Minot, ND
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R.O.W. CLUB CHARTER
I. MISSION STATEMENT
The Riders Of the White Line Motorcycle Club is a not for profit organization of adult motorcyclists (at least 18 years of age) who participate in alcohol & drug free rides and events. We welcome the public to join in our public rides. We also welcome the families and invited guests of Full Members, Associate Members and Prospects to attend all of our rides and events. R.O.W. M/C does not discriminate against race, creed, color, sexual identity or religious origin.
The R.O.W. MC Charter was established to facilitate the operations of the club. It describes the working structure of the R.O.W. MC its activities, financial responsibility, member designation and the provisions for club officers.
III-a.
No alcohol or drugs will be tolerated during any club event or ride. Due to public impression, ROW MC will not permit the use of any container or substance, which could be misconstrued as containing alcohol or mood altering chemicals. No sign or logo, which depicts any mood altering substance or alcohol, may be worn, while displaying ROW MC identification of any kind. Any suspected instance of a member using alcohol or mood altering substances, while displaying any ROW MC identification, must immediately be brought to the attention of all Full Members present at any club event or ride.
III-b.
No person will be permitted to attend any event or ride if they are suspected of having ingested or are under the influence of any mood altering substance. Any Full Member or Associate Member who is found to be ingesting any mood altering drug, while wearing ROW MC colors, will be subject to immediate expulsion from the club. Expulsion requires a review of the person in question by Full Members. If the charges are found to be legitimate, the person shall be required to immediately surrender his colors and all donations in the club treasury. After a verdict is reached, there will be no further negotiation. Expulsion will be considered to be final and the person will not be allowed to participate in any future club ride, event or other club related activity.
IV-a.
All persons wearing any type of sign insignia colors, logo, or lettering that signifies the ROW MC must have already been accepted as Full Members or Associate Members by a simple majority vote of the existing Full Members. At no time is a non-member to wear the ROW MC colors or any related sign, logo, or lettering of the ROW MC. No person under the age of 18 will be allowed to wear any ROW MC identification.
IV-b.
ROW MC colors should be worn whenever attending club events and while participating in club rides. When wearing ROW MC colors, a member should not attend a function by himself where alcohol is being served. If another Full Member is present in such an instance, it is expected that both members police each other. Colors, even though paid for by the member, will remain the sole property of the ROW MC. In the event that a member or prospect separates from the club, all club property is to be turned in to any current club officer.
IV-c.
Prospects may obtain a prospect patch from the Treasurer by paying the current price as designated by the club at the time of becoming a prospect. The Prospect patch is the sole property of ROW MC and will be returned to ROW MC after the prospect period regardless of whether or not the prospect becomes a full member. After Full Membership has been approved a members colors can be purchased from the Treasurer Officer for the current price as designated by the club. The amount paid by the member for the prospect patch will be credited towards the purchase of the Full Member Patch upon return of the Prospect patch. Wearing of club colors is encouraged to help promote ROW MC to the general public – therefore, it is very important to exercise caution as to when where and how club colors are displayed. At no time shall a member or prospect display any type of sign or logo, which depicts any mood altering substance while wearing ROW MC identification of any kind.
Monthly meetings will be held the first Friday of each month at a location to be determined at the prior monthly meeting. Any questions as to times and locations will be available from any ROW MC Officer. Ad hoc meetings will be scheduled when necessary and the membership will be notified of such meetings. At no time are secret meetings to take place. Prospects cannot attend regular monthly meetings until they are approved as Full Members. Also, Prospects will not be allowed to attend meetings where Full Members are involved in the ratification process of prospective new members or in any meetings where the good standing of a Full Member is in question.
There are no dues or fees for membership, but donations are accepted at any club function. All monies are used to pay for club events or club sponsored activities. All donations are greatly appreciated. This includes donations of your time, tools, ideas, equipment and support. Money is not the only important donation. Unfortunately, it does pay for food, lodging and entertainment at club events.
VII-a. Full Members
All Full Members have equal status in the club once they have been accepted as Full Members. Members in good standing are those Full Members who have attended club rides, meetings or other events within the past nine (9) months and are members of ABATE. Each member has one vote. In order to vote, members in good standing must be present at meetings or present a bonafide proxy through another Full Member. A proxy is an original letter or fax transmission that states the intent of the absentee member on each item for which he wishes to vote. A “blanket proxy” shall not be permitted. Proxy votes may only used on the following meeting agenda items: Old Business, and financial decisions concerning ROW MC funding of annual events. Both the absentee member and the representative member must sign the proxy. Each proxy used shall become property of ROW MC and be retained by the secretary for his records. At no time shall form letters be accepted. Voting may be accomplished by a simple show of hands or by a private vote. To accomplish the private vote, each Full Member in good standing shall be given one white and one black sphere. He shall place either sphere into an opaque receptacle such as a bag or box. The white sphere designates a “yes” vote and the black sphere represents a “no” vote. The acting Secretary at that meeting shall tally the votes and ensure that the number of spheres gathered matches the number of viable voters present. Either method of voting may be requested by the membership at hand.
If any member decides to retire from the club, they must notify the club in writing of their intention to do so and be in good standing to request retirement. A Full Member must agree to surrender their vote. They must also agree to maintain all club standards and maintain the good name of the club and all of its members. If it is determined that the retired member has not done so, the ROW MC can ask that all club identification be returned.
Prospective associate members must be sponsored by a Full Member in good standing, who has been a member of ROW MC for at least one (1) year. Associate Members must be at least (18) eighteen years of age. A prospective Associate Member’s name must be submitted at a regular monthly meeting by a Full Member Sponsor. Full Members will vote to approve or disapprove the entrance of the prospective Associate Member after a period of no less than one (1) month and not to exceed one (1) year. The prospective Associate Member must be approved by a majority vote of the Full Members. In the event that a simple majority cannot be met, a quorum of the members present at the meeting where the vote will take place will be used to determine the acceptance of the Associate Member. A quorum must consist of at least five Full Members in good standing. Associate Members enjoy a voice on committees and may work on committees. Associate Members may purchase ROW MC colors at the current full price. Associate Members are encouraged to volunteer their time and monetary contributions to the club. Any Associate Member who desires to become a Full Member must follow the same procedure as a prospective member (Prospect). Refer to the Prospect Guide at the end of the ROW MC charter.
All prospective members (prospects) must be sponsored by a Full Member, in good standing, and complete a trial period, which consists of club, rides and club functions. Full Members will vote either to approve or disapprove prospective members after a period of no less than ninety (90) days and not to exceed one (1) year. Under special circumstances, the prospect period may be lessened or lengthened upon approval by a majority of members present. The prospect must be approved by a majority vote of Full Members. In the event that a simple majority cannot be met, a quorum of the members present at the meeting where the vote will take place will be used to determine the acceptance of the prospect. A quorum must consist of at least five Full Members in good standing. Prospects will wear the ROW prospect patch to all club rides and club functions. Please refer to the Prospect Guide that is contained at the end of this ROW Club Charter.
If a member decides to leave the club on his own and does not plan to participate in any club events in the future, he is asked to return his colors and other club property. If any member is expunged from the ROW MC, all ROW MC identification and club property must be returned to a club officer as soon as possible. In that event, no monies accepted as donations will be returned, since at the time of the donation said monies are freely given to the club. If a past member of the club is determined to have committed acts or behaviors contrary to the club charter, he will be required to return all club identification to an officer of the club as soon as such facts become available and are reviewed by the club.
IX-a.
There will be the following officers of the ROW MC: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Two out of the four must be present to hold an official meeting. Officers will be elected at the February meeting. Officers are in charge of specific duties; they do not govern. They assist the club in maintaining Robert’s Rules of Order at meetings. Any prospective officer must be a Full Member in good standing, with at least one year as a Full Member for the offices of President, Vice President, and Secretary; and two years as a Full Member for the office of Treasurer. In the event that an Officer is not able to attend any ROW MC event or ride for three consecutive months, he will be replaced at the soonest available monthly meeting by taking nominations from the Full Members present and determining a vote consisting of a simple majority of those members present at that monthly meeting. The term for all officers shall be for a period of one (1) year. There will be no term limits. Officers may be elected for consecutive terms. Nominations will be accepted from the Nomination Committee and also from the floor by the members enjoying Full Membership status. Prospective candidates must be present at the February ROW MC Annual Meeting to accept their nomination.
IX-a-1. The President
The President shall perform the usual duties of a presiding officer and shall be a chairman of the executive committee. He shall appoint the chairman of each committee established by the ROW MC Charter or as instructed by the executive committee or as he determines the need. The President will not have a vote unless his vote is required to break a tie. The President will also serve as a public relations spokesman for the ROW MC. He will prepare an agenda for the Secretary, which shall be copied prior to meetings and distributed at the meetings.
The Vice-President shall act in place of the President in the absence of the President. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, he shall act as President until the next election of officers. The Vice President will also fill the vacancy of the Treasurer, or Secretary until the President can appoint one. He shall perform all of the duties assigned to a particular office as stated in the ROW MC Charter. He will have one vote, the same as a Full Member in good standing.
The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds of the ROW MC; shall maintain current accounting of such funds and shall periodically report to the executive committee and to the membership at large as to the financial condition of the club at monthly meetings and at the annual meeting. He shall make all necessary financial reports. He shall work with (but not as a member of) any auditing or finance committee established by the executive committee, as they may desire for examination of records or investment of funds. Audits shall be performed prior to the annual meeting and may be requested by the President. The Treasurer shall be the primary officer responsible to invest excess funds if so directed by the membership. He shall be the primary officer on the club checkbook and the President, Vice President and Secretary shall serve as cosigners on all accounts. The Treasurer shall pay all bills, deposit all funds, file all receipts and bank statements and turn them over to the Secretary upon the completion of his term(s) as Treasurer. He will have one vote, the same as a Full Member in good standing.
The Secretary shall be the custodian of records of the ROW MC, other than financial, and shall attend and record all business conducted at regular and special meetings of the membership and of the executive committee. The Secretary shall maintain a file of the correspondence of the club. These records shall be open to the inspection of any Full Member in good standing upon reasonable request. He will have one vote, the same as a Full Member in good standing.
The Sergeant at Arms shall be in charge of the voting box at all meetings, the chips at rides, the flags, and any other duties that are assigned by the President.
A complete and current accounting of all ROW MC funds will be provided at each monthly club meeting. “Funds”, includes all assets in bank accounts, cash on hand, checks, money orders and inventory of equipment, such as the club project, tools, gas, oil, etc. The current President and Treasurer shall appear on the signature card for the ROW MC checking account. Any expenditure must be in the best interest of the club. Any purchase over $50.00 (U.S) must be agreed upon by at least two of the club officers and the Full Membership in good standing at hand. If possible, the club checkbook must be available to the officers at every club event. The checkbook shall be of the duplicate style of checks. The President or the Treasurer shall be personally responsible for the proper accounting of any checks written them in the checkbook. Either officer shall also document the type of expenditure and the item purchased on the memo line of the check. A receipt of the transaction must accompany all expenditures written from the checkbook. The President shall return the checkbook to the Treasurer as soon as possible, subsequent to using the checkbook. All ROW MC members may be reimbursed for expenditures, which they have made and have been approved, by the officers and club members at hand. These are not to be extravagant and must be in the best interest of the club.
The President will designate committees. The President shall appoint the committee chairman. The chairman will appoint committee members. A committee chairman presides over any committee activities. The chairman will decide the process by which the committee will use to accomplish its goals. Progress and results from all committees shall be under the review of the Full Members at monthly meetings. Standing committees shall be, but not limited to, the following: Executive Committee, Rides Committee, Activities Committee, Membership Committee, Audit Committee, Grievance Committee, Historical Committee and Nominating Committee. The President may by his own accord or by instruction of the Executive Committee, appoint Special Committees as seen fit and Proper for the good and welfare of the Club. The President shall designate duties of these committees. Appointments to Committees shall be for a period not to exceed one year.
The ROW MC can decide to put together a project or activity that utilizes club monies, manpower, and facilities. The project must be approved by a majority of the Full Members. Any ROW MC funds used on the Project must be accounted for and reported to the Treasurer. Any Club Project, whether in the process of completion, finished product or proceeds gained from the sale of any Club Project shall remain the property of the ROW MC. Members need to understand than any materials donated may be altered to suit the goals of the project. If materials or equipment (property) have been donated by any member and the project has not been maintained in a timely manner; said member can ask for the property to be returned in the condition in which it was donated. If said materials or equipment have been altered or modified, it is the responsibility of said member to give permission to such alterations prior to the Club receiving the property. If the permission was granted, said member has only the option of having the property returned in its modified condition. The motion for a club project must be presented at a monthly meeting. Upon approval of the motion for a potential project, the Secretary shall notify the membership of the motion and said project, at least 60 days prior to the final vote on that project.
XIII-a.
An ROW MC ride will be sponsored every Friday night throughout the riding season (Usually from April through September). These rides are open to club members, prospects, and the general public. Rides are sober & drug free. No person shall ride after having ingested any type of mood-altering drug, nor shall any person ingest any type of mood-altering drug while on the ride. A list of rides will be available for review by Full Members at the start of the riding season. Any changes to the ride schedule must be discussed prior to departure. All persons wishing to participate in Friday night rides will meet at Oak Park between 6:30 and 7:00pm. The ride will leave promptly at 7:00pm.
A Road Captain will be designated for each ride. The Road Captain must be a Full Member of ROW MC. The Road Captain will explain the destination and the route to be taken. The Road Captain will set the pace. He is encouraged to travel the posted speed limits. All riders shall follow the Road Captain until the destination is reached on both the departure and return legs of the ride
The Road Captain will designate a Tail Man. The Tail Man must be a Full Member of ROW MC. The Tail Man shall be responsible to ensure that no rider is left stranded on the highway in the event of a breakdown. In that instance, all riders should proceed to the closest approach or intersection and pull well of the side of the highway. The Road Captain has the authority to assess the situation, decided the best way to assist the disabled motorcycle and provide transportation to the motorcyclist. He may ask for assistance from other club members. Everyone is asked to be prepared and pack tools and accessories that may be needed in the event of a breakdown
While it is understandable that breakdowns may occur at any time, ROW MC expects each of its Full Members, Prospects and the general public to have a motorcycle that is in good working order, have fully operational turn signals and lighting, and have good tires. Motorcycles that do not meet these requirements are a danger to the group and will not be allowed to participate without the approval of all Full Members who are involved in a particular ride. All riders participating in any ROW MC sponsored ride shall maintain current insurance as mandated by North Dakota State Law.
The Rides Committee will establish a guide that describes in detail the rules of riding safely. This shall be made available to anyone requesting such information that is intending to ride with ROW MC.
Any person who damages either ROW MC property or other person’s personal property shall replace or make restitution toward any and all damages for which he is responsible. Failure to do so by Full Members could result in the dismissal from Officer status, censorship of voting privileges, limitations in activities, and/or expulsion from the Club. Prospects may also face expulsion from the Club and will lose Prospect status until such time as restitution is made. All Full Members, Associate Members, Prospects and any guests or public individuals whom ride with the club must have current insurance as mandated by North Dakota State Law.
At no time will any type of illicit or illegal activities be encouraged or condoned by ROW MC. ROW MC maintains a law-abiding status with all law enforcement agencies, laws of North Dakota and the laws of the United States of America. Any illegal activities committed against ROW MC or any of its members will result in the active pursuance of all possible legal avenues to prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law, including expulsion from the club.
XVII-a.
Members can file grievances with any Grievance Committee member at the soonest possible convenience, when there seems to be a question pertaining to the following: a member’s status as a Full Member, conduct on the highway, conduct in public while wearing ROW MC identification, conforming to club rules, hearsay, or any conflict which cannot be settled between any two members.
XVII-b. The Grievance Committee shall be comprised of three members. The Chairman of the committee shall b chosen by the President at the annual February meeting. The Chairman shall choose two Full Members to complete the committee. The complainant shall also choose three Full Members to sit on the committee. The decision of the committee shall be determined by a simple majority vote of those members on the committee. In the case of a tie, the President shall cast the deciding vote. If the President is actively involved in the grievance, an impartial office shall cast the deciding vote. The impartiality shall be determined prior to the proceedings of the Grievance Committee. If an appeal is desired subsequent to any decision, the current officers shall create a new committee. Only one appeal will be allowed
In the event that the club cannot carry on in a manner provided by its Charter, all funds remaining in the treasury will be donated to another non-profit organization as approved by a vote of the remaining members.
The ROW MC may utilize funds from the club treasury to pay for inclusion for all of its members in good standing so that they may participate in club events. This includes such things as camping fees, entrance fees, meals and refreshments, and gasoline when engaged on specific club rides that are listed below. These monies are not to be used on a regular basis for Friday Night Rides, unless the specific ride has some special significance. In that event, a roll call must be taken and minutes provided to the membership at the next regular ROW MC meeting. The utilization of ROW MC funds will be determined at the monthly meeting proceeding the ride, event or activity. A list of ROW MC events will be available from the Activities Committee.
Once the ROW MC Charter has been voted upon and ratified, the election of officers shall commence at the earliest possible date. These officers shall have a term from that point forward until the following February meeting. At that time, regular annual elections shall take place and the term for each office, elected official, appointed official, committee chairman and committee member shall be for the length of time as stated in the ROW MC Charter.
Please refer to section VII-a. for voting procedures.
PROSPECT GUIDE
The Riders Of the White Line Motorcycle Club is a not for profit organization of adult motorcyclists who participate in alcohol & drug free rides and events. We welcome the public to join in our public rides. We also welcome the families and invited guests of Full Members, Associate Members and Prospects to attend all of our rides and events. ROW MC does not discriminate against age, race, creed, color, sexual identity or religious origin.
Q. How do I join the club?
A. You must participate in club events and rides while alcohol and drug free.
B. You must operate a roadworthy motorcycle.
C. You must participate in the initiation process and “prospect” for at least 90
90 days.
D. You must wear the ROW MC Prospect Patch during all club events and while
riding motorcycle. Wearing of the Prospect Patch is encouraged to help
promote ROW MC to the general public – therefore, it is very important to
exercise caution as to when, where and how the Prospect Patch is displayed.
Please see section IV of the Club Charter for more information.
There are no dues or fees for membership.
The goals of the club are as follows:
1. Participate in club functions while clean and sober.
2. Operate your motorcycle in a legal and safe fashion
3. Volunteer in the community for charitable causes that are drug and alcohol
free by use of your time and monetary contributions.
4. To offer companionship to other riders, so that no one needs ride alone.
5. To provide a positive spirit in the community by attending social functions
sober and drug free.
6. To offer sober events such as parties, dining out, camping, attending concerts,
touring and sight seeing.
Copyright © 2012 Riders Of the White Line Motorcycle Club (ROW MC)
Minot, ND
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