving them an honorarium, provided that the speaker, presenter or performer does not solicit for future business. The sale of books or other items incidental to the presentation is permitted.
  3. Annual exhibits: Artists’ Studios at Fearrington will curate an exhibition of their members’ work on the walls in the large meeting room. There will also be an exhibit case to showcase other works that cannot be wall-mounted (see section below). An Authors Wall is located in the main lobby, and any book written by a resident can be displayed here (see section below).
  4. Artists’ Studios at Fearrington: For a small annual exhibit fee, the group will provide and aesthetically curate a permanent exhibit representing arts and crafts created by members of the group as follows:
    • Pictures and other wall-mounted media will be hung from the picture rails in the large room at the Gathering Place on fittings specified as suitable by the FHA and supplied by the group.
    • 3D media will be displayed in a lockable, glass-fronted, wall-mounted cabinet to be supplied by the group, offering a secure and illuminated display space.
    • Each piece will be displayed with a business card showing the title of the piece, the medium, the artist’s name, contact information, and the price. These discreet cards bearing the group’s logo will be uniformly printed and mounted on the frame beside each piece.
    • The group will refresh the exhibit every other month at a date and time when the room is not otherwise in use.
    • Members of the group display their art in the Gathering Place at their own risk, and the group is responsible for the safety, insurance, maintenance/cleanliness of the exhibits.

    Exhibit – Authors’ Wall

    A bulletin board is available in The Gathering Place, with copies of the cover of books written by Fearrington residents. Authors can post copies of the covers of their books, and should attach information on how they can be purchased (Amazon, McIntyre’s, from the author, etc.). Hospitality Office volunteers will monitor the bulletin board to ensure that there is space for the publications.

  5.  Groups or individuals using space at the Gathering Place must comply with the following administrative procedures (copies will be included with your rental agreement):
    1. Security: Access to the Gathering Place is provided by electronic keypads at the front and back doors and by a key inside a key safe at the kitchen door. To obtain the access codes, contact Clairbeth Lehn (919-542-3003). Renters are responsible for turning off lights and securing the building after use.
    2. Audio-visual: For use of Audio Visual equipment in the large meeting room, or the laptop projector in the small conference room, contact av-support@fearringtonfha.org with your date, time, and needs. Established groups may have designated members who have received training on the GP equipment for their AV requirements.
Fees
The fees for using the Gathering Place on a regular basis are:
  • Large Room: security deposit $125, $22/ first two hours, $5 each additional hour.
  • Small room: security deposit $125, $12 first two hours; $3 each additional hour
  • Audio/Visual usage: $5 flat fee as needed for each rental. (Microphone usage exempt from this fee.)
  • Kitchen: $15 for up to five hours, $20 for more than five hours
    • The kitchen fee applies for a meeting with a sit-down dinner, or when food preparation is needed beyond light refreshments. Meetings involving outside caterers will require an increased security deposit of $250.
    Special Rentals Definitions:
    Private party:a one-time event held by a resident or group
    Exhibition:a reception and exhibition of works of art or craft by Fearrington residents open to Fearrington residents and their invited guests.
    • Private Party: $285, $125 security deposit
    • Exhibition: $140
    • Memorial Service: $60 (includes kitchen use)
    Discounts Chartered groups that use the Gathering Place on a regular basis (weekly/monthly) pay a one-time security deposit to be retained by the FHA until such time as the group no longer uses the space. Chartered groups that rent the Gathering Place more than 40 times in a calendar year will receive a 10% discount.