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Club BylawsThe Propstoppers RC Model Airplane Club
operates under a set of bylaws that has been submitted to the
AMA. Approved Bylaws September 2018 Propstoppers Model Airplane Club
BYLAWS
1. Article I - Name and Location
i. The official name of the club shall be
“Propstoppers Model Airplane Club”, aka "The Propstoppers",
hereafter called the “Club”.
ii. The location of the Club shall be Delaware
County, Pennsylvania.
2. Article II – Purpose
The mission of the Club is:
i. To acquire, maintain and operate flying sites for
the operation of radio controlled model aircraft.
ii. To promote the flying hobby.
iii. To encourage and educate members and others in
model aviation.
iv. To promote model aviation at local events and
civic activities whenever possible.
3. Article III - Membership
a. Becoming a Member
Prerequisites for membership shall be:
i. A demonstrated desire to participate in Club
activities.
ii. Agreement to abide by all Club rules and
regulations.
iii. Possession of a current Academy of Model
Aeronautics (AMA) membership.
iv. Attending three Club functions and making
themselves known to current Club members present.
v. At least two of the three must be official Club
meetings. Others can be impromptu flying or casual events such
as Club breakfast gatherings.
vi. Persons wishing to join the Club after
completing the above prerequisites must then complete an
application form (available from the Membership Chairman) and
pay the current year’s dues. Dues will be prorated by quarters
(e.g., if joining in the last 3 months of the year, pay 1/4 of
that year’s Club dues). Prorated dues are provided only when
first joining. All subsequent membership renewals will be full
year terms.
b. Membership Cards
i. Membership cards will be issued when Club dues
are paid.
ii. Membership cards will be changed in color each
calendar year from the previous year.
c. Dues and Assessments
i. Dues shall be assessed annually as determined by
the Executive Committee for the upcoming calendar year.
ii. Dues shall be based on the projected budget of
the upcoming calendar year.
d. Resolution of Grievances
Shall be in accordance with Article XI
e. Resignation
i. Any member in good standing may resign his/her
membership by giving written notice to the Membership Chair.
ii. In the event a member voluntarily terminates his
membership, he or she forfeits any claim to a pro-rated return
of the annual Club dues.
f. Termination & Disciplinary Action
i. If any member ceases to maintain membership in
the AMA, his/her membership in the Club shall be automatically
terminated. If the member’s AMA membership is reinstated,
he/she is subject to reinstatement of Club membership.
ii. The Executive Committee shall have the power to
recommend termination of any Member for just cause, if such
individual willfully commits any act or omission which is a
violation of any of the terms of the club’s Bylaws or Rules,
the Rules of the AMA, or which is detrimental to the Club, the
AMA, or to model aviation. Termination for cause shall be
subject to the procedures provided in Article XI Grievance
Procedure.
iii. A Member terminated under this provision shall
have a prorated portion of his or her annual dues refunded.
Proration shall be by quarters.
g. Reinstatement
i. Terminated members may reapply for membership one
year following termination.
ii. Reinstatement shall be subject to approval of
the Executive Committee.
4. Article IV - Officers
a. Number of Offices
The official Offices of the Club are (an asterisk *
denotes elected Offices. See Article IV b. and c.):
i. *President
ii. *Vice-President
iii. *Treasurer
iv. *Secretary
v. Membership Chairman
vi. Safety Officer
vii. Webmaster
viii. Newsletter Editor
b. Executive Committee (See Article VII-Committees)
i. The Executive Committee shall consist of the
Offices of President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.
ii. The Elected Officers of the Executive Committee
shall be elected in accordance with Article VIII -
Nominations, Elections, and Recall.
c. Appointed Officers
The following Appointed Offices are appointed by,
and serve at the direction of the Executive Committee. They
may be removed or reassigned at any time. The Executive
Committee may, at their discretion, assign more than one
Member to share duties and responsibilities for a single
Office and/or may appoint one Member to serve in more than one
Office simultaneously.
i. Membership Chairman
ii. Safety Officer
iii. Webmaster
iv. Newsletter Editor
v. Other Temporary Officers as determined necessary
by the Executive Committee.
d. Term of Office
i. Officers shall serve for 1 calendar year.
ii. Officers may serve as many terms, consecutive or
not, to which they are elected/appointed.
e. Duties & Responsibilities
The Officers of the Club have the following duties
and responsibilities:
President
i. Schedule and conduct regular Club meetings.
ii. Oversee the other Officers in their duties.
iii. Lead the effort to attain and retain flying
sites.
iv. Obtain a meeting room for the regular Club
meetings.
v. Be the spokesperson for the Club when interfacing
with other clubs, organizations, and the general public.
vi. Serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee.
Vice-President
i. In the absence of the President, assume the
President’s duties and responsibilities.
ii. Approve the Treasurer’s Financial Accounting
Process.
iii. Perform the Annual Audit of the Treasurer’s
books. Appoint another Club member to assist in this task.
iv. Approve the Membership Chair’s Membership
Information Privacy Policy and Procedure.
v. Supervise the Grievance Procedure as provided in
Section XI - Grievance Procedure.
vi. Serve as Chairperson of the Safety Committee
(See Article VII Committees).
Secretary
i. Record minutes during the regular Club meetings
and amend previous meeting minutes when warranted.
ii. Transmit the meeting minutes to the Editor for
addition to the Club newsletter.
Treasurer
Create and execute a written Treasurer’s Financial
Accounting Process, approved by the Vice President, designed
to:
i. Receive and properly account for dues collected
by the Membership Chair.
ii. Deposit and record dues and other income into a
proper Club bank account.
iii. Make and record payments, by check, for
qualified expenses.
iv. Balance the check book monthly.
v. Receive and store expense receipts, bank
statements, etc..
vi. Maintain monthly a Club Financial Statement that
shows income, expenditures, and balances.
vii. Report the Club’s cash balance at the Club
Meetings.
viii. Participate willingly and openly in the
Annual, and any ad-hoc, Audit of the Treasurer’s books.
Membership Chairman
i. Oversee the membership process.
ii. Collect Club dues and transmit them to the
Treasurer, following the Treasurer’s Financial Accounting
Process.
iii. Issue annual Club Membership Cards.
iv. Maintain a Membership Roster, including all
pertinent contact information.
v. Create and follow a Membership Information
Privacy Policy and Procedure, approved by the Vice President,
which controls how the membership’s personal information will
be kept and used.
Safety Officers
It is recommended to have, at minimum, one Safety
Officer per flying field.
Working through the Safety Committee:
i. Maintain and enforce the Club’s Rules, Safety
Regulations and Guest Policy documents, including periodic
review and revision.
ii. Investigate any Safety Grievances, or any safety
related concerns/incidences reported by anyone (Club members,
neighbors, etc.).
iii. Bring safety issues and concerns to the
attention of the Safety Committee.
iv. Organize capable supervision of the safety
procedures at official Club flying events.
v. Recruit, train, and assign additional Safety
Officers to assist as required.
vi. Oversee Club safety in general and implement the
Safety Grievances Procedure.
Webmaster
i. Establish and maintain the Club’s official web
presence on all suitable and relevant internet platforms and
media as directed by the Executive Committee.
ii. Post regular newsletters, forwarded by the
Newsletter Editor, on the Club web site.
iii. Receive and forward to the appropriate
Officer(s) any emails, inquiries, requests, etc. posted via
the Club web site.
Newsletter Editor
i. Prepare a periodic newsletter containing a review
of the previous Club meetings and activities, both formal and
informal, as well as other items relevant to the Club’s
Purpose.
ii. Solicit and assign co-editors and writers to
develop newsletter articles and news of interest to the
membership.
Exercise editorial authority over all newsletter
content in the best interest of the Club and, where requested,
in consultation with the Executive Committee.
f. Office Vacancies
i. Vacancies in any Appointed Office shall be filled
by Executive Committee appointment.
ii. Temporary (midterm) Vacancies in any Elected
Office, other than regular term vacancies governed by Article
VIII - Nominations, Elections, and Recall, shall be filled by
appointment by the remaining Executive Committee Officers.
iii. Any temporary appointment under section ii
above shall serve until the end of the term for which the
predecessor was elected/appointed.
5. Article V - Meetings
i. General Club membership meetings are held
regularly on the same day and time (e.g., second Tuesday at
7:00 p.m.) as determined by the Executive Committee.
ii. The general membership meetings will be at a
location obtained and designated by the Club President.
iii. Meetings shall be conducted under the
President’s, or is designee’s, supervision in an orderly and
inclusive manner that serves the agenda and the Club’s
Purpose. The President may, at any time, elect to temporarily
impose procedures in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of
Order”. Similarly, any Club Member present may, at any time
during a meeting, move to temporarily impose “Roberts Rules of
Order”, with a “Second” and a simple majority vote of those
Club Members present.
6. Article VI - Record Keeping
a. The Officers are responsible for maintaining the
following records:
i. Approved Club Meeting Minutes.
ii. Financial reports and records generated by the
Treasurer’s Financial Accounting Process.
iii. Grievances
iv. Membership Rosters
b. Officers will endeavor to preserve prior Records
and pass them forward to successive Officers.
7. Article VII – Committees
a. Standing Committees
Executive Committee (See Article IV - b):
i. Shall serve as the executive head of the
organization with responsibility and final authority for the
proper management of all organizational actions and decisions.
ii. Shall be the final arbiter of internal disputes
and the final appeal for Grievances brought forward in
accordance with Article XI- Grievance Procedure.
iii. Executive Committee decisions shall be by
majority vote. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote
shall determine the outcome.
Safety Committee (See Article IV - e - Safety
Officers):
i. Shall manage and perform the necessary activities
for maintaining a safe flying environment in all club
activity.
ii. Shall investigate and make determination in
regard to Safety Grievances as provided in Article XI -
Grievance Procedures.
iii. The Safety Committee members are all appointed
Safety Officers, Assistant Safety Officers and the Vice
President.
iv. Vice President shall serve as Chairperson of the
Safety Committee.
b. Temporary Committees
i. Any Temporary Committees deemed necessary by the
Executive Committee shall be announced/appointed by the
President at a general Club membership meeting. If requested,
and “Seconded”, by a Club member, at the meeting, a vote shall
be taken to approve the appointments with a simple majority
vote of the Club members in good standing that are present at
the meeting. Examples of temporary committees might be an
event committee or a field location search committee.
ii. Committees will have a termination date defined
at the time the Committee is named.
iii. Committees will select a Chairperson, from its
membership, with responsibility for making periodic reports to
the Membership at a regular Club meeting.
iv. The Secretary shall maintain a list of all
active Committees and their Chairpersons and shall include
with the Meeting Minutes any periodic reports presented by
these Committees at regular Club meetings.
8. Article VIII - Nominations, Elections, and Recall
a. Nominations
i. Any person running for an Elected Office must be
a Club member in good standing.
ii. An individual may run for only one office in an
election.
iii. Notification of upcoming nominations and the
annual election should be posted in two successive newsletters
(e.g. August, September).
iv. Nominations must be presented at the third
successive meeting (e.g. October) either in person or by
written statement. No nominations will be accepted after the
third meeting.
v. Nominees can post their views and platform in the
newsletter following the third meeting (e.g. November).
vi. At the fourth meeting, (e.g. November) prior to
calling for a vote, all nominees will be given the opportunity
to reiterate their views, and to answer any questions from the
members present,.
b. Election
i. Any electable position that has only one nominee
can be voted on at the nominating (e.g. October) meeting. A
simple majority of Club members present will elect that
nominee.
ii. By vote of a 2/3 majority of the members in good
standing at the final election meeting (e.g. November),
election may be held by voice vote instead of by a written
ballots method. A simple majority will elect the Officer from
the slate of nominees.
iii. If a voice vote at the election meeting is not
approved, The President will appoint a three person ballot
committee who will prepare, distribute and receive written
ballots at the same meeting. The ballot committee will tally
the votes and report the results to the Meeting.
iv. A simple majority of the returned ballots will
elect each Officer.
v. Absentee or proxy votes are not accepted.
c. Recall
i. Any Elected Officer may be subject to a recall
vote by a signed petition of 20% of the Club membership.
ii. A recall petition may, but is not required to,
contain a nomination for replacement candidate.
iii. The recall vote shall be conducted by secret
ballot at a general Club meeting no less than two months
following submittal of the petition. Notice of the recall vote
must be published in at least two successive newsletters prior
to the vote
iv. At the recall vote meeting, all parties will be
given the opportunity to reiterate their views and to answer
any questions from the members present.
v. A simple majority of Members in good standing at
the recall vote meeting will affirm the recall.
vi. In the event a recall is affirmed without an
alternate candidate, the remaining Executive Committee members
may appoint a Member to complete the term of office.
9. Article IX - Miscellaneous Provisions
a. Fiscal Year
The Club fiscal year shall be the calendar year.
b. Newsletter
i. The Club shall maintain and publish a periodic
newsletter.
ii. The newsletter shall contain a copy of the prior
meeting minutes and an agenda for the following meeting.
iii. The newsletter will be posted on the Club’s
internet website no less than one week prior to the next Club
meeting.
c. Use of Club Mark and Logo
i. The official colors of the Club will be orange,
white and black and should be used on all signs, jackets,
insignias, etc.
d. Standing Rules
i. All flying will be in accordance with current AMA
regulations along with Propstopper regulations defined in
Appendix I. “Propstoppers Safety Regulations and Guest
Policy”.
ii. Only members in good standing of the Club and
their Guests (in accordance with the Club’s Guest Policy) are
allowed to fly at the Club fields.
iii. No alcoholic beverages or recreational drugs
are permitted at the flying field. No-one may fly at the field
while taking medications, prescription or patent, that are
typically distributed with a warning regarding impairments to
activity such as the operation of a motor vehicle or
machinery.
iv. All members will be responsible for the
condition of the flying field and will clean up any debris at
the end of the flying session.
v. Membership cards must be available for inspection
at the field at all times when flying.
vi. Any incident where an aircraft crashes in the
pit or outside of the field boundaries must be reported as
soon as possible.to the field Safety Officer, or any Executive
Committee member.
e. Dissolution of Club
i. The Club may be dissolved with the approval of
2/3 vote of the full Membership.
ii. If the Club charter is cancelled or the Club
terminates its activities, the remaining Club assets will be
determined by the Treasurer and will be divided equally among
the current remaining members in good standing.
10. Article X - Amendment of these Bylaws
When deemed necessary, the Club’s By-Laws may be
updated by the Executive Committee at a general Club
membership meeting, with a minimum of one month notice, by the
approval of a 2/3 majority vote of the members in good
standing that are present.
11. Article XI – Grievance Procedure
a. Purpose
The grievance procedure provides a mechanism to
enforce existing rules by providing a progressive disciplinary
system when needed.
b. Procedure
i. Although most complaints are preferably resolved
informally, if a complaint is serious or cannot be resolved
informally, the matter should be referred for consideration by
means of a Grievance Form (see Amendment 1, below) to be
filled out and turned in to the appropriate Officer. At least
one Club member witness (Other than the Grievant) is required
to sign the Grievance Form. In the event that the procedurally
designated Officer under this article is the Grievant, then
another Officer must forward the Grievance for action.
ii. For purposes of this Article, the term
“Grievant” shall refer to the party who is making the
complaint. The term “Accused” shall refer to the person who is
alleged to have violated policy or procedure.
iii. Grievances may be divided into two basic types
and will be processed separately:
a. “Safety Violations” include any behavior or
condition under a member’s control that is a direct violation
of the Propstoppers Safety Regulations & Guest Policy or
which otherwise presents a hazard to the safe operation of
club facilities, events and activity.
b. “Social Violations” include any behavior or
condition under a member’s control that may materially affect
the ability of another member to safely, equitably and freely
enjoy the benefits of membership and is not otherwise covered
under Safety Violations above. Examples might be, but are not
limited to, rude, discriminatory or disorderly conduct,
disrespect for property or orderly process.
iv. The Safety Officer will investigate allegations
and review rules and regulations with all parties, and shall
use his/her judgment in recommending action on Safety
Violations to the Safety Committee.
v. The Vice President will investigate allegations
and shall use his/her judgement in recommending action on
Social Grievances to the Executive Committee.
vi. Progressive Violations must occur within a
2-year moving timeframe for the violation escalation process,
described below to be in force. Both Safety and Social
Violations will be combined successively for purposes of this
provision.
FIRST VIOLATION
a. Viewpoints of both Grievant and Accused will be
considered.
b. Grievant’s name will be disclosed.
c. A verbal reprimand will be given to the Accused
by the Officer, and this will be recorded in the Grievance
Files.
SECOND VIOLATION
a. Grievant’s name will be disclosed.
b. The Accused has the right to a written rebuttal,
to be reviewed by the Officer.
c. If the Officer so decides, the flying privileges
of the Accused may be suspended for no more than thirty (30)
days.
d. Written notice of this shall be issued and a copy
published in the Club newsletter, including the name of the
Accused
THIRD VIOLATION
a. Grievant’s name will be disclosed.
b. The Accused has the right to a written rebuttal,
to be reviewed by the Officer.
c. If a finding is made against the Accused, the
Officer will notify the Accused, in writing, and the Club
members, via the Club newsletter, that the Club will vote on
the possible termination of the accused at the next meeting.
d. Termination will last for a one-year minimum
(longer if deemed necessary by the Executive Committee).
e. A member may be terminated from the Club only
upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Members present
at the Club meeting.
f. Voting will be by secret ballot.
g. The terminated member may reapply for membership
after the expulsion time period has passed.
vii. Any member receiving a Grievance, who directs
any retaliatory action against the person filing said
Grievance, will be subject to immediate expulsion from the
Club. This includes threats, intimidation, physical harm,
intentional equipment damage, or any other action deemed to be
retaliatory by the Executive Committee.
c. Appeals
i. With regard to Social Violations, the decision of
the Executive Committee shall be final.
ii. With regard to Safety Violations, the Grievant
may submit a written appeal to the Executive Committee within
two weeks of receipt of a final decision of the Safety
Committee. The decision of the Executive Committees shall be
final.
Ammendment 1
Propstoppers Model Airplane Club Grievance Form
Date: ____________________ Time:
_______________________
Location:_____________________________________________________
Type of Greivance: Circle one:
SAFETY VIOLATION: submit Form to a Safety Officer.
SOCIAL VIOLATION: submit Form to the Vice President.
Description of Violation: (Continue on back if
necessary)
Name of the Accused: (please print)
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Name of Grievant: (please print)
_______________________________________
Signature:
________________________________________________________
Name of Witness: (Please print)
________________________________________
Signature:
________________________________________________________
Additional Witnesses (not required):
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Ammendment 2
PROPSTOPPERS SAFETY REGULATIONS & GUEST POLICY
Safety Rules and Regulations:
1. It is the duty of all members to obey and enforce
the rules of the Propstoppers Model Airplane Club and the AMA.
2. New members who claim to be pilots will be
checked out by an experienced Club Member Pilot Instructor or
a Club Officer. New flyers are required to seek help from
instructors until they solo successfully.
3. Keep your aircraft and equipment in the
designated pit area.
4. Taxing from the Runway/Pit areas shall be limited
to the designated taxiways only. Taxing into the pit area from
runways is prohibited, but taxing from the edge of the pit
area into the runway is permitted.
5. Aircraft on landing approach have priority over
all others. Pilots MUST call out for landing approach.
6. Aircraft experiencing control or engine
difficulty have the right of way for landing. Call out when in
trouble.
7. Do not fly over flight lines or spectator area.
8. Retrieve aircraft from runway as soon as
possible. People doing this have the right of way and MUST
call out prior to entering the runway.
9. All Club members are responsible to see that
spectators remain in proper areas at all times.
10. Takeoffs are permitted only from the runways.
11. Pilots will stand in designated areas only.
12. Park cars in the designated area behind the
flight lines and pit.
13. No more than 5 aircraft are allowed in the air
at one time, unless all pilots in attendance unanimously agree
otherwise.
14. Club membership cards are to be on the pilots at
all times and available for inspection by anyone who asks.
15. Gate policy; First one in unlocks the gate. Last
one out, locks up the gate.
16. Engines run up or being broken in for extended
periods of time must be taken to an isolated portion of the
field away from the pit area.
17. All engines are required to have a muffler and
pass 95dB at 9 feet on a DB noise meter.
18. Respect allowable flying times and aircraft
power/fuel type restrictions for specific fields as posted on
the Club Website
Transmitter Frequencies:
1. As policy, all Propstopper RC Club activities and
fields will operate with 2.4 Ghz frequency hopping/spread
spectrum RC systems except as provided below.
2. Anyone operating a single channel “crystal”
transmitter shall, prior to turning the transmitter on, take
effective measures to announce the fact and determine if
anyone else at the field is operating on similar equipment,
and, if so, shall negotiate mutually understood and accepted
frequency management safety measures.
3. All activity at club sponsored events,
competitions and other gatherings will be restricted to 2.4Ghz
frequency hopping/spread spectrum RC systems, except by
specific prior permission and coordination with the event
manager and safety officer(s).
Guest Policy:
4. Guests are permitted to accompany a member to our
fields.
5. Guests are permitted to fly only if they are
valid AMA members and are accompanied by a Club member.
6. Guests must review the Club Safety Regulations
before flying.
7. Guests must demonstrate their flying ability to
the Club member before they are given the OK to fly without
supervision by a Club member.
8. Guests are permitted to fly no more than three
separate times in total at any Club flying field. After that,
they are required to join the Club if they wish to continue
flying at the Club fields.
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