Layer 1 · Membership

Membership Agreement

  • Layer: 1 — Membership System
  • Status: Stub — not yet adopted
  • RCOS reference: §3.4, §3.5, §3.8

Signed (or explicitly acknowledged) by every member at the time of admission. Defines the rights and obligations of each membership state.

Membership State on Signing

[Trial / Full — to be defined per state]

Member Rights

Must be explicit and symmetrical with obligations.

  1. The right to vote on all decisions as defined in the Decision Matrix
  2. The right to access all member-only channels, calls, and community records
  3. The right to hold roles as defined in the Role Registry (Layer 5)
  4. The right to earn XP and ECO through recognized contributions
  5. The right to propose changes through the governance process
  6. The right to raise a conflict through the Conflict Resolution Ladder without retaliation
  7. The right to exit the community voluntarily at any time
  8. The right to due process before any forced exit, suspension, or access restriction

Member Obligations

Must be explicit, not open-ended. No obligation may be enforced without a corresponding documented right.

  1. Adhere to all Layer 0 identity constraints and invariants at all times
  2. Contribute to the community in at least one recognized category per defined period (see Participation and Contribution Expectations below)
  3. Participate in conflict resolution processes when named as a party or requested as a witness
  4. Complete onboarding before exercising Full Member rights
  5. Notify the community before extended absence; initiate the exit process if unable to meet participation expectations for an extended period
  6. Not misrepresent the community, its members, or its governance externally
  7. Not exercise authority beyond what is explicitly assigned through the governance system

Participation and Contribution Expectations

§3.5 — Participation expectations must be explicitly defined. Acceptable forms of contribution must be listed. Substitution of participation (e.g. delegating or outsourcing labor) must be explicitly governed. Persistent non-participation must trigger an accountability process (Layer 4).

  • Minimum contribution: At least one recognized contribution per 6 months (any category — labor, care, knowledge, stewardship, coordination, or informal community participation including Discord activity)
  • Recognized categories: As defined in the Internal Economy Protocol (Layer 3); informal participation such as community discussion counts as coordination
  • Substitution: A member may delegate or substitute participation in a specific task but remains responsible for meeting their overall contribution expectations
  • Extended absence: A member expecting absence of more than 6 months must notify the community; contribution expectations are paused for the full notified period, up to a maximum of 12 months. If the expected absence exceeds 12 months, the member should either initiate a voluntary exit or agree an arrangement with Admin
  • Non-participation trigger: Absence of recognized contribution for 6 consecutive months without prior notice triggers an accountability check as defined in Layer 4

Due Process Reference

Any forced exit, suspension, or access restriction follows Layer 4 due process and the Exit & Separation Protocol.

[To be confirmed and linked]

By entering the community through the defined onboarding process, the member explicitly consents to the terms of this agreement and the Layer 0 artifacts in force at the time of admission.

Ratification Record

  • Adopted:
  • Decision type: Strategic
  • Version:
  • Decision record:

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