Propstoppers RC Flying Club

The Propstoppers RC Model Airplane Club operates under a set of bylaws that has been submitted to the AMA.
These bylaws are occasionally updated to reflect changes in flying equipment and AMA/FAA rules and regulations.

Click here to download a PDF version of the Bylaws.

Approved Bylaws September 2018

Propstoppers Model Airplane Club

BYLAWS

1. Article I - Name and Location

i. The official name of the club shall be “Propstoppers Model Airplane Club”, aka "The Propstoppers", hereafter called the “Club”.

ii. The location of the Club shall be Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

2. Article II – Purpose

The mission of the Club is:

i. To acquire, maintain and operate flying sites for the operation of radio controlled model aircraft.

ii. To promote the flying hobby.

iii. To encourage and educate members and others in model aviation.

iv. To promote model aviation at local events and civic activities whenever possible.

3. Article III - Membership

a. Becoming a Member

Prerequisites for membership shall be:

i. A demonstrated desire to participate in Club activities.

ii. Agreement to abide by all Club rules and regulations.

iii. Possession of a current Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) membership.

iv. Attending three Club functions and making themselves known to current Club members present.

v. At least two of the three must be official Club meetings. Others can be impromptu flying or casual events such as Club breakfast gatherings.

vi. Persons wishing to join the Club after completing the above prerequisites must then complete an application form (available from the Membership Chairman) and pay the current year’s dues. Dues will be prorated by quarters (e.g., if joining in the last 3 months of the year, pay 1/4 of that year’s Club dues). Prorated dues are provided only when first joining. All subsequent membership renewals will be full year terms.

b. Membership Cards

i. Membership cards will be issued when Club dues are paid.

ii. Membership cards will be changed in color each calendar year from the previous year.

c. Dues and Assessments

i. Dues shall be assessed annually as determined by the Executive Committee for the upcoming calendar year.

ii. Dues shall be based on the projected budget of the upcoming calendar year.

d. Resolution of Grievances

Shall be in accordance with Article XI

e. Resignation

i. Any member in good standing may resign his/her membership by giving written notice to the Membership Chair.

ii. In the event a member voluntarily terminates his membership, he or she forfeits any claim to a pro-rated return of the annual Club dues.

f. Termination & Disciplinary Action

i. If any member ceases to maintain membership in the AMA, his/her membership in the Club shall be automatically terminated. If the member’s AMA membership is reinstated, he/she is subject to reinstatement of Club membership.

ii. The Executive Committee shall have the power to recommend termination of any Member for just cause, if such individual willfully commits any act or omission which is a violation of any of the terms of the club’s Bylaws or Rules, the Rules of the AMA, or which is detrimental to the Club, the AMA, or to model aviation. Termination for cause shall be subject to the procedures provided in Article XI Grievance Procedure.

iii. A Member terminated under this provision shall have a prorated portion of his or her annual dues refunded. Proration shall be by quarters.

g. Reinstatement

i. Terminated members may reapply for membership one year following termination.

ii. Reinstatement shall be subject to approval of the Executive Committee.

4. Article IV - Officers

a. Number of Offices

The official Offices of the Club are (an asterisk * denotes elected Offices. See Article IV b. and c.):

i. *President

ii. *Vice-President

iii. *Treasurer

iv. *Secretary

v. Membership Chairman

vi. Safety Officer

vii. Webmaster

viii. Newsletter Editor

b. Executive Committee (See Article VII-Committees)

i. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Offices of President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.

ii. The Elected Officers of the Executive Committee shall be elected in accordance with Article VIII - Nominations, Elections, and Recall.

c. Appointed Officers

The following Appointed Offices are appointed by, and serve at the direction of the Executive Committee. They may be removed or reassigned at any time. The Executive Committee may, at their discretion, assign more than one Member to share duties and responsibilities for a single Office and/or may appoint one Member to serve in more than one Office simultaneously.

i. Membership Chairman

ii. Safety Officer

iii. Webmaster

iv. Newsletter Editor

v. Other Temporary Officers as determined necessary by the Executive Committee.

d. Term of Office

i. Officers shall serve for 1 calendar year.

ii. Officers may serve as many terms, consecutive or not, to which they are elected/appointed.

e. Duties & Responsibilities

The Officers of the Club have the following duties and responsibilities:

President

i. Schedule and conduct regular Club meetings.

ii. Oversee the other Officers in their duties.

iii. Lead the effort to attain and retain flying sites.

iv. Obtain a meeting room for the regular Club meetings.

v. Be the spokesperson for the Club when interfacing with other clubs, organizations, and the general public.

vi. Serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee.

Vice-President

i. In the absence of the President, assume the President’s duties and responsibilities.

ii. Approve the Treasurer’s Financial Accounting Process.

iii. Perform the Annual Audit of the Treasurer’s books. Appoint another Club member to assist in this task.

iv. Approve the Membership Chair’s Membership Information Privacy Policy and Procedure.

v. Supervise the Grievance Procedure as provided in Section XI - Grievance Procedure.

vi. Serve as Chairperson of the Safety Committee (See Article VII Committees).

Secretary

i. Record minutes during the regular Club meetings and amend previous meeting minutes when warranted.

ii. Transmit the meeting minutes to the Editor for addition to the Club newsletter.

Treasurer

Create and execute a written Treasurer’s Financial Accounting Process, approved by the Vice President, designed to:

i. Receive and properly account for dues collected by the Membership Chair.

ii. Deposit and record dues and other income into a proper Club bank account.

iii. Make and record payments, by check, for qualified expenses.

iv. Balance the check book monthly.

v. Receive and store expense receipts, bank statements, etc..

vi. Maintain monthly a Club Financial Statement that shows income, expenditures, and balances.

vii. Report the Club’s cash balance at the Club Meetings.

viii. Participate willingly and openly in the Annual, and any ad-hoc, Audit of the Treasurer’s books.

Membership Chairman

i. Oversee the membership process.

ii. Collect Club dues and transmit them to the Treasurer, following the Treasurer’s Financial Accounting Process.

iii. Issue annual Club Membership Cards.

iv. Maintain a Membership Roster, including all pertinent contact information.

v. Create and follow a Membership Information Privacy Policy and Procedure, approved by the Vice President, which controls how the membership’s personal information will be kept and used.

Safety Officers

It is recommended to have, at minimum, one Safety Officer per flying field.

Working through the Safety Committee:

i. Maintain and enforce the Club’s Rules, Safety Regulations and Guest Policy documents, including periodic review and revision.

ii. Investigate any Safety Grievances, or any safety related concerns/incidences reported by anyone (Club members, neighbors, etc.).

iii. Bring safety issues and concerns to the attention of the Safety Committee.

iv. Organize capable supervision of the safety procedures at official Club flying events.

v. Recruit, train, and assign additional Safety Officers to assist as required.

vi. Oversee Club safety in general and implement the Safety Grievances Procedure.

Webmaster

i. Establish and maintain the Club’s official web presence on all suitable and relevant internet platforms and media as directed by the Executive Committee.

ii. Post regular newsletters, forwarded by the Newsletter Editor, on the Club web site.

iii. Receive and forward to the appropriate Officer(s) any emails, inquiries, requests, etc. posted via the Club web site.

Newsletter Editor

i. Prepare a periodic newsletter containing a review of the previous Club meetings and activities, both formal and informal, as well as other items relevant to the Club’s Purpose.

ii. Solicit and assign co-editors and writers to develop newsletter articles and news of interest to the membership.

Exercise editorial authority over all newsletter content in the best interest of the Club and, where requested, in consultation with the Executive Committee.

f. Office Vacancies

i. Vacancies in any Appointed Office shall be filled by Executive Committee appointment.

ii. Temporary (midterm) Vacancies in any Elected Office, other than regular term vacancies governed by Article VIII - Nominations, Elections, and Recall, shall be filled by appointment by the remaining Executive Committee Officers.

iii. Any temporary appointment under section ii above shall serve until the end of the term for which the predecessor was elected/appointed.

5. Article V - Meetings

i. General Club membership meetings are held regularly on the same day and time (e.g., second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.) as determined by the Executive Committee.

ii. The general membership meetings will be at a location obtained and designated by the Club President.

iii. Meetings shall be conducted under the President’s, or is designee’s, supervision in an orderly and inclusive manner that serves the agenda and the Club’s Purpose. The President may, at any time, elect to temporarily impose procedures in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of Order”. Similarly, any Club Member present may, at any time during a meeting, move to temporarily impose “Roberts Rules of Order”, with a “Second” and a simple majority vote of those Club Members present.

6. Article VI - Record Keeping

a. The Officers are responsible for maintaining the following records:

i. Approved Club Meeting Minutes.

ii. Financial reports and records generated by the Treasurer’s Financial Accounting Process.

iii. Grievances

iv. Membership Rosters

b. Officers will endeavor to preserve prior Records and pass them forward to successive Officers.

7. Article VII – Committees

a. Standing Committees

Executive Committee (See Article IV - b):

i. Shall serve as the executive head of the organization with responsibility and final authority for the proper management of all organizational actions and decisions.

ii. Shall be the final arbiter of internal disputes and the final appeal for Grievances brought forward in accordance with Article XI- Grievance Procedure.

iii. Executive Committee decisions shall be by majority vote. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote shall determine the outcome.

Safety Committee (See Article IV - e - Safety Officers):

i. Shall manage and perform the necessary activities for maintaining a safe flying environment in all club activity.

ii. Shall investigate and make determination in regard to Safety Grievances as provided in Article XI - Grievance Procedures.

iii. The Safety Committee members are all appointed Safety Officers, Assistant Safety Officers and the Vice President.

iv. Vice President shall serve as Chairperson of the Safety Committee.

b. Temporary Committees

i. Any Temporary Committees deemed necessary by the Executive Committee shall be announced/appointed by the President at a general Club membership meeting. If requested, and “Seconded”, by a Club member, at the meeting, a vote shall be taken to approve the appointments with a simple majority vote of the Club members in good standing that are present at the meeting. Examples of temporary committees might be an event committee or a field location search committee.

ii. Committees will have a termination date defined at the time the Committee is named.

iii. Committees will select a Chairperson, from its membership, with responsibility for making periodic reports to the Membership at a regular Club meeting.

iv. The Secretary shall maintain a list of all active Committees and their Chairpersons and shall include with the Meeting Minutes any periodic reports presented by these Committees at regular Club meetings.

8. Article VIII - Nominations, Elections, and Recall

a. Nominations

i. Any person running for an Elected Office must be a Club member in good standing.

ii. An individual may run for only one office in an election.

iii. Notification of upcoming nominations and the annual election should be posted in two successive newsletters (e.g. August, September).

iv. Nominations must be presented at the third successive meeting (e.g. October) either in person or by written statement. No nominations will be accepted after the third meeting.

v. Nominees can post their views and platform in the newsletter following the third meeting (e.g. November).

vi. At the fourth meeting, (e.g. November) prior to calling for a vote, all nominees will be given the opportunity to reiterate their views, and to answer any questions from the members present,.

b. Election

i. Any electable position that has only one nominee can be voted on at the nominating (e.g. October) meeting. A simple majority of Club members present will elect that nominee.

ii. By vote of a 2/3 majority of the members in good standing at the final election meeting (e.g. November), election may be held by voice vote instead of by a written ballots method. A simple majority will elect the Officer from the slate of nominees.

iii. If a voice vote at the election meeting is not approved, The President will appoint a three person ballot committee who will prepare, distribute and receive written ballots at the same meeting. The ballot committee will tally the votes and report the results to the Meeting.

iv. A simple majority of the returned ballots will elect each Officer.

v. Absentee or proxy votes are not accepted.

c. Recall

i. Any Elected Officer may be subject to a recall vote by a signed petition of 20% of the Club membership.

ii. A recall petition may, but is not required to, contain a nomination for replacement candidate.

iii. The recall vote shall be conducted by secret ballot at a general Club meeting no less than two months following submittal of the petition. Notice of the recall vote must be published in at least two successive newsletters prior to the vote

iv. At the recall vote meeting, all parties will be given the opportunity to reiterate their views and to answer any questions from the members present.

v. A simple majority of Members in good standing at the recall vote meeting will affirm the recall.

vi. In the event a recall is affirmed without an alternate candidate, the remaining Executive Committee members may appoint a Member to complete the term of office.

9. Article IX - Miscellaneous Provisions

a. Fiscal Year

The Club fiscal year shall be the calendar year.

b. Newsletter

i. The Club shall maintain and publish a periodic newsletter.

ii. The newsletter shall contain a copy of the prior meeting minutes and an agenda for the following meeting.

iii. The newsletter will be posted on the Club’s internet website no less than one week prior to the next Club meeting.

c. Use of Club Mark and Logo

i. The official colors of the Club will be orange, white and black and should be used on all signs, jackets, insignias, etc.

d. Standing Rules

i. All flying will be in accordance with current AMA regulations along with Propstopper regulations defined in Appendix I. “Propstoppers Safety Regulations and Guest Policy”.

ii. Only members in good standing of the Club and their Guests (in accordance with the Club’s Guest Policy) are allowed to fly at the Club fields.

iii. No alcoholic beverages or recreational drugs are permitted at the flying field. No-one may fly at the field while taking medications, prescription or patent, that are typically distributed with a warning regarding impairments to activity such as the operation of a motor vehicle or machinery.

iv. All members will be responsible for the condition of the flying field and will clean up any debris at the end of the flying session.

v. Membership cards must be available for inspection at the field at all times when flying.

vi. Any incident where an aircraft crashes in the pit or outside of the field boundaries must be reported as soon as possible.to the field Safety Officer, or any Executive Committee member.

e. Dissolution of Club

i. The Club may be dissolved with the approval of 2/3 vote of the full Membership.

ii. If the Club charter is cancelled or the Club terminates its activities, the remaining Club assets will be determined by the Treasurer and will be divided equally among the current remaining members in good standing.

10. Article X - Amendment of these Bylaws

When deemed necessary, the Club’s By-Laws may be updated by the Executive Committee at a general Club membership meeting, with a minimum of one month notice, by the approval of a 2/3 majority vote of the members in good standing that are present.

11. Article XI – Grievance Procedure

a. Purpose

The grievance procedure provides a mechanism to enforce existing rules by providing a progressive disciplinary system when needed.

b. Procedure

i. Although most complaints are preferably resolved informally, if a complaint is serious or cannot be resolved informally, the matter should be referred for consideration by means of a Grievance Form (see Amendment 1, below) to be filled out and turned in to the appropriate Officer. At least one Club member witness (Other than the Grievant) is required to sign the Grievance Form. In the event that the procedurally designated Officer under this article is the Grievant, then another Officer must forward the Grievance for action.

ii. For purposes of this Article, the term “Grievant” shall refer to the party who is making the complaint. The term “Accused” shall refer to the person who is alleged to have violated policy or procedure.

iii. Grievances may be divided into two basic types and will be processed separately:

a. “Safety Violations” include any behavior or condition under a member’s control that is a direct violation of the Propstoppers Safety Regulations & Guest Policy or which otherwise presents a hazard to the safe operation of club facilities, events and activity.

b. “Social Violations” include any behavior or condition under a member’s control that may materially affect the ability of another member to safely, equitably and freely enjoy the benefits of membership and is not otherwise covered under Safety Violations above. Examples might be, but are not limited to, rude, discriminatory or disorderly conduct, disrespect for property or orderly process.

iv. The Safety Officer will investigate allegations and review rules and regulations with all parties, and shall use his/her judgment in recommending action on Safety Violations to the Safety Committee.

v. The Vice President will investigate allegations and shall use his/her judgement in recommending action on Social Grievances to the Executive Committee.

vi. Progressive Violations must occur within a 2-year moving timeframe for the violation escalation process, described below to be in force. Both Safety and Social Violations will be combined successively for purposes of this provision.

FIRST VIOLATION

a. Viewpoints of both Grievant and Accused will be considered.

b. Grievant’s name will be disclosed.

c. A verbal reprimand will be given to the Accused by the Officer, and this will be recorded in the Grievance Files.

SECOND VIOLATION

a. Grievant’s name will be disclosed.

b. The Accused has the right to a written rebuttal, to be reviewed by the Officer.

c. If the Officer so decides, the flying privileges of the Accused may be suspended for no more than thirty (30) days.

d. Written notice of this shall be issued and a copy published in the Club newsletter, including the name of the Accused

THIRD VIOLATION

a. Grievant’s name will be disclosed.

b. The Accused has the right to a written rebuttal, to be reviewed by the Officer.

c. If a finding is made against the Accused, the Officer will notify the Accused, in writing, and the Club members, via the Club newsletter, that the Club will vote on the possible termination of the accused at the next meeting.

d. Termination will last for a one-year minimum (longer if deemed necessary by the Executive Committee).

e. A member may be terminated from the Club only upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Members present at the Club meeting.

f. Voting will be by secret ballot.

g. The terminated member may reapply for membership after the expulsion time period has passed.

vii. Any member receiving a Grievance, who directs any retaliatory action against the person filing said Grievance, will be subject to immediate expulsion from the Club. This includes threats, intimidation, physical harm, intentional equipment damage, or any other action deemed to be retaliatory by the Executive Committee.

c. Appeals

i. With regard to Social Violations, the decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.

ii. With regard to Safety Violations, the Grievant may submit a written appeal to the Executive Committee within two weeks of receipt of a final decision of the Safety Committee. The decision of the Executive Committees shall be final.

Ammendment 1

Propstoppers Model Airplane Club Grievance Form

Date: ____________________ Time: _______________________

Location:_____________________________________________________

Type of Greivance: Circle one:

SAFETY VIOLATION: submit Form to a Safety Officer.

SOCIAL VIOLATION: submit Form to the Vice President.

Description of Violation: (Continue on back if necessary)

Name of the Accused: (please print) _________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Name of Grievant: (please print) _______________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________________________

Name of Witness: (Please print) ________________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________________________

Additional Witnesses (not required):

________________________________________________

Ammendment 2

PROPSTOPPERS SAFETY REGULATIONS & GUEST POLICY

Safety Rules and Regulations:

1. It is the duty of all members to obey and enforce the rules of the Propstoppers Model Airplane Club and the AMA.

2. New members who claim to be pilots will be checked out by an experienced Club Member Pilot Instructor or a Club Officer. New flyers are required to seek help from instructors until they solo successfully.

3. Keep your aircraft and equipment in the designated pit area.

4. Taxing from the Runway/Pit areas shall be limited to the designated taxiways only. Taxing into the pit area from runways is prohibited, but taxing from the edge of the pit area into the runway is permitted.

5. Aircraft on landing approach have priority over all others. Pilots MUST call out for landing approach.

6. Aircraft experiencing control or engine difficulty have the right of way for landing. Call out when in trouble.

7. Do not fly over flight lines or spectator area.

8. Retrieve aircraft from runway as soon as possible. People doing this have the right of way and MUST call out prior to entering the runway.

9. All Club members are responsible to see that spectators remain in proper areas at all times.

10. Takeoffs are permitted only from the runways.

11. Pilots will stand in designated areas only.

12. Park cars in the designated area behind the flight lines and pit.

13. No more than 5 aircraft are allowed in the air at one time, unless all pilots in attendance unanimously agree otherwise.

14. Club membership cards are to be on the pilots at all times and available for inspection by anyone who asks.

15. Gate policy; First one in unlocks the gate. Last one out, locks up the gate.

16. Engines run up or being broken in for extended periods of time must be taken to an isolated portion of the field away from the pit area.

17. All engines are required to have a muffler and pass 95dB at 9 feet on a DB noise meter.

18. Respect allowable flying times and aircraft power/fuel type restrictions for specific fields as posted on the Club Website

Transmitter Frequencies:

1. As policy, all Propstopper RC Club activities and fields will operate with 2.4 Ghz frequency hopping/spread spectrum RC systems except as provided below.

2. Anyone operating a single channel “crystal” transmitter shall, prior to turning the transmitter on, take effective measures to announce the fact and determine if anyone else at the field is operating on similar equipment, and, if so, shall negotiate mutually understood and accepted frequency management safety measures.

3. All activity at club sponsored events, competitions and other gatherings will be restricted to 2.4Ghz frequency hopping/spread spectrum RC systems, except by specific prior permission and coordination with the event manager and safety officer(s).

Guest Policy:

4. Guests are permitted to accompany a member to our fields.

5. Guests are permitted to fly only if they are valid AMA members and are accompanied by a Club member.

6. Guests must review the Club Safety Regulations before flying.

7. Guests must demonstrate their flying ability to the Club member before they are given the OK to fly without supervision by a Club member.

8. Guests are permitted to fly no more than three separate times in total at any Club flying field. After that, they are required to join the Club if they wish to continue flying at the Club fields.

Club Bylaws

Approved Bylaws September 2018