how to join

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!

The first three resources you should acquaint yourself with are the Legion Costume Reference Library (CRL), the 501st Legion Detachment that serves the costume category you wish to make, and Badlands Garrison.

The Costume Reference Library (CRL) is an ongoing project to categorize and provide basic examples of Legion costumes and components as a guide for Garrison Membership Liaisons (GML) to judge a costume. The CRL is maintained on the Legion website and can be found here. http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:CRL

It should be noted that the CRL is an ongoing endeavour and may not include all costumes currently accepted. Don’t get discouraged if the most recent costumes are not listed yet. It doesn’t mean that it will not be approved, it’s just that either no one has submitted it for approval yet or that the CRL has yet to be compiled for that character. However, it is recommended that you pursue an established costume character for your first 501st costume.

Detachments are Legion communities that are a unique place which offer guidance and support for costumers wishing to build within a specific costume range. These detachments are well versed in the CRL list of required costume elements and can offer a place for tips, tricks or tutorials, “Work in Progress” build threads and ongoing information on current CRL development. A listing of Detachments, their “themes” and their contact information can be found at https://www.501st.com/resources.php. Detachment CRL building is supervised by the LMO (Legion Membership Officer).

Want advice on where to make your build thread, or do you want to know if your costume will have inclusion into the 501st? Email LMO@501st.com.

Badlands Garrison is the local unit of the 501st Legion which you become part of & where you will do the majority of “trooping”. Its geographical area covers Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

begin your journey

First, you need to choose what you are going to wear! Your costume choice should be based on the following: budget, comfort & love.

  • Budget-You must be realistic when it comes to cost and your budget. There is a very wide range of cost associated with each costume, as well as options. Buying high-end, pre-made costume pieces will increase the cost of a costume, while making some pieces yourself or buying them second-hand can help you save money.
  • Comfort-Every costume is different; each will have their own challenges and bonuses when it comes to comfort level. Some costumes are VERY hot, some can be very comfortable.
  • Love-As you will be potentially wearing your new costume A LOT, you should enjoy wearing it and have a connection with it.

For an alphabetical list of all 501st costumes, please visit:
https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:CRLbyname

Now that you have decided what to wear, next step is to buy it, build it, and get approved!

When you find one you are interested in, click the “Visual Guide” link that is in red. The visual guide (CRL or Costume Reference Library) for that costume will show up, along with a link at the top of that page to the detachment website/forums. 

  • Sign up on the related forum, login and start reading. If you have a question, be sure to ask! You may not be the only one who has that question.
  • Read all that you can, when it comes to making a screen accurate costume, your detachment is where you get all your information from! 
  • Post pictures of your build in a “Work in Progress ” or Build Thread. if needed, get the detachments member feedback on your costume.
  • If the Detachment offers it, you may wish to request a mentor who can provide one on one encouragement through the building process. 

You may also find local garrison members that are on the detachment website that can help guild you in your build. 

You need a costume before you can join and the detachment website is the most valuable part of obtaining the information and feedback you need to get your costume ready for approval.
This will be the 1st forum you sign up on.

If you live in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon or NWT, we are your garrison! We have our website (that you are on now) but on our forum is where all the member stuff happens. So now you will want to follow the below link and register on our Forum. 
www.badlands.ca/forum

Once your account is approved & active, be sure to visit the New Members Introductions area to introduce yourself! Let us know who you are, where you are from, and what costume you are working on! Maybe post a link to your Build Thread on the detachment website so we can see your progress and offer our feedback as well! 
This will be the 2nd forum you sign up on.

The Garrison Membership Liaison (GML) will need to verify your qualifications, which include costume ownership. To do this, they will need to see pictures of you in your costume for validation. To contact the Badlands GMLs, send an email to gml@badlands.ca.


The following tips will help make sure that you get the right photos to the GML on your first try:

  • Make sure to submit pictures of you in your costume against a plain or non-busy background (no convention photos, please).
  • We will need photos with your helmet/mask on and off (if applicable).
  • You must include full-length views of your costume from the front, back and both sides.
  • Be sure to take your photos with adequate lighting and at a high-resolution to help us inspect the details.
  • Ensure there are no extra filters applied when taking the photos!
  • Do not wear any non-canon accessories or addons, including jewelry, sunglasses, earrings, (unit patches, extra weapons, pauldrons when not part of the canon costume etc…)
  • If you include any weapons such as a blaster or lightsaber, please ensure that they conform to the weapons policy.
  • Be prepared to take more photos during the application process if asked, as we may wish to see closer details or verify individual ownership of the costume. As costumes are individual to the member, joint ownership isn’t recognized.

Once the GML confirms that your suit is complete and valid for membership, fill out the online application. You will also need to provide five (5) five-digit numbers to be your Legion ID (TKID). These need to be from 10000 to 99999. 
A list of available IDs is available. 
http://www.501st.com/members/search_avail_ids.php

When your application is approved, you will receive confirmation via e-mail. Your Legion ID will be assigned and your record marked as “ACTIVE” in the 501st Legion member database. Please note that the 501st is an all-volunteer organization and the application may take several weeks to review.

If for some reason you are not validated for membership, the GML will work with you and provide recommendations and resources that can assist you in modifying your costume to meet Legion requirements. 

  • Did we mention research?
  • Avoid buying armour or costumes off Ebay!
  • We strongly recommend that you take some time and read the Trooper Survival Guide. This is the definitive guide to being a 501st member, and should help you get familiar with all the things you need to know.