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How to Join The Bear Club

Joining The Bear Club is FUN, EASY & FREE!  Just...

>> Take a photo of your teddy bear 
>> Decide which Clan to join 
>> Sign Up 
>> Create a Profile 
>> Start Blogging



Once you've joined The Bear Club, you manage your account via the 'My Bear Club' control panel.

QUICK START-UP GUIDE FOR NEW MEMBERS

1. Update Bear Profile - before doing anything else, you have to create your profile. This is where you upload your teddy's profile pic. Please pay particular attention to the Profile Introduction - this is the bit that everyone sees first on the Bear Blogs summary page
   
2. Update Bear Blog - once you have completed the profile, you can make a start on your teddy's blog entries and additional photo uploads... let your imagination run wild! 
   
   Remember - as soon as you add your first blog entry, you'll appear at the top of the Blogs Page
   

If that's all you need to know - then get started!  If you want further guidance, then read the more detailed notes below.



Further Guidance Notes

• Bringing Your Teddy Bear to Life
• What Constitutes a 'Teddy Bear'?
• Joining a Clan
• Your Profile
• Your Blogs
• Uploading Photos
• Your 'Bear Buddies' List
• Membership Levels (Gold/Silver)
• Remembering Usernames & Passwords
• Improving Your 'User Level'
• Entering Competitions
• Keeping The Bear Club Safe
• Reporting Inappropriate Content
• Buying from The Bear Club Shop
• Submitting an Article
• Complaints Procedure

Let's Bring Your Teddy  Bear To Life! 

Remember, when writing the profile and blog, you should do it from the viewpoint of your teddy.  Get it into your head that it's your teddy bear writing, not you.  Once you've got into that frame of mind, it should start to become easier and make more sense.

You may want to get into character for a few days.  Tell your family and friends, "I am a teddy bear....no, really....I am.  Of course I can't go to work today, are you nuts?". Gradually you might start to lose touch with reality, and one by one your friends will begin to abandon you. At this point, you may want to start talking to other teddies to find out how they dealt with similar rejections. The important thing to remember here is not to frighten your pets.

So, you're now a teddy bear.  During your lifetime, however young you may be, you must have had some adventures, places you've been taken, things you've seen and heard?  Shared in the trials, tribulations and joys of your pawtner's life?  Made friends with a whole host of other teddies, been out when your pawtner was fast asleep and done things that only other teddies can dream of?  And if not, make it up.

What Constitutes a 'Teddy Bear'?

To join The Bear Club you must have a teddy BEAR.  This can be of the traditional kind or a more conventional type of fella, but it has to be a bear.  Other soft toys - dogs, rabbits, aliens, etc - are more than welcome to be included within the blogs, just not as the main profile.

Joining a Clan

Before deciding which Clan to join, you need to see which of the leaders' characteristics best match those of your own (I'm talking to teddy here remember!).  Make sure you've read each of the Clan Leaders' Profiles.  This is not a decision to be taken lightly....membership of a particular Clan is not only an honour, but also sends out a vitally important message about you to the rest of the bear world!  Choose wisely...

Your Profile

This bit consists of your introductory paragraph and a series of Q&As (which will always show to the right hand side of your Blog).  Make sure you complete both of these sections - this is the key area that gives you a platform for the world to get to know you!  In your Introduction, you may want to say something about your general character... or something that sets the scene for the Blog entries to come.  You can amend your profile at any time.

Your Blogs

This is where you get to tell the world what you've been up to, or just to share some of your random thoughts and feelings, with the opportunity to add accompanying photos. To keep your blog interesting, keep it as up-to-date as possible, with details of your daily adventures, with as many photos as you can.  If your photos aren't very interesting, use a camera.  Just try to put as much on there about 'teddy' as you can, and often the more amusing it is, the more interesting it will be to others.  If you're not much of a one for words, then rely more on photos.  Anyway, I'm sure you're getting the picture!

Uploading Photos

When you add a photo, it's best to use one that has been taken in LANDSCAPE rather than portrait mode, as this will avoid any automatic trimming (which our system does to fit it into a polaroid frame). 

If you're having trouble uploading your pic, such as timing out, then the pic size may be too large. Either retake the photo using a lower pixel setting (4 mp or less), or reduce your existing image using one of the photo editing software packages on your computer. The maximum recommended file size is 800kb.  A file size of around 100-200kb is ideal.

For your Profile, we will only accept a photo of your teddy bear alone (a close-up of its face works best). In your Blogs, you may include any other relevant photos, as long as they do not contravene our Terms and Conditions.

Your 'Bear Buddies List'

If you see a Blog that you really like, then you can add it to your 'Bear Buddies' list by clicking on the relevant link. Your list appears at the bottom of your profile, down the right hand column of your own Blog page. To edit your list, go to 'Update Bear Profile' in the My Bear Club section.

Membership Levels

Membership to The Bear Club is COMPLETELY FREE. Gold members have full access to all areas of the site, and can create memberships for an unlimited number of teddy bears, all for FREE.  You will be upgraded from Silver to Gold membership as soon as you add your first photo - either to your Profile or your Blog.

Gold members can register an unlimited number of teddy bear members.  Each teddy will need to register seperately, with an individual username and password (our system recognises that you are a Gold member each time you add another teddy, through the email verification process). When you go through the sign up process for additional bears, always use the same email address.

Silver membership is the level you join on initially.  As soon as you add your first photo we will automatically upgrade you to Gold for FREE

Remembering Usernames & Passwords

It's probably a good idea to keep a note of these (somewhere safe), especially Gold members, who will have as many different usernames and passwords as they have teddy bears.  If you forget a password, then you can always click on the appropriate link for a reminder.

Improving Your 'User Level'

Have you noticed your individual 'User Level' rating next to your sign-in name? Wondering how to increase your level?  Well, the more you interact within the site - the more blog updates and photo uploads you do and the more you view other member Blogs (just a few factors in a system so complicated that only our developer understands) - the higher your bear's individual rating goes!

Entering Competitions (Members only)

To find out what the latest competition category is, go to the Competitions page via Fun & Games. Entries are submitted via an email attachment (Word, Works or image files),by putting your entry within the body of the email itself or by posting directly to your blog (see individual competitions for details). You will need to state clearly your username and teddy bear's name.

Keeping The Bear Club Safe

We want The Bear Club to be a safe and fun place for people of all ages to visit. This is why  we ask that all users under the age of 14 years should be supervised at all times by a parent or guardian.  Whilst we take every possible precaution to ensure that the content posted is suitable for all ages (our administrators review all content before it goes live), we cannot accept responsibility for any inappropriate content that gets through to the site.

Reporting Inappropriate Content

If you see any content (wording or images) that you feel is inappropriate, please report it to us via the 'Contact' link at the top of every page, detailing where on the site it can be found.

Buying from The Bear Club Shop

All of the merchandise available through our shop is provided by a German based company called Spreadshirt. To make a purchase, you will have to create a seperate shop account. By registering, you agree to abide by the terms laid out in Spreadshirt's own Terms & Conditions.  All order enquiries should be made direct to Spreadshirt via the links provided.

All products within the shop of a very high quality. Spreadshirt operates an ethical trading policy, details of which can be obtained by contacting the company directly (via a link to spreadshirt.net within the shop).

Submitting an Article

If you have a feature or news article that you would like to submit for publication on the site, then please get in touch with us via the Contact link found at the top of every page.

Complaints Procedure

If you have a complaint that you would like to raise with The Bear Club, please get in touch via the Contacts link found at the top of every page, and we will respond as soon as possible.