Charter of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club
Revised 2007The following document represents the Charter and bylaws of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club.
Section I. Purpose
The Nova Scotia Jeep Club is a non-profit organization created exclusively for Jeep owners to promote responsible off-roading. We organize non-competitive events for the whole family to enjoy, socials and provide a chance to share information with fellow Jeep owners. Our organization also hopes to provide membership assistance and numerous educational opportunities.
The Nova Scotia Jeep Club welcomes drivers of all skill levels who own Jeeps of any make or model.
The primary purposes of our club are:
1. To organize and provide safe, family-oriented, non competitive events for the enjoyment of our members.
2. To promote off-roading as a safe, responsible, legitimate activity.
In addition, we hope to:
1. Respect the environment and existing trails by following 'Tread Lightly' principles wherever possible.
2. Promote equality.
3. Promote community involvement.
4. Provide educational opportunities.
Section II. The Steering Committee
The Steering Committee will be responsible for:
* Any and all future proposed Charter changes.
* Any issues arising between Chapters.
* Being the voice of the club and addressing any issues arising under Provincial / Federal jurisdiction.
* Meeting when necessary; with a MINIMUM of one (1) meeting per year.
* Overseeing the function of the Jeep Jamboree Committee.
* The Jeep Jamboree Committee will, in turn, report directly to the Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee will consist of:
* Two (2) representatives from each existing Chapter of the club until there are three (3) or more Chapters; in which case only one representative per Chapter will be required and one will be required to step down.
o Each representative will be elected by a general Chapter membership election (in the same manner as the Chapter Executives are elected [see Section III The Executive]).
o The Steering Committee representatives may not serve on either the Jamboree Committee OR their Chapter Executive in conjunction with their term on the Steering Committee.
* One (1) founding member until there are no active (Section VIII, note 1) members remaining.
o FOUNDING MEMBERS WILL SELECT THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND IN ORDER TO AVOID A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WILL ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE FOR THEIR CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVE.**
* Each Chapter will receive one (1) vote on voting matters, even in the case of two (2) reps. The two (2) representatives must come to a unanimous decision to represent their Chapter.
** Once the active founding members stand at two individuals they become redundant as they can vote each other out. Therefore the position of the founding members on the Steering Committee from this point will be dissolved permanently.
The steering committee is the voice of the club on provincial matters. The chapters will maintain the daily operations of their respective chapters and each chapter will have an equal voice in the club.
The Steering Committee will AT NO TIME hold any bank accounts or monies belonging to the club unless deemed necessary by future Charter changes.
Section III. The Executive
The club's members will vote annually for their own executive council, which will be responsible for the day to day running of their chapter. An individual may only serve on one Chapter Executive at a time, and can not serve on the Steering Committee and their Chapter Executive at the same time. Each Chapter Executive will consist of the following positions:
President
1. Oversees the running of the club.
2. Chairs meetings.
3. Coordinates the executive positions and activities
4. Oversees the day to day operations of the chapter
5. Acts as the point of contact for their chapter.
Vice President
1. Fulfills presidential duties in the absence of the president
Secretary
1. Records minutes of all monthly and executive meetings
2. Reports minutes back to general membership and acts as a liaison between executive and membership
Treasurer
1. Maintains full financial records for the chapter
2. Reports account balance and recent / upcoming expenditures and revenues to the executive and at monthly meetings as well a summarized year end annual report.
3. Collects chapter contributions for Provincial club expenses.
Membership Coordinator
1. Collects membership dues
2. Maintains current membership list
3. Insuring the application process is fulfilled
4. Introducing new members at monthly meetings
Trail Master
1. Responsible for generating a list of runs for the year
2. Responsible for trail guiding and or organizing guides on trail runs
3. Responsible for ensuring vehicle safety and trail worthiness
Sponsorship Coordinator
1. Maintains a list of current club sponsors
2. Acts as a liaison between the club and its sponsors
3. Actively recruits / coordinates new sponsors
The Executive is expressly empowered to admonish a member or applicant, correct behavior of a member or applicant, remove a member or applicant from an event, suspend membership for a period of time or revoke membership or terminate the application process for conduct unbecoming a club member or for violating the club code of trail conduct.
Executive positions will be voted on annually at a general meeting. Only current active members may hold Executive positions within the club. Positions will be for two year terms. Voting will take place for the following positions:
Even numbered years:
President
Secretary
Trail Master 2
Sponsorship Coordinator
Odd numbered years:
Vice President
Treasurer
Trail Master 1
Membership Coordinator
In the case of a newly formed chapter, the executive shall consist of the following mandatory positions: President, vice president, secretary, treasurer and trail master #1.
Once sufficient membership size has been reached (to be determined by the Chapter’s members) the following positions may be added: Membership Coordinator, Sponsorship Coordinator and Trail master. Until such time as these positions are added to the executive their relevant duties shall be fulfilled by the existing executive member as follows: Vice Pres – Trail master # 2, Treasurer – sponsorship coordinator and Secretary – Membership Coordinator)
Section IV. Quorums
For the purposes of voting, quorums (the minimum number of members needed to conduct a vote) are:
Charter Members - 5 active (as per Section VIII note 1) members.
Current Members - 20 active (as per Section VIII note 1) members OR 75% of the chapter’s total members in the case of a chapter with less than 20 members.
Executive - 5 members.
Steering Committee - All members must be present. Unanimous decisions are required on all matters before they are brought before the active general membership, with the exception of revoking a chapter.
Section V. Changing the Charter
To change the Charter of the club, a member must:
1. Put the proposal into writing and submit it to the Steering Committee.
2. The Steering Committee must approve of the change unanimously, and submit it to the memberships, both on the Nova Scotia Jeep Club message board for a period of 4 weeks, and at the monthly Chapter meeting.
3. The current active (as per Section VIII note 1) membership must approve of the change by a 75% majority of each chapter.
Section VI. Vehicles
The only requirement for vehicles that attend club events is that the vehicle be a Jeep. However, as the club follows all requirements of the law, the vehicle must be in keeping with the lawful practices of the land on which the event is held. This means that if the event is held on public lands, the vehicle must meet all legal requirements of an off road vehicle that is driven on public lands.
The laws governing off road vehicles are contained within the "Off Road Vehicle Act". The club will have copies of this document, and anyone who is planning on using an off road only vehicle should get a copy of the act and become thoroughly familiar with it.
A summary of the act as it pertains to the vehicle, as of June 20, 1999, is as follows:
· Vehicles driven off road must be registered and display a valid plate. This does not mean the vehicle has to be insured or inspected, only that it is registered and plated.
· The vehicle must have at least one forward lamp and at least one rear stop lamp.
· The vehicle must be driven in a safe, responsible, non offensive manner.
The club will attempt to keep all pertinent information from the act within the charter. However, it is up to the individual members to get, read, and know the act, and the club does not pretend to be a legal authority in regards to the lawful use of off road vehicles. The club reserves the right to bar a member from attending an event in which the Executive or charter members have a reasonable belief that the vehicle in question is not legal, or is being driven in an illegal manner.
Section VII. Membership
The club is open to any individual that wishes to belong, the only requirement being an interest in off-roading in general, and Jeep vehicles in particular, and a willingness to take that Jeep off road.
The club consists of:
Charter Members
Charter members are those who originally formed the club, and are limited to the following persons:
1. John Cranfield
2. Rodney Conrad
3. Chris Duggan
4. Aubrey MacMillan
5. Andre Simons
6. Andrew and Joanne Myers
7. Darren and Colleen Hirtle
8. Chad Lloyd
9. Ricardo Green
10. Enos Justason
11. Eric Dalrymple
12. Scott Gray
13. David and Janette Moulton
14. Shawn Brunt
15. Rick Bakker
16. Darrell Swaine
At the time of these Charter amendments (2005) only the following Charter members were active:
John Cranfield, Andre Simons, Darren Hirtle, Colleen Hirtle, Ricardo Green, Enos Justason, David Moulton, and Janet Moulton.
Current Members
Current members are members that have passed all the requirements for membership, and have been accepted as a regular member of the club. Once one becomes a current member, they may only be expelled from the club by a 75% vote of the active members of the club or if they become “inactive” as per Section VIII: Note 1.
Prospects
A prospect is someone who has applied to join the club, but has not yet been voted on for acceptance into the club. Such a member is going through the steps necessary to fulfill the membership attendance requirements.
Probationary members
Probationary members are current members which have been put on probation by the Executive due to infractions of the code of conduct. Such a member is put on probation for a period of six months, after which a vote is taken by the Executive as to whether the member should be returned to current status or expelled from the club. The probation is essentially notice from the Executive to a member that he or she has violated the code of conduct, and that the Executive intends to move to have the member expelled if the member does not change their behavior. The Executive notifies the member of the probationary status of the member by notifying the membership coordinator, who would notify the member.
Section Vlll. Joining the Club
In order to become a member of ANY CHAPTER of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club, an individual must:
-Be greater than 16 years of age.
-Be sponsored by an existing club member, in good standing.
-Fill out an application for membership.
-Attend one existing Chapter meeting and a minimum of three existing Chapter club runs within a 6 month period before they are eligible to be voted in to the club. See Note 1for further information on process.
-Receive at minimum 75% approval of the membership board. See Note 1
-Be voted in by a minimum of 75% of the chapter’s members in attendance during the monthly chapter meeting where the vote is being conducted.
-Pay their yearly dues.
At the time of this Charter (2005) the membership fees were as follows and will be evaluated by the Executive every 2 years.
Yearly dues will be defined in the following categories and are non-refundable:
Option #1: Family Membership: $40.00 / year NOT PRORATED
This will entitle the membership holders to:
- Club Liability Insurance
- Two (2) votes on any/ all matters
- Dues are due at the AGM (date to be announced each year) and MUST be paid by no later than 60 days after the AGM or the membership is considered inactive (Section VIII: Note 1) and privileges are suspended until the membership dues are paid up to date.
ALL FAMILY MEMBERS INCLUDED IN THE MEMBERSHIP MUST RESIDE AT THE SAME CIVIC ADDRESS.
Option #2: Single Membership: $25.00 / year NOT PRORATED
This will entitle the membership holder to:
- Club Liability Insurance.
- One (1) vote.
- Dues are due at the AGM (date to be announced each year) and MUST be paid by no later than 60 days after the AGM or the membership is considered inactive (Section VIII: Note 1) and privileges are suspended until the membership dues are paid up to date.
THIS MEMBERSHIP WILL INCLUDE MEMBERS WHO ARE CHILDREN OVER THE AGE OF 16 OF FAMILY MEMBERSHIP HOLDERS AND WHO WOULD LIKE THEIR OWN VOTE.
Note 1*
An active member will be defined as: Any member who has paid their current yearly dues (i.e. member in good standing) and shows ACTIVE interest and participation in club events and / or structure.
If the applicant does not fulfill the attendance requirements, the applicant must re apply for membership.
A Chapter Club run consists of any off road excursion attended by no less than three current club members.
After the applicant has fulfilled the attendance requirements, the applicant can apply for current member status. The applicant does this by informing the membership coordinator of their wish to attain current member status, and listing the events the applicant has attended, and which current members were in attendance at those events. It is the responsibility of the applicant to track this information and present it to the membership coordinator, who will then check the validity of the information.
After an applicant has applied for current member status, a vote will be taken among the members who witnessed the applicant during meetings and trail rides as to whether the applicant should be made a current member or not. In essence, the 'membership board' is a changing, ad hoc group of active members based on the members that have witnessed the applicant during events. There must be no less than ten members voting (five members voting for chapters with 20 or fewer full members), and at least one of those members must be part of the current Executive. The vote is to be confidential, and tracked by the membership coordinator. The members do not need to be present within a group to vote – the membership coordinator may do the gathering of the votes by phone or e-mail.
However, the membership coordinator must ensure accountability of the vote in case it is brought into question by the prospect.
Those members who vote not to include member in the club must give reasons for their rejection. The membership coordinator is responsible for ensuring that voter’s identities are kept confidential. A voter may only reject the member for violation of a code of conduct, or a demonstrable, reasonable suspicion that a violation of the code of conduct will occur in the future. The membership coordinator will then inform the prospect of acceptance into the club, or grounds for rejection.
If the vote by the Membership Board is favorable to allowing the member into the club then a vote by the general membership will be taken by ballot. This will be carried out by the membership coordinator and the applicant will be notified by the membership coordinator of the results of the vote.
Right of Appeal of Rejection of Current Member Application
A rejected applicant has the right of appeal, and if a request for an appeal is submitted to the membership coordinator, a meeting will be held by the Executive of the club, the members voting on the applicant, and the prospect, presided over by the membership coordinator. The membership coordinator will give the history of the applicant and the reasons for rejection, at which time the applicant will be able to make a presentation (not a debate) as to why they should be reconsidered. After the presentation, the members present will hold a secret vote as to whether the applicant should be returned to prospect status, to be carried by a simple majority. The return to prospect status entails the same responsibility for meeting the attendance requirements that occur with a regular prospect – in other words, it is as if the prospect had started all over again, except that the history of the rejection will be taken into consideration when the user is voted on again.
Section IX. Member's Responsibilities
Members are responsible for following the code of conduct, regular attendance, and having fun. As most of these are within the code of conduct, failure to uphold any of them could result in expulsion from the club.
Members are responsible for maintaining their membership as an active member (any member who has paid their yearly dues and shows ACTIVE interest and participation in club events and / or structure). If a member fails to comply with any of these responsibilities their membership is deemed inactive and they loose all membership privileges. Any inactive members may reapply for membership to the club at any time.
**In the case of a founding member who has become inactive; the founding member must reapply to the club for membership but will not regain their founding member status for the purposes of founding member privileges.
Section X. Expelling Members from the club
The requirements and methods used to expel a member from the club depend on the type of member being expelled:
Charter Members
1) Charter members can only be expelled from the club by 75% of a quorum of the active, present members OR if they become “inactive” as per Section VIII: Note 1.The member has the right of appeal outlined below.
Current Members
2) Current members may only be expelled from the club by 75% of a quorum of the active, present members of the club OR if they become “inactive” as per Section VIII: Note 1.The member has the right of appeal outlined below. The member has the right of appeal outlined below.
Prospects
A prospect can be expelled either by being rejected by the ‘membership board’ after applying for current member status, or immediately for gross violation of the code of conduct by a 75% vote of the Executive. If the prospect is rejected by the acceptance committee, they have right of appeal as outlined above.
Right of Appeal of a Current Member
A current member that has received notice of expulsion from the membership coordinator has the right of appeal. If a request for an appeal is submitted to the membership coordinator, a meeting will be held attended by the Executive of the club and the member, presided over by the membership coordinator. The membership coordinator will give the history of the applicant and the reasons for expulsion, at which time the applicant will be able to make a presentation (not a debate) as to why they should be reconsidered. After the presentation, the Executive will hold a secret vote as to whether the applicant should be returned to probationary status, to be carried by a simple majority.
Section XI. Code of Conduct
The code of conduct is the rules which members must follow in order to maintain membership in the club.
1. Members are to keep their yearly dues up to date.
2. Members are to adhere to Tread Lightly guidelines during club events
3. Behavior which gives rise to a negative public image for the club or the sport of 4X4 trail riding is strictly forbidden during club events.
4. The use of alcohol or illicit drugs prior to or during club events is strictly forbidden.
5. Conduct which the trail master finds dangerous or offensive is prohibited and grounds for immediate dismissal from the event.
6. The use of a vehicle on a trail which the trail master judges to be illegal or unsafe is grounds for the trail master to exclude the member from the event.
7. Members are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct at all times.
Section XII. Chapters
As Nova Scotia is a fairly large geographical area, it may come about that the club is best served by creating separate Chapters in other regions of the province. To ensure that such Chapters are established according to guidelines approved by the cub, and that the members in such Chapters are governed by the same code of conduct, the following rules have been put into place regarding the creation of satellite Chapters of the club:
1. The Chapter centered in Halifax will always be acknowledged as the founding Chapter of the club.
2. A Chapter must be applied for by a group of no less than 10 active members (see Section VIII : note 1), in good standing, by applying to the Steering Committee for Chapter status. In this case, active members shall be considered as individuals, i.e. husband and wife in a Family Membership = 2 active members). This means that the Chapter must be formed by existing members of the club, and not by outside members of the public at large. The people wishing to form the Chapter must already have been accepted into the club before applying to do so.
3. The group of Chapter applicants must submit a written request to form a new Chapter listing the reasons a Chapter should be formed to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee must approve the application unanimously and then submit the application to the active members of each Chapter.
4. The current members of all existing Chapters must approve the Chapter by 75% of each chapter.
5. The group of Chapter applicants must live in the area in which they are applying for Chapter status a reasonable distance away from the nearest Chapter.
6. There will be a MAXIMUM of six (6) Chapters permitted within the province of Nova Scotia. These Chapters will be structured by geographic location and distance as per the existing charter (1999). The potential Chapter areas are to include only the following:
1. Halifax (Metro). Founding Chapter - Existing
2. Valley Chapter (including Bear River and Digby)– Existing
Potential Areas for growth may consist of any of the following areas:
3. South Shore (Bridgewater, Liverpool, Lunenburg areas).
4. Truro
5. Cape Breton
6. New Glasgow / Antigonish
Upon approval, the new Chapter will have the right to establish their own Executive, their own bank accounts, and plan their own events. The new Chapter will also be responsible for their share of provincial expenses and voting a member of their Chapter to be their representative on the Steering Committee. The new Chapter must follow the charter of the Nova Scotia Jeep Club at all times, and must follow the code of conduct at all times.
Revoking a Chapter
A new Chapter may be revoked by:
1. A 75% majority vote of the Steering Committee, followed by:
2. A 75% majority vote of all the current members not in the Chapter being voted on.
Upon expulsion of a Chapter, all members of that Chapter are also expelled, but are free to reapply for membership to the main Chapter.
Section XII. Finance
Any member of the Executive may authorize expenditures of up to $50 per occurrence without the approval of the Executive provided he/she feels the expenditure is necessary and must be done in a more timely fashion that waiting for authorization from the general membership would allow.
The President may authorize expenditures of up to $100 per occurrence without the approval of the Executive provided he/she feels the expenditure is necessary and must be done in a more timely fashion that waiting for authorization from the general membership would allow.
The Executive may authorize expenditures of up to $500 per occurrence without approval of the general membership provided they feel the expenditure is necessary and must be done in a more timely fashion that waiting for authorization from the general membership would allow.
Chapter Financial Commitments:
· Each Chapter is responsible for collecting its own membership dues and maintaining their own finances.
· Each Chapter will be responsible for their share of provincial expenses such as web hosting, registration of the club name, etc as deemed by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will base the expenses on the percentage of overall membership based on the same membership list used to divide Jeep Jamboree funds each year.
· The Treasurer of the Founding Chapter (Metro) will be responsible for the payment of provincial expenses and the collection of the share of these expenses from each Chapter Treasurer (under direction of the Steering Committee).
· In the event that a Chapter fails to pay their share of a provincial expense, they will not be granted their share of the Jamboree monies, or other joint funds or club privileges for that year until they produce their share of the provincial expenses requested.
· The purchase of any Club regalia is up to each individual Chapter and each Chapter will be responsible for making and paying for their own orders. Each Chapter may choose to use any supplier of their choice, provided that three quotes are supplied to the general Chapter membership prior to making a decision.
Section XIV. Dissolving the Club
Should the club be dissolved, any funds remaining after all liabilities are met shall be donated to the Canadian Tread Lightly Charity.
Section XV. Club Logo
The Club logo must stay the same regardless of which chapter is using it. Any changes must be applied for through the Steering Committee.
