STAFFORD

GIRL’S

SOFTBALL

ASSOCIATION,

INCORPORATED

BY-LAWS

Adopted February 2011

ARTICLE I

The name of this organization shall be the Stafford Girls Softball Association, Incorporated, hereinafter to be known as the SGSA.

ARTICLE II

Section 1:        Purpose

The purpose of  this organization will be to promote and foster recreational activities for the girls of Stafford Township with SGSA Executive Board Approval.

Section 2:        Objective

The objective of the SGSA, a voluntary non-profit organization, is to provide a competitive program for the girls of Stafford Township.  All officers and members will bear in mind that showcasing individual skills or winning of games is secondary.  The simple opportunity to play organized softball is of prime importance.

ARTICLE III

The order of SGSA business shall be as follows:

1.         Call to Order

2.         Roll Call

3.         Minutes

4.         Guest Speakers

5.         Correspondence

6.         Treasurer’s Report

7.         President’s Statement

8.         Standing Committees

9.         Special Committees

10.       Old Business

11.       New Business

12.       Adjournment

ARTICLE IV

Membership:

Section 1:        Any person interested in active participation as a head coach, assistant coach, scorekeeper, or in an administrative capacity to effect the objective of the SGSA should apply to the Executive Board annually to become a member.

Section 2:        Membership in the SGSA may be terminated by resignation or action of the Executive Board or by special action of the Executive Board or by special committee under Article VI Section 2.

Section 3:        All athletes meeting SGSA registration requirements are eligible to participate.  The requirements are as follows:

            1.         A completed and signed registration form.

            2.         A paid registration fee.

            3.         Signed Stafford Township Code of Conduct.

            4.         Signed Insurance Waiver Form.

Section 4:        All members shall be covered by liability and medical insurance.  This coverage will be supplied by an insurance company to be determined on an annual basis.

Section 5:        The Executive Board has the right to limit the number of players and teams in each division.  Once this number has been met any additional players will be placed on the official waiting list, held by the Division’s Player Agent.

ARTICLE V

The Executive Board

            Section 1:        No officer shall use the name of the SGSA for any business or

            promotion outside of SGSA interests.

Section 2:        No officer will take it upon himself to buy or commit SGSA funds over one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for anything without being approved by two (2) or more Executive Board Members.  No officer shall take it upon himself to buy or commit SGSA funds for anything not approved by the Executive Board.

Section 3:        No members shall hold more than

one office at a time unless circumstances force steps to the contrary.

            Section 4:        Executive Board Officers shall be as follows:

            1.         President

            2.         First Vice President

            3.         Second Vice President

            4.         Recording Secretary

            5.         Corresponding Secretary

            6.         Treasurer

            Section 5: General Board Officers

                              Are to include the Executive Board Officers and the following:

            7.         Website Coordinator

8.         Concession Stand Manager

            9.         Safety Director

           10.        Stingray Representative

           11.        A Player Agent for each Division

The outgoing President shall maintain a voting seat on the board in an advisory capacity for one (1) year after leaving the position as President.

The Executive Board Shall

            1.         Supervise and promote the association activities.

            2.         Meet as determined by the President.

            3.         Rule on all suggestions of the general membership.

            4.         Manage the property and affairs of SGSA.

            5.         Attend seventy five (75) percent of board and general meetings each year.

            6.         Review any and all penalties imposed during the previous year.

            7.         Upon termination of duties as officers, shall turn over all official papers

                        and league records to the SGSA within two (2) weeks of termination of

                        duties.

            8.         Each committee shall be represented by a minimum of one board member

                        to be appointed by the President.

9.         Any Executive board member shall have the right to sign SGSA checks in the absence of the President in compliance with the bank signature card on file.

Section 5:        Duties of the President

The President shall:

            1.         Preside over all meetings of SGSA, according to Robert’s Rules.

            2.         Have the right to co-sign with the Treasurer on all moneyed transactions.

            3.         Represent SGSA at township/recreation meetings or send an authorized    

                        agent.

            4.         Appoint all committees and call any special committees and meetings.

            5.         Maintain official and corporation papers during his/her term in office.

            6.         Form an audit committee for the purpose of review of the books at the

                        December meeting.

            7.         Be present for the counting of SGSA monies.

            8.         Develop agenda for all meetings.

            9.         Perform any other duties as deemed necessary during the term in office.

            10.       Maintain a vote on the Executive Board after term is over in an advisory

                        capacity for one year.

            11.       The President has the right to assign a Parliamentarian to preside over

                        meetings to assure the By-laws are followed as closely as possible.

            12.       The President has the right to assign a Sergeant to Arms if he/she feels it is

                        necessary.

            13.      Schedule through the proper school and township officials all fields, gyms,        

                        and meeting rooms necessary.

Section 6:        Duties of the Vice Presidents;

The First Vice President shall:

            1.         Perform all duties of the President in his/her absence.

            2.         Supervise the selection and maintenance of equipment, supplies and

                        uniforms.

3.         Supervise the disbursement and collection of equipment and uniforms through the respective players/agents.

The Second Vice President shall:

            1.         Be responsible to follow up on any injured player or member.

            2.         Be present for counting of SGSA monies.

            3.         Supervise the fund-raising committee and team sponsors of all divisions.

Section 7:        Duties of the Treasurer:

The Treasurer shall:

            1.         Collect all monies of SGSA and deposit in designated account.

            2.         Pay all obligations upon approval of the Executive Board.

            3.         Submit a Treasurer’s report at all scheduled executive and general 

                        meetings.

4.         Notify executive board of any delinquent payments of financial discrepancies.

5.         File Federal tax forms for non-profit organizations.

6.         Be present for counting of all SGSA monies.

7.         Prepare end of year audit statement.

Section 8:        Duties of the Secretaries

The Recording Secretary shall:

            1.         Keep the minutes of all regular, executive and emergency meetings and

                        read meeting minutes at the next scheduled meeting.           

            2.         Maintain accurate attendance and voting records.

            3.         Maintain an accurate membership and player roster.

            4.         Maintain all official papers and documents.

            5.         Release copies of minutes to special committees that pertain to those

committees.

            6.         Provide a copy of the minutes within two (2) weeks of receipt of a written

                        request.

The Corresponding Secretary shall:

            1.         Perform the duties of the Recording Secretary in his/her absence.

            2.         Conduct all official correspondence, keeping copies of correspondence

                        for the permanent record.

3.         Co-ordinate all incoming mail, turning over all money received to the Treasurer.

4.         Notify members of time and place of meetings.

5          Inform newspapers of upcoming events.

6.         Maintain records of injured players and members and prepare a final report.

7.         Send a copy of incident report to Recreation Department (Mrs. Betty Ann McVey, Director) at Stafford Township.

Section 9:        Duties of the Concession Stand Manager

The Concession Stand Manager shall:

            1.         Order inventory.

            2.         Receive and stock inventory.

            3.         Schedule the volunteers to work in the stand.

            4.         Schedule people to open and close the stand.

Section 10:      Duties of the Safety Director

The Safety Director shall:

            1.         Inspect fields and equipment.

            2.         Present to the board all suggestions to improve and maintain safety.

            3.         Report all field maintenance concerns to the Executive Board and to

                        Stafford Township Recreation Department for repair.

Section 11:      Duties of the Website Coordinator

The Website Coordinator shall:

1.      Update the website, including updating league standings, upcoming events, rules and by-laws and any other matters pertaining to website maintenance and upkeep.

Section 12:      Duties of the Stingray Representative

The Stingray Representative shall:

            1.         Spokesperson for the Stingray Teams.

            2.         Present all Stingray requests to the Executive Board for approval.

            3.         Inventory all equipment (Property of SGSA).

            4.         Player registration for all Stingray Teams.

Section 13:      Duties of the Division Player Agents

The Player Agents shall:

            1.         One Player Agent for each division shall be appointed by the President

                        with a majority of the Executive Board approval and shall serve a term of

                        one year.

            2.         Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

                        a.   Player agent shall not represent any division where he/she is a coach, assistant coach, sponsor, or has a child or step-child on any team in said division.

                        b.   Assist in disbursement and recovery of uniforms and equipment for the division he/she represents.

                        c.   Maintain all teams at regulation strength, maintaining a waiting list for the division he/she represents.

                        d.   Assist at league tryouts and direct draft.

                        e.   Maintain harmony in division he/she represents.

                        f.    Be available to observe games when requested by any coach or member of said division.

                        g.   Report all pertinent division information and concerns to the Executive Board.

                        h.   Represent SGSA Executive Board to the division ensuring compliance and understanding of all SGSA rules, regulations, and goals. 

ARTICLE VI

Hearings:

Section 1:        Any regularly elected officer can be deposed from office for a cause that is considered misconduct or neglect of duty.  The election of the officer in question can be rescinded and a successor can thereafter be elected for the remainder of the term by the general membership.  The duties of the officer in question would be suspended until a voluntary resignation or a request for a hearing.

Section 2:        Upon receipt of any complaint unresolved by the player agent the President will call a special hearing comprised of the Executive Board to review said complaint.

Section 3:        If circumstances warrant, such as personal conflict involving Executive Board member(s) and a general member(s), that particular board member(s), will be excused from that hearing and a replacement will be appointed by the President or the next highest ranking officer.

Section 4:        If the complaint involves, or if the plaintiff is, a member of the board, the remaining voting members of the board must draw upon the association to maintain a five member board.  The highest ranking officer will hold the tie-breaking vote.  (Rank is determined by sequence as per Article V, Sections four (4) through ten (10).  A secretary will be appointed to submit a written decision at the next general meeting.  Complaints and discussions shall be heard by the board only.

Section 5:        General and player membership may be terminated or suspended by action of the Executive Board in a special hearing as per Section Two (2) of the article.

Section 6:        The member charged should be notified in writing by regular mail and certified mail within ten (10) days of the date, time, and place of the hearing.

Section 7:        If charged member cannot attend the hearing due to a valid reason he or she must notify the chairperson of that committee in writing forty-eight (48) hours in advance.

Section 8:        If the board approves the postponement a new date will be set.  There will be only one postponement.

Section 9:        If a member fails to notify the committee or board member of his inability to attend as per Section Seven (7), the hearing will proceed a scheduled.

Section 10:      Executive and board members may present a request for an appeal to the general members at the next regularly scheduled general meeting.

Note: Any violation of the Stafford Township Code of Conduct will be brought in front of the Stafford Township Code of Conduct Committee for resolution. 

ARTICLE VII

Meetings:

Section 1:        The regular monthly meetings of SGSA will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at a place designated by the Executive Board.

Section 2:        Executive board meetings shall be held prior to general meetings at a date and time designated by the President.

Section 3:        A simple majority of the Executive Board must be present at any official meeting to maintain a QUORUM.

ARTICLE VIII

Special Committees:

Section 1:        Nominating committee – At the regular general meeting held in July a nominating committee of four (4) to six (6) members shall be appointed.  It shall be the duties of this committee to nominate candidates for offices to be filled for the coming year.  This committee will report at the general meeting in August.  Additional nominations from the floor will be accepted at this time.  Vote shall be taken at the September meeting.  New board shall take places October 1^st.  In order to serve on this committee you must have attended a minimum of four (4) meetings within the past year.

Section 2:        Protest Committee – At the time of protest, the player agent will pick four (4) members to serve on a protest committee and the player agent will hold the tie-breaking vote.  Members of the committee shall be accepted at this time.

Section 3:        The Rules and By-Laws Committee shall be formed each year at the October Meeting and the proposed changes shall be presented at the November meeting and adopted at the December meeting.

Section 4:        All other special committees, standing or special, shall be appointed by the President or the Executive Board as needed to carry on the business of the SGSA.  The President shall be a member of all committees except the nominating committee.

ARTICLE IX

Voting:

Section 1:        Any eligible member may vote on business that is brought up to any general meeting if a vote is required.  No vote will be required on matters that involve the basic running of the SGSA.  Voting will be limited to one (1) vote per team in any particular division.  The Executive Board reserves the right to overrule any vote in the best interest of the SGSA.

Section 2:        A simple majority is needed to carry any vote.

Section 3:     General Elections:

1.         Members of the Executive Board shall be elected by ballot to serve for one (1) year term.  Their term of office shall run from October 1^st to September 30^th.  The new Treasurer takes office October 1^st and the old Treasurer will stay on until December 31^st to close out the year end and train the new Treasurer.

2.         At the August meeting the nominating committee will announce the list of candidates running for office.

3.         Any active member who has attended four (4) general meetings during the course of the year may vote.

4.         If a tie occurs, a second election will be held for that particular office which is tied.

5.         Written absentee ballots will be accepted by the nominating committee chairman prior to the election.  The sealed ballots will be turned over to the recording secretary at the time of election.

ARTICLE X

Equipment:

Coaches will be required to sign out all equipment issued by the SGSA.  It will be their responsibility to return equipment to the equipment manager at the designated time at the end of the season.

ARTICLE XI

Playing Rules:

Rules governing each division will be those set down in the official rule book or those rules designated by the Executive Board.  Appointed player agents must be present at all rules meetings affecting the division they represent.

ARTICLE XII

Amendments:

These By-Laws can be amended on an annual basis by a general membership two thirds (2/3’s) majority vote.  Amendments will be presented first verbally, then by writing at the next regularly scheduled meeting.  In effect, it shall take two (2) meetings to accept a change in these By-Laws.

ARTICLE XIII

Draft Date:

The draft date is the recognized official date of a particular season.

ARTICLE XIV

General Rules of Order:

Any and all proceeding not covered by these By-Laws will be governed by ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER AND PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.

ARTICLE XV

SGSA Disbandment:

In the event that SGSA finds it must disband its membership, any and all funds left in the treasury shall be used as a scholarship for pervious players of SGSA who will graduate from Southern Regional the June following the disbandment.

ARTICLE XVI

SGSA Scholarships:

SGSA Scholarships will be decided on an annual basis by the Executive Board

ARTICLE XVII

SGSA Stafford Stingrays Travel Teams:

To be added by an addendum formed by a Stafford Stingray Committee and approved by the SGSA Executive Board.

   ARTICLE XVIII

SGSA Ladies Softball League:

To be added by addendum formed by a SGSA Ladies Softball League Committee and

approved by the SGSA Executive Board.