By Chris Cowan

Snow Wheelin’

Well the weather is finally changing and it looks like there will be SNOW finally this winter. 

There is lots of information out there, most important things to remember:

  • Tell people where you are going and when you plan to be home
  • Bring snow gear and extra supplies as you never know what is in store for you.
  • Know your weather conditions

Mission: To enhance the future health and use of the Rubicon trail, while ensuring responsible, motorized, year-round trail access.

Vision: To be the trusted stewards of the Rubicon Trail, ensuring sustainability for the experience of the users.

By Chris Cowan

Rubicon Trail Foundation Board Seat Elections December 11th

At our December 11th  meeting, the Rubicon Trail Foundation will hold elections. There will be a two board seats available; Lori Warden recently resigned her seat. I would like to thank Lori for her years of service and dedication, we will miss her but look forward to her continued support and volunteerism. We also have 1 additional seat that has been open.

 

If you would like to step up and run for a board seat, you should know that there is an expectation of involvement that has a fairly high standard based on what has been accomplished by our board to date!  Our meetings are once a month in the Placerville area. We have created a committee structure to get work done and each committee is run by at least two directors. That means you can get help from outside the Board!

 

There is also a fiduciary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiduciary) responsibility to the public for funds managed by the foundation.  Below, is the section of our bylaws that discusses Directors. Also, below there are some generally accepted guidelines for basic responsibilities of a non-profit board.

 

Our goal is to have a very diversified cross representation of Rubicon Trail users on the Rubicon Trail Foundation Board. Of course, a love of the Rubicon is a requirement too!

 

Nominations/applications will be open until Monday @ noon December 9th.

If you are interested, please prepare a short biography and submit it to any Director.

[email protected] or [email protected].

The mission of RTF is: To enhance the future health and use of the Rubicon Trail, while ensuring responsible motorized year round trail access.

From our Bylaws:
SECTION 2. Qualifications
Any person may serve as a Director of this corporation as long as they have a proven interest in the Rubicon Trail and are 18 years of age or older.
Other qualifications for directors of this corporation shall be as follows:
Rubicon Trail motorized users, owning 4-wheel drive vehicles, who participate in regular cleanups and projects affecting the Rubicon Trail, and who are active in working with other Rubicon Trail motorized recreation users. The Board of Directors shall be composed of at least 60% of Trail Users.

 

Thank you for your support,

 

David Thomas

President, Rubicon Trail Foundation

 

 

 

What are the legal responsibilities of nonprofit boards?
Under well-established principles of nonprofit corporation law, a board member must meet certain standards of conduct and attention in carrying out his or her responsibilities to the organization. Several states have statutes adopting some variation of these duties which would be used in court to determine whether a board member acted improperly. These standards are usually described as the duty of care, the duty of loyalty and the duty of obedience.

Duty of Care
The duty of care describes the level of competence that is expected of a board member, and is commonly expressed as the duty of “care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position and under similar circumstances.” This means that a board member owes the duty to exercise reasonable care when he or she makes a decision as a steward of the organization.

Duty of Loyalty
The duty of loyalty is a standard of faithfulness; a board member must give undivided allegiance when making decisions affecting the organization. This means that a board member can never use information obtained as a member for personal gain, but must act in the best interests of the organization.

Duty of Obedience
The duty of obedience requires board members to be faithful to the organization’s mission. They are not permitted to act in a way that is inconsistent with the central goals of the organization. A basis for this rule lies in the public’s trust that the organization will manage donated funds to fulfill the organization’s mission.

 

What are the basic responsibilities of nonprofit boards?
Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
1. Determine the organization’s mission and purpose. It is the board’s responsibility to create and review a statement of mission and purpose that articulates the organization’s goals, means, and primary constituents served.
2. Select the chief executive. Boards must reach consensus on the chief executive’s responsibilities and undertake a careful search to find the most qualified individual for the position.
3. Provide proper financial oversight. The board must assist in developing the annual budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place.
4. Ensure adequate resources. One of the board’s foremost responsibilities is to provide adequate resources for the organization to fulfill its mission.
5. Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability. The board is ultimately responsible for ensuring adherence to legal standards and ethical norms.
6. Ensure effective organizational planning. Boards must actively participate in an overall planning process and assist in implementing and monitoring the plan’s goals.
7. Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance. All boards have a responsibility to articulate prerequisites for candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate its own performance.
8. Enhance the organization’s public standing. The board should clearly articulate the organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals to the public and garner support from the community.
9. Determine, monitor, and strengthen the organization’s programs and services. The board’s responsibility is to determine which programs are consistent with the organization’s mission and to monitor their effectiveness.
10. Support the chief executive and assess his or her performance. The board should ensure that the chief executive has the moral and professional support he or she needs to further the goals of the organization.

 

 

 

 

 

Office Member Since ofc start ofc end seat start seat end
President David Thomas 2011 Jan-19 Jan-21 Dec-19 Dec-21
Vice President Ken Hower 2011 Feb-18 Jan-20 Dec-18 Dec-20
Treasurer Jonathan Carlos 2016 March-19 Jan-20 Dec-18 Dec-20
Secretary Chris Cowan 2010 Jan-19 Jan-21 Dec-19 Dec-21
             
  Mike Gerondakis 2017     Dec-17 Dec-19
  Jeff Blewett 2014     Dec-16 Dec-20
  Dan DeWolf 2008     Dec-17 Dec-19
  Rusty Folena 2004     Dec-17 Dec-19
  Matt Warden 2015     Dec-17 Dec-19
  Laura Blake 2018     Dec-17 Dec-20
  Lori Warden 2014     Dec-17 Dec-19
  Cole Sweatt 2014     Dec-17 Dec-19
  JC Jenkins 2016     Dec-16 Dec-20
  John Arenz 2008     Dec-16 Dec-20
  Open Seat
El Dorado (NV) Open Seat    
Placer (NV) Open Seat          

 

By Chris Cowan

RTF Meeting Changes

The Rubicon Trail Foundation meetings are on different dates for the

next two monthly meetings.

 

Wednesday, November 20th &

December 11th which is the second Wednesday.

 

Meetings start at6:30pm

 

Marshall Foundation Building

1124 Sherman Street, Placerville, CA 95667

 

Join meeting at this link or just type in the meeting ID.

https://chime.aws/rubiconmeeting

Meeting ID: rubiconmeeting

U.S. Toll: +1 206-462-5569

Meeting PIN: 2559 99 6734

U.S. Toll-free: +1 855-552-4463

International: https://chime.aws/dialinnumbers/

By Chris Cowan

2020 “Rock Award” Nominee

 12th Annual Black Tie & Boots Dinner & Auction

March 14, 2020

Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort in Jackson, CA

This year the Foundation has voted to honor:

Randy Burleson with the Annual “ROCK Award”,

our lifetime achievement award for serving the trail

Randy has been an active OHV user and responsible land use advocate for over 20 years.  Combine that with being an editor for 4×4 Wire, a contributor on Pirate 4×4 Forums and a volunteer for many work parties.  He was also at the first formation meeting for Friends of the Rubicon and an early FOTR Volunteer.  Randy was the founding Secretary for the Rubicon Trail Foundation, the second President of the foundation and has been the Chairman for Sierra Trek for Cal 4 Wheel.   Randy was part of the Pleasant Lake re-route and helped cut brush to define the new route on the Rubicon Trail.  Randy was also instrumental in taking part on the 1st Placer County Tour on the Tahoe side and is a Volunteer Leader & Land Stewardship (VLLS) Graduate.  Randy is a friend to all and is always willing to share his knowledge.

 

The 12th Annual Black Tie & Boots Dinner and Auction committee are actively looking for Sponsors and auction items.

Tickets will go on sale January 1, 2020.  If you would like to be a part of this special event please contact Chris Cowan at 888-678-2426, e-mail her at [email protected], or visit our website at www.rubicontrail.org or like us on FaceBook for more information.

 

The Rubicon Trail Foundation is federally recognized, non-profit organization dedicated to the future health of the Rubicon Trail.  The Rubicon Trail Foundation acts as the support for Rubicon work projects, Friends of the Rubicon, and as a liaison with local government organizations. This support can range from getting approval for projects from the appropriate agencies, to feeding the volunteers, to buying the supplies needed to maintain the trail. We also fight the efforts of others to close or restrict use of the Rubicon Trail System.  All funds raised help to enhance the future health of the Rubicon Trail, while ensuring responsible motorized year-round access.

 

Our Officers and Directors represent a wide variety of Rubicon Trail users and supporters.  These include trail users, land owners, county representatives, manufacturers, and Rubicon event organizers.  For more information on getting involved or supporting the Rubicon Trail Foundation please call us at 888-678-2426 or visit our website at www.rubicontrail.org.