Outrigger Santa Cruz Code of Conduct

OSC Code of Conduct, August 2025Download

All Members

  1. Treat all OSC members and guests with respect, honesty, and fairness while involved in Club activities or representing OSC. You should show respect for:
    • Yourself and other Club members
    • Coaches, Program Leaders, Board Members, and Officers
    • The Club’s canoes, equipment, property, canoe site, and shed
    • The environment, the ocean, and marine life
    • The sport and culture of canoe paddling
    • Other non-OSC watercraft, property, and people in or on the water
  2. Participate in and support Club activities, based on your interests and availability. This includes volunteer opportunities such as Shared Adventures, beach clean-ups, and other volunteer activities, as OSC is a 501©(3) non-profit organization.
  3. Follow all Club policies as outlined on the OSC website. (Add hyperlink)
  4. Prioritize safety both on and off the water.
  5. Take care of the canoes. If canoes are damaged, the repairs are costly and take a long time, so please be especially careful when moving canoes to avoid any problems. For any incident where there was an injury or property damage no matter how minor, make sure that the steersperson or someone in the canoe fills out an incident report. If accidents, incidents, collisions, or bumping of canoes occur, or you notice any potential issues with a canoe, please inform the steersperson for your crew, a Coach/Program Leader, the Equipment Manager, or a Board member.
  6. Pay Club membership dues, canoe storage fees, and race fees on time.
  7. Any harassment is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. Harassment is a violation of California law, specifically California Code of Civil Procedure Section 527.6. Harassment is defined as “unlawful violence, a credible threat of violence, or a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person that seriously alarms, annoys, or harasses the person, and that serves no legitimate purpose.” Uninvited physical contact, as well as unsolicited and unwanted compliments (especially those of a sexual nature or about someone’s physical appearance) can be considered harassment.
  8. Anyone who becomes aware of a violation of the Code of Conduct or behavior that might be a potential violation is encouraged to report it to a Coach, Program Leader, or a member of the Board.

Paddlers

  1. Strive to achieve your personal best; work hard for your team and yourself.
  2. Treat all fellow paddlers as you would like to be treated.
  3. Accept feedback, instruction, and constructive criticism with an open mind and an attitude of wanting to improve your paddling skills. If you are frustrated with the instruction, please address this on land with a Coach or Program Leader.
  4. Keep the best interest of the Club, your team/program and your fellow paddlers before personal aspirations.
  5. If you have committed to a race, practice, or other paddling activity, you are expected to fulfill your commitment and arrive by the assigned time. If an emergency occurs and you need to cancel, you should inform the Coaches/Program Leaders as soon as possible.
  6. Do not impede Coaches and Program Leaders from performing their responsibilities by displaying disrespectful behavior or ignoring instructions. If you have a safety concern, please speak to a Coach, Program Leader, or the Safety Officer.
  7. Discuss any disagreements directly with your Coach or Program Leader in a constructive manner, one on one, and on land. If you have issues with another paddler, Coach, or Program Leader that remains unresolved, you should contact the Club President or the Board.
  8. Paddlers are expected to solve issues or disputes with a fellow paddler on land through direct and respectful communication, regardless of if the issue originated on water or on land. If it is a paddling issue, or you are unable to resolve it, you should approach a Coach or Program Leader for assistance.
  9. Recognize that the Board Members, Coaches and Program Leaders are all volunteers.
  10. Paddling while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is strictly prohibited.
  11. Paddlers must not engage in any form of violence while participating in any OSC activity.

Coaches and Program Leaders

  1. As leaders in the Club, in addition to following the Code of Conduct, also hold yourself to the highest standard of commitment to OSC and respect for other Club members, Coaches, Program Leaders, as well as the broader community.
  2. Treat each paddler with respect and dignity.
  3. Provide paddlers with advance notice of program expectations, practice schedule and crew selection criteria (if applicable, as some races are invitational).
  4. Be available to answer questions and promote an environment of open communication with all paddlers.
  5. Mediate conflicts between paddlers, as needed.
  6. Seek assistance or support from other Coaches, Program Leaders, or the Board, if needed.

Board Members

  1. In addition to following the Code of Conduct, as the representatives of the Club, hold yourself to the highest standard of commitment to OSC and respect for other Club/Board members, as well as the broader community.
  2. Be available to answer questions and promote an environment of open communication with all Club members.

Violations and Accountability

Club members will hopefully resolve issues and conflicts through respectful discussion on land (involving Coaches/Program Leaders as needed) and learn from such incidents to produce an even better Club. Any Club member may bring potential violations of the Code of Conduct to the Board (through a Coach, Program Leader, or Board member) and this will initiate the process of determining if a violation occurred, which will be led by the Conduct and Standards Committee. As the Club has a culture of accountability, violations of the Code of Conduct are grounds for disciplinary action, including:

  1. Warning: If a violation is observed or confirmed by a Coach or Program Leader, he/she may issue a warning, which will be documented by email and reported to the Board.
  2. Suspension: If a member commits several violations or a significant violation, the member may be suspended from all Club activities or the activities of a team or program. A Coach or Program Leader should immediately contact the Board if considering a suspension, and such a suspension can only be imposed if a majority of the Board supports it.
  3. Expulsion: After continued violations after a suspension or an especially serious violation, a member can be expelled from OSC, if a majority of the Board supports such action.