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Operating Guidelines

 

Name


The name of the Organization is the Plainwell Robotics Club.  The principal office and mailing address of the Organization is 600 School Drive, Plainwell, Michigan 49080.

 


Purpose


The purpose of the Organization is to provide the necessary human and financial resources to support the creation of competition VEX Robotics teams in the Plainwell Community Schools District (hereafter, PCS District).


[VEX Robotics partners with the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation, a nonprofit organization, which manages the VEX IQ Challenge (for elementary students) and the VEX Robotics Competition (for middle school and high school students).]

 


Membership


The Organization shall have two classes of members – Student Members and General Members.  Student Members shall be students enrolled in the PCS District interested in studying robotics and participating on a competitive robotics team.  General Members shall be robotics team coaches and mentors, parents or legal guardians of Student Members, and any person, including students, interested in furthering the purpose of the Organization.  All General Members must agree to a PCS District Volunteer Background Check.

 


Funding


Funding for the Organization will be provided primarily by private and corporate grants, private and public donations, government grants, and monies received from charitable foundations.  All such funds shall be maintained by the PCS District in an account designated for the exclusive use of the Organization. Procedures for accounting for income and expenditures for this account shall be established by the PCS District’s Director of Finance and Human Resources.

 


Executive Committee


The Organization shall be managed by a three-member Executive Committee.  One of the three members, elected by the other two, shall serve as Executive Committee Chair.  Except as noted below, all actions by the Executive Committee or Executive Committee Chair shall have the approval of at least two of the three Executive Committee members.  The Executive Committee shall be responsible for developing, and then executing, the Annual Work Plan.  Additionally, the Executive Committee shall be responsible for:


    • Maintaining a mutually effective working relationship with the PCS District administration;
    • Communicating the Annual Work Plan to the general membership of the Organization and PCS District

        administrators associated with the Organization;
    • Approving all expenditures required for the operation of the Organization;
    • Identifying at least one coach for each robotics team;
    • Creating special subcommittees of the general membership to address special needs,such as fundraising;
    • Approving all subcommittee recommendations.

 


Executive Committee Chair


The Executive Committee Chair shall be responsible for managing the Organization with the assistance of two other Executive Committee members.  At the discretion of the PCS District administration, the Executive Committee Chair may be considered a part time employee of the District.  Any stipends paid to the Executive Committee chair by the PCS District shall be donated to the Organization for its exclusive use.  The Executive Committee Chair also shall sign the Plainwell Robotics Club Contribution of Grant Funds Form.


The Executive Committee Chair shall manage access to all PCS District buildings and rooms used by the Organization to store equipment and hold practices.  The Executive Committee Chair shall maintain possession of the necessary credit or debit cards to conduct the business of the Organization.  The Chair shall, in turn, complete and submit all forms and reports specified by the PCS District’s Director of Finance and Human Resources for approvals and accounting in a timely manner.

 


Coaches


Robotics team coaches shall be responsible for working with a group of (typically) four to six students with the objective of creating a team capable of designing, building, programming, testing, operating, and documenting a robot for use in competitions throughout the state of Michigan.  Coaches shall serve without compensation and shall sign the Plainwell Robotics Club Contribution of Grant Funds Form.

 


Subcommittees


Subcommittees established by the Executive Committee for specific assignments shall be led by a chairperson appointed by the Executive Committee.  Any Organization Student or General Member is eligible to serve.  The Chairperson shall have general supervision of the subcommittee, shall hold meetings and conduct business when necessary, and shall submit periodic written reports to the Executive Committee.

 


Meetings


The Executive Committee may call for a meeting of Student and/or General Members at any time.  Meeting announcements, together with a meeting agenda, shall be sent electronically to all invited attendees at least one week before the meeting date.  A simple majority of those present and voting shall be sufficient to carry a motion.

 


Annual Work Plan


The Executive Committee shall develop and publish the Annual Work Plan during the first quarter of each calendar year.  The Annual Work Plan shall define and describe all anticipated activities of the Organization during the Planning Period, or January 1st of the current year through June 30th of the following year.


The Annual Work Plan shall specify the number of teams in each VEX Robotics competitive category (e.g., elementary school VEX-IQ, middle school VEX-EDR, high school VEX-EDR, etc.), team coaches, and team expense budgets for the specified planning period.  The Annual Work Plan shall also identify sources of funding for the specified planning period.

 


Standing Rules


All matters pertaining to the activities, events, and projects of the Organization must be in keeping with the policies of the PCS District.  Equipment of the Organization is not to be lent to any persons or Organizations for any use without the permission of the Executive Committee.  Should any grievance arise among the Organization’s membership, the grievance shall be resolved by the Executive Committee.

 


Modifications to these Operating Guidelines


Recognizing that situations may arise that are not adequately addressed in these Operating Guidelines as currently written, both parties (the PCS District Administration and the Plainwell Robotics Club Executive Committee) agree to mutually resolve such issues that may be identified
by either party.

 

Dissolution


Upon dissolution or disbandment of this Organization, any and all unallocated cash funds shall be turned over to the PCS District for exclusive use in the study of robotics.

 


Approval and Acceptance


These Operating Guidelines have been mutually approved and accepted by:


         Matthew Montange                           Joseph Gentile
         Superintendent                                  Executive Committee Chair
         Plainwell Community Schools         Plainwell Robotics Club

 

          September 15, 2020

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