Policies & Procedures
Policies and Procedures Planning Committee
September 2002
Section I Objectives
The purpose of this manual is to document policies and procedures approved by the Squadron Executive Committee (EXCOM) for governance of the operations of San Diego Power Squadron. The intent is to provide Squadron officers with guidelines for operations that are peculiar to the San Diego Power Squadron and which are not covered by USPS or by Squadron bylaws or by the Operations Manual.
These Policies and Procedures are subordinate to the bylaws of USPS, District 28, and San Diego Power Squadron.
Section II Finances
- The Squadron Treasurer shall give a financial report at each Executive
Committee and General Membership meeting. (When these two meetings occur
in the same week, the same report may be used for both.) The report shall
disclose:
- The Balance Brought Forward, receipts and disbursements since the last report, and the new balance to date;
- It shall disclose the Squadron balances in its checking account, savings account, investment account, the Education Fund, and in any separate special purpose accounts, which may be established from time to time to accumulate funds for specific projects.
- It shall show interest earned in any of the above accounts;
- It shall identify any expenditures from the Education Fund;
- The report shall not be published in any publication whose distribution goes beyond the Squadron membership, such as The Ship's Mail or the Squadron website.
- The Treasurer shall use generally accepted budget procedures.
- The Squadron is not permitted to operate a deficit budget.
- The Education Fund principal shall be protected by placing it in an FDIC insured account or in a bank CD. The annual interest may be used only to purchase capital equipment for the Educational Program.
Section III Meetings
- Executive Committee meetings shall be held normally on the first Monday after the first Friday of each month. Meeting dates may be changed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
- Meeting Announcements
- Notices of dates, times, and locations of EXCOMMS and General Membership Meetings (GMMs) shall be announced via meeting minutes appearing on the Squadron website and in the SHIPS MAIL.
- Announcements of special meetings shall be mailed to the membership by the Squadron Secretary.
- Squadron General Meetings will normally be held on the second Friday, bimonthly, beginning in January. Meeting dates may be changed by majority vote of the Executive Committee.
- The Squadron Charter shall be prominently displayed at GMM's (which include the Annual Meeting and the Change of Watch) unless such meeting is held off site (such as a barbecue).
- The Change of Watch:
- The Squadron Commander shall:
- Notify the District Commander as early as possible of the date and, prior to the event, provide an agenda to the District Commander (or other person) designated to conduct the ceremony.
- See that bridge officers' flags are collected no later than at the December EXCOMM and made ready for presentation to the incoming bridge during the Change of Watch ceremony.
- The Squadron Administrative Officer shall collaborate with the Squadron Executive Officer to assure that appropriate location, meal, and room arrangements are made well in advance of the meeting
- The Squadron Executive Officer shall insure that the
retiring commander receive at squadron expense:
- a P/C flag no smaller than 12x18 inches
- a P/C plaque
- P/C shoulder boards, and, optionally and at EXCOM expense, such gift as the EXCOM may deem appropriate
- The Squadron Commander shall:
- Minutes of Meetings
- The Squadron Secretary shall make EXCOM minutes available to EXCOM members by E-Mail as soon as practicable and within two weeks following the meeting.
- The Squadron Secretary shall provide GMM minutes to the general membership via the Members Page of the Squadron website and shall make available a limited number of hard copies at GMMs. Financial information or reports shall not be displayed on the website.
Section IV Operations
- Honorary Member Procedures (Art. III Sec. 3.7 SDPS Bylaws '01)
- The Squadron Secretary shall write a letter of invitation to any person selected by the EXCOM to become an honorary member.
- Those accepting honorary membership shall be sent an Honorary Membership Card and their name of shall be announced at a GMM and appear in the Squadron Roster or in The Ship's Mail
- The Commander develops the Squadron Calendar, which should be available
for approval at the first ExCom meeting of the Watch. It is then published
in the Roster and, in a timely fashion, in The Ship's Mail.
- In developing the Calendar, comparisons shall be made with USPS, District, regular, local, and any other pertinent calendars to avoid conflicts in activities and with holidays and the like, and to ensure all activities pertinent to the Squadron are included.
- Outgoing officers shall confer with and transfer their department files to incoming officers during the "lame duck" period between the Election of Officers and the Installation of Officers to ensure a smooth transition from one watch to another. Completion of such transfer shall be noted in the officer's departmental report that he has complied with the bylaws.
- Policies and Procedures
- These Policies and Procedures may be changed at any time as deemed necessary by the EXCOM and/or on the recommendation of the Planning Committee to achieve Squadron objectives and to assure viable Squadron organization and operation.
- Except for changes specific to the current watch and not intended to carry over to the next watch (ref: Section V - Standing Orders), such changes shall, as they occur, be recorded and incorporated into the appropriate section of the current Policies and Procedures by the Squadron Secretary with date of such change noted in parentheses following its text.
- Prerequisites for Advanced Grades Courses
- Completion of the Piloting course shall be required as a prerequisite to enrollment in Advanced Piloting, completion of Advanced Piloting shall be required as a prerequisite for enrollment in Junior Navigation, and completion of Junior Navigation shall be required as a prerequisite for enrollment in Navigation. "Completion" in the foregoing means (1) completion of the course, or (2) provision of proof of having successfully passed a proctored examination in that course or its USPS accepted equivalent. This is known as the "Challenge & Pass concept, which has the aim of ensuring proper preparation for the succeeding course, whether taken under USPS or other auspices. The prerequisite requirements may be waived with the permission of the course instructor.
- Students may be in the examination phase of the prerequisite course at the time of enrollment, but examinations for JN or N will not be ordered until student sight folders have been submitted and have passed the squadron checker's review.
- Educational Fund Contribution
- The Squadron Treasurer shall, prior to the month of November of each year, submit a Squadron contribution to the USPS Educational Fund in an amount no less than the equivalent of one dollar for every squadron member. Such contribution shall be designated "The San Diego Power Squadron 100% Honor Roll Contribution" and shall be announced in the SHIPS MAIL.
Section V Standing Orders
Any changes to Policy and Procedures specific to the current Watch and not intended to carry over to subsequent Watches shall be incorporated into these Standing Orders.
- In accordance with San Diego Power Squadron bylaws Section 12.7, the current Standing Orders shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee at its first meeting after the change of watch. Those orders not elected by the incoming EXCOM to be part of their own "Standing Orders" or to be permanently incorporated into Policies and Procedures of the Squadron (ref Section IV-4), shall immediately expire.
- San Diego Power Squadron shall participate in the activities of the San Diego Cruisers Association (SDCA).
- San Diego Power Squadron shall participate in the activities of the San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs (SDAYC).
Section VI Property Control - Policy
This section covers all property owned by the Squadron that is not for resale to its members. (Viz.: officers' flags, trophies. Squadron US and USPS ensigns, boat show booth and banners, education department equipment and aids, etc.)
- The Property Officer shall maintain control of Squadron property in accordance with the procedures specified in the Property Control Procedures in Section VII.
- The Squadron Treasurer shall maintain a complete inventory of all Squadron property other than supplies the Supply Officer maintains for resale; the inventory shall be prepared and kept up to date by the Property Officer. The Treasurer's Annual report shall include the status of the inventory (lost, missing, or broken items).
Section VII Property Control - Procedure
This procedure provides a system of property control that will keep property owned by the Squadron from becoming misplaced or lost.
- The Property Officer is under the jurisdiction of the Squadron Treasurer, and is responsible for maintaining records on the location of Squadron property not maintained by the Supply Officer for resale.
- Squadron property is entered on an inventory listing in specific categories, i.e., trophies, teaching aids, officers' flags, etc. Under each category, one column should identify the item, another the quantity, another the location and name of current possessor, and two columns for in and out dates. A remarks column is useful.
- The Property Officer shall verify the locations of Squadron property once a year; the results will become part of the Treasurer's Annual Report and the Annual Audit Report.
- Officers' Flags
- Squadron issued Bridge Officers' flags remains the property of the squadron and, as such, shall be carried on the squadron property inventory.
- The Squadron Commander shall collect flags from bridge officers at such a date as to allow sufficient lead time for replacement of any missing flags by the Squadron Property Officer in order to assure a full complement for presentation at the Change of Watch.
- Replacement of a flag lost while in custody of an officer shall be at that officer's personal expense.
- Trophies
- Perpetual trophies remain the property of the squadron and, as such, shall be carried on the squadron property inventory.
- The Squadron Property Officer shall collect existing perpetual trophies from the current holders ahead of their planned presentation dates and have them appropriately inscribed and made ready for presentation to the new recipients.
- Recipients of perpetual trophies shall receive a mini plaque when they surrender the perpetual trophy to the Property Officer at the end of the current recipient's term.
- The Property Officer shall report status and condition of perpetual trophies to the EXCOM once a year for determination of expenses associated with trophy repair, replacement, or retirement.
- Educational Equipment and Teaching Aids
- Equipment and Teaching Aids acquired by the Squadron and used by the Education Department shall be carried on the squadron property inventory.
- The Property Officer shall work out with the Squadron Educational Officer or his designee a mutually satisfactory process for tracking such property
- Recovery of Squadron Property
- All squadron property shall be assigned to either a member of the squadron or to the Squadron Property Officer.
- The Squadron Secretary shall immediately notify the Squadron Property Officer of member deaths, non-renewals, or transfers out the squadron, whereupon the Property Officer shall take immediate steps to recover any recorded squadron owned property assigned to that member