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Club Rules

GHAC Club Rules


Last updated 6 Aug 2010 1:51 PM

We are a non profit volunteer amateur outdoor adventure group in city of Hyderabad, and we are really pleased that you are interested in joining our GREAT & AWESOME group, these rules will help you know what is expected of you how you can be a good member of this club.

Failure to adhere to the Rules and by-laws potentially exposes both yourself and other persons to additional risk, both in terms of safety and disciplinary & possibly Legal action




1. Safety
In addition to having fun in the outdoors, a key priority for the club is safety. One of the measures that the club uses to maintain high safety standards is training and assessment of skill levels. The basic premise being that various activities require minimum skill levels of participants to ensure that safety is not compromised. while RSVPing for a activity please keep in mind the difficulty level and your own fitness and experience.

The nature of the activities that the club involves itself in and the environments that we explore do inherently present risks and dangers. The club prides itself on a good safety record and seriously wishes to maintain that. We always want club members to return from club activities safe and well.

We ensure that on all trips at least one participant has a current first aid qualification and an appropriate First Aid Kit is always taken on all trips.

However please Consult your general practitioner before taking part in any activity of the club:
* If you suffer from, or think you may suffer from, a medical condition
* If you decide to start participating in outdoor activities after a period of relative inactivity
* If you are going to undergo or have just undergone an operation
* If you are pregnant or breast feeding
* If you have been unwell

Persons with the following conditions are only allowed to take part in any activity on producing a medical certificate from a doctor http://files.meetup.c...

*asthma
*heart disease
*epilepsy
*mental illness

**** pregnant women are strictly now allowed on any adventure activity.


GHAC club is not affiliated and is in no way connected to any other trekking group/club in Hyderabad. members participating in other groups/clubs (that do not take adequate steps for safety) are doing so at their own risk and peril




1.1 Meeting People
Its easy to make friends on trips especially with new people and it appears as if you know them for long, Only agree to meet other members outside of the proposed activity when you feel comfortable in doing so. remember you don't know their background or real personality.

We do not screen every member who joins the group, in interest of safety do not reveal your personal details ( phone number, address, birthday etc) to everyone, especially new members, be aware of people who are less interested in adventure activities of the club and are more interested in having a jolly fun time, Absolutely resist the temptation to provide any personal information such as place of employment, birthday, address, phone number etc... If someone keeps hounding you for information like this, view it as a red flag and report to the organizers.

If you are meeting someone outside the planned activity of the club please do so in a public place, Always take your mobile phone just in case, and always inform a friend or family member where you are going and whom you are meeting and what time you’re expected back.




2. Disclaimer Great Hyderabad Adventure Club Meetup www.ghac.in is an online amateur outdoor activity platform run by the members themselves. The Organizers will simply facilitate the gathering of people at the appointed meeting place and the group or member voluntarily takes part in any outdoor activity.

Great Hyderabad Adventure Club Organisers has done everything possible to assure that the participants experience a rewarding trip. However some of the activities are not without risk. These activities include: camping, trekking, hiking, swimming, kayaking, mountaineering, rock climbing, and any other event specific to their individual planned trip. The same element that contribute to the unique character and fun of these activities can cause loss or damage to equipment, injury, illness, or in extreme cases, permanent trauma or death.

There is also a certain level of unpredictability and uncertainty and discomfort associated with any adventure activity. More over Trips with GHAC are not about luxury or having a good time. they are more about knowing the outdoors, roughing it out and connecting with nature and rediscovering yourself along with making some good friends.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF RISK

You agree and undertake to sign a separate “Disclaimer and Liability Release Form” ghac_disclaimer.pdf before you join a trek



3. Conduct and behavior
Good gentle and civil behavior is expected of everyone, please avoid calling nick names or getting into petty fights, Please avoid getting too personal with anyone. Do not tease or pull someones leg for fun.

Please avoid discussing anything on SEX, POLITICS and RELIGION including jokes of such nature.

Please avoid any anti social, deviant or unacceptable social behavior.

We are a mix group of individuals of all ages, be nice to youngsters and respects the elders.

This is not a dating or friendship club, if you are looking for either you are at the wrong place.

Everyone should behave like a gentlemen with the female members. we take complaints from the females very seriously which can lead to disciplinary action or suspension from the club, The Executive Committee of the club has 3 females on the board, so watch out.

Members that are not respectful of the group, its members, or the organizers are not welcome at our events.

Anyone not following the rules will be asked to leave the trek activity and removed from the group and if needed the person will be reported to authorities and publicly listed as an offender. - no kidding here




3.1 Greetings/Email/Forums
1) The use of greetings and forums is to exchange ideas on adventure related activities, please avoid posting any messages of a personal nature, if you feel the message does not relate to the objective of the group, it does not belong here

2) If you insult anyone or use profanity against any member you will be court Marshaled and will be publicly listed as a offender, please don't become a statistic. - no kidding here

3) Solicitation of services via the email link is considered spam. Members who send unwanted email via the GHAC portal will be removed from the group




3.2 No Drinking & No Smoking
Drinking and Smoking is strictly prohibited for entire duration of the trek, anyone not following this rule will be asked to leave, please don't become a statistic.




3.3 Dress
Please follow the trek description on the dress to wear, sports tracks and shoes are best for most treks, you may wear jeans but it would restrict movement

You are not allowed to take of your clothes even if you are fan of salman khan unless the activity demands it like swimming kayaking etc, any such activity will call for disciplinary action, sando vest are allowed if the temperature is hot.




3.4 Grounds for Removal of a Member
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the following types of actions are cause for immediate removal, of your membership.


  • Harm or intimidate another member in any way

  • Impersonate any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with any person, through the use of similar email addresses, nicknames, or creation of false account(s) or any other method or device

  • "Stalk" or otherwise harass another member

  • Advertise merchandise, auctions, services or commercial websites, including offers to trade or charitable solicitations unrelated to the topic or spirit of the Meetup Group;

  • Collect or store personal data about other members

  • Posting any Public Information or other material that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortuous, defamatory, intimidating, vulgar, obscene, profane, libelous, invasive of another's privacy (including the posting of private emails or contact information about another individual), hateful, or racially, ethically or otherwise objectionable, including any Public Information or other material that may be considered hate speech

  • Refusing to follow Organisers and trek leaders or their deputies instructions or directions

  • Violation (intentional or unintentional) of this Agreement, or of any applicable local, state, national law.

    3.5. Privacy
    Protecting your privacy is a serious matter and doing so is very important to us. We promise not to disclose any personal details to any third party and all private information will be used for internal use of GHAC by authorized organizers for organising a trek only.

    Any information you post on the publicly accessible area of the group is accessible by everyone and is not considered private.

    Any information that you fill in via a secure form or through email sent or accessed to/by an organizer will be considered private.

    We may need your personal details such as full name, date of birth, email, Phone, Address, Bank account No , Passport No from time to time to book travel tickets or to apply for permits. All such information will be collected only via secure form over SSL technology.

    Every organiser of GHAC is bound by a NDA and confidentiality agreement to safeguard your private information.




    4. Filling out your profile:

  • Do not include any personal information (i.e phone number or e-mail addresses) in your profile or in your RSVP comments. Our pages are not private so your profile information will be visible to everyone - including programs designed to capture e-mail addresses for spammers. You can always receive e-mail via the Meetup message system if you choose to activate it.

  • You do not need to list your last name. It is helpful if you use a last initial so we can tell the difference between Prasad S and Prasad T. If you wish to change your "name", click on the "Account" link up at the right hand top of the page and edit your name at any time.

  • Pictures help other members know who you are, but are NOT REQUIRED.

  • While they are a snappy idea, using aliases (anything but your real name) is not such a good idea because it makes it REALLY difficult to find you at an event.

  • All profiles must be of an actual person. Any profile representing a business or organization. We reserve the right to remove any such profiles at any time.




    5. Club Expenses

    There is a 10 % Club maintenance charge on all meetups. This is utilized for taking care of the day to day expenses of the club. This includes meetup.com fee and hosting charges, Telephone bills, Stationary etc

    The Club also purchases equipment like tents and various camping accessories from time to time to facilitate outdoor camping and save on hotel accommodation thereby reducing the cost of the event itself.

    For a new meetup the organiser estimates the amount and collects it from all participants and at the end of the meetup the actual total expense of the meetup are accounted for and the details shared with all the participants.

    All expenses for meetups are submitted to the treasurer within a week of the meetup and accounted for by the treasurer and audited by a external auditor and a yearly balance sheet made available to active members on request.

    5.1 Donations
    Donations in form of money, equipment, books on outdoor activities and sports are welcome. All donations are accounted for and entered into a register and online and a receipt is given to the donor

    5.2 Organiser Discount

    First one and a half years we had few organizers conducting meetups and paying from their pockets. On such Organizers there is a toll on their bank balances / business/profession/work and family life while conducting these trips regularly. The Executive Committee discussed this and felt that the organizers should be compensated for their efforts and have a right to benefit as they regularly sacrifice on other fronts. Otherwise this kind of commitment is not sustainable in the long-term.

    We also feel there is nothing selfish or unfair about this and it is well within the ambit of a non-profit organization, legally and in spirit.

    The following rules apply to the organisers discount

    # the discount shall be total cost per individual. The Discount applies for 1 organiser for every 12-15 participants.
    # There shall be no more then 2 organisers discount for any trek
    # if the participants are 12 to 15 or less and there are 2 organisers
    then the discount is shared equally.
    # If the participants are 25 to 30 or more then both organisers get full discount

    Additionally the following rules apply
    For Outstation Treks
    100 % discount to the organiser when the trek charge is upto 2500
    # 75 % discount to the organiser when the charge is 2500+ upto 5000
    # 50 % discount to the organiser when the charge is 5000+ upto 10000
    # only transport cost discount to the organiser when the fee is 10000 or more

    The organizer will also get Rs 200 towards Phone and Stationary charges

    For Local treks
    # The organizers will get Rs 100 each towards petrol, phone and stationary charges
    # There can be a max of 1 organizer discount for 15-20 participants and 2 organizer discount for upto 25-30 participants for all local treks.

    5.3 Club Equipment
    A list of Equipment purchased by the club is available on http://files.meetup.c...




    6. How to Choose An Event
    Our events are posted on the event board (on the "Welcome" page) and also on the calendar (use the link on the left side of your screen). Please READ each hike description to see if it's a good fit for you. This keeps you safe and keeps your fellow hikers happy. If you are a beloved newbie, please start out with one of our monthly EASY hikes to see "where you are". Please do NOT come out on a hike that's too difficult for your condition on hike day. This includes anyone who has had a really late night or is stressed out physically.




    6.1 Before You RSVP
    Although we love to have fun, we are first and foremost a adventure group. While we care a great deal about the safety of EVERYONE (not just you), it is YOUR responsibility to be safe while you are out with us.
    This means that if you would like to join us on a adventure trip , it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to read the trek description and come prepared. This keeps all of us safe and happy.

    The organizer is fully-empowered to turn folks away or to ask folks to turn back part-way through the trip for any reason without explanation if the they find that you are physically unfit or cant keep up with rest of the group.
    organizers are also fully empowered to bump anyone who regularly shows up unprepared or RSVP "Yes" for a trek that's outside their ability.

    And while we work hard to make sure things go smoothly at each event, please keep in mind that all the Leaders and organizers are volunteers, please do not irritate or trouble them, the Executive Committee seriously looks into such issues which can lead to disciplinary action leading to removal of the concerned member from the group.

    RSVP "YES" only if you are sure of attending the trip, people who just RSVP "YES" and block seats and do not respond or people who remove themselves just before the last pay in date is over or those who don't show up for the trek will have a 1 month ban on RSVPing "YES" for future treks

    On outdoor events, everyone should understand that it is NOT OKAY to go off-trail once you have joined the posted event. If you would like to go off-trail, please do it on your own on a day when you are not with our group. If you choose to do this on one of our events, you may find yourself permanently removed from our group. No kidding on this.

    Members should refrain from unnecessary criticism of event details and itinerary. Please remember that our events are designed for the enjoyment of the group, rather than catering to a specific individual's wants or needs.




    6.2 How to RSVP
    If you want to attend, RSVP "Yes." If you are unable to attend or do not wish to attend, simply do nothing. You do not need to RSVP "No" unless you want to leave a comment for the event organizer.
    Our events fill up FAST so if you RSVP "Yes" and your plans change, please change your RSVP to "No" ASAP. If you want be on the event, then RSVP for the wait-list and as soon as there is space you will get a chance on first come first serve basis .

    Please understand that it is NOT OKAY to come to an event unless you have a "Yes" RSVP. Event limits are done to ensure that everyone has a good outdoor experience .

    You cannot RSVP for more then 1 Trek per month as this gives a fair chance for everyone to participate. If sufficient slots are available then this rule may not apply always. If in doubt please check with the organiser of the particular meetup

    It is members responsibility to make sure your guests understand the rules, policies and expectations as described in this document.

    6.3 No Shows

    We have some members who just RSVP "Yes" for a meetup and never show up at the meetup. Such members who do not turn up are blocking a seat and are preventing and denying another member a good opportunity to participate

    Please respect the organizers time and efforts and cooperate. Do not do 'Yes' RSVP or change RSVP frequently or jump between different treks if you are not sure about attending. If you have a valid reason for not attending please inform the organizer 12 hours before the commencement of the trek and remove your RSVP.

    Organising Committee will take strict action against such members who do not show up after RSVPing 'Yes'.

    The Following Penalties will apply for No shows for all treks

    Ban on participation in further treks for 1 month for members who have 1 No show
    Ban on Participation in further treks for 3 months for members who have more then 2 No shows.
    Ban on Participation in further treks for 6 Months for members who have more then 3 No shows
    Permanent Ban for Members who have 4 No shows

    6.4 Blocking Seats
    Members who frequently RSVP Yes for every meetup and then make it to No just before the trek commences will be banned for 2 months as they block and prevent another member a chance to participate.

    Members who frequently Jump between treks will be banned for 2 months. Please RSVP Yes only and only if you are sure about attending. If you are in doubt then do not RSVP 'Yes'




    6.4. How to get on the wait list
    Since so many adventures have active wait lists with people who really, really, really want to come to the trek, please RSVP "Yes" only if you know you will attend it. Keep in mind that your "Yes" RSVP prevents other people from joining the event. If it's unlikely that you will be able to attend the event then RSVP NO or Get on the wait list, otherwise you will keep many of your friends from RSVPing Yes. Don't "hold" a spot if you're unsure. Use the wait list like everyone else. To RSVP for waitlist, please select RSVP "NO" and asked to be added to wait list in the comments.




    7. How To Carpool to a event
    If you are interested in sharing a ride, include your location and whether you are offering or looking for a ride in your RSVP for a particular hike. You will need to contact others who are interested in sharing a ride and make your own arrangements.




    8. How to Be a Popular with the Great Hyderabad Adventure Club
    Bring snacks to share on the treks. You have no idea how many new friends you will make by using this easy-to-remember formula.




    9. POSTING PHOTOS / VIDEOS

  • You can post your own picture on the profile and not other persons

  • You can post photos of a particular trek on the treks meetup album only, do not create a new album

  • Please avoid posting solo photos of yourself no matter how smart or horrible you look, only group photos and good photos of wild life, scenery, flora and fauna maybe be posted .

  • Please reduce the file and screen size of the photos, a photo of 100-200 KB and 1024x768 pixels is a good size, this will save storage and bandwidth while viewing the pictures

  • upload you videos and share the link in the meetup comment section

  • Please avoid posting inappropriate or obscene or vulgar pictures

    9.1 Photos and Video copyrights
    The club reserves the right to use and display all photos and videos taken on the trip organized by the club and uploaded on any of its websites or third party websites without prior permission from the participant.



    10. REFUNDS:
    Once you've paid for an event it is non-refundable (unless stated). This is because a lot of our events must be paid for in advance. We also base some pricing on group discounts and if people cancel last minute it hurts the entire group. You may however find someone to cover your spot provided they make arrangements for non transferable travel tickets or get new tickets themselves. If you do not show up for an event or are unable to locate the group it is considered no show and is not refundable. All Organizers will provide you with contact information and meeting locations to all events. Canceled Events will be fully refunded

    If you inform before hand earlier than 72 hours and we find a replacement we will refund you the entire amount minus 10 % or Rs 500 whichever is higher as fine ( for causing the trouble) this amount will be with the club and will be used for club expenses only. If no replacement is found then the refund will be 50 % only minus any cancellation charges and fines.

    If you backed out after a confirmed/guaranteed reservation but had not yet paid then payment is still due. If you have partly paid then remaining payment will still be due.

    There are no refunds for cancellation 48 hours or less before Departure and will be considered no show

    There are no refunds whatsoever for treks conducted in and around Hyderabad within the radius of 50 KM's

    All Refunds will be processed 1 week after completion of the trip




    11. Solicitation of Products and Services
    Using this portal/forum for any kind of solicitation of services or products is not allowed. If you want to promote product or services that are in line with outdoor activities, you can choose to sponsor the group, Organizers reserve the right to remove (without any notice whatsoever) any member from the portal/forum - if he/she is found in violation to this rule.

    Grievances

    Members must respect the authority of an organizer and the Executive Committee and follow any additional rules set up. The Executive Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, for any cause which could likely bring the club into disrepute. If any member has any grievance or concern, the same shall be brought to the attention of the Disciplinary Committee and the verdict of the Committee shall be accepted as final and binding.

    By Order of the
    Executive Committee

    Copyright @Great Hyderabad Adventure Club