GUIDE TO WRITING PROPOSALS FOR LAYOUT IMPROVEMENTS
Flagstaff Model Railroad Club
(Adopted March 5, 2002)

INTRODUCTION. The purpose of writing a proposal is to clearly state the goals, costs, and methods associated with your potential club project. Any type of alteration to the club layout, including benchwork, rolling stock, scenery, structures, track plan and wiring, must be approved by the Board of Directors and by the Club as a whole before any changes can be made. Any funds awarded for a project must be spent during the fiscal year for which the proposal was approved. The type and scope of club projects can vary widely, from simple purchases of rolling stock to entirely rebuilding one part of the layout. Thus, some proposals will be much more detailed than others. Finally, any type of maintenance to the layout does not require a proposal. Maintenance is defined as any type of repairs or restoration of existing layout conditions. If such maintenance is required, simply approve this work verbally with one or more Board members. If the maintenance project is substantial, the board member may decide to inform the entire club membership in advance.
PROCEDURE FOR CREATING and ACCEPTING PROPOSALS
1. Discussion Stage: One or more club members may discuss a potential project on their own at any time. The project leader (responsible for submitting the proposal and heading the project) will investigate potential costs, feasibility, and justification for the project. This is the best opportunity to discuss ideas with other club members prior to writing a proposal. Discussion with peers is important so that project plans can be modified with the interests of the club in mind. After discussion with other club members and investigation of potential monetary costs, it is time to complete the Club's official Project Proposal Form. (forms available at the club building.)
2. Proposal Submission: Proposals may be submitted to members of the Board of Directors at any time of the year. However, proposals submitted before the stated annual deadline will have the best chance of being funded for the upcoming fiscal year. The project leader will complete a Project Proposal Form that is suitable to the scope of the potential project. Prior to the annual deadline for submissions (usually the last Tuesday of September), the project leader will submit the proposal to the Board of Directors for consideration. The Board will collect proposals up through the day of the annual deadline and review all proposals as stated below.
3. Proposal Review: The Board of Directors will evaluate all submitted proposals soon after the annual deadline has passed. A special meeting of the Board may be called specifically to review proposals, depending on how many proposals require review. Before any decision about funding is made, the Board will first vote to accept or reject the concept of each proposal separately, regardless of its potential cost. The board will have three options in their review: 1) Accept the proposal as written, 2) Accept the proposal with specific conditions that must be met, and 3) Reject the proposal outright. For those proposals accepted, the Board will decide the amount of funding for each proposal, based on the total amount of club funds already budgeted for club projects. This process may be completed in any way the Board chooses (such as a ranking of priority), though it is the Board's responsibility to distribute funds for projects as equitably and fairly as possible. Occasionally it may be necessary to award only a portion of the funding requested for a project, in which case the project leader is responsible for securing additional funds or cutting costs. In a case where a board member is submitting a proposal as project leader, the board member will not be allowed to vote with the other board members for that specific proposal. In the case of a tie vote among the remaining board members, the Trainmaster shall cast the tie-breaking vote. Should the proposal be that of the Trainmaster, then the President shall cast the tie-breaking vote.
4. Final Club Vote: Members of the Board will present all accepted proposals to the rest of the club membership at a scheduled club meeting. By this time, the Board should have posted the accepted proposals and the funding awarded for each, so that club members can review the proposals. The regular club membership will then be given an opportunity to vote "yes" or "no" for each of the proposed projects. A majority vote of the club membership, including the board members, is required to officially accept a proposal. Upon acceptance by the Club, at least one member of the Board of Directors must sign and date the proposal to acknowledge final approval. The proposal is then filed for the records.
5. Implementation of Project and Compensation of Funds: The project may begin at any time following final Club approval. The project leader or another designated individual is responsible for purchasing approved materials and then submitting all valid receipts to the Treasurer for compensation. The Treasurer will make every effort necessary to compensate that individual no later than one month after the receipts have been submitted.