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1 DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT 5 July 2011 Missoula Senior Citizens Center Association Inc. Policy and Procedures Manual Contents About This Manual 2 Policy 1: Powers and Duties of the Association Board 3 Policy 2: Officer Duties 4 Policy 3: Administrator Duties 6 Administrative Assistant Duties 7 Custodian Daily To-do List 7 Policy 4: Committees 8 Policy 5: Amendments 11 Policy 6: Codes of Conduct 12 Policy 7: Emergencies 13 Procedure 1: Elections 14 Procedure 2: Grievances 17

2 About this manual: The Association Bylaws are the governing authority for the Association. However, for some circumstances and procedures the Bylaws may appear incomplete, vague, or ambiguous. If the Association were to adapt a written Manual for policies and procedures, several advantages would accrue. The written forms would provide continuity from one management group to the next and deliver thoughtful and reasonable guidance, and help scheduling important events. Where the Bylaws are wanting for detail the Manual would provide detail while being not inconsistent with the Bylaws. It is expected that all Officers, Board and Committee members, volunteers, general members and employees will comport to these policies. The Manual shall replace Standing Rules of the Association. Construction of the Manual and wording of all policies and procedures shall be a responsibility of the Bylaws Committee as incorporated into the Bylaws. The concept of a Manual for Policy and Procedures shall be presented to the Board as an agenda item. Upon simple majority of the Board plus Executive Committee who vote the Manual would be incorporated by the Association. Proposed policies or procedures shall be presented to the Board as separate agenda items. Such shall be incorporated into the Manual by a simple majority vote of Board members plus Executive Committee who vote. Individual policies and procedures may be modified, extended or abolished when brought to a Board meeting as an agenda item and such changes passed by a 60% supermajority of the voting Board members. Executive Committee members shall not vote except the Chairman may cast one vote if that would make the difference between passage or failure of the proposed change. A vote abstain shall not be used when computing the 60% test. The physical Manual shall be a complete collected set of all policies or procedures accepted by the board and contained in a binder. All individual policy and procedure descriptions shall carry acceptance dates and all listed in a Table of Contents. The Manual shall be presented in multiple copies for archives; for reference by Executive, Board members, Committee members, and employees; and for volunteers and regular members. Copies of obsolete policy or procedure descriptions shall be archived in a separate binder. 2

3 For issues about meetings Roberts Rules of Order are to be consulted and followed unless such guidance is superseded by one or more Manual policies. Policy 1: Power and Duties of the Association Board 1. Adopt policies and procedures not inconsistent with Association Bylaws. 2. Exercise all corporate powers to conduct, manage, and control the affairs and property of the Association. 3. Receive, hold, invest, or reinvest funds, gifts, grants, bequests, and endowments and use the proceeds thereof for the Association s activities and borrow money for the purposes of the Association. 4. Approve expenditures in excess of One Thousand Dollars ($1000). 5. Approve borrowing money in amounts up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000). 6. Obtain approval of the membership to borrow money in excess of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000). 7. Obtain approval of the membership to buy, sell or exchange real estate. 8. Approve all budgets and requests for grants, including requests for funds from City, County, State, or Federal grants. 9. Review Committee-written Policies and Procedures to assure they conform to Association Bylaws, are appropriate and complete, and do not conflict with Policies or Procedures of other Committees. 10 Procedure for Membership Approval re: duties 6 and 7. Select polling method: Annual Meeting Special Election meeting Mail balloting Walk-in balloting Notify members for balloting Certify and report ballot results. 3

4 Policy 2: Officer Duties 1. President shall: a. Preside at all meetings of the Association. b. Construct agendas for all regular meetings of the Association Board c. Be an ex-officio member of all committees. d. Be in charge of all business of the Association in conjunction with the Administrator, subject to approval of the Association Board. e. Be one of the designated officers authorized to co-sign checks. f. May appoint Officers, Board Members, or General Members to special assignments or committees. g. Appoint a Recording Secretary to make written record of all proceedings of meetings of the Membership and Association Board and said Secretary shall perform other duties incidental to this position. h. When anticipating his/her absence, give written notice to the Administrator and to the First Vice-President designating that the First VP shall have Presidential powers for a specified duration. i. Assign or remove Chairs to any or all standing Committees. Assignees may come from the General Membership, Association Board or Alternates. j. Appoint a Parliamentarian from among the Board members who shall maintain order according to Robert s Rules of Order. k. Appoint one or more individuals as Legislative Liaison to monitor Legislative activity that could affect Association activities or policies or funding. l. Serve as the communication link between the Association Board and the Administrator. m. Have no authority to assign or remove members from any situation except as described above. 2. First Vice-President shall: a. During a designated absence of the President the first Vice-President, exercise all the functions of the President and shall, when so acting, have all the powers. b. Have such powers and discharge such duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Association Board. c. Serve on the Finance and Personnel Committees and may be appointed to serve on other committees or on special assignments. d. Be one of the designated officers to co-sign checks. 3. Second Vice-President shall: a. Assume the duties of the First Vice-President should that office be vacated or in the absence of the First Vice-President. 4

5 b. Serve on committees or on special assignments as appointed by the President and/or the Association Board. 4. Treasurer shall: a. Work closely with the Administrator and Bookkeeper in the performance of their duties. b. Establish protocols and procedures for collecting money from appropriate activities and receiving same in the office for accounting and security. c. Be responsible to work with the Trustees Committee in preparation of quarterly audits. d. Report each month to the Association Board regarding fiscal and financial matters, to include a complete summary of monthly revenues and expenses. e. Be available in the business office a minimum of twice weekly to examine records, co-sign checks, and generally be acquainted with current financial transactions and revenues. f. Be a member of the Finance Committee and coordinate with Chairs of other committees regarding money needs 5. Immediate Past-President shall: a. Serve as Ex-officio member of the Executive Committee having one vote. b. Provide an advisory role to the Executive Committee. c. Have no official duties outside the Executive Committee except as assigned by the President, the Association Board, or the voting membership. 6. Resignations: a. Upon voluntary resignation from an elected office the resignee forfeits all responsibilities and privileges of that office. b. A resigning President forfeits the title and responsibilities of Immediate Past-President. c. Voluntary resignation shall not of itself deny the resignee appointment to other offices or duties by the President, the Association Board or the voting membership. 5

6 Policy 3: Duties of the Administrator Administrator shall: 1. Carry out directives from the Association Board as communicated through the President consistent with Association Bylaws. 2. Attend Board meetings and present reports as requested by the Association Board. 3. Provide Administrative reports for Board and Finance Committees 4. Assure accurate and timely reports are made as required and appropriate regarding taxes, licenses, etc., to local, state and federal agencies in conjunction with the Association Treasurer and Accountant. 5. Supervise paid employees of the Association and contract services. 6. Be in charge of volunteers for line activities in the Kitchen and the Wunderground. 7. Assure that Center funds are secured in the safe daily and regular deposits are made to the Center s bank in conjunction with the Association Treasurer and Accountant. 8. Be chairman of the Program Committee 9. Supervise editing and publication of the Newsletter and advertisements therein, in conjunction with the Administrative Assistant. 10. Maintain a calendar of future events and activities. 11. Collect and review, perhaps with an Officer, all suggestions/requests for additional activities to ensure they do not conflict with those currently established and are in the interest of the Association and the Center. 12. In conjunction with the Chair of the Maintenance Committee oversee the work of contracted services to assure the results are on schedule and on budget with appropriate materials. 13. Communicate and act with local groups, agencies, and organizations on matters that involve the Center s role in the community. 14. In conjunction with the Executive Committee establish rents for nonmember activities. 15. Pursue options for grants and gifts in accordance with Association Board approval. 16. Be authorized to spend in an emergency up to $200 without approval of the Board, Executive Committee, or Finance committee. Such expenditure and its explanation become an agenda item for the next available Board meeting. 17. Be authorized to spend in an emergency up to $1000 with approval of any three members among the Executive Committee and Finance Committee chairman, such approval may be obtained via telephone or electronic communication. Such expenditure and its explanation become an agenda item for the next available Board meeting. 6

7 During the absence of the Administrator from the Center only the President, First Vice-President, or 2 nd Vice President, or Treasurer may perform necessary services. Duties of the Administrative Assistant (20-30 hours per week, permanent part-time position) 1. Coordinates with Administrator for opening and closing Center s doors, offices, and safe including rentals and special events. 2. Take deposits to the bank when they are ready. 3. Produce monthly Service announcements to make Center s information available to the City of Missoula including radio, television, and newspapers. 4. Keep membership list and Blazing Trails mailing list updated. 5. Produce and edit the monthly Blazing Trails. 6. Produce monthly invoices for ads in the Blazing Trails. 7. Keep records of volunteer hours and locations of volunteers at the Center. (RSVP) 8. Supervise and coordinate workers from Experience Works/Community Service. Record and report hours. 9. Work in the office when we are short of volunteers. 10 Work with Committees as requested by the President or Administrator. 11. Work with the public and members on rentals of the Center. 12. Kitchen Coordinator Inventory and order kitchen supplies and food. Custodian Daily To-do list 1. Clean restrooms including toilets, sinks, and floors. 2. Stock restrooms with toilet paper and paper towels and maintains a stock. 3. Vacuum the carpet on the main floor. 4. Empty trash from all offices and change trash bags as needed. 5. Vacuum all offices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 6. Vacuum Wunderground on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 7. Empty trash from the Wunderground on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 8. Vacuum front and back entries. 9. Water plants and grass mornings as needed during the summer. 10. Clean glass doors and windows Tuesdays and Thursdays. 11. Clean the parking lot. 12. Dust mop the dance floor every Tuesday and Thursday or as needed. 13. Help when donations arrive downstairs when needed. 14. Help set up for meetings in the alcove when needed. 7

8 Policy 4: Committees: Standing Committees perform essential tasks for the Association and have regular meetings and reporting requirements to the Association Board. Chairpersons of the Committees have great latitude to pursue appropriate tasks and assignment of member duties. Money expenditures must be coordinated with the Treasurer and approved by the Finance Committee. Each Committee shall prepare written Policies and Procedures to define the scopes of their responsibilities and details for carrying them out. Draft P&P s will be submitted to the Association Board for approval and incorporation into the Association Manual for Policies and Procedures. Standing Committees are: Finance, Property & Maintenance, Personnel, Program & Activities, Membership & Public Relations, Bylaws, and Trustees. Other Committees may be formulated and members appointed by the President with approval of the Executive Committee. Recording Secretary, Parliamentarian, and Legislative Liaison may be regarded as committees of one. General Duties 1. Executive Committee a. The executive Committee is comprised of the four elected officers plus the immediate past president. Their collective purpose is to manage events or circumstances that are outside the purview of the Administrator or individual officers or Committee Chairs, specifically when constraints of time make it impractical to wait for a meeting of the Association Board. Their quorum is three. Actions or directives taken by the Executive Committee become an agenda item for the next meeting of the Association Board. The Association Board has the authority to overrule or modify actions or directives taken by the Executive Committee. b. The Executive Committee receives recommendations made through the Grievance process and may assign discipline. 2. Finance Committee shall: a. Be composed of a Chairman, First Vice-President, Treasurer, Past-President, Chairman of Property & Maintenance Committee, and representatives from the Thrift Shop, Food Services, and Charter Tour Groups. The minimum membership shall be seven (7). b. The fiscal year of the Association begins July 1 and ends June 30 c. Prepare an annual budget to be presented for Association Board consideration and approval at the May Association Board meeting. All other Committees have responsibilities to provide the Finance Committee with information to assist in the preparation of this budget estimate. 8

9 d. Oversee the general financial operations of the Center. e, Review all financial matters prior to recommendation to the Association Board. f. Be responsible for the use, investment, and expenditure of all Association funds, subject to the approval of the Association Board. g. Be responsible for solicitations of funds and gifts for the Center and its activities. h. Fund-raising by special committees must be in consultation with the fiscal the Finance Committee. No member of the Association may commit expenditure of funds without consultation and approval of the Finance Committee. i. Secure three (3) or more written bids for purchases and/or contracts larger than Two Thousand Dollars ($2000). 3. Property & Maintenance Committee shall: a. Be composed of a Chair, Administrator, the janitor, the maintenance person, and representatives from Wunderground Thrift Store and Food Service, minimum of five (5) persons. b. Be responsible for the acquisition, maintenance, and inventory of real and other property of the Association. c. Chair shall refer money needs to the Finance Committee. 4. Personnel Committee shall: a. Be composed of a Chair, First Vice-President, one Director, one Alternate Director, and one or more member-at-large, minimum of five (5). b. Prepare a job description for each paid employee: covering duties and expected performance, duty hours, vacations, sick leave, paid holidays, overtime pay, etc. The job description should be reviewed and revised as necessary. c. Solicit and review all applications for paid employment of the Association. d. Investigate all applicants, interview selectees, and (in consultation with the Finance Committee) recommend to the Association Board the best qualified for employment. e. Give full consideration to minority and other discrimination laws. 5. Program and Activities Committee shall: a. Be composed of a chair who is the Administrator, at least one Director, one Alternate Director, and three (3) others, minimum of six (6). b. Plan for and assist in scheduling all activities of the Center and prepare a calendar of events to be published in the Newsletter and posted as appropriate in the Center. c. Maintain continuous supervision and evaluation of all Center activities. 6. Membership and Public Relations Committee shall: a. Be composed of a Chair, at least one Director, an Alternate Director, and two others, minimum of five (5). b. Endeavor to enlarge the membership of the Association. c. Be responsible for keeping the news media and members appropriately informed of Association activities and services. d. Maintain relations with community groups as appropriate. 9

10 7. Legislative Liaison shall: a. Be an interested person who will work independently. b. Be responsible for keeping the Association Board informed of State and Federal legislation of concern to senior citizens and/or could affect Association activities or funding. c. Maintain contact with state and federal legislators to enable seniors to communicate their concerns. 8. Bylaws and Grievance Committee shall: a. Be composed of a Chair, at least one Director, an Alternate Director, and at least three others, minimum of six (6). b. Receive, review, and put in proper form all proposed amendments to the Association s Bylaws. c. Submit all recommended changes of Bylaws to the Association Board for their approval before they are put before the Association for vote. d. Oversee and update the Policy and Procedures Manual. e. Investigate all grievances in accordance with Procedure 2: Grievances and Discipline 9. Trustees Committee shall: a. Consist of three (3) financially knowledgeable Association members appointed by the President upon approval of the Association Board. b. Perform quarterly audits of the Association, with particular attention for errors and omissions. c. Prepare an annual financial report for the July meeting of the Association Board. d. Have a Certified Public Accountant review an audit when deemed necessary by the Association Board, such as a major change in personnel handling Association funds. e. Work closely with the Treasurer to provide continuity and familiarity with audit procedures. 10. Nominating Committee shall: a. Solicit nominations from the general membership for all Officer positions, Board of Directors, and following year Nominating Committee. b. Oversee Candidate verification for eligibility. c. Oversee nominations and elections according to Procedure I. 10

11 Policy 5: Amendments Association Bylaws may be amended at any official meeting of the General Membership. Amendments must be prepared by the Bylaws Committee and recommended to the Association Board. A petition for Bylaws amendments, signed by one hundred (100) members, shall be considered by the Association Board. Notice of proposed amendments to Bylaws shall be included in the announcement of a Membership meeting at which they shall be considered. Notice of such meeting and full text of proposed amendments shall be posted on the bulletin board at the Center for ten (10) days preceding the meeting and published in the Newsletter preceding the meeting. Following approval by a quorum of members at a legal meeting of the Association, amendments become part of the governing instrument of the Association. A quorum is ten percent (10%) of the dues-paid membership. Amendments require 2/3 majority of voting members to pass. Abstentions are not counted. Official results shall be posted in conspicuous places in the Center as soon as available. Results shall be fully described in the next newsletter. 11

12 Policy 6: Codes of Conduct Obligations of all members, officers, directors, employees, and visitors: Adherence to all posted signs in the Center including parking. Non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status of a U.S. veteran. Comply with the bylaws, standing rules of order, Code of Conduct, and regulations of the Center. Audio or video recording on the Center premises is specifically prohibited absent the approval of the Board of Directors or the Administrator. This prohibition does not apply to the credentialed members of the press (i.e. reporters with a media/press pass issued by a recognized news organization) who are recording for news reporting. Behavior that is not accepted: Violation of any city, county, state, or federal law. Discrimination of any kind, including verbal exchange that includes epithets or derogatory comments directed toward any group or individual. Being under the influence or in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs while at the Center. Physical harassment or violence including but not limited to: fighting or challenging others to fight; physical abuse; unwanted or harmful touching including kicking, spitting, biting, striking, patting, or physical abuse that makes another member or staff person feel fear or unease. Verbal harassment including but not limited to : profanity, vulgarity, explicit sexual language; words or conversations intended to make another member or staff person feel shamed, fearful, or unwelcome. Consequences of unacceptable behavior: First incident: verbal counseling with the Administrator or President depending on the location, time, and nature of the problem. The incident shall be documented by the Administrator. Second incident: counseling and a verbal warning from the Administrator of President followed by a letter to the participant and referral to the Bylaws and Grievance Committee. Final action is adherent with the Procedure 2: Grievances and Discipline and the Executive Committee, with the option of suspension (up to three months) or permanent expulsion depending on the severity of the offense, documented by a letter to the offender. In case of permanent expulsion, the member forfeits all membership dues paid to the association. 12

13 All meetings, discussions, and actions pertaining to the investigation by the committees shall be held in strict confidence by all concerned. Policy 7 Emergencies An emergency exists if there is an imminent threat of or actual physical harm to persons on or in Center property or to utilities or structure of the Center. Examples include fire, runaway vehicle, burst pipe, ceiling collapse, heart attack, stroke, loss of consciousness, personal conflict, robbery, etc. In these cases it is important that a person of authority who is on site be the leader in responding to the emergency. Response may include, but is not limited to, giving first aid, manning a fire extinguisher, interrupting a confrontation, or calling city fire or police, or directing other members to give aid or assistance or to stand back. The Administrator has first line authority when he is on site. When the Administrator is not present the Assistant Administrator has authority. If neither the Administrator nor Assistant is on site then Authority belongs to the ranking Officer of the Association who is on site. (President, 1 st Vice President, 2 nd Vice President, Treasurer, immediate Past President) A person or persons acting according to this policy shall be immune to liability. In the event this entire line of authority is absent a good Samaritan immunity from liability shall apply. 13

14 Procedure 1: Elections Bylaws Article VI, Section 1 states, The Nominating Committee shall solicit from the membership of the Association one (1) or more nominees for President. First Vice- President. Second Vice-President, and Treasurer; seven (7) or more nominees for Directorships; and (5) or more nominees for Nominating Committee. A. Making nominations: A call for nominations shall be presented in the October and November editions of the Association Newsletter, to include the date nominations shall close and directions for submittal. The Nominating Committee shall have a first meeting to compose the ballot during the first full week of December, but not on Monday. Nominations may be made in writing by an individual member or group of members identified in the nomination. A signed declaration of the nominee s willingness to serve may accompany the nomination but is not necessary at that time. A member may nominate their self for any position. Nominations shall be submitted to any member of the Nominating Committee or delivered to the Association Office during the period open to nominations. Apparent nominations found in or delivered to the Association Office shall be forwarded to any member of the Nominating Committee who shall carry it to the next scheduled meeting of the Committee. B. Creating a Slate of Candidates At the Nominating Committee meeting(s) the committee shall validate each candidate, verifying that they do agree to serve, rejecting those who are not valid. A nominee shall be rejected if, were they to be elected for the position nominated, they would violate any condition described in the Bylaws VI, 2 (incest); VII, 3 (term limit); or other. All nominees must be Association members with dues paid for the current year. A member of the Nominating Committee may not nominate their spouse or close family member or live-in partner. If such spouse or family member or partner is nominated by a non-relative or non-partner the nomination may go forward. If the Committee finds only one favorable candidate for an Officer position it shall be within the Committee s power to solicit an additional qualified, willing candidate. If no additional candidate can be identified it shall be within the Committee s power to present a single individual as the candidate. If a list of candidates for Board, or Nominating Committee has an insufficiency of nominees the Committee shall be empowered to approach other members as possible candidate(s) to inquire about their willingness to serve. 14

15 The full slate of candidates shall be presented in the January and February issues of the Newsletter. Short biographies shall be presented in the January issue to include at least: number of years of membership, other offices or positions held within the Association, enumeration of volunteer efforts in or out of the Association, and any other relevant information. Optional inclusions are a few sentences by the candidate about what they wish to accomplish were they to be elected. All selected candidates shall pre-pay their Association dues for the year to serve prior to the day copy of the Newsletter is sent to the printer. C. Voting Ballots shall be a single page with the offices listed and the candidates for each office clearly identified with each category of office. Small check off boxes shall be provided near all candidate names for marking voter preferences. One separate line must be provided for a write-in candidate for each office and two lines for write-ins for Board members and Nominating Committee. If more than two candidates qualify for a single Officer position all shall appear on the ballot Ballots shall be given sequential numbers beginning with one (1) so that a proper inventory can be sustained. The ballot identifier shall not be attached to the name of any voter in any way. Ballots shall be given to voters sequentially so that the total number of voters can be ascertained by noting the number of the last ballot distributed. The total number of ballots issued shall be noted in the voting record. Boxes to receive marked ballots shall be inspected by multiple interested members of the Association prior to voting and confirm that the boxes were empty by signing a one page form prepared for such confirmation. Voters shall queue in a line to receive their ballots so that they may be given a single ballot after their membership in the Association has been confirmed. Privacy for the voter shall be provided while marking their ballot. Marked ballots shall be deposited by the voter into a sealed box monitored by an Association member designated to observe that only one ballot was deposited per voter and that no voted ballots were not deposited. When a designated ending time for voting has arrived the openings in boxes for depositing ballots shall be sealed with tape and secured while awaiting subsequent counting of ballots. D. Tally of Ballots Two independent crews shall be provided for tallying the ballots. The ballots shall be arranged sequentially, in the presence of representatives for both crews, according to the identifier numbers with attention and notation of missing ballots and ballots with duplicate numbers. Discrepancies in identifier numbers shall become part of the record of the voting. Ballot identifier numbers exceeding the number of voters shall be rejected and not tallied. All ballots with apparently valid identifier numbers shall be accepted for tally. Approximately one-half of the accepted ballots shall be given to one crew and the rest to the other crew. Each crew shall devise a spreadsheet for tallying the votes indicated on the ballots. When the crews have completed tallies for their share of the 15

16 ballots, ballot sets shall be exchanged so that each crew can complete the total tally onto their spreadsheets. It is expected that there will be no discrepancy between the independent tallies. If there is a discrepancy large enough to change the outcome of the balloting then a recount of the affected ballots shall be made by representatives of each crew concurrently reviewing the new independent tally and coming to a result that can be verified by each crew. For Officer voting the winners shall be those with a simple majority of valid votes. In the case of three or more candidates for a single office and none has a simple majority the winner shall be the one with a plurality of valid votes. For Board voting the five (5) highest vote getters shall be appointed to the Board and the next two highest (6 & 7) shall be appointed as Alternates. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the five (5) highest vote getters. If the tallies for two competing candidates differ by less than one percent (1%) of the total votes cast for the two, a recount is required. If a ballot appears to have been marked for too many candidates of any category the remaining apparently valid votes for other categories shall be tallied. Then there shall be an examination to determine if one or more marks is an error or possible change of a voter s preference. If the over-marked ballot cannot be resolved it shall not be tallied for that category. E. Announcing Ballot Winners When both ballot-counting crews confirm the results of all the tallies such results shall be compiled into a list showing the vote numbers for each candidate with each winner clearly identified. A copy of said list shall be attached to the windows of the Center doors, legible to passers by, and posted to the Center Bulletin Board, notices to remain for at least ten days. Results shall appear also in the next issue of the Association Newsletter. The said list shall be archived in the Association offices along with other documents related to selections of candidates and activities on voting day. Winners of the elections shall be sworn into their offices at the next scheduled meeting of the Association Board. 16

17 Procedure 2: Grievances and Discipline It is expected that simple lapses of civility or other minor offenses would be either ignored or solved informally by the persons involved, perhaps with the assistance of someone who acts as referee. Serious transgressions may require a formal Grievance Committee meeting. A full review and resolution by the Committee may require 30 to 90 days. Filing a Grievance: Grievance forms may be obtained at the Center office. Use of those forms is recommended to assure sufficient information is included but the forms are not required for filing a petition. A completed form or written complaint may be delivered to an office Attendant or placed in the Grievance Box located on outside wall of conference room. All written Grievances received in the Office or the Grievance Box shall be delivered to the Grievance Committee for review and resolution. The complaint must carry the name of the complainant, date of trouble, a contact number and the date grievance was submitted. If the Committee desires additional information or clarification they may contact the Complainant or seek other sources they think appropriate. Complaints appropriate for the Committee to review and resolve are limited to registered Members of the Association and circumstances that have roots in the Center or in Association activities or events. These may include but are not limited to inter-personal offenses, violation of ethical norms, exceeding one s authority, lapses in official duties, fraudulent actions, pilfering, and/or illegal behavior. Illegal behavior may be referred to appropriate authorities. Normally, the person filing a grievance will be the one personally affected. A grievance may be filed by a non-affected member on behalf of a wronged member upon consent of the latter. If multiple members are offended by the same circumstance, one member may file on behalf of the group. Filing for fraudulent or illegal behavior should be done by the person(s) who observe such. Evaluating Petitions: The full Grievance Committee shall meet at least once per calendar month for the purpose of reviewing accumulated petitions of grievance. Initial review of allegations shall begin with a careful reading of the complaint and the description of alleged circumstances and behaviors of the accused and the complainant. If the Committee votes that there is enough information in the petition to justify a hearing then a date for such hearing shall be set with concurrence of the complainant and the accused. If there is not sufficient information to justify a hearing the Committee chair shall assign one or more Committee members to seek additional, appropriate information intended to enable a hearing. A schedule for obtaining such information shall be set at the time of assignment. At the next regular meeting of the full Committee it shall review the 17

18 petition and the acquired additional information. If there is then sufficient information available to justify a hearing a date for such hearing shall be set with concurrence of the accused and complainant. The Committee must always strive to obtain an amicable resolution, especially in regard to interpersonal matters. This could be as simple as an oral apology and acceptance or a retraction of the grievance claim. Privacy and confidentiality will usually be important. The Committee may choose to have persons in conflict meet jointly early in the process, perhaps ending the matter then. If sufficient information cannot be developed to justify a hearing then a letter to the complainant shall be composed describing the situation and problems with copies sent to complainant and to Committee archives. This may terminate the matter. Hearing and Judgment: The Committee chair shall assign a Committee member to be mediator for a hearing and at least two other members to participate in the hearing. Complainant shall be present and may have one or two persons present who have direct knowledge of some aspects of the complaint and may serve as witness for the prosecution. Accused shall be present and may have one or two persons who have some direct knowledge of circumstances regarding the complaint and may serve as witness for the defense. Hearing shall begin with the mediator reading a complaint, perhaps revised to accommodate information obtained since the initial filing. Complainant shall be asked whether allegations just read are factual and not misconstrued according to their understanding and memory. Complainant may be (graciously) interrupted by a Committee member or mediator seeking to clarify the testimony. This discussion, focused on the complainant but perhaps involving witnesses, may continue until the mediator is satisfied that the issues involved have been exposed and suitably described. Accused shall be invited to describe items that they consider irrelevant, misconstrued, or not factual. Accused may be (graciously) interrupted by a Committee member or mediator seeking to clarify testimony. This discussion, focused on the accused but perhaps including witnesses and Complainant, may continue until the mediator and Committee referees are satisfied that the issues have been fairly and fully explored and they agree that enough has been developed to enable them to reach a just decision. Accused, Complainant, and witnesses shall leave the Hearing room while the Committee panel reviews testimonies and votes on each separate charge. Two votes of three shall carry. When the Panel votes in favor of Accused both Complainant and Accused shall be advised orally of the conclusion as soon as is practical. A written description of the conclusion shall be made with copies to Accused, Complainant, and Committee archives. When the Panel votes in favor of Complainant both Accused and Complainant shall be advised orally of the conclusion as soon as is practical. A written description of the complaint and the Panel conclusion shall be made with copies to Accused, Complainant, Association President, and Committee archives. 18

19 If suspension of member rights or expulsion are selected the President shall meet with the Administrator to set the process in motion. They may obtain legal assistance as they see appropriate. The process should be expedited consistent with laws affecting the Association. Assigning discipline: When the Panel votes in favor of Complainant they shall also decide on a level of discipline. There are four levels; Verbal counseling, Letter of reprimand, Suspension of member s rights, Expulsion. Recommendation shall be presented to the Executive Committee. The full Executive Committee shall review the complaint, the Panel conclusion, and Panel recommendation. They may include the mediator in the review but are not required to do so. The Executive Committee shall decide the level of discipline without the mediator being present. If verbal counseling or letter of reprimand are selected the President shall assign the task to one of the Executive Committee or perform it their self. Such letter will be made in copies for Accused, Complainant, and Committee archives. 19