Constitution, Bylaws, and Operating Procedures

The following rules were adopted at the January 2020 business meeting. Amended October 2023. Amended October 2024.

Download a copy of this document here: Constitution and Bylaws

Constitution

  1. The name of this organization shall be the Cascade Grotto of the National Speleological Society (NSS).
  2. The purposes of this organization shall be the same as those of the National Speleological Society, namely, to promote interest in and advance in any and all means the study and science of speleology; the protection of caves and their natural contents; and to promote fellowship among those interested therein, with the additional purpose of organizing NSS members in the greater Pacific Northwest, to better promote the objectives of the NSS.
  3. Executive Committee:
    1. The Cascade Grotto shall be governed by an Executive Committee (EC) made up of the following members, all members of the NSS, and elected annually for one-year terms as provided in the bylaws:
      1. Chair
      2. Vice-Chair
      3. Secretary
      4. Treasurer
      5. Member-at-Large
      6. Member-at-Large
      7. Member-at-Large
    2. The Executive Committee shall have complete power to manage the business, to raise funds in any manner not inconsistent with the policies of the NSS, and to perform all other necessary functions.
    3. Decisions or actions of the Executive Committee may be overruled by a two-thirds majority of the members.
  4. Executive Committee Meetings:
    1. Executive Committee meetings shall be held at such times and places as are determined by the Committee.
    2. A quorum in the Executive Committee is a majority of its members.
  5. Full membership in the Cascade Grotto is limited to members of the NSS.
  6. The Constitution and Bylaws of the NSS shall be binding on the Cascade Grotto. Any action inconsistent therewith shall be null and void.
  7. Tax exempt status: The purposes for which this organization is formed are exclusively charitable, educational, recreational, and scientific within the meaning of section 501(c)(7) of the United States Internal Revenue Code or the equivalent section of any future federal tax code.
  8. Dissolution. In the event of dissolution of the grotto;
    1. Any NSS property held by the grotto shall revert to the NSS.
    2. All assets remaining after meeting outstanding liabilities shall be assigned to the NSS or another suitable nonprofit organization. However, if the named recipient is not then in existence or is no longer a qualified distributee, or unwilling or unable to accept the distribution, the assets of this organization shall be distributed to a fund, foundation, or corporation organized and operated exclusively for the purposes specified in Section 501(c)(3) or the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future U.S. Internal Revenue law).
  9. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed either by the Executive Committee or by a petition of ten percent of the members in good standing. Adoption of the amendment(s) shall require a two-thirds vote of the members voting, either in person or by absentee ballot, provided that notice of the meeting and the content of the amendment(s) shall have been announced to the membership at least thirty days prior to the time at which the vote will be taken.

Bylaws

Article I: Membership

  1. Applications:
    1. Applications for membership shall be in writing or electronic format and shall be accompanied by dues as specified herein and a statement by applicant indicating support for the goals of the Grotto and its conservation policies. All applications for membership shall be acted upon by the Executive Committee.
  2. Membership Classes: There shall be the following classes of members
    1. Regular Members shall be members of the NSS, has voting rights, may hold office, and receives any generally distributed publications.
    2. Regular Household Members shall be NSS members living in the same household as the Regular Member, has voting rights, and may hold office.
    3. Associate Members are not NSS members, may not hold office, may vote on matters not affecting the NSS.
    4. Associate Household Members are not NSS members, is living in the same household as the Associate Member, may not hold office, but may vote on matters not affecting the NSS.
    5. Honorary Members shall be members elected to lifetime membership in recognition of outstanding services or achievements. Honorary members pay no dues, have voting rights, and may hold office provided they are current NSS members. Not more than one Honorary Member may be elected in any one year.   

Article II: Dues

  1. The amount of the annual member dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
  2. Dues shall be payable at any time and expire one year from purchase.

Article III: Termination of Membership

  1. Non-Payment of Dues: Membership shall be terminated for non-payment of Grotto dues. A member dropped solely for non-payment of dues may be reinstated automatically upon payment of current Grotto dues.
  2. Infractions: Members may be admonished, suspended from certain privileges, or expelled from Grotto membership for any of the following reasons:
    1. Willful misuse of Grotto property or facilities
    2. Willful disregard of the safety of themselves and/or of others while participating in a Grotto activity
    3. Conduct detrimental to the Grotto and/or the NSS.
  3. Disciplinary action shall be initiated only upon presentation to the Executive Committee of a written petition for disciplinary action, submitted by at least two members of the Grotto not in the same household. Upon receiving such a petition, the Executive Committee shall take such actions that are deemed necessary to notify the accused member or members, in writing, of the petition, and of the place, date, and time at which the petition will be considered by the Executive Committee. The accused member or member shall have the right to speak on their own behalf. Such considerations shall take place no sooner than twenty-one days and no later than seventy days after the petition is received by the Executive Committee.

Article IV: Assessments and Gifts

  1. No special assessments may be made against members of the Grotto. Voluntary contributions may be solicited by the Executive Committee for specific purposes. A charge may be made for the Grotto’s special publications and extra copies of regular publications, and fees may be collected for use of the Grotto’s property when approved by the Executive Committee.
  2. Gifts and bequests may be made to the Grotto in any form or amount and for any use compatible with the purpose of the Grotto.
  3. A charge may made to non-members for copies of publications, maps, and other data.

Article V: Executive Committee (EC)

  1. Elections:
    1. Candidates for the EC shall be made by nominations from members, subject to acceptance by the member so nominated. Ballots shall have provisions for write-in votes.
    2. EC shall identify a process or designate neutral person(s) to take the role of counting the votes and releasing the results.
    3. EC members may concurrently hold more than one position.
  2. Assumption of Duties: EC members shall take office during the January regular business meeting.
  3. Meetings: There shall be at least one Executive Committee meeting each year. The date, time, and place of these meetings shall be provided to the membership before the date of such meeting. The EC shall determine the time, and place for any special meetings. A quorum at an EC meeting will be a majority of the members of the EC.
    1. Parliamentary Authority. Robert’s Rules of Order, as revised, shall govern all procedural questions arising at meetings of the EC when they are applicable and whey they are not inconsistent with the Grotto’s constitution and bylaws.
    2. Proxy. Any member of the Executive Committee may appoint a member of the Grotto as a proxy to act for them at a meeting of the Executive Committee. A Proxy may act at one meeting for only one Executive Committee member. The presiding officer must be notified of such proxy appointment directly or in writing by the absent Executive Committee member before the proxy may be allowed to serve. Authorization should state if discretionary powers have been given to the proxy.
    3. Other Attendees. Committee chairpersons may attend meetings of the Executive Committee and have the privilege of speaking on matters relevant to the committee’s function, but shall have no power to vote by virtue of their committee role. Any other member of the Grotto may attend Executive Committee meetings and may be granted the privilege of the floor at the discretion of the presiding officer but shall have no power to vote.
  4. Recall: The Executive Committee shall have the power to remove any Executive Committee member who, without just cause, fails to attend two regular Executive Committee meetings in one fiscal year without sending a proxy or who, without just cause, attends no Executive Committee meetings in person for three consecutive meetings.
  5. Filling Vacancies: Vacancies on the Executive Committee that occur shall be filled for the balance of the fiscal year by appointment of the presiding officer, subject to majority approval of the rest of the Executive Committee.
  6. Standing Rules: Each action approved by the Executive Committee which serves to establish new policies or administrative procedures can be designated as a “directive” or “act.” The Secretary of the Grotto can be made responsible for maintaining a file of such directives and be responsible for notifying the membership in writing of their adoption.

Article VI: Committees

Committees shall be established by the EC to execute the work of the Grotto. Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the Grotto Chair, subject to approval of the EC. Each Committee Chair shall select the personnel and promote the activities of its committee. All committees will operate under the direction and approval of the EC.

Article VII: General Meetings

There shall be at least one general meeting of the membership per calendar year. The date, time, and place of these meetings shall be provided to the membership before the date of such meeting. The EC shall determine the date, place, and time for these and special meetings.

Article VIII: Finances

The Grotto may acquire real and intangible property, including equipment, literature, loaner gear, and other materials for use by and on behalf of the membership. Generally accepted accounting practices shall be used to account for all assets.

Article IX. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year shall be the calendar year.

Article X: Publications

The Grotto may issue and distribute a newsletter to the members in good standing. Copies of the publications must be provided to the NSS in accordance with NSS policy.

Article XI: Store

The Grotto may maintain a Grotto Store for the convenience of members, friends, and associates, which will be limited to caving-related goods appropriate to the policies of the Grotto.

Article XII: Non-Profit Organization

The Cascade Grotto is a nonprofit organization. No part of the net earnings of the Grotto shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the Grotto shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distribution in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the Grotto Constitution. No substantial part of the activities of the Grotto shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Grotto shall not participate in, intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these bylaws, the Grotto shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 501(c )(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future U.S. Internal Revenue law) or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c )(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future U.S. Internal Revenue law).

Article XIII: Amendment

All proposed amendments to these bylaws must be presented to the entire membership and notice given to the members of the place, date, and time of the General Meeting at which the amendments will be considered for adoption, and provisions shall be made for absentee voting. This notice shall be given at least twenty days prior to the designated meeting. Adoption of the amendments shall require a two-thirds vote of the members voting, either in person or by absentee ballot.

Article XIV: Non-Discrimination

The Cascade Grotto does not and shall not discriminate against members on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, disability, martial status, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

Article XV: Anti-Harassment

The Cascade Grotto shall adopt the Anti-Harassment policy of the NSS.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination [related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion].
  2. Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following
  3. Harassing photography or recording
  4. Sustained disruption of talks or other events
  5. Inappropriate physical contact
  6. Unwelcome sexual attention
  7. Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

Members asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a member engages in harassing behavior, Grotto staff retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the event, and/or the provisions provided in Article III, Section 2 of this document. The EC may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants. The Grotto expects participants to follow these rules at all event venues and event-related social activities.

Reporting

If someone makes a member or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible.  Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of our club for everyone.

When taking a personal report, our staff will ensure you are safe and cannot be overheard. They may involve other Grotto Officers to ensure your report is managed properly. Once safe, we’ll ask you to tell us about what happened. This can be upsetting, but we’ll handle it as respectfully as possible, and you can bring someone to support you. You won’t be asked to confront anyone and we won’t tell anyone who you are.

We will be happy to help you contact security, local law enforcement, local support services, provide escorts, or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your membership.

Operating Policy (Directives)

D1: Operating Policy Changes: (historic; 10/18/2019): Changes to these Directives may be enacted by majority vote at any regular Grotto meeting, subject to restrictions specified in the Constitution and Bylaws.

D2: Dues: (10/18/2019): Dues for Regular and Associate members shall be $20 per year. Dues for Household (Regular or Associate) members shall be an additional $5 per year. Dues for Subscribing members shall be $15 per year. There are no dues for Honorary members.

D3: Elections: (10/18/2019): Nominations for the EC shall be made at the November business meeting; such nominations must be made by a Grotto member with voting rights. All persons nominated for the EC must be current NSS members, and if elected, maintain their NSS membership during their tenure. The EC will send a ballot or electronic notice to each member with voting rights no later than the 10th day of December. The EC delegate will tally the votes and notify the new and/or current EC members of the results no later than December 31st. Newly-elected members of the EC shall take office at the January business meeting. Each member of the EC will hold office for a single calendar year. There are no term limits on members of the EC.

D4: Meetings: (10/18/2019): Grotto business meetings will be held on the third Friday of each month except in August and December, and will start at 7:00 PM. The time and location of the meetings is determined by the EC, subject to approval of the general membership. Scheduled programs shall start promptly at 8:00 PM, and all non-emergent business shall be tabled at that time. The presiding officer at regular business meetings shall have the sole authority to table any business not added to the agenda prior to the start of the meeting. Whenever possible, the meeting Agenda shall be published and available to the membership in advance of the meeting.

D5: WNS Policy (10/18/2019): Grotto members shall adhere to the current National Decontamination Policy published at: whitenosesyndrome.org In accordance with the National policy, caving gear shall not be used in a non-WNS county if it has been previously used in a WNS-positive county. As of this revision, WNS-positive bats have been found in King, Pierce, Lewis, and Kittitas counties.

D6: Local Units/Meet Ups/Pub Nights: (10/18/2019): To encourage activity among our geographically diverse membership area while ensuring Grotto unity, Grotto members shall be authorized and encouraged to form “local units” and sponsor “Meet Ups” (or “Pub Nights”) in their respective areas. These are intended as informal gatherings; no offical Grotto business or voting will occur at these informal meetings. Any member of the Grotto may sponsor such an event.

D7: Unprepared Caver: (10/18/2019): The Cascade Grotto shall not direct untrained and/or unprepared person to any cave by written, verbal, or directions by electronic means, and will not encourage others to do so.

D8: Website: (10/18/2019): The Grotto may maintain a website. Direct costs for hosting the website and/or web domain may be reimbursed by the Grotto.

D9: Member Information: (11/15/2019): Members shall opt-IN to the publication of their name, email, phone, city, state, and/or ZIP code. Membership information elected for publication may appear in the newsletter and/or the members-only area of the Grotto website. The Grotto will never publish a members’ street address.

D10: Voting Rights Age: (11/15/2019): Members who are age fifteen and older shall have voting rights based on their membership class as specified in the Bylaws.

D11: Social Media: (07/19/2019): The Grotto may maintain a Social Media presence. Any interested party is able to join or follow the social media group(s). The Grotto shall not publish specific (GPS) cave locations on social media, and may delete postings and/or ban membership as necessary to conform to Grotto policies.