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Club Constitution

Dolphin Aquatic Club

Box 424 “Station B”

Sudbury, Ontario

P3E 4P6

To contact us:

Phone: Ron May 705-522-8717

E-mail: Sudbury_Dolphins@persona.ca

DOLPHIN AQUATIC CLUB

CONSTITUTION

1989

As amended March 22, 1993.

CONTENTS PAGE

ARTICLE I - GENERAL 1

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP 1

ARTICLE III - RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS 2

ARTICLE IV - BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2

ARTICLE V - DUTIES OF DIRECTOR'S POSITIONS 3

ARTICLE V1 - COMMITTEES 3

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS 3

ARTICLE VIII - MEETING PROCEDURES 4

ARTICLE IX - FINANCES 4

ARTICLE X - CLUB EQUIPMENT 4

ARTICLE XI - TRAINING 5

ARTICLE XII - CLUB DIVES 5

ARTICLE XIII - INFRACTIONS 5

APPENDIX A - MARINE HERITAGE POLICY 6

ARTICLE I - GENERAL

1) This organization shall be known as the Dolphin Aquatic Club Inc.

2) The purpose and objects of the club shall be to:

a) teach, promote and advance the sport of skin and scuba diving.

b) promote safe diving techniques.

c) secure sportsmanlike conduct of its members.

d) provide the community with an underwater recovery service in time of disaster.

3) The organization shall be run on democratic principles.

4) All regular items of business shall be carried by a simple majority vote of members present.

5) The constitution shall not be changed except on a 2/3 majority vote of members present. Notice of motion must be made at a preceding general membership meeting.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

1) All members must conform with the standards set down by the Board of Directors. These standards may be changed from time to time as the need arises.

2) Membership of the club shall consist of:

a) Regular members

b) Associate members

c) Honourary members.

3) Membership shall be open to persons from the age of 14 years and over.

4) Membership commences upon acceptance of application and payment of the annual club dues for the fiscal year.

5) Membership terminates at the end of the fiscal year.

6) Regular Membership shall be open to persons upon acceptance of their application.

7) Associate Membership shall be open to a regular member’s immediate family whose principal residence is the same as that of the regular member.

8) Honourary Memberships may be awarded at the discretion of the Board of Directors upon approval of the general membership.

9) Dive\Equipment privileges shall be extended to members who show proof of certification and provide a personal dive log book and meet the standards established by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE III - RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS

1) Regular Members shall be entitled to vote at all general meetings. They shall be informed of the workings of the club either by bulletin or general meeting.

2) Associate Members shall have all the rights and privileges of regular members.

3) Honourary Members will have no rights or privileges in the club, except those extended by the Board of Directors as they may see fit. Honourary membership may be cancelled at any time by the Board of Directors.

4) All members shall receive a copy of the constitution and any amendments thereto.

ARTICLE IV - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1) Ten (10) members shall be elected to the Board of Directors for a period of one year in June and are to take office on September 1st.

2) The Board of Directors shall be made up of the ten (10) elected Directors and a maximum of five (5) other club members, appointed annually by a minimum of seven (7) of the elected directors, as are required to fill director positions.

3) The Board of Directors shall fill from amongst its members the following director positions:

a) President

b) Vice-President

c) Treasurer

d) Secretary

e) Training Director

f) Membership Director

g) Equipment Director

h) Dive Coordinator

i) Immediate Past President (from prior fiscal year)

and may fill if required the following positions

j) Phone Committee Chairperson

k) Regalia Chairperson

l) Public Relations.

and such other positions as they feel are necessary to properly direct the affairs of the club.

4) The club President and the Vice-President must be elected members of the Board of Directors.

5) The quorum for Board meetings shall be 5 elected Directors.

ARTICLE V - DUTIES OF DIRECTOR'S POSITIONS

1) The president shall preside at all the meetings and conduct them in an orderly manner. Debate shall follow Robert's Rules of Order when the need arises. He/she shall sign the minutes of the meetings after they have been approved, also all documents and cheques. He/she shall insure all club related business matters are carried out with diligence and expedience.

2) The vice-president shall take the place of, and discharge the duties of the president when he/she is absent.

3) The treasurer shall pay all accounts and keep an orderly set of books balanced to the last day of each month. A report shall be submitted in writing to every Board of Directors and General Membership meeting.

4) The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings and submit them in writing to the general meeting. He/she shall conduct all correspondence of the club and shall keep a central file for all club records.

5) The training director shall organize and coordinate the club courses, training standards and safety rules. He/she shall establish training standards and maintain safety rules. He/she shall keep a record of all proficiency tests and assure diver certifications have been properly issued.

6) The membership director shall collect all membership dues, issue membership cards and maintain and provide the Board of Directors with an accurate up to date membership list. He/she shall determine the qualifications of new applicants for membership.

7) The immediate past president shall advise the president on historical matter without consultation. In regard to new business he/she shall advise at the president's request.

8) The equipment director shall assure that all usage and maintenance of club equipment is properly documented, that the equipment is maintained and stored and is readily available for club use.

9) The dive coordinator shall coordinate club dive activities.

ARTICLE VI- COMMITTEES

1) There shall be no standing committees. Special committees require approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS

1) There shall be a general meeting every second month between September and May, and the quorum shall be 12.

2) A general membership meeting will be held in June to elect members to the Board of Directors.

3) The president or any seven members may call an emergency meeting at a minimum of forty-eight hours notice.

4) Proper conduct shall be observed to keep order at meetings, failing this, Robert's Rules of Order shall be followed.

5) Reports to general meeting shall be in writing, but verbal reports may be made also.

6) The order of business of general meetings shall be:

a) Call to order by the president or chairperson.

b) Reading of the minutes of previous meeting by the secretary which after being approved shall be co-signed by the president.

c) Business arising out of the minutes.

d) Treasurer's financial report.

e) Directors reports

f) General and new business.

g) Nominations for members to the Board of Directors (May and June meeting only).

h) Election of members to the Board of Directors (June meeting only).

i) Adjournment.

ARTICLE VIII - MEETING PROCEDURES

1) At the hour appointed the president shall call the meeting to order and proceed.

2) The presiding officer shall rule out of order any prejudicial matters which do not refer to the well being of the club.

3) The presiding officer shall have the right to decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the meeting sustained by a two-thirds vote of the members attending as decided by a show of hands.

4) A member wishing to introduce a motion, or to speak shall wait until he/she is recognized by the chairperson before addressing the floor.

ARTICLE IX - FINANCES

1) All members, except Honourary members, shall be required to pay dues as presented by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership.

2) The extraordinary expenditures of club money, exceeding $200.00 shall be authorized by majority of members present at a membership meeting.

3) All monies spent are to be paid by numbered cheques signed by two members with signing authority.

4) The president, treasurer and secretary shall have cheque signing authority

5) The financial records shall be audited annually. The auditor shall be appointed by the membership.

6) There shall be no refund of dues, except for rejection of application.

7) The club's fiscal year shall begin on September 1st and will end August 31.

ARTICLE X - CLUB EQUIPMENT

1) The equipment director shall be responsible for the maintenance and safekeeping of all club equipment.

2) Club equipment such as tanks and regulators shall be loaned to qualified scuba divers of the club. Club equipment shall be loaned to members on club sanctioned events only.

3) Members using club equipment shall be held responsible for its proper use, cleaning and safekeeping while in their charge and shall be financially responsible for its lose or damage.

4) The use of club equipment may be denied any member by the equipment director or his/her designate, subject to appeal at a general meeting.

5) Club equipment shall not be borrowed by a member and loaned to a non-member.

6) Club equipment shall not be used by anyone in the pursuit of professional activities.

7) All data regarding the loan of equipment shall be recorded.

8) Borrowed equipment shall be returned within two days following the club dive for which it was borrowed.

9) Upon approval of the membership, club equipment can be rented to members only.

ARTICLE XI - TRAINING

1) The club shall train principally to ACUC standards.

2) Other programs may be adopted as deemed suitable by the training cadre.

3) The club will run annually, a Level 1 scuba course. Other courses may be run as required.

4) The club will maintain an adequate training cadre.

5) The Level 1 scuba students are required to provide an approved medical certificate on or before the third scheduled class.

ARTICLE XII - CLUB DIVES

1) The club shall determine the most practical method of record keeping appropriate to any particular club dive event.

2) Club dives are to be arranged with the dive coordinator at least two weeks prior to the event.

ARTICLE XIII - INFRACTIONS

1) The Board of Directors is empowered to expel any member for just cause, subject to appeal to the general membership if requested.

APPENDIX

Marine Heritage Policy of the Dolphin Aquatic Club

Adopted March 23, 1992 by Resolution: 91/92‑21

We in the Dolphin Aquatic Club (DAC) must firmly support the cause of marine heritage preservation, and endorse the efforts of those Canadians engaged in the protection and preservation of our marine heritage.

The shipwrecks of the Great Lakes and other inland waters are an important nonrenewable recreational diving resource. Shipwrecks also represent an important historical link with an earlier era in the social and commercial development of North America.

The protection of underwater historical sites, including sites in the Great Lakes, is one of the pressing concerns of divers in Canada. Canadian marine heritage organizations have been instrumental in establishing a positive direction for this new field. Groups such as Save Ontario Shipwrecks (SOS) have succeeded in their efforts to make "wreck stripping" and the indiscriminate removal of artifacts socially unacceptable in the diving community.

Divers should actively assist in the protection of underwater wreck sites. 'Peer pressure' must be exerted to prevent the removal of artifacts. Once a artifact is removed from the water, it is gone forever. The removal of an artifact from a shipwreck completely alters the archaeological information which the site has to offer. When a wreck is vandalized or 'stripped', both its historical and recreational value depreciate.

Unlike land‑based heritage sites, underwater wrecks are invisible, except to divers, and the provincial authorities lack the personnel to police divers at every site. However, several statutes exist which can be used to protect sites from looting. These range from sections of the Ontario Heritage Act, to criminal Code offenses such as theft, break and enter, and possession of stolen property.

Removal of artifacts, in whole or in part, is illegal and persons committing such acts are liable to prosecution and punishment. Archaeological study of underwater sites, such as shipwrecks, prehistoric Indian remains, sunken aircraft and bottle dumps can only be conducted under a license issued by the Province.

The DOLPHIN AqUAtIC CLUB

Training Scuba Divers Since 1958