POLICIES Effective December 1, 2023

 

PURPOSE The Totem Saddle Club has adopted the following selection of policies to assist the club with effective management of the club and its facilities. These policies will be maintained throughout the year and will be subject for review at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or by a General “Special” Meeting (as specified in the Society Act). There are currently 25 Policies.

 

Policy # 1 ALL riders and handlers must be Totem Saddle Club members when using the areas encompassed in the TSC footprint for equestrian activities. If a person is caught using the facilities without a membership it will be assumed the person wishes to be a member and will be billed a membership fee and contacted o fill out the membership forms

 

Policy #2 Single Event Membership fee: $30.00. Valid for one event only for the entire duration of the event. There will be a one-time membership form that will need to be filled out prior to the event and accompany the $30.00 fee. This policy is to allow persons who only wish to attend one event a year, to be a member for the duration of their event if they choose not to purchase a yearly membership.

 

Policy #3 A coaching membership must be paid for individuals intending to coach in the indoor arena, with the exception of clinics that are booked through the club, or events that have privately booked the arena. All persons intending to coach MUST provide proof of current insurance. BOTH coach and student(s) must have current HCBC and Totem Saddle Club memberships.

 

Policy #4 Totem Saddle Club Members joining after SEPTEMBER 1 of each year will pay 50% of the regular membership cost.

 

Policy #5 The Totem Saddle Club Executive MUST be notified within 24 hours of an incident where a rider comes off a horse in any event. An incident report will need to be filled out within 48 hours of incident. Event organizers and/ or witnesses must be prepared to make a statement of the incident to the executive.

 

Policy #6 When membership is paid by cheque there will be a 2 (two) week delay before the membership is active and considered in good standing in order for clearance of payment. If membership is paid by cash, or Etransfer activation is immediate (see Policy # 16 for voting privileges).

 

Policy #7 Upon receipt of a new membership, voting privileges will commence after a 2 (two) week period from the day of payment received.

 

Policy #8 Horse Council British Columbia membership is required to compete in Totem Saddle Club sponsored events. This is for liability and insurance purposes. It is the member’s responsibility to provide HCBC membership numbers prior to competing and may be refused entry if verification is not provided.

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Policy # 9 No financial decisions shall be made on behalf of the Totem Saddle Club by its members, individuals, directors or committees without consulting the treasurer, who shall obtain approval from the Board of Directors prior to approval and purchase. This can be done by email to the treasurer (the treasurer will forward your request to the remaining executives for approval) or at the next general meeting. A. Persons will not be reimbursed without a receipt and/or invoice marked paid. Receipts and/or invoice(s) must include proof of purchase and does not include a credit card statement or transaction slip. Receipt(s) are to be submitted at the time of reimbursement. B. The Chairperson of an event/function must sign a policy acknowledgement of receipt of agreement to adhere to and follow the Totem Saddle Club guidelines and procedures prior to holding the event. Agreements are available from the Treasurer and/or Secretary. C. No Totem Saddle Club member, individual, director or committee shall harbor any amount of monies collected on behalf of the Totem Saddle Club for any reason. Monies must be submitted with event report within 30 days to the treasurer.

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Policy #10 The Board of Directors decision on any expenditure by the Totem Saddle Club will be final and binding upon the club with a simple majority vote by board member (as per the Society Act Rules quorum).

 

Policy #11 No Totem Saddle Club committee shall hold a Totem Saddle Club event/function without approval by the board of Directors. This also includes any scheduled events. This can be done by email to the Secretary (who will forward your request to the remaining executives for approval) or at the next general meeting

 

Policy #12 The Chairperson of a Totem Saddle Club event/function is to provide a detailed budget of profit/loss for board approval at least six weeks before the scheduled event. This can be done by email to the treasurer (the treasurer will forward your request to the remaining executives for approval) or at the next general meeting.

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Policy #13 It is the responsibility of the event/function Chairperson to ensure that their committee adheres to their proposed budget.

 

Policy #14 The Chairperson of a Totem Saddle Club event/function who wants to allocate money to a specific purpose must have it approved prior to the event and must be approved by the board of directors. This can be done by email to the treasurer (the treasurer will forward your request to the remaining executives for approval) or at the next general meeting

 

Policy #15 No Totem Saddle Club members, individuals, directors or committee is permitted to fund raised on behalf of the Totem Saddle Club and/or use the Totem Saddle Club’s names to fund raise without prior approval by the board of directors. This can be done by email to the Secretary (who will forward your request to the remaining executives for approval) or at the next general meeting.

 

Policy #16 All Totem Saddle Club sub-committees are to provide minutes from their meetings (as per the Society Act). Committees are required to keep the club members and the board of directors up to date and current about their event. Committees are required to provide the name of the Committee Chair person. A copy of the minutes is to be sent to the secretary within 30 days or before the event for the records. The chairperson and/or representative shall be present at general meetings relevant to their event.

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Policy #17 The Totem Saddle Club adopts the “Clinic Guidelines” as a policy as per stated on the website https://totemsaddleclub.wixsite.com/ttsc . A copy of the Clinic guideline is also available through the secretary. See Appendix A for guidelines.

 

Policy # 18 All scheduled use of the Totem Saddle Club facilities are to be approved by the person in charge of facility scheduling and only after applicable deposits and/or fees have been received.

 

Policy # 19 When an outside organization(s) and/or individual(s) requests the use of the Totem Saddle Club facilities and/or equipment to host an event a rental fee is required with a refundable damage deposit fee of $150 which is required prior to the use of the facility and/or equipment. 1. All outside organization and/or individuals are to pay $10.00 per day for each Totem Saddle Club stall/and or panels. These funds are to be payable to the Totem Saddle Club and are to be collected by the organizer. 2. All stalls/and paneled areas to be left clean after the event of a penalty will be levied to the renter for the amount of $100.00. Equipment to be dismantled and properly stored accordingly. 3. The Event organizer will have use of one stall at no charge – throughout the event time. All participants using a stall for more than TWO hours will pay $10.00 per day.

 

Policy #20 When an outside individual(s) and/or organization(s) require the use of the hydro for their event, a surcharge will be required prior to the use of the power outlets. These are funds are to be payable to the Totem Saddle Club and are to be collected by the organizer. The event organizer will be invoiced in advance, amount based on historical usage for similar events.

 

Policy #21 The board of Directors reserves the right to set and/or change the fees associated with the Totem Saddle Club facilities

 

Policy #22 Should the chairperson/organizers of an event fail to abide by the Totem Saddle Club Policies, the Board of Directors have the right to cancel an event with proper notice and deposits may be forfeited.

 

Policy #23 Stop Payment or Not Sufficient Funds Cheques A surcharge of $40.00 will apply to all stop payment or NSF cheques. The issuer of the stop payment or NSF cheque will not be in good standing until all fees and charges have been paid in full.

 

Policy #24 Livestock in TSC facilities No livestock is to be left unattended overnight in Totem Saddle Club facilities. The TSC is entitled to charge a stall rental fee and has the right to exclude the use of stalls at any given time. No livestock is to be housed in the riding arenas at any time unless it is prior arranged with the Executive, ex: RCMP Musical Ride. As a courtesy, when no events are held, members may use the stalls and overnight use of the facilities is limited to two consecutive nights unless prior arrangements have been approved by the Executive.

 

Policy #25 Large animal veterinary use of facilities may be granted upon pre-approval by the executive on a yearly basis. Non-Members will be charged a $10 fee for the use of the grounds, payable to the vet. Waivers must be signed by vet and clients; this does not allow riding privileges. Veterinary practice to report usage and payment on a monthly basis. Active members fees will be waived.