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ARTICLE I
Section
1. Affiliation.
The Chesapeake Soccer Club (CSC) shall be an
affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the United States
Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) and the Virginia Youth Soccer
Association, Inc. (VYSA). CSC shall also be subject to the authority of
the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). a. To the extent permissible
under applicable law, the USSF, USYSA and VYSA articles of incorporation,
bylaws, policies, and requirements take precedence over and supercede the
governing documents and decisions of CSC. b. To the extent permissible
under applicable law, CSC and its members shall abide by USSF, USYSA, and
VYSA articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies, and requirements,
including those regarding interplay. c. CSC shall register all of its players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators with the VYSA once each year in September and timely pay all dues and fees of the VYSA. d. CSC will not join any
organization that has requirements that conflict with USSF,USYSA, or VYSA
articles, bylaws, policies, and requirements. Section
2. Authority. The Chesapeake Soccer Club (CSC) shall exercise
through its Board of Directors all such powers as may be required in the
furtherance of its stated purpose, or purposes, as are not inconsistent
with the articles, bylaws, rules, and requirements of the USSF, the USYSA,
the VYSA and/or the laws of the relevant jurisdictions. Section
3. Non-Discrimination. CSC will not discriminate against any individual
on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, or national origin. Section
4. Sexual and Physical Abuse. To the extent permissible
under applicable law, CSC shall adopt policies prohibiting sexual and
physical abuse that are consistent with criteria established by the USSF. Section
5. Tax Status. CSC shall maintain its tax-exempt status under
the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, § 501(c)(3) (as amended).
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ARTICLE
II
Section
1. Eligibility.
Membership in the Chesapeake Soccer Club (CSC)
is open to soccer players, coaches, trainers, team officials and managers,
not subject to suspension under applicable Bylaws or Regulations,
subject to the acceptance and acquiesence of the CSC Board of
Directors. Acceptance for
membership of youth players, coaches, assistant coaches, and other team
officials remains solely within the discretion of the CSC board of
directors and
is not subject to further arbitration. Section
2. Youth Soccer Team - Definition. A youth soccer team shall
be deemed to be any group of not less than seven (7) persons a majority of
whom reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia and who prior to August 1st
immediately preceding the start of any seasonal year have not reached the
age of nineteen (19) years, all of whom shall be registered with VYSA,
which is organized to compete as a team with a designated person
responsible for its activities, which person may be a member of the team. Section
3. Election to Membership. a. Each application for
membership shall be on a form as approved from time to time by the Board
of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by
the Bylaws, policies, procedures and decisions of the Club. b. Each application shall be accompanied by the fees due for the current period. c. Applications shall be
filed with the Secretary of the Club and shall be acted upon at the next
duly constituted meeting of the Board of Directors following receipt. Section
4. Members, Voting Rights. Each accepted and properly registered member
team within CSC will have one vote, said vote shall be used for issues
brought forth to the General Membership.
The vote may be exercised by the member team Head Coach or the Team
Representative, but not both. Matters
of policy, rules, or procedures shall remain within the exclusive purview
of the CSC Board of Directors. |
ARTICLE
III
ORGANIZATION
Section
1. Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is elected by the general
membership of the Club and shall be composed of the President (designated as
Chairman of the Board), Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the
Chesapeake Soccer Club (CSC). Each shall have one vote.
In addition, the following office holders also comprise the Board of
Directors and shall also have one vote: CSC Director of Training and Assessment,
CSC Administrator, CSC Volunteer Coordinator, CSC Equipment Manager, and CSC
Registrar. Except as provided for in the One Time Special Transition Rule
(Article V, Section 4) the term of office shall be two years or until the
Director's successor is elected and qualifies.
No member of the Board of Directors is subject to any type of term limit.
He/she may stand for re-election as often as desired.
Section
2. Board of Directors, Authority and Responsibilities.
The Board of Directors shall be responsible for and have the final authority,
except as otherwise provided, for:
a. Enforcing and interpreting
the Bylaws.
b. The establishment,
enforcement, and interpretation of regulations prescribing rules of play,
player/coach eligibility, and the conduct of players, teams, and team officials,
for matches, practices, or other activities that represent CSC either conducted
or sanctioned by the VYSA.
c. Approving all coaches and
players for membership and participation in CSC.
d. Approving any
inter-district or inter-state competition.
e. The establishment of rules
or regulations for specific cases not provided for elsewhere, but which are
deemed necessary by the Board to carry out the objectives of the Club.
f. The periodic review of the
Club’s, Bylaws, Rules and Procedures, in order to insure substantial
consistency and compliance with the provisions of the Constitution, Bylaws,
Rules and Regulations of the VYSA, the USYSA and USSF.
g. The conduct of the day to
day affairs of the Club pursuant to the directives of the membership.
h. The ratification of
appointments made by the President of officers, committee chairmen, and agents
of the Club.
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ARTICLE
IV
Section
1. Membership Meetings. There shall be periodic meetings of the
Chesapeake Soccer Club general membership. The quorum for any meeting
shall be 20% (twenty percent) of the votes eligible to be cast at any
meeting of the general membership. The April meeting of the Club shall be
designated the Annual General Meeting. Section
2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the membership, as may be
required from time to time, may be called by the President, with the
concurrence of the Board, or whenever the Secretary is requested to do so
by regular member teams in good standing possessing 20% (twenty per cent)
of the votes eligible to be cast at any meeting of the membership. Section
3. Notice.
The Secretary shall provide written notice of a meeting of the Club to all
members at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting date and the
notice shall specify an agenda for the meeting; and, with respect to the
Annual General Meeting, a recommended slate of candidates for elective
office and a report of actions and policies adopted since the last annual
meeting. Section
4. Voting. Each
member team in good standing shall be entitled to cast votes at each
membership meeting at which such member is represented, in accordance with
the provisions of Article II, Section 3 of these Bylaws.
In the event of a tie vote, the President shall cast the
tie-breaking vote. Proxy voting shall be permitted at any membership
meeting provided said proxy shall have been submitted to the Presiding
Officer of the meeting or to the CSC Secretary in writing prior to the
vote in question. Any such
proxy shall be in writing, executed by the Team Representative or other
such person designated in writing by the Team Head Coach and shall
indicate the period for which it shall be effective. Except as provided
for in the Bylaws of the Club, majority and two-thirds votes shall be
based on votes cast. Section
5. Board of Directors' Meetings.
a. The Board shall meet
monthly unless the Board directs otherwise and at other times at the call
of the President or a majority of the Board. b. The order of business and agenda shall be as determined by the President or as set forth for general meetings. Five (5) of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. Each member of the Board shall be entitled to cast one (1) vote on any matter of business before the Board. Voting by proxy shall normally not be allowed unless so ordered by the President. The Board of Directors may act on any matter without a meeting with the written (e-mail) consent of the Directors. Except as provided for in the Bylaws of the Club, majority and two-thirds votes shall be based on votes cast. In lieu of a scheduled meeting, required decisions may be made by email vote or through the use of Internet facitlities such as Net Meeting or Chat. c. Executive Session. Periodically, issues that have the potential for conflict or embarassment on the part of an individual member or team may arise for which the Board may go into Executive Session. The President may call the Board into Executive Session at any time. Unless authorized by unanimous vote of the Board members present, a record of the Executive Session will be maintained by the Secretary and not be filed for general inspection. Section
6.
Reporting of Actions. Actions and Policies adopted by the Board of
Directors or Officers of the Club shall be reported to its membership or
their authorized representative, at least once each year at a meeting of
the Club’s membership, with notice and agenda of the meeting at least 10
days in advance of the meeting. Reports
may be posted on the Club Web Site or sent in a broadcast e-mail. Section
7. Rules of Order. All membership and Board of Directors' meetings
shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order or as
directed by the Club President. Section
8. Authority of the
President.
In the absence of a meeting of the Board, the President is charged
with the authority and responsibility to act for the Club.
However, for decisions concerning the obligation of funds in excess
of $500, disposition of Club equipment beyond simple borrowing, or for
issues concerning significant disciplinary action, the President shall
make a reasonable attempt to gain the concurrence of at least 3 other
Board members prior to proceeding. |
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ARTICLE
V
Section
1. Club Year. The Club’s fiscal year shall begin on the
first day of August and end on the 31st day of July. Section
2. Nomination. No person may be a candidate in a Club election
who has not been nominated. By the March meeting of the Board of
Directors, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting
of representatives of members of the Association for the purpose of
nominating candidates for Officers who shall constitute the Board of
Directors. a. The Nominating Committee shall nominate candidate(s) for each office. After securing the consent of the person(s) nominated, the Committee shall immediately report their nominations to the Board of Directors in writing, but in no case later than April 1. b. The Secretary of the Club
shall, in the call for the April meeting of the Club, notify all members
of the candidates for office. c. Additional nominations
may be made upon written petition of a member eligible to vote and with
the attestation by the nominee of his willingness to serve. Such petitions
shall be submitted to the Secretary not later than the 10th day
of April. Section
3. Election. Elections shall take place each year at the
April meeting of the Club. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest
number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. In the absence
of any opposing candidates the entire slate may be elected with one vote.
Voting may, but need not be, by ballot. Those officers elected shall
commence their term of office on June 1. Section
4. Terms of Election. All Persons elected shall serve for a term of
two years. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and
Registrar will be elected in even numbered years. The CSC Director of
Training and Assessment, CSC Administrator, CSC Volunteer Coordinator, and
CSC Equipment Manager shall be elected in odd numbered years.
Pursuant to current structure, the terms of office of the incumbent
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar shall be
recognized to have commenced their current terms of office on June 1,
2000. The remainder of the
Board of Directors shall stand for re-election/election in April, 2001. Section
5. One Time Special Transition Rule. At the next election of
Directors to the Board after adoption of this rule, the members of the
Board to be elected in odd numbered years will be elected to serve their
full two-year term. |
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ARTICLE
VI
Section
1.
The President shall appoint, with approval of the Board of Directors, each
year standing and special committees to advance the work of the Club in
such matters as rules of competition, discipline, scheduling, publicity,
membership, fields
maintenance, Tournaments, and other activities which may be well served by
committees. The standing committees shall include: a.
Adjudication b.
Fields Maintenance c.
Youth Referee d.
Zerious Zoccer at the Zone (ZZZ) Tournament e.
Team Formation f.
Public Affairs g.
Kidsafe/Risk Management h.
Volunteers Such
committees shall be subject to the final authority of the membership. The
Chairman of any committee shall be named by the President.
Committee Chairs may attend meetings of the Board of Directors
pursuant to issues within their purview but have no vote.
They shall be excused anytime the Board goes into Executive
Session. |
ARTICLE
VII
Section
1. Hearing and Appeal Procedures. CSC
will provide equitable and prompt hearing and appeal procedures.
Pursuant to USYSA By-Law 701, hearings and other adjudication
considered under this Article shall be limited to participation in
scheduled matches and inter-team transfer.
Decisions of the President or the Board of Directors, properly
rendered in accordance with these Bylaws and established Rules and
Procedures are not subject to appeal or arbitration under these Bylaws;
however, decisions Section
2. Jurisdiction of the Adjudication Committee. a. The Adjudication Committee shall have the following jurisdiction: (1) to consider and
adjudicate decisions of members of the Club; (2) to consider and
adjudicate decisions of any individual, committee, or group having
responsibility for administering an activity conducted or sponsored by the
Club; and (3) to consider and
adjudicate allegations of assaults and abuses on referees and assistant
referees as provided under USSF rules. b. All outside protests and appeals procedures must be exhausted before a matter will be considered by the Adjudication Committee. c. The appeal of a decision
under subsection a (1) or (2) of this section must be submitted to the
Adjudication Committee within 48 hours of the decision. Any appeal shall
be in writing and shall be accompanied by cash, certified check, or money
order for $100 made payable to "CSC.". d. All decisions of the
Adjudication Committee shall be by majority vote and in writing. e. A decision of the
Adjudication Committee is a
recommendation for the Board of Directors who will act as final arbiter
for the issue. The decision
of the Board is the final decision of the Club. Section
3. Jurisdiction of the Board of Directors. a. The Board of Directors of the Club shall have original jurisdiction over matters relating to the accomplishment of its purposes as set forth in, and the enforcement of, its Bylaws and Rules and Procedures and the constitution, rules, and policies of USSF, USYSA, and VYSA. b. Except as provided in
section 1. a. (3) of this article, the Board of Directors shall have the
sole right and authority to suspend, expel, or otherwise discipline for
violating the Club’s Bylaws, Rules and Procedures or for other
misconduct, the following: (1) any member, player,
coach, manager, or other principal of any component or affiliate of any
member team; (2) any official of a member
team or a member team's
affiliates; (3) any official of the
Club; and (4) any spectator at a
function sponsored or conducted by the Club or a member of the VYSA. An action under this
subsection may be based either on an original complaint filed with the
Club or on the Board's own motion. c.
Disciplinary action taken by the Board of Directors shall be by
majority vote in writing. d. A decision of the Board of
Directors under this section is a final decision of the Club and not
subject to further appeal or arbitration. e. The Board of Directors may
delegate to a committee any of its powers under this section. Committees
may be formed with as few as one person serving within them. |
Section
4. Due Process.
In any proceeding before the Adjudication Committee, any party in
interest shall be afforded an opportunity to submit matter in support, rebuttal,
mitigation, or extenuation in regard to the party.
Section
5. Instituting Legal Proceedings.
a.
No party may invoke the aid of any court without
first exhausting all administrative remedies provided in these bylaws.
b.
For violating this section, the offending party is
subject to sanctions and fines, and is liable to the Club for all expenses the Club and its officers incurred in
defending any court action, including but not limited to the following:
1) court costs;
2) attorney fees;
3) reasonable compensation for
time spent by the Association, its officers, employees, and agents in the
action, including responses to discovery and court appearances;
4) travel expenses; and
5) expenses for holding
special meetings necessitated by the court action.
ARTICLE
VIII
COLORS AND INSIGNIA
The representative colors of
the Chesapeake Soccer Club shall be blue and white. The insignia of the Club may
be reproduced, displayed, or otherwise used only as provided by the Board of
Directors.
ARTICLE
IX
BUDGET AND FEES
Section
1. Setting of Fees. All fees assessed the membership shall be
determined by the Board of Directors. The
CSC Treasurer shall maintain a record of acount and prepare an annual budget for
submission to the Board of Directors not later than 15 May. Changes in fees shall be approved by a majority vote of the
Board of Directors.
Section
2. Player Registration Fee. The player registration fees are payable as of
July 1 and February 1 of each year and will be delinquent after July 15 and
February 15 unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X
ADMINISTRATION
The President shall develop
Rules and Procedures which cover the day-to-day operations of the Club,
consistent with these Bylaws. Unlike
the Bylaws, Rules and Procedures are meant to be dynamic in nature to allow
flexibility for the development of such rules and procedures as deemed necessary
for the smooth operation of the Club. Changes
to the Rules and Procedures will be approved by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XI
DISSOLUTION
Section
1. Dissolution.
There will be only two ways the Club will be dissolved.
The first is by unanimous vote by the Board of Directors for such a
recommendation, followed by a unanimous vote of the Club membership.
The second is by abandonment. That
is, the members and Board of Directors cease to function.
Section
2. Procedures.
In the event of dissolution of the Club, all equipment shall be sold with
the proceeds being remitted to the CSC Treasurer.
The CSC Treasurer will then liquidate any further assets and remit the
proceeds into the CSC Treasury. The
remaining money in the Treasury shall be distributed equally to each member of
the club for further equal distribution to each player on the team.
Any excess unclaimed funds shall be remitted to VYSA.
A final report of dissolution shall be forwarded to the VYSA
Administrator.
ARTICLE XII
ACCEPTANCE
OF BY-LAWS
Chesapeake
Soccer Club has been operating under a draft set of By-Laws since 1998.
For the purposes of these By-Laws, once approved by a majority vote of
the incumbent Executive Council in February, 2001, they will be considered
effective from 1 April, 2001 and will be submitted for final ratification to the
membership and the Annual General Meeting to be held in April, 2001.
These By-Laws will be posted to the Club Web Site for review not later
that April 1, 2001 and be accepted, with any properly issued or requested
amendments, by a voice vote of the CSC membership.