OutingClub:Gear:Gear Lending Policy

Dickinson College Outing Club Interim Gear Policy

At this point, the club is in the process of updating and formalizing our gear checkout policy. Until this review process is complete, gear checkout will be conducted in accordance with the following policy. The gear check-out policy below is organized in question and answer format for clarity. Please be sure to read each question and answer in its entirety. If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact the Gear Guru's or the Club President.

Who can borrow outing club equipment?

Outing club equipment will be lent to the following classes of individuals and organizations in the following order of precedence.

1. Leaders and Participants in Outing Club Sponsored Events
2. Other Dickinson College student clubs and organizations who officially request to borrow equipment
3. Dickinson College departments and/or classes who officially request to borrow equipment
4. Individual Active (see description below for what constitutes an active club member) Dickinson College Outing Club members who officially request to borrow equipment.

What is the procedure for officially requesting to borrow outing club equipment?

In order to officially request equipment from the club you must

1. Contact one of the club Gear Guru's no later than one outing club meeting prior to when you would like to borrow the gear. You may contact the Gear Guru via e-mail or phone prior to the meeting or come to the meeting and request gear there, but you must make your request no later than the meeting prior to the date you wish to borrow equipment. At this meeting, the club members will discuss gear requests and make decisions about what gear is needed for club trips and what can be lent out, so we need to have your requests prior to the meeting.
2. Arrange with the Gear Gurus (at the meeting or via e-mail) a time to check out the equipment from the outing club gear closet in the basedment of Goodyear Hall. While the Gear Gurus may make exceptions, you should generally plan to check out the gear you will borrow immediately following an outing club meeting.

What will happen when I check out equipment from the club?

Typically, after the outing club meeting, one of the Gear Gurus will go with those people who need to borrow club equipment to the outing club closet in the basement of Goodyear Hall. When you get to the closet, you should be prepared with a written list of the equipment you plan to borrow. The following proceedures will be followed when gear is checked out after club meetings and/or in the unusual case that you have arranged with a Gear Guru to borrow club equipment.

Checkout Proceedures

1. The Gear Guru will check-in gear from the previous weeks trips
2. The Gear Guru will check-out gear to individuals in the order of precedence listed above
3. The Gear Guru will keep a detailed list of what equipment is borrowed by each individual. The individual and organization requesting gear will both be held responsible for the return of gear in clean, dry, and undamaged condition.
4. The Gear Guru will record a list of the equipment checked out by each individual on the club webpage under Gear Checkout.

ATTENTION: When you check out gear, you agree to take financial responsibility for that equipment. If any equipment you check out is not returned or is returned damaged, you are financially responsible for the new replacement cost of that equipment.

When/How should I return borrowed gear to the club?

Typcially, all borrowed club equipment will be returned to the club closet one week after it was checked out. In order for an individual and/or organization to remain in good standing as an equipment borrower from the outing club, the individual and/or organization must:

1. Return all borrowed equipment to the outing club equipment closet during equipment checkin, immediately following the meeting after which the gear was origianlly borrowed.
2. Return all borrowed equipment in clean, dry, undamaged condition

For example, if I arrange to borrow a backpack, tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad for a camping trip during gear check-out on Monday, September 10. I must return all four items in clean, dry and undamaged condition at the gear check-in immediately following the Monday, September 17 Outing Club meeting.

ATTENTION: When you check out gear, you agree to take financial responsibility for that equipment. If any equipment you check out is not returned or is returned damaged, you are financially responsible for the new replacement cost of that equipment.

Who is considered and Active club member for the purposes of borrowing outing club equipment as an individual?

In order for an individual club member to be eligible to borrow club equipment, she/he must have already met at least one of the following service requirements.

• Have served as the primary leader/coordinator for at least one outing club trip/event that was open to all club members.
• Have served as a secondary leader, co-leader, or co-coordinator for at least two outing club trip/event that was open to all club members.
• Have served as an officer in the club.

I can't make the club meeting. I don't have time to go through the gear checkout. I don't have time to clean the gear after I use it. I don't have anyplace to clean and/or dry the gear before returning it. I can't follow the above proceedures for [insert excuse here]. What should I do?

While exceptions will occasionally be made when there are extenuating circumstances, you should not expect the Gear Gurus, club members, or club officers to make these exceptions for you. The management of club gear can become very time consuming especially when the above rules are not followed. Thus, if you don't believe you can meet the above obligations regarding the organized check-out of gear or the timely return of gear, you probably should not put yourself in the position of borrowing gear.

Regarding the difficulty of cleaning and drying gear. We know that it can be difficult to do this due to the restrictions of residence hall life. That said, if you don't return your gear in a clean and dry condition, someone else will have to take the time to clean it. Forcing someone else to clean up after you is unfair and unacceptabe. In addition, if you are borrowing outdoor gear, you are planning to head into the outdoors and as such should be a reasonably resourceful person. We expect those exceptional individuals who choose to borrow club gear to bring their resources to bear when figuring out how to return the gear in a clean, dry, undamaged condition. Remember, any damaged or lost gear will be the financial responsibility of the party who checks out that gear.

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