DEFINITIONS
• "ORCA": The Otis Redding Center for the Arts, Otis Redding Foundation, Otis Redding Museum, and all of its associates, employees, instructors, volunteers, representatives and interns.
• "Estate": The Otis Redding Estate and all of its associates, employees, volunteers, representatives and interns.
• "Primary": The Primary Guardian as listed on the official registration form.
• "Secondary": The Secondary Guardian as listed on the official registration form.
• "Emergency Contact": All Emergency Contacts as listed on the official registration form.
• "Alternate Driver": All Alternate Drivers as listed on the official registration form or in writing to admin@orcamacon.org.
• "Guardians": All Primary and Secondary Guardians, Emergency Contacts, and Alternate Drivers as listed on the official registration form.
• "Participant": The student enrolled in ORCA Lessons.
• "Minor": Any Participant that is 16 years of age or younger.
• "Self-Driver": Any Participant that is of driving age and is listed as a Self-Driver on the registration form or in writing to admin@orcamacon.org.
• "Membership" or “Lessons”: ORCA 30, ORCA 60, Big O' 30, or Big O' 60 memberships as defined at www.orcamacon.org under the lessons page.
• “Applicant”: Any Guardian/Participant that has applied for Financial Aid or a Scholarship.
• “Material”: Any photographs, audio recordings, audiovisual recordings and/or film footage of such performance relating to ORCA together with the name and likeness of the Participant and all underlying music and lyrics or other material.
PERMISSIONS
• The Primary has full control over the Participant and Participant's account, with no limitations, and may add or remove payment, make a payment, change the Participant's schedule, cancel the Membership, and/or make any other detailed changes to the Participant's account.
• The Secondary is limited to: update contact information or inform ORCA if the Participant is running late or cannot make a lesson. In case of a confirmed emergency involving the Primary where the Primary is unable to interact, the Secondary shall assume all of the Primary's responsibilities.
• In case of an emergency involving the Participant, we will contact the Guardians in the following order until someone is reached: Primary, Secondary, Emergency 1, Emergency 2, Emergency 3, Alternate Driver 1, Alternate Driver 2, Alternate Driver 3.
• All Guardians listed on the registration form, including Self-Drivers, are automatically authorized to drop off and pick up the Participant to and from their lessons. A valid government-issued ID is required in order to pick up the Participant at all times, every time, with no exceptions.
LOCATIONS
• Private in-person Lessons will be held at the ORCA located at 436 Cotton Avenue, Macon, GA 31201.
• Lessons will not be held at any other location even by request.
• In order to provide the highest quality service, virtual (online) lessons are not supported by ORCA at this time.
CHECK-IN/OUT POLICY
• The Participant must check in at the front desk using the check-in form provided on the office iPad.
• All Participants ages 14 and under must be accompanied by a Guardian at all times, including to check in and out of their lesson.
• Participants ages 14 and under are NOT permitted to enter or leave the premises without a Guardian present. In a case where this is not followed, the Participant will be held in the waiting area until a Guardian can be reached, resulting in the forfeit of their lesson, and the authorities may be notified.
• Guardians and Self-Drivers may park in the ORCA parking lot, but a parking pass is required or their vehicle will be towed. If parking is not available, paid street parking will be required.
• A parking pass displayed in the vehicle’s rearview is required at all times while the vehicle is on the premises or the vehicle may be towed.
• If assistance is needed at any time, or if running late, the Guardian must text 833-491-7034.
• The Participant may not arrive any earlier than 30 minutes before their lesson, or stay any later than 30 minutes after their lesson or they will be denied entry and/or be charged a late fee of $15 per instance to the card on file.
• If a child is left 30+ minutes after their lesson and a Guardian cannot be reached, the authorities may be notified of child abandonment and their lessons will be permanently terminated.
• Due to limited space, Guardians are not permitted to sit in the lessons room with the Participant under any circumstances.
• There will be a designated waiting area for Guardians as set by the staff. The open area near the amphitheater has available seating for waiting. The front office is reserved for other visiting guests. Due to limited seating, only two individuals may use the waiting area per Participant at a time.
PRICING & PAYMENTS
PAYMENT TERMS & PLANS
• The ORCA Lessons Program operates only by membership subscription and package and is not available to be purchased individually or pay-as-you-go, split into smaller payments, or spread out over time.
• If a monthly membership is chosen, billing is automatically charged to the card on file at the beginning of each month during the semester and may be cancelled at any time with written notice sent to admin@orcamacon.org; notice must contain the reason for cancellation.
• The Primary's credit/debit card information will be securely stored on file using Square Incorporated (https://squareup.com/) and must remain on file for the entire duration of the Participant's participation in any programs or activities at the ORCA, regardless of the type of membership or package chosen. If the card on file is declined, services will be withheld until payment can be made and the card on file is updated to a current and active card. Repeated declines may result in permanent suspension of services.
• In order to remove the card on file from the system, the Primary must personally request it by emailing admin@orcamacon.org.
• Lessons pricing is subject to change at any time for any reason which may impact future billing; any changes to pricing will be communicated.
• Failure to make payments on time, or a declined card, will result in immediate lesson termination and loss of the Participant’s current time slot.
• Booking (scheduling) lessons once signed up is the sole responsibility of the Primary Guardian; failure to schedule purchased lessons will count as forfeit without refund.
PLANS & PACKAGES
• ORCA 30: $146.00 billed monthly
• ORCA 60: $292.00 billed monthly
• BIG O’ 30 (15% off): $370.00 billed once
• BIG O’ 60 (15% off): $740.00 billed once
DISCOUNTS
• Family Discount: 10% off for all active Participants who are siblings. Discount is only active if multiple siblings are taking lessons. Does not stack with other discounts, including the Big O’ Discount, Financial Aid, or Scholarships.
• Financial Aid: Must be applied for in advance at www.orcamacon.org (dates and deadlines are available on the website). Those paying in full will receive first priority regarding the schedule. Financial Aid Applicants will undergo a waiting period while applications are processed and will be notified of their status by ORCA once processing is complete. Approval is not guaranteed. If approved, the Applicant may receive either 10%, 25%, or 50% off of the total cost before transaction fees. Financial Aid may only be applied to the full semester purchased in full up front and may not be used on monthly Memberships.
• Scholarships: Must be applied for in advance at www.orcamacon.org (dates and deadlines are available on the website). Those paying in full will receive first priority regarding the schedule. Scholarship Applicants will undergo a waiting period while applications are processed and will be notified of their status by ORCA once processing is complete. Approval is not guaranteed and is limited to 1 or 2 Applicants as chosen by the Board of Directors at ORCA’s discretion. If approved, the Applicant may receive 100% off of the total cost before transaction fees. Scholarships may only be applied to the full semester purchased in full up front and may not be used on monthly Memberships.
DESCRIPTION OF PENALTY FEES
• Early Fee: $15.00 automatically charged to the card on file if the Participant arrives at ORCA more than 30 minutes in advance on their lesson day.
• Late Fee: $15.00 automatically charged to the card on file if the Participant leaves ORCA more than 30 minutes after their lesson ends on their lesson day.
• Unaccompanied Fee: $15 automatically charged to the card on file if the Participant is age 14 or under and is not accompanied to and from the front office by a Guardian.
• Breakage Fee: $TBD if the Participant breaks an item of value (such as an instrument). The fee will match the value of the item and is at the discretion of the Center Director.
• Parking Pass Replacement: $5.00 per pass to replace or purchase a parking pass at any time. The first parking passes are free for all Guardians listed on the registration form.
PENALTY FEE POLICY
• The Primary will receive prior notice of any extra fees, including a detailed explanation and itemized list of the reasons for the charge(s) and retain the right to discuss any such charges with the Center Director within 24 hours after receiving a fee notice via email. Waiving of fees is at the discretion of the Center Director. No refund will be issued at any time once a fee has been charged.
• Refusal to pay a fee will result in suspension of services. Reinstatement of Membership is at the discretion of the Center Director.
MEMBERSHIP & SCHEDULING
SEMESTER SYSTEM & DATES
• Spring Registration: First week of January–January 22
• Spring Semester: February through May
• Fall Registration: First week of July–July 22
• Fall Semester: August through November
• ORCA does not operate during federal holidays.
• ORCA does not operate lessons during certain programs.
• Semester dates are subject to change at any time at the discretion of ORCA. All changes will be communicated by email and/or GroupMe.
• It is the sole responsibility of the Guardian and Participant to stay up-to-date by reading and thoroughly noting all communications as sent by ORCA.
CALENDAR
• Google Calendar will be the primary method of scheduling communications. The app must be downloaded by the Guardian/Participant in order to remain up to date on upcoming lessons and lesson-related ORCA events.
• A printed calendar will be provided at the beginning of each semester by email from admin@orcamacon.org and is subject to change at any time. It is the responsibility of all Guardians to review the calendar thoroughly when it is received. The printed calendar should only be the secondary method of staying up to date on lessons and must be updated regularly by the Guardian if it is to be used as a reference.
• ORCA will primarily use GroupMe to communicate all announcements in regards to scheduling and updating the calendar.
• In the event that a Guardian misreads the calendar, resulting in a missed lesson or attendance on a non-instructional day, ORCA will not be held liable for any resulting inconvenience or loss. In this case, the Guardian is granted only one courtesy for the entire semester at the discretion of the Center Director.
• Current semesters contain 12 total lessons. The total number of lessons provided in a semester is subject to change at any time.
MAKEUP DAYS
• ORCA has created a schedule for the entire year, where all 12 lessons per semester are laid out in advance. If a lesson must be missed by the Participant, there will be NO makeups provided.
• If the Participant’s reason for absence is communicated at least 24 hours in advance in writing to admin@orcamacon.org, and is valid (sickness, act of God, death, etc.), a credit may be issued to the card on file either at the end of the semester or as a discount on the next invoice.
• If ORCA (the instructor) is at fault and results in a missed lesson, there will be a makeup day scheduled in advance. If the makeup day cannot be attended, a credit may be issued to the card on file either at the end of the semester or as a discount on the next invoice.
• Any accrued makeup lessons will NOT rollover to the next month for any reason. If unused by the end of the month, a credit may be issued to the card on file either at the end of the semester or as a discount on the next invoice.
TIME SLOT
• Scheduling the first lesson will be done through email from admin@orcamacon.org and will take place after registration. Scheduling may NOT be done over the phone or by text.
• ORCA will notify the Guardian when it is time to schedule lessons. Once notified, it is the Guardian’s responsibility to complete scheduling. Failure to do so is equivalent to forfeiting the program, including all payments made.
• The scheduled lessons slot will remain the same for the entire semester unless changed by the Guardian. At least one-week notice is required to permanently reschedule a lesson slot and must be changed by written notice by email to admin@orcamacon.org. Please note that slots are limited and reliant on the instructor and program schedules and a new slot may not be available. Changing time slots is limited to one change per month.
• Lessons may NOT be purchased or scheduled individually, “as you go,” or on a different day/at a different time every week.
INSTRUCTOR COMMUNICATION
• Guardians/Participants are NOT permitted to engage in any communication directly with the Instructor at any time using invalid means (personal emails, personal numbers, social media, etc.). If communications are discovered, services will be terminated immediately and the Participant may be permanently suspended from the program. All communications between the Instructor and Participant MUST be made through admin@orcamacon.org.
• All account changes, scheduling, questions, or other needs must be communicated through admin@orcamacon.org and are NOT handled by the instructor at any time. Any attempt to send a message or make a change through the instructor will result in services being terminated and the Participant possibly being permanently suspended from the program. All changes MUST be made through admin@orcamacon.org.
NO SHOWS & TARDINESS
• Lessons that do not begin at least ten minutes after the start time by fault of the Participant and are uncommunicated will be considered a no-show; any missed lessons due to being a no-show will be permanently forfeit. If communicated, it is left to the discretion of the Instructor whether the lesson will still be given. In the case of two or more no-shows, the lessons slot currently reserved will be lost; automatic billing will continue unless cancelled by the Primary Guardian.
• It is expected that the Participant shows up at least 5 minutes before their lesson time begins.
• If the lesson starts late due to Participant tardiness, it will end at the usual time; if the Instructor is tardy, the lesson will be extended (if possible) and full teaching time will be provided. If the full teaching time is drastically reduced, a makeup lesson may be provided at the discretion of the Center Director.
MEMBERSHIP CANCELLATION
• Memberships may be cancelled at any time with written notice (including the reason for cancellation) sent to admin@orcamacon.org. There will be no refunds for previously booked and charged lessons under any circumstances. Cancellations must be sent at least 72 hours before the next billing date in order to avoid unnecessary charges.
• ORCA remains at will and reserves the right to cancel a Participant’s lessons at any time and for any reason at their own discretion.
COMMUNICATIONS
PLATFORMS
• GroupMe: A new group is created every semester for announcements. Downloading of the app with notifications turned on is required by all Guardians and Participants while the program is active. This method is announcement-only. Any messages received from the Guardian/Participant in this app will be disregarded.
• Email:admin@orcamacon.org is the only valid method of communication regarding any account changes or lessons.
• Text Messaging: 833-491-7034 must be saved to the Guardian/Participant phone for easy access. By participating in ORCA programs, the Guardian/Parent consents to receive text messages from this number. This method is only valid if ORCA reaches out first, or if the Guardian/Participant needs immediate assistance accessing the building, is running late to their lesson, or similar circumstances. All in depth messages, such as cancelling lessons, rescheduling, or any concerns should be sent by email.
COMMUNICATIONS POLICY
• Failure to abide by the communications policy will result in suspension of services and possible termination.
ETIQUETTE & CONDUCT
• Participants are only permitted water in an approved, enclosed container in the practice rooms.
• Trash must be disposed of properly at all times.
• General cleanliness must be maintained at all times.
• All possessions must be collected after using ORCA facilities.
• Items turned into the Lost & Found will be held for 30 days before being disposed of permanently.
• ORCA is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
• No foul or abusive language (including swearing) is permitted on the premises.
• No threats or violent physical or verbal altercations will be tolerated.
• No smoking, possession or use of alcoholic beverages, drugs or illegal substances will be tolerated; anyone found under the influence on our campus will be dismissed immediately.
• Equipment, supplies, facilities, and other persons’ property must not be touched, tampered with, or used without staff approval.
• No weapons are permitted.
• ORCA will use a positive approach regarding discipline: staff will periodically review rules with participants during the program session.
• If inappropriate behavior occurs, a prompt resolution will be sought specific to each individual Participant’s situation.
• ORCA reserves the right to dismiss a Participant whose behavior endangers his or her own safety or the safety of others.
• Respectful, appropriate behavior is required from all ORCA Participants; failure to adhere to these terms will result in termination of services.
• An incident report will be used and the Guardian notified in the case that this code of conduct is violated; the second time an incident report is required, the Participant will be permanently dismissed.
LEGALITY
NAME, IMAGE & LIKENESS AGREEMENT
The Participant has consented to be photographed in conjunction with his/her participation in any and all ORCA activities.
For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is acknowledged, the undersigned hereby irrevocably consents to the use of the Material in whole or in part (including the Participant’s likeness and/or voice as contained therein, and the underlying musical composition or other material performed by the Participant) for use by ORCA and/or the Estate of Otis Redding ("Licensees"), on websites (including, without limitation, on the website currently located at www.otisreddingfoundation.org and/or www.orcamacon.org).
Such rights include the right to edit the Material as reasonably determined by ORCA, and to reproduce, copy, print, transmit, broadcast, publish, disseminate, publicly perform and digitally perform the Material, and are hereby granted under license non-exclusively throughout the universe for a period commencing on the execution of this Release through and including perpetuity and to use the undersigned’s name in connection with the foregoing, all without further compensation to the undersigned.
The undersigned Participant further hereby forever releases ORCA, The Foundation, the Estate, and their respective partners, affiliates, licensees and other designees from any and all claims, demands, and actions of any kind whatsoever arising out of the use or non-use of the Material and otherwise in connection with the exercise of rights contemplated under this Release. The undersigned shall execute promptly upon demand any and all further instruments deemed necessary or desirable to evidence the rights granted herein.
LIABILITY WAIVER & RELEASE OF CLAIMS
By signing this agreement, the undersigned Guardian/Participant acknowledges and agrees that ORCA shall not be liable or legally responsible for any injury, accident, illness, or other harm that may occur during participation in camp activities. The undersigned Guardian/Participant agrees to assume all risks associated with the Participant’s participation in ORCA programs, and hereby releases, waives, and discharges ORCA from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of or related to such injury, accident, illness, or harm, whether caused by negligence or otherwise.
The undersigned Guardian/Participant understands and acknowledges that this waiver applies to all aspects of ORCA programs and is binding upon the Participant’s legal Guardians, heirs, and assigns. The Participant agrees to follow all safety instructions and guidelines set forth by ORCA, but acknowledges that, despite such precautions, certain risks of injury may still be present.
This agreement is executed voluntarily and with the understanding that the Participant’s participation is at their own risk.
AT-WILL AGREEMENT
ORCA reserves the right to terminate or modify this agreement at any time, with or without cause, and with or without prior notice. The Guardian/Participant acknowledges and agrees that the ORCA has the sole discretion to determine the continuation of lessons or any related services under this agreement. The termination or modification of this agreement by ORCA shall not be deemed a breach of contract, and ORCA shall not be liable for any claims or damages arising from such termination or modification.
MUSICAL WORKS CONSENT
In so far as the Participant identified above is a minor, the undersigned Guardian/Participant agrees for the benefit of ORCA, the Estate, and their licensees as follows: The Primary Guardian has read the foregoing Release pertaining to musical works performed by the Participant/Minor, and the taping and use thereof together with the use of the Participant/Minor’s name and likeness, and is familiar with all of the terms and conditions contained in such Release. The Primary Guardian hereby consents to the execution by the Participant/Minor of the Release and will not revoke said consent during the minority of the Participant/Minor.
RELIGIOUS NEUTRALITY POLICY
ORCA programs are secular and are not affiliated with, nor do they promote, any particular religion or religious belief system. ORCA welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds and belief systems, including but not limited to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Atheism, Agnosticism, etc. While ORCA respects the individual religious beliefs of all participants and staff, camp programming and activities will remain religiously neutral and will not be tailored to reflect or accommodate any specific faith tradition. All content and interactions will be conducted in a manner that is age-appropriate, inclusive, and respectful of all participants.
OTHER POLICIES
• All concerns should be promptly and privately relayed by email to admin@orcamacon.org.
• ORCA reserves the right to terminate or modify this agreement at any time, with or without cause, and with or without prior notice and has the sole discretion to determine the continuation of lessons or any related services under this agreement.
• ORCA will not be held liable or legally responsible for any injury, accident, illness, or other harm that may occur while on campus; the Guardians and Participant agrees to follow all safety instructions and guidelines set forth by ORCA by participating, and hereby assumes all risk.
• To activate a lessons membership, the Guardian must complete all required registration steps: registration, contract (this document), GroupMe, saving of ORCA contact information, and full payment; failure to complete all of these steps will result in my lessons membership being forfeit without refund.
• This contract is a legally binding agreement.