Black Sheep RC Club

Black Sheep RC Club Bylaws

These Bylaws set forth the basic safety rules and operational procedures of the Black Sheep RC Club, Inc. They have been established to ensure that the Membership as a whole will have an efficient management structure which will enable all members to safely engage in and enjoy the hobby of model aviation. All Members are kindly requested to support the spirit and the letter of these Bylaws.

Contents

ARTICLE I — NAME, ADDRESS, AND LOCATION

ARTICLE II — PURPOSE OF CLUB

ARTICLE III — DEFINITIONS

ARTICLE IV — OFFICER POSITIONS AND DUTIES

ARTICLE V — ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS

ARTICLE VI — CLUB MEETINGS

ARTICLE VII — RECORD KEEPING

ARTICLE VIII — AUDIT AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

ARTICLE IX — GENERAL CLUB RULES

ARTICLE X — PROCEDURE FOR VIOLATION OF CLUB RULES

ARTICLE XI — DISSOLUTION OF CLUB

ARTICLE XII — MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS, RENEWALS, DUES, AND ASSESSMENTS

ARTICLE XIII — MEMBER VOTING RIGHTS

ARTICLE XIV — RECOMMENDED SOLO PILOT QUALIFICATION PROCEDURE

ARTICLE XV — RESIGNATION OF CLUB MEMBERSHIP

ARTICLE XVI — AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

ARTICLE XVII — ITEMS NOT COVERED ABOVE

ARTICLE XVIII — FLYING SITE LAND OWNERS

ARTICLE I — NAME, ADDRESS, AND LOCATION

Name

The name of this organization shall be BLACK SHEEP RADIO CONTROL CLUB (BSRCC), INC. BSRCC is an AMA chartered club, Charter #2068.

Address

The street address of BSRCC is:

802 Lockaby Road
Pendleton, SC 29670

Location

The geographical location for BSRCC is:

Latitude 34.6809 degrees North
Longitude 82.6112 degrees West

ARTICLE II — PURPOSE OF CLUB

The purpose of the BSRCC shall be to provide the physical facilities, safety rules, operational procedures, and general management structure to enable the Membership to safely engage in and enjoy the hobby of Model Aviation.

ARTICLE III — DEFINITIONS

Black Sheep Radio Control Club, Inc. shall mean the nonprofit model flying club organized and incorporated in the state of South Carolina, USA, at the street address and geographical location given above.

BSRCC shall mean the Black Sheep Radio Control Club, Inc.

Member shall mean any person who belongs to the BSRCC by virtue of having satisfied all of the following requirements: (i) he/she has expressed an interest in model aviation, (ii) he/she has paid all required annual membership dues, (iii) he/she holds a current and valid AMA membership card, (iv) he/she is also considered to be a person of good, safe, honest, cooperative, and friendly reputation (i.e., has not been previously expelled by this or another similar club for infraction of stated club rules), and (v) he/she has expressed a willingness to participate, along with other club members, in any general field maintenance activities which may be periodically requested by the Field Marshall (e.g., the annual club work day).

Member in Good Standing shall mean a BSRCC club member who is current in the payment of all club dues, and who is also not under disciplinary action for violation of any club rule (see Article IX for Club Rules).

AMA shall mean the Academy of Model Aeronautics, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie, IN 47302, Tel. 800-435-9262, https://www.modelaircraft.org.

AMA Chartered Club in this instance shall refer to the fact that BSRCC is an AMA Chartered Club. Therefore, current and valid AMA membership is required in order to be a BSRCC member. If a member’s AMA membership expires, then the BSRCC membership automatically expires as well. In this instance, BSRCC membership can only be reinstated after AMA membership is reinstated.

Membership shall mean the collective members of the BSRCC.

Board of Officers shall mean the collective officers of the BSRCC.

He shall mean in the remainder of these Bylaws the more correct term “he/she”. This is in recognition of the fact that those interested in model aviation may be either male or female, and both are equally welcomed by the BSRCC.

Majority Vote shall mean the numerical majority of all members present at a regularly scheduled monthly meeting or special called meeting.

ARTICLE IV — OFFICER POSITIONS AND DUTIES

The officer positions of BSRCC, and associated primary duties, are described below.

President

The president shall preside at all club meetings, act as a spokesman for the club, coordinate the duties of the other Club Officers, appoint special temporary committees (including the audit committee) when and if they are required, and act as an authorized signer (if necessary) of checks issued by the Club. The president shall conduct his actions for the club in a democratic fashion, strive hard to recognize, understand, and reflect the needs of all club members, and in general be responsible for the smooth day to day running of the club to the best of his ability. He shall also be responsible for the long range planning necessary to ensure continuous availability of a suitable flying field for the club. If the president is unable to attend a club meeting for any reason, he shall appoint a Deputy (usually the Vice President) to act in his stead.

Vice President

The vice president shall act as Deputy for the President when he is not available, and be responsible to the President for all other circumstances. At each meeting, he shall give a report on old business from the prior meeting and shall endeavor to have such business considered and voted on by the membership in a timely fashion. He is also an authorized signer (if necessary) of checks issued by the Club, and is responsible for the communications within the Club outside of the areas of minutes and the Club newsletter. If the vice president is unable to attend a club meeting for any reason, he shall appoint a Deputy (usually the Treasurer) to act in his stead.

Treasurer

The treasurer shall be responsible to the President, keep an accurate written record of all financial affairs of the club, give a report at each meeting of the current financial status of the club, collect and deposit all club dues, frequently analyze the clubs long term financial situation and make recommendations as how best to maintain solvency, act as liaison between the club and the club’s banking institution, keep an up to date record of the clubs membership, and notify the club Secretary of membership status (e.g., those members who are current on dues, delinquent on dues, AMA compliant, have discontinued club membership, etc.). Additionally, he is the primary party designated to act as an authorized signer of checks issued by the club. In the event the Treasurer is unable to fulfill his duties for any reason (e.g., incapacitation, illness, out of town, etc.), the Vice President or President may act in his stead with the same authority to sign checks. If the Treasurer is unable to attend a club meeting for any reason, he shall appoint a Deputy (usually the Vice President) to act in his stead.

Secretary / Newsletter Editor

The Secretary shall be responsible to the President, give a report at each meeting of the prior meeting minutes (noting any changes or corrections which may be required), take accurate minutes of the ongoing club meeting, and publish new minutes and the monthly club newsletter in a timely fashion. A copy of each month’s club minutes and newsletter shall be sent timely to each BSRCC member by one of the following methods: (i) email (preferred method); or (ii) paper copy (i.e., if that particular member does not have emailing capability). If the Secretary cannot attend a club meeting for any reason, he shall appoint a Deputy (usually the Treasurer) to act in his stead.

Safety Officer

The Safety Officer shall be responsible to the President, ensure that all model flying is conducted in a safe manner (i.e., in accordance with all AMA safety rules and club safety rules), and shall give a report on the clubs general safety status at each meeting. Additionally, he shall be the first point of contact with any member(s) who might fly in an unsafe manner, in hopes that voluntary compliance with all safety rules can then be achieved. If not, he shall report such incidents to the Board of Officers for further discussion and consideration, and appropriate action as may be necessary. If the Safety Officer cannot attend a club meeting for any reason, he shall appoint a Deputy (usually the Field Marshall) to act in his stead.

Field Marshall

The Field Marshall shall be responsible to the President, and shall ensure that all field safety equipment (e.g., spectator safety fences, impound area, safety bulletin board, plane holding stations, plane assembly benches, pilot standing areas, pilot safety fences, etc.) is maintained in such manner as to meet all safety standards of both the AMA and the BSRCC. Additionally, he shall ensure that all field maintenance equipment (i.e., lawn mowers, weed eaters, etc.), and the field itself, are maintained in an acceptable condition to accommodate the usual model flying. He shall report on the general field status at each meeting, noting any deficiencies which are found, and shall organize assistance from any and all other BSRCC members as may be required in order to maintain the desired level of field maintenance for supporting an active flying club. It is expected that all members will respond positively to any request by the Field Marshall for any assistance with field maintenance work. If the Field Marshall cannot attend a club meeting for any reason, he shall appoint a Deputy (usually the Safety Officer) to act in his stead

Board of Officers

The Board of Officers shall consist of the collective officers of the BSRCC described above. In addition to their individual duties, the Board of Officers shall also have the collective responsibility to collaborate and cooperate with each other regarding the following global items related to club operations: (i) all safety at the field (flying and nonflying); (ii) day to day club maintenance, especially runway condition; (iii) day to day club operations (flying and nonflying); (iv) planning and execution of all club flyins, funflys, and competitions (if any), and sanctioning of same with AMA (if required); (v) long range planning necessary to ensure continuous availability of a suitable flying field for the club; and (vi) to consider and take appropriate action on any and all matters related to member discipline.

ARTICLE V — ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Nominations and election of club officers shall be carried out each year as described below.

Nominations

Nominations shall be made from the floor at the October club meeting for each officer position, and shall be made from only those members who satisfy all of the following criteria at the time of nomination: (i) they are 18 years of age or older, (ii) they are current on payment of all club dues, (iii) they are not under disciplinary action for violation of any club rule, and (iv) they have been a member in good standing of BSRCC for a minimum of one calendar year or longer. Additionally, a given person may be nominated for only one officer position at any given time (i.e., no person shall be nominated to run for two officer positions simultaneously). The names of those members nominated for the various officer positions shall be published and highlighted in the October newsletter.

Election

Election of new officers shall be held at the November club Meeting, from those who have been nominated as per above, by means of majority vote of the members present at that meeting. The resulting new officer’s names shall be published and highlighted in the November meeting newsletter.

Terms of Office

Officers are elected for a one year time period, and shall serve from January 1 through December 31 of the forthcoming year. There shall be no term limitations on any officer position (i.e., a given club member may serve multiple times in a particular officer position provided that he is duly nominated and elected each year by a majority vote of the membership).

ARTICLE VI — CLUB MEETINGS

Regular BSRCC Club Meetings shall be held on the first Saturday of every month at 1:00 PM, and at a location which is stated in the prior month’s newsletter and/or on the club’s web site at https://www.bsrcc.com. Meetings are typically held at the flying field club house. Additionally, Special Called Meetings may be organized by the club President, if and when necessary, with adequate prior notification to the membership.

ARTICLE VII — RECORD KEEPING

Treasurer and Secretary records shall be maintained for a period of 7 years, after which time they may be disposed of. The outgoing Treasurer and Secretary shall be responsible for transferring their complete historical records to the incoming Treasurer and Secretary who, in turn, shall be responsible for receiving and taking custody of same. This transfer of records is usually done immediately following completion of the annual financial audit, performed on the schedule described below. All records are the property of the BSRCC.

ARTICLE VIII — AUDIT AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Audit Committee

For transparency reasons, the outgoing President shall at the December meeting appoint two sitting club Officers plus one other club Member to audit the Treasurer’s financial records for the past fiscal year. This committee shall conduct its audit of the records no later than the following January, discuss with the past Treasurer as may be needed in order to fully understand the clubs financial records, review its preliminary findings with the past Treasure to achieve concurrence on the conclusions, and then report the final audit conclusions to the club’s general membership no later than the January club meeting. The Secretary shall publish the audit results in the January club newsletter. The audit committee shall be automatically disbanded following completion of the audit report.

Special Committees

Special committees, if needed for any reason, may be appointed by the President at any club meeting. These committees shall operate under a specific charter, and for a specific time period defined by the President, and shall be automatically disbanded when their duties are completed.

ARTICLE IX — GENERAL CLUB RULES

Safety Rules

It is not feasible to make a complete and exhaustive listing of all safety and operational club rules that will make a model flying site function both safely and smoothly. However, history and experience are of great assistance in this endeavor, and the below list of items has been compiled based on the BSRCC’s many years of prior club experience. These safety rules and guidelines are provided for the general benefit of all members, and are as follows:

Other Rules

BSRCC is much more than just a physical place to fly ones model airplane. Rather, it is viewed by the current membership as a highly enjoyable and picturesque place to fly ones model airplane, and also a place where club members with a common aeromodeling interest can gather socially, share technical knowledge, train novice pilots, enjoy camaraderie and fellowship amongst themselves, have a laugh or two, and generally participate in an atmosphere which is both safe and mutually supportive of all members who wish to enjoy this wonderful hobby. Therefore, all club members are kindly requested to keep flying safety first and foremost in their minds, and also to project an honest, friendly, cooperative, courteous, and positive attitude to all other club members, adjoining land owners, the public at large, and visitors to the field.

ARTICLE X — PROCEDURE FOR VIOLATION OF CLUB RULES

Article II above states that the purpose of the BSRCC is to provide the physical facilities, safety rules, operational procedures, and general management structure to enable the Membership to safely engage in and enjoy the hobby of Model Aviation. Article IX above states specific safety rules for the BSRCC flying site, and also gives general guidance on expected courteous behavior while at the flying field. The sum total of these two Articles means that each and every member is expected to adhere to accepted norms of societal behavior concerning safety, honesty, courtesy, cooperation, inclusiveness, and friendliness such that their actions will tend to enable, promote, and assist all other members in engaging in and enjoying the hobby of model aviation, rather than inhibiting, discouraging, or preventing other members from engaging in and enjoying the hobby of model aviation.

This Article X, then, provides a mechanism to enforce the above club rules, should it ever be required. This mechanism of enforcement will typically follow one or all of the following three steps, which will be carried out as necessary for reasons of safety and/or club stability.

First Violation

For a first time, minor, accidental, or inadvertent violation of the above rules, the club Safety Officer acting after discussions and concurrence with the Board of Officers will privately, orally, and informally mention to the offending member what actions need to be corrected in order to be in keeping with accepted club norms. It is expected that the club member will then modify his behavior accordingly, and the situation is considered to be completely resolved with no further actions being required. This step will require that at least one club member in good standing have direct knowledge of the infraction, and be willing to so testify.

Second Violation

For a second time, more serious, willful, or purposeful violation of the above rules, the club Safety Officer acting after discussions and concurrence with the Board of Officers will in writing notify the offending member what actions need to be corrected in order to be in keeping with accepted club norms, and that failure to correct such actions in future will lead to his expulsion from the club. It is expected that the club member will then modify his behavior accordingly. This step will require that at least two club members in good standing have direct knowledge of the infraction, and be willing to so testify.

Third Violation

For a third time, highly serious, or blatantly defiant violation of the above rules, the club President acting after discussions and concurrence with the Board of Officers will in writing notify the offending member that he is to appear before the Board of Officers to defend and/or explain his actions for not following the club rules. This step will require that at least three club members in good standing have direct knowledge of the infraction, and be willing to so testify and discuss with the Board of Officers. Following discussion from the club members in good standing who have direct knowledge of the infraction, and defense/explanation by the offending member of his actions, the Board of Officers shall decide by majority vote whether: (i) the offending member is to be expelled from the club; (ii) the offending member may remain a club member with no constraints/restrictions; or (iii) the offending member may remain a club member but with certain constraints/restrictions as may be prescribed by the Board of Officers. Whatever decision is reached by the Board of Officers, such decision is final and shall not be subject to question, negotiation, or further appeal. The decision by the Board of Officers shall be clearly communicated in writing to the offending member. If a member is expelled for serious or repeated infraction of club rules, no refund of “unused dues” shall be made.

ARTICLE XI — DISSOLUTION OF CLUB

If desired for any reason, the club may be dissolved by majority vote of the then current Membership who are eligible to vote (i.e., members who are more than 18 years of age, not delinquent on dues, and not under disciplinary action). If such action is taken, the Officers shall then: (i) make provisions for payment of all the Club’s legally owed debts; and (ii) dispose of all remaining Club assets, if any, in a manner which is equitable to all members.

ARTICLE XII — MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS, RENEWALS, DUES, AND ASSESSMENTS

New Membership Applications

BSRCC has open membership which is generally available to all persons interested in model aviation provided they are of good, safe, honest, cooperative, courteous, and friendly reputation. A New Membership Application Form is available on the Club’s website at https://www.bsrcc.com, and contains all instructions required for completing and submitting the application.

Existing Membership Renewals

For existing members, annual dues are due and payable on January 1 of each year, and are considered delinquent after that date. Existing members may conveniently renew their membership by the following process: (i) make a photocopy of your current and valid AMA card; (ii) write on the front of it your applicable membership class; (iii) attach a check for the applicable annual dues amount; and (iv) mail all these items to the current club Treasurer (address information is available at https://www.bsrcc.com). Any existing membership which is not renewed by February 28 of a given year will be sent an email reminder of the delinquency. Any existing membership which is not renewed by March 31 of a given year will be considered as voluntarily relinquished and dropped from the club roster.

Annual Dues Amount

The current and applicable Annual Dues Amount for each Membership Class is shown on the New Membership Application Form, for both New Membership Applications and Existing Membership Renewals. New Membership Annual Dues Amount may be prorated depending on which month they join in (see New Membership Application Form for details), however, Existing Membership Annual Dues Amount shall not be prorated.

Special Assessments

“Special Assessments”, which are intended to address emergency, unusual, and/or extraordinary events, may potentially be proposed and accepted by the membership from time to time. Examples of such events might be the replacement of a stolen lawnmower, having the field rent unexpectedly raised, having to replace a field shed damaged by weather, or similar such events. If any special assessments are accepted by the membership per majority vote at a scheduled club meeting, then the individual assessment amount levied on each member shall be equal to the total special assessment amount divided by the total number of members in the club at that time.

ARTICLE XIII — MEMBER VOTING RIGHTS

Voting rights within the BSRCC are limited to only those members who are eighteen years of age or older, and who are also fully paid up members in good standing (i.e., youth members, members delinquent on dues, and members under disciplinary action are not allowed to vote).

ARTICLE XIV — RECOMMENDED SOLO PILOT QUALIFICATION PROCEDURE

Like most RC flying clubs, BSRCC does not have a formal process for teaching new members of the club how to fly model airplanes. Instead, this process is handled informally with the more experienced members simply helping the less experienced members become proficient and safe at model building and flying. In this regard, the more experienced members are usually referred to as “instructors”, and the new members are generally referred to as “students”. This initial teaching process is justified for reasons of both safety (i.e., to prevent possible injury to the student and/or other persons at the field) and economy (i.e., to prevent expensive crashes of the student’s airplane or rotor craft). This teaching process continues until such time as the student “solos” (i.e., becomes capable of flying unassisted), at which time the “instructor” and the “student” both become “members” again.

In an effort to assist both the instructor and the student in determining when the student is ready to solo (i.e., ready to fly unassisted), the following recommended guidelines and check list items have been compiled by several senior members who have previously served as instructors. If the student can consistently and reliably perform all the maneuvers listed in the guidelines/checklist below, within an approximately 10 minute flying session, under the overall supervision of a club instructor, then he can have a high degree of confidence that he is ready to safely solo his aircraft (i.e., fly unassisted and independently). These recommendations are given below for both fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft.

ARTICLE XV — RESIGNATION OF CLUB MEMBERSHIP

If desired for any reason, a club member may resign his membership in the BSRCC by mailing written notification to the club Treasurer at the same address as is used for mailing the annual dues (i.e., written notification includes any convenient means of correspondence such as email, typed letter, handwritten note, etc.). The resigning member shall not be entitled to refund of any “unused dues” at the time of resignation.

ARTICLE XVI — AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Amendments to the bylaws may be accomplished by the following process. Any proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be presented at a regularly scheduled monthly meeting (or special called meeting), then discussed and explained with regards to its advantages and disadvantages. If the proposed amendment is then seconded, it shall be entered into that month’s meeting minutes and circulated to all members for their general information. This proposed amendment shall then be reviewed and summarized at the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting (or special called meeting), further discussed if needed, and then voted on by the membership. An Amendment shall be considered approved if accepted by majority vote of the members present at that meeting. Similarly, the Amendment shall be considered disapproved if rejected by majority vote of the members present at that meeting. If the bylaws are amended, such action will be clearly noted in the club meeting minutes, and updated copies of the amended bylaws shall be promptly sent to all club members via electronic means and also placed on the club’s website.

ARTICLE XVII — ITEMS NOT COVERED ABOVE

For any and all matters which are not specifically addressed above, and which relate to club safety or smooth functioning of the club, the Board of Officers shall have both the responsibility and the authority to address and decide upon these timely based on consideration of all facts known to them at the time. In so doing, the Board of Officers shall strongly endeavor to act in a manner which is fair and impartial to all members, and which is also in the best interest of the club as a whole.

ARTICLE XVIII — FLYING SITE LAND OWNERS

Not with standing any rule or bylaw stated above, the flying site land owners (consisting of Ann Sweetman, John Davenport, and Charles Davenport) shall have full, final, and absolute authority over all matters regarding the flying site field and property, and utilization of same by the BSRCC.