| ARTICLE 1 � NAME, EMBLEM 1.01 NAME: The Name of the organization shall be �Defenders Motorcycle Club�, here after referred to as �Defenders� or �The Club�. 1.02 EMBLEM: The Defenders emblem consists of an off-white coloured front-end view of a motorcycle emblazoned upon a large red maple leaf. A Banner will intersect the upper portion of the maple leaf and shall depict the name, �Defenders.� Off-white lines on the maple leaf shall represent a road receding off into the distance. There will be two sizes available, a ten-inch and a five-inch. Both will be considered �Emblem� and shall not be altered in any way. 1.03 CHAPTER IDENTIFICATION: A small banner depicting �Chapter� and the number in numerical form. It will be worn two inches above or below the present emblem and may include a provincial abbreviation. ARTICLE 2 � PURPOSE AND GOALS 2.01 PURPOSE: The purpose of �The Chapter� is to provide organisation to motorcycle enthusiasts and to unite riders with similar goals so as to benefit all. 2.02 GOALS: The goals of �The Club� are to: (a) promote safe riding (driving) habits; (b) assist in Community Development; and (c) provide an annual donation to charity as outlined in Art 6. ARTICLE 3 � MEMBERSHIP 3.01 CLASSIFICATIONS: The membership classifications are: (a) Regular Member; and (b) Ordinary Member. 3.02 REGULAR MEMBER: The following are eligible to apply for Regular Membership: (a) Any member and or spouse of a member, of the Canadian Armed Forces, its Allies, RCMP and the Militia (Reserve); and (b) Retires/Released personnel and or spouse, of the Canadian Armed Forces, its Allies, RCMP and the Militia (Reserves). 3.03 ORDINARY MEMBER: Any person may apply for ordinary membership. This application shall be presented by two (2) Regular Members of good standing. The application shall be approved by a majority vote of the Chapter as outlined in Art 10.02 3.04 MEMBERSHIP TERMS: The Term of all memberships shall be for one, (1) year commencing on 1 January and ending 31 December. 3.05 MINIMUM AGE: The minimum age for all memberships shall be 17 years old. ARTICLE 4 � MEMBERSHIP RESTRICTIONS/TERMINATIONS 4.01 MEMBERSHIP RESTRICTIONS: The membership of the Defenders is designed around the Military Community, therefore the precedence for membership shall reflect: (a) Regular members over Ordinary members; and (b) the combined total of Ordinary and Associate members shall not exceed 49% of the total chapter membership. 4.02 MEMBERSHIP TERMINATIONS: Membership terminations shall be conducted under the following guidelines: (a) a member may terminate his/her membership at any time by submitting a letter of resignation to his/her Chapter Executive, which will then be sent to the National Executive; (b) memberships can be terminated by a majority vote of the concerned Chapter, but it is subject to the approval of the National Executive; (c) any member whose membership is revoked has the right to appeal this decision by submitting a letter to the National Executive; and (d) the membership is not considered to be terminated until notification, in writing, is received from the National Executive. 4.03 PERSONS RELEASED/RETIRED from the military shall submit a photocopy of his release/retirement certificate with his application form. 4.04 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS: Acceptance or denial of membership applications shall be conducted by a secret decision of the Chapter�s Executive Committee, no sooner than one month after announcing the receipt of the application at a General Meeting. ARTICLE 5 � COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 5.01 Activity in this area is not restricted to participating in programs presently in existence. Each Chapter shall decide which program(s) they will undertake. The following list is but a few examples: (a) community watch; (b) Big Brothers/Big Sisters; (c) chaperoning teen dances; and (d) organising children�s bicycling rodeos. ARTICLE 6 � ANNUAL DONATION 6.01 The charitable organization that the Defenders shall affiliate with is: The War Amps of Canada - CHAMP Program 6.02 All members shall participate as much as possible in events aimed at raising funds for this charity. All chapters shall have a separate account for champ funds. 6.03 All chapter treasurers shall dispatch all funds raised for the charity, to the National Treasurer by 15 October of each year. 6.04 Any press release on charity should go through National Public Relations. ARTICLE 7 � COMPOSITION OF A CHAPTER 7.01 CHAPTER CONCEPTION: Any member may form a Chapter of �The Club� in his/her area provided that: (a) approval is granted by the National Executive; (b) the articles stated in this Charter are adhered to; (c) there are initially a minimum of twelve (12) members, as described in Art 3 in the same geographical area; and (d) there shall be an Executive Committee, which shall be elected yearly from the membership, consisting of: (i) PRESIDENT; (ii) VICE-PRESIDENT; (iii) SECRETARY; and (iv) TREASURER. 7.02 CHAPTER MEETINGS: Each Chapter Executive shall determine when and where the Chapter meetings will occur and will ensure that: (a) there is at lease one (1) meeting per quarter; (b) an Annual General Meeting is held for the purpose of electing the Chapter Executive; (c) all members of the Chapter shall attend as many meetings as possible; (d) the minutes of all meetings shall be sent to the National Secretary for retention; (e) Special or Executive meetings may be held at the discretion of the Chapter President; and (f) prospective members may attend Chapter meetings but must be accompanied by a member of the Chapter who will ensure that the Executive is aware of the guest(s) name(s). ARTICLE 8 � CHAPTER EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES 8.01 CHAPTER PRESIDENT: The Chapter President is responsible to his/her members and the National Executive and shall: (a) be elected at the Annual General Meeting; (b) enforce all Articles of this Charter; (c) preside as Chairman at meetings of Chapter; (d) review all Chapter membership applications and renewals and forward them to National Executive; (e) Co-Sign with the Chapter Treasurer for all Chapter financial transactions; and (f) authorize, by signature, all transactions from the Chapter to the National Executive. 8.02 CHAPTER VICE-PRESIDENT: The Chapter Vice-President is responsible to the Chapter President and shall: (a) be elected at the Annual General Meeting; (b) provide assistance to the Chapter President as required; and (c) assume the President�s responsibilities and powers when absent. 8.03 CHAPTER SECRETARY: The Chapter Secretary is responsible to the Chapter President and shall: (a) be elected at the Annual General Meeting; (b) maintain accurate minutes of all meetings; (min. to include names of all those present) (c) provide information of Club activities to local newspapers and approved agencies; (d) maintain correspondence with the National Executive; and (e) forward a copy of the minutes of all meetings to the National Executive. 8.04 CHAPTER TREASURER: The Chapter treasurer is responsible to the Chapter President and shall: (a) be elected at the Annual General Meeting; (b) maintain the bank accounts of the Chapter; (c) issue any funds, with the approval of the Chapter Executive, that are required for the operation of the Chapter; (d) submit a written financial statement to the Chapter at each meeting; and (e) forward an accurate financial statement to the National Treasurer by 31 December of each year. 8.05 In the event of any Chapter Executive position becoming Vacant, the Chapter membership shall, as soon as possible, vote in a replacement to the vacated position. 8.06 It shall be the responsibility of the outgoing Executive to work with the incoming Executive to ensure a smooth and effective hand over. ARTICLE 9 � SUB-COMMITTEES 9.01 The Chapter President may appoint Sub-committees as required to provide for efficient and timely execution of Chapter business. 9.02 Sub-Committees may be appointed for a fixed or indefinite period of time. ARTICLE 10 � VOTING 10.01 All member classifications are eligible to vote on all items of club business. The member must be present during the vote. 10.02 All matters voted on will be decided by a majority vote of the quorum present. 10.03 The election of the Chapter Executive shall be conducted by a secret ballot. 10.04 The Chapter Executive may invoke a secret ballot vote on any issue. 10.05 The Chapter Membership may introduce a vote of non-confidence against any Executive member, Committee member or Chapter member if that person is believed to be negligent of his/her duties during the administration of Club affairs. This vote will be a secret ballot and will be carried only if the vote in 75% of the quorum present. ARTICLE 11 � NATIONAL VOTE 11.01 Only matters of National concern shall be voted on under this article. 11.02 A National Vote can only be conducted by the National Executive and shall be accomplished as follows: (a) a dispatch shall be sent to all Chapters, stating the full details of the issue to be voted on; and (b) the results of each Chapter�s vote will be sent to the National Executive for tabulation. Each Chapter will also include a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which the vote was recorded. Reply received within 30 days, or accepted as is. 11.03 The tabulation of the Chapter votes will be conducted by the National Executive and will be deemed as final. 11.04 The National Executive shall have the right to by-pass Art 11.02 on any matter deemed critical for the well being of Club members. ARTICLE 12 � QUORUM 12.01 The quorum for a general meeting shall be 50% of the Chapter Membership. 12.02 The quorum for an annual meeting shall be 75% of the Chapter Membership. 12.03 The quorum for an Executive meeting shall be 75% of the committee members. 12.04 The President of the Chapter may declare a quorum present at any meeting if these ratios are not achieved, provided that, this fact and the percentage attending is recorded in the minutes. No vote will be accepted if the percentages for an actual quorum are NOT recorded ARTICLE 13 � DISCIPLINE 13.01 Any member who discredits the Club, shows poor conduct while displaying the Club Emblem or while being known as a member of the Club, is subject to �Poor Conduct Reports� as follows: (a) poor conduct reports shall be sent by the Chapter Executive to the National Executive for action and retention; (b) Recipients must be notified by the Chapter Executive before the report is sent; and (c) the accumulation of Poor Conduct Reports may result in membership termination or denial of renewal by the National Executive as per Art 4.02. 13.02 Any Member who receives a Poor Conduct Report has the right of appeal to the National Executive. This appeal shall be in writing and must contain all the pertinent information regarding the Report. ARTICLE 14 � MEMBERSHIP APPEAL 14.01 The National Executive shall ensure all appeals from members in reference to their membership are treated fairly and justly. 14.02 Upon receipt of appeal under Art. 13 of this Charter, the National Executive shall review the details of the appeal and send it�s recommendation to the Charter President for action. ARTICLE 15 � NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 15.01 The National Executive may change from Chapter to Chapter as required. 15.02 The National Executive shall consist of five (5) members; four (4) elected and one (1) appointed from the assigned Chapter. These members will fill the following positions: (a) National President (Elected); (b) National Vice-President (Elected); (c) National Secretary (Elected); (d) National Treasurer (Elected); and (e) Public Relations Director (Appointed) by the National President for all Public Relations on the National level. 15.03 The National Executive positions shall mirror the executive positions of the host Chapter. 15.04 NATIONAL PRESIDENT RESPONSIBILITIES: The National President is responsible to the National Membership and shall: (a) serve as Chairman of the National Executive Committee; (b) oversee all National Funds and Expenses; (c) review all membership Appeals; (d) ensure all Chapters abide by the Charter; and (e) advise all Chapter Presidents on matters concerning the Club. 15.05 NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT RESPONSIBILITIES: The National Vice-President is responsible to the National President and shall: (a) assume the National Presidents duties and powers during his absence, or as required by the National President; (b) ensure the rapid purchase, stocking and issue of Club regalia; (c) assign Chapter and member registration numbers in the sequence that they are initiated; (d) control annual renewals and provide an accurate nominal role of each Chapter; and (e) maintain a �Who Cares� list as per Art. 19. 15.06 NATIONAL SECRETARY RESPONSIBILITIES: The National Secretary is responsible to the National President and shall: (a) keep an accurate account of all National Executive Meetings; (b) upon request, provide information on the Club for public relations use; and (c) maintain correspondence with all Chapters. 15.07 NATIONAL TREASURER RESPONSIBILITIES: The National Treasurer is responsible to the National President and shall: (a) maintain accurate and detailed accounts of all Club funds; (b) receive and account for all monies sent from the Chapters for the National Charity Fund; and (c) provide a detailed financial statement of accounts to the National Executive when required. ARTICLE 16 � AMENDMENTS TO THIS CHARTER 16.01 Any member may bring forth a motion to amend this Charter. 16.02 Suggested amendments must be submitted in writing and first achieve a majority vote of the Chapter Membership as per Art. 10 before they are brought to the attention of the National Executive. 16.03 A �National Vote�, as per Art. 11, shall determine the acceptance or refusal of the suggested amendment(s). This vote is not subject to appeal and is binding on all Chapters and Members. ARTICLE 17 � FEES 17.01 The initial membership fee shall be twenty five ($25.00) Canadian dollars. This fee entitles the member to: (a) participate in all Club functions and activities for one (1) year as outlined in Art. 3; and (b) one (1) Club Crest which will remain the property of the Defenders Motorcycle Club and will be surrendered to the National Executive upon termination of membership. If a member remains in good standing for a period of two (2) years, he may retain the crest, but shall not wear or use the crest in public. 17.02 RENEWAL FEES will be governed as follows: (a) renewals received or postmarked before 1 January will cost ten ($10.00) dollars; and (b) renewals received after January 1 may be treated as an initial application and Art. 17.01 may apply. 17.03 These fees are subject to change, through a majority vote of the National Executive, depending on the changing cost of Club regalia. Art. 11.04 will be in effect regarding any changes to fees. 17.04 Chapters may set a membership and/or renewal fee in excess of the National fees. These must be included in Chapter by-laws as indicated under Art. 18 ARTICLE 18 � BY-LAWS 18.01 A CHAPTER may apply any by-laws voted in by the Chapter membership, provided that: (a) these by-laws do not violate any article of this Charter; and (b) a copy of these by-laws are sent to the National Executive for approval. ARTICLE 19 � WHO CARES LIST 19.01 The national vice-president shall maintain the �Who Cares� list. This list will be updated and distributed with the Newsletter. 19.02 All members shall have an opportunity to enter the �Who Cares� list as per the manner dictated on the renewal form. 19.03 Any member who wishes to be removed from the �Who Cares� list must submit a request in writing to the National Executive with an info copy to his Chapter Executive. ARTICLE 20 � GENERAL 20.01 Although the Defenders operate independently of all other existing motorcycle clubs, a close rapport should be maintained to enhance and contribute to the goals and principles stated in this Charter. 20.02 All reference within this Charter to the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender. 20.03 The Club and the articles depicted in this Charter are not intended to imply any endorsements or approvals by the Canadian Armed Forces, it�s Allies or any of its agencies. |
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| Defenders Motorcycle Club National Charter As updated by National votes from 1984 until 2003, while the club had leadership. Current 'dark era' version not available here... And it never will be available on my site!. |
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