Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE VARSITY OUTDOOR CLUB

The Alma Mater Society of UBC

Student Administrative Commission – Club Bylaws and Constitution

Constituted on the 11th day of the month of January in the year 2024

Articles

Article 1 - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Varsity Outdoor Club of the Alma Mater Society (AMS), hereafter referred to as the VOC.

Article 2 - Purpose

The purpose of the VOC is to promote an interest in self-propelled outdoor activities at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Article 3 - Membership

The membership of this organization is divided into four categories: Student, Associate, Alumni, and Honorary.

3.1 Student Members

3.1.1 Eligibility

3.1.1.1 Must be members of the AMS.

3.1.2 Privileges

3.1.2.1 All social and competitive privileges of the club.

3.1.2.2 The use of club equipment (see Bylaw 12).

3.1.2.3 The privilege of voting.

3.1.2.4 The privilege of holding an Executive position (see Bylaw 3 and 5).

3.1.3 Qualifications

3.1.3.1 Membership commences when membership fees are paid, a membership form is filled out, and the waiver is signed. Membership terminates on September 30 of the following school year. For example, if a membership is activated within or after September 2024, the membership will terminate on September 30, 2025.

3.1.3.2 Student Members must comprise two-third (2/3) of the total membership.

3.1.4 Obligations

3.1.4.1 Members are obliged to know and obey all club rules as outlined in the Bylaws and have valid updated waiver and code of conduct forms signed and submitted to the club executive annually.

3.2 Associate members

3.2.1 Eligibility

3.2.1.1 UBC Faculty or Staff.

3.2.1.2 Non-UBC students. 

3.2.1.3 Others who are not eligible for a different membership class but whose membership is of benefit to the club, as determined by the Membership Chairperson.

3.2.2 Privileges

3.2.2.1 All social and competitive privileges of the club.

3.2.2.2 The use of club equipment (see Bylaw 12).

3.2.2.3 Associate Members may not vote nor may they hold executive positions.

3.2.3 Qualifications

3.2.3.1 Qualifications shall be the same as for Student Members.

3.2.4 Obligations

3.2.4.1 Members are obliged to know and obey all club rules as outlined in the Bylaws.

3.3 Honorary Members

3.3.1 Active Honorary Members

3.3.1.1 Eligibility

3.3.1.1.1 Persons who have shown a keen interest in the VOC in addition to significant contributions to the club, such as trip leading may be awarded Honorary Membership.

3.3.1.2 Privileges

3.3.1.2.1 All social and competitive privileges of the club.

3.3.1.3 Qualifications

3.3.1.3.1 Honorary members must renew their membership each year, whereupon they will automatically be granted honorary membership again. This ensures that each member has an active waiver associated with their membership. Qualifications otherwise will adhere to Student Member qualifications.

3.3.2 Inactive Honorary Members

3.3.2.1 Eligibility

3.3.2.1.1 Must have previously been a Student Member of the VOC and must not be eligible for Student Membership, or

3.3.2.1.2 Must have previously been a Student or Associate Member of the VOC for at least four years.

3.3.2.1.3 In special circumstances the Membership Chair may grant eligibility to members who are not otherwise eligible.

3.3.2.2 Privileges

3.3.2.2.1 All social and competitive privileges of the club.

3.3.2.2.2 No use of club equipment.

3.3.2.2.3 Shall not receive a complimentary copy of the Varsity Outdoor Club Journal.

3.3.2.3 Qualifications

3.3.2.3.1 Honorary members must renew their membership each year, whereupon they will automatically be granted honorary membership again. This ensures that each member has an active waiver associated with their membership. Qualifications otherwise will adhere to Student Member qualifications.

3.3.2.3.2 Alumni Members may, on payment of the Associate Membership fee, receive equipment privileges and receive a copy of the journal for the year.

3.3.2.4 Obligations

3.3.2.4.1 Members are obliged to know and obey all club rules as outlined in the Bylaws.

Article 4 - Executive

The Executive of the VOC shall comprise of the following positions:

4.1 President

4.2 Vice President 

4.3 Treasurer

4.4 EDI Coordinator

4.5 Quartermasters (at least five)

4.6 Head Quartermaster

4.7 Trips Coordinator

4.8 Climbing Coordinator

4.9 Water Sports Coordinator

4.10 Membership Chair

4.11 Public Relations Officer

4.12 FMCMC/ACC Liaison

4.13 Legacy Coordinator

4.14 Journal Editor

4.15 VOCene Editor

4.16 Huts Coordinator

4.17 Trails Coordinator

4.18 Access Coordinator

4.19 Swag Master

4.20 Social Coordinator

4.21 Webmaster

Article 5 - Financial Dealings

All financial dealings shall be done through the AMS Administration Office. The sole signing officer of the VOC shall be the treasurer.

Article 6 - Amendments

6.1 All amendments shall be forwarded to the AMS Student Administrative Commision (SAC) secretary and shall be favourably voted upon by the SAC in order to become effective.

6.2 All amendments within the club shall be passed by a two-thirds (2/3) majority at a general meeting where quorum is present and shall be presented to the membership at least two (2) weeks before it is voted upon.

6.2.1 An amendment may be proposed at a general meeting if it is passed by the executive and presented with a signed minute

6.2.2 An amendment may be proposed by a general meeting if it is presented by a signed petition representing twenty percent (20%) of the active membership.

6.3 The constitution may be amended by a minute of the SAC.

Bylaws

Bylaw 1 - Meetings

1.1 General Meetings

1.1.1 There shall be a minimum of one general meeting during the University winter session. 1.1.2 A general meeting shall be called by the President at the request of the executive.

1.1.3 A general meeting shall by called by the President on receipt of a petition representing at least forty percent (40%) of the active membership

1.1.4 Notice of the general meeting shall be posted on the VOC website and included in the weekly newsletter (VOCene) at least seven (7) days before the meeting is to take place.

1.1.5 Quorum: If the agenda, time, and place of the meeting have been posted seven (7) days in advance on the VOC website, message board outside the clubroom, and included in the weekly newsletter (VOCene), 50 voting members constitute quorum as per AMS constitution bylaws for clubs of greater than 200 members.

1.2 Executive Meetings

1.2.1 Executive Meetings shall be called by the President, or upon request of one third of the officers.

1.2.2 Only elected officers may vote at Executive Meetings.

1.2.3 One half (1/2) of the Executive shall constitute a quorum.

Bylaw 2 - Elections

2.1 The election of officers shall begin between ten and twenty days before the Annual General Meeting, in March of each year.

2.2 Voting will remain open for seven (7) days from the start of elections.

2.3 Individual voter choice must be kept secret from the candidates.

2.4 Nominations shall be submitted to the president at least one week before the start of the election.

2.5 A member may run for at most three positions in one election.

2.6 A member cannot hold more than one position concurrently.

2.7 The new executive shall take office at the Joint Executive Meeting after the election.

Bylaw 3 - Eligibility of Executive Officers

3.1 Only living active members of the Alma Mater Society shall be eligible to hold Executive offices

3.2 The President, Vice President and Treasurer must have been Student Members for at least one full year.

3.3 The President and Treasurer must have been a member of a previous VOC Executive.

Bylaw 4 - Membership Privileges

See Article 3 for the privileges associated with the various membership classes.

Bylaw 5 - Executive Officers

5.1 General

5.1.1 Each Executive Officer shall present a full written report of their year’s duties, actions, contracts, inventories and all other pertinent and valuable information to the new Executive at the General Meeting prior to the Joint Executive Meeting.

5.1.2 Any officer who requires assistance with their duties may request the services of volunteers or an appointed committee.

5.1.3 Any officer not fulfilling their duties as decided by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive, and subject to the same vote at a General Meeting, must resign.

5.1.4 Term of office begins at the Joint Executive Meeting in the spring.

5.2 Executive Duties

5.2.1 President

5.2.1.1 Preside at all Executive and General Meetings.

5.2.1.2 Act as coordinator of all Executive positions.

5.2.1.3 Be an ex-officio member of all committees.

5.2.2 Vice President

5.2.2.1 Assist the president in all their duties.

5.2.2.2 Maintain records of all committee meetings and liaise between the Executive and the committees

5.2.2.3 Keep minutes of the Executive and General Meetings, file minutes for the year, and post a copy of the same on the website within one week of Meetings.

5.2.3 Treasurer

5.2.3.1 Be responsible for all VOC financial matters, especially budgeting.

5.2.4 EDI Coordinator

5.2.4.1 Help facilitate conversations and actionable items regarding accessibility, diversity, and inclusivity within the club

5.2.4.2 Coordinate grant applications.

5.2.5 Trips Coordinator

5.2.5.1 Be responsible for coordinating all regular VOC trips.

5.2.5.2 Be responsible for organizing our instructional outdoors schools.

5.2.5.3 Ensure there is a suitable schedule of trips of all levels for our Members.

5.2.5.4 Act as a resource for Members who wish to lead trips.

5.2.6 Climbing Coordinator

5.2.6.1 Responsible for ensuring climbing trips occur on some regular basis during the season.

5.2.6.2 Liaises with the Aviary, ideally a monitor in the Aviary

5.2.7 Water Sports Coordinator

5.2.7.1 Coordinates gear and logistics for water sports based trips.

5.2.7.2 Collaborates with outside organizations related to water sports as is appropriate.

5.2.8 Quartermaster

5.2.8.1 At least five Quartermasters should be elected.

5.2.8.2 The Quartermasters choose a head Quartermaster, who coordinates tasks and prepares a final gear report.

5.2.8.3 Maintain club equipment in the equipment room.

5.2.8.4 Maintain an inventory of club Equipment

5.2.8.5 Set deposits and policy for equipment, subject to Executive approval.

5.2.8.6 Maintain regular hours for taking out and bringing back equipment.

5.2.8.7 Be responsible for the internal marketing of all VOC publications and sundries, such as maps, guide books, VOC shirts, journals, songbooks.

5.2.9 Membership Chair

5.2.9.1 Organizes clubs days.

5.2.9.2 Record eligibility for membership according to qualifications completed.

5.2.9.3 Maintain a list of members.

5.2.10 Journal Editor

5.2.10.1 Be responsible for the editing and publishing of the Journal, to coincide with the Annual General Meeting that typically takes place in March.

5.2.10.2 Be responsible for the editing, updating, publishing and external marketing of all VOC publications including those not published on an annual basis.

5.2.11 VOCene Editor

5.2.11.1 Actively seeks out material to publish in our weekly newsletter.

5.2.11.2 Publishes the newsletter in a reliable fashion, preferably once a week.

5.2.12 Legacy Coordinator

5.2.12.1 Maintain the VOC library, guide books, maps, old journals and current records.

5.2.12.2 Organize all annual honourary events such as grants or lectures. In the event that the Legacy Coordinator wishes to apply for such grants, they may recuse themselves and allow the executive to appoint a suitable organizer.

5.2.13 Public Relations Officer

5.2.13.1 As Booking Officer, organizes bookings of rooms for VOC events on Campus.

5.2.13.2 Provides a schedule of speakers and films for General and social Meetings.

5.2.13.3 Answers or delegates general questions and comments directed to [[1]].

5.2.13.4 Maintains the VOC’s social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, etc.).

5.2.14  FMCBC/ACC Representative

5.2.14.1 Act as the VOC’s representative to the Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia (FMCBC).

5.2.14.2 Act as the VOC’s representative to the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC).

5.2.15 Huts Coordinator

5.2.15.1 Be responsible for the planning, construction and maintenance of huts and associated out buildings.

5.2.15.2 Coordinates information about our huts and associated out buildings, and any work that needs doing.

5.2.16 Trails Coordinator

5.2.16.1 Be responsible for the planning, construction and maintenance of trails and routes.

5.2.16.2 Coordinates information about our trails and routes, and any work that needs doing.

5.2.17 Swag Master

5.2.17.1 Responsible for coordinating club purchasing activities with outside companies.

5.2.18 Access Coordinator 

5.2.18.1 Communicates with the Forest District office and other stakeholders to ensure access to our huts and trails.

5.2.19 Social Coordinator

5.2.19.1 Organize VOC social functions

5.2.20  Webmaster

5.2.20.1 Maintains information posted on the VOC webpage and the wiki page.

Bylaw 6 - Procedure

6.1 All procedural matters shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. 6.2 Any further discrepancies shall be decided by the Students Court, which is the final authority.

Bylaw 7 - Quorum

Unless otherwise stated, the quorum for all Meetings shall be 30 Student Members as per AMS constitution bylaws for clubs of greater than 200 members.

Bylaw 8 - Membership Fees

8.1 Fees shall not be refundable under any circumstances.

8.2 The Executive may amend the fees at the first Executive Meeting of the winter session, but the amendment shall not be valid unless passed by SAC.

8.3 Student membership fees are $50.00.

8.4 Associate membership fees are $70.00 8.6 Honorary Members pay no annual fees.

Bylaw 9 - Committees

9.1 Committees may be appointed by the executive or at a general meeting, but the executive shall still take the responsibility to supervise and control the activities of all committees. Appointed executives or committee members shall not have a vote in executive decisions, but shall have regular voting privileges at Annual General Meetings.

9.2 The Vice President shall be responsible for supervising committee actions and shall be the liaison between the committees and the VOC Executive.

Bylaw 10 - Budget

10.1 In accordance with the AMS Bylaw 13(6) (Subsidiary Organizations), all funds shall be remitted to the Vice-President Finance.

10.2 An annual report including a statement of club proposed expenditures and expected revenues shall be submitted to the Vice-President Finance by April 1 of each year.

Bylaw 11 - Summer

11.1 Regular General Meetings are suspended over the Summer Term.

11.2 Executive duties are the responsibility of the new Executive.

11.3 Executive unable to perform their duties over the Summer Term shall appoint a suitable replacement before the last General Meeting.

Bylaw 12 - Equipment Rules

12.1 To borrow club equipment, a Member with gear privileges must pay a deposit as specified by the Quartermaster(s).

12.2 A member must forfeit part or all of the deposit upon failure to return the equipment by the deadline agreed upon.

12.3 A member must assume financial responsibility for lost or damaged equipment.

12.4 Equipment privileges may be revoked by agreement of the Quartermasters.

Bylaw 13 - Awards

In recognition of outstanding club work by Members, the following awards may be given at the Annual Banquet. Awards shall be made only if a suitable candidate may be found. The candidates shall be chosen by the President or Vice President and two other VOC Members.

13.1 Bronze VOC Pin The number of pins awarded each year shall not exceed two percent (2%) of the total membership and shall be awarded on a two-thirds (2/3) Executive vote.

13.2 Silver VOC Pin The number of pins awarded each year shall not exceed two percent (2%) of the total membership and shall be awarded preferably to persons on their graduating year, on a two-thirds (2/3) Executive vote.

13.3 Gold VOC Pin In very exceptional circumstances, the committee may see fit to award a Gold VOC Pin. Before this can be awarded, a three-quarter (3/4) vote at a General Meeting must approve.

13.4 Roland Burton Beginner-Friendliness Award In special circumstances, the executive may see fit to award the 'Roland Burton beginner-friendliness award', on a two-thirds (2/3) Executive Vote.

13.5 Jeff Mottershead Award In special circumstances, the executive may see fit to award the ‘Jeff Mottershead award’, on a two-thirds (⅔) executive vote.

Bylaw 14 - Interpretation

Nothing in these bylaws shall be interpreted in a manner contradictory to the AMS Constitution, Code, rules, regulations or policies enacted from time to time by the Alma Mater Society.

Bylaw 15 - Harassment and peer support

15.1 The VOC and its members aim to provide an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination in all its forms as defined in Canadian and British Columbia law.

15.1.1 The Peer Support Group (PSG) consists of six VOC members who should be representative of the diversity in our club.

15.1.2 The PSG aims to: address any lack of technical proficiency on the part of its members as it relates to the safety of members; do outreach to the clubs membership to promote a safe, welcoming and respectful environment; provide support to members facing issues of harassment or discrimination or safety.

15.2 Safety/Proficiency/Competency

15.2.1 When the PSG has concerns regarding the safety, proficiency, or competency of a member these concerns may be brought to the executive. Refer to Bylaw 16.2.

15.3 The PSG will support a respectful club culture through outreach of a variety of forms, including presenting at trip leader workshops and at pre-trip meetings about respect environments and personal boundaries.

15.4 In cases where harassment, bullying, or other interpersonal safety issues arise, the peer support group will help provide members with resources and support. When action is desired by the individual who has come forward, the PSG will help them contact the appropriate resources.

Bylaw 16 - Trip Leader Rights and Guidelines

16.1 Trip leaders function as volunteers, not trained guides, and as such will take reasonable steps to ensure a safe trip, but the final responsibility for each member’s safety lies with the members themselves. As volunteers they shall not solicit monetary compensation for leading trips.

16.2 Organizing, leading, and instructing at VOC trips is a privilege. If there is concern about a trip leader’s ability to maintain a safe environment on their trips, the Executive may revoke the trip leader privilege with a majority Executive vote.

16.3 It is up to the trip leader’s discretion who is able to participate on their trip. Should a trip leader deny a member to participate on their trip for any reasonable concern, the VOC Executive will support them in their decision.

Bylaw 17 - Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusivity

This bylaw is being developed, with the intention of presenting the finished bylaw and voting on it at a special general meeting in September 2021.