The Library is the collection of whiskey and other spirits that have been purchased for whiskey tastings by our event participants, or donated by members, guests, or third parties for use in our events. There is an honor system among members that these bottles will remain in the Library to share with other CWS members and their guests at CWS events.
Who does the Library belong to?
The Library belongs to the MEMBERS of Casper Whiskey Society. The Library DOES NOT belong to Casper Whiskey Society (CWS). Each bottle is assigned a Guardian. The Guardian is the de facto owner of that bottle. If CWS ceases operations, Guardians will be notified to pick up their bottles. Any abandoned bottles will be distributed to active members chosen at random.
The members and their guests purchase the whiskey either individually, or by chipping in their money together and buying it collectively. Whiskey may also be donated to the Library by anyone.
What does the Librarian do?
The Librarian is the person that represents the membership as a collective in relation to the Library. The Librarian inventories and organizes the collection, makes reports to the membership about its contents, and assists in selecting bottles to be used at CWS events. The Librarian is also tasked with making the collective purchases on behalf of the members that have chipped in money to the Library Fund. This Librarian makes purchases for the group and keeps track of the balance in the Fund.
How is the Librarian chosen?
The first Librarian was asked to “volunteer” by the club officers. Future Librarians will be voted on by the members with full voting rights in the same manner as the club’s officers. The Librarian is not eligible to serve as a Board Member or to hold any other official title within CWS with the exception of serving on committees, as long as the Librarian is not given access to CWS funds for purchasing CWS supplies and event materials. This ensures that there are no opportunities for CWS funds and the Library Fund to become comingled. Since the Librarian will be the steward of your donated cash, you should choose someone highly trustworthy and reliable.
What is the Library Fund?
To help facilitate and organize the collection of contributions from participants, the Librarian passes a Collection Plate at each CWS event. The money collected is kept in the Library Fund. These funds are not the property of CWS and are never comingled with CWS funds or assets. CWS officers and directors are not permitted to collect, store, count or otherwise take possession of the Library Fund. This rule is to ensure the separation of funds without the appearance of an opportunity for conflicts. The Library Fund is the responsibility of the Librarian. After each event, the Librarian will collect and store the Library Fund in a secure location. The Librarian may open a dedicated personal bank account for this purpose, but only if it is used exclusively for this purpose and is not used for personal funds at any time for any reason. The contents of the Library and Library Fund are the property of the members in common. If CWS ceases to operate, the Library Fund will be divided equally among all active members.
Do I have to buy bottles for the Library?
No. Purchasing bottles for the Library and/or for whiskey tastings is not required. This is completely voluntary, and is not a requirement for membership or participation in CWS whiskey tastings. However, you should understand that without someone buying the bottles for each event, there would be no bottles to sample.
Do I have to put money in the Library Fund or the Collection Plate?
No. Contributing to the Collection Plate or Library Fund is not required. This is completely voluntary and is not a requirement for membership or participation in CWS whiskey tastings. However, you should remember that without contributions to the Library or the Library Fund, there would be no whiskey to taste. To assist participants in understanding what a reasonable share of the pool for an event might be, a suggested contribution amount will be announced at each event.
Guardianship is essentially ownership of a bottle in the Library. Guardians are expected to leave their bottles in the collective Library so that they can be shared with other participants at CWS events. This is an honor system. If you are a member and you donate a bottle, you automatically be the Guardian of that bottle. If you are a guest and you donate a bottle, your accompanying member will be assigned guardianship of that bottle. Bottles purchased with the Library Fund and any third party donations will be assigned a guardian at random from the members that attend the event where the bottle is used, or from the complete list of members if the bottle is not initially used at an event.
If I am a Guardian, can I take my bottles home?
There is no legal barrier to prevent Guardians from taking their bottles home. It would be frowned upon and generally considered a dick move, but no one can actually stop you. Again, this is an honor system, there are no contractual or membership related obligations here. Use your best judgment.
Any one at any time. Donated bottles are added to the Library and assigned a Guardian from the membership role in a manner that is reasonable and acceptable to the group.
What happens to the Library if Casper Whiskey Society is shut down?
Guardians will be required to pick up their bottles and take them home, or dispose of them in a manner of their choosing. If you do not want to take your bottles home, you may give them to another member, or have someone else pick them up on your behalf. Any abandoned bottles will be given to other members chosen at random.
Who decides which bottles are used at which events?
The Event Committee and/or the officers of CWS, whoever is planning the event. The Librarian is the membership representative for the Library, and will speak on the members’ behalf about bottle selection, availability, purchases, and general inventory of the Library. The Librarian may also serve on the Event Committee and participate in event planning, organizing, and presentation. Again, this is an honor system. Use discretion when planning the events and respect the collection for what it is. Planning a tasting with the intention of using only the most expensive bottles in the Library is a waste of the Library’s resources and would likely be overruled by the Librarian on behalf of the members.
How are these rules enforced?
Basically, they are not enforceable by CWS. Since the Library is separate from CWS, it cannot impune any use or abuse of the Library or the Library Fund. These are voluntary, and somewhat informal, arrangements that are generally agreed upon by the active members. It is up to the active members to decide how to enforce these rules. As of now, it is a system based on the honor of like-minded people and their desire to maintain the Library in its current fashion for the future enjoyment of CWS event participants. Ultimately, the only real recourse for misuse or abuse of the Library would be to return all of the Library to the owners and distribute the Library Fund equally among all active members and find some other process for supplying bottles for our events. So, don’t mess it up. This is a good system, and it works.