WRV BYLAWS

Adopted March 23, 2007

Effective Date April 1, 2007

Article I Name 3

Article II Purpose and Aim 3

Article III Parliamentary Procedure 3

Article IV Membership

Section 1 – Membership Qualifications 4

Section 2 – Membership Defined 4

Section 3 – Membership Dues 4

Section 4 – Grievance/Disciplinary Action 5

Section 5 – Resignation of a member 5

Article V Officers

Section 1 – Officers 6

Section 2 – Duties of Officers 6-7

Section 3 – Election and Nomination Rules 8

Section 4 – Terms of Office 8

Section 5 – Officer Resignation 8

Section 6 – Officer Removal 8

Article VI Board of Directors

Section 1 – Purpose 9

Section 2 – Membership of the Board 9

Section 3 – Duties 9-11

Section 4 – Election 11

Section 5 – Term 11

Section 6 – Meetings 12

Section 7 – Quorum 12

Section 8 – Dismissal 12

Article VII Other Elected Positions

Section 1 – Junior Representative 12

Article VIII Appointed Positions

Section 1 – Ringmaster 12-13

Section 2 – Trustees 13

Section 3 – Trustee Qualifications 13

Section 4 – Trustee Term 13

Section 5 – Trustee Duties 13

Article IX Membership Meetings

Section 1 – Meetings 13

Section 2 – Notification 14

Section 3 – Business 14

Section 4 – Quorum 14

Article X Voting

Section 1 – Votes and Qualified Voters 14

Section 4 – Voting Methods 14

Article XI Committees

Section 1 – Committee Titles 15

Section 2 – Formation of Committees 15

Section 3 – Duties of Each Committee 15

Article XII Awards

Section 1 – Age Requirements for Work 18

Section 2 – Work and Verification of Work Completed 18

Section 3 – Opt-Out Fee 19

Section 4 – Champion and Reserve Champion 19

Section 5 – Champion Team Roping Trophy 19

Section 6 – Points for the Year 20

Article XIII Rental of Grounds and Buildings

Section 1 – Clubhouse 20

Section 2 – WRV Grounds Rental 20-21

Section 3 – Trailer Rental 21

Article XIV General Rules

Section 1 – Contracts 21

Section 2 – Ring and Equipment 21

Section 3 – Selling on Club Grounds 22

Section 4 – Records 22

Section 5 – Flowers in Bereavement 22

Section 6 – Building Admittance 22

Article XV Procedural Changes

Section 1 – Bylaws 22

Section 2 – Horse Show Rules 22

Article I

Name

A. This corporation shall be known as WESTERN RIDERS OF VIRGINIA, INC., Hereafter called WRV.

Article II

Purpose and Aim

A. The purpose and aim of Western Riders of Virginia is to promote an interest in western horses and western horsemanship among the people in our locality and to promote good citizenship in all members, both young and old.

B. To offer our help in case of disaster or emergencies to all enforcement agencies in the locality.

C. It is to be non-partisan, non-political, and non-sectarian.

Article III

Parliamentary Procedure

A. WRV’s meetings will follow Robert’s “Rules of Order”, in Robert’s “Rules of Order”, Second Edition.

B. Any subject not covered in WRV bylaws will be governed by the Virginia Code: 13.1-801 through 13.1-945.

Article IV

Membership

Section 1 – Membership Qualifications

A. Any person wanting to participate in western horsemanship and promote western riding in the community.

B. Membership applications will be taken into the club with the appropriate dues paid and by written application.

Section 2 – Membership Defined

A. A single membership is one person of any age.

B. A person under the age of 18 years, as of January 1^st of the current year, must be sponsored by an adult WVR member in good standing that assumes responsibility for him/her.

C. A family membership will consist of the following:

1. Parent or Parents

2. Any child under the age of 18, unless enrolled as a full-time student and living under the same roof.

3. Any senior citizen over the age of 65.

D. In a family membership, each individual family member is considered a WRV member.

E. Active duty military members will have their dues waived.

Section 3 – Membership Dues

A. Membership will run from February 1^st until January 31^st.

B. As of February 1^st of each year, dues will be $40.00 a year for family membership and $25.00 a year for single membership.

C. Payment of dues must be received on or before January 31^st of each year. If not paid by January 31^st, membership will be terminated effective, February 1^st.

A. If any person wishes to file a complaint against a WRV member, he/she must do so in writing, postmarked or emailed within 72 hours of the incident, to the current WRV president.

B. The complaint must include: date, person(s) involved and details of the incident

C. Upon receipt of the complaint, if the President is able to resolve the matter with the Plaintiff no further action will be taken. If not, a meeting will be scheduled with the Plaintiff, accused, and board members within 10 days to be held within 20 days of the written complaint.

D. The board will meet and hear from all parties and make a decision for resolution. If either party disagrees with the decision of the board, they may appeal the decision within 5 days to the grievance committee (see Article XI, section H).

E. A grievance committee will be formed and a meeting held within 14 days of the appeal notice. The grievance committee decision will be final unless dismissal/removal is recommended.

F. If removal/dismissal is recommended by the grievance committee, this will require 2/3 vote of the eligible membership present at the next held general membership meeting to become official.

G. At any time, the Plaintiff may withdraw his/her complaint. Any action in place will cease at that time.

A. A member may resign his/her membership with written notice. No refunds will be given. A new membership application and fee must be submitted to renew membership with WRV.

Officers

2. Shall see that all WRV rules are followed or bring them to the attention of the Board.

4. If an emergency arises he/she will immediately call a Board meeting to address the situation.

5. Will be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee.

6. The president will only vote in the event of a tie or in elections for next year’s officials.

7. The President shall ensure that all officers and Board members comply with their respective positions.

8. The president will present a yearly calendar of meeting dates to be included in the second newsletter of the coming year.

1. Will keep a record of WRV business inclusive of, but not limited to, dates of events, Board meeting minutes, and general meeting minutes.

3. Will provide the corresponding secretary a summary of the meeting for inclusion in the newsletter.

5. Maintain a permanent record of all correspondence and minutes in the permanent records of WRV, located in the clubhouse.

7. Will keep WRV phone messages updated on show cancellations and meeting dates.

3. Duties of this position are inclusive of, but not limited to, receipt and payment of monthly bills, reimbursement of authorized expenses, monthly balance of all accounts.

5. Copies of bills, receipts, deposits, and payments for review shall be made within 10 days of a member’s request.

6. This position shall be bonded if the amount in the treasury exceeds $15,000.00.

7. This position shall maintain a copy of monthly financial reports and year‑end financial reports, as well as year-end receipts and records, in the official records that are maintained in the WRV clubhouse.

A. The Nomination Committee will present their slate of nominees at the October meeting.

B. The officers and Board of Directors of WRV will be elected by majority vote of the eligible voting General Membership at the December annual meeting.

C. Additional nominations will only be taken at the annual meeting for vacant positions.

E. To be eligible for nomination, the member must be at least 21 years of age, except youth representative, in good standing with dues paid, and not be a convicted felon.

F. Qualification for nominee as president requires a minimum of 2 membership terms. Other nominees require a minimum of 1 membership term.

A. No officer shall hold any officer position, for more than four consecutive years, or no more than two in the same position.

B. The president or action president shall appoint, within 90 days, a qualified WRV member to assume the vacancy for the remainder of the term.

C. The corresponding secretary shall immediately send notice of this change to the membership.

A. Any grievance against a Board member or Officer will follow the same rules as Article IV, Section 4 of WRV bylaws.

Article VI

Board of Directors

B. To discuss and make recommendations to the General Membership for approval on all financial decisions greater than $600.00 for any one item.

C. To discuss and make recommendations to the General Membership for any capital improvements to the WRV grounds.

4. Directors will be designated to a division to assist and be available to the members for any concerns and/or projects concerning that division.

1. This position is responsible to see that the books are audited and tax returns are filed yearly.

2. In the event a major project is needed, this position is responsible for organizing a committee. The responsibility of the committee will be to obtain quotes to present to the Board, as well as suggest fundraising ideas to fund the projects.

3. The Financial Chairperson shall manage all WRV-approved items recommended for sale.

1. Will be the chairperson of the show committee to have the following duties filled

2. This position will propose dates of regular, jackpot, and fundraiser shows for the upcoming year.

3. Once a show is scheduled and approved, this position will have charge of filling all positions listed on the “show detail work list.”

4. This position will keep an ongoing record of show results and year-end points.

5. This position will keep an ongoing record of work detail completed and shows worked by members, which is required for year-end awards.

7. Will work in conjunction with the Maintance/grounds person to record the 4-hour work detail.

1. This position will be responsible for distribution of the newsletter to the club membership.

2. All other items requested by the President or Committee Chairperson to be included in the newsletter.

3. This position shall send all Get Well gifts, cards, and handle bereavement issues for WRV.

1. Will be in charge of maintaining all equipment on the grounds. All equipment will be serviced and repairs reported to the Board of Directors.

2. In charge of building inspections, kitchen winterization, well, etc., to prepare for winter months.

3. Will be responsible for servicing tractor equipment and parts, as well as checking and fueling all tanks on a monthly basis.

6. Will work in conjunction with the Show chairperson to schedule and document all 4-hour work details worked by members for year- end points.

Article VI

Board of Directors (cont.)

A. The Board of Directors shall meet when needed, at least four (4) times a year.

B. All Board members must be notified, via telephone, e-mail, or in writing, of any Board meeting or business.

C. If a Board member misses two or more consecutive Board meetings without cause, that member will be subjected to dismissal.

A. In order to have a vote of the Board members, a majority of the Board members must be present.

Article VII

Other Elected Positions

C. Shall keep an accurate record of the youth account and request funds from the WRV treasurer when needed for functions approved by the board.

Article VIII

Appointed Positions

A. The Ringmaster will be appointed by the Show Committee chairperson prior to each show.

B. This position is responsible for supervising the proper setup of the ring for classes, according to WRV rules.

A. The trustees shall be three in number, appointed by the president and approved by the Board

A. The terms of the trustees shall be staggered; one position to be appointed each year.

B. One trustee is appointed each year as their term ends. (1) for 3 years, (1) for 2 years, and (1) for 1 year

A. The trustees will serve as the Arbitration Committee between WRV members and WRV Board when called.

Article IX

Membership Meetings

A. All members will be made aware of scheduled meetings by way of WRV newsletter, website, and WRV information line.

A. Any known WRV business will be included in the newsletter and sent to the membership not less than seven days prior to the meeting.

A. In order for WRV to conduct a General Membership meeting, 15% of the voting membership must be present.

Article X

Voting

A. A qualified voter must have membership dues paid, at least, ten days preceding the meeting, when the vote takes place.

B. A qualified voter must be 12 years of age or older as of January 1^st, of the current year.

A. A written ballot will be used for all Board of Director and officer elections.

D. The secretary and the nominating chairperson will validate all ballots at the annual meeting.

Article XI

Committees

A. These bylaws will be valid for all committees with the exception of the Grievance Committee.

B. All committees will have a set number of persons needed for each committee, which will be determined by the board as needed.

C. All committees will have a sign-up sheet for consideration of members for committee assignment.

D. The persons listed on the committee sheet will be recommended to the President and a Chairperson of their committee, except where otherwise predetermined.

E. Additional member names interested in being on a particular committee will be kept by the chairperson and called upon at a later date if needed.

F. If there is no interest by any member, the president may, at his/her discretion, appoint members to take charge of a committee.

2. This committee presents advertising ideas to promote WRV to the Board and, upon approval of the Board, carry out these ideas; i.e., newspaper, classified, television, etc.)

1. This committee takes recommendations from the membership and Board of Directors for bylaws and show rule changes throughout the year.

2. To research requests for changes to determine if the change will remain in the best interest of WRV, not conflicting with any other standing bylaw, show rule, and/or articles of incorporation.

1. This committee will organize the operation of the concession stand; i.e., purchase food and supplies, work the stand, obtain volunteers for assistance from the Show Committee, and clean up.

2. Present ideas to the Board for consideration of improvements and/or needed work before beginning the task.

1. The Nominating Committee will be 5 in number and will be made up of a Chairperson appointed by the President, and 4 additional members chosen by the Chairperson.

2. This position will make and take nominations, in the month of September of qualified WRV members to hold positions in the upcoming year.

3. Will contact ALL candidates to confirm commitment to the nomination and position if elected for the year.

4. A slate will be sent to the Corresponding Secretary, which will be forwarded to the membership not less than 20 days prior to the November meeting, and elections will be held at the annual meeting in December.

2. Make sign-in sheets available to verify members working a show and have the signature of one committee member to verify that the work has been completed.

4. Obtain needed workers for various positions needed, not on the sign-up sheet, to run shows.

1. The Equipment and Building Supervisor shall be the chairperson over this committee.

2. This committee will be responsible for scheduling and notifying the Corresponding Secretary of dates scheduled not less than four details per year.

3. This committee will see that all attending members sign a worksheet, with the attending Board member signing off on each working member.

4. Responsible for providing a completed sign-up sheet from each detail to the Show Chairperson.

2. This committee will hear ideas or concerns from the youth and present them to the Board of the WRV, as well as advise members of the outcome.

3. This committee will be responsible for organizing all youth activities for the membership.

1. The Grievance Committee will be made up of the three trustees, one person selected by the accuser, and one person selected by the accused.

2. This committee is to handle any grievances or disputes among the members, board of directors or officers.

Article XII

Awards

A. Any members age 10 and above as of January 1, must work their own detail and shows.

B. Any member, age 9 and under, as of January 1, may have a parent or family member work for them.

A. All members need to complete or schedule one four-hour work detail before June 30^th, unless they join after June 30^th in which case, they will need to schedule their work detail with the Show Chairperson and/or Equipment/Grounds Chairperson.

B. If a medical condition prevents completion of a work detail, another member may work for them.

C. A member must work not less than two shows as posted on the show detail work list.

D. The Work Detail Committee will verify whether or not members have completed their work details.

E. This Work Detail Committee will verify whether or not members have worked the equivalent of two shows.

F. Disagreements regarding work will be brought to the attention of the Board of Directors.

G. Members may not complete a work detail and declare this as their completion of work detail without prior approval of the Show Chairperson and/or Equipment/Building Supervisor.

H. Service in Board positions or Committee positions will not count towards show and/or work detail requirement, with the exception of the Show Committee Chairperson.

I. All work details needing completion after show season can be scheduled and counted towards next year’s requirements, with the approval of the Work Detail Chairperson.

A. Individual WRV members wishing not to work the four-hour work detail may pay a fee of $60.00 by June 30^th, or at the time of membership, if after June 30^th.

B. The $60.00 opt-out fee is only for one membership and does not exclude that member from working the WRV shows.

A. There will be a Champion and Reserve Champion Year-End Award in each of the divisions defined in the horse show rules.

C. Individuals eligible for two awards must accept the award in the event with the highest Place.

D. In the event of a tie for Champion, WRV will award two champion awards and no reserve. If there is a reserve tie, WRV will award the champion award and two reserve champion awards.

E. The club will pay up to $100.00 towards the Championship award and up to $75.00 towards the Reserve Championship award.

A. The Raymond Hale Memorial Team Roping trophy will be awarded each year to the team roper with the highest number of points. The recipient will retain the trophy for one year.

B. If the same roper wins the trophy a total of three years (not necessarily consecutive), that roper may opt to retire the trophy, in which case another trophy will be purchased by WRV.

C. The high point team roper can be the high point header, the high point heeler, or the high point roper with a combination of heading and heeling points.

D. In the event of a tie, there will be a six-head run-off based on the average at the last show.

A. Points will go to one rider/one horse or pony for the season, unless unforeseen circumstances arise with the horse or pony; i.e., death or permanent injury.

B. If the horse/pony should die or become permanently injured, points may be transferred to a second horse or pony.

C. If the second horse/pony is permanently injured or dies, the Board of Directors will decide if the points will go to a third horse/pony.

Article XIII

Rental of Grounds and Buildings

A. Members may have use of the clubhouse for personal functions upon approval by the president and with proper notification.

B. If a member rents the clubhouse for a private non-public function an insurance policy must be obtained and a Certificate of Insurance must be provided to the Board prior to the event.

C. Non-members wishing to rent the clubhouse must complete an application and sign a rental agreement. A copy of all rental agreements must be filed in the permanent records of WRV.

A. Members or non-members interested in renting the grounds must sign a rental agreement and follow the rules outlined on the rental agreement.

B. Rental agreements shall include, but not be limited to, rental fee, due dates, buildings rented, equipment rented, required Certificate of Insurance for coverage, and clean-up agreement.

C. The rental agreement must be signed by the President and all parties responsible for renting the grounds.

A. Persons renting the singlewide trailer must follow the rules of the rental agreement provided by WRV, signed by the President, and approved by the Board of Directors.

B. The singlewide trailer will not be rented without the renter/liability insurance policy. A Certificate of Insurance must be provided prior to the move-in date and must stay active while residing on the premises.

C. A copy of the lease agreement and Certificate of Insurance must be kept in the WRV permanent records.

Article XIV

General Rules

A. WRV members may use the ring and equipment. Equipment is not to be removed from the grounds without prior written permission from the Board. Timers are not to be used by the General Membership, at any time, other than show/event days.

B. Damage to equipment or ring must be reported immediately to the president or a Board member.

C. Use of the arena lights will be allowed on Friday nights and family nights. In cases where there is a scheduled event on Friday or Saturday the lights can be used the prior Thursday night.

D. On nights other than Family night, members may use the arena lights, with prior approval by an officer, for a fee of $20.00. Unauthorized use of the arena lights may result in membership suspension.

A. All records pertaining to previous business of WRV shall be kept in the permanent WRV records, which will be located in the WRV clubhouse. These records not to be removed for any reason.

A. The club shall pay up to $75.00 for flowers sent for Bereavement of club member or a member of their immediate family; spouse, mother, father, child, brother, sister. All others receive a card.

Article XV

A. Any Bylaw changes submitted to the Bylaw Committee and approved by the Board may be amended by majority vote of the eligible voting members present at regular business meetings once quorum has been meet. see Article IX, Section 4, provided the amendment(s) are given a minimum of thirty day (30) waiting period after presentation and members are notified in writing.

B. Horse Show Rules may be amended by vote, prior to the first show, of the majority of members present and voting at any regular business meetings, once quorum has been meet, see Article IX, section 4, provided the amendment is given a thirty day (30) waiting period after presentation and the members are notified in writing.

C. Individual rules will not be changed after the first show date of the season.