Our Club expelled a member for his behavior. He was asked to return his membership card, and in return we would refund his dues.
He wants his refund first and then he'll return his card. What is the standard procedure in this case?

It's always best to try and end these things amenably, if you can. Maybe just giving him his money back would be the best approach. I would have some worries about retribution, as people can be nasty over these types of things!

We have a provision in our by-laws that state that if it comes to expulsion the member is REQUIRED to return his membership card, be issued a no tresspass letter, with a copy to the local police and there is no return of any dues at all. If they have acted that bad that it has come to expulsion...then any amicable conclusion was not followed.

Hey, except for location you might be talking about a familiar club. Presented with an irresolvable problem such as you described, SOP for the mgmt is to stall long enough and it will go away. Like, the card is only good for some finite period, isn't it? From the POV on the side of the fence of your expelled member, an analogous example would be for some sorry sap amongst the unwashed to raise two fingers for leave to answer nature's call, and the SOP response is "the board will consider it," and there are pressing business priorities to consider ahead of his petty problem. SOP for sorry sap is to cross his legs until he or they remove themselves from LOS. Pretty simple.

We lease our site from the state, security can handle any misbehavior. Our bylaws state no refund, but the officers can approve refund if they agree.

If that is how your bylaws read, why would the board/officers agree to return his funds? Follow your bylaws! Doing anything else may lead to trouble down the line, should it be necessay to expell anyone else.

"Hey! Johnny got kicked out, and he got his dues back! That's not fair"!!!

That's my exact thought, there may be officers afraid of retaliation. We are a small membership Club.

Sounds like the terroist win again!

No one wins in a situation like this .

I would think that you need to think this out a bit more.

He has a membership card ,so what, it's a piece of paper.
Do you really need it back ?

I would think that the bigger question is ,would this individual
drive by with his transmitter(s) on just to be vendictive even if
he gets his dues back ?

IMHO if giving his money back makes the whole problem go
away in a clean fashion.......do the refund, it will be worth it
in the long run.

Good luck,
Roby

Got to agree here, the card is just a piece of paper, not a license to trespass on the clubs property if he's been expelled from the membership.

The only time I would even worry about something like that is if the card is some sort of security device I'm sure most clubs aren't at that level.

Let him keep it, maybe it will remind him of whatever childish behavior brought on his expulsion.

I agree it's a Piece of paper, why be reluctant returning it for dues( money)? If that were me the card would be in the mail the same day.

When you return a purchased product do they give you the money first, and then you return the product? When you lose your drivers license you turn your license in to the bureau,etc.

I'm just interested in how clubs handle this situation.

The best advice you have gotten is for your club to follow your By Laws to the letter. This is especially true if your club is an incorporated entity.

Has anyone thought to meet him half-way. Give him his refund as he gives you his card.

Didnt someone famous say speak softly and carry a big stick! this liberal idea that we can solve all of our problems with some kind of conversation is a bunch of crap. Like you say freedom isnt free


CV

Thanks SSRCCPREZ and SILENT-AV8R, that's the kind of information I'm asking for.

If your club agreed to refund his membership, mail him a check along with a letter carefully outlining the circumstances sent certified mail with a receipt.

I say it really doesn’t matter much, other than principle, that the club gets the membership card back. Notify the membership this person has been barred from the club then card won’t do much for him except maybe a discount at the local hobby shop. So if you guys act first and don’t get the card no big deal and this matter can be put into the past much quicker.

Woops ... please delete.

Good tips.

One other step ... staple the check to the signed letter stating ... by accepting the refund, signing and cashing the check ... he agrees to return the membership card and remain off private property. And anything else pertaining to your bylaws.

The signature on the back of the check becomes signature for the "contract", in this case the letter. Photocopy the check stapled to the letter before you send it certified mail. If you want to really bat it home, write in the notes in fine print "Cashing of this check constitutes your acceptance of our restricted agreement".

This kind of an agreement is call "restrictive endorsement". A legal contract in most states, better than nothing in the rest.

If your not going to do as your club by-laws instruct you to do, at least after, change the by-laws to reflect this change. Don't make it arbitrary that the officers or board may chose to refund! Say what you do, and do what you say!

Per Crownvic:
this liberal idea that we can solve all of our problems with some kind of conversation is a bunch of crap.

I never understood "Reason" to be only a liberal mandate! This is certainly going to surprise many conservatives, also!

Your Welcome, glad I could help. In reference to those worried that a person may be vendictive if he does not get a refund, my thought here is a refund does not guarantee safety. By-laws of a club are accepted and assumed to be understood as a member. A persons ignorance of the by-laws is not an exception to them. We,as club members, are bound by our by-laws. They are not arbitrary or capriciouse, and are not swayed by personalities or situations. They are what they are and they say what they say. Obedience to them is a term and condition of membership.
Really is that simple.

Okay, There's enough information on these posts that's been helpful. I thank everyone for their input.

Is there a way to remove these posts?

Ya, I have to agree here. I think we have come to the end of the useful information and fear we are going to come to the beginning of something else......

What determines the useful end of a thread? Why are you fearful the thread will head for the alfalfa. I don't see this coming here. I think there has been a lot of useful information explained here and there could always be more! I think many clubs will eventually be faced with an expulsion. Understanding this problem might arise and what to do, in case it does, is very important. Our club has shied away from verbiage in the By-Laws about it, as no one wants to think about the eventuality. I Think this needs to be looked into, however.

I had a long phone conversation with my District V.P. two weeks ago. He had talked to a couple of clubs facing this exact problem. He simply explained to them to follow their By-Laws. It doesn't mean escaping the possibility of litigation. However, the offending person, by being member of the club has except the By-Laws, which certainly makes a very strong case against the offender!

My 2 cents. Document everything in writing.
Jimmy Skids