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Mahopac Sports Association
By-Laws
Effective January 1, 2007
Version 1.1
Article “A” - General
These by-laws and statutes of the program constitute the supreme law of the organization as adopted by the executive board of the Mahopac Sports Association (MSA) at a general meeting in the year 1971. The Mahopac Sports Association is the designated organization of the Town of Carmel and exists specifically to run sports programs. MSA is directly responsible to the Town of Carmel Recreation Department. Each sport in MSA exists as a program unto itself, but operates within the rules of the MSA.
Article “B” – Name
The name of the organization shall be known as “Mahopac Sports Association” and from here on described as MSA.
Article “C” – Mission
The mission of the MSA is to promote youth sports in the community while encouraging teamwork, positive self esteem, sportsmanship, respect for others, personal responsibility, and perseverance. All Directors, Officers, and Members shall bear in mind that the attainment of exceptional athletic skill and the winning of games is secondary to the development of character and good citizenship.
Article “D” – Definition of “Member in Good Standing”
A “member in good standing” is defined as anyone who has paid their dues for that calendar year and is not under any disciplinary action. A member in good standing shall be eligible to cast a vote on matters brought up to vote on by the general membership. Not more than one vote may be cast for each family of a member in good standing.
Article “E” – Officers
The Board of Directors, as the governing body of MSA, is responsible for the overall management of all business of MSA, and for the formulation, review, and enforcement of all policies and practices of the organization. The officers of this organization shall be as follows:
Vice President
Treasurer
Recording Secretary
Corresponding Secretary
Registrar
Publicity Chairperson
Facilities Coordinator
One Program Director from each sport
Duties and Responsibilities of Directors
President:
· Preside at all meetings of the Association.
· Preserve order therein.
· Decide all questions of order, subject to appeal of the active membership present at the meeting.
· Enforce strict obedience to the rules and regulations of the Association.
· Appoint all committees not otherwise provided for and be a member, ex—officio, of all committees.
Vice President:
· Perform the duties of the President in the President’s absence.
· Perform such other duties as may be provided by the rules of the Association.
· In the event of the death, resignation or removal of the President, the Vice President will assume the duties of the President for the remainder of the term of office.
· Be the third signature on the MSA General Fund account.
Treasurer:
· Perform the duties of President in the absence of both the President and Vice President
· Keep a true and accurate record of finances.
· Receive all monies due the Association from whatsoever source.
· Have charge of the seal and all books thereof.
· Be custodian of the funds and promptly deposit same in such depository, as the Association shall direct.
· Furnish the officers, committees, and members of the Association such information relative to the affairs of the Association as may be necessary or proper.
· Sign and execute all checks, drafts, notes and orders for the payment of money, which will be duly authorized by the Board of Directors and shall be countersigned by the President.
· Monitor that each sport has only one checking account. The Program Director for each sport will provide a monthly account of that sport’s finances to the MSA Board at the monthly meeting. A third signature on each sport’s checking account will be that of the MSA Treasurer so that the MSA can monitor all the sports’ checking accounts at any time under the direction of the MSA Board of Directors. The MSA Treasurer can audit any sports finances at any time.
· Ensure that all bank accounts are disclosed and approved by the MSA Board
· Receive and distribute any funds received such as the Town Allocation as per the Board.
Recording Secretary:
· Keep a true and accurate written record of the proceedings of the Association.
· Conduct the annual election of officers during the month of December.
Corresponding Secretary:
· Conduct all correspondence.
· Give due and proper notice of all meetings as directed.
· Keep a true and accurate written record of the proceedings of the Association in the absence of the Recording Secretary.
· Coordinate and process all insurance claims.
Registrar:
· Receive all applications for membership.
· Keep a correct list of all members and their addresses.
Publicity Chairperson:
· Shall be responsible for any and all publicity requested by any or all of the Board.
Program Directors:
· In the event that a sport does not have a Program Director, the MSA Board will appoint one until one is duly elected by the sport. The individual so appointed will become a Director of the Board.
· In the event that additional sports programs are started or a sport is discontinued, the appointment or dismissal of the Program Director shall be at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
· Program Directors must get the approval of the MSA Board of Directors in matters of policy. Any actions or decisions that a sport or program undertakes, that will affect other programs or sports or the entire organization must be brought before the MSA Board (i.e. increasing the sponsorship fee, or increasing registration fees; but not limited to these examples).
· Administer each sport as per it’s own bylaws.
Facilities Coordinator:
· Actively investigate any facility that may enhance the Mahopac Sports Association’s programs.
· Seek input from Program Directors regarding field conditions, safety and maintenance issues.
· Advise the town and school district of any repairs or modifications that may be required.
· Coordinate and advise the town and school district of possible expansions of existing facilities or creation of new facilities.
· Coordinate any Mahopac Sports Association funded improvements with the town and the school district.
· Coordinate with any town or school organization to accomplish the above goals.
· Report to the Mahopac Sports Association Board of Directors any findings for the Board’s information and approval.
Article “F” - Nomination and Election of Officers
Selection of officers shall adhere to these practices:
- The Recording Secretary will be responsible for taking nominations for all Board positions. Nominations will be taken starting at the October meeting and ending at the November meeting. All nominations must be in writing or e-mail. Elections will be by secret ballot at the December meeting.
- No officer can have more than one vote
- Newly elected officers will take office on January 1st
- The term of office for all Board positions except for the Program Directors is two (2) years with four (4) members elected each year. In even years, President, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, and Facilities Coordinator will be elected. In odd years, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Registrar, and Publicity Chair will be elected.
- The Sport Program Directors will be elected by the participating appropriate sport once a year. This election will be held at their sports general meeting. The Program Director must be a member in good standing. If no Program Director can be found to run for office, the MSA Board will appoint one.
- Vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled for the unexpired term at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Candidates shall be nominated by the Board of Directors for approval at the next regular meeting.
- The Recording Secretary shall have ballots presented with the names of the candidates thereon.
- The Recording Secretary will select two (2) tellers to assist in the count.
- No person may be elected to the MSA Board unless he or she is a member in good standing and has attended one-third or more of the general membership meetings during the year.
- Only members in good standing on or before November one (1) will be eligible to cast a ballot in the December election.
- Candidates for President and Vice President must come from the existing Board unless none can be found.
Article “G” – Resignation or Removal of Directors
· Any Director may resign at any time.
· On absence from three (3) consecutive regular meetings, the Director may be sent a letter by the corresponding secretary.
· Failure to appear at the fourth (4) meeting may result in the position being declared vacant and a successor will be selected by the Board of Directors to fulfill the term.
· Any member of the Board of Directors may be removed from office for due cause by a vote of two—thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors present at a general or special meeting called for that purpose after due notice to that officer and giving him/her an opportunity to be heard. Notice of this action must be given at the prior membership meeting prior to this vote.
Article “H” – Quorum of Directors
· Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation a majority of the entire Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or any specified item of business.
Article “I” – Action of the Board
· Unless otherwise required by law, the vote of a majority of the Directors present at the time of the vote, if a quorum is present at such time, shall be the act of the Board. Each Director present shall have one vote.
Article “J” – Meetings
Regular:
· Held on the first Monday of the month at 7:30PM unless otherwise directed.
Special:
· May be called by the President or Board.
· MSA Members may call a meeting with a written request of ten (10) members of the Association in good standing, delivered to the President or a member of the Board of Directors.
Article “K” – Order of Business
· Roll call of officers.
· Reading of minutes of preceding meeting.
· Treasurer’s report.
· Report of officers.
· Report of committees.
· Report of program directors.
· Old and unfinished business.
· New business.
· Closing
Article “L” – Membership Dues
The annual dues of members for each calendar year commencing with the year l971, or for any part of a calendar year, shall be an amount determined by the Board. All applications for membership must be accompanied by the first year’s dues. Any member whose dues remain unpaid for one (1) year and remaining unpaid at the end of such calendar year, for which dues are owed, shall automatically cease to be a member. In addition, each Sport or Program will donate a dollar amount, to be determined by the MSA Board of Directors, per child participating in that Sport or Program, to the MSA General Fund in order to keep that Fund viable.
Article “M” – Bylaws and Amendments
· In order to amend the MSA bylaws, written changes must be presented to the MSA Board of Directors no later than October one (1st). Proposed changes will then be voted on in the Annual meeting in December. A two-thirds majority is required to change any bylaw.
· Each sport is required to create and maintain it’s own bylaws that must be approved by the MSA. Amendments must also be approved as they are made.
Article “N” – Purchasing
The individual Sports will use a sealed bid process when purchasing equipment, uniforms, and services (but not limited to these examples) for amounts over $1,000.00. A minimum of three sealed bids should be solicited for the above purchases. The merchants in the Town of Carmel should always be considered when soliciting bids. However, the primary factor in the bid process is acquiring the lowest prices for all purchases. If there is a perceived impression of impropriety in the bid process or purchase, the MSA Board will form a committee to investigate the perceived impropriety. The committee will report to the entire MSA Board, and the entire Board will make a decision.
Any member of any MSA sports Board of Directors or their family members must get prior approval from the MSA board in order to become a vendor of goods or services over $1,000.00. If a member of any board or their family wishes to provide goods or services, they must petition their respective Board, who then approves that request and submits that request to the MSA Board for approval.
Article “O” – Conduct
· MSA has created a Code of Conduct and requires all participants, parents’ spectators, and coaches of all sports to abide by its rules. MSA has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy in enforcing these rules and takes violations of these policies very seriously.
· Each sport will be responsible for enforcing the code of conduct and shall develop a policy to convene a disciplinary committee, levy punishment and allow for appeals. All disciplinary actions should be documented in writing and copied to MSA.
· Only after all appeals have been heard by the programs will MSA hold an appeals hearing.
· MSA reserves the right to overrule a specific league action where it deems necessary. (Ex. A league may decide to suspend a coach where MSA may decide to remove)
· The MSA Appeals Committee will consist of the President and two other Board members named by the President.
· Appeals must be made in writing to the President of the MSA within 30 days of the last hearing.
· When a coach or parent is disciplined by any sport, they must be notified in writing of the punishment within 30 days of the decision and MSA must be copied. That action will then carry over into all other MSA sanctioned sports.
· Recommended actions for all sports will be:
For Code of conduct offenses:
1St: 1 year probation
2nd Season suspension
3rd Lifetime ban
· The MSA Board reserves the right to bypass the recommendations stated above when the circumstances dictate. ( Ex. If physical violence present, board may ban a coach or parent for life on first offense).
· The MSA board holds the union of the organization paramount and any member who opts to create a team that removes players from an MSA program and plays outside the organization (renegade team) will be removed from any and all positions within MSA for a period of not less than 1 year from the time the said renegade team disbands or stops playing. The MSA Board will hear actions of this type “renegade teams” directly and there will be no appeal.
MAHOPAC SPORTS ASSOCIATION
Ascribes to the National Alliance for Youth Sports
· Code of Conduct:
Parents’ and Coaches’ Code of Ethics
I hereby pledge to provide positive support, care and encouragement for my child, and other children, participating in youth sports by following this Parents’ and Coaches’ Code of Ethics “Zero Tolerance” Pledge:
• I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, and officials at every game, practice or other youth sports event.
• I will not engage in any type of physical or verbal abuse of any official, player, coach or spectator at any time.
• I will place the emotional and physical well being of my child, and other children, ahead of my personal desire to win.
• I will insist that my child, and other children, play in a safe and healthy environment.
• I will support coaches and officials working with my child, in order to encourage a positive and enjoyable experience for all.
• I will demand a sports environment for my child that is free of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol and will refrain from their use at all youth sports events.
• I will remember that the game is for youth - not for adults.
• I will ask my child to treat other players, coaches, fans, and officials with respect, regardless of race, sex, creed, or ability.
• I will help my child enjoy the youth sports experience by doing whatever I can, such as being a respectful fan, assisting with coaching or providing transportation. I will make youth sports fun for my child.
• I will contact the Program Director should I witness any type of physical or verbal abuse or non-fair play.
I have read and understand this Code of Ethics as described above. I am aware that failure to abide by this Code of Ethics will subject myself (and my child) to suspension from all MSA sponsored activities. I agree that all decisions in these matters made by the MSA Board of Directors are final and binding.
Failure to sign this Code of Ethics will make my child ineligible to participate in this MSA sponsored activity for the calendar year.
Dated Signature (Parent or Guardian)
Sport Print Name
Article “P” – Solicitation of Sponsors
· The solicitation of sponsors must occur only at the designated time just before a sport’s season begins.
Baseball January to March.
Soccer April to July.
Football July to September.
Basketball October to December.
Lacrosse March to May.
Version 1.0 – John Malara - Rewritten and approved by the MSA Board 11/1/04
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