The TVC will promote
excellence in cycling sportsmanship
and the sport of competitive cycling in the Southern Tier of New York
State.
Section
1.02History of the Charter
c. 1997
Original "Declaration"
drafted by Mitch James
Nov-Dec 1998
TVC Declaration updated
into draft TVC Charter by Jeff Poulin
Spring 1999
Ratified and accepted as
TVC Charter by TVC members
Spring 2000
Changed TT and RR points
systems
Spring 2001
Changed RR points
systems; added clause that TVC will reimburse TVC members for USA
Cycling Coaches, Mechanics, and Official's licenses.
Spring 2002
Added Junior Development
Program. Changed RR points system and deleted obsolete requirements
regarding upgrades in RR categories "A" and "B." Added more awards to
RR series.
Fall 2003
Require "5-score minimum
to receive award" rule to RRs to match TTs.
Spring 2004
Clarified that RR riders
get full points for participating, regardless of the size of the field.
RR registration ends 15 minutes prior to race time, not five minutes.
Spring 2005
Instituted policy that
RRs and TTs rotate from Tuesday-Thursday nights every year to
(hopefully) end further debate on the topic.
Fall 2006
Changed RR awards to read one trophy
for Sprint and KOM championship in each division (down from 3 places)
and trophies to the top 3 points finishers in each division (A, B,
Women), down from 5 places.
Spring 2007
Added condition about Pro riders not
being eligible for points. Also added rule about no free lap rule at
any weekly event. REMOVED racing team director since the club does not
have it’s own team, just independent teams affiliated with the
TVC.
Section
1.03Changes to the Charter
·The President may change the charter
subject to the approval of a
majority of TVC Officers.
·A TVC Vice President may change the
portion of the charter that
pertains to their area of responsibility (e.g., Road Races, Time
Trials)
subject to the approval of the TVC President.
·TVC members may petition TVC Officers
to change the charter at
any time.
Article
II.TVC Officer Duties and Responsibilities
Section
2.01TVC Officers
1.Serve
as role models to the rest of the club. TVC Officers will display
exemplary
behavior at all times.
2.Promote
the acceptance of bicycling in the community.
3.Enforce
club rules and policies.
4.Ensure
the participants in every club event have signed the TVC release and
paid their
annual membership dues as well as any race fees, as appropriate.
5.Attend
officers meetings (as needed).
6.Recruit
new members at every opportunity.
7.Provide
input to every club newsletter.
8.TVC
Officers must immediately report injuries that occur during TVC events,
no
matter how slight, to USA Cycling and follow-up by completing the
appropriate
USA Cycling injury reports and insurance forms.
9.The
annual club membership fees will be waived for all club officers.
10.Rental fees for
club equipment will be waived for all club officers.
11.Upon end of
officer term, all club property and materials (e.g., results, data,
equipment)
shall be returned to the TVC.
12.TVC Officers may
be removed from office by majority vote of the incumbent TVC Officers;
the
affected officer may not participate in this vote.
13.Vacant TVC
Officers positions may be filled at the discretion of the TVC
President,
subject to approval by a majority of the serving TVC Officers.
Section
2.02President
(a)Club
organizational leader
1.Sets
meeting times and places.
2.Runs
meeting.
3.Delegates
authority and responsibilities.
4.Executes
club policies.
5.Manages
all club activity.
6.Appoints
club committee chairpersons (as needed).
7.Retains
club equipment and disburses as necessary.
8.Responsible
for gathering volunteers for USCF sanctioned club races (e.g., Chris
Thater,
Loren Holl, etc.)
9.Cast
the deciding vote in any stalemate between club officers.
10.Prepare and
distribute club race information to news / media organizations as
necessary.
11.Records the TVC
awards at the end of the season in the TVC Charter.
12.Reports
unsportsmanlike conduct to other officers for a disciplinary review.
13.Supports and
assists all other club officers as needed.
(b)Club
representative to local governments, municipalities, and authorities
1.Establishes
permission and rights-of-way for racing events as needed.
2.Coordinates
with Town, County, and State highway departments for course repair and
restoration.
(c)Club representative to sponsors
1.Handles
all questions and concerns regarding club sponsorship.
2.Reports
race results to sponsors on a monthly basis.
(d)Advertising
and promotion
1.Prepares
and distributes club race information to news / media organizations as
necessary.
2.Supports
sponsorship solicitation, membership drives, race advertising, and
spectator
awareness by coordinating the production of appropriate media (e.g.,
posters,
videos, race programs, etc.)
Section
2.03Secretary/Treasurer
(a)Secretarial
Duties
1.Responsible
for timely filing of USA Cycling forms for TVC membership in USA
Cycling.
2.Responsible
for filing race schedule with USA Cycling to ensure insurance coverage
of club
officers through USA Cycling.
3.Maintains
current membership and mailing lists.
4.Tracks
status of all members (paid vs. unpaid) through monthly printout.
5.Prepares
membership forms and distributes to local bicycle shops and other
interested
retailers.
6.Coordinates
with Vice-Presidents to provide updated membership lists at race sign
up.
7.Supports
Vice-Presidents in conducting race clerical duties.
(b)Treasurer
Duties
1.Personally
responsible for the club financial assets.
2.Maintains
balanced books and checking account at all times.
3.Provides
a monthly written account of club finances, to include income,
expenses, and
TVC account balance(s) to the TVC President.
4.Provides
a summary of club finances, to include income, expenses, and TVC
account
balances for every newsletter.
5.Reviews
spending history and projects future needs or windfalls.
6.Prepares/coordinates
club budget.
7.Prepares
and submits all necessary IRS forms.
8.Prepares
and submits all necessary legal forms for "non-profit organizations."
9.Maximizes
interest accumulation and minimizes accounting fees.
(i)Collection
of fees
1.Receives
club membership fees and deposits the fees into the TVC account in a
timely
manner.
2.Receives
race fees and submits them to the USCF.
3.Issues
billing/receipts to sponsors and collects fees.
4.Receives
payments for club equipment rental.
(ii)Disbursement
of payments
1.Pays
all club approved receipts.
2.Responsible
for paying USA Cycling club membership and insurance fees.
3.Forwards
unauthorized receipts to the club President for review and disciplinary
actions.
4.Prepares
and submits checks for club operating expenses (e.g., USCF fees,
jerseys, post
office box, TVC Newsletter, etc.)
Section
2.04Vice President- Road Race
(a)Backup
to President for all presidential responsibilities
1.Creates
race schedule at the beginning of the year. May change schedule if
needed due
to road conditions or other unforeseen events.
2.Establishes
procedures for race registration.
3.Acts
as "Race Coordinator" or identifies volunteers to conduct race. Gets
appropriate equipment to volunteers prior to race and delegates
authority of
"Race Coordinator" to the volunteer.
4.Calculates
running totals of point series (Singer, road race, KOM, sprint) and
posts the
running totals at each race.
5.Accounts
for and provides record of racing fees collected and expenses incurred
to the
Secretary/Treasurer.
(b)Acts
as "Race Coordinator"
1.The
sole and final authority for decisions regarding the conduct of the
race.
2.Responsible
for giving safety briefing and race instructions at the beginning of
each race,
as appropriate.
3.Welcomes
and orients new riders prior to racing.
4.Ensures
maximum safety at all events, to include making allowances for road and
weather
hazards. Has the authority to cancel any race at any time, regardless
of race
status.
5.Conducts
equipment inspections as needed.
6.Coordinates
traffic control (e.g., places cones, signs, marshals, etc., as needed).
7.Coordinates
the calculation and summary of race results.
8.Submits
race results to local media, the VP-Road Race, and newsletter staff
following
each race.
9.Enforces
disciplinary actions to members as needed.
Section
2.05Vice President- Time Trial
(a)Backup
to President for all presidential responsibilities
1.Creates
race schedule at the beginning of the year. May change schedule if
needed due
to road conditions or other unforeseen events.
2.Establishes
procedures for race registration.
3.Acts
as "Race Coordinator" or identifies volunteers to conduct race. Gets
appropriate equipment to volunteers prior to race and delegates
authority of
"Race Coordinator" to the volunteer.
4.Calculates
running totals of point and posts the running totals at each race.
5.Accounts
for and provides record of racing fees collected and expenses incurred
to the
Secretary/Treasurer.
(b)Acts
as "Race Coordinator"
1.The
sole and final authority for decisions regarding the conduct of the
race.
2.Responsible
for giving safety briefing and race instructions at the beginning of
each race,
as appropriate.
3.Welcomes
and orients new riders prior to racing.
4.Ensures
maximum safety at all events, to include making allowances for road and
weather
hazards. Has the authority to cancel any race at any time, regardless
of race
status.
5.Conducts
equipment inspections as needed.
6.Coordinates
traffic control (e.g., places cones, signs, marshals, etc., as needed).
7.Coordinates
the calculation and summary of race results.
8.Submits
race results to local media, the VP-Road Race, and newsletter staff
following
each race.
9.Enforces
disciplinary actions to members as needed.
Section
2.06Vice President- Special Events
(a)Backup
to all TVC Officers
·Assumes responsibilities of another TVC
officer as required.
(b)Typical
Duties
·Conduct the TVC Singer Spring Training
Series for the TVC.
·Coordinate the Chris Thater Memorial
Races for the City of Binghamton.
·Conduct the Empire State Games (ESG)
Qualifier races for the
State of New York.
Section
2.07Newsletter Editor
(a)Produces
the TVC Newsletter
·Has access to and regularly uses e-mail.
·Has access to an IBM-compatible
computer running a current
version of Microsoft Word.
·Solicits and collects input to the TVC
Newsletter.
·Produces the TVC Newsletter on a
schedule agreed to by the TVC
Officers.
·Coordinates with the
Secretary/Treasurer for mailing lists,
postage, and physical mailing of the Newsletter.
·Coordinates with the
Secretary/Treasurer to ensure distribution
of the Newsletter to local bicycle shops and other interested retailers.
(b)Backup
to all TVC Officers
·Assumes responsibilities of another TVC
officer as required.
Section
2.08Racing Team Director
(a)Coordinator
of team functions
1.Runs
and directs all aspects of the TVC Racing Team.
2.Acts
as spokesperson to team sponsors.
3.Responsible
for reporting team race results to newsletter staff.
4.Reports
to other officers on team progress and issues concerning the team/club
relationship.
Article
III.TVC Membership Policies
Section
3.01Dues
1.Application
fees are to be determined on a yearly basis by the club officers and
placed on
the application form.
2.Members
joining after August 31 of a calendar year who have not raced prior to
August
31 will have their dues credited for remainder of that calendar year and
the following calendar year.
3.The
TVC does not give refunds of any kind.
Section
3.02Conduct of Races
1.All
race participants must have signed the TVC release and paid their
annual
membership dues (a parent or guardian signature must sign if the racer
is under
18 years of age).
2.Guest
participants may enter a TVC club event if they:
·Sign the TVC release.
·Pay the race fee.
·Were never members of the TVC.
·Have not previously utilized the trial
policy.
Section
3.03Member Responsibilities
1.TVC
members shall uphold the TVC values of sportsmanship and good cycling.
2.TVC
members must volunteer to help run at least one TVC event. Volunteering
means:
acting as "Race Coordinator" or otherwise helping to run a Road Race
or Time Trial; serving as a TVC Officer; or helping at a TVC activity,
such as
by setting up/tearing down the ESG qualifier races or the Chris Thater
Memorial
Races.
3.TVC
members must volunteer in order to be eligible for year-end race points
awards.
4.TVC
members must immediately report injuries that occur during TVC events,
no
matter how slight, to a TVC Officer.
5.TVC
members must abide by all club procedures. Violators risk suspension or
revocation of TVC privileges.
6.Only
TVC members in good standing may receive TVC awards.
Section
3.04Member Rights and Privileges
1.TVC
members have the right to participate in TVC events and receive all
benefits of
TVC membership.
2.TVC
members may accumulate points for participation and performance in TVC
events.
3.TVC
members have the right to use or rent TVC property, with payment of
applicable
fees, as determined by the TVC officers.
4.TVC
members may see the most recent monthly financial reports on the TVC
account as
produced by the Secretary/Treasurer at any time.
5.TVC
members may appeal any action regarding himself or herself or any TVC
procedure
contained in the TVC Charter to the TVC Officers. TVC Officers must
respond in
a timely manner to all appeals.
6.TVC
members may call for the removal of any elected TVC Officer. The
non-affected
TVC Officers must convene, hear the reasons for the call for removal,
and
respond to the appeal in a timely manner. The affected TVC Officer must
be
given a fair chance for defense and rebuttal before the taking of any
adverse
action.
7.The
TVC will reimburse TVC members for USA Cycling license fees required to
obtain
a USA Cycling Coach's, Mechanic's, or Official's license, with the
intent to
encourage TVC members to obtain these certifications and to use them in
support
of the TVC and the promotion of cycling.
Section
3.05Annual TVC Awards
1.Nominees
are selected by democratic majority ballot at the TVC year-end banquet.
2.Only
TVC members in good standing may vote for the recipients of these
awards.
(a)Rider
of the Year (ROY)
1.Nominees
should distinguish themselves through contributions to cycling,
to
include:
·Being an outstanding representative of
the TVC and cycling.
·Being a consistent volunteer in support
of the TVC.
·Regularly attending and supporting club
races and other events.
·Participating in Local, State, and
national (USCF/NORBA) races.
·Someone who may have had an exceptional
season.
2.No
one person can win the ROY award within a three-year period.
(b)Most
Improved Riders
1.One
award each shall be given for the most improved male and the most
improved
female riders.
2.Nominees
should distinguish themselves through achievements on the bike,
to
include:
·Consistently improved road race and/or
time trial results since
the past season.
·Notable performance in a new
discipline, such as road races, time
trials, USCF/NORBA races, or the Empire State Games (ESG).
·Consistent participation in TVC events
throughout the season.
3.No
one person can win the Most Improved Rider award two years in a row.
Section
3.06Club Procedures
1.General:
·The TVC shall hold an annual
end-of-season awards banquet.
·To (hopefully) end further debate on
which nights are better for
Time Trials and Road Races, the events will rotate every year.
·In even years TTs will be on Tuesdays
and RRs will be on
Thursdays
·In odd years RRs will be on Tuesdays
and TTs will be on
Thursdays.
2.Conduct
of Races:
·Races start at 6:00 pm in April and
September. Races start at
6:30 pm May through August.
·Changes to race courses are the
responsibility of the respective
VP (Road Race or Time Trial), subject to the approval of a majority of
the
other TVC officers.
3.Purchases:
·All purchases are the responsibility of
the Secretary /
Treasurer.
·Any club member must get pre-approval
for expenses from a TVC
Officer before making a purchase on behalf of the TVC.
·TVC Officers may purchase incidental
items (less than $50)
necessary for the conduct of TVC events using TVC funds, as long as
they
account for these purchases with the Secretary/Treasurer.
·Purchases over $50 are subject to
approval from a majority of TVC
officers.
4.Newsletter:
·The TVC Officers will designate
individuals responsible for
collection of TVC news, race results, and other pertinent information.
·All club members are permitted and
encouraged to submit
articles/stories to the TVC newsletter.
·The newsletter shall have a minimum of
four (4) issues per year.
·The newsletter staff will determine
when newsletters are
released.
5.Suspensions
and Disciplinary Actions:
·Any rider not obeying club policies,
exhibiting unsportsman-like
conduct, or causing a safety hazard at any time is subject to
suspension and/or
disciplinary action.
·Penalties include, but are not limited
to: (a) relegation to last
place for an event, (b) disqualification from a single TVC event, (c)
disqualification from multiple events, (d) loss of eligibility to
receive club
awards, (e) loss of ability to participate in TVC events.
·The amount of the penalty varies on the
severity of the
infraction. The USCF handbook will serve as a guideline.
·The appropriate TVC Vice-President
shall recommend penalties to
the TVC President.
·The TVC President shall administer
penalties after considering
the recommendation of all TVC Officers.
6.Jerseys:
·The need for new club jerseys is to be
determined by the current
club officers. As a rule of thumb, jersey designs can be changed every
5 years
(approx.).
·The TVC President shall appoint a
"Jersey Committee" to
oversee the selection of jersey design, the manufacturer, quantities
ordered,
prices, etc.
·The Jersey Committee shall conduct a
vote of club members to
determine their favorite design.
Section
3.07Junior Development Program
1.Purpose:
To provide assistance to TVC
Juniors with the goal of encouraging their development in the sport of
organized cycling.
2.Benefit:
· The TVC will refund 1/2 of the entry
fee for USA Cycling annual
dues, USCF racing license, and USCF-sanctioned events up to a $100 per
year for
each eligible TVC Junior.
·The TVC will also consider requests for
support in reputable road
and track training camps and seminars as well as other events on a
case-by-case
basis.
3.Eligibility:
The applicant must be a TVC
Junior member (up to age 18) in good standing.
The applicant must have a
valid USCF Racing License.
The applicant must have a
consistent history of participation in TVC competitive events (Time
Trials or Road Races); for example, a minimum of five events in the
year prior to application.
The applicant must have met
the TVC volunteer requirement in the year prior to application.
4.Procedures:
·The applicant applies for the program
by notifying the TVC
Secretary/Treasurer, who will contact the other TVC officers for action.
The application is subject
to approval by a majority vote of the TVC Officers.
The TVC will budget $500 per
year for this program. The TVC Officers must unanimously approve
expenses beyond this amount.
The TVC officers may
discontinue or suspend the program by majority vote for any reason,
such as non-availability of funds.
Section
3.08Road Race Procedures
(a)Rules
1.All
races run regardless of weather. The Race Coordinator has the authority
to
call off a race regardless of the reason.
2.All
riders must sign the TVC release and pay their entry fee before
registration
closes.
3.Registration
closes fifteen minutes prior to the start of the race.
4.All
riders are responsible for submitting their results (finishing order
and prime
results) to the Race Coordinator. You are responsible for your own
placings!
5.Club
members have 15 minutes to lodge a protest after results are finalized
by the
Race Coordinator. Otherwise, results are final.
6.The
Race Coordinator will advise and council riders on which category ("A"
or "B")
in which to race.
7.The
Race Coordinator will announce the location of King/Queen of the
Mountain (KOM, QOM) and Sprint primes at the beginning of each event.
(b)Awards
1.Points
shall accumulate during the Road Race season (normally calendar months
May
-August) as follows:
Place ==>
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Else
Overall
15
13
11
8
7
5
4
3
2
1
KOM/Sprint
4
2
1
2.Riders
who DNF will receive 0 points for that event.
3.Riders
must score in at least five events to be eligible for an award.
4.Top
five places will be awarded for the most accumulated Road Race points
at the
end of the year in each category ("A", "B", and Women).
5.Top
three places will be awarded for the winner of the KOM and Sprints at
the end
of the year in each category ("A", "B", and Women).
6.All
awards will be presented at the TVC Annual Awards Banquet.
7.Women
that race with the "A" field or "B" field will be scored as an "A"
rider or "B"
rider, respectively.
8.Full
points will be awarded to all riders that complete the race, regardless
of
field size (e.g., if only 1 woman races then she will receive first
place
points).
9.Riders
that affect the results of a race other than the one in which they
started may
be subject to Suspension or Disciplinary Action.
Section
3.09Time Trial Procedures
(a)Rules
1.Ride
safely at all times. Take special care when turning around!
2.All
riders must sign the TVC release and pay their entry fee before
registration
closes.
3.Registration
closes 15 minutes before race time. Please do not make us
keep juggling
the start order! The Race Coordinator may sanction any rider for
delaying the
start of the race by (a) not allowing the rider to participate in the
race, or,
(b) relegating the rider to last place in the race for the accumulation
of
points. Normally, riders arriving after the computer has begun to print
the
start order will start last.
4.Riders
shall attend the pre-race safety briefing to hear club announcements
and to
receive their start times.
5.Riders
should keep their own times (Intent: to detect official timing errors
and to
validate times in case of official timing discrepancies).
6.Honor
rule: In the event of the failure of the official timing or
the inability
to conduct official timing (e.g., for last minute technical problems or
lack of
a volunteer), riders that can substantiate their time will receive that
time
for the race. Riders with substantiated times will receive official
race
points according to their performance. Riders who started the course
but
cannot substantiate their times will receive the minimum score that
race
(normally 1 point).
7.Bikes
such as Tandems and Recumbents will compete in their own categories but
their
riders will not accumulate points nor may they receive TVC awards.