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Policies and procedures are developed by majority vote of the Board. They are recorded here to provide
consistent management of the Club. These policies and procedures are supplementary to the Constitution and
Bylaw and should be read in conjunction with the Constitution and Bylaw. They do not negate or contravene
the Constitution and Bylaw of the Club. The items follow the numbering of the Articles and Sections of the
Bylaw.
ARTICLE 1 - NAME AND TERRITORIAL LIMITS
1.2 - In general "vicinity" will be considered to mean within the boundaries of Wellington County and a reasonable
distance from Guelph such that the person can be expected to attend meetings on a regular basis.
ARTICLE 2 - OBJECTIVES
2.1 - The Club is not a service club and does not engage in fund-raising in support of community projects.
The Club may occasionally contribute to the community through discretionary donations to worthy causes
utilizing funds surplus to the cost of the Club's core operations. The club will respect the wishes of speakers
who volunteer to direct their honorarium/expenses to a local charity.
ARTICLE 4 - MEMBERSHIP
It is an objective of the Club to have wide involvement of members in the operation of the Club. Members
are encouraged to volunteer and are expected to accept invitations to serve on committees.
4.2 - Active
The Club is seeking new members. At some time in the future it may be necessary to limit the number of
Active members in the Club.
Members are encouraged to invite a guest to regular meetings. Guests will be encouraged to apply for
membership.
A member who has resigned and wishes to rejoin the Club is not required to pay the initiation fee. However,
if the fee had been increased from that he originally paid, he will be required to pay the difference.
The Membership Committee Chair shall monitor sponsorship of new members.
4.3 - Associate
Associate members are expected to revert to Active membership if they attend 6 or more Regular meetings
per year.
Associate members who wish to revert to Active membership are not required to again pay the initiation fee.
Associate members are sent the newsletter and updates to the Handbook. The fee established for Associate members shall reflect these costs.
4.4 - Life
Life membership is a singular honour that will rarely be bestowed.
The Nominations Committee will recommend to the Board the names of members who should be considered for election to Life Membership.
ARTICLE 5 - ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
5.2 - Succession
Officers may be nominated from current Directors and the general membership.
Directors elected to a one-year term during start-up of the Club are eligible to be nominated for one consecutive term.
5.3 - Duties of the Officers
The President should send a letter of condolence to the family of each deceased member.
In May the Governance Director, the Secretary and the President-elect shall develop a Schedule of Dates for the following Club year to be distributed at the first meeting of the new Board.
5.4 - Standing Committees
The chairman of each Standing Committee is chosen and appointed by the President. Standing Committee Chairs will be chosen from existing Board members. The chairman chooses the members of his committee. The Board confirms the committee members at its final meeting in September.
In making appointments to Standing Committees, provision shall be made for continuity of experience by appointing one or more members for a second term.
Each Standing Committee shall have a statement of its responsibilities, objectives and modus operandi. Copies of these statements shall be kept by the Secretary and given to each incoming chairman. The statements should be reviewed each year and updated as necessary.
5.5 - Duties of Standing Committees
Programme Committee
Programming should be varied to include other forms of expression besides formal speakers such as debates,
demonstrations, performances, panel discussions, hobby shows, etc.
The Programme Committee should ensure that one or two members are available to speak should a scheduled speaker fail to arrive for a meeting.
Scheduled speakers are to be informed that they should not solicit funds, business, or votes in their talks.
Non-members who are not scheduled to speak to the Club shall not be given the privilege of addressing the Club.
With the permission of the President, a Club member may briefly speak for an organization or cause in which he has an interest.
The Programme Committee is responsible for programming for the period September through August of the next year.
House Committee
The House Committee is responsible for acquiring and providing:
A place to conduct club meetings, an off-site location and facilities for
the Christmas luncheon and other special events.
Refreshments for club meetings ie. Coffee, tea, cookies.
(and wash up cups and utensils afterward)
Physical assets for club use: eg. Electronic projector, cables, power
cord.
Services for speaker support: eg. a sound system, power cord, projector,
screen, lectern.
The House Committee shall make an inventory of the physical assets of the Club in May and give it to the Treasurer for valuing and filing.
The House Committee shall advise the Board on the acquisition of audio-visual equipment and other items used in the operation of the Club and develop a replacement schedule for existing equipment.
Membership Committee
The committee member responsible for a month will obtain a get-well card from the Secretary. The committee member is responsible for the distribution of the card and for ensuring that the card is sufficiently signed. He is also responsible for picking up the card at the end of the meeting and delivering it to the ill member. Condolence cards are to be sent upon the death of a member's spouse. No financial contribution is made.
A donation of $50.00 will be made to a designated charity in memory of a deceased member. This item will be debited from the restricted fund account.
Activities Committee
Event files
There shall be an on-going Club event file created and maintained by the Activities Committee Chair for each Social, Sporting and Special event.
The purpose of a Club event file is to assist the Activities Committee with preparations for similar events in the future. The file contains reports by previous Events Committees, including a budget, financial statements, notes on organizational problems and successes, and recommendations.
A copy of the budget and financial statement should also be given to the Treasurer for his records.
Club Events
In general, payments for tickets purchased for Club events shall not be refunded after a deadline previously established and announced.
Widows of former members are eligible to attend social events.
Subsidies for Activities and Events
All Club activities are expected to be financially self-supporting.
Finance Committee
In general, the membership fee, exclusive of the initiation fee, shall be set at a level to cover the operating expenses plus a reasonable margin to allow for unanticipated costs and accumulation of a reserve fund.
The Club books must be audited at least once a year. The books may be audited in mid-term upon a change of Treasurer.
Donations
Suggestions for donations should be directed to the Treasurer. The Finance Committee makes recommendations to the Board within guidelines set by the Board. Any donations deemed worthy and feasible by the Board will be brought to members for consideration at a regular meeting.
Donations may be made to single agencies and causes on several occasions, and even regularly. However, the Club does not enter into commitments to provide ongoing or multi-period support.
Donations should be made to support local organizations, groups, and individuals that are the ultimate users of the funds.
Communications Committee
The newsletter is used to communicate to the members information about the speakers programme, Club activities, social, sporting, and special events, and Board decisions. This is supported by announcements and reports at regular meetings.
The Club's external relationships and communications are the responsibility of the President and the Secretary.
A club member, who is proficient in HTML, will be responsible for the design and maintenance of the club website, but as it is a vehicle of communication, the President and Secretary will be responsible for monitoring the accuracy of its content and that it reflects the vision of the Club that they wish to portray. The chairmen of the various committees whose mandates correspond to the sections of the website: ie. Membership, Activities (activities, events), Programmes (meetings), and Communications (newsletter) should provide timely input to ensure that the website is up-to-date.
Recognition
A Certificate of Appreciation may be presented to persons who have rendered notable service to the Club.
Archive and History
It is the policy of the Club to ensure that a record of Club activities is maintained. A policy for the retention and/or disposition of the records of the Secretary, Treasurer and President will be established by the Board.
Photographs of the Board, members, and special events will be retained in the Archive.
The Club should appoint an Archivist and Historian to collect, file and index the records of the Club and, from time to time, to prepare a report about Club history. The position of Archivist and Historian should be filled by an interested person and be a long-term appointment.
Groups
The Club encourages the formation of groups of members with shared interests. These groups are self-governing within the bounds of Club by-laws, policies and procedures.
5.7 - Signing Officers
All cheques must bear the signature of two authorized signing officers. Signing officers shall be the President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer and one other member appointed by the Board. The Treasurer is responsible for keeping signing officer authorizations up-to-date with the financial institution chosen as the depository for the Club's funds.
ARTICLE 6 - MEETINGS
6.1 - Regular
Regular meetings shall be held every other Thursday between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
A moment of silence will be observed at the first regular meeting following the death of a member.
Reporters from the media must request, and with the concurrence of the speaker, may be granted permission by the President to attend and to report on Club meetings.
Solicitation for funds or sales of products or other items for non-club events at Club meetings must have prior approval of the President.
ARTICLE 7 - NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE & ELECTIONS
7.1 The Nominations Committee should strive for continuity in the operation of the Club and balance within the Board based on the origin or work experience of candidates.
The Nominations Committee should request suggestions for its slate in the April Newsletter. The President should also make announcements as necessary at Regular meetings beginning in April.
ARTICLE 8 - FINANCE
8.1 - Membership Fees
The annual membership fee for new members shall be reduced during the last half of the year to encourage new members and provide for equity. The following schedule is currently in effect (January 18, 2007) and remains in effect until amended by the Board.
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Date New Member Joins
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Membership Fee
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Initiation Fee
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Total Fee
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April 1 to September 30
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$80
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$50
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$130
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October 1 to December 31
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$60
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$50
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$110
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January 1 to March 31
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$40
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$50
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$90
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The Board may waive or return the membership fee of any member where circumstances warrant.
ARTICLE 12 - PROTECTION OF MEMBERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Adequate insurance shall be carried to cover the Club and the members of the Board of
Directors, individually and severally, against claims by a member or a third party as
a result of injury, damage, or loss arising from the Club's activities or decisions,
and the actions of individual Officers and Directors and of the Board as a whole.
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