Question on odd rule

[Jason Erickson]

I am new to ARMA and have started to work with a local group. The other day I brought a camera and asked to snap a picture of everyone. About half the group was "in uniform" and the rest were "out-of-uniform" newbies like me. I was told (by those in uniform) that photos are not permitted when folks are not in uniform. This makes absolutely no sense, and I hope that was just their (weird) way of saying they didn't feel like being photographed.

Please clarify whether such a rule exists, and what its purpose is. I don't recall seeing it listed anywhere.

If there are any other surprise rules I should know about before deciding whether to join, please tell me where to find them. Most of the rules I've seen so far make sense, so don't take this post as rude. I just prefer to know the ins and outs before getting involved with an organization.

[Aaron Pynenberg]

Jason, take this as simple advice and not a slam. There is no rule like that I am aware of in place on the website...but if your local group has made that rule then all you have done is made yourself look silly. Why wouldn't you ask your local leaders that question, and further more if they told you that is the prefrence then why question it?

as a study Group Leader myself people who do this kind of thing, (ask questions like this) on the open forum concern me, because they can sometimes detract from the group instead of help foster it and make it grow. The local groups have the ability to make thier own house rules on certain things tell me what you have gained by asking this question?

Sorry if this comes off rude but if this were an asain art I wonder if you would have been so inclined to ask a question like this. It's OK to ask questions about certain things, but this kind of stuff is just plain silly, work with your local leaders, not against them. Does that make sense?-

[Shane Smith]

I am new to ARMA and have started to work with a local group. The other day I brought a camera and asked to snap a picture of everyone. About half the group was "in uniform" and the rest were "out-of-uniform" newbies like me. I was told (by those in uniform) that photos are not permitted when folks are not in uniform. This makes absolutely no sense, and I hope that was just their (weird) way of saying they didn't feel like being photographed.

Please clarify whether such a rule exists, and what its purpose is. I don't recall seeing it listed anywhere.

If there are any other surprise rules I should know about before deciding whether to join, please tell me where to find them. Most of the rules I've seen so far make sense, so don't take this post as rude. I just prefer to know the ins and outs before getting involved with an organization.

Another unwritten rule is that local study group concerns get handled locally and not on the public forum. Your fellow Swordsmen are there to learn and perfect their fencing skills and if they don't want photo's taken, that's fine with me and is of no consequence. Take it up with the local guys directly or handle it via private comunications. I do know that if I were the local Study Group Leader in question, I'd be mildly offended by a public post such as this. That said, the above is my opinion only and does not reflect policy so far as I know.

[Shane Smith]

As this thread is unlikely to prove productive, I am locking it from further posting.