Section 1: Club Branding

• Club Philosophy and Objectives

• Club Logo

• Club Motto

• Club Sponsors and Supporters

• TrackChat Newsletter

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Section 2: Constitution and Code of Conduct

• Constitution

• Code of Conduct

• Online and Social Media Guidelines

• Publication of By-Laws and Policies

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Section 3: Club Operation

• Financial and Membership Year

• Club Membership

• Club Fees

• Membership Form

• Visitors and Temporary Members

• Responsibilities of Committee Members

• Committee Meetings

• Membership of the 4WD Association

• Fundraising and Community Support

• Communication

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Section 4: Club Awards

• Life Membership

• Recognition of Long Membership of the Club

• Club Person of the Year Award

• Annual Awards

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Section 5: Club Activities

• Activity Information Form

• Activity Sign-in Sheets

• Activity Reports

• Trip Grading/Difficulty

• Trip Lotto

• Trip Participation 1 - Ballot

• Trip Participation 2

• Training Framework

• Club Driver Awareness Facilitators

• Quarry Training Area (QTA) Policy on Use

• Quarry Training Area Sub Commuttee

• Club Equipment

• Quarry Training Area and Trailer Keys

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SECTION 1: CLUB BRANDING

 

Club Philosophy and Objectives

As per Part 1, Section 2 of the Constitution.

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The objects for which the Association is established are:

1. To promote goodwill and fellowship between association members.

2. To ensure the correct representation of the recreational use of four wheel drive vehicles.

3. To promote the conservation of natural environment.

4. To promote road safety and to assist and encourage members in gaining driving skills necessary for them to obtain the fullest benefit from their vehicles.

5. To co-operate wherever possible with other organizations having similar interests to the Association.

6. To assist with community services where necessary.

7. To promote the responsible and safe use of four wheel drive vehicles.

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Club Logo

Adopted 2016.

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Club Motto

Adopted April 2014.

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"Living the Adventure!" adopted as the official Club Motto. It reflects Club activities and ethos.

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Club Supporters and Sponsors

Sponsors: Sponsors are those organisations/businesses which make an annual financial contribution to Club. They are recognised through advertisements in TrackChat.

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Supporters: Supporters are those organisations/businesses which provide support to the club through in-kind contribution and/or benefits to members. They do not pay an annual financial contribution and do not advertise in TrackChat.

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TrackChat

Adopted 2001.

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The name TrackChat was adopted as the official name for the Club's newsletter.

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SECTION 2: CONSTITUTION AND CODE OF CONDUCT

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Constitution

Updated 18 January 2011.

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Code of Conduct

Adopted 21 July 2020.

See Code of Conduct

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​Online and Social Media Guidelines

Adopted November 2020.

See Online and Social Media Guidelines Policy.

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Publication of By-Laws and Policies

Adopted April 2019.

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That the Club By-Laws and Policies document be published on the Club's web site in the password protected members' section with the note that it is a living document subject to changes as agreed by the Committee. The document is to be a protected PDF for download, and also for reading on-line. The Club Secretary is to be responsible for maintaining the master copy along with other Club documents, and publication on the web site to be done in conjunction with the Club Webmaster.

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SECTION 3: CLUB OPERATION

 

Financial and Membership Year

Confirmed by Committee December 2019.

Amended 19 May 2020.

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• Club membership fees fall due 1st April each year. Membership will lapse if renewal fees are not paid by 1 May resulting in loss of all member privileges.

• Finanical year - 1 July to 30 June the following year.

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Club Membership

Adopted 17 August 2021

1. The Club welcomes new members who uphold the Objects of the Club, its Constitution and By-Laws.

2. Nomination and acceptance for membership must be in accordance with the Constitution i.e. made in writing on the appropriate form, lodged with the Secretary and be formally accepted by the Committee.

3. Other family members (e.g. spouse/partner and dependents) can enjoy all the privileges and responsibilities of membership including contributing to and voting on all Club operational matters except formal votes on constitutional matters. Only the formal Club Member nominated on the Membership Form may vote on constitutional matters.

4. If a dependent reaches an age where they become a licensed driver with their own 4WD vehicle, then they should become a Club member in their own right.

5. Visitors are welcome at Club activities. Visitors/non-members attending trips and driving their own vehicle must apply for Temporary Membership using the appropriate form as per the Visitors and Temporary Members Policy. If a visitor wishes to attend more than 2 activities, it is expected that full membership is applied for.

6. Fees: The policy on Club membership fees applies.

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Club Fees

Adopted November 2019.

Amended 19 May 2020.

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Membership: Commencing 1 April 2020, Club fees to be:

• Club joining fee: $10.00

• Annual membership: $60.00 with a $5.00 increase every 3 years.

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Membership fees for those joining through the year:

• If a person joins the Club before the end of the calendar year (i.e. on or before December 31) full membership is to be paid.

• If a person joins the Club after the end of the Calendar year (i.e. on or after January 1), full membership fee is to be paid. However, this membership remains valid until memberships are to be renewed the following year (e.g. in up to 15 months).  

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Quarry Training Area: Commencing 1 January 2020, annual calendar year contribution to maintenance of the QTA by external organisations to be:

• $100.00 per use for commercial organisations

• $100.00 per year for community not-for-profit organisations

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Sponsors: Commencing 1 January 2020, annual calendar year sponsorship including advertisement in TrackChat newsletter to be:

• $100.00 per year

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Membership Form

The Membership Form is to be used when applying for membership or renewing annual membership. The form is revised from time to time as needed.

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Visitors and Temporary Members

Adopted April 2018.

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Visitors/non-members attending trips and driving their own vehicle must apply for Temporary Membership.

The Temporary Membership form should be completed for all club trips when a temporary member or visitor driving his / her own vehicle attends a club trip. The completed and signed form is to be submitted to the Trip Leader prior to the trip. Trip Leader is to forward the completed form to the WW4WDC Treasurer for Club records. 

The following wording appears on the Temporary Membership Form.

1. I hereby apply for temporary membership of the Wagga Wagga 4WD Club and to participate in the trip noted above.

2. I understand that:

• I will be representing the Wagga Wagga 4WD Club and am expected to abide by the Club Rules and By-laws.

• As a temporary member I will be allowed to participate in two trips only over a 12 month period. I will need to apply to become a full club member to participate in subsequent trips.

• In the event of vehicle recovery, it is my responsibility to approve recovery attachment points, and where safe, to perform the attachment.

• It is my responsibility to ensure my vehicle is adequately prepared for the trip (e.g. recovery points, recovery gear etc) and has appropriate insurance cover.

• As a temporary member I am covered by the club’s “public liability” insurance provided I have signed the attendance register.

• Four wheel driving is potentially hazardous and that injury and vehicle damage is always a possibility.

 

Driver Experience:  I understand that:

• Conditions on some trips of Grade 3 and above may prove too difficult for inexperienced drivers or some vehicles;

• The Trip Leader has the right to determine whether or not I am allowed to participate in this trip; and

• I may not be allowed to participate in trips of Grade 4 or above until I have demonstrated I have adequate 4WDriving skills and vehicle.

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Club Committee Membership and Responsibilities

Amended By-Law/Policy adopted by the Committee, 7 July 2019.

See Committee Membership and Responsibilities.

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Committee Meetings

Confirmed November 2018

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1. Club members are welcome to attend Executive Committee Meetings as observers.

2. Minutes of Executive Committee meetings will be distributed to members for their information.

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Membership of the 4WD Association

Adopted 1996.

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The Club re-joined Four Wheel Drive NSW and ACT Inc., the state Association of 4WD Clubs.

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Fundraising and Community Support

• Royal Flying Doctor Service: At each Club meeting a raffle is to be held to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. When accumulated funds reach $500.00 a cheque is sent to the RFDS.

• Country Hope: The Club has a Community Sponsorship Account at the bank. Some of the interest supports Country Hope organistion.

• Leukaemia Foundation: The Club supports the annual Leukaemia Foundation Light the Night event.

• Gears and Beers Festival: The Club supports the annual Gears and Beers festival as a fundraiser.

• National Parks and Wildlife Service: The Club supports the NSW NPWS through annual track clearing weekends and other volunteer projects.

• Other fundraising and community support is undertaken from time to time.

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Communication

Adopted 16 July 2019.

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All family members with email addreses registered in the Club Membership system be included in the distribution lists for all member correspondence, including TrackChat, unless they opt out.

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SECTION 4: CLUB AWARDS

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Life Membership

Adopted 18 January 2011 (see Constitution).

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It was agreed that there would be no more Life Members.

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Recognition of Long Membership of the Club

Adopted 20 November 2018.

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An award be created for accumulated long membership of the Wagga Wagga Four Wheel Drive Club Inc, starting at 15 years and every 5 years thereafter. Note: Accumulated membership – not necessarily continuous. The award to be presented at the annual Christmas Party and Awards Night.

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Club Person of the Year Award

Adopted 2014.

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Each year, members of the Club award a Club Person of the Year Award to recognise outstanding service to the Club.

Criteria:
The Club Member of the Year Award will be presented to the person who has made an outstanding contribution to the Wagga Wagga Four Wheel Drive Club Inc. during that calendar year.

1. To be considered for such an award, the person must be nominated and seconded, and a brief resume’ submitted as to why they should be entitled to receive such an Award.

2. Nominations are to be received by the Secretary by the last day of October each year.

3. If no nominations are received by the November Club meeting, then the Award will not be presented for that year.

4. Only one Award is to be made per calendar year and presented at the annual Christmas Party and Awards Night.

5. If there is just one nominee, then that nomination will remain confidential until the Award is presented.

6. If there is more than one nominee, then the following procedure is to be followed:

• Prior to the November Club meeting, the Secretary is to provide to Club members a collated list of nominees with their nomination resume (but not the nominator or seconder). The documents will be circulated to all club members in confidence similar to the distribution process for Club Meeting Minutes. However, this list will not be published in TrackChat (it is for internal Club consideration only).

• Voting is to be by secret ballot using the voting slip provided. Each Club person is entitled to one vote. Voting is not compulsory.

• All voting slips must be returned to the Secretary by the November Club meeting. The Secretary and President (Returning Officers) will tally the number of votes for each nominee.

• The winner will be that nominee receiving the most number of votes. Should there be a tied vote, the winner will be decided by the Returning Officers by toss of coin.

7. Should the Secretary or President be nominated for the Award, then they will be ineligible to be a Returning Officer and their position will be taken by another Committee member who has not been nominated for the Award.

8. All voting slips are to be kept confidential and destroyed after the winner has been decided.

9. All nominees will receive a Certificate of Appreciation to recognise their contribution to the Club. These will be presented at the Christmas Awards night.

10. The Award will be a suitably framed Certificate and free membership of the Club for one year. Due acknowledgment will also be made in TrackChat and other media outlets as appropriate.

11. The winner will have their name recorded on the Club Person of the Year banner and the recipient may hold the banner until November the following year, when it will be returned to the Secretary.

12. It is important that the selection and award be made without bias or favouritism and in the spirit of recognising outstanding contribution. Individual voting preferences are to remain confidential.

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Annual Awards

Adopted November 2018.

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Memorable moments and significant events.

The Club resolved to formalise annual awards to be presented at the end of year Christmas party and Awards night. At each Club activity, any memorable moments are to be recorded on the Activity Sign-in Sheet. Awards will be determined at the November Committee meeting.

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SECTION 5: CLUB ACTIVITIES

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Activity Information Form

All Club official activities are to publicised via an Activity Information Form. The form is updated from time to time. (Download the latest form from the web site).

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Activity Sign-In Sheets

All participants (visitors and members) at a Club activity are to be recorded on the Activity Sign-in Sheet. This is essential for insurance purposes. The Activity Sign-in Sheet is updated from time to time. After an event, the Activity Sign-in Sheet is to be archived. (Download the latest form from the web site).

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Activity Reports

An Activity Report is to be presented for all official Club activities. Written reports are to be archived. For a trip, the last to arrive at departure point writes the report OR the activity leader appoints a person to write the report OR the person selects a playing card.

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Trip Grading/Difficulty

Adopted

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The following Trip Grading is used by the Club. It is consistent with grading used by 4WDNSW and 4WDVIC associations.

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Note:

• Conditions may change during the trip.

• Tracks may be marked with a symbol to indicate grading.

 

Grade 1: Very easy

• No symbol 

• A very easy trip with little if any 4WDriving. Usually a scenic tour.

Grade 2: Easy

• Symbol - Green circle

• An easy 4WD trip. Mostly unsealed roads with no obstacles and minor gradients. Suitable for all wheel drive and high range 4WD vehicles with road tyres and low clearance, and novice drivers.

Grade 3: Medium

• Symbol: Blue square

• Mainly high range 4WDriving but low range required. Tracks may include steep, rocky, slippery, sandy & muddy sections and water crossings. Suitable for medium clearance vehicles with dual range and all terrain or road tyres. Drivers should have experience and training. Basic recovery gear required to be carried.

Grade 4: Difficult

• Symbol:Black diamond

• Significant low range 4WDriving. Tracks may have frequent steep, rocky, slippery, sandy, muddy sections and water crossings. Suitable for high clearance vehicles with dual range and good all terrain tyres. Basic recovery gear to be carried. Some winching and/or towing a possibility. Good 4WDriving skills required.

Grade 5:  Very difficult

• Symbol:Double black diamond

• Tracks may have extensive very steep, rocky, slippery, muddy or sandy sections, or difficult water crossings. Winching and/or towing likely. Vehicles require high clearance, low range, suitable tyres (e.g mud terrain), and extensive recovery equipment including winch. Drivers to be very experienced with advanced training.

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Trip Lotto

Adopted 2017.

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In order to encourage more activities and getting together, the Club has introduced TRIP LOTTO.  At the beginning of each year we put the names of all Club members in a hat and draw one out for each month.  The “winner” for each month is requested to organise an activity for that month. Activities may be trips, social events, a coffee time, picnic—whatever. You are only limited by your imagination. It does not have to be a 4WD trip. Those who run an activity are exempt from Trip Lotto for at least 2 years.

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Trip Participation 1 - Ballot

Adopted April 2002.

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The following procedure is adopted as Club policy for deciding which club members participate in trips:

1. The trip to be advertised in TrackChat, with trip leader to nominate closing date for nomination.

2. If proposed trip is overbooked a ballot is to be conducted either preceding or at the preceding club meeting by the president and the trip leader to determine which vehicles will be participating, with an added list of first, second and third reserves.

3. Any nominations that fail to be drawn out in the ballot get preference on the next club trip, with the reserves getting absolute preference if they do not get a call to attend the trip for which they were declared to be reserves.

4. It is the responsibility of those nominating to determine from the trip leader if they have been successful in the ballot.

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Trip Participation 2

Adopted

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1. Intending participants must reconfirm with the activity leader by the Wednesday before departure.

2. Photographs taken during the activity may be published in TrackChat and on the Club website and Facebook page.

3. Trip / Club rules are to be followed.

4. Because of the nature of activities undertaken, there is always the possibility of personal injury or vehicle damage. All participants have a responsibility to maintain safety at all times.

5. It shall be the sole responsibility of each vehicle driver to decide whether or not to start or continue to participate in a trip. It is recommended that advice is sought from the trip leader.

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Training Framework

Adopted 2018.

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The following formal training is to be provided:

1. Welcome to the Club (combined with Club quarry morning) – weekend following monthly general meeting.

2. Basic 4WD Training through the DTU/Getabout Training Services.

3. Advanced 4WD Training through DTU/Getabout Training Services.

 
Additional skills development workshops will be conducted on an “as needed” basis.

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Club Driver Awareness Facilitators

Adopted 17 August 2021

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Driver Awareness Facilitator (affectionately known as DAFFY’s in our Club) is the name adopted by the NSW/ACT 4WD Association for experienced Club members who assist with the delivery of driver training and mentoring of inexperienced drivers.

WW4WDC welcomes experienced members who wish to be recognised as a Driver Awareness Facilitator. DAFFYs:

1. Must have completed a Basic Four Wheel Driver Training course: Operate and Maintain a Four Wheel Drive Vehicle (or equivalent).

2. Preferably have completed an Advanced Four Wheel Driver Training Course.

3. Demonstrate a desire to assist with training and mentoring of fellow club members.

4. Will be allocated training responsibilities by the Club Training Officer/s based on their prior learning and experience.

5. Will be appointed by the Club Committee and recognised via a Certificate of Appreciation awarded at the annual Christmas Party and Awards night.

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Quarry Training Area (QTA) Policy on Use

New policy replaces the Policy dated 4 Feb 2020

See Quarry Training Area Policy for Use.

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Club Equipment

See Club Equipment.

1. Club equipment is managed by the Equipment Officer.

2. Equipment is available for use by members on a replace if lost or damaged basis.

3. All equipment is to be signed out and signed back in on return.

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Quarry Training Area and Trailer Keys

1. Keys to the Club trailer and Quarry Training Area are restricted and issued on an as needed basis.

2. Trailer Keys are controlled by the Equipment Officer.

3. Quarry Training Area keys are controlled by the QTA Convenor. Club members requiring access to the QTA are required to be approved for access and sign out and return the key within 24 hours.

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