As the
Huntsville Track Club has grown, the size and complexity of our races have also
grown. If one examines the Constitution
and By-Laws one quickly finds that there is little mention of races at all and
absolutely no mention of how the HTC leadership should maintain control of
them. Without such control the
possibility of a disaster is obvious.
There are certain aspects of our races that should be standardized and
certain aspects that involve safety that should be dealt with very carefully. And there are other aspects that get much
attention because they are very important to the participants. Each of these, though for different reasons, are important and therefore they should be controlled by the
elected leadership of the club. In many
cases, certain such policy decisions have been made by the HTC Executive
Committee, but the majority of the club membership is not aware of it because
it is not clearly documented in any one place.
It is the purpose of this Policy Manual to clearly and concisely
identify and explain any policies that are approved by the Executive committee
of the HTC. This policy manual is a part
of the HTC HANDBOOK.
The HTC
Executive Committee can at any time, by majority vote, approve changes to this
manual. Annually the HTC Secretary shall
compile a list of any policy changes approved during the previous year and
present this list to the Executive Committee for final review. Once this is completed, the Vice President
Communications will have this list printed for distribution to the
membership. If the changes are
extensive, then the entire HTC HANDBOOK will be updated to incorporate the
changes. It is noted that a "majority"
of the Executive Committee shall mean a majority of the total number of voting
members (not a majority of those present at an Executive Committee meeting).
The HTC
HANDBOOK, all Constitution and By-Laws, amendments, and Policy Manual changes
shall be distributed to all new HTC members.
Any time the Executive Committee decides (by majority vote) that it
would be beneficial to the club, or when the handbook is updated, a
distribution will be made to all members.
A copy of the HTC HANDBOOK will be available any time on request of any
HTC member from the Vice President Communications.
The
following is a list of Race aspects which may need to be changed from year to
year but which shall be under the control of the HTC Executive Committee:
1 - Race
Name 5
- Race Date & Starting time of each event
2 - Race
Distance/s 6 - Race Directors Name, Address and Phone Number
3 - Race
Location 7 - Age divisions and depth of awards for each
4 - Entry
fee/s 8
- Benefiting Charity (if applicable)
When the
President presents the Annual Calendar to the Executive Committee, as outlined
in section 2.1.1 of the By-Laws, these items will be reviewed by the
Executive Committee and established for the next year. However, changes to any of these items may be
made by majority vote of the Executive Committee at any time as the need
arises.
The
following is a list of HTC policies that have been adopted over the years for
our races that are not subject to regular change.
No
individual shall be listed as a finisher that has not run the official course,
beginning at the official start location and ending at the official finish
location. Individuals who run the
official course in a manner other than that designated above shall not be
listed as a finisher regardless of notation.
This is to discourage the practice of running an alternate course.
Race
results shall be made obtainable to each participant within one month of the
race date. Mailed results are not
required for races with 300 entrants or less, but all results will be posted on
the HTC web site and posted in the HTC NEWS.
A means by which members can request a printed copy of the results will
be provided. A copy is also required to
be mailed to the HTC Secretary, HTC Vice President Communications, HTC Grand
Prix Coordinator, and USATF Alabama State Record Keeper. Copies should also be provided to running
publications that provide results coverage of HTC races.
All HTC Race directors will submit a
post event financial report for the event to the club treasurer within forty-five
(45) days of said event. This report
will include the amounts collected for entry fees, sponsorship, donations and
any other income. It will also include
all expenses incurred by the race and paid for by the club or the race director
for which reimbursement is made. Any
expenses billed directly to the club should be contained in the report. If there are outstanding accounts when the
report is generated these will be estimated to the race director’s best ability
and once the outstanding accounts have been closed an updated version of the
report will be submitted to the club treasurer.
Each Race
Director is urged to maintain course and age group records for their race.
Sponsorship
for any HTC race must be approved by majority vote of the HTC Executive
Committee. Any agreement between the HTC
and a sponsor shall be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Prize
money will only be awarded at an HTC event after approval by a majority vote of
the HTC Executive Committee.
It is the
intent of this Policy Manual to insure that all HTC races meet or exceed the
sanctioning guidelines of any governing body the HTC affiliates itself
with. The HTC will be enrolled in the
liability insurance program that the Executive Board deems most appropriate for
the club. The HTC President shall be
considered a club official of any governing body the club aligns with and has
been delegated the authority to sanction all HTC events via such body. THIS SHOULD BE INDICATED ON ALL ENTRY FORMS
OR FLYERS BY THE USE OF THE SANCTIONING ORGANIZATIONS LOGO WITH THE WORD
"SANCTIONED" JUST BELOW IT.
A flyer
or entry form will be prepared far enough in advance of the race to allow for
adequate publicity. As a goal this time
should be no less than 3 months for the larger races and no less than 6 weeks
for any race. TO INSURE COMPLIANCE WITH
THIS POLICY MANUAL, ALL RACE FLYER OR ENTRY FORMS SHALL BE APPROVED BY A MEMBER
OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PREFERABLY BY THE VICE PRESIDENT RACES/EQUIPMENT. NO DEVIATIONS FROM THIS POLICY MANUAL WILL BE
ALLOWED WITHOUT MAJORITY APPROVAL OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Race directors should use the HTC NEWS and/or
direct membership mailing to publicize their race and distribute entry forms. A quantity of entry forms should also be
provided to the HTC member who maintains the HTC membership roster for mailing
to new members.
An HTC
race will be canceled or postponed only if the weather conditions are unsafe or
for some other unforeseeable reason (such as by order of the Police
Department). A race will only be
canceled or postponed by the HTC President.
If time permits, the President shall contact the other Executive
Committee members for a majority approval by phone. If the President is unavailable to act, the Vice
President Races/Equipment and then the Vice President Programs will act on his
behalf.
Participation
Awards (such as T-shirts, Caps, etc.) given at races should display the name
and/or logo of the HTC. It is highly
recommended that a HTC Executive Committee member be asked to verify this
requirement before ordering awards.
The
primary purpose of Aid Stations is to help insure the safety of the
participants. Therefore water shall be
provided at the start and finish of all races regardless of length or
weather. Other fluids such as
Electrolyte Replacement drinks may be provided at the discretion of the Race
Director. Water Stations at intermediate
points on the race course shall be provided for any race longer than 5k. The number of water stations shall be
determined by the Race Director but should take into account the length of the
race and the anticipated weather conditions.
The HTC
considers Medical Support and Runner Safety the number one priority of our
events. The course difficulty, distance,
race size, weather and other factors impose different requirements on each
race. Support groups play a major role
in these two functions and that is especially true for the HTC's
larger races. The Race Director must
evaluate the event to determine to what degree and extent of coverage support
is required for the race. If the Race
Director has questions concerning the support his or her event should have and
what support groups should be contacted he should consult the Vice President
Races/Equipment.
In order
to provide for the monitoring of runners to ensure safety, no runner will be
allowed to begin an event before the official start time. This is to prevent individuals from being on
a course that is not monitored and/or properly secured. Also, an individual will not begin a race
more than 15 minutes after the official start time or behind such
vehicle/person that has been designated as the follow-up or sweep vehicle, whichever
is shorter.
All HTC
races that give competitive awards will have, as a minimum, the following male
and female age divisions:
0-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
Additional
age divisions are encouraged and team or special category divisions may be
added. Race directors are encouraged on
a yearly basis to examine the age demographic of their event and determine if
modifications to age groups are necessary to fairly reward performance at
various age levels. An effort should be
made to ensure that competitive awards remain just that, rewards for
performance in relation to ones peers, and should not be given in such number
as to become participation awards.
Additional divisions must be added per section 3.4 of this policy
manual.
In order
to maintain commonality amongst HTC races with respect to the giving of race
awards the following definitions shall be used.
If an HTC race is to give awards within one or more of these categories
the race flyer will specifically callout the category and the definition of
said category and all awards given will be done so in accordance with these
definitions.
Local
Runner: For the purposes of awards or
other identification specifically for a top local runner, a local runner is
defined as one whose mailing address is within
HTC
Member: For the purposes of awards or other identification specifically for an
HTC member, an HTC member is defined as one who is a current member in good
standing at the time of the race.
Local HTC
Member: For the purposes of awards or
other identification specifically for a local HTC member, a local HTC member is
defined as one who is a current member in good standing at the time of the race
AND whose mailing address is within
It will
be the policy of the HTC to award race prizes to masters runners who place in
the overall standings as follows:
For
non-prize money races: If a masters runner wins the
overall race they shall be awarded only the open category winners award. The second master overall will then be
awarded the first place masters award, unless that person also places within the
award receiving positions in the open category.
The same policy will hold if a master runner places in any award
receiving open category position, i.e. the masters runner will receive the open
category award only. This will occur
recursively until all open and masters category awards are given.
For prize
money races: A masters runner will be eligible for
both prize money in the open and masters categories that are earned by race
performances. A masters
runner will not forfeit masters prize money due to being awarded open prize
money. For the purpose of this policy
prize money shall be limited to awards of cash, not to include gift
certificates or other material prizes.
In races
that provide T-shirts or other similar awards the worker has the option to
accept that award or the worker coupon but not both. For additional information about Worker
Coupons reference the HTC Bylaws, 2.3 Article III, Membership, paragraph 3.
In an
effort to attract new members to attend HTC races, all members joining for the
first time shall be provided one (1) new member coupon. This shall entitle the member to free entry
into any of the organization's events listed on the coupon. The coupon shall become invalid one (1) year
from the date of issue. If an individual changes their membership to a family membership,
or adds family members to an existing family membership, than each individual
added will receive one (1) new member coupon to be used only by the added individual
whose name appears on the coupon.
As soon
as possible after the beginning of each year, the Vice President
Races/Equipment shall submit any required event permits to the appropriate city
officials. These shall be completed with
inputs from the race directors as needed.
Also, as
soon as possible after the beginning of the year, the President will make
reservations with
Facilities
in addition to those stated above that are required to conduct HTC events will
be secured by the person/persons responsible for said event. I.e., race directors will make any
reservations of facilities, buildings, etc. for their races and will notify the
Treasurer of any expenses involved.
The
following is a list of additional policies governing HTC events. The following policies deal more with safety
and operations issues dealing with HTC events.
Runners
who have not officially registered for an event shall not be allowed to
participate in said event. This policy
shall include but not be limited to running the entire event distance or any
portion thereof. This policy shall also
extend to runners participating in an event for the sole purpose of rendering
aid to another competitor. Unregistered
runners, often referred to as “bandits,” shall be asked to leave the event
course or officially register for the event if time permits. They will not be listed in any results
posting for the event. Repeated
violations of this policy shall result in the offender being banned from
further club events. The HTC Executive
Board shall have final authority to punish offenders. The intent of this policy is not to deter
parents/guardians from running with children in fun runs and as such the policy
shall be enforced at the discretion of the HTC Executive Board with safety of
all participants being the overriding factor of any decisions. Failure of the HTC Executive Board to punish
violators under this policy shall in no way prevent valid protests by
competitors or their representatives for violations of pacing or bandit rules
enacted by governing bodies of the sport to which the HTC is a member.
1 -
Wheelchair participation will not be approved without agreement by the Race
Director but the Executive Committee should be notified if there is a request.
2 -
Wheelchair participation must be approved by the Executive Committee prior to
publication of the entry form (or flyer).
3 -
Executive Committee approval of a wheelchair event will be contingent upon
Police approval and by notification/approval of all other affected parties
(owners of premises, support organizations, sponsors etc.).
4 -
Wheelchair events will be held separate from running events unless specifically
approved otherwise.
5 - The
Race Director must, as a minimum, follow the guidelines of the clubs governing
body as outlined in section 3.5.5
of this policy manual to determine if wheelchair participation can be safely
permitted and appropriately planned for the event.
Baby
Joggers/Strollers, bicycles and other wheel vehicles are not allowed in HTC
races without the approval of the Executive Committee. The primary reason for this policy is safety,
but the HTC should follow guidelines set forth by our liability insurance carrier. The RRCA Guideline on Baby Joggers/Strollers
in Races voted and approved at its Annual Convention Business Meeting in June,
1989 is as follows:
"The
Road Runners Club of America strongly recommends against the participation of
baby joggers/strollers in road races and against race organizers creating baby
stroller divisions. The reason for this
recommendation is that the inclusion of strollers in races increases the
potential for injury to race participants and the children. The RRCA has no objection to and does not
discourage the safe and prudent use of strollers or baby joggers in training
situations."
Any
participants who violate this rule will not be listed as a finisher in the
event and will not be considered an official entrant. If the race director has the opportunity
every effort will be made to discourage the individual from violation of this
policy. It is suggested that the race
director ask the participant to remove their race number and turn it over to
race officials. A witness should
accompany the race director in the event of any interaction with a
violator. At the very least, the
participant should be asked to move to a starting location at the back of the
assembled starting participants. This
same course of action should be used for any other infractions outlined in
these policies or action that could constitute a danger to the runner or anyone
else.
Dogs are
not allowed in HTC road races.
Participants violating this rule will be subject to the same sanctions
as stated in paragraph three of section 3.5.17.3.
The
wearing of Radio Headsets in HTC races is not allowed. Participants violating this rule will be
subject to the same sanctions as stated in paragraph three of section 3.5.17.3.
Both as a
means to discourage bandits and as identification in the case of an emergency
all road races are required to issue numbers and safety pins for all
participants. In the smaller race where
there is no pre-registration and others which have race day registration the
number issued to the runner must be recorded on the participants entry form so
that the runner can be identified in the case of an emergency. The numbers for these smaller races can be
inexpensive generic numbers without pull tags and special printing. Questions concerning race numbers and how to
obtain them should be directed to the Vice President Races/Equipment. A waiver in certain circumstances may be
granted by the Executive Committee. In
the larger races the numbers may be used for scoring the results either
manually or by computer and may be printed to include the race name and/or
sponsor logo for promotional purposes.
The
disposal of excess race shirts, food, etc. purchased with Huntsville Track Club
funds, including any special race accounts, etc., shall be left to the
discretion of the race director within the following limitations. The disposal of excess race amenities shall
in no way financially benefit the race director. It is suggested that the excess materials be
either sold for extra race income, or donated to another non-profit
organization or race sponsor. Prior to
disposal of excess race amenities the race director shall notify the club
president of their intentions. If deemed
necessary by the race director or club president the matter shall be presented
to the Executive Board for final resolution.
The race director shall report the recipient of the excess race
materials in the post race financial report given to the Treasurer.
The
following is a list of suggestions that should be implemented by HTC Race
directors where practicable:
1 - The
club-owned overhead finish clock should be used whenever physically possible.
2 -
Accurate split times should be called at frequent intervals whenever possible.
3 - The
Race Director should notify the local media of his event far enough in advance
to allow media involvement.
4 -
Mailing of awards is not a policy of the HTC and is left up to the Race
Director.
5 - It is
desirable that each race have an Assistant Race Director to take over in the
case the Race Director cannot perform his/her duties and as a means to train
future race directors. Selection of and coordination with the Assistant Race Director will
be the responsibility of the Race Director.
6 - It is desirable to
have the race advertised on the HTC web site.
The web site address should also be included on any printed material
distributed in connection with the race.
The
following is a list of miscellaneous HTC policies that have been approved over
the years that are not directly involved with race administration.
The
President shall have his expenses paid to the annual RRCA, AARC Convention (or
other similar convention the Executive Board deems appropriate for the
President to attend) each year. If he is
unable to attend he shall appoint a HTC member to attend in his place. This person must be approved by a majority
vote of the Executive Committee and will have his expenses paid. Expenses shall consist of all convention
registration fees, hotel room rate and tax, and the best available discounted
air fare obtained by scheduling travel well in advance of the trip or a
discounted fare offered by the Convention official airline. In the event that the President or designated
attendee wishes to drive to the convention, then reimbursement for mileage will
be paid up to but not exceeding the amount for airfare as outlined above. The mileage rate will be equal to that paid
for personal vehicle use by the
In 1987
the HTC Executive Board approved the following policy:
1 - That
the Vice President Races/Equipment, Cotton Row Director and Marathon Director
be provided expenses and urged to attend the annual Road Race Management
Meeting. Should one of these officials
not be able to attend the meeting he/she may select another member to attend
the meeting in his/her place. Selection
priority should be given to another officer or race director in the case of the
Vice President Races/Equipment and to a committee member of the race in the
case of the Race Directors. Expenses for
the Vice President Races/Equipment will come from the HTC general account, the
Cotton Row Director's from the Cotton Row account, and the Marathon Director's
from the
2 - Also
the director of any HTC race having 250 or more finishers in their race/s will
be reimbursed the meeting registration fee should they desire to attend. Other expenses are not reimbursed.
3 - The
purpose of this policy is based on the following: (1) To reward those
contributing significant time, skill and effort to the HTC, (2) To act as an
incentive to attract qualified people for a major club function when a vacancy
exists, (3) To bring and or maintain the latest in race techniques to HTC
events through the meeting workshops, lectures, panel discussions, personal
contacts with other race directors, and the latest in race equipment via the
Trade Exhibit, (4) Establish contacts when a later need occurs to consult an
authority on various aspects of race directing or club administration, and (5)
promote the image and status of the HTC, its races, and its primary volunteers
at the national level.
The
addition of events to the HTC calendar shall require a majority approval of the
HTC Executive Committee.
HTC owned
equipment will only be loaned out after approval of the President or Vice
President Races/Equipment. Equipment
rental policy and fees shall be set by the Vice President Races/Equipment and
shall be approved by the Executive Committee.
Vice
President Races/Equipment shall be responsible for equipment rental including
insuring safe means of transporting same.
Said equipment will be checked out with some written form of agreement
which will specify the cost of the rental, the times for check-out and check-in
of the equipment, and any late fees or repair charges which are applicable.
Regular
membership meetings shall generally be held on the second Tuesday of January,
March, May, July, September, and November.
Alternative dates may be selected if scheduling conflicts demand such a
change. A meeting announcement with an
agenda will be mailed to HTC members.
A club
newsletter shall be published and mailed to all members a minimum of five times
per year. The newsletter, the "HTC
NEWS," will be edited by or the responsibility of the Vice President of
Communications. The newsletter shall
consist of running material beneficial to and of interest to the
membership. The membership is encouraged
to contribute to the newsletter.
Contents of the newsletter may not always reflect the opinions of the
entire membership or Executive Committee.
As an incentive to attract people to volunteer
as race directors and executive committee members and to reward the
responsibility taken on, membership dues will be waived for any person and
their immediate family (spouse and dependent children) serving in either of
these capacities. The membership dues
will be waived beginning with the first renewal after the position is assumed
and will continue for the number of years in which the person performs said qualifying
position. In addition, any person
satisfying the requirements for membership waiver as stated in the above
paragraph, will also be eligible for a waiving of
entry fees for any HTC race. The entry
must be submitted during the pre-registration period, or on race day if the
race has race day only registration, and marked in an appropriate manner as to
indicate the reason for the waiver.
It will
be the policy of the HTC not to give, sell, or otherwise publish its membership
list including, but not limited to, postal addresses, phone numbers, and email
addresses. These lists will be used
solely for intra club use for the dissemination of club information and for the
promotion of club events. The club will
sell preprinted mailing labels for use by organizations to mail information to
club members that is deemed by the Vice President of
Communications relevant and appropriate.
These labels will not include electronic mail addresses. The Vice President of Communications will be
the point of contact for any requests of club membership data.
The
November meeting of each year shall be an annual awards meeting. The program for this meeting will be the
presentation of the awards which follow and the HTC Grand Prix Awards. Each award will be made by a presenter chosen
by the Executive Committee who shall explain the award and why the recipient
won it. The emphasis shall be on the
contribution of the recipient and therefore the physical award itself shall not
be emphasized. The Executive Committee
may choose not to present a particular award and may add additional awards for
a one-time presentation. Notification for
nominations from the membership will be the responsibility of the President and
will be printed and distributed to the membership. The notification for nominations shall list
applicable awards and solicit suggestions for other special awards for those
who have made outstanding contributions to the HTC and/or the sport.
Eligibility
for all annual awards will be limited to HTC members, except for individuals,
businesses, or organizations receiving a service or sponsorship type
award. To be eligible for an award a member must have a current
membership on 1 March of the year in which the award is to be presented.
If the
annual awards meeting is held in conjunction with a
dinner then the recipients of the awards presented at the annual awards meeting
will have their dinner paid for by the club.
This will include the overall winners in each category of Grand
Prix. Only award recipients will have
their meal paid for by the club.
Once per
year the President shall nominate one MEMBER other than himself for
consideration for the RRCA "Rod Steele Memorial Award." In addition
to receiving the local award, the nominee will be placed in nomination for the
national award. The nomination letter
will be constructed and submitted to the RRCA per the requirements of that
organization.
Once per
year the President shall nominate one MEMBER for consideration for the RRCA
"Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA Award." In addition to receiving the local award, the
nominee will be placed in nomination for the national award. The nomination letter will be constructed and
submitted to the RRCA per the requirements of that organization.
Once per
year the Executive Committee shall select one MEMBER to receive the
"Outstanding Achievement Award".
The Executive Committee may choose to select more than one recipient but
should limit the number so as not to diminish its significance. Winners are not eligible for the next three
(3) years.
In
September 2002 the HTC Executive Board changed the name of this award to the
Norman Harris Achievement Award to recognize the numerous contributions that
Norman Harris made to the club.
Once per
year the President shall select a recipient for this award. Since most other awards are chosen by the
Executive Committee, they are not likely recipients. This award will give the President the
opportunity to recognize an Executive Committee member. There shall be no restrictions on who is
chosen for this award.
Being
selected by the President, this award was originally named the President's
Award. In 1990 the Executive Board
approved changing the name to the Tom Bolt Award in honor of the founding
President of the Huntsville Track Club who served as HTC President for the first
four terms of office.
Once per
year the Executive Committee shall, if it chooses, make one or more awards to
individual club members for significant performances.
Each year
the HTC will honor the male and female HTC member who finishes first in the
Metro High School Cross Country Meet as the "Huntsville Track Club
Outstanding Male/Female High School Cross Country Runner of the Year." If
the Metro High School Cross Country Meet is not deemed an appropriate meet from
which to choose the recipient of this award, another meet shall be selected and
approved by the Executive Committee.
Awards
have not been limited to the annual awards listed above. Other awards that have been presented in the
past are as follows: Dedication Award, Comeback Award, Admiration Award, Media
Award, Appreciation Award and Service Award.
The club
will maintain a web site on the World Wide Web in an effort to disseminate information
about the club. A Web Site Coordinator
will be appointed to generate, maintain, and update said site. Information to be included on the site should
include the purpose of the HTC, HTC race schedule, HTC race results, points of
contact for key club positions such as board members and race directors,
special programs sponsored by the club, and links to other running sites with
interest to HTC members. This list is
not exhaustive and any information deemed valuable to HTC members can and
should be provided via the web site.
The HTC
will maintain a volunteer database that shall include, but not be limited to,
member’s preferences for possible positions in which they would serve the club
along with contact information for said members. A member will be appointed as the Volunteer
Database Coordinator, to maintain, update, and provide the volunteer database
information to HTC race directors and other club members with a need for such
information. The volunteer database will
not be release to non-HTC requests without prior approval of the Executive
Board. New members will be provided with
a Volunteer Form in their new member packet sent to them by the Membership
Coordinator. In addition, an electronic
version of the volunteer form will be placed on the HTC web site with automatic
submission to the Volunteer Database Coordinator.
The HTC
will participate in the Adopt-a-Mile Program as a means of giving back to the
community that provides the club with so much support. A member will be designated as the
Adopt-a-Mile Coordinator. This person
will interface with the City of
The HTC
will participate in the Adopt-a-Trail Program as a means of giving back to the
community that provides the club with so much support. A member will be designated as the
Adopt-a-Trail Coordinator. This person
will interface with the Land Trust of Huntsville and
The HTC
will pay annual dues as a member of USA Track and Field. The HTC will also pay annual dues as a
"Non-Profit" organization to the Land Trust of Huntsville and
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