\*\*Please NOTE: If you choose to attend an event, make sure you read the DETAILS. The event organizers may outline certain requirements, and may choose to not allow you to participate if you do not adhere to them. This is important if we are following guidelines mandated by the Ontario government.
And as always, any COWS member who wishes to attend an event should have their 'Moo' title. If you don't have that, you will be notified, and/or moved to the wait or not going list, depending on the event.
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Welcome to Cows! Canada Outdoor World Seekers (COWS), located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a very active and dynamic group of that focuses mainly on outdoor activities. We encourage you to join and enjoy our varied adventures such as hiking, international trips, etc.
Our annual membership fee is $5. Please pay using PayPal or any electronic payment method. After you pay our membership, you will see a ‘Moo’ designation beside your name. A Moo means that you have paid your membership for 2020.
\*\*Only COWS who have paid their membership dues can attend COWS events.\*\*
As a group, we have adopted the following COWmandments:
1\. You shall be fun and positive and be open\-minded about yourself and other COWS\. You shall leave your personal and/or professional issues at home or at work\.
2\. We encourage you to log in to our website at least once every 90 days to keep your account active\.
3\. You shall bring a guest\(s\) to one event for free and include his/her name\(s\) when you RSVP\. If your guest wishes to attend future COWS events\, please have them register as a member of COWS\.
4\. All of our organizers are volunteers whose passion is the outdoors and having fun\. We do not do this for a living\.
5\. Honor and respect your RSVP commitment\. "Yes" means "Yes"\. Last minute cancellations\, within 24 hours of the event\, shall be marked as No Show at the discretion of the Event Host\.
6\. "No Shows" are taken seriously\. Three "No Shows" removes you from the herd\. Once removed for "No Shows"\, you may re\-apply for membership six months from your removal date\. If removed a second time\, you have to wait 12 months to re\-join\.
7\. You shall not contact ‘Holy Cow’ to report other members unless you feel threatened or harassed\.
8\. You shall contact drivers directly for rides\. Cows Inc\. does not arrange carpooling\. Please respect your fellow Cow's car\. Bring an extra pair of shoes so as not to dirty your fellow Cow's car after a muddy or wet hike\. You will take your trash with you when you leave the vehicle\. Do not expect your driver to clean up after you\.
Once you are accepted by a driver as part of his carpool, you must honor that commitment. Do not cancel carpooling at the last minute and leave the driver with no time to look for your replacement. If you do, please be courteous and considerate by paying your share of the carpool, even if you are no longer attending the event. Last-minute cancellation for carpooling is no less than one week before the event.
9\. You will be responsible for your own safety\. You are expected to follow the COWS hiking safety guidelines and the event organizers' rules\. At no time will you put yourself nor any COW at risk during any COWS hike or outdoor event\.
10\. You shall not ruin your fellow Cows' fun time\. You shall not make negative comments about another member nor tarnish anyone's reputation\. Neither will you say anything negative about your fellow Cow’s religion\, race\, colour or beliefs\.
Your profile picture
Your main profile picture needs to be a very bright and clear picture of your face, large enough so that organizers and members can recognize you at meet-ups or carpooling pick-ups.
Your COWS' name
Please use a name using the English alphabet. Do not use a name that starts with an ampersand, a squiggle, or any other character that will make searching your name difficult. Because we may have several members with the same name, your last name can start with your initial. For example, Donna R. or David P or David Peer. Avoid nonsense names such as The Phantom for example, single letter names, capital letter names such as, RDJ or some such combination.
Disclaimer: Cows Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation and by rsvping to the events, you assume responsibility for you own safety and are bound by the terms of our waiver. See link for more waiver details. [Waiver form](https://files.meetup.com/1504493/WaiverMember.pdf)
