Committees

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!

Executive Committee:	manages the business of the Association
Coordinators Council:	responsible for the outdoor activities of the Association
Risk Management Committee:	promotes risk management awareness within the Association

Executive Committee

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.

There are up to ten positions on the Executive Committee: President, Vice President, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, Trips Director, and as required, Social Director, Programs 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:

check that coordinators have posted their trips adequately to members;
maintain a log of trips, and update the ongoing trip statistics;
ensure that trip announcements are kept up to date on the website;
discuss any trip incident with the coordinator or participant that may require review;
call a Coordinators Council meeting at least once a year;
present a summary of trip statistics to the AGM; and
be a member of the Risk Management Committee.

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.

Membership Director

The Membership Director maintains the membership roster. Duties include:

arrange representation at Wednesday meetings to distribute and accept Membership Application documents;
check applications for correctness, receive membership fees, and issue membership cards;
maintain the online membership list;
have pins, crests, history books, etc. available for sale; and
receive and file trip signup sheets from coordinators.

Marketing Director

The Marketing Director undertakes promotional activities to attract new members.

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Coordinators Council

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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Risk Management Committee

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.