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Janus "Frequently Asked Questions" | |
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What is Society of Janus?The Society of Janus
is a San Francisco-based support and education group for people
interested in learning about BDSM. Janus provides an opportunity
to meet others with similar erotic interests in a safe, relaxed
atmosphere. We have only one cardinal rule: All BDSM activities can and should be safe, consensual, and non-exploitative. Janus is a pansexual organization; we are open to men and women of all sexual preferences (straight/gay/bisexual) and orientations (Top/switch/bottom/ transexual/transvestite). Our members range from inexperienced "newbies" who just recently joined to "SM veterans" with years of experience in the scene. Janus also provides a chance to get involved with the greater SF Bay Area BDSM community. How long has Janus been around?The Society of Janus was founded in August, 1974 by the late Cynthia Slater and Larry Olsen. Janus is the second oldest BDSM group in the US, TES in New York City (founded in 1971), being the oldest. They settled on the name Janus for several reasons Cynthia recalls in a 1983 Growing Pains interview: There were three basic reasons why we chose Janus. First of all, Janus has two faces, which we interpreted as the duality of SM (one's dominant and submissive sides). Second, he's the Roman god of portals, and more importantly, of beginnings and endings. To us, it represents the beginning of one's acceptance of self, the beginning of freedom of guilt, and the eventual ending of self-loathing and fear over one's SM desires. And third, Janus is the Roman god of war--the war we commonly fight against stereotypes commonly held against us. In September, 1999, Janus celebrated its 25th anniversary. Additionally,
a history of the group was written at that time. You can download a PDF
version of the history at History. To download the PDF reader,
visit Acrobat Reader. Sounds good! How do I join Janus?Visit the Joining Janus page to find out how to join Janus. What are the benefits of being a Janus member?There are several advantages to being a Janus member. To find out more about them, click on click on one of the topics listed in the table below
Janus Program MeetingsJanus has two program meetings a month in San Francisco about various BDSM topics. Programs can include discussions, guest speakers, demonstrations, and/or workshops. They usually run for about two hours, with a break in the middle of the program. Programs are $5 for members, $15 for their guests. Past topics have included:
Janus program meetings are restricted to Janus members and their accompanying guests, but are open to members of organizations with whom we have reciprocity agreements, like The 15 Association (SF men's SM group), Exiles (SF women's SM group), Threshold in Los Angeles, TES in New York City, Black Rose in Washington, DC, APEX in Phoenix, AZ, UPEX in Salt Lake City, Service of Mankind Church/La Madrona and others. You can view reviews of recent programs at Programs. In addition to receiving discounts at program meetings, Janus
members are entitled to the Janus 10% Club. Certain local businesses and services
offer Janus members a discount of 10% on non-sale items. EventsSeveral times a year Janus holds parties, including the annual
Top/Bottom auction (usually in February) and Bondage Beauty Pageant (usually
in December). Every year Janus has a contingent that marches in
the SFGLBT (San Francisco Gay/Lesbian
/Bisexual/Transgendered) Pride Day parade in June as well as sponsoring
a booth at the Pride Day celebration after the parade. We also have a
booth at the Folsom Street
Fair in September of every year. Growing PainsWe publish a bi-monthly newsletter, Growing Pains, which features fiction and non-fiction articles, advice, drawings, photos, poetry, news, and letters, depending on what's submitted. Ads for kink-oriented merchants and craftspeople, and kink-friendly professional services, all offering 10% off regular rates for Janus members, are also included. Rapid Release: We also publish a monthly mailing with a schedule of current Janus and other SM-related events, munches, business meeting minutes, parties, and other time-sensitive information. Event times and locations are subject to change, members can call the Events Hotline or visit the Janus Events Calendar for the latest information. For any issures regarding your Growing Pains subscription (missing mail,
change of address, vacation holds, unsubscribe, etc.) please contact the
Membership Secretary using the Feedback Form.
Be sure to include your membership name and number. E-Mail listsThe Society of Janus maintains two e-mail lists for our members: To subscribe or unsubscribe please contact the Membership Secretary using the Feedback Form. Be sure to include your membership name and number. Special Interest GroupAn official part of the Society Janus. Groups are forming. Mentoring GroupThis group is for Janus members who are interested in "mentoring" new
or recently new members. Email Mentoring
or visit Mentor (in PDF
format) for more information. VolunteersJanus is a is a completely volunteer group and is always in need of people to help us out with various group projects. Whether you are a brand new or existing Janus member, we can always use volunteers.We have many needs for volunteers from stuffing envelopes at Stuff n
Licks each month, being a door monitor at parties or programs, helping
with the Janus booth at Pride Day or Folsom Street Fair, becoming
a Janus officer, or even putting on a Janus program. If
you are a new or existing member and would like to volunteer a little
(or a lot) of your time, email our volunteer
coordinator. Operating Rules, Policies and Procedures of JanusJanus is a Non-Profit organization that is run according to two documents, the Operating Procedures and the Policies and Procedures (with Attachments). These have been a work in progress for many years and reflect both long standing "core" principles of Janus such as "run by the membership in regular business meetings", as well as more "tactical" issues such as the cost of programs, the types of public information we distribute, etc.If you are a BDSM organization looking for sample rules to organize your own club, considering that Janus has managed to survive for over thirty years this shows that this model has some staying power; however it has downsides as well. We welcome other groups to evaluate what we have done and take that which suits your needs. If you are a Janus member, reading through these documents will give you an excellent idea of what is needed to "change" Janus. Following the parliamentary mechanisms efficiently can yield effective, practical changes. You are strongly encouraged to read the rules and get involved by coming to the Business Meetings. (These are all Microsoft Word documents.)
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Copyright © 1974-2003 Society
of Janus,
unless otherwise noted for materials used by permission. |
