A CHAPTER OF GOOD SAM CLUB
01/25/2014
STANDING RULE 1 - OFFICERS
The officers of the Chapter shall consist of the following:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary – Treasurer
STANDING RULE 2 - DIRECTORS
A. The members of the Board of Directors shall be the officers and one member elected from the Membership at large, the Director-At-Large. Any binding action must be passed by an affirmative vote of at least three members.
B. In the event of the death or resignation of the Director-At-Large, a replacement shall be elected at the next Meeting of the Members of the Chapter. The Director-At-Large shall cease to be the Director-At-Large upon election or appointment to an official position, and the President shall appoint from the general Membership to fill the vacancy, the appointment to last until the next regular election of officers/directors.
C. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the control and management of the affairs, property and interests of the Chapter and may exercise all powers of the Chapter.
STANDING RULE 3 - DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
A. President. The President shall be the presiding officer at all Meetings of the Chapter Membership and Board of Directors. President shall be responsible for enforcement of the general rules of conduct of the Membership and especially the rules of safety which are adopted by the Membership. President shall appoint from the general Membership to fill any vacancy in an officer position, the appointment to last until the next regular election of officers. In the event the President’s office shall fall vacant, the Vice President shall become President and appoint a successor as Vice President. President shall fulfill duties as a member of the State Committee.
B. Vice President. The Vice President shall serve in the President’s stead in the President’s absence. Vice President shall be responsible for the organization, planning and conduct of all Recreational Events. Vice President shall appoint an Event Director/Wagonmaster from available volunteers for each Recreational Event to take responsibility for the planning and coordination of each specific event. Vice President shall have Recreational Events approximately once every three weeks from April through October.
C. Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining complete and accurate records of the Chapter. The minimum records to be maintained shall be:
(1) Record of all Membership Meetings to include the date, presiding officer, attendance, and any resolutions, either passed or defeated.
(2) Record of all Board meetings to include the date, presiding officer, attendance and any resolutions, either passed or defeated.
(3) Record of all elections to include date, position, candidates and tally of votes by candidates.
(4) Historical record of the Chapter to include a history of Membership and Recreational Events.
(5) Shall be responsible for keeping the Chapter Roster updated on the STATE website and furnish a copy to Chapter officers.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for the completion and timely submission of all required reports.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the primary officer responsible for the collection of dues, payment of the Chapter’s obligations to the extent funds are available to meet said obligations, and the security of the Chapter’s funds by depositing the funds in the Chapter’s bank account as established by the Board from time to time. Treasurer shall prepare a Treasurer’s report for presentation at each Membership Meeting which shall include the funds balance at the time of the previous report, funds received since then and the sources, funds expended since then, and the current balance of funds on hand. The report shall be in such form and contain such additional detail as the Board shall determine appropriate from time to time.
Secretary-Treasurer shall be the primary signing authority on all Chapter accounts and shall ensure that at least one additional officer, usually the President, shall also have signing authority on every account. Notwithstanding this requirement for two officers to have signing authority, only one signature shall be required for transactions.
D. Director-At-Large, unlike the officers, is elected to a two year term. The Director-At-Large shall:
(1) Attend the annual Directors’ Meeting in January and such other Directors’ meetings as may be called by the President.
(2) Is the Chairman of the nominating committee which the Director-At-Large shall convene each September to fix an initial slate of officer nominees for the following year. The slate of nominees so fixed will be voted upon together with any candidates nominated by members at the general election of officers and directors. The voting shall be by the Members attending the last meeting of the calendar year, either in person or by proxy. The nominating committee shall consist of three active members which shall be the Director-At-Large, the immediate past president (even if such office is then currently serving a second term in office) and a third member appointed by the Director-At-Large. In the event the immediate past president is not available to serve, Director-At-Large shall appoint another active member to serve in the immediate past president’s place.
(3) Shall not vote for officers in the general election of officers and directors but shall cast the tie-breaker vote in the event of a tie vote by the membership.
(4) Shall serve in the Presidents stead in the Presidents absence in the event the Vice President is not available for such service.
STANDING RULE 4 - DUES
A. Dues are set at $15.00 per Member per year. Dues are due the first day of January each year and shall be delinquent if not paid by January 31st. No refunds will be granted upon termination of Membership. Any Member who is delinquent shall not have voting rights and will be dropped from the Membership roster if the delinquency continues for 60 days.
B. If a new Member joins during the camping year, the first year’s dues will be calculated according to the following schedule:
Number of Recreational Events Remaining Dues/RV
7 or 6 $10.00
5, 4, or 3 $ 5.00
2 or 1 $15.00 (includes the
following year’s dues)
STANDING RULE 5 - MEETINGS
A. A regular Meeting shall be held at each Recreational Event. Although regular Meetings shall be held during each Recreational Event, only the portion of a Recreational Event used to conduct business shall be deemed a Meeting. A special Meeting may be held as the President shall call at a venue other than a Recreational Event provided written notice of said special Meeting stating the purpose of said Meeting is given to all Members at least ten (10) and not more than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the date of such special Meeting. The only business to come before the group at a special Meeting shall be the business specified in the notice for such special Meeting.
B. The Board of Directors shall meet during the month of January to review the business of the Chapter and approve the records of the Secretary. Such additional Meetings may be held as the President shall call from time to time.
C. An informal style of Parliamentary procedure shall govern the conduct of all Meetings. This style shall include a flexible meeting agenda, basic parliamentary procedures, elected officers and controlled discussions. See a summary of informal parliamentary procedures attached as Addendum A at the end of these Standing Rules.
STANDING RULE 6 - TERM OF OFFICE
A. The Director at large is elected to a term of two years.
B. Officers are elected to a one year term of office. No person shall hold the same office for more than two successive terms.
STANDING RULE 7 - ELECTIONS
Elections shall be held at the last Recreational Event in the month of October. A simple plurality (largest number of votes to be received by any candidate) is required to decide an election. In the event of a tie in an officer election, the director at large shall cast a second vote for one of the candidates who tied to select the officer. In the event of a tie in a director at large election, the President shall cast a second vote for one of the candidates who tied to select the director.
STANDING RULE 8 - QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS
A. Member Definition: A member is defined as one couple or single and any dependents living with them. There shall be one vote per member.
B. The Tumbleweeds were chartered for seven (7) member rigs initially but may accommodate up to twenty-two (22) Member rigs at any one time.
C. All Members of the Tumbleweeds Good Sam Chapter must first be a Member, in good standing, of the Good Sam Club.
D Each person in a Member Family may attend Recreational Events by themselves or with other members of the Member Family, however, no person under the age of 18 may attend unless a supervising adult Member of the Member Family also attends.
E. The Tumbleweeds enjoy pursuing dry, partial and full hook up camping and as such recommends our Member Family have a Recreational Vehicle.
STANDING RULE 9 - GUESTS
Space Permitting, guests are welcome to attend Recreational Events when accompanied by a Member and may attend up to three Recreational Events per camping season prior to submitting an application or request for membership.
STANDING RULE 10 - MAINTAINING ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP
A Member Family who no longer has a RV shall be placed on inactive Member status for up to twelve months. After three months as an inactive Member, the Member Family may be replaced by another Member Family. If the inactive Member wishes to become active again their name will be placed at the head of any waiting list then in existence.
The purpose of the chapter is best served by active Membership and all members are encouraged to attend at least three Recreational Events per year. The Vice President will meet with Members to determine status.
STANDING RULE 11 - SELECTION OF MEMBER FAMILIES
A potential member may attend up to three recreational events within a nine month period prior to submitting an application or request for membership.
New Member Families will be provided with a copy of the Standing Rules, History of the Tumbleweeds, a current Recreational Event Schedule and Roster of Tumbleweeds Members.
STANDING RULE 12 - GENERAL RULES OF CONDUCT
A. The Principles in the Preamble to the Constitution of the Good Sam Club are incorporated herein by reference.
B. Members will obey all Federal, State and Local laws and regulations.
C. Alcohol in moderation is allowed, however, drunkenness is prohibited.
D. Non-smoking signs will be observed while inside or near RVs which display such signs.
E. Operation of generators is prohibited between 1l pm and 8 am at Recreational Events.
F. Animals require special care and control and pet owners shall be responsible for the behavior of their animals.
G. The Chapter Membership List shall not be used by any member or given to others for commercial purposes
STANDING RULE 13 - SAFETY RULES
A. Fire regulations in effect will be strictly observed.
B. Open campfires will only be built on non-flammable surfaces and with all flammable material removed for a radius of four feet from the edge of any fire area.
C. Minimum equipment required for open fires are bucket, shovel and axe.
D. Whenever possible, Members will assist each other with ground guidance for backing RV’s.
E. Minimum safety equipment for an RV shall be bucket and fire extinguisher.
STANDING RULE 14 - ENFORCEMENT OF RULES
Any Member found in violation of general or safety rules by the President shall be warned of the infraction by the President in writing. After three warnings the Board of Directors shall meet and determine what action to take if any should be taken.
STANDING RULE 15- AFFILIATION WITH THE GOOD SAM CLUB
All Members of this Chapter must become Members of the Good Sam Club and maintain that Membership In Good Standing while a Member of this Chapter. The “Good Sam” name and logo can only be used while the Chapter maintains its charter with the Good Sam Club In Good Standing. Use of the logo and name will only be used to promote the Good Sam Pledge and Chapter activities and in a manner consistent with good taste and the Club Constitution, By laws and General Policies of the Good Sam Club.
STANDING RULE 16 - MEMBERSHIP IN THE STATE COMMITTEE
Tumbleweeds will be a Member of the State Good Sam Committee. The Secretary is directed to promptly furnish such reports and payments of dues to said State Committee as it shall require. The President shall be the Chapter representative to the State Committee.
STANDING RULE 17 – RECREATIONAL EVENT
Recreational Event: An assemblage of Members for mutual education, enjoyment and recreation. Recreational events may be a simple meal or speech or a more elaborate event which may include travel and overnight camping. Any assemblage, other than a Meeting, which is officially recognized by the Chapter, is considered a Recreational Event.
A. Duties of the Event Director, AKA Wagonmaster
B. An Event Director or Wagonmaster volunteer is approved by the Vice President for each recreational event to take responsibility for the planning of that specific event. The Wagonmaster’s duties will vary somewhat by the nature of the outing, but shall include, but not limited to:
(1) Selecting a site for the outing if a site was not previously selected by the members. In the event a site selected by the Members is not available, the Wagonmaster shall select an alternative site. The Wagonmaster is given wide discretionary authority in selecting sites but care should be exercised to ensure that the site is within three hours travel time of Boise (not more than 150 miles by road and preferably less than 125 miles) and that the site selected will maintain a balance between primitive and hook-up sites so that the Tumbleweeds outings for the year will have an equal number of both scheduled.
(2) Confirming reservations if reservations have previously been made or making reservations if none have been made. If a reservation fee is charged, the Wagonmaster can either obtain a check from the Treasurer or pay the fee and obtain a reimbursement from the Treasurer. If the location is one that is not reserveable, the Wagonmaster shall use reasonable efforts to arrive early or coordinate with another Member who will arrive early to establish a section of the site for use by the members who will be in attendance. If the group is going to use a meeting room or covered patio, the Wagonmaster should reserve that facility for the outing as well.
(3) Deciding whether there will be a breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner planned in place of or in addition to the Saturday dinner. Whether it will be pot-luck (usually the case except for early spring or late fall outings) or eating out (usually the case for early spring or late fall due to colder weather) for the Event meal. Tumbleweeds have had good luck with both formats in the past. If the group will be going out to a restaurant, the Wagonmaster is responsible for selecting the restaurant and making group reservations. If the meal contains a specialty main course to be prepared by either the Wagonmaster or another member, which will feed everyone, the Wagonmaster shall determine how much per person in attendance the main course will cost and collect from each person in attendance. Examples are the pig roast and salmon barbeque, but any centrally prepared main course is eligible for reimbursement when the Members are asked to bring no main course dishes, only complementary dishes like salads and desserts.
(4) Sending out an invitation to all Members and those persons identified as prospective members. The invitation should be sent out ten to fifteen days in advance. If a Member has elected to receive electronic notifications by email in lieu of printed invitations through the USPS, that fact will be clearly noted on the membership roster and if so marked, such members, and only such members, may have their invitations transmitted by email. The Wagonmaster may elect to send all invitations in the mail. If the Wagonmaster needs to know who will be attending to fulfill the Wagonmaster’s duties, an RSVP should be indicated conspicuously on the body of the invitation and all Members should respond to the RSVP as soon as possible to facilitate the job of the Wagonmaster.
a. Members should RSVP 7 days prior to the camp out, unless other arrangements have been made with the Wagonmaster.
b. Invitations need to contain the following:
i. Contain a description of the outing including dates, place, and driving directions or maps.
ii. Any special instructions should be included and a description of the breakfast/lunch/brunch/dinner planned (pot-luck or eating out) in place of or in addition to the Saturday dinner with any special instructions about what to bring.
iii. Include any information about the nature and extent of any hook-ups, onsite dump stations, the existence of game rooms and horse shoe pits, and campfire facilities and rules.
iv. During fire season the Wagonmaster should check with the appropriate authorities about fire regulations that may be in effect and include that information in the invitation as well.
c. If the Wagonmaster has any questions the Vice-President should be contacted for information.
d. Prior to the Event the Secretary-Treasurer will contact the Wagonmaster to see if they want to receive funding for postage, if so the Wagonmaster will receive a check for $12.00 from the Secretary-Treasurer to offset postage expense or any other costs incurred while hosting a recreational event.
(5) Locating special recreational opportunities at or near the site, if desired, such as theaters, golfing, fishing, and others. If special recreational opportunities are available at or near the selected site, the Wagonmaster should obtain information about such opportunities and include the information in the invitation including the particulars for attending such as where, how and when to make reservations; the cost, if any; dates; and times as applicable. Tumbleweeds outings are for relaxing and doing, or not doing, what each member is comfortable with. Attendance at all special recreational opportunities is optional and, while many will attend, some will choose not to attend and there is nothing wrong with that.
(6) Place the Tumbleweeds signs at notable locations indicating directions to the site, at the entrance, or along the way to the camping site. Posting the Tumbleweeds Wagonmaster sign in front of their rig. Greeting Members as they arrive and assisting Members in finding places to park their rigs. Special attention should be given to those Members that need special facilities because of handicaps. Save close–in spaces and level spaces for those Members that have trouble walking so that can enjoy the outing experience like everyone else.
(7) Following up at the end of the outing to make sure the site is clean and that any returnable deposit is returned to the Tumbleweeds. Insuring if the next campout Wagonmaster is present giving them the Tumbleweeds signs for the next campout, if they are not present insuring they get the Tumbleweeds signs for the next campout.
STANDING RULE 18 - AMENDMENTS
Any proposed changes to these Standing Rules must be submitted to the President in writing to be included in the agenda of the next scheduled meeting. The proposed amendment(s) in final form shall be presented at that meeting. Copies of the proposed changes in final form will be provided for those attending the meeting. The amendment(s) must be passed with an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Members of the Tumbleweeds and submitted to the State Director for approval.
Changing of minor typographical errors is exempt.
These Standing Rules supersedes the Tumbleweeds By-Laws of October 27th, 2012.
ADDENDUM A
Tumbleweeds will utilize an Informal Parliamentary Style procedure characterized by flexible meeting agendas, basic parliamentary procedures, elected officers, and controlled discussions while keeping things simple.
Order of Business
Each officer and Director should be familiar with the order of business:
1. Call to order, open the meeting
2. Identify the member’s present, potential new members and guests
3. Reading, amending and approving Minutes
4. Treasurer's report, amending and approving
5. Committee reports
6. Accepting the committee reports
7. Old business
8. New business
9. Appointing new committees
10. Thanking our wagon masters and confirm next camp out date, location and wagon master
11. Adjourn
Steps in Making a Club Decision
1. Motion – A motion is a request that something be done or that something is the opinion or wish of the group. Only one motion should be placed before the group at one time. It is debatable and amendable.
2. Second – Someone from the group must “second” the motion, or agree to the motion, so that it can be discussed.
3. Discussion – The motion “on the floor” is discussed by all members, addressing the pros and cons, etc.
4. Re-State the Motion – The president re-states the motion before the group votes.
5. Vote – The group votes by voice – aye/no; by show of hands; by standing; by secret ballot; or by roll call vote.
Some General Rules of Order
1. A member should raise a hand, stand, and wait to be recognized to make a motion.
2. The president needs to recognize the member for a motion to be presented.
3. Recognition from the chair is not required to second a motion.
4. A member may bring up a point of order; that is, if a member observes the violation of a rule; they may secure recognition and state the point which is out of order.
5. At the beginning of a club meeting, it might also be helpful to remind club members of the ground rules for the discussion. A suggestion for a set of meeting rules might be:
a. Club members must respect one-another at all times.
b. Disagreement is fine and expected, but personal attacks are not tolerated.
c. Club members must refrain from shouting and name-calling.
d. Domination of the discussion is not allowed, all members need to be given a chance to speak.
e. Brevity is always appreciated when you're making a point.
f. Should the meeting get heated, the best thing to do is then to remind the group of the ground rules for discussion, which hopefully have already been laid out. Even if only one person is responsible for the problem, try not to single out that person as the problem but rather remind the group as a whole of the rules and that they must work together to keep the discussion friendly.
Making and Voting on Motions
1. A member who wants the club to vote on something makes a motion. That member raises a hand, or stands, and waits to be recognized. After being recognized by the president, the member says, "I move that ..."
2. Another member says "I second the motion." This means that at least one other member thinks the club should consider it. (If the motion is not seconded, it is dropped.)
a. A nomination doesn't require a second.
3. If there is a motion before the house, no other motion can be made except:
a. to adjourn.
b. to table, as in to send to committee or for further research.
c. to move the previous question; that is, to end the discussion and bring up the motion for vote.
4. The president then asks for discussion. When discussion stops, the president asks," Are you ready for the question?" If no one requests more discussion the club is ready to vote.
5. The president states the motion so everyone can hear it. The members vote when the president says," All in favor say 'Aye,"' and "All opposed say 'Nay."
6. The motion is passed if more members vote "aye" than Nay." If the president is in doubt about the vote he should ask for a show of hands or a standing vote.
7. The president then says, "The motion is carried," or "The motion is lost," according to the vote.
