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| (a) Name: The name of the organization shall be NORTHWEST HORSEBACK SEARCH AND RESCUE (NWHSAR). It shall be a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of
Washington
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| (b) Purpose: NWHSAR is organized exclusively to provide assistance in the field of search and rescue to the King County Sheriffs Office (KCSO) and other responsible agencies involved in search and rescue operations according to Chapter 118-04 WAC Emergency Worker Program. |
| (c) Objectives: |
- To aid and assist in finding lost or missing persons including first aid care and evacuation from the field either by litter or on horseback.
- To provide a training structure and documentation to ensure a qualified group of search and rescue volunteer members.
- To provide encouragement and incentive for members to: maintain training, elevate the levels of performance, and to stimulate growth of leadership within the unit.
- To promote public education of wilderness safety.
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| Section 2.01 General Requirements |
| (a) All candidates for training will be subjected to a background check of criminal history and driving record performed by KCSO. All candidates are also referred to as Novice Members once they commence training. |
| (b) All members of NWHSAR shall be required to comply with all laws for motor vehicles and drivers as required by
Washington
State
law. A copy of a current driver=s license, vehicle registration, and a current and valid Proof of Insurance will be required of each member on a yearly basis, and may be requested of any member at any time by the Board of Directors. Such documentation shall be provided to the Training Director by January 31st of each year. Thereafter, all members shall provide the Training Director with changes in status of the above documentation within 30 days of such change; all such documentation received by the Training Director shall be forwarded to the SAR coordinator within 30 days of receipt. |
| (c) Members must maintain the minimum WAC 118-04-120 training classes as well as required federal and state certifications. |
| (d) All members are subject to NWHSAR By-Laws, NWHSAR Standards Policies and Procedures Manual (SOP), and King County Search and Rescue Association (KCSARA) By-Laws. |
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- Novice Member
- Active Member
- Inactive Member
- Support Member
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| (a) A meeting quorum will be defined as minimum of 10 members who are not serving on the Executive Board. |
| (b) A monthly General Meeting shall be held at a time and location voted on by the general membership, where a meeting quorum exists. |
| (c) Meetings will be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order, unless changed at the discretion of the person conducting the meeting. |
| (d) Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the Executive Board to resolve urgent problems. |
| (e) Balloting on issues shall be by secret ballot. Simple majority of those present shall rule where a meeting quorum exists unless otherwise provided by these bylaws |
| (f) Voting by Officers. The Executive Board shall not vote on NWHSAR motions, but may vote on KCSARA issues if acting as a NWHSAR delegate to the KCSARA meeting. |
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| The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Training Director, Outgoing President, and Member At Large. Board members shall attend a minimum of 75% of the scheduled NWHSAR meetings. |
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| (a) To serve as President, Vice President, Member-at-Large, or Training Director of NWHSAR, an individual must have served as an active member for the prior two years and have also participated in an actual logged mission(s) of duration of sixteen (16) hours or more within the prior two (2) years. |
| (b) To serve as Secretary or Treasurer of NWHSAR, an individual must have demonstrated sustained interest through participation in NWHSAR. |
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| The officers shall be elected for a term of two years, and may not serve more than two consecutive full terms, however, officers can be re-elected for a consecutive one year term until an eligible/willing candidate can be found. |
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| The outgoing president shall serve for two years as a member of the board. |
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| (a) President |
| The President is the principal executive officer of NWHSAR and Chairperson of the board. He/she shall in general supervise the business and affairs of the Corporation. The President shall enforce all standards and policies as set forth in NWHSAR Bylaws and shall appoint the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees. The President shall attend a minimum of 75% of the scheduled NWHSAR meetings and shall appoint another member to conduct the meeting if none of the officers are able to attend. |
| (b) Vice President |
| The Vice President shall be responsible for programs at the General Meetings and will arrange for meeting places. During the President's absence, the Vice President shall have all of the President=s powers and duties. The Vice President shall serve as the default NWHSAR delegate to KCSARA meetings unless another delegate will serve in his/her place. The Vice President shall coordinate the presentation of awards when appropriate. |
| (c) Secretary |
| The Secretary shall keep complete minutes of all meetings and shall provide a correct written record of the minutes of all meetings to the Editor of the NWHSAR newsletter. The Secretary shall retain custody of the original and official By-Laws and maintain such By-Laws complete with all amendments. The Secretary shall be responsible for attendance records at meetings, reports, correspondence, and retain a current membership roster. The Secretary shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices, maintain historical files of all correspondence, be custodian of all NWHSAR documents and records and file a yearly roster of the officers and/or members with KCSARA and the SAR Coordinator. Copies of the preceding year's records and documentation outlined in the preceding sentence shall be forwarded to the SAR Coordinator by January 15th of each year to be placed in NWHSAR's file cabinet or drawer in the SAR Coordinator's office. All records are to remain the property of NWHSAR and shall be surrendered to the Secretary=s successor. The Secretary, with the Treasurer, or their designees, shall be responsible for counting the secret ballots after voting is concluded on any issue, except elections which shall remain the responsibility of the Election Committee. |
| (d) Treasurer |
| The Treasurer shall collect, receive and deposit all monies due to and belonging to NWHSAR, pay all bills, claims or rewards after determining that proper documentation for expenditure is on hand and expenditure is for appropriate and necessary NWHSAR business. The Treasurer shall maintain clear, concise and accurate account of all receipts and disbursements on a monthly basis at the regular meeting and upon request at any Executive Board meeting. The Treasurer will prepare all required Federal and state reports and forms in time for approval by the NWHSAR Board and shall file the aforementioned reports as specified by law. Shall maintain open books subject to examination at any time and assist auditors in completing the required annual audit. The Treasurer shall hand over to his/her successor a complete and accurate financial statement together with all funds, records and supplies. The Treasurer, with the Secretary, or their designees, shall be responsible for counting the secret ballots after voting is concluded on any issue, except elections which shall remain the responsibility of the Election Committee |
| (e) Training Director |
| The Training Director shall develop training programs which shall be presented to the other members of the Executive Board for approval in the first week of each February, determine membership status, keep member's and horse's records. All documentation received by the Training Director shall be forwarded to the SAR Coordinator within 30 days of receipt. The Training Director shall also act as a focal point for information regarding training needs in accordance with SOP. |
| (f) Member-at-Large |
| Shall represent the voice of the general membership to address concerns, requests, or input of members. |
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| (a) Elections |
| (i) Elections for Member At Large, Vice-President, and Secretary shall occur on odd numbered years and elections for President, Training Director, and Treasurer shall occur on even numbered years. |
| (ii) A majority of the Board shall appoint qualified individuals to serve out unexpired terms; subject individuals must meet minimum requirements as set forth in these By-Laws. |
(iii) Elections Committee.
The Board shall approve an Elections Committee of not fewer than two (2) members by the September meeting of an election year to manage the election process. No member of the Election Committee shall be a candidate for that election. |
| (iv) The Elections Committee will present its slate of nominees to the general membership at the scheduled October meeting, at which time nominations can be made from the floor. |
| (v) If more than one person is interested in running for an office, the Elections Committee shall prepare and mail secret ballots to each eligible member before November=s General Meeting of an election year. |
| (vi) Ballots will be counted by the Elections Committee at a meeting of the Elections Committee prior to the December general meeting. A simple majority of ballots shall rule. |
| (vii) If only one person is interested in running for an office, that person will be presented at the December meeting for confirmation by majority vote. |
| (b) Removal of Officers |
Any officer may be removed from office by a two-third’s vote of active members, including a minimum of five (5) members of the Executive Board, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the membership where a meeting quorum of at least 10 active members plus a minimum of five (5) Executive Board members is present, provided that those members receive at least ten (10) days= notice in writing of this proposed action.
The office of any Executive Board member who leaves that position before the expiration of his/her term shall have his/her successor appointed by a secret, majority vote of the Executive Board. Paragraph 3.03 also applies when an unexpired term occurs. |
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| (a) Authorized Signatures. Approved withdrawals of NWHSAR funds require the signature of one of the four following people: President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer. |
| (b) The Executive Board will be responsible for preparation of the annual budget to present for approval to the membership at the February meeting. Disbursements from this budget require only authorization and documentation of the President. In situations where authorizations are being made for a member of the same household, the President shall also obtain approval of a third board member who is not from the same household. |
| (c) Examination of NWHSAR financial records shall be conducted by NWHSAR auditors. That will consist of a minimum of two members, other than the Treasurer. Auditors are responsible for conducting an annual audit of NWHSAR financial records or for seeing that outside experts are employed to conduct such audits. |
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| There shall be four (4) standing committees. All Standing Committee Chairpersons shall be appointed by the President. |
- Communications Committee
- Training and Recruitment Committee
- Ways & Means Committee
- Van Committee
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| (a) Members shall be admitted and retained in accordance with NWHSAR SOP. Any disqualified member may appeal according to procedures defined in SOP. |
| (b) Any member of NWHSAR who feels that s/he is or has been the subject of prejudice, harassment or discrimination, or who observes or is aware of such action, is encouraged to contact an Operations Leader or any member of the Executive Board as identified in these bylaws. |
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The eligible voting members of NWHSAR may dissolve the organization at any time by the written and signed consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the active members. The Executive Board shall ensure that all proper dissolution documents are completed and filed with the proper authorities.
In the event the corporation is dissolved, it shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board at the time of disbandment to ensure that all of its assets remaining after the payment of its outstanding debts shall be distributed to KCSARA to be divided equally among the members of the Association for the purpose of furthering Search and Rescue Operation, provided further that in the event of the prior dissolution of KCSARA, the funds shall be distributed to any nonprofit organization bearing objects similar to the corporation selected by the Board, and in no event shall the remaining assets of the corporation be distributed to or for its members or used for any purpose other than exclusively for charitable and educational purposes as permitted by corporations which are exempt from federal Income Tax under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. |
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| These By-laws may be amended by a simple majority (half of the active members plus one) provided there are at least 10 votes cast and that all active members receive at least 20 days written notice. |
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