DC Weightlifting Club Code of Conduct
1. Background
This Code applies to all members of DC Weightlifting Club. The Code is intended to safeguard the positive training environment at the Club and to ensure that all members feel comfortable when training at the Club and interacting with other members on social media,
2. Definitions
The following definitions apply for the purposes of this Code:
Code means the DC Weightlifting Club Code of Conduct, encapsulated within this document.
Club refers both to the physical premises of DC Weightlifting Club, located at Petworth Fitness, 1240 Upshur St NW, Washington, DC 20011 and to the collective of coaches, members, and/or participants who engage in the sport of weightlifting under the name of DC Weightlifting in any capacity.
Committee means the DC Weightlifting Club Membership Committee, as it is constituted at the relevant time.
Committee Member means any ordinary member of the Committee.
Grievance means any type of problem, concern, dispute, or complaint relating to a potential breach of section 3 or 4 of this Code.
Member means any life member, coach and/or any fee-paying member of DC Weightlifting Club, including individuals who pay fees on a monthly basis, individuals who pay course fees, and individuals who have participated with the Club including as a visitor or drop-in.
Social Media means the ordinary definition of that term, including media examples such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Wikipedia, podcasts etc.
3. Club standards
3.1 Members must ensure that their conduct complies with the following standards while training in the Club, interacting with other Members and/or competing coaching or officiating at weightlifting events;
(a) Be respectful towards other Members.
(b) Be fair, considerate, and polite in dealing with other Members.
(c) Do not harass, threaten, intimidate, bully, or engage in physically or emotionally abusive conduct towards other Members.
(d) Refrain from any behavior that may bring DC Weightlifting Club into disrepute.
(e) Refrain from any behavior that may detract from the positive training environment at the Club and/or negatively impact another Member’s training.
(f) Refrain from engaging in behavior, including social media, which is inciteful of hatred towards another Member or towards any group based on their ethnicity, religion, sex, identifying gender, sexual preference, disability, language, civil status, age, national origin, social condition, mental ability, military status, choice of club or for any other reason incite attacks on an individual or group of individuals within the membership.
(g) Be a positive role model.
(f) Fulfill your commitment to the team annually as stated in your signed Membership Agreement.
4. Social Media standards
4.1 Members must comply with the Club standards outlined in section 3 of this Code when interacting with other Members on Social Media and/or representing the Club on Social Media.
4.2 When using Social Media, a Member must not:
(a) Make posts that are abusive, threatening, or deemed to be bullying in relation to any other Member.
(b) Abuse or harass other Members or participants of the sport.
(c) Impersonate or falsely represent any other Member.
(d) Post inaccurate or misleading or deceptive content in relation to DC Weightlifting Club.
(e) Make defamatory comments in relation to other Members of DC Weightlifting Club.
5. Grievances
5.1 Lodging a grievance
(a) Any Member may lodge a Grievance.
(b) Members may lodge Grievances by communicating them to a Committee Member orally or in writing.
(c) Members must communicate the following matters when lodging a Grievance:
(1) A description of the incident(s) or behavior in question;
(2) The time and date of the incident(s), if applicable; and
(3) The names of any witness, if applicable.
5.2 Responsibility
(a) The Committee is responsible for appropriately dealing with Grievances lodged by Members.
(b) Notwithstanding the contents of this Code, the Committee has overall decision-making power in relation to the validity of a Grievance and the appropriate means of responding. In certain circumstances, the Committee may depart from the requirements of this Code if it is appropriate in the circumstances.
(c) The Committee may modify this Code from time to time, as required based on the needs of DC Weightlifting Club.
5.3 Grievance process
(a) Each Grievance will be considered by the Committee, so as to determine its validity and whether any formal response is required.
(b) In general, the following process will be implemented in response to a Grievance that the Committee determines requires a formal response:
(1) Initially, the Grievance will be dealt with via an informal meeting between at least two Committee Members and the complained of Member. This informal meeting will involve a discussion of:
(A) the Grievance lodged;
(B) the impact on other Members; and
(C) the desired action/change in response.
(2) If a finding is logged, and the complained of actions, behavior, etc. persists after the informal meeting, the Member will be involved in a formal meeting with the Committee. This meeting will involve a discussion of:
(A) the Grievance lodged;
(B) the impact on other Members;
(C) the desired action/change in response; and
(D) the potential consequences if the complained of actions, behavior, etc. persists.
(3) If the complained of actions, behavior, etc. continue to persist after the formal meeting, the Committee will determine appropriate penalties to be implemented in response.
(c) Penalties may include:
(1) written apologies to other Members;
(2) temporary suspension of membership; and
(3) permanent termination of membership