The Day Hiking Section - Bylaws

The Day Hiking Section (DHS) provides well-organized access to the many parks, open spaces, and other legally accessible lands primarily (but not exclusively) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hikers may thus learn the ways and means of visiting these areas on their own. The DHS promotes and schedules one-day hikes for enjoyment and to increase awareness for the need to preserve our open space. Most hikes are over 10 miles in length and quite a few are over 20 miles, distances necessary to get a full view of the areas being hiked.

DHS Members are those Sierra Club members who have led at least one hike in the year preceeding the annual November meeting and are on the leaders roster. All DHS hikes must be led by a DHS leader. All activities are open to DHS Members, Sierra Club members, and the general public with the exception that DHS Leaders are authorized to exclude or turn back any participant who appears unable to complete the scheduled hike. DHS Hikes start and end at the trailheads, and do not include carpools. DHS Leaders are required to provide and to use a sign-in/sign-out sheet to help ensure that all participants return safely, and participants are required to sign out if they leave before the end of the hike.

The DHS has one office, the DHS Chair, which may be filled by one or two people whom in turn may appoint assistants as needed. The primary duty of the DHS Chair is to schedule hikes and meetings. The Chair publishes all DHS hikes and meetings in the Chapter newsletter (The Loma Prietan), and distributes them by electronic mail when they are sent to the Chapter newsletter. The DHS Chair attempts to provide a full and diversified hiking schedule by encouraging current DHS Leaders to list hikes, and by recruiting new leaders. The DHS Chair also keeps a roster of DHS Members, and uses that roster to validate ballots and DHS Leader credentials. The DHS roster will be available to any DHS Member who requests it, and at all meetings.

Annual DHS Chair Elections will be held in the month of November, at a DHS meeting open to all DHS Members and the public. The DHS Chair serves for the calendar year following the November election. Any DHS Member may be nominated in advance or from the floor. If the DHS Chair steps down or violates these bylaws, a Chair will be chosen from among the DHS Members at the soonest possible DHS meeting.

A vote of the DHS Members is required for policy changes, officer elections, and dispute resolution. All DHS votes will be taken by written ballot at a scheduled meeting. Ballots will be marked with the DHS Member's Sierra Club number and the vote being cast, and the Chair will validate the ballots against the roster before announcing the results. Those unable to attend a meeting may vote by mail-in ballot. If a vote is taken which was not fully described in the meeting notice, mail-in ballots will be collected during the month following the meeting. The final vote will be announced when a simple majority has been reached. In any dispute, a vote of the DHS Members may overrule the DHS Chair.

The DHS has no fund raising activities, no expenses, and no bank account. Both membership and participation in hikes are free. There is no DHS newsletter.

DHS Leaders must have all of the following qualifications:

• member
• must have a current first aid card recognized by the Sierra Club
• must provide name and address for the roster, with optional phone and email address
• must have hiked with the DHS for at least six months
• must be approved by the DHS Chair.

A DHS Leader may be prevented from listing hikes if the DHS Chair considers that Leader to be unfit to lead. A DHS Leader who is declared unfit may appeal at the next DHS meeting, and will be approved over the DHS Chair's objection if a majority of DHS Members present at the meeting approve the appeal.

An assistant leader may help the DHS leader with planning and leading the hike, but all hikes must be led by a DHS leader. Assistant leaders must be a Sierra Club member, must have hiked with the DHS for at least 3 months, and must be approved by the DHS chair. Capable assistant leaders will be encouraged to become certified in first aid and transition into hike leaders, but this is not required.

DHS meetings shall be publicized as part of the hike schedule. Meetings are scheduled at the discretion of the DHS Chair with the exception that there must be a November meeting. If a vote is planned at a meeting, the meeting notice shall include a notice of that vote to allow mail-in ballots.

Changes or additions to these DHS bylaws will require approval by a simple majority of the current DHS Members who participate in the vote and approval from the Loma Prieta Chapter.