Policies of the Raleigh Garden Club
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather, the Raleigh Garden Club President may cancel the general membership meeting no later than 9 pm on Tuesday night before the monthly Wednesday meeting. If the President decides to cancel the monthly meeting on behalf of the Club, the members will be notified of the cancellation by email or a phone call. This information will also be posted on the Club website. However, each member who made a reservation shall be responsible for her/his lunch cost regardless of ensuing weather if the Club is billed for the lunch by the catering facility.
Memorial Tree Planting Policy
A memorial tree will be planted for each Raleigh Garden Club member who passed away during the previous calendar year. For example, if the death occurred between January and December, then the tree planting will be held in April of the following year. When the death of a previous member is known, a memorial tree will be planted for her/him. The tree will be planted in a City of Raleigh public park. The Tree Planting Memorial Service will take place around National Arbor Day.
Member Concerns
The Member Concerns Committee will send a sympathy card to the family of a deceased member. Condolences will also be sent to a member for a loss in their immediate family. Club members may choose to send a card to the family or make a memorial donation to the Raleigh Garden Club Scholarship Fund or to the
organization or charity of choice. Get well notes and congratulatory notes, for births of children or grandchildren and for marriages of members, shall be sent when the information is made available to the Committee.
Policies for Expenses and Finance
All requests for reimbursement must be submitted to the Treasurer within sixty(60) days of the event or activity. RGC is a volunteer organization. The Club does not reimburse members for services performed on behalf of the Club, other than for an honorarium to members who present a program at the general monthly meeting.
A completed RGC Request for Reimbursement form must be sent and expenses documented with a vendor’s receipt. Any sales by a Club member must be submitted to the Treasurer within sixty (60) days and have attached documentation showing income and expenses. Reimbursements for meetings/gatherings held outside of the general monthly meetings will need prior approval of the Treasurer or President.
With the exception of cash advances to provide change for an event, no cash advances shall be made to committee chairs. Exceptions to this policy can be approved by the Club President with the understanding that all expenditures are to be documented per Club policy.
Awards Policy
All awards won in the name of the Raleigh Garden Club, except individual awards, are the property of the Raleigh Garden Club. Such awards include but are not limited to cash awards, honorariums, ribbons, certificates and silver items.
Dues Policy
The membership year of the Raleigh Garden Club begins April 1 and ends March 31 of the following year to accommodate the membership year of the Garden Club of North Carolina. New members joining the Raleigh Garden Club shall pay dues according to the following schedule:
Joining September, October, November, and December: pay 1/2 the cost of the current membership and a one-time application fee. Annual renewal dues will be paid by March 31 of the following calendar year.
Joining January, February, and March: pay the full membership fee and the one-time application fee. Dues paid by this group will cover renewal for the Club year beginning April 1.
Joining April through August: pay the full membership fee and a one-time application fee. Annual renewal dues will be paid by March 31 of the following calendar year.
Dues are payable by March 31. Any member not paying by July 1 will be deleted from the membership roster. New members will be charged a one-time application fee.
Cash Reserve Policy
The RGC cash reserve policy is designed to establish guidelines to ensure fiscal stability and protect the Club’s 501(c)(3) (nonprofit organization) status. Funds are allocated to accomplish our stated objectives and meet our operating expenses and to provide a source of internal funds to meet our priorities and commitments.
This policy addresses our operating budget, restricted cash reserve and unrestricted cash reserve. Our operating budget is written yearly by the finance committee and is approved by the Board of Directors. Our restricted cash reserve represents funds set aside for a specific use (to renew our contract with JCRA in February 2027); unrestricted cash reserve represents funds set aside to cover unexpected cash shortfalls (such as when fund raising projects do not meet expectations).
Restricted funds will be deposited in an interest bearing account. Unrestricted funds will be placed in a separate interest bearing account; the targeted amount will be nine (9) months of reserves based on the yearly budget minus pass through items (meals).
If unrestricted reserves exceed the recommended nine (9) month level, the Finance Committee and Board of Directors may approve the use of the excess amount to be donated to the community. If unrestricted reserves fall below the nine (9) month level, the Finance Committee and Board of Directors shall implement plans to return reserves to their minimum level within two years.
Document Storage Policy
The Club stores records to retain information for good Club decisions, to keep a recorded history for use in submitting awards and for instructional purposes. This policy sets out guidelines to store records and provides a disposal schedule for when items should be discarded.
The primary recorded history of the Club is compiled annually by the Historian as the Club History and is kept up to date in time for use with the Awards Chairman in submitting awards. The Club History includes: Leaflets, Board and General Meeting Minutes, Treasurer’s Reports, Committee and Project Reports, the Yearbook, and Awards with supporting documentation such as letters of appreciation, photos, programs, media releases, etc. and a Summary of the Year. This History is stored in the JCRA closet for two presidents’ terms (4 years), and then moved to permanent storage in the NC State Archives.
Documents that are stored permanently in the RGC Closet at the Arboretum: Articles of Incorporation, IRS Form 1023 application for exempt status, Insurance Policies. Photos – currently stored on Google Docs in the Cloud sorted by year and topic. There is plenty of space to store them permanently.
All other documents are the responsibility of their respective Chairs or Officers and should be kept on the schedule below. “Year” here means a RGC Club year, beginning July 1 to June 30 of the following year.
· Legal documents – 10 years
· Contracts – 3 years beyond life of the contract
· Membership - summaries and spreadsheets for 2 years, reservation and supporting details in paper or digital form for 1 year, excepting Member applications which are saved as long as member is in good standing.
· Official Club Correspondence – 2 years (including significant emails which should be printed or stored electronically in accessible form (not requiring an email program).
· Treasurer- Accounts payables records (checks) -7 years. Bank reconciliations, bank statements, deposit slips, internal audit reports - 3 years.
· Reservations – summaries and spreadsheets for 2 years, reservation and supporting details in paper or digital form for 1 year.
· Scholarship documents – 3 years
· Finance Committee – 5 years
· Website – there is no permanent backup and as it changes regularly this is not a safe repository of “permanent” documents and should be considered a working document.
When documents have exceeded this schedule, papers should be shredded if they contain any confidential information. Digital documents should be permanently erased.
This policy is managed by the Historian (see Historian Job Description on the website) with input and approval of the Board.