NASHVILLE, TN HARLEY OWNER S GROUP CHAPTER #2388 BY-LAWS PREAMBLE 1. The Harley Owners Group (HOG) is an organization founded and sponsored by Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The group was established to offer motorcycling benefits and services to Harley-Davidson enthusiasts throughout the world, and to develop a close relationship between the Harley-Davidson rider, the Harley-Davidson dealer and Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The opportunity to start an independent chapter affiliated with the Harley Owners Group is offered to bring members together for the common interest of promoting motorcycling activities. The goal of each chapter is to generate an increased level of enthusiasm for riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The chapter shall be a family-oriented and nonpolitical organization. 2. AUTHORITY - The following by-laws governing the Nashville, TN Chapter in the conducting of business and procedures can be overridden, and are only in effect, at the discretion of the Sponsoring Dealer. ARTICLE I PURPOSE The purpose of the local chapter shall be to promote responsible motorcycling activities for Harley Owners Group (national) members by conducting chapter activities and encouraging participation in other HOG events. Chapter activities and operations shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the family-oriented, nonpolitical philosophy. Bottom line is Ride and Have Fun! ARTICLE II CHAPTER OFFICERS 1 The primary officers of the Chapter shall be: Director, Assistant Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers, with the exception of Treasurer (see below) shall serve a two (2) year term of office. These officers can serve a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms. Members who have served in any of these offices can be re-appointed after a break of one complete term (two (2) years). 2 Primary Officer Positions must be filled by individuals who own and ride Harley- Davidson motorcycles. The Nashville, TN HOG member must be active with National and the Nashville, TN HOG chapter in good standing for full one year, previous to the nomination for an officer position.
3 The office of Chapter Treasurer shall have a term of three (3) years with a maximum of three terms in office (9 years). 4 The director shall be appointed by the Sponsoring Dealer with the current director s assistance. 5 The remaining Primary officers are selected by the new Director with the Dealer s approval. 6 Discretionary officers shall be: Head Road Captain, Safety Officer, Activities Officer, Ladies of Harley, Newsletter Editor, Chapter Historian, and Chapter Photographer. Other officers may be appointed by the Director with Dealer s approval. 7 The term of each office for discretionary officers, shall be one (1) years running from January 1 until December 31 or as appointed by the sponsoring Dealer, as defined in the National Office Chapter Handbook. 8 All officers serve at the pleasure of the Director and sponsoring dealer. Removal of any officer shall be by a two thirds vote of the primary officers and the sponsoring dealer. ARTICLE III CHAPTER OFFICERS DUTIES 1. The duties and responsibilities of the primary (required) chapter officers shall be as follows: a. Director: 1) The Director shall uphold HOG National Charter and chapter by-laws. 2) Conduct chapter meetings. 3) Coordinate chapter officer responsibilities. 4) Submit annual charter to national HOG. b. Assistance Director: 1) Assist the Director in carrying out the Director s duties 2) Responsible for promoting membership. 3) Orientation. 4) Membership retention. 5) Keeping the chapter members informed of HOG programs.
6) The assistant director shall also act as Nashville HOG Chapter s State Rally liaison and shall ensure that information regarding HOG State Rallies is communicated to the chapter membership. c. Secretary: 1) Responsible for the administrative needs of the chapter. meeting. 2) Keeping the minutes of chapter annual business meetings and general 3) Oversees the position of membership officer if it exists. 4) Ensures all chapter members are current HOG members 5) Maintain signed copies of members Annual Chapter Enrollment Form and Release of each members signed on an annual bases. 6) Submit to HOG the HOG Chapter Charter Application and any other reports as required by HOG. 7) Ensure insurance requirements are met (including participant signatures to required release forms). 8) Ensure preparation of injury report forms, timely submission of injury report forms to the appropriate insurance company. injury reports. 9) Responsible for the maintenance and storage of release forms and 10) Filing Chapter s Incorporation paper work annual to the State of Tennessee by February. d. Treasurer: 1) Responsible for the collection and disbursement of chapter funds. basis. 2) Reporting the financial transactions to the membership on a monthly 3) Compliance with all revenue recording and reporting requirements. 2. The duties and responsibilities of the discretionary (optional) chapter officers shall be:
a. Activities Officer: The Activities Officer shall be responsible for the administration of chapter events. b. Ladies of Harley Officer: The LOH Officer shall be responsible for encouraging women members to take an active part in chapter activities. c. Road Captain: The Road Captain(s) shall be responsible for assisting in the planning of routes for chapter rides and keeping the Chapter informed of all H.O.G. Programs. d. Editor: The Editor shall be responsible for assembling and organizing written, oral (broadcast) and electronic material for chapter publications, e.g., newsletters, press releases. All chapter publications, whether written, oral (broadcast) or electronic, shall be subject to approval by the sponsoring dealer prior to publication. e. Safety Officer: The Safety Officer shall be responsible for providing chapter members with information relating to the availability of rider training. f. Photographer: The Photographer shall be responsible for obtaining and organizing chapter photographs for use in chapter publications and chapter history albums. g. Historian: The Historian shall be responsible for the preparation and maintenance of a written account of the history of the chapter, to include officer positions, chapter activities and membership levels. h. Membership Officer: The Membership Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that all chapter members are current HOG members, having on file a signed copy of the Annual Chapter Membership Enrollment Form & Release of each member as signed on an annual basis; maintains chapter membership report, and maintaining report on the Chapter Officer section of members.hog.com. i. Webmaster: The Webmaster shall be responsible for assembling and organizing material for the Chapter Web site and seeking approval from the sponsoring dealer prior to publication. ARTICLE IV CAUSE FOR EXPULSION & REMOVAL OF AN OFFICER OR MEMBER 1. Any member of the Board of Officers may be removed for conduct unbecoming, as determined by the Board of Officers, provided the grievance is presented to the Board of Officers, in writing, and the Board of Officers, after weighing the evidence presented, votes in a majority to expel or remove the accused member.
2. The Board member in question can have representation by either a lawyer (The member in question will bear the expense of any and all legal representation) or a Chapter member. 3. After a member of the Board of Officers misses two (official) meetings in a row, the Director may contact and determine their desire for continued participation. If, in the opinion of the Director, that individual no longer intends to remain active, the Director will bring the matter to the Board of Officers for termination action. If the Board of Officers so approve, that person will be removed from the post and the Director will accept nominations from the Board of Officers for a person to fulfill the remaining term of that party so removed, subject to the approval of the sponsoring Dealer. 4. Any member of the Chapter may be removed for conduct unbecoming, as determined by the Board of Officers, provided the grievance is presented to the Board of Officers, in writing, and the Board of Officers, after weighing the evidence presented, votes in a majority to expel or remove the accused member. 5. The member in question can have representation by either a lawyer (The member in question will bear the expense of any and all legal representation) or a Chapter member. 6. The Chapter can override the Board of Officers with a 2/3 (two thirds) vote of the total current membership. 7. Membership: In order to suspend or revoke a membership in the chapter, the sponsoring dealer must do the following: a. Notify the member in writing of the cancellation of his chapter membership. Give the reason for the cancellation in clear, concise terms. b. Refund the member's chapter dues for the year (Prorated). c. Send a copy of the cancellation letter to the appropriate Regional Manager. ARTICLE V BOARD OF OFFICERS 1. Organization: The Board of Officers shall be composed of the Director, Assistant Director, Secretary, Treasurer, and three (3) Board members. One alternate Board member will be designated to serve in place of any of the three Board member positions should one of those primary representatives be unable to attend a Board of Officers meeting. A quorum of four members of the Board of Officers must be present to transact business. 2. The duties of the Board of Officers include: a. Conduct the Chapter Business in the absence of both the Director and the Assistant Director.
b. Review by-law changes prior to submission to the general membership. c. Review recommendations of any member of the Board of Officers for removal of any officer for non-participation or misconduct, and confirm by vote, acceptance or rejection of said removal. d. Review recommendations to suspend, sanction or discipline any member of the Chapter. e. Be authorized to create special committees at the request of the director and to transact all other business of the Chapter not otherwise provided for. f. Establish the annual budget for submission to the membership. Recommend funding amounts of Chapter events to the membership. g. Approve expenditures above the amount of $100.00 (one hundred dollars) for the operational requirements of the Chapter. ARTICLE VI MEMBERSHIP 1. A member in good standing shall be defined as any member who is currently a member in good standing of National HOG and local Chapter and is not under suspension, sanctioning or dismissal for disciplinary reasons. A member s Nashville Chapter membership will be considered inactive, even if dues are paid, if their National HOG membership is not current 2. There will be no age limit required for Nashville, TN Chapter membership. 3. Dues are established at $20.00 per year for each member. Dues will be collected when a member first joins. Thereafter, renewal for local Nashville, TN Chapter membership will be in January of each year. 4. All dues paying members of the Chapter will enjoy all the benefits of the Chapter regardless of whether they are a full or associate member of the National HOG, except as stated in Sec V. Para. (s) E, I. 5. Each member is entitled to receive a copy of these Chapter by-laws. 6. Each member will be furnished a Chapter ID card. ARTICLE VII MEETINGS 1. General Chapter Membership meetings shall be held on the second Monday of each month from January through November. No regular meeting will be scheduled in December. Meeting location shall be agreed upon by a majority of active club members.
2. Special meetings of the General Chapter Membership or the Board of Officers may be called by the Director or a majority of the Board of Officers. The notice for a special meeting shall state the business to be transacted and no business shall be transacted except that stated in the notice. Special Chapter meetings so called will require posted notice to the membership, in writing, at least ten days prior to said meeting. 3. Roberts s Rules of Order shall govern the parliamentary proceedings of this Chapter unless otherwise provided in these by-laws. The order of business for General Chapter meetings shall be: a. Roll call or sign in. b. Reading of minutes of previous meeting. c. Treasurer s report. d. Committee reports. e. Unfinished business. f. New business. g. General discussion. (Optional) h. Adjournment of meeting i. 50/50 drawing. 4. Officer meetings will be held the second Saturday prior to the general chapter membership meeting. The meeting will be chaired by the Director and the Assistant Director in his/her absence. Chapter s business will be discussed and worked on during these meetings. The primary goal is to distribute solved information to the chapter in the general chapter membership meetings and reduces the time spent on official business. The Director and /or Assistant Director will make reasonable attempts by telephonic communication of said changes to the Board of Officers meeting. The Director may change the Board of Officers meeting at will to eliminate any conflicts with other chapter business or events. 5. Primary mission of general chapter meetings is to socialize and have fun. ARTICLE VIII DISSOLUTION OF NASHVILLE, TN CHAPTER 1. Recession and Termination of Sponsorship: In the event a sponsoring dealer decides to terminate or rescind sponsorship of a chartered chapter:
a. The sponsoring dealer shall inform the appropriate HOG Regional Manager of the sponsoring dealer's intent to cancel or terminate sponsorship fifteen days prior to providing the chapter with written notice of termination or recession of sponsorship. Such notice shall be afforded by telephone or facsimile transmission. b. The sponsoring dealer shall provide the chapter with written notice that sponsorship is terminated or rescinded, setting forth the reasons for termination or cancellation. Said notice shall be effective fifteen days subsequent to date of delivery of the notice. A copy of the sponsoring dealer's written notice to the chapter membership shall be sent to the Regional Manager. c. Any subsequent application for charter by a group proposed to be sponsored by the former sponsoring dealer shall not be considered for acceptance for a minimum period of three months following the sponsoring dealer's termination or recession of the dealer's sponsorship of the former chartered chapter. 2. In the event of dissolution or final liquidation of the Chapter, all of the remaining funds and property of the Chapter shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities and obligations of the Chapter and for necessary expenses thereof, be distributed to such organization or organizations as are organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes and which qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any director, officer or private individual. ARTICLE IX BY-LAWS 1. This Charter shall be adopted and serve as operating policy for HOG chapters and must be available to all chapter members. 2. Chapter by-laws, if needed, may not replace, supersede or conflict with this Charter and HOG Operating Policies. The sponsoring dealer and the HOG office must approve chapter by-laws prior to publication or implementation. Once adopted, a copy of the chapter by-laws must be furnished to the sponsoring dealer and HOG office and must be available to all chapter members. ARTICLE X OPERATING POLICIES 1. Chapter Activities: a. Chapters must hold a minimum of four closed events per year. b. Closed events are those chapter events which are open to chapter members and one guest per member. c. Member events are events that are open only to current Nashville Chapter HOG members.
d. Open events are those chapter events which are open to chapter members, national HOG members and other guests as desired. 2. Newsletters: Chapters must publish a minimum of six newsletters per year to be eligible to maintain HOG affiliation. Newsletters can consist of any printed material informing the membership of activities, i.e. post cards, flyers, multi-page publications, etc. Activities listed in the newsletter must indicate whether it is an open event, HOG member event or closed event. 3. Chapter Status: Any chapter which fails to conduct any events or fails to publish six newsletters in one year, shall have their chapter recognition as a HOG affiliated organization rescinded. ARTICLE XI DISCLAIMER While the chapter may be affiliated with HOG, it remains a separate, independent entity responsible for its actions. All Harley Owners Group members and their guest(s) participate voluntarily and at their own risk in HOG and HOG chapter activities. The sponsoring dealer, HOG and Harley-Davidson Motor Company, its subsidiaries and distributors and local chapter officers are and shall be released and held harmless by the member/guest for any injury or loss to the member/guest or to his or her property which may result from participation in HOG and HOG chapter activities. This means that each and every member of the local chapter and their guest(s) have no ground for legal action against the sponsoring dealer, HOG, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, its distributors and its subsidiaries, the local chapters and their respective agents and employees for any injury resulting to them or their property. ARTICLE XII AMENDMENTS These by-laws may be amended, with Dealer approval, at any General membership meeting by a 2/3 (two thirds) vote of the members in good standing (so identified by the Membership Officer), by a show of hands, provided that the proposed amendment has been posted in writing and read at two Chapter membership meetings. It shall be read only at the first meeting, and upon being read at the second meeting, thereby voted accepted or rejected. As read, voted on and approved at the General Membership meeting on: Reviewed and approved by the Sponsoring Dealer on: