.::. STAR CHAPTER 353 - RULES, BYLAWS & FORMS .::.

Formation:

Riding will be in a standard staggered formation unless the Road Captain calls for single file. In staggered formation, the bikes form two columns, with the Road Captain (ride leader) at the head of the left column. The second bike will head the opposite column, and will ride approximately 1 second behind the Road Captain (and in the opposite side of the lane). The other riders will position their bikes 2 seconds behind the bike directly in front of them, which puts them 1 second behind the bike diagonal from them.

This formation allows each rider sufficient safety space, and discourages other vehicles from cutting into the line.

The last rider, or Tail Gunner, may ride on whichever side of the lane he prefers. He will wave to change sides during the ride, based on the situation at the moment.

Road Captain:

The Road Captain (ride leader) is responsible for the safety of the entire formation. He must be aware of the length of the columns, and must gauge the passing of merges, highway entrances and exits, etc. to allow for maximum safety and for keeping the group together. He must make sure that he leaves enough time/space for the formation to get into the appropriate before exits or turns.

All directions come from the Road Captain. The Road Captain makes all decisions regarding lane changes, stops for breaks and fuel, closing of gaps, turning off at exits, any concerns of what lies ahead, accepting/rejection radioed messages from other individuals and so on. NO individual will assert himself independently without direction from the Road Captain to do so.

Tailgunner:

The Tail Gunner serves as the eyes of the Road Captain. He watches the formation, and informs the Road Captain of any potential problems within the group. He watches other vehicles, and informs the Road Captain (and anyone else with radios) of hazardous conditions approaching from the rear, such as vehicles trying to cut into the formation and trucks passing with potentially dangerous wind blasts. He will watch for merging lanes, and will move into a merging lane (or stay in a merging lane just vacated by the group) in order to “close the door" on other vehicles that may otherwise find themselves trying to merge into the formation. At the Road Captain's request, the Tail Gunner changes lanes before the group, to secure the lane so the group can move into it.

New Riders & Shepherds:

The position of new (inexperienced with GROUP riding) riders within the group is significant. New riders should be positioned as close to the front as possible. New riders should be teamed up with an experienced Shepherd. It's the Shepherd's responsibility to instruct the new rider on all ride signals and rules.

Lane Changes:

All lane changing starts with a radio request from the Road Captain to the Tail Gunner. The Tail Gunner will (when it is safe to do so) move into the requested lane and will inform the Road Captain when the lane is clear.

At this point the Road Captain has three options.

A. Simple Lane Change: This is an ordinary lane change, and can be used in most situations. After the tail gunner has secured the new lane, the Road Captain will put on his directional signal as an indication that he is about to order a lane change. As each rider sees the directional signal, he also turns his on, so the riders following him get the signal. The Road Captain then initiates the change . All other riders change lanes too. The important concept is that NO ONE moves until the bike in front of him has started moving.

B. Block Lane Change: This can be used interchangeably with the Simple Lane Change. It requires a little more work, but it is well worth the effort. It's quiet impressive to watch, and gives the riders a tremendous feeling of "togetherness". This sounds a little complicated, but is actually very simple to do. After The Tail Gunner has secured the new lane, the Road Captain will put on his directional signal as an indication that he is about to order a lane change. As each rider sees the directional signal, he also turns his on, so the riders following him get the signal. The Road Captain then raises his left arm straight up. Each rider repeats the signal. Then, as the leader lowers his arm to point to the lane into which he's moving, he actually initiates the change. All other riders lower their arms at the same time and change lanes too. This allows the entire formation to move from one lane to another as a single block.

C. Rear Fill In: This is sometimes necessary if a long enough gap cannot be maintained in the new lane, for example when trying to move from the right lane to the center and vehicles from the left Iane keep cutting into the opening.

After the Tail Gunner has secured the new lane, the Road Captain (usually at the suggestion of the Tail Gunner) will call for the group to fill in the space from the rear. He signals this by raising his hand and "pushing" it towards the new lane. All riders repeat the signal, and the last bikes move into the space in the new lane ahead of the Tail Gunner, then the next bikes move in ahead of those, and so on until the Road Captain finally moves into the space ahead of the entire formation.

Emergencies:

In the unlikely event of an emergency condition, the Road Captain will make every attempt to move the formation to the shoulder in an orderly manner. If a bike breaks down, let the rider move to the right. DO NOT STOP. The Tail Gunner will stop with the problem bike. The road Captain will lead the group to a safe stopping place.

Tolls:

The Road Captain should be aware of tolls and collect money from all riders in advance. When the formation arrives at the toll booth, the Road Captain pays for all bikes, and the bikes proceed through the toll booth. Many toll booths have counters that count the number of vehicles coming through. To accommodate these, ride through the toll booth one at a time.

Hand Signals:

Each rider and passenger should duplicate all hand signals given by the rider in front of them, so that the signals get passed all the way to the back of the formation. The following signals are used in addition to the standard (right, left turn, slow/stop) hand signals.

Block Lane Change:

The Road Captain (after having the Tail Gunner secure the lane) Raises his left arm straight up. Each rider repeats this signal. Then as the Road Captain lowers his arm to point to the lane into which he's moving, he actually initiates the change. All other riders lower their arms at the same time and change lanes too.

Fill In From Rear:

After having the Tail Gunner secure the lane and putting on his directional signal (which is repeated by each rider), the Road Captain raises his left hand to his shoulder and "pushes" his open hand toward the lane into which he wants to move. This signal is repeated by all riders, and each rider in turn, rearmost first, moves into the space ahead of the riders behind them.

Single Up:

When conditions warrant single file (narrow road, anticipated wind blast from trucks, obstructions, pedestrians, etc.) the Road Captain will raise his left hand straight up, holding up just his index finger. All other riders will repeat this, and the two columns will merge into one.

Staggered Formation:

After Singling Up, when single file is no longer necessary, the Road Captain will raise his left hand with the thumb and pinky out, other fingers closed, rotating his wrist back and forth (indicating left, right, left, right). All other riders will repeat this and resume staggered formation.

Tighten Formation:

When the Road Captain feels that the formation should be tighter (bikes closer together) (Usually after being informed by the Tail Gunner), he raises his left hand with fingers spread wide and repeatedly closes them into a fist. All other riders repeat this and close up all unnecessary space in the formation.

Road Hazard:

This is one signal that can be initiated by ANYONE. Anyone seeing a hazardous condition on the road surface (road kill, oil, gravel, significant pot hole, etc..) will point at it. All following riders will repeat this, and all riders will avoid the hazard.





	.:: STAR CHAPTER 353 . RULES, BYLAWS & FORMS ::.


		Chapter Bylaws (amended 08/17/06) 08/17/06 - Amendments: Remove Road Captains, Shepherds, and Tailgunners from the Chapter Officers' Definitions sections. These titles are no longer considered officers' positions within' Chapter 353. ARTICLE I. NAME The name of this organization shall be The Providence County, Rhode Island Chapter 353 of the Star Touring & Riding Association, hereafter referred to as the "Providence County" Chapter. 1. The Providence County shall operate under the rules and regulations established within the International Charter. No Chapter bylaw shall supersede the International Charter. 2. The Providence County Chapter has formed under a nonprofit status. ARTICLE II. CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP 1. Prospective members must join the Star Touring & Riding Association upon the completion of their third chapter ride. The prospective member must be voted into the chapter by a "majority" vote. 2. All Chapter members must hold a current membership in the Star Touring & Riding Association. Expired memberships, unbecoming conduct, or a violation of any charter or bylaw agreement shall be cause for the members suspension or permanent removal from the Chapter and all of its activities. 3. Members must participate in some of Chapter's monthly meetings/rides. Non-participation, without just cause, may result in the member's relegation to an associate member status. Associate members are entitled to all privileges of membership, excluding the right to vote or hold office. 4. Associate members who fail to participate in chapter events, without just cause, may be subject to suspension or removal from the chapter and its activities. ARTICLE 111. MEMBERSHIP RIGHTS 1. Only Members in good standing will be allowed to vote on chapter issues. 2. A Hand Raise, Ballots or chits will be used for all voting within the Chapter. 3. Members may abstain from a vote for just cause, i.e., they are not familiar with whom or what the chapter is voting upon. 4. Members must adhere to the "chain of command" on all Chapter issues. For purposes of explanation, the "chain of command" shall be as follows: Chapter Representative > Sergeant at Arms > Vice-president > President. 5. Any grievance between members, or between the members and Chapter, shall be directed to the Chapter President by "chain of command." The Chapter President shall convene the Board of Trustees to deliberate on the grievance. ARTICLE IV. REMOVAL OR SUSPENSION 1. A Board of Trustees must be convened to decide upon a member's suspension or removal from the Chapter. This Board of trustees shall consist of the Chapter President, Chapter Vice-president, Sergeant at Arms, LOS Representative, and the lead Tail Gunner. 2. The Board of Trustees must reach their decision by a "majority" vote, and furnish the member with a written explanation of their findings and decision. All decisions of the Board are final. ARTICLE V. SANCTIONED EVENTS 1. The Chapter President must submit his approval on all Chapter events and Chapter rides before they can be considered "Officially Sanctioned Events." 2. Official events end only when the Chapter President or chapter officer issues a declaration that the event is over. Chapter Officer Definitions Chapter Officer Duties: Chapter President: Shall assure the compliance by all Chapter members with the STAR Chapter. Shall exercise general supervision over the members of the Chapter Board and the affairs of the Chapter. Shall have the authority to make day-to-day decisions concerning the operations of the Chapter and report those decisions to the membership. Shall maintain a working relationship with Chapter sponsors and the dealer sponsors of STAR Touring and Riding. Shall represent the Chapter in involvement with other riders groups and organizations. Shall be point of contact for all Chapter members in communicating with STAR International, i.e., National President and National Organizers. Vice-President: Shall stand in for and hold the responsibilities of the President in his/her absence. Shall work will all committee chairs to coordinate and inform board of committee progress. Shall work with the President to obtain sponsors and representing the Chapter and STAR Touring and Riding. Sergeant At Arms: Shall be present at all meetings to keep and maintain order. The Sergeant at Arms is responsible for making sure that all ride waivers are signed prior to any ride and to enforce the charters and bylaws as they are written. LOS (Ladies of the Star) Representative: Shall work to make all women, either rider or passenger, feel welcome as a member of the Chapter. Shall coordinate with the national LOS Director for support. Shall work within the Chapter to help advance the image of women in motorcycling. Secretary: Shall keep minutes of all meetings. Shall conduct a roll call of members at general meetings. Shall be sure that all members sign in on roster for monthly rides. Shall make sure that all members have signed a waiver for the current year. Shall make sure that all e-mails are forwarded to the membership. Treasurer: Shall maintain a bookkeeping system for the funds of the Chapter. Shall make a monthly financial report to the Executive Board at Exec. Board meetings, and to the membership at each general meeting. Shall oversee sales of Chapter merchandise, i.e. T-shirts, sunglass straps etc. Shall place all orders and collect all monies for items purchased from STAR Touring and Riding International office, i.e. back patches, rockers, both the large rocker and any small rocker. Shall coordinate and collect funds during all 50/50 raffles. Star Vets Rep: Shall represent the Veterans of the Chapter.
		Rules For Group Riding The purpose of riding in an organized group instead of an undisciplined pack is to provide the additional safety that a well-organized group inherently generates. This comes from within the group and from the outside. When a group rides in an orderly fashion, people don't get in each others way, and the organization of the formation itself discourages cars from attempting to cut in. I have seen trucks move to the far side of their lane to minimize wind blast when they see a well-ordered formation "single up" and move as far away from the truck as their lane allows. Once riding rules have been adopted by a group, EVERYONE riding with that group is expected to follow them. Anyone violating the rules and compromising everyone's safety, will be warned, and if their actions continue , will no longer be welcome to ride with the group. The following rules are compiled from a number of sources. Most groups that ride in orderly formations follow similar rules. Details may vary from one group to another, sometimes because of the style of riding they do, or sometimes because there are a number of reasonable options, so they choose the one they prefer. Formation: Riding will be in a standard staggered formation unless the Road Captain calls for single file. In staggered formation, the bikes form two columns, with the Road Captain (ride leader) at the head of the left column. The second bike will head the opposite column, and will ride approximately 1 second behind the Road Captain (and in the opposite side of the lane). The other riders will position their bikes 2 seconds behind the bike directly in front of them, which puts them 1 second behind the bike diagonal from them. This formation allows each rider sufficient safety space, and discourages other vehicles from cutting into the line. The last rider, or Tail Gunner, may ride on whichever side of the lane he prefers. He will wave to change sides during the ride, based on the situation at the moment. Road Captain: The Road Captain (ride leader) is responsible for the safety of the entire formation. He must be aware of the length of the columns, and must gauge the passing of merges, highway entrances and exits, etc. to allow for maximum safety and for keeping the group together. He must make sure that he leaves enough time/space for the formation to get into the appropriate before exits or turns. All directions come from the Road Captain. The Road Captain makes all decisions regarding lane changes, stops for breaks and fuel, closing of gaps, turning off at exits, any concerns of what lies ahead, accepting/rejection radioed messages from other individuals and so on. NO individual will assert himself independently without direction from the Road Captain to do so. Tailgunner: The Tail Gunner serves as the eyes of the Road Captain. He watches the formation, and informs the Road Captain of any potential problems within the group. He watches other vehicles, and informs the Road Captain (and anyone else with radios) of hazardous conditions approaching from the rear, such as vehicles trying to cut into the formation and trucks passing with potentially dangerous wind blasts. He will watch for merging lanes, and will move into a merging lane (or stay in a merging lane just vacated by the group) in order to “close the door" on other vehicles that may otherwise find themselves trying to merge into the formation. At the Road Captain's request, the Tail Gunner changes lanes before the group, to secure the lane so the group can move into it. New Riders & Shepherds: The position of new (inexperienced with GROUP riding) riders within the group is significant. New riders should be positioned as close to the front as possible. New riders should be teamed up with an experienced Shepherd. It's the Shepherd's responsibility to instruct the new rider on all ride signals and rules. Lane Changes: All lane changing starts with a radio request from the Road Captain to the Tail Gunner. The Tail Gunner will (when it is safe to do so) move into the requested lane and will inform the Road Captain when the lane is clear. At this point the Road Captain has three options. A. Simple Lane Change: This is an ordinary lane change, and can be used in most situations. After the tail gunner has secured the new lane, the Road Captain will put on his directional signal as an indication that he is about to order a lane change. As each rider sees the directional signal, he also turns his on, so the riders following him get the signal. The Road Captain then initiates the change . All other riders change lanes too. The important concept is that NO ONE moves until the bike in front of him has started moving. B. Block Lane Change: This can be used interchangeably with the Simple Lane Change. It requires a little more work, but it is well worth the effort. It's quiet impressive to watch, and gives the riders a tremendous feeling of "togetherness". This sounds a little complicated, but is actually very simple to do. After The Tail Gunner has secured the new lane, the Road Captain will put on his directional signal as an indication that he is about to order a lane change. As each rider sees the directional signal, he also turns his on, so the riders following him get the signal. The Road Captain then raises his left arm straight up. Each rider repeats the signal. Then, as the leader lowers his arm to point to the lane into which he's moving, he actually initiates the change. All other riders lower their arms at the same time and change lanes too. This allows the entire formation to move from one lane to another as a single block. C. Rear Fill In: This is sometimes necessary if a long enough gap cannot be maintained in the new lane, for example when trying to move from the right lane to the center and vehicles from the left Iane keep cutting into the opening. After the Tail Gunner has secured the new lane, the Road Captain (usually at the suggestion of the Tail Gunner) will call for the group to fill in the space from the rear. He signals this by raising his hand and "pushing" it towards the new lane. All riders repeat the signal, and the last bikes move into the space in the new lane ahead of the Tail Gunner, then the next bikes move in ahead of those, and so on until the Road Captain finally moves into the space ahead of the entire formation. Emergencies: In the unlikely event of an emergency condition, the Road Captain will make every attempt to move the formation to the shoulder in an orderly manner. If a bike breaks down, let the rider move to the right. DO NOT STOP. The Tail Gunner will stop with the problem bike. The road Captain will lead the group to a safe stopping place. Tolls: The Road Captain should be aware of tolls and collect money from all riders in advance. When the formation arrives at the toll booth, the Road Captain pays for all bikes, and the bikes proceed through the toll booth. Many toll booths have counters that count the number of vehicles coming through. To accommodate these, ride through the toll booth one at a time. Hand Signals: Each rider and passenger should duplicate all hand signals given by the rider in front of them, so that the signals get passed all the way to the back of the formation. The following signals are used in addition to the standard (right, left turn, slow/stop) hand signals. Block Lane Change: The Road Captain (after having the Tail Gunner secure the lane) Raises his left arm straight up. Each rider repeats this signal. Then as the Road Captain lowers his arm to point to the lane into which he's moving, he actually initiates the change. All other riders lower their arms at the same time and change lanes too. Fill In From Rear: After having the Tail Gunner secure the lane and putting on his directional signal (which is repeated by each rider), the Road Captain raises his left hand to his shoulder and "pushes" his open hand toward the lane into which he wants to move. This signal is repeated by all riders, and each rider in turn, rearmost first, moves into the space ahead of the riders behind them. Single Up: When conditions warrant single file (narrow road, anticipated wind blast from trucks, obstructions, pedestrians, etc.) the Road Captain will raise his left hand straight up, holding up just his index finger. All other riders will repeat this, and the two columns will merge into one. Staggered Formation: After Singling Up, when single file is no longer necessary, the Road Captain will raise his left hand with the thumb and pinky out, other fingers closed, rotating his wrist back and forth (indicating left, right, left, right). All other riders will repeat this and resume staggered formation. Tighten Formation: When the Road Captain feels that the formation should be tighter (bikes closer together) (Usually after being informed by the Tail Gunner), he raises his left hand with fingers spread wide and repeatedly closes them into a fist. All other riders repeat this and close up all unnecessary space in the formation. Road Hazard: This is one signal that can be initiated by ANYONE. Anyone seeing a hazardous condition on the road surface (road kill, oil, gravel, significant pot hole, etc..) will point at it. All following riders will repeat this, and all riders will avoid the hazard.



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