CHARTER OF THE DIEGO GARCIA YACHT CLUB

ARTICLE I: NAME AND BURGEE
1. The name of this organization shall be the "Diego Garcia Yacht Club".

2. The burgee of this club shall be a pennant with a blue field and a hoist-to-fly ratio of 2:3. A gold horizontal stripe with a width of one fourth of the burgee shall run down the center of the burgee to the point. The following distinguishing emblem shall appear thereon:

3. The "Diego Garcia Yacht Club" shall be a non-profit organization and listed as a "Special Interest Group" under the Diego Garcia Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR)program.

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES
1. To encourage all aspects of recreational and competitive sailing.

2. To promote seamanship, piloting, navigation and water safety.

3. To organize opportunities for members and interested personnel to receive instruction, information and advice on various aspects of boating.

4. To organize opportunities for members to take part in all forms of boating and windsurfing including: cruising, racing/competition.

5. To encourage and support liaison between members of the club, military personnel, and civilian yachting associations.

6. To encourage and assist the Commanding Officer, US Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia in the promotion of boating/sailing/windsurfing as part of the MWR Program.

7. To support MWR by offering advanced sailing qualifications for high wind sailing, multi-hull watercraft and intermediate/advanced windsurfing lessons.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership shall be open to all military personnel and civilian personnel on Diego Garcia. All members shall be eligible to vote and hold office. Each applicant for membership shall apply in writing to the secretary providing the information required. Annual or lifetime dues shall accompany the application.

2. Honorary membership may be bestowed for one (1) year if approved by the Flag Officers. No more that 12 such members shall be allowed at any one time.


ARTICLE IV: ELECTED OFFICERS

1. The following shall be the elected flag officers of the club:

2. COMMODORE. The Commodore shall be the general executive of the Club, and shall preside at meetings of the club and Flag Officer meetings.

3. VICE COMMODORE. The Vice Commodore shall assist the Commodore and act in the absence of the Commodore.

4. RACING COMMODORE. The Racing Commodore shall organize and conduct the races that are organized by the Diego Garcia Yacht Club or the MWR Marina.

5. SECRETARY. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording minutes of the meetings, issuing memberships, handling correspondence, storing and updating the Charter and ensuring that the club is in compliance with DGREGCOORDINST 1710.16A.

6. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting dues, disbursing funds and representing the club during audits of the books.

7. The Commodore shall appoint the following committees:
a) Race
b) Social
c) The Commodore may appoint other such committees as appropriate.

8. The Flag Officers will perform all routine club business and report all relative matters to the membership. Reports shall be posted on the club bulletin board inside the clubhouse and outside in the outdoor information board.

ARTICLE V: DUES

1. Dues shall be payable to the Treasurer upon joining the club. Dues shall be $15.00 for an annual membership, or a one-time $30.00 fee to obtain lifetime membership.


ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

1. Regular meetings shall be held on the first Tuesday of each month at 1800H. Special meetings shall be held at the behest of the Commodore. Members are encouraged to attend regular meetings so as to provide input to the Officers, make suggestions and vote on any issues brought forth. Each Officer shall make a report on current projects, future plans and the status of their office.

2. At any special meeting called by the Commodore, a quorum shall exist if 20% of the active members and two (2) Flag Officers are present or, if 10 members and three (3) Flag Officers are in attendance, whichever is smaller.

3. At any regular meeting, the quorum shall comprise of a minimum of two (2) Flag Officers and those regular members present.

ARTICLE VII: ELECTIONS

1. In order for a candidate to be elected as a Diego Garcia Yacht Club officer, the candidate must be a member in good standing of the club.

2. Officers shall be elected for the length of their tour on Diego Garcia. One (1) month prior to the end of their tour on Diego Garcia, a replacement shall be nominated by a Flag Officer and elected by the members present. The person with the majority of votes shall be elected.

3. The same procedure shall be followed if an elected officer is relieved from his/her club duties, voluntarily or involuntarily.

4. An Officer may be removed from office involuntarily, during a regular monthly meeting, by a 2/3 majority vote.

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS TO CHARTER

1. This Charter shall be amended by a majority vote at a meeting with a quorum present. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Flag Officers, who shall advise the membership at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting to vote on such an amendment. Amendments to this Charter shall not go into effect until approved by the Commanding Officer, US Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia.

BYLAWS

BYLAW I:FUNDS

1. The finances of the club shall be subject to semi-annual audit.

2. All obligations to MWR warehousing, clubs and contracts will be coordinated and approved by the Treasurer or Commodore in the Treasurer's absence.

3. If the Diego Garcia Yacht Club is dissolved, the Yacht Club's MWR account will be deposited with the base Morale Welfare and Recreation Department general fund.

4. Any acquisition of goods for retail sale must be approved by a majority vote at a meeting.

5. Any acquisition of material or equipment for Yacht Club use must go through MWR acquisition processes and be approved by a majority vote at a meeting.


BYLAW II: QUALIFICATIONS

1. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club shall accept qualifications of other USNSA and RYA clubs, subject to a local qualification test and successful practical demonstration on Marina boats/equipment.



BYLAW III: US NAVY SUPPORT FACILITY, DIEGO GARCIA RECREATIONAL BOATING INSTRUCTION

1. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club will follow all MWR requirements with respect to qualifications required for use of sailboats.


BYLAW IV: CHARTER

1. Copies of the Charter shall be available to all members and posted on the club's indoor bulletin board.

BYLAW V: STAFFING

1. Duty Staff may be hired to man the club house premises during normal hours of operation. Staffing decisions will be made at regular or special meetings when a quorum is present.

2. Staff duties include but are not limited to: keeping the premises clean and in good repair, selling memberships and assorted club paraphernalia, cooking during club events, assisting members and guests as necessary, and other duties as assigned by Flag Officers.

3. Salaries. Club Staff will be paid $3.00 per hour.

4. Workers may be terminated from their jobs for acts contrary or prejudicial to the interests of the club, to include violations of BIOT and US Navy laws and regulations, poor or unsatisfactory performance of duties, negligence or inapropriate behavior.


BYLAW V: HOURS

1. The clubhouse will be open for business during normal hours of operation as follows: Thursday, Friday: 1600-1900 Saturday, Sunday: 0900-1900

2. In addition to the above schedule, the club premises may be made available to private parties provided that the party Sponsor has turned in the Application to Host a Private Party to the Commodore or his representative at least two (2) weeks prior to the planned party, and the cleaning/damage deposit has been paid.

3. Flag Officers may open the club during hours other than the business hours listed herein.


BYLAW VI: ITEMS FOR SALE AT YACHT CLUB

1. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club may offer for sale such items as deemed appropriate by a majority vote of Flag Officers, however no items may be sold that come into direct competition with any other resale activity on Diego Garcia.

2. All sales are final.

3. An inventory of items for sale will be taken at the end of each month by the Diego Garcia Yacht Club Staff.


BYLAW VII: RESERVATION OF YACHT CLUB FACILITIES FOR PRIVATE FUNCTIONS

1. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club facilities are available for private functions upon the submittal and approval of the Diego Garcia Yacht Club Reservation Agreement (Attachment 3) and the payment of a refundable $50 damage and cleaning deposit. The person listed as the Requestor is subject to all the clauses of the Diego Garcia Yacht Club Reservation Agreement.


BYLAWV III: ACTIVITIES AND USE OF EQUIPMENT

1. The Yacht Club will organize the following races with the assistance of the MWR staff, dates to be determined by the Racing Commodore:
a) The Reed Cup b) The Chagos Challenge c) The Captain's Cup

2. Yacht Club socials will be held monthly to promote island-wide camraderie, to foster interest in the Yacht Club and in sailing/windsurfing, and to raise money for Diego Garcia Yacht Club activities, equipment purchase, and equipment/facilities maintenance.

3. Members and their guests who are qualified to sail may use the Royal Navy Bosun sailboats and club windsurfing equipment on a first come, first served basis.


BYLAW VIII: AFFILIATIONS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

1. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club shall join the U.S. NAVAL SAILING ASSOCIATION and the ROYAL YACHTING ASSOCIATION, and other such organizations as the Officers deem necessary.
2. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club will honor members of affiliated clubs as guests of the Diego Garcia Yacht Club. Such guests will receive full membership privileges only if they are not to be stationed on Diego Garcia for longer than two months

BYLAW IX: LIABILITY

1. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club will not condone nor tolerate improper use of its equipment. Any member causing damage to the Diego Garcia Yacht Club equipment due to personal negligence or failure to adhere to safety regulations shall be held liable for repair and/or replacement of the damaged equipment.

2. The Diego Garcia Yacht Club will not be held accountable for the actions of individuals, who are members, but are using either MWR Marina equipment or their own personal gear. The Officers and Duty Staff of the Diego Garcia Yacht Club will, at every opportunity, assist the MWR Marina and NSF Diego Garcia in the enforcement of safety regulations.



Chris Bower
Commodore, DGYC