Bylaws Review Workgroup

Our organization's bylaws establish the basic policies and procedures essential to the smooth operation of our club.  This document lays the framework for our leadership, elections, membership guidelines, and committees.

As a general rule, if it's in the bylaws, we have to do what the bylaws say... but if it's not in the bylaws, then (for the most part) we can do what we want.  So the bylaws need to provide for the proper, efficient, and sustainable operation of the club, but still flexible enough that we can adapt to changing member needs without having to constantly re-write the document.  However, it's still a good idea to review and adjust the bylaws from time to time.

RATS has changed a lot through the years.  At our peak, we had close to 400 members, and for 43 years we operated Frostfest, which grew to become the mid-Atlantic region's largest winter hamfest -- a significant operational distraction for about two-thirds of the year.  We had in-person meetings and activities for 48 years before COVID prompted a pivot to 100% online operations.  In 2015, RATS became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, shifting our focus from our members to the community as a whole, and giving us a new set of responsibilities relating to public service, education, and outreach.  Our last bylaws revision in early 2022 accommodated a permanent shift to virtual operations.  And after the unfortunate events of summer 2022, our club looks a lot different today.