Standing Rule No. 1: HCH Guild Structure

 As Amended: March 3, 2007

      Whereas, the founding statement of the Honourable Company of Horners (HCH), which was adopted at the organizational meeting

 at the Mercer Museum, March 2, 1996, and published in The Horn Book the same month, reads: "The company shall establish a guild

 system for the benefit of its members," and the HCH Bylaws, adopted February 2001, read that one of the purposes of the HCH is "to

 protect the art and craft of horn working by establishing a guild system for its members," the following guild system is adopted as the

 first standing rule for the HCH.

 A.   The Awards Committee will have oversight of the guild structure for the HCH and entertain all applications for promotion.

1. The committee will keep a permanent record of the rank of all HCH members. 
2. The committee will meet each year at the annual meeting and at the summer reception, if held, to judge the applicant's submitted work.
3. The committee will appoint five guild members of the highest qualification to judge the applicant's work.
4. A majority vote by the judges will be final.

 B.   The HCH guild structure will consist of three ranks: Freeman, Journeyman, and Master.  These ranks will have no bearing on a

       member's voting status in the HCH.  A HCH member need not be a Journeyman or Master to serve as Guildmaster, Guildmaster-

       Elect or any other elected or appointed office in the HCH.

 C.   All dues paying HCH members will have the rank of Freeman.

 D.   In order for a Freeman to voluntarily advance to Journeyman, he or she must:

     1.  Be a dues paying member of the HCH for three consecutive years.

     2.  Attend a minimum of one annual meeting prior to the meeting where his or her work is juried.  The applicant may petition the Awards

          Committee to waive the previous one annual meeting minimum clause in the case of continuing health or disability reasons.

     3.  Petition the Awards Committee in writing for advancement prior to the annual meeting.

     4.  Demonstrate a reasonable proficiency in carving, heating & pressing, turning, and engraving cow horn in a historical manner by 

          bringing five horn objects that display his or her ability in the fore mentioned areas for the Awards Committee to review at the

          annual meeting.

     5.  After the Awards Committee reviews the applicant's work and discusses it with the applicant, a determination shall be made

          concerning promotion.

 E.   Members of the HCH who have won a blue ribbon at Dixon's Gun Makers Fair in its horn competition or the HCHs annual horn

       competition prior to 2005 may advance to the rank of Journeyman.  Application, along with proof, must be made by letter to the

       Awards Committee.

 F.   In order for a Journeyman to voluntarily advance to Master, he or she must:

     1.  Be a dues paying member of the HCH for five consecutive years.

     2.  Attend a minimum of two annual meetings prior to the meeting where his or her work is juried.

     3.  Petition the Awards Committee in writing for advancement prior to the annual meeting.

     4.  Demonstrate a superlative level of ability in carving, heating & pressing, turning, engraving, and integrating woods and metals

          with cow horn by presenting three horn objects that demonstrate his or her ability to the Awards Committee for evaluation at

          the annual meeting. 

     5.  Before his or her promotion, the Master candidate must give an original written and oral presentation to the HCH at an annual

          meeting or to another accredited organization on some aspect of horn working or its history.  The Master candidate may petition the

          Awards Committee to allow he or she to submit a manuscript (book) or video/DVD that has a copyright to take the place of their written

          and oral presentation.  The candidate must present a copy of the aforementioned work in advance to the Awards Committee for their

          inspection and discussion.  A short oral description will still be required to be given at the HCH annual meeting before the rank of Master

          is awarded.

     6.  After the Awards Committee reviews the applicant's work and discusses it with the applicant, a determination shall be made

          concerning promotion.

 G.  All those seeking advancement from Freeman to Journeyman and from Journeyman to Master, must unconditionaly donate one

       item they are submitting as their workmanship sample to the Guild.  In turn the HCH will have the option to keep the item or sell

       it at auction to the highest bidder.

 Standing Rule No. 2: HCH Ethics

  Adopted: March 5, 2005

  1.  Members will never knowingly misrepresent a new or contemporary item as an original antique.

  2.  Members will make every reasonable effort to permanently mark their current work, clearly identifying themselves as the

       maker with the year of manufacture, to keep the piece from being misrepresented in the future.

  3.  Members will not misrepresent or mark with their name or logo on any work that is not of their manufacture.

  4.  Members will always represent their skill level in the Guild in accordance to the regulations set forth in Standing Rule No. 1.

  5.  Only Current Executive Committee members, the current Guildmaster, or members specifically designated by the current

       Guildmaster may make official statements of HCH policy.

  6.  Members will treat all patrons with respect and deal with them fairly and honestly.

  7.  Whereas, the conduct of one member of the Honourable Company of Horners is a reflection on the guild as a whole, vigilance

       must be used to avoid situations where the reputation of the HCH is called into question.