Membership Policy

Adopted August 12, 1997

Section 1 – Who Can Be A Member

CHSR FM is a Community-Based Campus radio station, open to all students and the community. It is guided by a Mission Statement, which states in part:

The community [CHSR] endeavours to serve includes students, faculty and staff of the universi8ty, and the general population of the Fredericton Oromocto area. CHSR FM’s primary goal is to provide access to the public airwaves to promote free artistic, cultural, and sociopolitical expression by members of the community through the medium of participatory radio.

To this end, the Fredericton Radio Club (the Club) will allow membership to all students and members of the community at large.

Membership in the Club is defined as having one’s completed Membership Application Form received and accepted by the Executive Committee of the Club. All members, unless otherwise noted by the Executive Committee, shall be for one year.

CHSR will maintain a safe environment for volunteer and paid staff, and for the general public. To this end, applicants who have a proven history of harassment or conduct threatening to public safety, or the safety of the other members will be refused membership.

In the interest of protecting CHSR FM’s equipment and inventory, membership can also be refused in cased of a proven history of theft.

The members of the Club recognize and respect the Mission Statement and Statement of Principles of CHSR FM.

Section 2 – Application Requirements, Fees

All persons wishing to join the Club must first complete and sign a membership application form.

A membership form is required. Fees are due by the last week of September each year. For the benefit of persons joining in January, or during the summer months, the amount due is lessened according to three divisions.
Full Year Membership – due in September: $15.00
Half Year Membership – for applications as of Jan 1: $10.00
Summer Membership – for applications as of May 1: $8.00
For returning members who own a Handbook, the September rate is: $10.00

Membership rates were reviewed and revised. The current rate is: $10 per year, due in September of each year. The year begins in September, regardless of when you joined.

Membership to the Club is not transferable.

In the interest of organization, the Club will maintain a register of all members, together with their addresses, telephone numbers, an any other pertinent information. The members shall notify the Organization in writing of any change of address or telephone number.

Any member may resign from the membership upon notice in writing to the Executive Committee.

Section 3 – Membership Duties, Right And Responsibilities

Membership, its rights and privileges re described in the Club constitution. This document defines membership ads being divided into two categories:

1. Volunteer members – members who have applied for membership as noted in Section 1, and have had their application accepted by the Executive Committee.
2. Honourary Members – individuals who were once volunteer members in the Club, CHSR FM, CHSR Radio, or Radio UNB, and are a member in good standing of the CHSR FM Alumni Club or any individuals who have made an outstanding service to the organization and whom the Executive Committee may deem to admit from time to time. Honourary Members are entitled to notice of, and to attend meetings of the organization, but do not have the right to vote or speak at those meetings.

Privileges and fees that apply to Honourary Members are determined by the Executive Committee.

All members of the Club are expected to uphold the policies of the organization. A handbook is provided to members upon acceptance of the membership fees. The handbook is made available to all members in electronic form, and a copy of the handbook is available for reference at the station. The handbook contains a copy of the Club Constitution, policies governing the station, bylaws and policies governing the Board of Directors of CHSR FM Broadcasting Inc., technical advice in operations, tips for all areas of broadcasting, and an introductory section on members responsibilities.

Volunteer members of the Club are expected to provide volunteer time to the operations of the station. Volunteer time can be defined as broadcast time, off-air support time, committee and general assembly attendance, or any combination of these. Volunteer members are expected to attend General Membership meetings when they are held. Exceptions are made for conflicts of duty, study, employment, or other such reasonable event that precludes attendance. Posted notices are the standard method of communicating meeting time and dates.
Volunteer members of the Club have the right to one vote at the general membership meeting, and the right to speak at the General Membership Meeting. Members of the Club have certain other rights as granted by the Club Constitution found in the final section of the handbook.

Section 4 – Powers Of The Executive Committee And Its Subcommittees In Matters Concerning Membership.

The Executive Committee of the Club is tasked with the weekly governance of the station. This includes all matters pertaining to membership, conflict between members, programming matters (after having exhausted avenues of procedure with the Programming Committee), conflict with staff, or with outside bodies when the circumstances relate directly to the members’ involvement with CHSR FM.

The Executive Committee has the power to refuse or rescind membership of the Club.

The Executive Committee will follow the directives of the Club Constitution and all policies of the station.

The Executive Committee is the first appeal body for all Sub Committees.

Section 5 – Conditions Requiring Discipline. Procedure For Discipline. Appeal Procedure.

The Club is guided by policies concerned with the efficient function of a licensed Canadian Community-Based Campus radio station, and the fair and socially positive direction of a radio club. To this end, the Executive has been charged with discipline of its members in accordance with those policies and the goals of the Club.

If a member feels that their rights have been violated, they should submit a complaint in writing to the Executive Committee outlining the incident.

If the incident involves harassment, the Executive Committee will consult with the complainant as to whether they feel the matter warrants formal review. In such cases, the complaint will be turned over to the Station Manager for investigation. If the incident involves sexual harassment, the compliant will be immediately turned over to the Station Manager as per the requirements of the Sexual Harassment Investigative Procedure as outlined in the Policy section of the handbook.

The Executive Committee may address informal harassment complaints between members of the Club.

Discipline Procedure:

Discipline for infractions within departments, or on committees, may be dealt with by the Executive representative and/or department head for that department as per the procedures outlines in the Conflict and Security Policy.

All members have the right to appeal to the Executive Committee any discipline rendered by these representatives, with the exception of matters of employment or broadcast licence which fall under the domain of the Board of Directors.

In cases of vandalism, theft or other behaviour the Station Manager and/or Executive Committee considers dangerous to the station, Club, or its members, a decision barring the individual(s) from the premises may be immediately imposed with re-admittance pending investigation by the Executive Committee or a body appointed by that committee.

A written account of the incident(s) under question, either in the form or a submitted complaint, or as a special note recorded in the Executive Committee minutes is required. At this point, the member’s name is not needed for the official minutes.

The member is provided notice of the charge within three (3) days of the submission if possible, or of the meeting in which the submission was first noted.

The member is permitted opportunity to present to the Executive Committee a response to the charge as part of a regular meeting, or at a special meeting of the Executive Committee. A maximum of fourteen (14) days is permitted for preparation of a response by the member. At the Executive Committee’s discretion, this response may constitute a hearing, or a further meeting may be scheduled for t hat purpose.

An official decision from the Executive Committee will be posted within ten (10) days of the hearing. At this time, full disclosure to the members in the form of official posted minutes is required, except for special arrangements at the Executive Committee’s discretion.

The Executive Committee has the power to deliver:

• A verbal warning.
• A written warning.
• Membership or privilege suspension.
• Banned access to station premises and Club functions.

All decisions of the Executive Committee are immediate and binding.

Decisions of the Executive Committee may be appealed to the general Membership either at the next scheduled meeting, or in an Emergency General Membership Meeting called in accordance with the Constitution.

Membership of individuals who find themselves suspended from the club, but who wish to appeal will be considered suspended until the time their final appeal is heard.