The policy
The C. N. James Institute is open to all adults and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity or expression, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, religion or the absence of religion, age, disability, marital or family status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.
This applies to admission, to standing within the guild, to the conferral of every rank, to the judging of a masterpiece, and to service in any office.
One ladder
There is a single ladder and a single set of criteria. There is no parallel track for anyone, no tier reserved for a category of member, and no rung that any member in good standing cannot reach.
We say this explicitly because history is full of societies that did the opposite, dressed it as tradition, and defended it for a century. The criteria are published, the judges are named, and the roll is open, which is the only real protection against that.
No relation, membership, or belief required
Nobody needs a relative, a sponsor, or an introduction to join. Membership requires no religious belief and no declaration of any kind. You do not need to have finished school, and you do not need to explain why you did not.
Our name
The Institute is named for a nineteenth-century Kansas figure who was, among other things, a Freemason. The Institute is not a Masonic body, is chartered by no fraternal organisation, and is open to everyone. The historical reference on our About page is biography and nothing more.
Raising a concern
Write to hello@cnjames.org. A person reads it, we respond in writing, and we do not retaliate against anyone who raises something in good faith.