Policies

Policy List

Waterloo-Wellington Canoe & Kayak Club Policies

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Version 2019-05

These policies of the Waterloo-Wellington Canoe & Kayak Club reflect how Club volunteers including the Board of Directors manage the Club and how Club members conduct club activities and do not replace any Bylaw of the Club.

Information privacy - activity participation

It is a common practice of the Club to collect contact information during Club events for the purpose of emergency assistance and event coordination. Such information is not a requirement for participation by a Club member but is required for guests. It is the policy of the Club that such contact information shall not be shared with Club members and not be released to any third party. When an event organizer obtains participant information, the forms may be scanned or photographed and delivered to the Board activities coordinator and the Board Secretary and should be retained for twelve months following the event.

Information privacy - emails

Mass communications to Members and between members is facilitated using anonymous distribution lists (typically using Google groups). However it is standard procedure for the Club to coordinate events by using non-BCC format emails. If an individual event participant requests their email address not be visible to other event participants, then it is the responsibility of that individual to declare this concern to the event organizer when the individual first contacts the organizer.

Information privacy - membership list

The club has agreed that the membership lists of current and past Members shall not be shared with the general membership nor with individuals and organizations outside the Club. These membership lists are archived within a password protected online file storage managed by the Board of Directors and are labeled as the “Confidential Information of the WWCKC”. Members of the Board Directors shall sign a confidential information agreement and Directors leaving the Board should be reminded by the Secretary to delete any membership information that were maintained by the Director while being a Board member.

Information privacy - financial transactions

The Club prefers that membership fees and optional fees (such as course fees and costs for joining some Club outings) be paid through the Club website using PayPal or a credit card to simplify record keeping and minimize the effort of accounting for payments. The Club relies on the tools and services provided by PayPal to perform credit card transactions and the Club does not store any credit card information.

Terms of membership and waiver requirement

It is the policy of the WWCKC that all members must verifiably acknowledge the terms of membership of the Club. The membership application and waiver form (in paper or website form) used at some WWCKC events include a statement such as: "...you agree to adhere to various WWCKC rules including the WWCKC bylaws, Board resolutions and guidelines established by activity organizers and Club members for the general purpose of participant safety. You also agree that WWCKC activities may include an element of danger and that by participating you acknowledge there could be foreseeable and unforeseen risks and associated dangers to person or property, and you agree that neither the WWCKC nor any of its Board of Directors, nor any officer of the Club nor any WWCKC member shall bear any liability to you nor your dependents, nor your assigns for any misfortune or property damage that may occur. You release and hold harmless the WWCKC; the WWCKC Directors and officers; and all WWCKC members of any responsibility related to your participation in any WWCKC activity and you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for the welfare of yourself and your property during any Club activity."

Public policy advocacy

It is the policy of the Club that the Board will not express an opinion on behalf of the Club about any public policy without the Board first having notified the Members about the topic and allowed Members to express their opinions about the topic during a regular club meeting. Further to such discussion, a Member may call for an open vote in support of the public policy topic. Such vote shall require a three-quarters majority of the Members present at the meeting to be passed.

Guest participation

If someone joins a Club event and has not paid for Club membership in the current year then that person will be considered a guest participant. Guests may attend meetings and may participate in Club-organized activities. It is the policy of the Club that all guest participants (even if they have been a WWCKC member in the past) must sign a WWCKC waiver to acknowledge the risks associated with a club event. The Club will ask a person to pay for a Club membership if the person requests to attend more than one event as a guest.

Volunteers

Diverse volunteers are needed to collaboratively distribute the tasks needed to maintain the Club’s operations. The Club will encourage volunteer participation verbally and through electronic communication to the Members. The Board will follow an open and defined process for how the Board shall nominate a slate of candidates for the Board during the annual general meeting.

Skills of volunteers

There are no requirements that a Club volunteer must have any training nor any certification for any volunteer role including the leading or organizing of a paddling event.

The WWCKC will:

Periodically organize and regularly encourage Members to take courses that are intended to help gain relevant skills.

Encourage trip participants to make fellow participants aware of their current First Aid training status.

Encourage and assist members who have not previously organized club paddling events to learn how club events can be planned and how less experienced members may contribute to club events.

Age for Club membership and event participation

It is the policy of the Club that anyone under the age of 18 must be a member through a family membership, herein called an associated adult.

Any member under the age of 18 who participates in a paddling event must:

  • Participate with the associated adult under whom their membership is associated during an event that involves overnight camping or accommodations.

  • Have the associated adult exchange emails with the event organizer and with a WWCKC Board member, prior to each event, to confirm the WWCKC has received written acknowledgement that the under-18 member may participate in the specific event and the associated adult fully agrees with the Club’s policies and has signed the Club’s waiver of risks on behalf of the under-18 person.

  • Acknowledge that participating with other WWCKC members requires their relevant abilities must be equal to those of other participants and if the event participants feel the event circumstances warrant, the under-18 individual may not be allowed to join the event.

Notice of incidents

In a case where an injury or property damage occurs during a WWCKC event, or a situation occurs during a Club event that could reasonably have led to injury or could have reasonably caused an insurance claim against the Club, the Members involved in the situation will send a WWCKC Incident Report form to the WWCKC Board Secretary and the WWCKC Board President.

Skills of trainers

The Club does not directly provide training to members and non-members. Some Club members may share various methods during events, but such instances will not be advertised to Club members as training. When training is organized by the Club, the Club will seek assistance from certified third-parties and will attempt to confirm that instructors have certification(s) to conduct training by a recognized industry organization such as ORCKA or Paddle Canada and will have insurance that protects the participant and the instructor through ORCKA or an equivalent organization.

Member communication

The Board makes decisions about the content of the newsletter, flyers, email notices to the Club members and the contents of the Club website. Such decisions shall be consistent with the goals of the Club.

Member communication - Google Group use & decorum

Note: the Google Group "Waterloo Wellington Canoe & Kayak Club" wwccmember@googlegroups.com is open to current members, past members and limited external paddling enthusiasts. All group members are subject to the guidelines set out below.

The primary means for a Member to share ideas, events or make requests of other Club members is through the Club's optional Google group. A member may post to the Google group without assistance or prior consent from other members. Anyone posting to the Club Google group must follow a well understood and established Club decorum. A member may be removed from access to the Google group or have their membership revoked by the Board for misuse of the Google group.

Such misuse may include, but is not limited to:

  • Promoting the sale of anything other than the Member's personal property that has an obvious purpose while canoeing or kayaking.

  • Promoting an event that does not directly engage in canoeing or kayaking.

  • Sharing information that does not have a direct pertinence to canoeing or kayaking.

  • Being inconsiderate to one or more members.

Members who are uncertain of the applicability of a potential announcement via the Google group for the general Club membership shall seek clarification from the Board. Posting to the Google group is not an endorsement by the WWCKC. Any Club member may post to the Club’s Google group on behalf of a non-member provided the announcement is consistent with this Member Communication Policy.

The Member Communication Policy will be:

  • Sent annually to all members of the Google group.

  • Sent to new Club members and to anyone added to the Google group.

  • Added to the website.

Paddling safety - coast guard rules

It is the policy of the Club that members or guests who are participating in a club organized paddling activity have the personal responsibility to adhere to Canadian Coast Guard guidelines. It is not the responsibility of the Club nor the volunteers who might organize an event to confirm each participant has the required equipment.

Inclusiveness

It is the policy of the Club to avoid creating situations where Club members feel any bias based upon religion, ethnicity, gender, or some other defining characteristic of a group of people. At the same time, the Club acknowledges that paddling is a physical activity and can present accessibility challenges for some people due to their physical capabilities, their past experience and other issues. Therefore, the Club’s policy is to organize respectful group activities – as our slogan goes Paddling is More Fun With Friends – and if a member feels that another member or another group of members is unwelcoming, then the Club will endeavor to help those members find a resolution to the mutual satisfaction of the entire Club.

Event participation privileges

When Club members organize a paddling event, the known and reasonably expected conditions of the waterway are an important consideration. Without limitation, this can include weather, water levels, portage complexity, expected travel distances and travel rates. Likewise, the equipment, fitness and paddling skills of each participant can affect the safety and enjoyment of other members who seek to participate in the Club event. Therefore, it is the policy of the Club that each Club member seeking to participate in a Club paddling event has the responsibility and the privilege to voice their concern about who will join a Club paddling event.

Any prospective event participant has the responsibility to discuss the expected conditions and their personal readiness for a paddling event with anyone who is organizing a paddling event. It is recognized that someone who is organizing an event may have limited understanding or skills to assess the readiness of another participant for a Club event and cannot foresee the paddling conditions with any certainty nor the capabilities of another Club member.

If circumstances warrant, a trip organizer may request a Club member not to participate in a Club paddling event even when a member feels confident about their own participation. If a Club member is asked not to participate in a group activity organized and publicized by the Club, then:

  • The event organizer must notify one or more Board members to explain the circumstances that led to the decision.

  • The Club member should notify the Board of their perspective about the event participation.

  • The situation will be shared with all Board members to determine if any corrective measure is needed.

The Club acknowledges that there may be cases where a Member may be advised not to join a paddle event but chooses to join regardless of such guidance. The Club member who has been asked not to participate should:

  • Know that the Club’s Policy is to support the decisions of the group of participants and the event organizer.

  • Know that they may be putting the enjoyment and potentially the safety of other participants at risk.

  • Not expect the group to wait for the individual if the pace of travel of the group is faster than the pace of the individual.

  • Understand that Club Bylaw 6.04 permits the removal of a Member by the Board for acts that in the opinion of the Board are improper or detrimental to the Club.

Boat Counting and Group Paddling Courtesy

At the beginning of a Club organized paddling event, the participants are expected to acknowledge to each other the total number of Member boats participating, for both the sake of mutual courtesy and for safety purposes.

It is a good safety practice to know how many boats are ahead of you and behind you when descending a river or crossing an expanse of water -- getting too far ahead or too far behind others can make communication difficult or impossible. It is the responsibility of every participant to inform others in the group (at least one other participant and preferably several other participants) if the quantity of boats has changed, for example, if a boat returned to the put-in and did not proceed to the take-out.

Some groups of Club paddlers may designate the last boat in a group as the “Sweep Boat” with the hope of having the Sweep Boat know that all of the group is ahead. The Sweep Boat role may change continuously throughout a paddle or may remain with one person. The Club acknowledges that the task of Sweep Boat becomes difficult or impossible to achieve in some situations, for example, when a group becomes spread apart or individuals choose different routes or if a participant selects to stop along the route in a non-obvious location.