Bylaws of the Minnesota Orienteering Club

4635 Vincent Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN  55410

EIN: 41-1485651

 

ARTICLE I: NAME AND LOCATION

The name of the organization is Minnesota Orienteering Club, hereafter referred to as the Club. The Club is a nonprofit corporation organized pursuant to the laws of the State of Minnesota, Chapter 317A. The principal address of the Club shall be located within the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul of the State of Minnesota, as determined by the Club’s Board of Directors.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

A. The purpose of the Club is to operate exclusively for the educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, and, to the extent not inconsistent therewith,

1. promote participation in orienteering through organized orienteering events and activities that teach map reading and land navigation;

2. assist other organizations which teach skills used in orienteering;

3. educate Club members and the general public about the sport of orienteering and increase enjoyment of natural resources and respect for wildlife and the environment;

4. and encourage and assist Club members to participate in regional, national, and international orienteering events.

B. The Club shall maintain its affiliation with Orienteering USA (OUSA) and abide by the rules of OUSA and International Orienteering Federation. The Club will not, as a substantial part of its activities, attempt to influence legislation or participate to any extent in a political campaign for or against any candidate for public office.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

 

SECTION A: Membership Types

Each membership is entitled to the full benefits as stated herein.

1. Individual Membership

   1. An Individual membership has one vote. See Article V.

   2. An Individual membership is entitled to an entry discount at local (*) meets.

2. Family Membership-- (Two adults (includes children and/or students under 18)

   1. A Family membership has two votes. See Article V.

   2. A Family membership entitles each family member to an entry discount at local (*) meets.

3. Group Membership

   1. A group membership has one vote. See Article V.

   2. A group membership shall be in the name of the coach/leader or organization name for a team, group, or troop sponsored by a school or youth organization.

   3. The group’s coach is entitled to an entry discount at local (*) meets and the members of the group are entitled to the age appropriate fee at local (*) meets.

Fees for each membership category shall be set by the board of directors. The consideration of fees should include the cost to reward volunteers and cover OUSA fees.

(*) Does not necessarily include Club-sponsored "Special" meets such as the increased rate AR Tuneup, Adventure-O, Rogaine, and Minnegoat or discounted meets such as the summer and fall Adventure Run series.

 

SECTION B: Length of Membership

Membership becomes effective upon receipt of the application and fees and is valid for the calendar year specified during purchase.   

 

SECTION C: Delinquency and Suspension

1. Membership for all members expires on the 31st of December of the calendar year specified during purchase. On 1 January of the subsequent year, all prior memberships will be considered expired.

2. Discounts for events will not be extended until membership for the current year is acquired or renewed.

ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION A: Definition

The Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as the Board, consists of five elected officers of the Club (1-President, 2-VPs, Secretary and Treasurer) and committee chairs of the Club. Officers, committee chairs, and other club members, shall not receive salaries or payments for services performed in executing duties for the Club but they may be reimbursed for expenses paid to carry out the duties.

 

SECTION B: Term of Office

1. Officers serve one-year terms and are elected by a general annual election.

2. Committee chairs serve a variable term. They are appointed by the president.

 

SECTION C: Nominations

1. Any member in good standing of the Club may nominate or be nominated for an officer position. Any member in good standing of the Club may be appointed as a committee chair.

2. To be nominated to an elected office, a nominee must:

   1. Be a member in good standing of the Club as of the day duties of the new office begin.

   2. Be informed of this nomination and express a willingness to assume the responsibilities of the office.

 

SECTION D: General Duties

The Board, in addition to the duties of each specific member, assume the following responsibilities:

1. Supervise Club operation.

2. Solicit support for the Club by means of activities that are consistent with the objectives and purposes of the Club and within the laws and regulations of local, state, and national government.

3. Formulate Club policy.

4. Plan and follow a yearly operating budget. The fiscal year is defined as January 1 to December 31.

The Board shall meet at least four times a year, and the meetings shall be open to all members. A quorum for a meeting is five Board members and a majority vote of the members present is required for action on any matter.

 

SECTION E: Specific Duties

Each chair (this does not include elected officers) is recognized as possibly needing assistance and aid from Club members. To that end, each chair may solicit Club members to be members of that committee.

1. President:

   1. Presides at all general and special meetings.

   2. May call general and special meetings as needed.

   3. Presides as the chair of the Board.

   4. May preside as chair of any or all committees, or may appoint the chair of such committees.

   5. Shall exercise supervision over both the Board and the general membership as a body, to ensure that both are functioning in accordance with these Bylaws.

   6. Shall communicate with the general membership via the social media platforms available to the club: currently Facebook and Wix.

   7. Shall supervise the finalizing of a meet schedule for each season.

   8. Shall have ultimate responsibility for the total organization and success of each local meet. This is normally a supervisory job with duties delegated, unless there is a problem.

2. Vice President of Competition/Parks Liaison

   1. In case of disability or absence of president, shall perform duties of the president.

   2. Presides over the competition committee which shall include chairs for course setting, mapping and training.

   3. Obtains permits and insurance certificates required for meets and provides instructions to setter/vetter teams about specific park requirements

   4. Helps facilitate positive relationships with parks through effective communication, following permit requirements, and time/monetary donations from the club to parks and other organizations that support parks

3. Vice President - Promotion

   1. In case of disability or absence of president and VP of Competition, shall perform duties of the president.

   2. Presides over the promotion committee, which may include chairs for publicity, education, membership and social. Shall define promotion committee goals and help coordinate promotion activities.

   3. Organize external club communications - promotion, publicity, education, etc.

   4. Shall solicit publicity avenues and ideas from Club members, and initiate the ideas as appropriate.

   5. Is responsible for making local and "Special" meets known (after obtaining the finalized schedules of such meets from the vice-president of competition) by using the clubs social media (Facebook and Wix) with consideration for other outlets as they are identified.

   6. Overall responsibility for creative content representing the club through paper, social media, and website.  Will ensure that online media stays current and relevant to Article II.

4. Secretary

   1. Shall take notes at Board and general meetings.

   2. Shall answer requests for orienteering information and other correspondence.

   3. Shall ensure that notification of candidates is made prior to the annual general election.

   4. Shall keep an up-to-date copy of the Bylaws.

5. Treasurer

   1. Shall pay bills, and collect and deposit income of the Club.

   2. Shall file  state and federal tax in a timely manner and pay subsequent fees as owed by the Club.

   3. Shall keep accurate records and report the standing of the treasury to the Board.

   4. Shall ensure the safekeeping of club financial records.

   5. Shall make a budget, as agreed upon by the Board, and direct the Club’s finances within that budget.

   6. Shall request that the records be audited annually by two (2) members of the Board other than the treasurer.

6. Membership Chair

   1. Shall keep an up-to-date membership roll and mailing list.

   2. Makes recommendations on membership fees.

   3. Works with the Vice President of Promotion on membership drives and promotions.

7. Course Setting Chair

   1. Shall work with the VP of Competition to set up a course setter and course vetter for each meet.

   2. Shall supervise the course setter and course vetter to ensure their responsibilities are carried out and are carried out on schedule.

   3. Shall be responsible for the training and development of new course setters and course vetters.

   4. Shall review/maintain the MNOC setter/vetter handbook.

8. Map Chair

   1. Shall maintain an inventory of all maps the Club owns, and related materials.

   2. Shall maintain an offsite backup copy of all club owned digital map files.

   3. Shall make recommendations to the Board as to the mapping efforts in both time and money to maintain an agreed-upon number of meets each season.

   4. Helps coordinate mapping and training activities.

   5. Shall supervise actual mapping efforts.

9. e-Punch Coordinator

   1. Responsible for ensuring ePunch hardware is available for meets

      1. Ensures ePunch system is functional and accurate

      2. Ensures ePunch sticks are serviceable

      3. Ensures that course data from setter-vetter team is loaded into the meet computer.

      4. Ensures that pre-registered entrants are imported into the meet computer.

   2. Shall report winning statistics of meets via MNOC Website and Facebook Account.

 

ARTICLE V: VOTING AND ELECTIONS

 

SECTION A: Annual and Special Meeting

1. The annual meeting of the members shall be held each calendar year for the purpose of electing officers and any other business that may arise. Notification of the annual meeting shall be at least 28 days prior to the event.  A quorum shall be those members present at the announced time of the vote, and a majority of those voting is necessary to pass any measure.

2. Voting may be done by voice, a show of hands or secret ballot.

3. Family and group membership is entitled to two (2) votes, if at least two family/group members are present. If only one is present, family/group membership has one (1) vote.

4. Special meetings may be called to facilitate the conduct of club business such as meet coordination, financial reviews, and club agenda discussion.  Those in attendance shall constitute a quorum and all are entitled to one vote regardless of membership.

 

SECTION B: Election of Officers

1. A three member nominating committee, appointed by the President shall prepare a slate of nominees for each of the offices. The committee should include at least two members who are not officers.

1. Additional candidates may be nominated at the meeting.

2. The President shall vote only in the case of a tie.

3. In case of vacancy, the President may choose to go through normal procedures, or to call a special meeting to both nominate and elect, or to appoint someone to fill the vacated office. The office is subject to the next regular election. The President may not appoint a new President.

4. New officers shall take office immediately following election.

 

ARTICLE VI: CLUB SPONSORED MEETS

SECTION A: Fees Charged

Fees shall be determined by the board of directors. They should be consistent with the goals of promotion, while designed to cover costs of holding events. As a guideline, entry fees should be lower for juniors than adults, and lower for club members than for non-members. Equipment fees for the use of MNOC equipment shall be the same for all participants.

 

SECTION B: Parental Signature

All orienteers under 18 years of age must have parental or guardian or advisor permission in writing on the day of the meet.  For reasons involving safety, the club may choose to restrict participants younger than 18 years.

 

ARTICLE VII: FINANCES

1. The Club is a non-profit corporation. Dues, entry fees, and other monies received by the Club will be spent entirely to carry out the stated purpose of the Club.

2. The Club will submit a portion of the annual member dues to OUSA as membership within that body shall require. The treasurer shall calculate the OUSA dues and report the amount submitted in regular business meeting reports and annual budget reports.

3. The treasurer shall be authorized to approve for payment of regular expenses which maintain the normal operations of the Club. All such payments must be documented with receipts or invoices. Authorization for payments for amounts in excess of $2,000 to any individual or entity or for irregular expenses must be approved by a majority vote of the Board.

4. All checks or other orders for payment issued in the name of the Club shall be signed by either the treasurer or the president. All funds of the Club shall be deposited in a bank or other financial institution approved by the Board.

5. Club credit cards are issued to officers of the Club as approved by the Board.  Officers with credit cards will send receipts or invoices for all purchases to the Treasurer. The treasurer shall make timely payment of credit card bills.  

6. A majority of the Board may authorize any member of the Club to enter into a contract in the name of and on behalf of the Club. Such authority may be general or confined to a specific instance.

7. The Club shall be empowered to participate in fundraising activities. The Club may establish funds consistent with the stated purpose of the Club, receive contributions, and distribute those contributions for the limited purposes of the funds.

8. None of the net earnings of the Club shall inure to the benefit of individual members. No loans shall be made by the Club to any individual or entity.

ARTICLE VIII: DISSOLUTION

In the event that the Club is dissolved, all remaining assets shall be given to another 501(c)(3) organization or organizations with the same purposes stated in Article II pursuant to a plan adopted by the Board.

ARTICLE IX: ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Adoption of these Bylaws requires a simple majority of those voting at a general or special meeting, or a by-mail vote.

Amendments to these Bylaws require a simple majority of those voting at a general or special meeting which has been announced via the club email list and social media.

Adopted: 

 

March, 1980

 

Amended: 

 

June, 1980
August, 1981
May, 1986
1988
September, 2001
September, 2002

March, 2018