Covered Bridge Pony Club Policies

as of October, 2009

The name of this club, a member of The United States Pony Club, Inc., shall be Covered Bridge Pony Club.  The colors of the club are green & gray.

Sponsors:  Any parents of participating members of the club and other interested adults will be considered Sponsors of the Club after paying the annual sponsor fee. The sponsor fee is $3.00 per year.  Voting privileges at the Annual Sponsor Meeting are restricted to those Sponsors of Record as of 30 days prior to the Meeting date.

Dues:  The amount of Club dues will be set each year by the Executive Board at the Annual Sponsors Meeting.  Dues include amounts paid to the Region, and to the National Office, at rates set by those entities.  Families with more than one child may receive a discount for dues at rates set by the Executive Board for that year.

Executive Board:  The DC, Jt-DC(s), Secretary, and Treasurer are considered members of the Executive Board and have full voting rights at Board meetings.  Board meetings will be held as needed, but at least once a year at the Annual Sponsors Meeting, which is held yearly according to the requirements of the national organization.  Any participating members may attend Board meetings, but there is no requirement to publish notice of Board Meetings except for the Annual Sponsors Meeting.  The Club Treasurer and Club Secretary are nominated and voted upon by the by the Sponsors at the Annual Sponsors Meeting.  At that time, the Sponsors also recommend individuals to the Regional Supervisor to act as DC and/or Jt-DC(s), as needed.

Member in Good Standing:  Members are considered ‘members in good standing’ if they evidence a sincere interest in the activities of the Club, assist younger members in the learning process, and participate with regularity at the Club, Regional, and National level, when and where appropriate according to age, experience, and suitability and safety of mount.  As per National and Regional Bylaws, the DC has the right to terminate membership of any member or deny membership to any person at his/her own discretion.

Transfers:  Any member who wishes to change clubs must have the permission of their present DC, the new club's DC and the Regional Supervisor before transferring.

Parent Participation:  All parents must sign an agreement at the time of joining the Club whereby they agree to volunteer for a minimum of four hours at the yearly fundraiser show, the Combined Test, in order to join the Club.  Failure to satisfy this requirement will be considered by the DC as a factor in the decision to accept subsequent membership renewal applications from that family.

Rally Participation:  All members are strongly encouraged to participate in Rallies.  Members who want to test up into the ‘C’ levels of Pony Club are required to have attended a minimum of one Rally before applying to rate - exceptions may be made by the DC for unusual circumstances.  The Club will help pay for Regional Rally entries, with the amount set at the time of the annual Rally Meeting by the DC after discussion with the Executive Board.  The Club pays the entry fee for each team’s Stable Manager, while the parents of that team’s members are responsible for the transportation and hotel accommodations for their Manager.  The DC will decide the team make-up for all Regional Rallies, with Club participation being a factor in the selection.  The Midsouth Regional Supervisor chooses national Rally teams.

 Mounts:  A suitable mount for Club activities is a mare or gelding, five years or older, that is safe and appropriate for the child and must not pose a risk to the safety or learning experience of the other members.  In addition, rider/mount combinations must be approved by the DC and a Rally Participation Affidavit has to be submitted by the rider's coach in order for a child to sign up for Rally.

Ratings:  Ratings are usually held when sufficient members are available for the test, but in no case will a member be required to wait more than six months to be tested for a rating for which he or she is qualified to test.  The Club will pay the fees for club-level testings.

Funds:  Funds are dispersed by the Treasurer in consultation with the DC and the Executive Board.  The Treasurer will maintain the accounts of the Club in such manner that any member may request and be shown the accounts at any given time.  An annual report of the Balance Sheet shall be read at the Annual Sponsors Meeting.

 Amendments:  These policies may be amended at any time by a vote of a majority of the Sponsors.  Any changes or additions in the National or Regional Policies and Bylaws automatically become a part of and supercede as necessary these policies until such time as changes can be ratified at the next Annual Sponsors Meeting or Board Meeting.

        For problems or questions regarding this web contact Peggi Bindner

Last updated: 11/17/09.