of Clearwater/Clearwater Beach, Florida
SICK CHILDREN: Please be considerate and keep sick children at home. This includes any of the following symptoms: fever, persistent cough, yellow or green runny nose, overly fussy, rashes, vomiting or diarrhea (must be free of diarrhea for at least 24 hours) and anything out of the ordinary. The officers may turn a mother away from a meeting or activity if she brings a sick child. Allowing sick children to attend only passes the illness to the other children and mothers.
DISRUPTIVE CHILDREN: If a child is disruptive or needs to be disciplined, please bring it to the attention of the mother. Remember that there is no one right way to raise a child. Some mothers may keep an extremely close eye on their children, intervening whenever two children have a disagreement. Other mothers believe in letting children work out their differences unless life and limb are threatened. Each method is valid, just different, and conflicts between the two styles should be worked out as amicably as possible. Ultimately, if a disruptive child needs to be removed from an activity, an officer may ask the mother to do so.
BRINGING GUESTS TO ACTIVITIES: If a mother wishes to bring any child other than her own child to any MOMS Club activity, she must have the following items signed by the child's parents and on file with the chapter before the child attends any MOMS Club activities:
1. A permission statement; 2. A liability waiver; 3. And a medical release authorizing emergency medical care.
SELLING FROM HOME-BASED BUSINESSES: There is a blanket rule that no member may sell, from a home-based or other business, at any MOMS Club function. Members may make a one-time announcement at a meeting or in the newsletter when she starts her business and/or may always purchase advertising within the newsletter.
GENERAL PLAYGROUP INFORMATION: According to the MOMS Club manual playgroups are activity groups where moms get together with other moms who have children the same age. Playgroup guidelines:
1. Playgroups must be open to all members. They are not open to non-
members. The MOMS Club prefers you not bring an older child to a
younger group, but you can bring a younger child to an older group.
2. Playgroups can be any size. We can divide the groups along whatever
ages as we deem appropriate. The only requirement is that we provide
"age appropriate" playgroups. Six to eight members is a general guideline,
this allows the playgroups to remain social and functional without
becoming overwhelming both for the mother and the child.
3. Any changes in playgroups must be brought before the board and then
voted on at a general meeting. The Playgroup coordinator is the liaison
between the board and playgroups.
4. Playgroups can meet on any day of the week as long as the meeting does
not fall on a day that has a group activity. Please contact us for
playgroup schedules.
5. The playgroups must still follow the MOMS Club bylaws. For instance,
the group cannot ban children at their sessions and they should meet during
the day just like any other club activity.
Playgroup listings
MEMBERSHIPS: Memberships in one chapter are only transferable to another chapter is a mother is a member of a large group that is forming sister groups within its original territory. In that case, the mother's membership will be transferred either to the sister group she chooses or to the one that is geographically appropriate. If a mother moves from one area to another, however, her membership in a local MOMS Club is not automatically transferred to a chapter in her new area. Since her dues stay with the chapter she moved away from, she will have to join the new chapter and pay dues to that chapter.
