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Outings Governance Policy(This document is also available in Acrobat and Word formats). Angeles Chapter Outings Program Governance Mission and Organization Preamble In 1914, the same year that John Muir - the founder of the Sierra Club - passed away, 40 members of the recently formed Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club ascended Mt San Gorgonio for the first time as a group. In doing so, the Angeles Chapter began its long tradition of exploring, enjoying and protecting the mountains and the wilderness through the efforts of its many dedicated members and volunteers. As the Angeles Chapter grew in size and diversity, it created several recreational Sections and Committees, even before establishing its own regional Groups. Many of these Chapter entities continue to sponsor a wide variety of outings in the ongoing effort to promote the Sierra Club's stated mission "to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth." The Angeles Chapter's broad, diverse and extensive outings program has enhanced the Sierra Club's goals of conservation, education and recreation; and has proven to be an effective way to disseminate the Chapter's and the Sierra Club's message to the general public. With several thousand outings sponsored each year by the Angeles Chapter's many outings entities, the Outings Management Committee has been developed to provide aid and guidance for those entities within the Chapter and their active volunteers, in order to more effectively promote the stated goals of the Chapter and the Sierra Club. Outings Management Committee (OMC) Role of the OMC The Outings Management Committee shall be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Angeles Chapter's outings program to promote the outings, conservation, and outreach missions of the Sierra Club and to manage and minimize risk. The scope of the OMC shall include all Angeles Chapter outdoor-related activities, including rated outings, non-rated events, and conducted events sponsored by any Angeles Chapter Entity including but not limited to: Groups, Sections, Committees, Task Forces, Huts, and Inner City Outings Groups. The OMC shall be a standing committee of the Angeles Chapter, reporting to the Executive Committee, subject to its authority, and appointed with power to recommend policies, establish guidelines, and form subcommittees in order to carry out its charge. OMC Members The OMC shall be composed of the five Outings Representatives designated at the Chapter Outings Assembly, the OMC Chair, the Safety Committee Chair, the Leadership Training Committee (LTC) Chair, and the Wilderness Training Committee Chair. At the last regularly scheduled meeting of the year the OMC shall designate a chapter member for appointment as OMC Chair in the succeeding year. In case of a permanent vacancy among the Outings Representatives to the OMC, the OMC Chair may designate another chapter member, if approved by a majority of the OMC. The OMC shall recommend appointments for the Safety Committee Chair, the Leadership Training Committee Chair with input from the Chairs and Members of those committees, and shall convey the results of the WTC elections, to the Chair of the Angeles Chapter Executive Committee. All members of the OMC shall assume office following their appointment by the Angeles Chapter Chair and ratification by the Chapter’s Executive Committee. Non-Voting Members and Special Chairs and Subcommittees The Angeles Chapter Chair, the Regional Representative of the Sierra Club's Group & Chapter Outings Committee, and a Liaison from the Angeles Chapter's Conservation Committee, or their designated alternates, shall be non-voting ex officio members of the OMC chosen by their respective committees. The OMC Chair may designate special chairs and subcommittees deemed necessary by the OMC for the administration of the Angeles Chapter outings program, including, but not limited to: an Ombudsman to help resolve complaints and address participants' issues; a Bus Transportation Chair to maintain a list of charter bus companies that are approved to provide service to the Sierra Club and to coordinate bus-related issues; a Land Management Coordinator to represent the Angeles Chapter to public land managers; and a Webmaster to create and maintain an OMC website. OMC Officers The OMC Chair shall chair the Chapter Outings Assembly and the OMC meetings, shall represent the Chapter as the Chapter Outings Chair, and shall be a non-voting ex officio member of the Angeles Chapter Executive Committee, unless already a member of the ExCom. A Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be chosen from among the OMC members. Outings Entities and OMC Subcommittees The OMC shall provide support and guidance, and delegate authority to the Outings Chairs of the Angeles Chapter's Entities to operate outings programs for their outings Entity. The management committees of outings entities shall have responsibility for the outdoor activities that they sponsor. The OMC shall provide support and guidance, and delegate authority to subcommittees for specialized tasks, including, but not limited to: the Leadership Training Committee to provide training for Chapter Outings Leaders and Provisional Leaders; the Safety Committee to supervise safety and risk management of the Angeles Chapter's outings program as specified in the 'Angeles Chapter Safety Policy'; and the Wilderness Training Committee (WTC) to provide training in wilderness travel as specified in the 'WTC Policies and Procedures.' OMC Meetings The OMC shall meet at least three times a year, with additional meetings to be scheduled as needed. The quorum shall be a majority of the nine voting members and must be present in order to conduct business. All Sierra Club members are welcome to attend OMC meetings except when the OMC goes into closed session, which it may do to consider personnel or litigation issues. However all votes shall be taken in open session. Outings Policies In accordance with National Sierra Club and Angeles Chapter standards the OMC shall develop, maintain, and publish policies for Angeles Chapter outdoor activities, and shall monitor Angeles Chapter Entity policies and activities for compliance with those policies. The OMC shall determine the requirements for scheduling, planning, approving, publishing, publicizing, and conducting the Angeles Chapter outings program, and shall coordinate those requirements within the Angeles Chapter. Significant Angeles Chapter Outings Policies, such as the Safety Policy or the Code of Conduct, shall be distributed by the OMC to the Entity Outings Chairs at least 60 days prior to their adoption by the Chapter Executive Committee, unless waived by a vote of the OMC. Paperwork The OMC shall be the custodian of necessary chapter outings records, as specified by relevant National Sierra Club, Angeles Chapter, and OMC policies, including but not limited to: the roster of rated Chapter Outings Leaders, minutes of OMC meetings and OMC subcommittee meetings, and current Chapter Outings Policies. The OMC shall create a review process for the activities of the OMC subcommittees and other Angeles Chapter outings Entities, and encourage each Angeles Chapter outings Entity to develop its own internal review process. The OMC shall coordinate the submission of restricted outings for national approval. Annual Activities The OMC shall organize and conduct the annual Chapter Outings Assembly. The OMC shall report to the Executive Committee at least annually on the state of the Angeles Chapter's outings program, with copies to all Outings Entities. Areas of Advocacy The OMC shall encourage the education of Angeles Chapter Members and the public, and their enlistment in furthering the purposes of the Sierra Club. The OMC shall encourage the recruitment, training, certification, and retention of diverse Chapter Outings Leaders through its subcommittees and the outings Entities. The OMC shall encourage the inclusion of under-represented constituencies in the outings program at all levels. The OMC shall encourage the creation of new outings programs in those Angeles Chapter Entities where such programs do not currently exist. The OMC shall foster communications on outings-related issues between and among: Angeles Chapter Entities, Outings Chairs, Chapter Outings Leaders, participants, other chapter committees, Angeles Chapter management, and National Sierra Club outings management using all appropriate media and channels. Chapter Outings Assembly (COA) Role of the COA The outings community of the Angeles Chapter shall assemble annually to celebrate achievements, to set goals, to conduct training, to foster chapter-wide communication, cooperation and cohesion, to review Chapter and National Outings Policies and propose changes, and to designate Outings Representatives to serve on the Outings Management Committee, the Safety Committee, and the Leadership Training Committee. Conduct of the COA Each Angeles Chapter Entity that conducts outings may send their Outings Chair or designate an alternate to be their Chapter Outings Assembly Delegate. In addition to the COA Delegates, all Chapter Outings Leaders, Outings Participants, and OMC members are invited to attend and participate, but only the outings entities Delegate may vote in any COA proceeding. In addition to electing Outings Representatives the COA may pass whatever resolutions it chooses. The COA shall be chaired by the OMC Chair. The COA may choose a Chair pro tem, a Secretary, and other officers as necessary from among its members. It may establish rules and appoint subcommittees to carry out its mission. The quorum of the COA shall be a majority of COA Delegates registered in attendance. The OMC Secretary shall certify credentials and register delegates. Expenses related to the COA will be handled by the OMC Treasurer under the OMC budget. The OMC may solicit contributions to offset such expenses. The COA shall normally convene on the first Saturday in November. Additional meetings may be called by the OMC Chair or at the request of ten or more Entity Outings Chairs with at least 30 days notice to all Outings Chairs. COA Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee (NomCom) shall be a subcommittee of the COA composed of, at least but not limited to, three currently rated Outings Leaders. NomCom members shall be chosen at the first or second meeting of the OMC by a vote of the OMC and shall include at least one Chapter Outings Leader with an O-rating. The NomCom shall choose a chair from among its members. The NomCom shall nominate at least five chapter members to serve as the Outings Representatives on the OMC and shall nominate at least one chapter member to serve as the Outings Representative to the Safety Committee, and at least one chapter member to serve as the Outings Representative to the LTC, neither of whom shall be currently serving on the committee to which they are nominated. In selecting candidates the NomCom shall seek broad and competent representation of the variety of outings, Chapter Outings Leaders, and Entities that exist within the Angeles Chapter. Candidates must be Angeles Chapter members but need not be COA Delegates or rated Chapter Outings Leaders. The NomCom shall present its slate to the OMC Secretary at least 30 days prior to the Outings Chairs Conference to allow distribution to COA Delegates prior to the Outings Chairs Conference. Selection of Outings Representatives At the Chapter Outings Assembly the chair shall read the slate of chapter members proposed by the COA Nominating Committee and shall call for additional nominations from the floor before the voting for the Outings Representatives commences. Voting shall be by secret ballot. Each COA Delegate may vote for up to five chapter members to serve as the Outings Representatives to the OMC, one chapter member to serve as the Outings Representative to the Safety Committee, and one chapter member to serve as the Outings Representative to the LTC. Ties shall be broken by lot. Excessive votes for a committee shall only invalidate the ballot with respect to that committee. A statement of canvass shall show the vote totals for each candidate and include the number of ballots disqualified. A list of the five chapter members receiving the most votes to serve on the OMC and the chapter members receiving the most votes to serve on the Safety Committee and the LTC shall be conveyed by the OMC Chair to the Angeles Chapter Chair for appointment as the Outings Representatives to those committees in the succeeding year. Ancillary Motions to be presented to the ExCom: Rescind previous OMC and Outings Coordinating Committee Charges. Amend Safety Policy to add an Outings Representative to Safety Committee. Appoint members. Motion The policy titled "Angeles Chapter Outings Program Governance" shall be the policy of the Angeles Chapter and shall replace all previous policies defining the role of the Outings Management Committee, the Outings Coordinating Committee, and the Outings Administration Committee. Motion The Chapter Safety Policy shall be amended to add an Outings Representative to the Safety Committee, to be chosen by the Chapter Outings Assembly. |
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