[hackerspaces] Members under 18

[Torrie Fischer]

At a former space of mine, we came to the conclusion that:

* Everyone who walked in the door had to sign a liability waiver
* If you were under 18, your legal parent/guardian had to sign that they were 
responsible for you and would always be present whenever in the space

We consulted a lawyer and they said it was legally sound, just as long as the 
parent was in the space. There was a lot of arguing/discussion about whether 
or not we should bend the rules for one or two youngsters who had been allowed 
to roam free in the space prior to the decision, but once we brought up the 
"If we get sued we're all totally fucked and its really just Not Excellent to 
cause us all to be totally fucked" argument, it was settled pretty quickly.

On Thursday, November 06, 2014 06:19:34 PM Pete Prodoehl wrote:
> Our space is currently in a discussion about allowing people under 18
> (16 & 17 year olds) to become members.
> 
> We've got some people who are against it because it would "ruin" their
> favorite hangout space, or make them uncomfortable in some way.
> 
> We've got some people who are convinced that the legal/insurance aspects
> will cause us to lose our insurance policy and have to shut down.
> 
> We have some that think that while we can trust an 18 year old, a 17
> year old is in no way to be trusted and will do completely stupid shit.
> 
> We've even discussed specific rules for 16 & 17 year olds, which would
> be much more limiting than members 18 or older. (They would need to have
> a family member as a member, not be allowed in the space without the
> family member that is a member, etc.)
> 
> Anyway, I'm sure there are spaces that allow people under 18 to be
> members, or guests that can use equipment, etc. and I'm looking for real
> cases especially if you've got an insurance policy that addresses minors.
> 
> thanks!
> 
> 
> Pete
> 
> 
> 
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