Program
If your club is organized with officers, a board, and membership dues, you probably have a need for certain established documents. The most common of these are the Bylaws, Procedures Manual or Operating Manual, and a Code of Ethics. Particularly if your club has a desire to be incorporated or registered as a not-for-profit organization under the 501 (c) 3 category, it is important to have some of these club documents.
There is no right nor wrong way to write a club constitution, bylaws, or any other document. We have deliberately not offered a "pattern" or "model" for these documents that we suggest clubs should follow. True, there are certain elements that could be suggested for inclusion, but we prefer that club leadership write your own regulations to fit the needs of your club.
Several different types of documents are discussed in this program area. You won't need them all. You might get by with one or two, particularly if you incorporate or combine a couple of them. Remember, these documents are for a club. You are not authoring the Declaration of Independence.
Check out the Resources section. We have provided links to the websites of other collecting clubs showing some of their documents. By reviewing the Constitution, Bylaws or Code of Ethics of some of these other collecting groups, you may get some ideas of what to include in yours documents, even though your club may be entirely different from these clubs.
Constitution
Some clubs and societies develop constitutions, although this is a more formal document than most groups need or want. Most constitutions include the name and purpose of the organized group, identity of the seal or logo, and the composition and power entrusted in the governing board. Usually these items can just as easily be included in a club's bylaws.
Mission Statement
Mission statements are more likely to be found in the corporate world, at foundations and larger non-profits than in collecting clubs. However, we like the idea of developing a mission statement as a healthy exercise to get the club leadership thinking about exactly why the club exists - its purpose and who it serves. Mission statements are usually short - a page or less- even a single paragraph!
By-Laws and Operating Procedures
As stated in the introduction, most clubs desiring a more formal operating organization with elected officers and a board, also choose to develop bylaws and operating procedures - either as a single document or two separate documents. It is recommended that a two-document procedure be used, regardless of what the documents are called. A more formal and rigid document, i.e. bylaws or constitution, should be short and precise. It should require board (and often entire membership) approval for both adoption and revisions.
Operating procedures then can become more or less a "working document" - never really completed - but changed on a regular basis as needed. These changes should be by the approval of the president or the board, depending upon the group. Membership approval should not be necessary for changes in the Operating procedures.
One major rule-of-thumb - try to keep it as simple as possible - you are a collecting club, not a Fortune 500 corporation. Some clubs make the error of attempting to include literally everything in their bylaws and get so bogged down that their very own document ties their hands for operational creativity and flexibility. In these circumstances, the bylaws DRIVE the club when they should GUIDE the club.
Some collecting clubs function very loosely, particularly the autocratic clubs which usually have one or two major leaders and often no elected officers or a board. Such clubs may not need, nor want bylaws.
Bylaws and the operating procedures or policy book may include the following sections:
- Membership. Types of members, eligibility, privileges.
- Dismissal of members
- Officials: Types, eligibility, elected & appointed, duties or functions of each
- Committees. Listing and duties of each
- Chapters: Starting a chapter, responsibilities & obligations, how to terminate a chapter
- Conventions and other club-sponsored events
- Member meeting (business meetings)
- Dues Structure
- Operating costs and process
- Gifts and special funding
- Elections
- Publications
- Website
- Awards & honors
- Supply Service or club store
- Bylaw amendments
In this era we are seeing a few collecting groups including a Harassment Statement in their documentation. Probably this is a good thing to consider, possibly for the club leadership (elected and appointed, including committee volunteers), but may or may not be necessary for the entire membership. Wordage can go something along the lines of the following:
The (name of club) is committed to providing a collecting environment that is free from harassment based on race, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability. Expressly forbidden are unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Depending on the circumstances, such harassment may also include conduct such as stereotyped or demeaning remarks or gestures or the display or circulation, whether in writing or electronically, of materials or pictures offensive to persons because of their race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by the individual who is the intended subject of such harassment will in no way be considered a term or condition of joining, remaining with the club or assuming a leadership position. This policy applies to conduct at any club-sponsored function or in the conduct of business in behalf of the organization.
Code of Ethics - Members
Most club Codes of Ethics relate to members of the club - those who join and pay dues. Usually this is a listing of statements with a preface something like: "As a member of the "X" Club, I agree to comply with the following club standards" or something similar.
Code of Ethics - Elected & Appointed Officials
Most clubs incorporate the duties and functions of both their elected and appointed officials in their bylaws or operating manual, but it might not be a bad procedure to develop a Code of Ethics for Elected and Appointed Officials (similar to the code of Ethics for Dealers which many clubs have developed). This raises those individuals who are in leadership roles to a higher standard than that covered by the Member Code of Ethics. It also can cover other areas that may not be covered in the Member Code of Ethics. This could include everything from conflicts of interest for voting on the board to reimbursement policies on expenditures by officials; also confidentiality, authorization for fiscal decisions and spokesperson authority for the club, i.e. does every elected official have the authority to speak in behalf of the club or is this the president's role?
Code of Ethics - Dealers
A number of clubs which have full-time and part-time dealers in their collecting areas, and particularly if the club sponsors shows, often have a Dealer Code of Ethics. Like the Member Code of Ethics, the Dealer Code is often a listing of statements with an intro: "As a member-dealer in the "X" Club, I agree to comply with the following:" and then the list.
Some of the areas that can be considered for a Dealer Code of Ethics:
- To comply with the Member Code of Ethics
- To abide by all the regulations of club-sponsored shows where I set up as a dealer
- To not knowingly offer reproductions, counterfeits or altered items
- To publish my statement of return privileges
- To abide by all local, state and federal laws relating to the hobby
- To recognize and respect my own contracts and business dealings and those of fellow members of the club
- To assist in the education of our members, and particularly new collectors and young collectors
- To promote and advance our collecting area and support the club
Any violation of this code will be grounds for expulsion from the club.
One note of caution here is to be careful on how your Code of Ethics for Dealers is worded and how you go about enforcing it. In an experiment back in 1971 the American Political Items Collectors initiated an Affidavit of Compliance asking their member dealers in historical political memorabilia to sign and notarize an agreement whereby the dealer would not engage in the manufacture of items nor deal in restrikes, reproductions or other spurious political item material. Interestingly most of the dealers were supportive and 49 had signed and submitted the form when APIC was advised by legal counsel not to publish the list because of possible violation of Federal Anti-Trust Laws. The effort was dropped. Admittedly, this was three decades ago, but still serves a point in demonstrating how careful you must be with such issues.
Annual Report
We strongly urge the president and/or board of collecting clubs to issue an "annual report" to their membership. This can be done at the fiscal year-end, the end of the calendar year, or at the member business meeting at the annual convention.
The annual report should be printed, but also may be carried on the club's website either in the public area or in a members' only section. The printed report can be a "stand alone" or carried in the club publication. It does not have to be a 4-color, glossy publication - it's not a report to corporate shareholders. But it should be well written with clarity and convey the accomplishments of the year, whether the goals for the year were met...or not, and if the club leadership stayed within budget. An annual report also provides a good opportunity to "thank the workers" in a volunteer-driven club or association. A visual report with charts or graphs and activity pictures help greatly in enhanced readership of the report. For most clubs, a 4-page annual report is an appropriate size.
Audit & Budget Report
An Audit & Budget Report goes hand-in-hand with an annual report. They are often incorporated into the same document but there are also advantages for keeping them separated. If your club has an Audit & Budget Committee, which is recommended, this report should be authored by that committee, and carry an introduction letter from the club president. The audit & Budget Report should be shared with the entire membership, however should be approved by the board prior to its final printing. (Note: if your club does not have an Audit & Budget Committee, the function of preparing the report should rest with the club treasurer.)
If you are a small club and feel that you do not need an annual Audit & Budget Report (perhaps you do not do an annual audit and you do not have an annual budget), then your feelings are wrong. Every organized club; and again, particularly if you have dues-paying members, should have an annual budget and an annual audit. We cannot think of a valid reason not to...and if your elected board is not currently demanding these procedures and reports, then they're not doing their job as leaders of the club. This may be blunt, but it's the way it is.
Like the Annual Report, the Audit & Budget Report should be printed and distributed to the membership, either as part of the Annual Report or perhaps along with it. It can be carried in the club publication or at least distributed in the same mailing to save expense. If it is decided to also put the Audit & Budget Report on the club website, we would suggest doing so only if you have a Members' Only section.
For additional information on an Audit & Budget Report check the Management & Finance for Clubs program area.
Promotion Materials and Publications
Promotion materials, including membership brochures and all other PR tools for your club, are covered in the program area "Club Promotion." These are also club documents but in a somewhat different context than the other documents covered in this section.
The same can be said for your club's newsletters, magazines or other publications - club documents, yes, but of a different type.
Miscellaneous Documents
There are a number of additional types of documents which a club may elect to author and enforce depending upon their specific needs or interests. A few of these are listed:
- Annual Convention Manual
- In recent years more and more club convention chairmen have been authoring operating manuals for their club annual conventions. A survey of club leadership on annual conventions released by the Association of Collecting Clubs in 2004 showed a majority of clubs now either have such a manual or are planning on producing one in the near future. For future convention chairmen - and their respective committees - this is a very useful and valuable document.
- Reproductions Documentation
- Dozens of clubs which are plagued by reproductions in their respective collecting areas are conducting ongoing documentation of these reproduced items. With more and more clubs having their own websites, this has become a natural area to include this documentation because it allows for full color photos of the reproductions, comparison explanations between the repro item and the original, and other valuable information to the collector. This is a valuable service that clubs are doing, not only for their own members but for all visitors to the club's website. The ACC program area, THE Project on Reproductions, carries a large listing in the resources area of club websites having such documentation sections. Some clubs also have printed versions of Reproduction Documentation.
- Educational Manuals
- Educational program manuals are somewhat like PR materials and your publications. They are club documents on club projects, usually research documentation, not unlike the Reproduction documentation, and may take any number of different treatments.
- Awards and Honors Manual
- A few clubs have their own separate publication featuring their awards & honors program, the various categories, nominating forms, etc. Other clubs print a program up featuring the recipients of such awards and honors. This is a personal thing that varies greatly depending upon the philosophy of the club.
- Convention Program
- Many clubs which have annual conventions offer a printed program for their convention-goers. Usually this highlights the agenda for the program, lists the various convention committees and various other features. The Convention Program documents the club's annual convention - it is a club document. Surprisingly, few convention programs accept advertising. This is a natural for helping to pay for the increasing costs of your convention. We would urge all clubs which have a convention program to not only accept advertising, but to aggressively solicit advertising. Make this a new convention committee!
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