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BY-LAWS OF THE 406 CRUISERS FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE CLUB OF MONTANA

As amended by vote, current March 6, 2017

President Stephen Bajkiewicz

Goals and Objectives

406 Cruisers is here to enjoy the promotion of Toyota 4WD vehicles at every level from the general enthusiast with a stock vehicle to the hard-core highly modified vehicle user.  Our mission is carried out first and foremost by the support of the TLCA.  This includes environmental stewardship, community awareness and education.

Article I – Membership

Section A.  Active Membership
  1. Active membership shall be limited to those individuals owning a Toyota 4-wheel drive off road vehicle.
  2. An active member shall have the right and privilege of voting and also the privilege of holding office.
  3. There shall be one vote per membership, and that vote shall not be fractionated.
  4. Club business which requires voting may be decided by a web vote in the member’s section of the ih8mud.com forum or a vote at an official club meeting. A web vote will be open for fourteen days unless the Officers determine that the vote must conclude sooner due to extraordinary circumstances or should be open longer, however in no case will a web vote be open for less than seven days. Any member may request the Officers to defer a vote for further discussion, and the Officers may grant that request at his/her discretion.
  5. A pass is 50.1% of the paid members who vote in the thread or in person at a meeting. This is different than 50.1 % of the paid members of record.
  6. Any member whom the Club views as objectionable may be removed by a two-thirds vote of active membership in presence.
  7. No member, sponsor, or chairman of any committee, shall have the authority to commit the Club to any action or function until approval is granted by the Board of Directors.
  8. Application for membership will be according to Section F of Article II.
  9. In order to be an active member, candidates must fulfill the requirements of TLCA.
  10. Be otherwise deemed eligible by approval of the Board of Directors.

Section B.  Associate Membership

  1. To be eligible for associate membership, and individual must:
    1. Live outside of Montana, or
    2. Own an off-road 4WD vehicle other than a Toyota, or
    3. Be otherwise deemed eligible by approval of the Board of Directors.
  2. To be approved for associate membership, an individual must be voted on by 50.1% of the active membership in presence.
  3. Associate members shall have no voting privileges, nor can they be officers of the Club, nor will they be eligible for all club benefits.
  4. Application for associate membership will be according to Section G of Article II.
  5. Any associate member whom the Club views as objectionable may be removed by a vote of 50.1% of the active membership in presence.

Section C.  Club Affiliations

  1. 406 Cruisers is a Toyota Land Cruiser Association chapter.
    1. TLCA membership is optional for Associate members of 406 Cruisers.

Article II – Dues, Finances

Section A.  Active Membership

  1. Membership dues shall be determined annually by the officers, and approved by the active membership no later than December 31st.  Dues are currently $25 per year.  A 5 year membership is offered for $100.  Dues shall be received by the treasurer upon approval for membership, prorated to the nearest month of the membership year.  Due date for renewal is April 1.  A charter membership was offered as a $200 lifetime membership.  The individuals who are lifetime members are identified on the club roster.

 

  1. Dues must be paid within 30 days of the due date.  Members not paying dues by the end of 60 days will be dropped from the roster. Dues are non-refundable.

Section B.  Associate Membership

  1. Membership dues shall be determined annually by the officers, and approved by the active membership no later than December 31st.  Dues are currently $25 per year.  Dues shall be received by the treasurer upon approval for membership, pro-rated to the nearest month of the membership year for new associate members. Due date for renewal is April 1.
  1. Dues must be paid within 30 days of the due date.  Members not paying dues by the end of 60 days will be dropped from the roster. Dues are non-refundable.

Section C.  Membership Year

  1. The membership year is defined as April 1 through March 31.

Section D.  Other Association Dues

  1. Toyota Land Cruiser Association dues are separate and must be paid according to TLCA requirements.

Section E.  Finance

  1. All expenditures in excess of $75 must be approved by a majority vote of the members present.
  2. No member, chairman of any committee, or officer of the Club shall have any authority to expend or commit for expenditure, any monies above and beyond that authorized by the membership for the designated purpose.
  3. Each member of the Board of Directors of the Club shall have at their disposal an amount up to $75 for any single emergency or occasion deemed necessary.  This shall not require prior approval of the membership.  Notice of said expenditure must be reported to the Treasurer within 48 hours of execution; a receipt shall be provided for documentation of said expenditure.
  4. The signature of the President and the Treasurer will be required on all checks.
  5. Reimbursement of any Club expenses requires original receipts to be submitted to the Club Treasurer.

Section F.  Membership Records

  1. All active and associate members will be required to have a current membership application/bio on file with the Club Secretary.  This information is defined in the club roster as determined by the Board of Directors.

Article III – Duties of the Officers, collectively known as the Board of Directors

Section A.  President

  1. The President shall preside at all of the club meetings.  The President may appoint a delegate to represent the Club at any meetings or functions at which the club is represented.  The President may call special meetings of the officers, as well as the general membership.  The President may appoint committees as necessary, and shall act as an ex-officio member of all committees.  Upon the President’s direction, or in The President’s absence, the Vice-President’s shall act in The President’s behalf, with full powers thereof, even though the President may be present.
  2. The President shall fill, by appointment, and for the remainder of the current term, any vacancies that may occur among the officers.

Section B.  Vice-President

  1. The vice-President shall assist the President in all matters pertaining to the Club.  When requested to do so, he/she will act on the President’s behalf.
  2. Membership Director duties shall be a function of the Vice-President, or as an independent office appointed by the Board of Directors.

Section C.  Secretary

  1. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a true and accurate record of the minutes of the meeting of the general membership, as well as those meetings of the officers.  Said meeting minutes are to be uploaded to the club’s Google drive.
  2. If the Secretary is unable to attend a meeting he/she will find someone else to provide that month’s meeting documentation coverage.  If unable to find someone, he/she will notify the President and/or Vice-President.

Section D.  Treasurer

  1. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to have custody of all monies and titles to all properties and any securities held by the Club.  He/she shall pay all expenditures of the Club, when directed to do so, in accordance with the by-laws.
  2. The Treasurer shall be required to give a financial report of the Club at each general meeting of the membership.

Section E.  Land Use Coordinator

  1. It shall be the duty of the Land Use Coordinator to provide contact between the Club and the United States Forest Service and/or the Bureau of Land Management and/or relevant Authorities.

  1.   It shall be the duty of the Land Use Coordinator to manage potential involvement in the Adopt-a- Road program, and report on any activities.
  1. Work to form work groups for trail clean-ups.
Section F.  Webmaster
  1. Maintain current web site/email server and supervise its content.
  2. Maintain contact with host provider and inform club of rate changes and new policies.
  3. Keep entire site updated and delete dead links.
  4. Have the ability to change or modify website content per 406 Cruisers Board of Directors request.
  5. Create and maintain graphic design for club promotional materials and merchandise.
Section F.  Event Coordinator
  1. Create at least 12 events a year (at least 1 per month). Events can be monthly club meetings, four wheeling runs, swap meets, clinics, repair sessions, guest speakers or socials, etc.
  2. Announce the coming months’ club events at the club meeting
  3. Update calendar, website, ih8mud.com clubhouse and send email notifications regarding planned activities.
  4. Assign trail leaders/coordinators for events or appoint these duties to an individual member(s) participating in the event.
  5. Ensure that events include trail runs which represent various skill levels and terrain types.
  6. Poll members near the beginning of the year as well as during monthly meetings to get recommendations of trail runs or events for the year.
  7. Prepare or solicit a Chapter Report for Toyota Trails.  Or assign this task to an active club member.
  8. Events originated by 406 Cruisers members do not require the Event Coordinator’s consent.
  1. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to provide a meeting notice to the general membership at least 10 days before the next meeting.

Section G.

The 406 Cruisers TLCA delegate shall be nominated by the 406 Cruisers Board of Directors, and confirmed by a vote of the membership.

Article IV – Election of Officers

Section A.  Nominations

  1. Nominations for office shall be made at the October general meeting.
  2. A Secretary of Elections shall be appointed by the current BOD.  This official will handle all electoral business to include nominations and election tallying.
  3. Any member may only accept nomination for one of the following positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Land Use Coordinator, Event Coordinator and Webmaster.
  4. Any unfilled position, may be absorbed by any other board member as is nominated by the newly elected Board of Directors and confirmed by majority vote of the general membership.

Section B.  Sequence of Election

  1. Officers shall be elected in the following order:
    1. President
    2. Vice-President
    3. Secretary
    4. Treasurer
    5. Land Use Coordinator
    6. Event Coordinator
    7. Webmaster

Section C.  Elections

  1. See Article IV, Section A, Item 2
  2. Elections of the officers shall be held at the November general meeting.
  3. All officers shall be elected by a majority of active membership.
  4. Officers shall take office January 1 and serve a term of one year, terminating on December 31.

Section D.  Impeachment/Recall

  1. Any officer whom is deemed objectionable to the Club, may, upon written complaint, be removed from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the active membership.  Information on such vote shall be supplied to each member not less than ten (10) days prior to such vote.
  2. All impeachment/recall discussion and/or activity is to take place outside of any electronic media (ie. email, text messaging) social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, ih8mud.com, Instagram, Twitter, etc or any future platforms that are not face to face discussion.
  3. Proceedings for such impeachment/recall activities are as follows:*
    1. Board of Directors, minus the accused will meet with the accuser to discuss the grievances
    2. Board of Directors will meet with the accused to discuss the grievances
    3. Board of Directors will meet with both the accused and accuser if deemed necessary to discuss the grievances.
    4. All possible avenues for restitution and reconciliation shall be exhausted prior to execution of a vote of the general membership.

(*It is the intent of the original Board of Directors to bring about the above measures in order to prevent drama and poor representation of the club to its members and community)

Article V – Meetings

Section A.  Schedule

  1. One meeting of the general membership shall be held each month.
  2. Meetings will be held the second Tuesday of each month, 7:00pm locale TBD.  Every third month, a meeting shall be held on a Saturday.
  3. A Board of Directors meeting will be held every other month; date and place TBD.  Additional meetings to be held as needed.

Section B.  Quorum

  1. Members present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any scheduled meeting.
  2. One-half of the membership shall constitute a quorum at any special meeting called by the Board of Directors.

Article VI – Amendments

Section A.  By-laws

  1. These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of active membership, a quorum being present, at any regular or special meeting of the Club.

Article VII – Parliamentary Procedure

Section A.  Petitioning

  1. Upon petitioning by 10% of the membership questioning, protesting any action, or decision by any officer, committee, or member, the Board of Directors should hold a hearing at the next officers meeting.  They should rule on the matter, either on its legality or advisability.  Upon further petition by 20% of the membership on any action, the Board of Directors shall conduct a hearing before the membership.  The membership is the final authority.

Article VIII – Safety

Section A.  Requirements for Club Functions

  1. Intoxicated or otherwise impaired persons shall not operate any vehicle at Club events or functions. Furthermore, the Club assumes no responsibility or liability for their care or actions by them that may result in accidents, losses, injury(s) or death while participating in a Club event or function.
  2. We acknowledge that some members may have the legal right to carry concealed weapons. In these cases, the laws of the state are to be abided by and our members may carry concealed weapons if they are legally authorized to do so.  Gun safety should be practiced and respected by all members in order to maintain a family friendly environment.
  3. All pets or animals must be kept under control at all times. Liability for pets or animals brought to a Club event is the sole responsibility of the owner or caretaker of said pets or animals. The Club assumes no responsibility or liability for their care or safety.
  4. Children are the responsibility of their parents and/or a legal guardian.  The Club assumes no responsibility or liability for their care of safety.
  5. Vehicles must have a solid steel cab or a roll bar. Safety belts or seat belts or safety harnesses in conjunction with seat belts must be provided for drivers and all passengers participating in a Club event. The Club assumes no responsibility or liability for accidents or injuries resulting from faulty or inadequate safety devices or their use or disuse by persons participating in a Club event or function.
  6. Vehicle Safety Requirements

MINIMUM VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS

The following are minimum vehicle requirements which, if not met, disqualify a vehicle from participating in an event:

  •    Vehicle Registration: Must be current
  •    Liability Insurance Coverage: Must be current, and meet applicable governmental requirements.
  •    Service Brakes: Must be able to stall engine when idling in 2nd gear (1st gear if 3 speed)
  •    Parking Brake: Must be able to stall engine when idling in 3rd gear (2nd gear if 3 speed)
  •    Brake Lights: Must be functioning properly
  •    Tires: All tires, including spare, must have at least 2/32″ of tread. Spare tire must be fully inflated. Air down to a maximum of 15 psi prior to safety inspection
  •    Roll Bar: Any open vehicle must have a roll bar firmly attached to the vehicle
  •    Seat Belts: Required for driver and each passenger
  •    Fire Extinguisher: Must show full charge on gauge and/or have seal intact
  •    First Aid Kit: Recommended to be as complete as is reasonably possible
  •    CB Radio w/Antenna Length: Not longer than 54″, unless both ends are firmly attached to the vehicle

EVALUATED ITEMS

The following are evaluated items which, depending on severity and/or quantity of deficiencies, may disqualify a vehicle from participating in an event:

  •    Headlights
  •    Running Lights
  •    Turn Signals
  •    Windshield: No dangerous cracks
  •    Wipers
  •    Horn
  •    Exhaust System: Must be intact. No open exhaust, excessive noise or excessive smoke
  •    Steering: Check play in wheel, condition of column and mounting hardware, knuckle arms
  •    Hoses & Lines: Water, gas, brake lines (Please do not bring a vehicle with excessive leaks to an event. Such leaks can be damaging to the environment.)
  •    Vehicle Jack: Hi-Lift type recommended
  •    Tow Strap, Tow Rope and/or Chain
  •    Winch

ITEMS TO CONSIDER

The following are recommended items which TLCA encourages you to consider:

  •    CB Radio
  •    Tools
  •    Fan Belt, Radiator Water, Battery Cables
  •    Tire Gauge, Tire Pump, Tire Patch Kit
  •    Rags, Hand Cleaner, Litter Bags
  •    Axe, Shovel, Flashlight, Spare Batteries, Spare Vehicle Key
  1. Any trip leader may refuse participation of a member or guest if their vehicle is deemed unsafe. Any trip leader may refuse participation of a member or guest if said participant is observed partaking of alcoholic beverages or illegal controlled substances or is intoxicated or otherwise impaired.  Any trip leader may refuse participation of a member or guest if said person’s behavior is deemed to be reckless or irresponsible or could endanger their own or other’s safety. Particular trips may have specific safety requirements, which members need to verify with the trip leader.
  2. The Club assumes no responsibility or liability for accidents, losses, injury(s) or death resulting from unsafe equipment or vehicles or improper use of said equipment or vehicles used by any person(s) participating in a Club event.
  3. The Club assumes no responsibility or liability for accidents, losses, injury(s) or death resulting from the action(s) or inactions of any person(s) participating in a Club event.