ARTICLE 1. NAME AND
ORGANIZATION
This organization shall
be known as the “Reguladores Law Enforcement
Motorcycle Club, South Central Chapter”, hereinafter
referred to as the “Club” and is an affiliate of the
Reguladores Motorcycle Club as authorized by Article
7 of the Reguladores LEMC by-laws of the founding
chapter. This may be abbreviated as “Reguladores
LEMC South Central Chapter”.
ARTICLE 2. PURPOSE
The purpose of the South
Central Chapter of the Reguladores Law Enforcement
Motorcycle Club is to promote skilled and educated
motorcycling, broaden motorcycle awareness and serve
as an advocate for motorcyclists on related issues.
The south Central Chapter of the Reguladores LEMC
will also strive to contribute and promote positive
local charities, while building and creating
camaraderie with other motorcycle clubs and
enthusiast.
ARTICLE 3. NATIONAL
CHAPTER BY-LAWS
All members of the
Reguladores LEMC South Central Chapter shall, in
conjunction with the local chapter by-laws, adhere
to the governing articles set forth by the National
Chapter of the Reguladores LEMC.
ARTICLE 4. MEMBERSHIP
Section 4.1
Membership Criteria
Membership is open to
any active or retired law enforcement Officer,
Federal Agent, Federal, District or County
Prosecutor and any military personnel who own a
motorcycle. These persons will be considered regular
members. The Reguladores also accepts associate
members. Associate members are those persons that
own a motorcycle and who are invited to join by a
regular member. All members shall be allowed to
bring in their significant other. If the significant
other is a bike owner they shall be an associate
member. All non-bike owning persons, depending on
their sex, shall be referred to as a Darlin or as an
Associate member.
Section 4.2
Membership Selection:
Membership is open to
those who:
(a) Meet the membership
criteria;
(b) Agree with the Club
purpose;
(c) Pay dues and agree
to abide by Club by-laws;
Members who meet and
abide by the above shall be deemed in good standing.
Section 4.3
Membership Rights:
Each member in good
standing shall have voting rights and full
privileges.
Section 4.4 Removal:
Any member may be
removed for cause by a two-thirds (2/3) majority
vote of members present at a business meeting
following a discussion of the cause. The call for
removal must be announced to the membership no later
than two weeks (14 days) prior to the meeting and
must include the date, time and location of the
meeting and must include the reasons for calling a
removal meeting. Removed members are not entitled to
a dues refund.
ARTICLE 5. DUES
Section 5.1 Dues:
New member’s dues will
be $120.00 for the first fiscal year. The Club will
supply their colors. All other members’ dues shall
be in the amount $20.00 per year. The fiscal year
shall be from October 1
of one year to September 30
of the next. Dues will be considered
past due on January 1of a fiscal year. After January
31
of a fiscal year all members having
outstanding dues will be considered inactive members
and not in good standing until paid in full.
Section 5.2
Membership to the South
Central Chapter of the Reguladores LEMC shall be
extended to every member for as long as they wish to
participate and are in good standing. A member
having successfully participated in the South
Central Chapter of the Reguladores LEMC for 5 years
shall be considered a life member. They shall be
required to pay dues, but as a token of the Club’s
appreciation, they shall be given ownership of the
Club’s colors.
Section 5.3
Membership dues shall
neither be pro-rated nor refunded unless approved by
unanimous vote of the Executive Board. In case of
hardship the Executive Board may, with majority
consent of members in good standing, authorize
appropriate measures as may be necessary.
Section 5.4
In the event of
dissolution of the Club, all funds in the treasury
shall be donated to a charity as selected by
majority vote of the membership at time of
dissolution.
ARTICLE 6. MEETINGS
Section 6.1
At least one executive
business meeting will be held each month. Additional
business meetings may be called by the President or
by a majority request of the Executive Board to
accommodate specific Club circumstances.
Section 6.2
Social meetings will be
held periodically for the purpose of fraternization
and to promote Club interest.
Section 6.3
The exact dates, times
and meeting places will be announced on the Club
website.
Section 6.4
Meetings of the general
membership shall be held once each quarter or a
general meeting may be called by the President or by
a majority of the Executive Board.
Section 6.5
Any three members of the
Executive Board can require the President to specify
a quorum for decisions.
Section 6.6
Minutes of all meeting
shall be recorded and reported at the next meeting
and also reported on the chapter web site.
Section 6.7
All general meetings
will be conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE 7. CLUB
OFFICERS
Section 7.1
Administration:
The Club shall be
administered by the following officers who shall
collectively function as the Executive Board:
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and
Sergeant at Arms.
Section 7.2
Event Officers are
non-Executive Board officers charged with enforcing
conduct as set forth in the Club by-laws. There are
three types of Event Officers:
(a) Road Captains
organize and lead the Club during riding events;
(b) Event Coordinator
organizes and leads an event not centered around
riding; and
(c) Web Master is
responsible for maintaining the South Central
Chapter website.
Section 7.3
Qualifications:
(a) The President and
Vice President shall be regular members who are
Peace Officers and in good standing. The Secretary,
Treasurer, Sgt. at Arms, Road Captains, Web Master,
and Event Coordinators can be any member in good
standing.
(b) Executive Board
members who operate a motorcycle shall be licensed
in accordance with Texas state law.
(c) Road Captains must
exhibit safe riding skills and it is recommended
that they take part in a group riding program that
covers the planning, procedures, signals, and other
relevant factors for a group riding activity.
(d) Event Coordinators
must be able to coordinate a given event through
completion.
Section 7.4
Officers shall be
eligible for reimbursement for reasonable expenses
incurred during the administration of Club business
by submitting a request with receipts at a business
meeting. Approval is by a majority vote of members
present. These expenses are to be listed separately
on an end-of-year report by the Treasurer.
ARTICLE 8. DUTIES OF
OFFICERS
Section 8.1
The duties of the
President shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Presiding over Club
meetings, functions and activities not being led by
an Event Officer;
(b) Seeing to the
enforcement of the objectives and purpose of this
organization;
(c) Coordinating,
directing and managing the business functions and
activities of the Club as required to ensure
continuity and success of the Club and the Club’s
objectives;
(d) Informing the Vice
President when the President is unable to preside
over any Club meeting, function or activity;
(e) Delegating other
duties as may be required; and
(f) Performing other
duties which may be assigned.
Section 8.2
The duties of the Vice
President shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Performing the
duties of the President in case of his or her
absence or inability;
(b) Serving as the
Activities Coordinator in scheduling, planning, and
ensuring proper arrangements are made for all Club
sponsored activities and events; and
(c) Performing other
duties which may be assigned by the President.
Section 8.3
The duties of the
Secretary shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Keeping and
maintaining accurate written records of all
executive and general meetings;
(b) Ensuring that an
open line of communication is made available to all
members via e-mail or phone, regarding any and all
Club functions;
(c) Assisting the Web
Master in ensuring that proper and correct
information is placed on the website;
(d) Accepting and
recording all nominations for Executive Board
elections;
(e) Making arrangements
for lodging for Club functions at out of town
locations and for guests of the South Central
Chapter of the Reguladores LEMC visiting from out of
town; and
(f) Performing other
duties which may be assigned.
Section 8.4
The duties of the
Treasurer shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Maintaining an
up-to-date membership list available upon request by
any member of the Executive Board;
(b) Coordinating
reimbursement expenditures through the Executive
Board;
(c) Receiving, recording
and reporting all monies or property donated to,
paid to, or owned by the Club;
(d) Keeping an account
of all receipts and disbursements so that a
statement of the financial condition of the Club is
available upon request by the officers or general
membership;
(e) Preparing an
end-of-year report for the Executive Board to be
shared at the first meeting of each fiscal year; and
(f) Performing other
duties which may be assigned.
Section 8.5
The duties of the
Sergeant at Arms shall include, but not be limited
to:
(a) Keeping and
maintaining order during executive and general
meetings;
(b) Surveying and
assessing security risk for Club members at any and
all functions and ensuring the safety of our Club
members and guests when not riding;
(c) Assisting the
Secretary in making lodging arraignments for out of
town functions or for guests at our local functions;
and
(d) Performing other
duties which may be assigned.
Section 8.6
The duties of the
Webmaster shall include but not be limited to:
(a) Maintaining the Club
website in coordination with Executive Board;
(b) Collecting new
material and information as needed to keep the
website current; and
(c) Performing other
duties which may be assigned.
Section 8.7 Officer
Succession:
The following structure
will be in effect in the absence of normal officer
responsibility: President, Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer, Sgt. at Arms and the highest
ranking Charter member as per the roster.
ARTICLE 9. ELECTION
OF OFFICERS
Section 9.1
Nominations and
applications for Executive Officers shall be made at
the general meeting during the third quarter. All
nominations and applications shall be made by
contacting the Club Secretary in writing. Elections
will be held in September per Section 8.3.
Section 9.2
All officers must be
members in good standing.
Section 9.3
Candidates for the
Executive Officer positions must be current members.
Those receiving the highest number of votes shall be
elected for that year and hold office until the
election of a replacement. Terms will be for a two
year period beginning January 1
following the September election.
Section 9.4
Vacancies in any office
shall be filled by a Club member in good standing
appointed by the President and shall serve until the
next regular election of officers.
Section 9.5
Any officer may be
removed from office for cause by a two-thirds (2/3)
majority vote of members present at a business
meeting following a discussion of the cause. The
call for a meeting for removal must be announced to
the membership no later than two weeks (14 days)
prior to the meeting and must include the date, time
and location of the meeting and must include the
reasons for calling a removal meeting.
ARTICLE 10.
APPOINTMENTS AND COMMITTEES
Section 10.1
Appointments and
committees are positions in the Club that are of a
voluntary nature.
Section 10.2
These positions are
appointed by the Executive Board and may change at
the discretion of the appointee or the Board.
ARTICLE 11.
EXPENDITURES
Section: 11.1
The President may spend
up to but not to exceed $500.00 without the
Executive Board’s approval. Any amount above $500.00
shall require a majority vote of the Executive
Board.
ARTICLE 12.
AMENDMENTS
Section 12.1
Notification of proposed
changes to the by-laws of the Club will be made
through the e-mail at least two weeks prior to a
meeting at which changes in the by-laws are to be
considered.
Section 12.2
These by-laws may be
changed by a simple majority vote of the members
present at a regularly scheduled general Club
meeting.
Section 12.3
By-law changes will take
effect upon determination of the final result of the
vote.
Section 12.4
Amendments or changes to
the by-laws shall note the date of change after the
respective by-law, e.g. "[1 Jul 05]".
ARTICLE 13. CONDUCT
Section 13.1
Any member of the Club
may be dismissed from a Club meeting or Club
activity as a result of inappropriate behavior. The
member shall be warned concerning such inappropriate
conduct by an Executive Board member. The following
shall be a basis for disciplinary measures:
(a) Unsafe riding
habits, especially any activity which jeopardizes
the safety of other persons;
(b) Behavior that is
detrimental to the image of the Club; and
(c) Associating with the
criminal element, outside the scope of Law
Enforcement duties.
Section 13.2
Ratification of
Executive Board recommendations for disciplinary
action will be by a two-thirds majority vote of the
Club members in attendance at a regularly scheduled
general meeting.
ARTICLE 14. SAFETY
Section 14.1
All members and guests
participating in any riding activity:
(a) Are encouraged to
wear long pants and over-the-ankle footwear;
(b) Shall be licensed,
tagged/registered and insured for the vehicle that
they are operating;
(c) Shall keep their
motorcycle in proper operating condition;
(d) Proof of license,
registration, insurance can be requested and an
inspection of the condition and/or equipment can be
made by any Club officer or Road Captain, who may
deny participation for failure to meet 13.1
standards in the interest of group's safety.
ARTICLE 15.
NON-MEMBER GUESTS
Section 15.1
Non-member motorcycle
owners are welcome at general meetings, rides, and
social gatherings of the Club so long as they are
invited guests and accompanied by a “regular”
member.
Section 15.2
Guests must agree to
abide by Club rules and standards of conduct.
Section 15.3
Members who bring guests
are responsible for the guests conduct.
ARTICLE 16. RIDING
PROTOCOL
Section 16.1
While riding in a group
the following placement of bikes will be followed:
(a) President, Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer and Sgt. at Arms,
Charter Members, Members and guests; and
(b) Road Captain’s shall
be placed as needed.
(c) A “Sanctioned Ride”
shall be any three patch holding members.
ARTICLE 17. PLACEMENT
OF COLORS
Section 17.1
Colors will be defined
as patches used to signify or represent the
Reguladores LEMC.
(a) On the back of the
vest only the Reguladores three piece patch will be
worn; and;
(b) On the front left of
the vest above the “heart” is where you will wear
patches indicating an office you hold or that you
are a charter member. A road name patch is to be
placed on the right side across from the above.
ARTICLE 18.
ARTICLES OF SUSPENSION [18
August 2007]
All patch holding
Members are expected to conduct themselves in a
responsible and professional manner at all times.
Members are to present themselves as proper
Ambassadors of the Club when conducting business
with vendors, riding, and at social functions. The
public perception of the Reguladores must be one of
professionalism, courtesy, and be held in the
highest regard. All members must strive to meet the
highest standards of respect and safety at all
times.
Section 18.1
Any Member will be in
violation of Club policy and the Code of Ethics if
found
engaging in the
following:
(a) Any Felony arrest or
indictment
(b) Any Misdemeanor arrest
that involves the following circumstances
(1)Theft
(2)Domestic Violence
(3)Narcotics
(4)Perjury
(5)Stalking or Terrorist
threats
(6)Any criminal activity
that, after review by the board, would be considered a
crime of Moral Turpitude.
(c) Public display of
lawlessness by a member, while in colors, that would be
punishable by any of the
aforementioned.
(d) Suspension, Termination,
or Revocation of LE certification by City, State, or
Federal agencies or
accreditors. To be reviewed by the Executive Board.
Section 18.2
Actions to be taken:
Upon review and
consideration by the Directing Officers of the South
Central Chapter, any member found to have violated the
Code of Conduct will be placed on immediate suspension
pending the results of due legal process. Said member
will be REQUIRED to turn in his/her colors until such
time He/She is exonerated and continued membership is
approved by the Directing Officers. A member on
suspension may not participate in Club activities, ride
as a guest, or promote his/herself as a member of the
Reguladores LEMC. Failure to respond or turn in Club
colors in a timely manner (5 days from notification)
will result in IMMEDIATE PERMANENT dismissal and negate
future membership possibilities. Members on suspension
are not required to pay dues, and are not entitled to a
refund or partial refund of dues/fees paid. Members
terminated for cause will not be entitled to a refund of
dues/fees paid. |