Bylaws
of the North Allegheny Soccer Club
Article I: Name
Article II: Purpose
Article III: Club Membership
Article IV: Board Membership and Composition
Article V: Duties of Board Members
Article VI: Executive Committee
Article VII: Board Meetings
Article VIII: Committees
Article IX: Financial Considerations
Article X: Member Conduct
Article XI: Financial Considerations
Article XII: In-House Program
Article XIII: Travel Program
Article XIV: Classic League Program
Article XV: Limitation of Liability
Article XVI: Relation to Other Organizations
Article XVII: Amendment of Bylaws
Article XVIII: Parliamentary Authority
Article I: Name
1.
The name of this Club shall be the North Allegheny Soccer Club, Inc.
2.
The Club shall be a non-profit organization.
Article II: Purpose
1.
The purpose of this Club shall be to develop soccer as a lifetime activity
for youth and adult residents of the North Allegheny school district.
2.
The Club shall be based on values recognizing that all members deserve
to be treated with respect and that the reason for the existence of the
Club is to provide a service to the youths of the community.
Article III: Club Membership
1.
The Club shall be based on a fiscal year from July 1 to June 30 of the
following year.
2.
Membership in this Club is conferred upon all parents or legal guardians
of registered players during a fiscal year.
3.
Membership in this Club is also conferred on persons (over the age of 18)
who serve as coaches or referees for the Club during a fiscal year.
Article IV: Board Membership and Composition
Section 1: Regular Members
1. Regular
Members of the Board shall include the following positions:
a. President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Registrar, Director of Policies and Procedures, Travel Program Directors
(3 positions), In-House program Directors (7 positions), Director of Coaching,
Director of Referees, Director of Field Acquisition, Director of Field
Maintenance, Director of Equipment, Director of Community Relations, Director
of Fund Raising, and Past President.
b. The Directors of Travel Programs shall comprise
the following positions as (i) Director of Boys Under-12 Program, (ii)
Director of Boys Over-13 Programs, and (iii) Director of Girls Program.
c. The Directors of In-House Programs shall comprise
the following positions: In-House Program Directors, Under-8 (2 positions),
Under- 10 (2 positions), Under-12 Boys, Under-10 Girls and Under-12 Girls.
2.
Regular Members shall have the privilege of voting.
3.
No person on the Board shall be permitted more than one vote.
4.
At least three-fourths of the regular Members of the Board shall be Club
members.
5.
If a Board position specified in item 1 above is filled by a consultant
that person shall be a non-voting member.
Section 2: Associate Members
1.
The Club shall appoint as necessary individuals to serve as Associate Board
members to assist the Club in completing its mission.
2.
Associate Board Members shall not have voting privileges.
Section 3: Nomination and Election of Members
1.
The Nominating Committee shall be a standing Committee consisting of three
members of the Board. The members of this committee shall be appointed
by the President. The Chair shall be a regular Member of the Board.
2.
The Nominating committee shall solicit public requests for nominations
for those Board positions specified in Article IV, Section 1 at least 45
days before the Annual meeting.
3.
The Nominating Committee shall be responsible to identify appropriate candidates
for Board positions in accordance with Club policies and procedures.
4.
For those Board positions that are unfilled by the Nominating Committee,
nominations from the floor shall be permitted at the Annual meeting.
5.
Election shall be by a majority vote of the Club members present at the
Annual meeting.
6.
Regular members of the Board shall be elected to serve for one year or
until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin
at the close of the Annual meeting in which they are elected.
7.
The President shall be required to have been a Board member for the year
preceding the election.
8.
No member shall hold more than one office at a time.
9.
The Board positions of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary
shall be limited to two consecutive terms unless a candidate is not nominated
for those positions.
Section 4: Vacancies
1.
A vacancy occurring in any regular Board position shall be filled for the
unexpired term by a person elected by a majority of the remaining regular
Members of the Board, subject to recommendation of the Nominating Committee.
2.
If the office of President becomes vacant it shall be filled by the Vice-President.
Section 5: Functional Composition
1. For organizational purposes the Board
shall be divided into the following functional groups:
a. President
b. In-House Program, comprising Under-8,
Under-10, Under-12 Boys, Under-10 Girls, Under-12 Girls, and In-House Program
Directors.
c. Travel Program, comprising Boys Under-12
Director and Boys Over-13 Director, and the Director of Girls Travel Programs.
d. Support Program, comprising Director of
Coaching, Director of Referees, Director of Equipment, Director of Field
Acquisition, Director of Field Maintenance, and Vice-President.
e. Administrative Program, comprising Director
of Fund Raising, Past President, Director of Policies and Procedures, Director
of Public Relations, Secretary, Registrar, and Treasurer.
Article V: Duties of Board Members
Section 1: Duties of All Board Members
1.
All Board members shall perform the duties prescribed in these Bylaws and
policies and procedures that the Club may approve.
Section 2: Specific Duties
1.
The President shall be the chief officer of the Club and direct Club activities,
shall Preside at meetings, shall make an annual report to the Club at its
Annual meeting, shall sign all written contracts, obligations or instruments
of the Club, and perform other such duties as specified in these Bylaws
and any policies and procedures the Club may develop.
2.
The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence,
co- ordinate the Club calendar, assign fields for practice and games, and
coordinate activities for Club teams attending the PA West Open tournament.
3.
The Secretary shall obtain locations for meetings, record and distribute
minutes of meetings, and maintain an archive of Club documents.
4.
The Treasurer shall be the custodian of Club funds, shall issue all checks
on be- half of the Club, and shall provide an accounting of Club finances
at each regular meeting of the Board. The Treasurer shall also assist other
Club members in the development of the Club's budget.
5.
The Registrar shall be responsible for the organization and implementation
of processes to register players for the Club and shall provide the Club
with statistics concerning the number of players registered.
6.
The Director of Policies and Procedures shall be responsible for the development
of Club policies and procedure documents that describe the operation of
the Club. This person shall also serve as Club parliamentarian.
7.
The In-House Program Directors shall be responsible for the overall coordination
of all In-House activities of the Clubs, and shall provide guidance and
assistance to the In-House Age Group Directors.
8.
The Directors of In-House program shall be responsible for the coordination
of players in their specific Age-Group. This shall include assignment of
players to teams, selection of coaches, and development of schedules.
9.
The Directors of Travel Programs shall be responsible for the implementation
of Club policies and procedures regarding the Travel Program. This shall
include selection of teams and coaches. The Boys Under-12 director shall
be responsible for all teams in all divisions for players in Under-10,
Under-11 and Under-12 age groups. The Over-13 Director shall be responsible
for all teams in all divisions for players in Under-13 and older age groups.
Travel Directors shall also be responsible for activities associated with
Cup teams in their respective age groups.
10.
The Director of Coaching shall be responsible for the overall coordination
of Club coaches at all Age-Groups, including development of training, conducting
courses and clinics, and to assist in the selection of travel and Cup teams
that the Club may sponsor.
11.
The Director of Referees shall be responsible for the development and coordination
of the referee program. This includes certification and recertification
for referees, assignment of referees to matches, and participating in the
development of any program that seeks to assess Club referees.
12.
The Director of Field Acquisition shall be responsible for the coordination
of activities related to the long-term planning of fields acquisition.
This may include, identification of candidate sites, obtaining financial
estimates necessary for the acquisition of fields, and interacting with
those persons or agencies that may be able to provide such fields for Club
use.
13.
The Director of Field Maintenance shall be responsible for the development
of and implementation of plans necessary to maintain Club fields in proper
working order.
14.
The Director of Equipment shall be responsible for maintaining the inventory
of equipment necessary for the Club. This may include player jerseys and
equipment for fields, such as goals and nets, as well as ordering such
material from a vendor.
15.
The Director of Community Relations shall be responsible for the dissemination
of information concerning the Club to the community as a whole. This may
include the publishing of a Club Newsletter, developing articles for use
by local news media, announcements concerning Club registrations and tryouts,
and helping to promote the image and value of the Club to the community.
16.
The Director of Fund Raising shall be responsible for those activities
that are related to securing funding for the Club through means other than
player registration fees.
Article VI: Executive Committee
Section 1: Purpose
1.
The purpose of the Executive Board shall be to coordinate the operation
of the Board, provide vision for the future development of the Club. and
to act on issues of a timely nature.
2.
The Executive Committee shall have supervision of the affairs of the Club
between Board meetings; make recommendations to the Board; and shall perform
other such duties as specified in these Bylaws and approved policies and
procedures.
Section 2: Members
1.
The voting members of the Executive Committee shall include the following:
a. President, who serves as Chair of the
Executive Committee
b. One member from the In-House Program,
specified in Article IV, Section 5.
c. One member from the Travel Program, specified
in Article IV, Section 5.
d. One member from the Support Program, specified
in Article IV, Section 5.
e. One member from the Administrative Program,
specified in Article IV, Section 5.
f. Three At-Large Members.
2.
One of the members of the Executive Committee shall serve as Secretary.
Section 3: Election
1.
The Executive Committee shall be formed in the meeting following the Annual
meeting of the Club.
2.
The positions representing the In-House, Travel, Support, and Administrative
Programs shall be chosen by the members of those programs, respectively.
In the event of a tie, it shall be resolved through a majority vote of
the regular members of the Board.
3.
Election of At-Large positions shall be by a majority of the regular members
of the Board.
4.
No member of the Executive Committee shall be permitted to occupy more
than one position.
5.
In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Committee, the President shall
appoint a regular member of the Board to serve the remainder of the term.
Section 4: Meetings
1.
The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly.
2.
Minutes of the Executive Committee shall be distributed to all regular
Members of the Board.
3.
A member of the Executive Committee shall be permitted to appoint a designated
alternate for attendance at meetings.
4.
A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a
quo- rum.
Section 5: Limitations
1.
1. The maximum amount of funding that may be authorized at a meeting of
the Executive Committee shall be $4000.00.
Article VII: Board Meetings
1.
The Board shall meet at least eight times during the fiscal year on dates
to be determined by the Executive Committee.
2.
The regular meeting on the first Monday of the month of November shall
be known as the Annual meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing
officers of the Club, reporting on the progress of the past year, and any
other business.
3.
Special meetings may be called by the President, the Executive Committee,
or upon written request of ten regular members of the Board. The purpose
of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency,
at least three days notice shall be given.
4.
A majority of the regular Members of the Board shall constitute a quorum,
subject to the following conditions:
a. The Past President shall not be counted when determining the quorum,
and
b. Any Board positions that are vacant shall not be counted when
determining the quorum.
Article VIII: Committees
Section 1: Standing Committees
1.
The Strategic Planning Committee shall be responsible for the development,
overall coordination, and monitoring the implementation of the Club strategic
plan. The Chair of this committee shall be a regular Board Member, appointed
by the President. Three other Board members, appointed by the President,
shall also serve on this Committee. The Committee shall provide a yearly
status report regarding its work.
2.
The Scholarship Committee shall be responsible for the identification of
a worthy individual, one male and one female per year, who best exemplifies
the mission of the Club. The Committee shall be chaired by a regular member
of the Board, and shall have at least three members appointed by the President.
3.
The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the
Nominating committee.
Section 2: Special Committees
1.
The President may define special committees as needed to carry out operations
on behalf of the Club. Such committees shall have a charter and shall produce
a report summarizing their work.
2.
The Chair of any
special committee shall be a regular Member of the Board, appointed
by the President.
3.
The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees.
Article IX: Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
Section 1: Definitions
1.
A policy is a statement of intent that has been approved by a majority
of the regular Board members at a Board meeting.
2.
A procedure is a document that specifies the implementation of a policy.
A procedure is an approved procedure it has been approved by a majority
of the regular Board members at a Board meeting.
3.
A guideline is a document describing recommended practices to carry out
the mission of the Club. A guideline is an approved guideline is it has
been approved by the majority of the regular members at a Board meeting.
Section 2: Development of Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines
1.
The Club shall develop policies, procedures, and guidelines as necessary
to carry out its mission.
2.
Policies, procedures and guidelines may be approved by the Club through
a majority vote at a Board meeting.
3.
All documents associated with policies, procedures, and guidelines shall
clearly indicate the type of document (policy, procedure or guideline)
and whether or not it has been approved by the Board.
4.
The President, Secretary, and Director shall be responsible to maintain
current copies of all procedures and guidelines.
5.
No policy, procedure, or guideline shall contradict these Bylaws.
Article X: Member Conduct
Section 1: Codes of Conduct
1.
The Club shall establish Codes of Conduct for Players, Coaches and Parents.
2.
All registered coaches of Club teams shall be required to sign the Coaches
Code of Conduct.
Section 2: Disciplinary Measures
1. The Board reserves the right
to censure, suspend, or remove members of the Board. Grounds for such actions
shall include, but are not limited to: failure to comply with the Bylaws,
approved policies and procedures; failure to adequately carry out the prescribed
duties of office; mismanagement; or failure to adhere to member Code of
Conduct.
2. The Executive Committee
shall be responsible for disciplinary actions regarding Club members, subject
to the following:
a. The Executive Committee shall have the right to censure or suspend a
Club member.
b. At its discretion the Executive Committee may notify Board Members of
its disposition.
c. If the Executive Committee recommends a Club member be removed, such
action shall be a required agenda item, and require a two-thirds vote of
the regular Members of the Board at a Board meeting.
3. A member of the Board
or Club shall have the right to appeal a disciplinary action of the Executive
Committee. Such an appeal shall be presented in writing and distributed
to all regular Members of the Board. The appeal shall be decided by a majority
vote of the regular Members of the Board at a Board meeting.
4. A member expelled from
the Club may be reinstated provided:
a. written request is submitted to all Board members at least 30 days prior
to the Board meeting at which the action is requested, and
b. a three-fourths majority of the regular Members of the Board shall be
necessary to reinstate the individual.
Article XI: Financial Considerations
Section 1: Fees
1.
The Club shall develop a fee structure that is commensurate with the level
of play.
2.
The Club reserves the right to impose a late fee for registrations received
after a specified date.
Section 2: Budget
1.
The Executive Committee, in conjunction with other Board Members, shall
develop a budget for each playing season.
2.
The budget shall be submitted in writing for approval of the Board.
Section 3: Disbursement
1.
The Board and/or Executive Committee shall authorize such expenses as necessary
to carry out the mission of the Club.
2.
All Board members are authorized reimbursement of expenses not to exceed
$200.00 per playing season, provided a written receipt and a reason for
the expenses are provided to the Treasurer. Expenses in the range of $250.01
to $500.00 by an individual Board member shall require prior approval of
the Executive Committee. Expenses greater than $500.01 by an individual
Board member shall require approval of the regular Members of the Board
at a Board meeting.
3.
The Club shall authorize reimbursement of fees for an approved licensing
course for coaches. Reimbursement shall be made after the candidate (i)
demonstrates successful completion of the course, and (ii) has completed
one season of coaching either as a head coach or assistant coach.
4.
The Club shall authorize reimbursement of fees associated with an approved
course for referee certification or recertification. Reimbursement shall
be made after the candidate (i) demonstrates successful completion of the
course, and (ii) has refereed in at least 6 matches during the season following
completion of the course.
Section 4: Withdrawal of Funds of Account
1.
Checks and withdraw slips executed in the name of the Club may be drawn
over the signature of the Treasurer alone. The Treasurer may delegate this
authority to two other Board Members, one of whom shall be a member of
the Executive Committee. In such cases joint signature are required.
2.
Checks drawn in an amount greater than $5000.00 shall require two signatures.
Article XII: In-House Program
Section 1: Purpose
1.
The purpose of the In-House program is to provide players an opportunity
to enjoy soccer on a noncompetitive basis.
Section 2: Team Composition
1.
All members of In-house teams shall be registered with the Club.
2.
Requests for players to play in a higher level age group shall be submitted
in writing by the parent or legal guardian of the player.
Section 3: Team Formation
1.
Assignment of players to teams shall be based on the following criteria:
school attended, neighborhood, carpool requests.
Section 4: Selection of Coaches
1.
Selection of Coaches for In-House teams shall be the responsibility of
the appropriate Age-Group Director.
Article XIII: Travel Program
Section 1: Purpose
1.
The purpose of the Club Travel Program is to provide opportunities for
Club players to participate in travel programs sponsored by PA West.
Section 2: Team Composition
1.
All members of a travel team shall be registered with the Club.
2.
Requests for players to play in a higher level age group shall be submitted
in writing by the parent or legal guardian of the player.
3.
Players from other districts, outside the North Allegheny School district,
shall be permitted to play for Club travel teams, provided such districts
do not have enough players to field a travel team.
Section 3: Team Formation
1.
Travel teams shall be formed for a period of one year, beginning with the
Fall season.
2.
All players shall be required to try out for a travel team in order to
be placed on a travel team. In cases where the Club does not offer an In-House
program it is not required for a player to attend a tryout.
3.
The Club shall define policies and procedures that are used to evaluate
players for travel teams.
4.
Unless warranted by extenuating circumstances, the selection of travel
teams shall place higher rated players on higher rated teams.
5.
A regular tryout shall be held for the travel program prior to the Fall
season, or if a new team is formed in the Spring season, subject to the
following:
a. The date of the tryout shall be publicly advertised in appropriate
media at least 10 days before the tryout.
b. If a coach has been identified, that person shall not be permitted
to evaluate players at the tryout. However, the coach may provide recommendations
regarding the formation of the team.
6.
A supplemental tryout shall be held in the event that a previously created
travel team has openings for additional players, subject to the following
a. Players invited to the supplemental tryout
may be based on a public announcement, or invitation of the coach, or appropriate
travel director.
b. If there is a lower ranked team(s) (as
specified in Section 5 of this Article), than the one for which the tryout
is held, members of the lower ranked team(s) shall be invited to the tryout.
c. The coach may be permitted to evaluate
players.
Section 4: Selection of Coaches
1.
Selection of coaches for travel teams shall be the responsibility of the
appropriate Director of Travel Programs, and the Director of Coaching.
Selection shall be based on policies approved by the Club.
Section 5: Ranking of Travel Teams
1.
Teams in a higher division of play shall be ranked higher than teams in
a lower division of play.
2.
Where there is more than one team in the same division, the teams shall
be ranked by the appropriate Director of Travel programs and the Director
of Coaching.
Section 6: Tournaments
1.
The Club shall reimburse the registration cost for a team to attend the
PA West Open Tournament.
2.
The Club will provide patches for two tournaments per team per year.
3.
All other tournament expenses shall be the responsibility of the team.
Article XIV: Classic League Program
Section 1: Purpose
1.
The purpose of a Club-sponsored Classic League team is to provide an opportunity
for Club players to participate within the Classic League Program administered
by PA West.
Section 2: Team composition
1.
All members of a Classic League team shall be registered members of the
Club.
2.
Requests for players to play in a higher level age group shall be submitted
in writing by the parent or legal guardian of the player.
Section 3: Team Formation
1.
The bylaws specified in Article XIII, Section 3 apply.
Section 4: Selection of Coaches
1.
The bylaws specified in Article XIII, Section 4 apply.
Section 5: Ranking of Classic League Teams
1.
The bylaws specified in Article XIII, Section 5 apply.
Section 6: Tournaments
1.
The Club will provide patches for two tournaments per team per year.
2.
The Club shall reimburse the equivalent cost of the PA West Open Tournament.
3.
All other tournament expenses shall be the responsibility of the team.
Article XV: Limitation of Liability
1.
Any member of this Board shall not be personally liable, as such, for monetary
damages for action taken, or any failure to take actions unless:
a. the Board member has breached or failed to perform the duties
of his or her office under this section; and
b. the breach or failure to perform constitutes self-dealing, willful
misconduct, or recklessness.
2.
The provisions of paragraph 1, above, shall not apply to the responsibility
or liability of a Board member pursuant to any criminal statute, or the
liability of a Board member for the payment of taxes pursuant to local,
State, or Federal laws.
Article XVI: Relation to Other Organizations
1.
The Club shall be affiliated with the Western Pennsylvania Youth Soccer
Association, hereafter denoted PA West.
2.
The President, or his appointed designate, shall represent the Club in
matters dealing with PA West.
3.
No regular Member of the Board of this Club shall be permitted to hold
a voting position on a Board of another soccer Club affiliated with PA
West.
4.
Written requests by other organizations to use Club facilities shall be
directed to the Executive Committee for evaluation and response. The Executive
Committee has the right to request that a decision be made by a majority
of the regular Board Members at a Board meeting.
Article XVII: Amendment of Bylaws
1.
These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Board by a two-thirds
vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing and distributed
to all regular Board members at least 14 days prior to the meeting.
Article XVIII: Parliamentary Authority
1.
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly
Re-vised shall govern this Club in all cases to which they are applicable
provided they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any policies and
procedures the Club may adopt.
2.
The Director of Policies and Procedures shall serve as Club parliamentarian.
Change History
1.
January 8, 1996: Changes to Article VI, Section 3. Text of paragraph 2
was clarified, and a new paragraph was added that allows the President
to appoint a member to the Executive Committee if a vacancy occurs.
2.
Article VII, section 4 was changed to redefine the quorum necessary for
a Board meeting.
3.
April 20, 1998:
a. Article VII, item 3 was corrected to state that ten regular members
of the Board (As opposed to Club) can call a special meeting.
b. Article VII, item 2 was changed so that the Annual meeting is
in November, as opposed to May.