Emergence

The time in the history of an intelligent species when they acquire Flicker Drive technology giving them the capability to travel faster than light between the stars. The Society Of Contemporary Races considers Emergence a necessary but not sufficient condition for becoming a member and mandates that each species must achieve this ability without any form of external aid. Emergence is a form of test, proving that a species has achieved a level of technical sophistication that, at least in principle, entitles them to take part in galactic government.
Emergence does not, however, grant an automatic right to join the Society Of Contemporary Races. Humanity found this out when it essentially failed its probationary period during the golden age of adventure which followed the discovery of the Flicker Drive on Earth.