Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group
B Y L A W S
November 1985
ARTICLE I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group, hereinafter referred to as the Group.
ARTICLE II: Purposes
The purposes of the Group shall be:
To provide a wilderness search and rescue capability and special technical rescue capability to the southwest part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, contiguous areas, and other regions as necessary;
To conduct training programs in subjects related to wilderness search and rescue and special technical rescue;
To conduct and sponsor training programs in subjects related to wilderness safety and survival; and
To support public safety agencies, outdoors organizations, and educational institutions with the Group's special capabilities.
The Group is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding section of any future Federal tax code).
ARTICLE III: Members
Section 1: General
1.1 Membership in the Group shall be open to the public without discrimination by sex, race, age, religion, or nationality.
1.2 The classes of membership shall be as follows:
1. ActiveCertified Members;
2. ProbationaryTrainee Members; and
3. SustainingAssociate Members;.
4. Associate Members with Voting Rights;
5. Auxiliary Members; and
6. Sustaining Members.
The rights, responsibilities, and requirements for the classes of membership shall be as set forth in the Bylaws of the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference.
1.3 Voting privileges shall be allocated among the members as follows:
1. Right to vote in Group elections and on Group business: Active Members.Certified Members, Trainee Members, and Associate Members with Voting Rights.
2. Right to vote in ASRC elections and on ASRC business: Active Members.Certified Members.
1.4 All Group members shall carry equivalent membership status in the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference.
1.5 The Operations Officer shall maintain Group personnel records, with the following information for each member:
a. name;
b. kind of membership, date it was conferred, and by whom;
c. mailing address;
d. telephone numbers; and
e. additional pertinent operational information.
At least every 90 days, the Operations Officer shall publish an updated Callout Roster incorporating this information (except if there are no changes to be made). A copy of this Callout Roster shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference for inclusion in the ASRC Conference Roster.
Section 2: Application for Membership
2.1 Those wishing to become members of the Group shall secure applications and guidance from the Training Officer or his designate.
2.2 Applicants must be proposed for a vote at a regular Group meetingexamined by the Training Officer or his designate, after the Training Officer or designate has explained the rights, duties, and responsibilities of membership. and found to meet the standards and requirements for a particular type of membership, as specified by the Training Guide of the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference and by Acts of the Group.
2.3 The Training Officer may confer Auxiliary and Sustaining Memberships without necessity for a vote of the Group; applicants for Trainee or Associate membership, and Trainees eligible for Certified Membership, shall monitor the progress of Probationary Members toward Active membership, and the progress of Active Members toward the training certification levels specified in the ASRC Training Standards. When members have met the requirements for Active membership, the member shall be proposed to the Group by the Training Officer, for a vote of the Group in accordance with the Bylaws of the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference. The Training Officer shall be responsible for offering testing, on a regular basis, for the various training certification levels specified in the ASRC Training Standards. Members who meet the requirements for one of the training certification levels specified in the ASRC Training Standards shall have such certification noted by the Training Officer in the next regular Group meeting.
Section 3: Dues and Fees
3.1 The Group shall assess annual dues, the amount to be fixed by an Act of the Group.
3.2 All members with the right to wear the ASRC uniform, as specified by the ASRC Operations Manual and Training GuideStandards, shall be assessed a one-time initiation fee to be set by an Act of the Group.
3.3 Auxiliary and non-voting Associate Sustaining Members shall pay a yearly Newsletter subscription fee to be set by an Act of the Group. This fee may be waived by an Act of the Group in individual cases.
ARTICLE IV: Officers
Section 1: Elected Officers
1.1 The elected officers of the Group shall be a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, two ASRC Delegates, and two alternate ASRC delegates.
1.2 The Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Treasurer shall be elected from among the ActiveTrainee, Voting Associate, and Certified Members by those Members.
1.3 The two ASRC delegates shall be elected from among the ActiveCertified Members by the ActiveCertified Members.
Section 2: Appointed Officers
2.1 The appointed officers of the Group shall include a Training Officer, an Operations Officer, a Recording Secretary, a Cave Rescue Coordinator, and a Medical Advisor.
2.2 The Chairman shall appoint members to fill the appointive positions. (More than one appointed office may be held by a single member.)
2.3 Officers may delegate specific duties of theirs to other members, who will report to the appointing officer.
Section 3: Duties
3.1 The duties of the Chairman shall be:
a. to call and conduct meetings of the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of Article V;
b. to call and conduct meetings of the Membership in accordance with the provisions of Article V;
c. to oversee the administration of the Group and to ensure that the provisions of these Bylaws, the ASRC Bylaws, ASRC training and operational standards, and applicable training and operational standards of the National Speleological Society and National Cave Rescue Commission are enforced within the Group;
d. to control all Group correspondence;
e. to control all Group public relations efforts; and
f. to supervise Group officers in the conduct of their administrative duties.
3.2 The responsibilities of the Vice Chairman shall be:
a. to serve as Chairman in the absence or incapacitation of the Chairman; and
b. to fulfill other duties as designated by the Chairman.
3.3 The responsibilities of the Treasurer shall be:
a. to keep the financial records and accounts of the Group.
b. to serve as Chairman in the absence or incapacitation of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman.
3.4 The duties of the Training Officer shall be:
a. to enforce the procedures, standards, and requirements of the ASRC Training StandardsGuide;
b. to evaluate applicants and members for compliance with the standards and requirements of the ASRC Training Guide, in accordance with procedures specified therein;
c. to act as executive agent of the ASRC Board of Directors in conferring the various types of membership upon Group members and applicants;
d. to propose to the Group for a vote all applicants for Active Membershiptypes of membership requiring a vote by the Group or a part thereof; and
e. to ensure the Secretary of the ASRC Board of Directors is informed of all membership actions taken by the Training Officer within 90 days.
3.5 The responsibilities of the Operations Officer shall be:
a. to maintain and evaluate the Group's operational readiness;
b. to supervise the maintenance of Group equipment;
c. to maintain the Group's alerting systems;
d. to monitor Group communications equipment and policies; and
e. to supervise the Group's stores of equipment and supplies for sale.
3.6 The responsibilities of the Recording Secretary shall be:
a. to record the proceedings of the meetings of the Board of Directors and of any Membership Meetings; and
b. to maintain the records and correspondence of the Group.
Section 4: Elections
During February of each year, nominations for the elected officers shall be accepted from the membership. At the annual meeting in March, the membership shall elect new officers. The new officers shall take office April first.
Section 5: Term of Office
All officers shall serve until their successors are elected or appointed.
ARTICLE V: Meetings
Section 1: Meeting Dates
The Group shall meet at least once in each quarter of the year, as fixed by an Act of the Group.
Section 2: Annual Meeting
The Group meeting in March shall be known as the annual meeting.
Section 3: Special Meetings
3.1 A Special Meeting may be called by the Chairman, by a majority of the Board of Directors, or by one-third of the members with Group voting privileges.
3.2 Notice of a special meeting shall include the business to be transacted, which is the only business that may be transacted at that meeting.
3.3 Notice of a special meeting shall be mailed to all members with Group voting privileges at least one week prior to the meeting.
Section 4: Quorum
A quorum shall consist of one-third of the total Active Membership.members with voting privileges (i.e. one-third of the Trainees, Voting Associates, and Certified Members for Group business, and one-third of Certified Members for ASRC business or election of new Certified Members.)
ARTICLE VI: Board of Directors
Section 1: Board Members
The Group Board of Directors shall consist of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Treasurer, both ASRC delegates, the Cave Rescue Coordinator, the Training Officer, and the Operations Officer.
Section 2: Board Duties
The Board of Directors shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Group between its business meetings, make recommendations to the Group, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in these Bylaws. The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Group, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Group.
Section 3: Board Meetings
Meetings of the Board shall be held at the call of the Chairman or of three Board members.
Section 4: Board Quorum
A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of three Board members.
ARTICLE VII: Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Group in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws, the Bylaws of the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference, and any special rules of order the Group shall adopt.
ARTICLE VIII: Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Group by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting.
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