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TMO

Rules & Regulations

The TMO is a nonprofit fraternal organization dedicated to assisting its members by making available a variety of resources comprised of the skills and materials brought to our group by its members.

1.10 The TMO was founded in 1997 by Jamie Fein, Michael Foulks, and Johnnie Willbanks. The club is governed by the Council which consists of the three founding members.

1.20 Any unanimous vote of the Council shall override any provisions of this handbook.

1.30 Periodically, the Council will issue ammendment pages to this handbook. These pages should be inserted at the end of this manual, before the forms section, unless otherwise noted. It is the responsability of each member to maintain an updated copy of this handbook, including all new rules and regulations provided by the Council. Whenever possable, the Council will follow the provisions of this handbook when making its decisions. It is the responsability of each member to read and fully understand this manual and any new rules/regulations provided by the Council. If any member disagrees with any provisions of this handbook, he or she may file a complaint as outlined in rule 15.00.

1.40 This revised handbook supercedes all TMO Handbooks printed prior to May 10, 2002.

DISCRIMINATION

2.00 The TMO does not discriminate against race, creed, color, national origin, handicap, sex or sexual orientation. Membership shall not be denied based on any of these factors. The TMO will not discriminate based on religious beliefs, however, the Council will not be required to make special arrangements to accommodate such beliefs. The Council reserves the right to refuse membership for any reason not listed above.

2.10 Membership in the TMO is limited to persons at least 18 years of age with the following exception: Persons 16 or 17 years old may apply for membership with a signed parental consent form (PCF-01).

REQUESTING MEMBERSHIP

Requests for membership in the TMO should be filed with the Membership Administrator using form APP-01. This form may be obtained from any member of the TMO. Copies of this form are located in the back of each TMO Handbook. The Membership Administrator will submit newly completed applications to the Council prior to the next Council meeting.

3.20 If you are approved for membership in the TMO, the Membership Administrator will notify you of your acceptance and assign you a membership number.

VOTING

4.00 All proposals brought before the Council shall pass by a majority of the Council's votes, with the following exceptions:

4.05 A unanimous Council vote must be obtained to amend or overturn any provisions of this manual that are more than 30 days old (subject to the provisions in rule 4.30).

4.10 A unanimous Council vote must be obtained to revoke any membership.

4.15 A unanimous Council vote must be obtained to pass any regulations directly effecting the Council. This does not include general rules and regulations effecting all members.

4.20 This manual may impose other restrictions in which a unanimous vote is required.

4.30 Any proposition passed by the Council may be overturned within 30 days or during the next Council meeting by a majority Council vote.

4.40 When a formal request for a Council vote is made, the Council shall vote within 30 days of the request, or at the next Council meeting, providing that the Council has been able to accumulate enough information to make an informed decision. If, at the end of 30 days any member of the Council believes that he or she does not have enough information to make an informed decision, that member may delay the vote for up to an additional 60 days to gather information. All Council members must cast a vote within 90 days of the initial request.

4.50 The Council reserves the right to amend any proposal submitted for a Council vote, providing that the main ideas remain intact

4.60 No vote of the Council shall take place without all 3 Council members present either in person or via telephone/internet link.

4.70 No rules, regulations, or ammendments to the TMO Handbook shall be retroactive unless specified during the initial vote to pass such rules, regulations, or ammendments. Furthermore, no member shall be considered to have violated a rule, regulation, or amendment if the act in question occurred prior to the addition of such ruling.

4.80 A Council vote is required to add or change rules in this handbook (subject to rules 4.10 and 4.30).

5.00 It is the official position of the TMO that we do not condone illegal activity, and that any illegal act by a member of the TMO is performed without the knowledge or consent of this organization.

5.10 Any action or behavoir by a member that is deemed to be detrimental to the organization and/or its reputation will be grounds for disciplinary action. Each incident will be evaluated individually by the Council, and decisions of the Council shall be final (subject to the provision in rule 6.90).

5.20 Disciplinary action against a member of the TMO by the Council shall be limited to one or more of the following: suspension (under rules 6.60 and 6.90), revocation of the member's SCL, or revocation of membership.

PROCEDURE FOR REVOCATION OF MEMBERSHIP

6.10 A formal grievance must be filed with the Membership Administrator. Grievances may be filed by any member.

6.20 The Council notifies the defendant and sets up a date, time and place to hear the grievance and consider statements from both sides. Circumstances permitting, this meeting shall take place within 7 days from the date the grievance is filed.

6.30 At the time of the meeting, the Council shall decide wether or not the behavoir of the defendant poses an immediate threat to the security and/or integrity of the TMO. If so, the defendant may be suspended pending a formal review.

6.40 If the accused member wishes to contest the grievance, both sides shall have 30 days from the time the grievance was filed to prepare their arguments.

6.50 If the accused member does not wish to contest the grievance, he or she may be dismissed from the TMO, or subject to other sanctions as outlined in section 5.20.

6.60 The Council will have the authority to suspend the defendant pending the formal review only as a protective measure if it concludes that the behavoir of the defendant poses an immediate threat to the organization.

6.70 After 30 days, the Council and both parties shall attend a formal review. Both sides will be given equal opportunities to present their cases. If the Council believes that enough information has been presented to make an informed decision, the case will be decided and closed. The accused member shall receive one of the following verdicts: a) the suspension (if applicable) shall be lifted and full rights and benefits shall be reinstated, or b) the accused member shall be subject to action(s) as outlined in rule 5.20.

6.80 In the event that the a Council member feels that he or she does not have enough information to make an informed decision, that member may take an additional 60 days to gather more information. In no case shall the Council wait more than 90 days from the time of the initial filing of a grievance to make its decision.

6.90 The accused member shall not remain on suspension for more than 30 days. If after that time the Council has not reached its decision, it will be assumed that the member poses no immediate threat to the organization or its reputation.

6.95 Any member of the TMO may petition the Council to reconsider its decision concerning disciplinary action(s) taken against another member. The petitioning member will be given the opportunity to state his or her reasons why the decision should be overturned, and a majority vote of the Council shall decide the appeal.

MEMBER INFORMATION FILES

7.00 Files containing information on each member will be maintained by the Council. This information is taken from membership applications, and may be used to locate members whenever necessary. The files shall remain confidential and kept in a secure location, accessable only by the Council at all times.

7.05 The information listed on membership applications is classified SCL-2.

7.10 All members shall have access to complete membership lists, which will include names and telephone numbers of all members except those requesting that their information be withheld.

7.15 Members who prefer to have their telephone number withheld from the list should file form ICF-01 (Information Classification) with the Membership Administrator.

7.20 The following information is required on the Membership Application (APP-01): Name, address, telephone number, date of birth, and place of employment. A photograph of each member will also be requested. A clear photocopy is acceptable, or you may request that the Council take a photograph once your membership is approved.

7.30 No member shall be required to have his or her photograph on file (exception in rule 7.40).

7.40 Members on the Emergency Roadside Assistance Committee are required to have a current photograph on file. This will allow the dispatching officer to give a physical description of the responder to the stranded member. This is necessary to ensure the safety of our members.

7.50 No member shall make available to any non-member any information of a personal nature pertaining to members of the TMO. This includes all information provided on the Membership Application.

OFFICERS

8.00 Officers are appointed to handle certain tasks of the TMO. The appointed offices are listed below.

8.10 The Council is the governing body of the TMO. It is the only office that is instituted for the life of the member, and can only be relinquished voluntarily (subject to the provision listed in rule 8.11).

8.11 In the event of the death or perminant incapication (as outlined in 8.12) of a Council member, the two remaining Council members shall appoint a TMO member to fill the vacant seat. The appointment of the new Council member shall be probationary for the first 30 days of office. During that time, either Council member may dismiss the newly appointed Council member for any reason. Within 30-730 days of the new appointment, any Council member other than one of the three founding members may be dismissed by a majority vote of the Council. After 730 days, the newly appointed Council member may only be dismissed by a majority vote of the Council AND a majority vote of the General Membership.

8.12 Perminant incapication of a Council member is defined as one of the following: a) the Council member is classified by a State or Federal agency as being mentally incapable of making rational decisions with no chance of returning to a rational state, b) the Council member is not seen or heard from by either remaining Council member for a period of 1 year.

8.13 Temporary incapication of a Council member is defined as one of the following: a) the Council member is not seen or heard from by either Council member for a period of 60 days, b) the Council member has been unconscious or sedated in a State institution for a period of at least 30 days, c) the Council member expresses to the other two Council members that he or she feels incapable of making rational decisions effecting the TMO, and wishes to be considered temporarily incapicated.

8.14 In the event of the temporary incapication of a Council member, the remaining two Council members shall appoint an interim Council member for the purposes of voting at the monthly Council meeting. If the incapicated member is classified as such for the reason listed in 8.13-C above, he or she may appoint the interim Council member.

8.15 Circumstances permitting, the Council will meet to vote at least once in each 30 day period. The Council must meet to vote at least twelve times each calandar year.

8.16 All Council meetings will be recorded by means of audio tape recording or equivalent. A copy of the recording will be stored in the TMO archives and will be available only to SCL-1 members for reference.

8.20 The Grand Council is comprised of all TMO officers and committee directors. The Grand Council routinely meets to discuss issues about which there may be conflicting viewpoints. This Council was created to aviod misunderstandings between the Council, internal offices, and membership.

8.30 The Treasurer is appointed by a unanimous vote of the Council. He or she is responsible for the proper management of all TMO funds including bank accounts, credit accounts, stocks, bonds, or other holdings as applicable. Individual offices may also hold their own funds seperate from those in the Treasury, provided that they raised the funds themselves or were allotted the funds by the Council. See rule 18.00 for more information on the Treasury of the TMO. The position of Treasurer may be revoked by a majority Council vote.

8.40 The Secretary of the Council is appointed by a unanimous vote of the Council and must be a Council member. He or she is responsable for accurate recordkeeping, including meeting minutes and all TMO forms. He or she must develop and maintain an efficient filing system to allow for quick retrival of information by the Council. These records must remain accessable to the Council at all times. The position of Secretary of the Council may be revoked by a majority Council vote.

8.50 The Membership Administrator is appointed by a unanimous vote of the Council. He or she is responsible for receiving new membership applications and grievance forms, and assembling Council meetings to vote on these items. The position of Membership Administrator may be revoked by a majority Council vote.

8.60 The Senior Ranking Member is appointed by a unanimous vote of the Council. He or she is responsible for assisting members with obtaining and filing forms and answering members' questions. This title may be revoked by a majority vote of the Council if the member displays behavoir deemed to be detrimental to the integrity of the TMO, or if the member is unable to satisfactorially fufill his or her duties as Senior Ranking Member.

8.70 Directors are appointed to coordinate internal offices. See rule 12.00 for more information on Directors. The position of Director may be revoked by a majority Council vote.

8.80 All TMO members who are not appointed officers are considered the General Membership. General membership may be revoked by a unanimous Council vote.

SECURITY CLEARANCE LEVELS

9.00 Each member of the TMO will be assigned a Security Clearance Level (SCL). These levels grant access to certain restricted information, such as completed membership applications, telephone numbers, etc.

9.10 Security Clearance Levels are assigned to documents by the Secretary of the TMO.

9.20 Information can be classified by any TMO officer using form ICF- 01. This form should be used whenever information of a private nature is passed between TMO officers. Anyone found to have passed information listed on an ICF-01 to persons below the assigned SCL may be considered to have violated rule 5.10, and may be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in rule 5.20.

9.30 The following SCL's are used within the TMO: Level 1: Only the Council may be granted permanent SCL-1's. This SCL grants the member access to any and all documents, records, and information pertaining to the TMO without exception. Information of a personal nature (not directly pertaining to the TMO) that is passed in confidence is considered exempt from this rule. Level 2: Members of the Grand Council have access to information classified SCL-2. Level 3: General Membership is assigned SCL-3. Level 4: All documents, records, and information that can be shared with the public is classified SCL-4. This includes any documents required by law to be made available to the public.

SCL WAIVERS

10.00 Waivers of SCL's may be granted by a Council member in order to allow members to view restricted information classified above their SCL. Requests for SCL waivers should be submitted to a member of the Council.

MOTOR VEHICLES

11.00 No motor vehicle shall be licensed or registered to the TMO. All vehicles used in an official capacity for the TMO must either be registered to or on loan to a member, and that member shall assume all risks and liabilities associated with the vehicle's use. The TMO shall assume that any vehicle being used in an official capacity for the TMO is registered, licensed and insured, and that no laws will be violated by the operation of the vehicle.

INTERNAL OFFICES

12.00 The Council shall have the right to create offices within the TMO to handle specific tasks. The Council shall appoint a TMO member as Director of the office, and the Director shall have the authority to create rules and regulations governing the office, provided that those rules do not violate any provisions of the current handbook. The Director shall only appoint existing TMO members to positions within the office.

12.01 The Director of any TMO office shall have the authority to assign SCL's to documents or information within the office. These SCL's must meet current handbook minimums.

12.02 The Council shall retain the authority to inspect or regulate internal offices of the TMO, and to impose any restrictions that it deems necessary to preserve the integrity and security of the TMO.

12.03 Any Director of an internal office shall automatically be granted a seat on the Grand Council.

12.05 Authorization must be obtained from a member of the Council to involve a non-member in any TMO office. A majority Council vote shall be required to impose restrictions on the non-member's involvement. If the non-member later becomes a member of the TMO, any special restrictions pertaining to the non-member shall be lifted.

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

12.10 The TMO Public Relations Office handles all issues concerning the organization's image and reputation. This includes coordinating community service activities (unless designated a TMO event), answering questions from the public, and preparing media statements.

12.12 Any advertisements (including signs, posters, internet, radio, television, newspaper, etc.) must be approved by the Public Relations Office prior to their use. Any member in violation of this rule may be subject to disciplinary action, at the descretion of the Council.

EDUCATIONAL COUNSELING SERVICE

12.20 The TMO Educational Counseling Service was created to assist members in obtaining higher education. The ECS assists in all aspects of our members' education including securing financial aid (where available), obtaining and completing necessary forms, selecting schools and subjects studied, granting scholarships when funds are available, and continuous counseling on education-related topics. All members are encouraged to take advantage of this service.

DRUG & ALCOHOL COUNSELING SERVICE

12.25 The Drug & Alcohol Couseling Service is a voluntary program available to all TMO members and their immediate families (within the same household). This office will assist members in obtaining treatment for dependencies. The D&ACS will take every measure possable to ensure the confidentiality of these services. This office will provide assistance in locating support groups and other forms of treatment, as well as offer continued guidance to recovering members. Whenever possable, free treatment programs will be used. Members are responsible for any fees associated with their own treatment if free services are not available. Members who are actively participating in these programs will not be subject to disciplinary action, providing that current behavoir does not pose an immediate threat to the reputation or image of the TMO.

EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE OFFICE

12.30 The purpose of the ERAO is to provide an immediate response whenever a member becomes stranded away from his or her home due to mechanical failure of his or her vehicle. Vehicle is defined as whatever mode of transportation the member was using at the time of the mechanical failure. This includes all forms of public and private transportation such as automobile, bus, horse, bicycle... This service is not to be abused and should not be relied upon for general transportation. The Director of the ERAO reserves the right to refuse service for any reason. Typical reasons for refusal of service include (but are not limited to) lack of available funding or no members available to offer assistance. This service is not guaranteed, and should only be requested in an emergency situation.

TMO LEGAL COUNCIL

12.35 The TMO Legal Council will provide non-professional legal advice to members, including: Obtaining free professional legal aid (when available) or assisting with the selection of an attorney for your needs; stopping calls from collection agencies and creditors,; researching Federal laws, Statutes, and Local ordinances; obtaining government records such as birth certificates, driver's license records, Social Security reports, background checks, credit reports, etc.; non- professional income tax advice; Small Claims Court proceedings, etc...

12.37 It is stressed that all information and advice given by the TMO Legal Council is non-professional in nature, and that neither the TMO nor any of its officers are authorized to make claims to the contrary. The TMO does not guarantee the accuracy of any information obtained through this office, and recommends that professional legal aid be obtained whenever questions of legality arise.

SPECIAL EVENTS OFFICE

12.40 The TMO Special Events Committee regulates and approves any activity held as an official TMO event. This office was created to ensure that TMO events are organized, well planned, and that they run smoothly. See rule 20.00 for more information on Special Events.

EMERGENCY LOANS

13.00 Emergency loans will be made available to any member in good standing, provided that his or her membership dues are paid up-to-date, and that he or she does not have any outstanding balance due to the TMO.

13.10 Currently, the maximum amount of an emergency loan is $22.00. A $2.00 application fee must be paid up front to process the loan. This fee can be paid from the loan amount, and will be deposited into the TMO Treasury.

13.20 The total amount of the loan must be repaid to the Treasurer within 30 days of the loan date. Any members who do not repay an emergency loan within 30 days will be subject to disciplinary action at the discretion of the Council.

13.30 No interest may be charged for an emergency loan.

13.40 Any member who has an outstanding emergency loan is responsible for the loan's timely repayment. The Treasurer will not be responsible for taking action to collect this payment; the borrower must present it to the Treasurer within the repayment period.

13.50 All members in good standing are pre-approved for these loans. An emergency loan does not require a vote.

13.60 Members should contact the Treasurer to request an emergency loan. There is no limit on the number of loans that can be issued (subject to rule 13.00). Emergency loans are made at the descretion of the Treasurer, and are subject to the availability of funds.

SUGGESTIONS

14.00 All members are encouraged to make suggestions on how to improve the TMO. Suggestions should be submitted to the Membership Administrator using form SUG-01. The Council will vote on the suggestion at its next regular meeting.

FILING A COMPLAINT

15.00 Any member may file a complaint with the Council for any reason. Complaints regarding TMO rules, regulations or policies should be filed with the Membership Administrator using form COM-01.

FILING A GRIEVANCE

15.50 Should a situation arise in which a member of the TMO acts or behaves in a manner that could be deemed detrimental to our organization or its reputation, any member may file a grievance with the Council using form GRI-01. The Council will handle such incidents in accordance with the rules as outlined in section 5.00 - 6.95 of this handbook.

REQUESTING INFORMATION

16.00 TMO members may request information from the Council such as Meeting Minutes, General Financial Reports, Membership lists, TMO Handbooks, forms and updates. Requests should be submitted to the Secretary. Every attempt will be made to provide the requested information, however, information classified above SCL-3 may not be obtained by General Membership without an SCL waiver (see section 10.00).

DUES

17.00 A yearly membership fee will be assessed to each member to offset the costs of operating the TMO. Membership dues will help pay for such things as TMO Handbooks and related materials, Special Events, ERAO Expenses, advertising costs, etc. At no time shall monies collected from membership dues be used for any non-TMO related expense. The yearly membership dues will be assessed as follows:

17.10 Yearly Council dues will be $65.00

17.20 Yearly Officer's dues will be $12.50

17.30 Yearly Membership dues will be $12.50

17.40 All membership dues collected shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the TMO. Membership dues must be paid within 30 days of the date membership is granted, and will be pro-rated until June 1st. Dues will then be assessed each year on the first day of June. Dues must be paid each year by June 30th, or the member will be considered delinquent and membership may be revoked by the Council.

17.50 Dues may be refunded within the first 30 days of membership if requested in writing. If a refund is requested, the Treasurer will return the dues to the member, and the member will be dismissed from the TMO. No refunds will be given beyond the 30 day period.

THE TREASURY OF THE TMO

18.00 All monies collected by the TMO shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the TMO. The Treasurer shall maintain a record of deposits received and funds removed from the Treasury. The Council shall vote on the use of any funds deposited with the Treasurer.

18.10 A unanimous Council vote shall be required to approve the use of any TMO funds, with the exception of emergency loans. Funds removed from the Treasury or any TMO account without a unanimous Council vote or without being logged in the Treasury ledger will be considered to have been stolen. The Treasurer of the TMO must authorize the removal of any funds from the Treasury.

GENERAL FINANCIAL REPORT

18.20 A completed copy of the General Financial Report (GFR-01) will be made available upon request. This report will be updated monthly by the Treasurer and may be obtained from the Secretary. The General Financial Report gives an overview of monies removed from the Treasury and what internal offices used them. Individual reports may be obtained from each internal office for a detailed list of items purchased and funds spent by that office.

NOTIFICATION OF COUNCIL DECISIONS

19.00 For any decision directly and specifically effecting an individual member of the TMO, the Membership Administrator will attempt to inform the member via US Mail, E-Mail, AND Telephone. Once these attempts have been made, the member will be considered to have been notified, regardless of any claims to the contrary. Examples of situations covered by this ruling are: Membership Acceptance or Denial, Grievances, etc.

TMO EVENTS

20.00 The guidelines regulating TMO events and activities are as follows:

20.10 Events must be well-planned, including a complete itinerary listing the date, time, location and costs.

20.20 A coordinator must be listed to plan and attend the event, and a second coordinator must be named to take over in the event the coordinator is unable to fufill his or her duties. This will reduce the likliness of events being cancelled due to changes in the Coordinator's personal schedule.

20.30 Letters must be sent to ALL members by either the Special Events Office or the Event Coordinator well in advance of the event date (minimum 2 weeks).

20.40 No member of the TMO may be excluded (except voluntarily) from participation in the event, unless currently suspended by the Council for posing an immediate threat to the security and/or integrity of the TMO (under ruling 6.30).

ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

21.00 An annual meeting will be held to which all members of the TMO will be invited. Members are not required to attend, however, attendance is encouraged. This meeting will be considered a TMO event, and Special Event procedures will be followed in the planning of the General Membership Meeting.

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