AWMEC CLUB POLICIES EFECTIVE AUGUST 1st 2021

AWMEC CLUB POLICIES EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY current from 28th 2024 

FIRST RELEASED August 1st 2021 UPDATED – March 1st 2023 to include Life Membership criteria; February 28th 2024 to add Participation Policy

SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP POLICIES

1.1 SHARING OF MEMBERS CONTACT DETAILS INCLUDING PHONE NUMBERS & EMAILS

Under the AWMEC Constitution Rule 19: Register of Members, Clause (2) Any current member may, at a reasonable time and free of charge, inspect the register of members (held by the Membership Officer). To simplify this requirement and allow members to easily communicate with each other and to protect privacy of members to non-members and organisations, the AWMEC policy is;

  1. Current members names, phone numbers, email addresses and membership number will be provided to any other current AWMEC member on request and may also be circulated to current Club members periodically. Other member details such as address, information on bikes, date of birth etc will not be generally provided to members unless there is a good reason to do so (although under the Constitution clause above, members do have the right to access that information). Club office bearers who require member contact details to fulfil their role will have full access to all member contact information.   
  2. Other than confirming a person’s membership status, personal information or contact details of any Club member cannot be given to any person or organisation outside of the Club without the consent of the member. The exception to this is organisations authorised to request member details (e.g. Vic Roads, RMS, ATO etc.)
  3. If a person or organisation external to the club wants to contact a member then that person or organisations contact details should be passed onto the member in question who can then follow up the contact if they wish to.
  4. It should be noted that it is an offence under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 Vic (which governs our Constitution & operations) to make improper use of information obtained from the Register of Members.

1.2 CLUB PARTICIPATION

In February 2024 Club members voted to remove the Clubs Participation Rule (Rule 1. requiring members with club plated bikes to participate in a minimum of two events per year) and replace it with a Policy which encourages but does not mandate participation of all members in Club activities as follows;

Consistent with the Club’s purpose in our Constitution, it is expected that all Club members (other than those with exceptional circumstances such as significant and ongoing medical conditions) will participate in two or more Club events per year. Those events can be Club rides, meetings, rallies or other events that the Committee deem to be a Club event. 

Although this expectation is not mandatory, the participation of all members in Club activities is critical to maintain the vibrance and comradery of the Club and to continue our shared interest in motorcycles and motorcycling (particularly classic and historic motorcycles).

1.3 RECORDING MEMBER PARTICIPATION

The attendance of members at authorised Club rides, meetings and events will be recorded on the Clubs database, partly to meet insurance and legal requirements but also to allow acknowledgement of members participation in the Club. To be recorded as having attended a Club event, a member must fully participate in that event and in the case of Club meetings, stay until the end of the meeting or advise the meeting chair if you need to leave early.

It is each member’s responsibility to enter their name legibly in the attendance register for meetings, rides and events or to ensure that their name has been entered correctly if being written in the ride or event attendance register by the ride leader or event organiser. 

1.4 MAXIMUM MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS

Although there is no current formal cap on AWMEC membership numbers, our policy is to keep numbers to a nominal maximum of 250 members (200 preferred) for the following reasons;

  • the Club is currently run by volunteers and the more members, the more work for the few that do it, including the load on Machine Examiners
  • if the Club becomes larger than 250 members it would be difficult to find venues with the capacity to hold meetings and events
  • The larger the Club becomes the less personal and collegial it is likely to be 

1.5 ADVERTISING ITEMS FOR SALE AND WANTED

The Club currently has a White Board displayed at meetings and a section on the Clubs web site where members are invited to list motorcycles and related items that they have for sale or are looking to buy. This service is offered to members on the following basis;

  1. The service is offered to Club members, associates and friends of members. For the purpose of trackability, anyone wishing to use these services who is not a current Club member must have their ad forwarded and nominated by a current club member who knows and can vouch for the prospective advertiser.
  2. Any ads listed must have the listing members full name and contact number. In the event of an ad from a non-member, the add must be accompanied by the advertiser’s full name and contact details plus the name and phone number of the nominating member
  3. Ads for the White Board should be placed through the Club Secretary and for the web site, through the Club Web Editor. Ads will be placed for a maximum of three months after which they will be removed unless the Secretary/Web Editor are advised by the member that they are still current in which case they will be continued on a month-to-month basis. 

1.6 LIFE MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA

It is now possible for the Committee to consider Life Membership proposals under Rule 13 of the clubs Constitution due to the amendment made to that rule in July 2022. Rule 13 states;

 13 Life membership (amended 27-7-2022)

A member of the Club who has rendered singular service to the club and has maintained a    minimum of 15 consecutive years of membership or if not 15 years, at the discretion of the committee in exceptional circumstances may, by special resolution at an annual general meeting, be bestowed life membership provided that;

  1. the nomination is in writing, given to the secretary at least 3 months prior to the annual general meeting and;
  2. the nomination is supported unanimously by the committee. A life member shall be entitled to all of the privileges and benefits and be subject to the same liabilities and duties of full membership without paying the annual subscription.

To ensure transparency in the process of determining a nominated members eligibility and suitability to be recommended for the award of Life Membership, the Committee has defined what “rendering singular service to the club” may mean and what “exceptional circumstances” would be for the Committee to consider recommending Life Membership for a member with less than 15 consecutive years of membership of AWMEC. 

In considering eligibility for Life Membership, the Committee has also confirmed that previous or current membership of any other club including the Classic and Enthusiast MotorCycle Club of NSW (CEMCC) does not carry over to the AWMEC and therefore does not count towards membership or service in the AWMEC which is a new club formed and incorporated in 2015.  

Exceptional Circumstances: What constitutes exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances for granting Life Membership to a member with less than 15 years continuous membership would exist if the proposed member meets the criteria of having rendered singular service to the Club as defined below and has significant, recognised underlying health issues which would warrant early granting of the award.

Singular Service to the Club: Criteria for recommendation of Life Membership. Singular Service to the Club would be met by a nominated member who the Committee unanimously agreed, met each of the following three criteria; 

  1. Has demonstrated devotion to the Club and the ongoing development of the Club over a significant number of years of continuous financial membership.
  2. Has been actively involved in multiple Club roles (committees or other roles) and Club activities over their period of membership in the Club.
  3. Has always acted in the best interest of the members and of the Club.

SECTION 2. VEHICLE POLICIES

2.1. CLUB PLATES FOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN MOTORCYCLES THROUGH AWMEC

AWMEC is a motorcycle club and operates for the purpose of fostering interest in and providing activities for motorcycles (as stated in our constitution). However, the Club recognizes the convenience for some members in offering the option of putting a car, truck, bus or other vehicle which is not a motorcycle onto club plates through AWMEC which can be done on the following basis;

  1. The member has and continues to have at least one motorcycle currently on club plates through the Club whilst having any other non-motorcycle vehicle on club plates through AWMEC,
  2. The registering authority (Vic Roads or RMS) are prepared to accept vehicles which aren’t motorcycles through our Club (given that our constitution identifies motorcycles and three wheelers only in our purpose) and that the Club is able to meet the registering authorities’ requirements for non-motorcycles within our existing system, including the Clubs Machine Examiners being willing and able to carry out the required inspection and documentation for vehicles which aren’t motorcycles.
  3. Only one non-motorcycle is allowed per member. The Committee may consider a written request from a member to have an additional non-motorcycle vehicle on club plates which would be assessed on the members reason for requiring an additional vehicle (i.e. is the additional vehicle incidental for the member or is it a significant focus in which case more appropriate for a car club?), the number of motorcycles the member has and the members record and level of participation and involvement in Club activities.
  4. Motorcycles remain the Clubs focus with rides and events being organised for motorcycles/three wheelers and not for other vehicles (which may not necessarily exclude the participation of other vehicles).
  5. There will be an amnesty for Club members who have more than one non-motorcycle on club plates through the Club or have a non-motorcycle on plates through the Club and do not currently have a motorcycle on plates through the Club as at July 31st 2021. Members in this situation will be able to keep these non-motorcycles on plates through the Club but the above clauses (a. to d.) will apply to all members for new club permits of non-motorcycles from August 1st 2021. 

2.2. VEHICLE MODIFICATION POLICY

AWMEC policy is to accept motorcycles for Club Plates which have been modified provided the vehicle complies with the published rules of the relevant registering jurisdiction and the modifications are within the spirit of classic motorcycles e.g. were accepted replicas, modifications or build combinations for bikes of their era (such as Triton, Rickman Honda, Harris Suzuki, Bimota, sidecar additions etc).  

SECTION 3. FINANCIAL AND OPERATING POLICIES

3.1. AWMEC MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP POSITIONS 

Under the AWMEC Constitution we have five fixed Management Committee Executive positions; President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Officer. In addition to these specified positions, the Management Committee can recommend additional Committee positions to be confirmed by members at the AGM. To avoid confusion regarding the status of the Clubs established Additional Office Bearer positions, these additional Office Bearers will become Management Committee positions from the 2022 AGM and there will be no other non-executive Management Committee positions (i.e. no ordinary members who are not filling an Additional Office Bearer Position as below).

a. From the 2022 AGM, the Management Committee Office Bearer positions additional to the five Executive positions above should be;

  • Bike Register and Vic Roads/RMS Liaison Officer
  • Web Manager and Editor
  • Welfare and Fellowship Officer
  • Club Constitution and Rules Officer
  • Meeting Activities Coordinator

b. Members of the Executive may also be elected to fill one of the above Office Bearer positions in which case that position would be deemed to be filled and not require an additional Committee Member to fill that position for that year.

3.2. CLUB FINANCIAL OPERATING COSTS AND CASH RESERVE

  • At membership numbers of around 200, the Club requires approximately $8,000 per annum to run effectively and should keep an additional buffer of $4,000. Consequently, the Club’s funds should remain at a minimum of $12,000. The operating costs of the Club and reserve requirements should be periodically reviewed by the Management Committee.
  • Currently the Clubs primary source of income is from membership and joining fees and the Club cannot quickly increase fees or raise funds if something goes wrong. This may include the need to employ a person to carry out operational roles of the Club such as the functions of Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Officer, Bike Register and Vic Roads/RMS Liaison, Web Manager etc. in the event that the Club is unable to find members willing and able to fill one or more of these roles.

3.3. CLUB ASSET REGISTER

The AWMEC Treasurer will establish and maintain a register of the Clubs assets which will include identification of the asset, purchase price (if known), approximate current value and the location of each asset. The asset register should be accessible to members on request, at a time convenient to the Treasurer

3.4. CLUB RECORD KEEPING AND ARCHIVING POLICY

  1. Hard copies of documents tabled at meetings such as general correspondence, invitations to events, raffle results etc. can be destroyed after twelve months on the basis that these items have been miniated. 
  2. Club documents such as general meeting minutes, AGM minutes and annual financial statements should be permanently kept in both electronic format (on the Clubs computer with appropriate backups) and hard copy. These documents should be maintained and held by the Club Secretary.
  3. Financial documents such as copies of creditor invoices and bank statements should be maintained and stored by the Clubs Treasurer in accordance with relevant regulatory authority requirements.
  4. Original Membership Application Forms should be permanently kept in a file in date order of joining (oldest to the newest) and a Membership list containing all members current details should be printed from the club database at least quarterly and stored as hard copy to form the Clubs Membership Register (as we don’t keep a hard copy register). These records are to be maintained and stored by the Clubs Membership Officer.
  5. Hard copies of the Clubs Club Plated Bike Register – ‘Bikes Authorised For New Permit or Renewal’ should be permanently kept by the Clubs Bike Register Officer who should also print a hard copy of the Bike Register from the Clubs DataBase at least six monthly, to be permanently stored (as we don’t keep a hard copy register).

3.5. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EVENTS RUN BY AWMEC SUB COMMITTEES

When organising events requirements responsibilities should be clarified by the AWMEC Management Committee and would apply to any other similar Club event as follows.

  • The event is confirmed as an AWMEC event.
  • AWMEC meets the cost of entertainment, food and other direct costs.
  • The venue location shall be suitable for the planned activities with amenities that can accommodate the needs of the event and the expected participants. 
  • The AWMEC Treasurer is the event treasurer. To ensure simplicity and transparency, all incoming and outgoing monies will go through the AWMEC Treasurer. The Treasurer must authorise any expenses for the event prior to those expenses being incurred (if not the expense will not be paid or reimbursed).
  • The event may be designated as a charitable event and the AWMEC Committee of Management will nominate a charity or charities to be supported (Which may be proposed by the event Sub Committee).  A different charity may be selected from year to year. 
  • The amount donated to the chosen charity or charities should not exceed the net amount raised by the event unless the Management Committee agrees to fund any gap between the amount raised and the target donation amount (if any).
  • The AWMEC may charge an entry fee for people attending the event. Additional fees may also be charged, (e.g, a fee for each vehicle entered in a show and shine or other associated activity). The AWMEC Management Committee will decide the amount of each fee. (Which may be proposed by the event Sub Committee)
  • The Sub-Committee will organise the provision of food, which is reasonably priced, profitable, and quick to prepare and serve (e.g., a sausage sizzle). Engaging external food vendors may also be an option.
  • The event Sub-Committee has responsibility for organising the pre-event actions and the logistics of the day.

3.6. AWMEC DONATION POLICY

  1. The Albury Wodonga Motorcycle Enthusiasts Club (AWMEC) will generally set aside a maximum of $2,000.00 per annum for the purpose of making charitable donations. At its discretion and within the bounds of prudent financial management, the Management Committee may recommend donating a larger amount in a given year in the event of exceptional circumstances. 
  2. The source of funds used for donations will generally be net profit derived from AWMEC events and fundraising activities however the Management Committee may nominate to use funds from the Clubs consolidated revenue if financially prudent and supported by members. 
  3. Members, organisations or individuals may approach the Management Committee seeking a donation or nominating a donation recipient. Any donation request should be supported by a written proposal providing brief background on the recipient, purpose for which the donation would be used, why this donation is necessary and the amount being requested.
  4. The AWMEC Management Committee will assess each request on its merits. The decision to accept or decline a request, and the amount to be donated will be at the discretion of the Management Committee.
  5. Should the Management Committee decide that a donation is appropriate, a recommendation will be put to a vote of AWMEC members, normally at a general meeting.

3.7. TRANSPARENCY IN EXPENDITURE OF CLUB FUNDS ON CLUB EVENTS

In the event that the Management Committee agrees to subsidise Club events for members, the event being subsidised and the level of subsidy should be publicised to members well in advance (e.g. minimum of one month) to ensure members are aware, have an opportunity to participate and to provide full financial transparency.

3.8. COMMERCIAL SPONSORSHIP OF THE CLUB

The AWMEC does not currently require additional funds and does not generally accept commercial sponsorship from external sources however the Club will consider supporting and promoting the businesses of Club members.

There may be specific events run by the Club (such as fundraising events) for which sponsorship may be appropriate in which case the organising committee/s of those events may wish to accept sponsorship for that specific event only.