Bylaws

Article I.
Name

Article I, Section 1. The name of this Club is the Kick 'N Gliders Nordic Ski Club.

Article II.
Purposes

Article II, Section 1. The purpose of this Club is to promote safe cross-country skiing, provide opportunities for group skiing and encourage the general enjoyment of the outdoors.

Article III.
Membership

Article III, Section 1. Membership Membership is open to individuals and families interested in cross-country skiing who are willing to abide by the Kick 'N Gliders Constitution and Bylaws and the Club Rules of Conduct. Those persons whose membership has been revoked are not eligible for readmission.

Article III, Section 2. Admission A written application form, signed by the applicant, or his or her guardian if under 18 years of age, shall be submitted along with current annual dues. The application form shall include name and address of the applicant, pertinent medical information and a statement whereby each applicant recognizes the Executive Committee's authority to revoke membership as described herein (Article III, Section 4). It shall also include a clause conceding the Trip Leader's authority to use his discretion to determine the composition of the trip roster(s).

Article III, Section 3. Eligibility A member in good standing shall have the privilege of attending any and all general meetings of the Club; to attend all functions of the Club; to vote as provided for in Article V; to be appointed as a chairman or member of any committee; to hold office subject to Article V.

Article III, Section 4. Revocation The Executive Committee in their sole discretion and recognizing the social nature of the Club reserves the right to revoke membership of anyone who violates the Kick 'N Gliders Constitution and Bylaws or the Club Rules of Conduct.

Article IV.
Meetings

Article IV, Section 1.  Regular meetings of the Club shall be held as scheduled by the Executive Committee.

Article IV, Section 2.  The purpose of the meetings is to discuss trips, business issues of general interest, and present programs of interest to the membership.

Article IV, Section 3.  A quorum for conducting business at regular meetings shall consist of at least 10 members in good standing.

Article IV, Section 4.  Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the President.  A quorum for conducting business at an Executive Committee meeting shall consist of 50% of the members.

Article V.
Nominations and Elections

Article V, Section 1.  The Club, at a regular meeting in April, shall nominate and elect, by ballot of the members present, officers for the following year.  A slate of nominees shall be presented by the Nominating Committee.  Open nominations from the floor, properly nominated and seconded, shall also be received before the ballot is held.

The following officers, together with the appointed Executive Committee Board Members, shall constitute the Executive Committee.

1. President
2. Vice-President/President Elect
3. Secretary
4. Treasurer
5. Trip Coordinator
6. Program Coordinator
7. Membership Chairman
8. Immediate Past President
9. Day Trip Coordinator
10. Newsletter Editor

Article V, Section 2.  The terms of office of each of the officers shall be one (1) year commencing with their installation in April.  Each officer shall continue to serve until his successor shall have been duly installed.

Article V, Section 3.  Should a vacancy occur in any office, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by an election held at the next regular meeting of the Club.

Article VI.
Dues

Article VI, Section 1.  Dues shall be set by the Executive Committee annually, payable at the beginning of the fiscal year.  However, members who have paid their dues and are otherwise in good standing at the end of the year (April 30), will be retained on the membership rolls and considered to be members in good standing with all the responsibilities and privileges of membership for an additional five months (until October 1 of the following fiscal year).  Persons not remitting same by the first regular meeting in December shall be dropped from the membership roll.

Article VI, Section 2.  The Club's fiscal year shall be May 1 to April 30.

Article VII.
Duties of Elected Officers and Appointed Executive Committee Board Members

Article VII, Section 1.  The President shall serve as chairman of all meetings of the Club; he/she shall appoint chairmen and approve the members of all committees, except the Nomination Committee; represent the Club at all times; be responsible for all undertakings and activities; and chair the Executive Committee.

Article VII, Section 2.  The Vice President/President Elect shall act as coordinator of all committees and be responsible for the functioning of each committee.  In the absence of the President, he/she shall fulfill the President's duties when called upon by the President and shall be prepared to attend any and all committee meetings.  He/she will perform the duties of the Membership Chairman if that office is vacant.  He/she furthermore agrees to accept the nomination for the office of President for the ensuing year.

Article VII, Section 3.  The Secretary shall record and be custodian of the Minutes of the meetings and Executive Committee, he/she shall maintain permanent records of these Minutes in good order for reference at any time, and he shall prepare and be responsible for all official correspondence of the Club.

Article VII, Section 4.  The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the Club, shall be responsible for the deposit of all such monies in the bank, shall be responsible for the disbursements of such monies.  He/she shall maintain the books of the Club, supervise the billing and collection of dues, and at each meeting report on the financial condition of the Club.  He/she may disburse funds for production and mailing of Club publications and correspondence without general membership approval.  In addition, he/she shall collect, account for, and distribute trip and activity expenses as a matter of course.  He/she shall maintain separate accounting for each trip.

Article VII, Section 5.  The Trip Coordinator shall be responsible for all activities and outings during the fiscal year except those representing regular meetings and meeting programs.  He/she shall present a workshop to the general membership annually on how to lead a trip and assure that the Trip Leaders are familiar with their responsibilities.  In addition, he/she shall prepare a tentative trip schedule for the upcoming year before leaving office.

Article VII, Section 6.  The Program Coordinator shall be responsible for all activities and presentations occurring at or in place of regular meetings.

Article VII, Section 7.  The Membership Chairman shall maintain a current membership roster in December of each year and shall distribute said roster in January of each year.  He/she shall be responsible for distribution to new members of the "membership packet" containing a copy of Kick 'N Gliders Constitution and Bylaws and orientation information.  He/she is also charged with publicizing club meetings and activities.  If this office is vacant, these duties will be performed by the Vice President/President Elect.

Article VII, Section 8.  The Immediate Past President shall be the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee.  This Committee, whose other members shall be approved by the Executive Committee, shall compile a slate of officers for the next year.

Article VII, Section 9.  The Day Trip Coordinator shall be responsible for organizing and coordinating Saturday and Sunday day ski trips.

Article VII, Section 10.  The Newsletter Editor shall be charged with the preparation of the regularly published club newsletter, The Easy Glider.

Article VIII.
Executive Committee

Article VIII, Section 1.  The Executive Committee, consisting of the elected officers, shall function as the activity planning group for the Club and provide other support as requested by the President.

Article VIII, Section 2.  The Executive Committee shall act as the body to arbitrate matters involving Club procedures not affecting the general membership, including but not limited to trip refunds and other fiscal matter.  The Executive Committee also reserves the right to revoke membership of any individual who violates the Kick 'N Gliders Constitution and Bylaws or the Club Rules of Conduct.

Article VIII, Section 3.  The Auditor, to be appointed by the Executive Committee, shall conduct an audit of Club finances of the previous year within three (3) months of the end of the fiscal year and report audit findings at the first meeting of the next fiscal year to the Executive Committee and to the general membership.

Article VIII, Section 4.  The Webmaster, to be appointed by the Executive Committee, shall maintain and update as necessary the website for use by members and the public in general.

Article IX.
Activities, Finances and Responsibilities

Article IX, Section 1.  The Trip Coordinator in cooperation with the leader for each activity shall establish dates and amounts for deposits, cancellations and refunds for each activity which shall bear a reasonable relationship to the requirements of each host and the financial liability assumed by the Club for that trip.  Each trip shall be financially self-sustaining and disbursements shall not exceed collections for that trip without prior approval of the Executive Committee.

Article IX, Section 2.  The Trip Leader for each trip shall:

1. Make all arrangements for accommodations, collection of funds, trip roster and scheduling.
2. Have the authority to determine which members will be included on the roster for each trip.
3. As matter of Club policy, respect Club commitments to host establishments in order to ensure the Club's continued welcome.

Article X.
Amendments

Article X, Section 1.  Any member of the Club may propose an amendment to this Constitution and Bylaws; such proposed amendment must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee at any regular meeting.  It must be signed by at least three (3) members of the Club in "good standing" and must be approved by two-thirds of the Executive Committee, whereupon said amendment shall be considered and voted upon at the following two (2) regular meetings of the Club, after proper notice thereof shall have been given to the General Membership.  Said notice shall state the terms of the said amendment.  A two-thirds vote of the members present at both subsequent meetings shall be required to amend the Constitution and Bylaws.

Article XI.
General Rules of the Club

Article XI, Section 1.  No member or members of this Club shall obligate or commit the Club to any major endeavor, unusual activity or extraordinary action,  unless Executive Committee approval shall have previously been obtained.

Article XI, Section 1A.  Every member agrees to abide by the Kick 'N Gliders Constitution and Bylaws and the Club Rules of Conduct, recognizing the social nature of the group and the authority and discretion granted to the Executive Committee herein.

Article XI, Section 2.  Members desire to participate in the various activities of the Club.  Each must recognize that all activities are strenuous and involve substantial risks of accident, injury and even death.  Such activities, although engaged in as a group, are essentially individual activities/sports for which each individual must be physically and mentally prepared and capable, and in which each individual is essentially responsible for his own safety.  The Club is simply an unincorporated association of interested persons which offers a central meeting point for those desiring to engage in the various activities; the Club does not sponsor or operate the activities for its benefit or profit; the leaders, the providers of motor vehicles, and drivers are all volunteers who lead or drive as an accommodation and not for their benefit or profit; the Club, its officers, the trip leaders, the activity leaders, vehicle owners, and vehicle drivers may not have (and in reliance hereon may not purchase) any insurance covering the individual or benefiting him in the event of accident, injury or death.  Finally, each individual must recognize that many Club activities are conducted in wilderness or backcountry areas where appropriate medical care may be either totally unavailable, or hours and miles away and therefore inadequate in the event of emergency, but trip leaders and activity participants do not necessarily have any specific rescue, first aid, medical, or leadership skills or training.  Each individual must understand that any and all trip leaders, activity leaders, and fellow participants are entitled to, and will rely on, the individual's ability to participate with the others.

Article XII.
Ski Trip Finances

Article XII, Section 1.  Members’ deposits for ski trips shall be considered non-refundable except as noted herein, and will be accepted by the Treasurer on or after a publicly announced specified date after the trip calendar and deposit amounts have been published in the clubs’ newsletter or on its web site. To be eligible to be on the trip roster, a member's deposit must equal or exceed the prescribed deposit. Deposits postmarked on or before the date specified will be considered as being received on the specified date, thus giving all such deposits equal priority on the trip roster. Should the number of such persons exceed the trip capacity, their position on the roster or waiting list shall be determined by lot. Couples making joint deposits for a trip will be considered as couples, not as individuals, for the purposes of determining their position on the roster. Members whose deposits are postmarked after the above-mentioned specified date will be added to the roster in the order their deposits are postmarked or received except as specified in the rules set forth in Article IX, Section 2(b). Trip leaders are assumed to be on the roster regardless of when their deposit(s) are received.

Article XII, Section 2.  Those individuals on the roster in excess of the number that the trip can accommodate will automatically move up if someone above them drops out.  Until then, they will be considered to be on the waiting list.

Article XII, Section 3.  If a schedule for paying for the portion of the trip cost above and beyond the deposit is established, a member who does not make payments by the deadlines listed on the schedule may be dropped from the roster at the discretion of the Trip Leader.  In that case, their entire deposit will be returned.

Article XII, Section 4.  Should someone on the roster decide that they no longer wish to go on the trip, all or a portion of their deposit will be returned or the deposit transferred to another trip only as follows:

1. If the member finds another member to take his place, his full deposit will be refunded as soon as the other member submits his deposit.  If the trip is oversubscribed, someone on the waiting list may be used to fill in, if the person on the waiting list is still interested in going on the trip.
2. A member on the waiting list may request the return of his deposit if he is not interested in being on the waiting list.
3. If a member advises the Treasurer that he is no longer interested in attending the trip, the Treasurer will note the date that this member so advised him on the trip roster and the next person who signs up for the trip will automatically take his place.  At that time, the original member's deposit will be returned.
4. If fewer members sign up for the trip than the minimum number guaranteed to the innkeeper, the non-refundable portion of the deposits of those on the roster will be retained until the trip is over and final payment made to the innkeeper. (This does not apply to those who have found someone to replace them as described in 1 and 3 above.)  At that time, for each absent member, the cost of their absence will be determined and their deposit will be returned less the amount of such cost.  If the cost of their absence exceeds the non-refundable portion of their deposit, they will forfeit only the non-refundable portion of their deposit, and the refundable portion of their deposit will be returned to them.  In making this determination, the Sections 5 and 6, below, shall be considered.

Article XII, Section 5.  At the end of the trip, should a portion of the monies collected from those who attended that trip remain, it shall be distributed as follows.  The remaining balance shall be divided by the number of trip attendees and be rounded down to the nearest five dollars.  The amount so determined will be returned to each attendee.  The remainder will be retained in the treasury to provide a fund to cover the costs of trips which loose money.

Article XII, Section 6.  In applying the above provisions, the following guidelines are provided to help in decision-making:

1. It is not the intention of the club to either make or lose money on ski trips.
2. The total advertised cost of the trip should include a small allowance for contingencies.  This will help to avoid either the trip losing money or the attendees being asked to contribute more than the advertised trip cost, when contingencies arise.  (If not needed, this money will, of course, be returned as described in 5 above.)
3. The amount paid by trip attendees should not be increased in order to provide money to use for refunds for those on the roster who did not attend.
4. The trip cost should not be decreased so that those attending will receive larger refunds at the expense of those who did not attend.

Article XII, Section 7.  Ski trips are seldom canceled.  In the event that a ski trip is canceled, the following provisions shall be applied to protect the deposits made by individual members for that trip.

1. If the innkeeper is willing to return the entire deposit made to him, then the deposits made by club members will be returned to them as soon as the refund from the innkeeper is received by the club.
2. If the innkeeper is not willing to return the deposit, then the trip will not be officially canceled and those who have made deposits will have the options of either attending the trip on their own or forfeiting their share of the deposit that is lost due to their absence.

Article XII, Section 8.  Interpretations of this policy will, from time to time, be required.  Rather than placing the Treasurer, Trip Leader or Trip Coordinator in a singular position of making such decisions or settling any disagreements that may arise, the Executive Committee shall resolve such situations at its next meeting.