There are three permanent committees in the Association. All committee members are volunteers who put
time and effort into making the Ramblers a worthwhile club for all. If you have been with the club
for a few years and have derived enjoyment from its activities, then you should consider giving something
back by volunteering for one of these committees. Some positions require more commitment than others,
but there are still many things that can be done to help the club with only a minimum of effort.
The next time a position is open or a job needs to be done, volunteer; who knows what latent talents
you may have!
The Executive Committee is responsible for the ongoing affairs of running the Association. It has the final
decision on any directives suggested by the Coordinators Council, the Risk Management Committee, and various sub-committees. One of its most important responsibilities is keeping
the club in a sound financial position. The Executive meets when necessary, but no less than four times
a year. At each meeting members of the Executive report on issues concerning their positions and any
sub-committees. Minutes of each meeting are taken, with summaries posted on a website forum.
The positions on the Executive Committee are: President, Vice President, Past President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Trips Director, and as required, Social Director, Programs Director, Website and Communications Director, Marketing Coordinator, and Membership Director.
All positions are for one year, and all are elected at the Annual General Meeting, except for Past
President and Trips Director. The following summarizes the responsibilities of each position:
President
The President serves as the chief executive officer of the RMRA. Duties include:
- call and chair meetings of the Executive, and of the Association;
- serve as an ex-officio member on all committees of the Association;
- delegate the duties of the President to the Vice President when unable to be present at a meeting;
- approve with the Vice President subsidies to members to attend courses;
- appoint a member of the Executive to represent the Association at other organizations as may be required; and
- represent the Association to the media.
Vice President
The Vice President acts for the President when the President is unable to attend meetings. In the event
that the office of the President is vacant, the Vice President shall assume all the duties of the
President for the balance of the elected term. Other duties of the Vice President are:
- be responsible for finding information on and announcing courses;
- approve subsidies of courses with the President;
- act as an information officer to maintain and update documents as necessary;
- see that copies of documents are in plentiful supply (e.g. trip sheets, brochures, etc.); and
- call and chair meetings of the Risk Management Committee.
Secretary
The Secretary keeps the minutes of the Association. Duties include:
-
be responsible for the minutes the Annual General Meeting, and all meetings of the
Executive and Coordinators Council;
-
maintain all minutes in a Minute Book or on-line forum which shall be the official
document of the Association;
- have copies of the minutes available for members;
- be responsible for all correspondence of the Association;
- arrange for collection and distribution of all mail received by the Association;
- send letters of thanks on behalf of the Association to outside speakers;
- file annual documents as required by the Societies Act of Alberta; and
- maintain custody of the Association Seal.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is the financial officer of the Association. Duties include:
- maintain the Association bank accounts;
- maintain the ledger of the Association;
-
have the financial records audited at year end and presented to the AGM;
and
- collect all annual membership dues and other fees approved by the Executive.
Past President
The Past President lends continuity and experience from the previous Executive.
Trips Director
The Trips Director represents the Coordinators Council on the Executive. Duties include:
- call a Coordinators Council meeting at least once a year;
- advise probationary coordinators of trip procedures and website processes they can use;
- call a Coordinators Council meeting at least once a year;
- present a summary of trip statistics to the AGM; and
- serve on the Risk Management Committee and discuss any trip incident or injury with the Committee Chair to determine if a Committee review is required.
Social Director
The Social Director organizes social functions for the Association. Duties include:
-
organize social functions such as:
- Christmas and Valentines potluck dinners;
- Stampede breakfast;
- other functions that may be of interest
- organize a sub-committee to assist in planning and coordinating social functions.
Programs Director
The Programs Director arranges Wednesday meeting programs. Duties include:
- arrange Wednesday meeting programs at least once a month;
- provide a mix of outside speakers, members' slide presentations, and instructional programs.
Website and Communications Director
Duties include:
- act as the main Executive contact with the Webmaster;
- undertake simple website amendments to assist Webmaster;
- participate as a member of the ad hoc website committee;
- responsible for Rambler electronic devices, e.g. Projector, laptop, etc.;
- act as a clearinghouse for general email communications (i.e. info@ramblers.ab.ca) and respond to general inquiries; and
- monitor other Rambler email files to eliminate obsolete communications so that data capacity restrictions are not exceeded.
Membership Director
The Membership Director maintains the membership roster. Duties include:
- receive electronic and paper submissions of membership application forms and update the online membership database;
- check applications for correctness, receive membership fees for forwarding to the Treasurer.;
- arrange for a membership representative to be present at Wednesday meetings to distribute and accept Membership Application documents;
- receive electronic copies of Guest waivers and undertake storage of any paper copies.
Marketing Director
The Marketing Director undertakes promotional activities to attract new members.
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The Coordinators Council deals with matters relating to outdoor activities. The Council consists of all
Coordinators and the officers of the Association: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The Trips Director is elected to chair the Council and to be their representative
on the Executive.
The Council generally meets twice a year in the spring (April) and fall (September).
Some functions of the Council include:
- consider conflicts or concerns arising from trips;
- be responsible for trip ratings;
- consider recommendations from the Risk Management Committee, including risk management policies;
- nominate and approve applications for Probationary Coordinators;
- approve Probationary Coordinators to Full Coordinators;
- recommend Coordinators for special recognition or awards;
- discuss any issues of concern to Coordinators.
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Committee Agenda
- Education:
- Knowledge is the key is the key to maintaining a high level of risk management awareness on club trips.
The Committee promotes outside courses relevant to RMRA activities, conducts Wednesday evening programs
and forums, and suggests field trips to practice risk management techniques.
- Documentation:
- The Committee will endeavor to make sure that risk management documentation is up to date and readily available
to members.
- Risk Management Proposals:
- Proposals are formulated as necessary for consideration by the Coordinators Council.
Committee Members
Three members of the Executive are on the Risk Management Committee:
- Vice President: the Vice President is the chair of the Risk Management Committee;
- Trips Director: the Coordinators Council considers recommendations of the Risk Management Committee; and
- President: the President is on all committees.
In addition there are up to eight club members who hopefully represent a cross section of the
Association to give a balanced perspective to the Committee. The Risk Management Committee meets from time to
time as it feels necessary to make plans to execute its agenda.