Recreation Alliance

[mudboy]

that should be good on my part

[B!lly Jones]

Sounds good to me and the Red Lion Inn back room has been confirmed as of monday this weekand was already relayed back to Tom Snook sorry for the delay

[russ]

So, are we on for Wednesday, Nov. 17 at the Red Lion Inn? And everybody is good with having these meetings every third Wednesday evening? Several people wanted to attend the last meeting, but didn't get the word. I think we can have a good variety of user groups represented this time.

[mudboy]

I'm there. I will shedule a sitter for that night in the near future.

[HamiltonLJ]

I should be able to come!!

[gipsie]

I am so glad you guys decided on Wednesdays! (I am in school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday)

I will definitely be there! I know where the Red Lion Diner is, where's the Inn?

[B!lly Jones]

just across the street about a block back behind the bank. thes a big sign on the roof that you can see from 70

[russ]

Oct 28, 2010 5:07:51 GMT -5 gipsie said:

I am so glad you guys decided on Wednesdays! (I am in school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday)

I will definitely be there!

Busy, busy, busy! But Fate is bringing us together, gipsie!

[gipsie]

Oct 28, 2010 22:27:11 GMT -5 russ said:

Oct 28, 2010 5:07:51 GMT -5 gipsie said:

I am so glad you guys decided on Wednesdays! (I am in school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday)

I will definitely be there!

Busy, busy, busy! But Fate is bringing us together, gipsie!

Ahhh..fate! Gotta love it, lol.....See you there! I'll find it. Never did give you my number Russ, we were kinda running crazy at the cleanup...I'll PM you with it!

[russ]

Here is a draft of the bylaws. I'm sure there are bugs to be worked out, so fire away at it. Thanks again, Jamie, for the boilerplate.

DRAFT—11/2/10

THESE BYLAWS ARE ACCEPTED AND APPROVED BY THE SOUTH JERSEY RECREATION ALLIANCE THIS ___ DAY OF _ IN THE YEAR 2010.”

ARTICLE I. NAME

A. This organization shall be known as the “South Jersey Recreation Alliance.”

ARTICLE II. PURPOSES

A. The South Jersey Recreation Alliance is organized for the purposes of:

1. Developing a spirit of cooperation among all the people of diverse recreational interests in South Jersey.

2. Promoting an ethic of guardianship for the open spaces of South Jersey.

3. Promoting conservation of the natural resources of South Jersey.

4. Participating in and supporting volunteer activities for the betterment of the open spaces in the local area.

5. Providing social, recreational, and educational activities for its membership.

6. Promoting safe, sensible, and responsible operation of motorized vehicles.

7. Developing and maintaining trail systems for motorized and non-motorized use.

8. Helping authorities, when called upon, in emergencies or for other urgent needs.

B. This organization shall operate without profit, and shall be nonpartisan and nonsectarian.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

A. Any interested and qualified individual is eligible for membership in the South Jersey Recreation Alliance.

B. Applicants for membership must be at least 18 years of age.

C. Application for membership in the South Jersey Recreation Alliance shall be made to the South Jersey Recreation Alliance’s Governing Committee. Applications for membership will be accepted at any time during the year.

D. All members must conduct themselves in a respectable and orderly fashion, in or out of club activities. Any member may be subject to expulsion from the South Jersey Recreation Alliance upon a decision of the Governing Committee after appropriate deliberations by the same (see ARTICLE X).

E. Membership in the South Jersey Recreation Alliance will not be limited by number.

F. There are no membership dues.

G. Members shall promptly notify the Membership Secretary of any change of home address, mailing address, or phone number.

ARTICLE IV. AFFILIATIONS

A. Any interested and qualified organization is eligible to become affiliated with the South Jersey Recreation Alliance.

B. Affiliated organizations are encouraged to support the purposes of the South Jersey Recreation Alliance and encourage their members to become members of the Alliance.

C. Members of affiliated organizations are not members of the South Jersey Recreation Alliance merely by virtue of the affiliation.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

A. The regular meetings shall be held monthly, normally on the third Wednesday evening of each month.

B. Any changes to the meeting dates will be made by the Governing Committee.

C. The agenda of the monthly meeting shall include:

1. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting.

2. Report from any committees that worked.

3. Any pertinent reports from Governing Committee members.

4. Elections and results (if any).

5. Discussion on any matter pertinent to the organizational goals.

D. The Governing Committee may hold additional meetings during the year as needed. All meetings will be open to the general membership and will be announced as much in advance as possible to the general membership. In order for the Governing Committee to conduct business or make decisions, there must be at least six Governing Committee members present.

ARTICLE VI. ADMINISTRATION

A. The Governing Committee shall consist of eleven members, each of which shall primarily represent one of the various recreational interests in South Jersey. The number of interests and representatives is subject to review and revision by the Governing Committee at any time. Provisionally, the eleven interests recognized by the South Jersey Recreation Alliance are:

1. 4WD motoring

2. Canoeing and Kayaking

3. Cross-country skiing

4. Dirt Bike Riding

5. Fine Arts (e.g., Photography, Painting)

6. Geocaching

7. Hiking, Backpacking, and Camping

8. Horseback Riding

9. Hunting, Fishing, & Trapping

10. Mountain Biking

11. Natural History Activities (Birding, Botany studies, etc.).

B. The Governing Committee shall select from among its own members, by simple majority vote, a Chair, Vice Chair, Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary, and any other distinct positions of duty that are deemed necessary.

C. Members of the Governing Committee must be members of the South Jersey Recreation Alliance, and selected by a simple majority vote of the general membership. It will be their duty to draw up an agenda for all meetings. Further duties of the Governing Committee shall be to conduct the day-to-day business and to take such actions as might satisfy the goals of the organization.

D. The term of office for Governing Committee members is one year. There is no limit on the number, consecutive or not, of terms of office a Governing Committee member may serve.

E. Governing Committee members are elected by voting in person at the Annual Meeting of the South Jersey Recreation Alliance, which shall be held on or near the date of the spring equinox.

F. In the event of a vacancy in any office, the Governing Committee shall appoint a member to fill the un-expired term until the next general election.

G. In the case of a Governing Committee member taking an extended leave of absence, it is at the discretion of the Governing Committee to appoint a temporary replacement either to fill the unexpired term or to serve until the return of the elected Governing Committee member on leave.

ARTICLE VII. DUTIES AND POWERS OF GOVERNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

A. The duties of all the Governing Committee members are as follows:

1. Regularly promote the purposes of organization.

2. Continually promote good will and cooperation among all the members of the Alliance.

3. Continually promote responsible use of open spaces during all recreational activities.

4. Strive for objectivity when evaluating the impacts of recreational activities on open spaces.

5. Continually educate one’s self and others about the natural resources represented by open spaces.

6. Be creative and resourceful in addressing problems related to protection of open spaces and recreational opportunities.

B. The duties of the Chair shall be as follows:

1. Preside over all meetings.

2. Be present at all events when possible.

3. Carry out the policies and decisions of the entire membership and the Governing Committee.

4. Maintain such records as may be pertinent to the organization.

C. The duties of the Vice Chair shall be as follows:

1. In the absence of the Chair, serve in that capacity.

2. Assist the Chair in carrying out the goals and administration of the organization.

D. The duties of the Recording Secretary shall be as follows:

1. Record the minutes of the meetings.

2. Maintain a copy of such minutes and a copy of any other documents as requested by the Chair.

E. The duties of the Membership Secretary shall be as follows:

1. Maintain a complete file of all memberships.

2. Receive and promptly distribute to the other Governing Committee members copies of all applications for membership.

ARTICLE VIII. ELECTIONS

A. Elections will be held every year at the Annual Meeting.

B. Newly elected positions become effective one month after the date of the election.

C. Voting will be done in person.

D. Voting will be by secret ballot and an absentee ballot unless a secure method is available over the internet.

E. All ballots must be counted and checked by an election committee.

F. A simple majority vote will decide the election to a position.

G. In the event of a vacancy in any position, the Governing Committee shall appoint a member to fulfill the unexpired term.

ARTICLE IX. CHALLENGE TO REMOVE A MEMBER

A. Any member, with due cause, may challenge the membership of any other individual. A written challenge must be delivered to the Chair, and must include all allegations and the basis for the challenge.

B. Upon receipt of the written challenge, the Chair must promptly notify and fully inform the rest of the members of the Governing Committee and the challenged individual. The Governing Committee will then fully investigate the challenge and meet to render a decision within 8 weeks of reception of the challenge by the Chair.

ARTICLE X. CHALLENGE TO REMOVE A GOVERNING COMMITTEE MEMBER FROM OFFICE

A. Any member, with due cause, may challenge the position of any of the Governing Committee members. A written challenge must be delivered to the Chair, and must include all allegations and the basis for the challenge.

B. Upon receipt of the written challenge, the Chair must promptly notify and fully inform the rest of the members of the Governing Committee. The Governing Committee will then fully investigate the challenge and meet to render a decision within 8 weeks of reception of the challenge by the Chair.

ARTICLE XI. EVENTS

A. All events must be conducted in an orderly manner with safety as the primary concern.

B. All members and guests participating in an event shall abide by pertinent laws and regulations of the State of New Jersey and by the laws, regulations, ordinances, and rules of the city, county or property concerned.

ARTICLE XII. RULES & PROCEDURES FOR MEETINGS

A. Robert's Rules of Order, revised edition, shall govern parliamentary procedure.

B. Voting on any issue other than elections by the membership at a regular membership meeting will be by hand vote. A motion may be called for a secret ballot when deemed necessary.

ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENTS

A. These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote at a regular monthly meeting. Any proposed amendment must be presented to the membership, in writing, at the regular monthly meeting preceding the meeting in which the vote is to be taken.

B. Proposed By-Law changes must also be readily available to the members in digital form one month prior to the meeting during which they are to be voted on.

[HamiltonLJ]

Looks pretty good to me. I have to much on my plate to hold a position. But I will be the webmaster if this is OK with the group! Once we all agree on the official name I will purchase the website out of my pocket and add private sections on this forum for online board meeting to discuss issues in private and what ever else the governing body may need!

[gipsie]

The by-laws look excellent...good job! Do we need a copy of Roberts Rules? I may have a copy or two floating around. I was an exec board member for my local and always kept a spare...

[mudboy]

First off, never being much of a meeting/political kind of guy. I'm lost on "Roberts Rules". I have no problem participating at higher levels, however I have some limitations. During the summer about half of my weekends if not more will be taken up since I will be in the national mud racing circuit. Meetings can get iffy for me since I have 3 kids. For the most part I will be able to get them watched but sometimes I will not. On the other hand. Within the day I have alot of time for contacting people and discussing different subjects via email or telephone. My biggest thing is I don't really care what I'm labeled or what I get credited for. I'm not here to make my name any bigger than what it is. I'm simply in Wharton about 60% of my time that I'm not at work, sick of some ofr the stuff thats going on and want to make sure my 3 boys can enjoy it as I have over the years. If any of you think i'd fit good in some sort of postion speak up. Just remember I'm not the most politically correct person nor am i try to filter myself but sometimes it doesn't work as planned.

[russ]

Nov 2, 2010 17:13:38 GMT -5 HamiltonLJ said:

Looks pretty good to me. I have to much on my plate to hold a position. But I will be the webmaster if this is OK with the group! Once we all agree on the official name I will purchase the website out of my pocket and add private sections on this forum for online board meeting to discuss issues in private and what ever else the governing body may need!

Thanks! That's very generous. Are there other names that we need to consider?

[russ]

Nov 2, 2010 21:28:28 GMT -5 gipsie said:

The by-laws look excellent...good job! Do we need a copy of Roberts Rules? I may have a copy or two floating around. I was an exec board member for my local and always kept a spare...

I think that would come in handy. I don't think we need to be too fanatical or formal about the process, but I think following that process is important, at least in order to be sure that everybody get's their say, not just the people who have the gift of gab.