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Social Responsibility of Ether Independent

About Ether Independent

Ether Independent was founded in 2022 to create fun, educational experiences for young adults interested in the winter guard activity. We are an independent winter guard based in Houston, Texas. Ether Independent is (soon-to-be) a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that adheres to the guidelines set by Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC) and Winter Guard International (WGI) in addition to creating its own policies. Please visit our “About” page to learn more about Ether Independent: https://etherindependent.com/about.

Mission Statement

Ether Independent aims to foster an all-inclusive, safe space for learning and personal growth that is accepting to all creeds, nationalities, genders, and identities, while striving to achieve excellence within the winter guard activity through exhilarating performances.

Ether Independent Strives for Excellence in Every Way

At Ether Independent, we acknowledge that life and growing-up can be hard sometimes. We want our rehearsals and events to be a place for healing, growth, and learning. Therefore, it’s our mission to foster an all-inclusive, safe space that is accepting to all creeds, nationalities, genders, and identities.

Our team can only strive to achieve excellence within the winter guard activity through exhilarating performances when our participants feel supported. We feel that providing an environment that is free from judgement, prejudice, and cruelty is a critical first step to nurture the success of our team members.

Health and Wellness

Ether Independent believes that putting physical and mental wellness at the front of our activities is crucial for an inclusive, enjoyable, and successful program. We encourage our participants to communicate any needs that they have or issues they may be experiencing so that our staff can direct them towards receiving the assistance or accommodations that are best fit for them.

For more information, you can review the “Community Outreach” section of our website for a list of general and mental health resources: https://etherindependent.com/wellness-resources.

Language

Ether Independent believes in showing respect towards other at all times. We do not condone offensive language or statements by our staff and members including through written or online communications.

Discrimination

Ether has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination based  on national origin, genetic information (including family medical history), race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), disability, or age. Ether will provide reasonable accommodations to members and staff who need them for medical or religious reasons, as required by law. Furthermore, we have adopted and abide to the law as outlined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). For more information, you can review the EEOC’s explanation and protection against discrimination online:  https://www.eeoc.gov/discrimination-type.

Ether Independent Code of Conduct and Reporting Misconduct

Maintaining respect between staff, participants, and the community at large is central to the mission of Ether. We have fully adopted policies outlined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) for discrimination and sexual harassment, the US Center for SafeSport: SafeSport Code, in addition to Winter Guard International’s and the Texas Color Guard Circuit’s Codes of Conduct.

  1. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): Discrimination
    https://www.eeoc.gov/discrimination-type
  2. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): Sexual Harassment
    https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment
  3. US Center for SafeSport: SafeSport Code
    https://uscenterforsafesport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-SafeSport-Code.pdf
  4. Winter Guard International (WGI): Code of Conduct for Participating Groups
    https://wgi.org/about-wgi/code-of-conduct/
  5. Winter Guard International (WGI): Participant Abuse Prevention Policy (PAPP)
    https://wgi.org/papp/
  6. Winter Guard International (WGI): Participant Protection Reporting Policy
    https://wgi.org/participant-protection-reporting-policy/
  7. Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC): Code of Conduct for Participating Groups
    https://www.texascolorguardcircuit.org/TCGC-Code-of-Conduct
  8. Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC): Participant Protection Reporting Policy
    https://www.texascolorguardcircuit.org/TCGC-Code-of-Conduct

The administration of Ether Independent Winter Guard is committed to providing our members with the best experience possible. Our philosophy is based on being a quality and professional organization in all aspects. We appreciate your commitment to our organization and to the other members.