BCHI Governance System
This site contains the official BCHI Bylaws, Rules of Operation, Policies Manual, Procedures Manual, and Forms Library.
Flow: Bylaws → Rules → Policies → Procedures → Forms
Introduction to BCHI Governing Documents
Back Country Horsemen of Idaho uses several different “books” because not all decisions are the same.
Some documents define who we are.- Some explain how we make decisions.
- Some show how to do everyday tasks.
- Some provide forms to record what happened.
- And the website ties it all together.
Each one has a different purpose.
Each “book” has a different reader and a different job. None of them overlap if done correctly.
Together, they create a complete system that keeps BCHI organized, legal, safe, and consistent statewide.
This shows you who may need to use which book:
| Book | Primary Audiance |
|---|---|
| Bylaws | Board, Officers, Legal |
| Rules of Operation | Directors & Delegates |
| Policies | Leadership + Members |
| Procedures | Officers & Chairs |
| Forms | Everyone |
Here’s what each one does-
📘 Bylaws (The Constitution)
What they are:
The Bylaws are the foundation of the organization.
They define:
- The name of the organization
- Officers and directors
- Membership structure
- Voting rules
- How amendments happen
What they accomplish:
They establish BCHI as a legal nonprofit organization and define its basic structure.
Think of them as:
The skeleton of BCHI.
They rarely change and only deal with big structural issues.
📗 Book of Rules (Rules of Operation)
What it is:
This explains how governance works in practice.
It covers things like:
- How meetings are run
- Officer duties
- Financial controls
- How elections work
- Officer duties
- How meetings are run
- How elections work
- Delegate procedures
- What it accomplishes:
It turns the Bylaws into workable day-to-day governance.
Think of it as:
The operating instructions for leadership.
📙 Book of Policies
What it is:
This sets the organization’s standards and expectations.
It includes:
- Code of Conduct
- Safety rules
- Risk management
- Animal welfare
- Financial responsibility
- Member discipline
- Non-discrimination
What it accomplishes:
It protects:
- Members
- Officers
- Volunteers
- The organization
- Public land access
- Insurance coverage
Think of it as:
The guardrails that keep BCHI safe and compliant.
📕 Book of Procedures
What it is:
This is the “how-to” manual.
It gives step-by-step instructions for common tasks like:
- Running meetings
- Filing incident reports
- Tracking volunteer hours
- Handling complaints
- Conducting elections
What it accomplishes:
It makes sure everyone does things the same way, even when leadership changes.
Think of it as:
The instruction manual for getting work done.
📂 Book of Forms
What it is:
This is a collection of official documents used to record activities.
Examples:
- Incident Report
- Volunteer Hours
- Waivers
- Complaints
- Appeals
- Mission reviews
What it accomplishes:
Forms create written records for:
- Insurance
- Legal protection
- Accountability
- Historical tracking
Think of it as:
The paper trail that proves what happened.
🌐 The Website
These are usually individual PDFs, not printed in binders.
What it is:
The website is the public front door and the member access point.
It holds:
- The latest documents
- Downloadable forms
- Instructions
- Training material
- Contact information
What it accomplishes:
It makes everything accessible and keeps everyone working from the same current version.
Think of it as:
The central hub that connects all the books together.
How They All Fit Together
They work like this:
- Bylaws → define the organization
- Rules of Operation → explain how leaders govern
- Policies → set safety and conduct standards
- Procedures → explain how tasks are performed
- Forms → document what actually happened
- Website → distributes everything
Each layer supports the next.
None of them work alone.
Simple Summary:
- Bylaws = Structure
- Rules = Governance
- Policies = Standards
- Procedures = How-To
- Forms = Records
- Website = Access
Together, they create a complete system that lets BCHI operate legally, safely, and consistently.
Bylaws → Rules → Policies → Procedures → Forms
all connect — with the Website as the hub.