Highlights of March, 2006 RUSA Board Meeting

Administration
-- Rules
-- RBAs
-- Records

ATTENDEES: Bill Bryant, John Lee Ellis, Robert Fry, Don Hamilton, Tracy Ingle, Lois Springsteen, Tim Sullivan, Mark Thomas, Jennifer Wise, Terry Zmrhal

1. New Events Approved for Portland, OR - populaires
2. Permanents Update (Robert Fry) - A fair amount of growth in available routes: 14 new routes so far in 2006 + 2 in queue.
3. Appeal Policy Revised (Article 16 in Rules for Riders) - Additional provisions establish a timeline for responding to an appeal, and the option in certain cases of appealing to the Board:

   Article 16 - If a penalty, disqualification, or other action is taken against or affecting a rider (an "appealable action"), then the rider may appeal in writing (including an e-mail) within 72 hours from being notified of the appealable action. The appeal will be to the Regional Brevet Administrator ("RBA"). If the RBA denies the appeal or if the rider does not receive a response from the RBA within 10 calendar days after submitting the appeal, the rider may appeal the appealable action to the Board of Directors of Randonneurs USA for a final decision. Upon receipt of the appeal, the Board of Directors will promptly contact the rider and the RBA and, if it deems necessary, will ask for any additional information. The Board of Directors will then render a decision in a timely fashion. A rider may directly submit any other question or complaint (other than an appealable action) to the Board of Directors.

4. Event Postponement Policy - revised as follows (see RBA Procedures):

   Changing an event date is usually not allowed, especially for ACP brevets. (RUSA brevets have a little more leeway if there is enough time beforehand.) Dangerous conditions such as icy roads or unsafe road construction detours are justifications to postpone: you may postpone an ACP or RUSA event up to a week for safety reasons. In any case, you should notify the Brevet Coordinator immediately to discuss your situation. Simply unpleasant conditions, such as strong winds or heavy rains, are not sufficient reasons to change the date for an Think carefully when selecting your event dates in the first place, so your events will not be unduly prone to seasonal hazards. event.

Submitted by John L. Ellis, RUSA Secretary