MRCHA Bylaws

Revision : April 4, 2007

ARTICLE I: NAME

A. NAME

MRCHA - Minnesota Radio Control Helicopter Association.

B. LOCATION

Twin Cities, MN, USA

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

To further the sport of radio control helicopter aviation in Minnesota.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

A. QUALIFICATIONS

AMA membership required for officers, recommended but not required for all members.

B. DUES

Dues are $20.00 per year for open members, $10.00 or youth. Youth is defined as 21 years of age or younger. Dues are good for one calendar year. If a member joins after October 1st of the year, membership will carry over to the following full calendar year.

C. RESIGNATION

Any member in good standing may resign his/her membership by giving written notice to the Club.

D. TERMINATION

Membership is terminated when the member no longer pays his duesIf any member ceases to have the qualification necessary for membership in the AMA, his/her membership in the Club shall thereby terminate, subject to reinstatement upon restoration of eligibility.

E. EXPULSION

This section provides for enforcement of the Safety Rules that are related to flying activities or any other unacceptable behavior by an individual member or members. Any individual may be expelled from membership from the Club by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the membership if in the officers' determination, such individual willfully commits any act or omission which is a violation of any of the terms of these Bylaws, or the Rules of the AMA, or which is detrimental the Club, the AMA, or to model aviation.

F. REINSTATEMENT

A two-thirds vote of the membership is required for reinstatement to the club.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

A. ELECTED OFFICERS

President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer

B. TERM OF OFFICE

Officers are elected annually

C. DUTIES

1. President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and shall act as a spokesperson in all matters pertaining to it.

2. Vice-President: The Vice-President shall act for the President when he/she is unable to serve, and is to maintain an accurate record (including place of storage) of all Club assets.

3. Secretary: The Secretary shall record minutes of each Club meeting and handle all correspondence pertaining to Club activities. He/she will also be the Club's contact person with AMA in case of questions, problems or situations. The Secretary shall also maintain the membership roster.

4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall collect all moneys due and shall keep a record of moneys disbursed by the Club.

D. APPOINTED OFFICERS

Safety Officer, Contest/Event Chairman, Webmaster.

D(2). DUTIES

1. Safety Officer: The Safety Committee Chairman/Safety Officer shall be responsible for chairing the safety committee and ensuring existing are enforced. This includes processing the grievance forms and following the existing grievance procedure documented in the by-laws.

2. Contest/Event Chairman: The Contest/Event Committee Chairman shall be responsible for coordinating and establishing, in conjunction with all the Club's Contest Directors, a schedule for the next contest/event season. The schedule will be decided by the Contest Directors, and approved by the members.

3. Webmaster: The webmaster will have full administrative privileges to the website and manage the website in accordance with Article XII.

E. VACANCIES

Officer vacancies are to be filled by vote of the remaining officers.

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

A. REGULAR MEETINGS

On 1st Tuesday of month at 7:00pm at Post Office Field (unless otherwise announced on www.MRCHA.org).

B. SPECIAL MEETINGS

As announced on www.mrcha.org.

ARTICLE VI: RECORD KEEPING

All records are passed on when new officers are elected.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

Special committees as needed (e.g. ORRO - Owatonna Rotary Ring Out).

ARTICLE VIII: NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS, AND RECALL

A. NOMINATIONS

Nominations for officer position can be from the floor or by mail.

B. ELECTION

Elections are held at a regularly scheduled meeting, either November or December. New officer positions will be active upon January 1st, except in case of vacancy.

ARTICLE IX: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

A. ROBERT'S RULES

B. NEWSLETTER

Meeting minutes by secretary will be main form of newsletter.

C. CLUB LOGO

See www.mrcha.org for logo.

D. DISSOLUTION OF CLUB

The duration of the club shall be perpetual. The club may be dissolved with the approval of two-thirds vote of the membership or if the mandatory officer positions are vacant. Dissolution need not be permanent. (Reality is nobody owns MRCHA except for Eric Jaakkola, as he apparently 'owns' the MRCHA URL).

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENT OF THESE BYLAWS

Amendments may be made to the Constitution and these bylaws at any general meeting of the Club membership, provided the members shall have been notified in writing at least five (5) days in advance that the amendments are to be considered. Copies of the proposed amendments shall be provided to all members as part of the notification. Amendments shall be approved by no less than a two-third (2/3) majority vote of the members present, at the regular monthly meeting. Mail-in ballots will be made available for those Full members who cannot attend the meeting. Those ballots, returned by mail before the next meeting, will be counted as if those persons were present at the meeting.

ARTICLE XI: SPECIAL OPERATING FUNDS

1. The Treasurer of the Club is authorized to receive contributions or specially obtained funds from any individual or institution, to be applied to the operating expenses of the Club.
2. The President will have discretionary spending, of up to $100.00 without requiring Club approval.
3. Operating funds will generally be used for club sanctioned purposes and never for officer payment for work, as all officer positions are voluntary. Examples of valid expenditures are; out of pocket expenses for mailings, website software, URL maintenance, website server maintenance, fly-in prizes, food and drink for fly-ins and picnics.

ARTICLE XII: WEBSITE PROTOCOL

The club website will be used to for many purposes such as:

1. E-mail notifications to members via Private Messaging.
2. Posting of event calendar.
3. Forum to discuss various MRCHA related topics.
4. Chatbox for real-time discussions.
5. Photo Gallery.
6. Field Locations.
7. Membership Listing.

The website shall operate under the following protocol for members and officers. Protocol shall be posted permanently on the website:

1. Show people respect.
2. Be patient and kind to beginners.
3. No threats or insults will be tolerated.
4. No foul language or FLAMING (all caps).
5. No duplicated posting.
6. No untruths will be tolerated.
7. No deliberate misleading will be tolerated.
8. Do not abuse the system with indecent images or illegal pornographic images.
9. Have a sense of humor.

It shall be the Administrators duty to delete posts which violate these rules. The Administrator will inform individuals when a post is deleted with the reason for deletion.

The website server shall be hosted on a commercial server site, not on a personal server. Only the Webmaster shall have access to the server and full Administration rights, however this is only as long as the Webmaster is active and as an appointed member is subject to revocation by the President. Necessary logon information and passwords will be shared between the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer with the understanding that only the Webmaster may use the Admin and FTP logon.

ARTICLE XIII: GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

(FLIGHT AND SAFETY RULES)

The grievance procedure provides a mechanism to enforce existing safety rules by providing a progressive disciplinary system when needed. Although most complaints can be resolved informally, if a complaint is serious or cannot be resolved informally, the matter should be referred to the Safety Committee for its consideration by means of a Grievance Form to be filled out and turned into the Safety Committee Chairman. At least one witness is required to sign the Grievance Form.

The Safety officer/Committee shall use its judgment in carrying out action on the following:

A. GRIEVANCE FORM

A grievance form will be filled out and turned into the Safety Officer/Committee Chairman. At least one witness is required.

B. FIRST VIOLATION

Viewpoints of both complainants and accused will be considered. Complainant's name will be disclosed. A verbal reprimand will be given to the accused by the Safety Officer/Committee, and this will be recorded in the Club records.

C. SECOND VIOLATION

Complaintant's name will be disclosed. The accused has the right to a written rebuttal, to be reviewed by the Club Safety Officer/Committee. If the Committee so decides, the flying privileges of the accused will be suspended for thirty (30) days. Written notice of this shall be issued and a copy published in the Club newsletter.

D. THIRD VIOLATION

Safety Officer/Committee will notify the accused in writing and the Club members via the Club newsletter that the Club will vote on the expulsion of the accused at the next meeting. Said expulsion will last for a one-year minimum. A member may be expelled from the Club only upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the membership present at the meeting. Voting will be by secret ballot at a regular monthly meeting. The expelled member may reapply for membership after the expiration of the expulsion time period.

E. ENFORCEMENT

The three actions will not be enforced unless they are accumulated within a two-year period of time.

F. RETALIATION

Any member receiving a Grievance, who directs any retaliation action against the person filing said grievance, will be subject to immediate expulsion from the Club. This is to include threats, intimidation, physical harm, intentional equipment damage, or any other action deemed to be retaliatory by the Club Officers.

Club Grievance Form

Date: ____________________ Time : _______________________


Nature of Violation:
________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Signature: ______________________________________

Witness: ________________________________________


Additional Witnesses (not required):
_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Introduction to Robert's Rules of Order

What Is Parliamentary Procedure?

It is a set of rules for conduct at meetings, that allows everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion.

Why is Parliamentary Procedure Important?

Because it's a time tested method of conducting business at meetings and public gatherings. It can be adapted to fit the needs of any organization. Today, Robert's Rules of Order newly revised is the basic handbook of operation for most clubs, organizations and other groups. So it's important that everyone know these basic rules!

Organizations using parliamentary procedure usually follow a fixed order of business. Below is a typical example:

1. Call to order.
2. Roll call of members present.
3. Reading of minutes of last meeting.
4. Officers reports.
5. Committee reports.
6. Special orders --- Important business previously designated for consideration at this meeting.
7. Unfinished business.
8. New business.
9. Announcements.
10. Adjournment.

The method used by members to express themselves is in the form of moving motions. A motion is a proposal that the entire membership take action or a stand on an issue. Individual members can:

1. Call to order.
2. Second motions.
3. Debate motions.
4. Vote on motions.

There are four Basic Types of Motions:

1. Main Motions: The purpose of a main motion is to introduce items to the membership for their consideration. They cannot be made when any other motion is on the floor, and yield to privileged, subsidiary, and incidental motions.
2. Subsidiary Motions: Their purpose is to change or affect how a main motion is handled, and is voted on before a main motion.
3. Privileged Motions: Their purpose is to bring up items that are urgent about special or important matters unrelated to pending business.
4. Incidental Motions: Their purpose is to provide a means of questioning procedure concerning other motions and must be considered before the other motion.

How are Motions Presented?

1. Obtaining the floor
   a. Wait until the last speaker has finished.
   b. Rise and address the Chairman by saying, "Mr. Chairman, or Mr. President."
   c. Wait until the Chairman recognizes you.
2. Make Your Motion
   a. Speak in a clear and concise manner.
   b. Always state a motion affirmatively. Say, "I move that we ..." rather than, "I move that we do not ...".
   c. Avoid personalities and stay on your subject.
3. Wait for Someone to Second Your Motion
4. Another member will second your motion or the Chairman will call for a second.
5. If there is no second to your motion it is lost.
6. The Chairman States Your Motion
   a. The Chairman will say, "it has been moved and seconded that we ..." Thus placing your motion before the membership for consideration and action.
   b. The membership then either debates your motion, or may move directly to a vote.
   c. Once your motion is presented to the membership by the chairman it becomes "assembly property", and cannot be changed by you without the consent of the members.
7. Expanding on Your Motion
   a. The time for you to speak in favor of your motion is at this point in time, rather than at the time you present it.
   b. The mover is always allowed to speak first.
   c. All comments and debate must be directed to the chairman.
   d. Keep to the time limit for speaking that has been established.
   e. The mover may speak again only after other speakers are finished, unless called upon by the Chairman.
8. Putting the Question to the Membership
   a. The Chairman asks, "Are you ready to vote on the question?"
   b. If there is no more discussion, a vote is taken.
   c. On a motion to move the previous question may be adapted.

Voting on a Motion:

The method of vote on any motion depends on the situation and the by-laws of policy of your organization. There are five methods used to vote by most organizations, they are:

1. By Voice -- The Chairman asks those in favor to say, "aye", those opposed to say "no". Any member may move for a exact count.
2. By Roll Call -- Each member answers "yes" or "no" as his name is called. This method is used when a record of each person's vote is required.
3. By General Consent -- When a motion is not likely to be opposed, the Chairman says, "if there is no objection ..." The membership shows agreement by their silence, however if one member says, "I object," the item must be put to a vote.
4. By Division -- This is a slight verification of a voice vote. It does not require a count unless the chairman so desires. Members raise their hands or stand.
5. By Ballot -- Members write their vote on a slip of paper, this method is used when secrecy is desired.

There are two other motions that are commonly used that relate to voting.

1. Motion to Table -- This motion is often used in the attempt to "kill" a motion. The option is always present, however, to "take from the table", for reconsideration by the membership.
2. Motion to Postpone Indefinitely -- This is often used as a means of parliamentary strategy and allows opponents of motion to test their strength without an actual vote being taken. Also, debate is once again open on the main motion.

Parliamentary Procedure is the best way to get things done at your meetings. But, it will only work if you use it properly.

1. Allow motions that are in order.
2. Have members obtain the floor properly.
3. Speak clearly and concisely.
4. Obey the rules of debate.
5. Most importantly, BE COURTEOUS.