OLD RES YACHT CLUB OPERATIONAL PRACTICES AND GUIDELINES

1.0 MEMBERSHIP

1.1      1.1 Suggest two categories of membership:  active and dues paying; inactive and non dues paying.  If you are active, you receive hard copy mailings and email mailings regarding upcoming social events and/or club activities.  If you are inactive, you can still access the web site to catch up on ORYC news.

1.2      1.2 Active members can sign up to join the various clubs on sign up sheets provided at the Annual Meeting.  If member does not attend, they will have access (via an email from the President) to the email address/or telephone number of the club chairperson and therefore be able to sign up online.

1.3   1.3 Active members should commit to and sign up for one of the three socials, again at the Annual Meeting.  Following the Annual Meeting, the President(s) will email the entire membership to remind those not present at the meeting to request a certain assignment.  Otherwise, they will be assigned by the President(s) prior to the updating of the website which lists the socials along with who is on which committee.

1.4    1.4 If a member has passed, the ORYC will donate $100 towards a charity of the surviving family’s choosing or will send a flower arrangement as well as a sympathy card.  The specific details around this can be overseen by the Vice President(s) and Treasurer(s).  If an inactive member has passed, it is up to the Steering Committee’s discretion (IE longevity of previous membership) to make a determination regarding a donation.

1.5   1.5 Members and inactive members should contact the Secretary and the Treasurer in a timely fashion regarding address, email, telephone changes.

2.0 SOCIALS

2.1    2.1 Suggest three socials for the year:  Fall, Winter, and Spring.  The socials should be headed up by the Secretary(ies), Treasurer(s), and Vice President(s).  The President(s) will oversee the annual meeting part of the Social (i.e. election of officers, Treasurer’s report, any discussions regarding Bylaws, practices and protocols that need to be reviewed).

2.2   2.2 Once an official headcount has been reported to a vendor or service provider for a social event, a member who has purchased a ticket can not be reimbursed.  They can try to sell the ticket to another member.

2.3 2.3 There is both a hard copy and spread sheet that contains a record of past social events in order to give committees ideas going forward.  This can be updated by the President and kept in the binder/folder.

2.4    2.4 After a Social event is held, the event Chairperson should fill out a Social Report (a word document) to record costs, feedback, lessons learned and provide it to the President to be placed in the binder/folder.

2.5 2.5 If a social is in someone’s home, suggest paying for a cleaning service after the event; approximately $100.  In addition, it should be understood that members who were assigned to that event stay after to clean up.

2.6   2.6 Socials are supposed to be self funded.  We plan events for which headcount is unknown, so fixed costs should be avoided or minimized.

         a) Try to avoid venues that insist on minimum costs regardless of headcount.

         b) Try to avoid venues whose contracts aren’t flexible about weather or other        unpredictable causes for cancellation.

         c) Have a cash bar versus including cost of beer and wine in cost of ticket

         d) Chairs should request that committee members get an okay before spending

         e) If the committee anticipates it will be in the red for expenses, the Chairperson should consult with the Treasurer

         f) Committees should feel comfortable negotiating for best prices.  Venues and service providers are competing and will likely be flexible to attract an event with 40-50 people

        g) In figuring the cost per person, suggest dividing total by a count of 40-45 people attending

2.7 2.7 Cost, location, etc of events has become an increasing challenge.  There has been an unwritten limit of $50 to $55 per person.  Yet, when most folks go out to dinner, especially if entertainment is involved, they typically would spend more than $60 per person.  Because we are rarely using people’s homes, we are incurring higher costs at restaurants and halls.   Suggest that, if warranted, costs can go as high as $60 per person.

2.8   2.8 Flyers for socials should inquire about members’ food allergies if food is served at the event.

2.9    2.9 Flyers for socials should state that checks be made out to ORYC.

2.10  2.10 Religious holidays should be avoided when setting dates for socials.

2.11   2.11 Sign up for being on a specific social planning committee is on a first come basis and the President(s) will balance out the committees as outlined in the Bylaws.

3.0 STEERING COMMITTEE

3.1   3.1 In practice, the Steering Committee has become the nominating committee versus a separate appointed committee for that purpose.  As such, it is recommended that the Steering Committee meets after the first of the year, and well before the annual meeting to put together a list of nominees for the two roles that are to be transitioned.  The President can then call prospective candidates.

3.2   3.2 Recommend 2 meetings per year:  one prior to the annual meeting (February time frame) and one after the annual meeting (May, June time frame) to welcome the two new sets of officers.  Typically these meetings are at the Presidents’ residence and the May/June meeting has been a dinner put together by the current President. 

3.3   3.3 Suggest that the President keep and add to a binder/file holder (to be handed over to next President) that would contain sections on updated bylaws, history of board members,  history of past social events, copies of the Social Reports that the Chairperson has filled out after each event.   This becomes helpful in defining roles, in knowing who has served on the board in the past (to help with nominations of new officers), lessons learned from past socials, recommended caterers (and ones not recommended): all in the service of not reinventing the wheel every time.  In addition, the binder/folder can be made available to the chairs of the socials.

3.4   3.4 The practice has been to present gifts to the two outgoing officers:  approximately $25 gift certificates.