HIGH BRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER BY-LAW
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be High Bridge Youth Soccer, and shall herein be referred to as the HBYS in the By-Laws. HBYS draws its membership from the Borough of High Bridge, Hunterdon, County, NJ, and the surrounding area. HBYS is a member of New Jersey Youth Soccer (NJYS.) The Soccer Club is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVE
The objective of this Soccer Club shall be to provide an enjoyable activity for children in the High Bridge area and to help them develop physical fitness, self-discipline, self-confidence, and proficiency of soccer skills, good sportsmanship, and the determination to do their best.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section A: Parents/guardians of players shall be deemed to hold membership with voting rights at general membership meeting. Players will be non-voting members in the organization.
Section B: Membership shall be open to all interested children between grades of Kindergarten and Grade 8, as determined on July 1st the fall season. Children that do not fall into this range will need approval of the Board of Directors in order to play. The Executive Committee may set a quota; those on the waiting list will fill slots as they become available. Membership shall be made upon prescribed forms and shall bind each applicant to abide by the By-Laws of HBYS.
Section C: Seasonal registration fees will be assessed and used for normal operating expenses, which are incurred, and are associated with regular season activities. In addition, participation in fundraisers will be at a volunteer level, as assessed annually by the Executive Committee. A portion of the registration fee will pay for NJYS membership and insurance.
ARTICLE IV: TERMINATIONS OR SUSPENSIONS
A membership may be terminated or suspended by HBYS for not abiding by the By-Laws of those organizations. The Executive Committee of HBYS also maintains the right to terminate or suspend a membership for not abiding by the By-Laws, rules of the Soccer Club, and/or the Players Conduct Guidelines. In addition, any violation of civic or criminal laws can result in immediate termination.
ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section A: HBYS activities shall be conducted by or under the authority of the Board of Directors.
Section B: The Board of Directors shall establish membership Fees.
Section C: The Executive Committee shall consist of the Board of Directors and the Standing Committee. The members of the Executive Committee shall not be paid for their services. All members of the Executive Committee must be in good standing in the community, and have a completed a background check as required.
Section D: The Board of Directors shall consist of: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 2 trustees. A quorum is reached when a majority of the Board of Directors is present.
Section E: The Standing Committee shall consist of: Borough Recreation Committee Representative; Fund Raising Coordinator; Concession Stand Coordinator; Field Prep Coordinator; Division Coordinators
Section F: The immediate past President shall act as an advisor to the Executive Committee.
Section G: The Board of Directors will appoint The Standing Committee members.
Section H: All members of the Board of Directors will have one vote. A simple majority will resolve all issues.
ATRICLE VI: NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Section A: A nominating Committee is the standing members of the Board. The Nominating Committee will announce the proposed slate of officers at the Soccer Club’s annual meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor (with the proposed candidate’s prior consent). If there are no nominations from the floor, the election may be conducted by Aye votes.
Section B: New officers will begin their terms April 1st. President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve for a term of two (2) years or until a successor is elected. A Member at Large officer shall serve for a term of one (1) year or until a successor is elected. Vacancies in office shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee from the Board of Directors or the general membership until expiration of the term. A person can hold the same office for only two (2) consecutive years.
ARTICLE VII: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section A: All members of the Board of Directors must be registered under Club insurance.
Section B: The President shall preside at all meetings of HBYS and of the Board of Directors and shall be a member ex-officio of all committees, except the Nominating Committee and the Auditing Committee. The President shall appoint committee leaders; shall be responsible to the general membership to exercise fiscal management of Club funds; shall address member complaints; shall act for the Soccer Club as liaison to the High Bridge Municipal Government, School District and Community. Shall approve all Club monetary expenditures.
Section C: The Vice-President shall act, as assistant to the President, and in the absence of the President shall perform the duties of the President (with the Presidents acknowledgement). The Vice-President is responsible for recruitment and registrations and shall coordinate all Club tournament matters, and appoint disciplinary committee as needed or appoint an individual(s) to do so.
Section D: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all Board of Directors Meetings and all general membership meetings; see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of the By-Laws; and in general. Shall perform all duties incidental to the Office of Secretary and such other duties as assigned to him/her by the President. The Secretary shall be responsible for all communications and meetings between HBYS and NJYS.
Section E: The Treasurer shall collect all monies from the Soccer Club and shall deposit them in the name of the Soccer Club in a bank approved by The Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of the receipts and disbursements; shall present a current statement of account at every meeting of the Board of Directors and make a full annual report to the Soccer Club at the Annual Meeting. All checks must carry two (2) signatures from members of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer’s books shall be audited by an Audit Committee of three to five (3-5) members, as named by the Board of Directors.
Section F: Division Coordinators shall oversee one division. They shall act as the liaison to the coaches in that division, members of the division, and parents within the division and the Board of Directors. The Division Coordinators term is for one year.
Section G: Members-at-large shall act as liaisons between members and the Board of Directors and perform other duties as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors.
Section H: Each officer, upon the expiration of his/her term of office, shall turn over to the successor, without delay, all records and other material pertaining to the office.
ARTICLE VIII: COACHES
Section A: Coaches shall be responsible for the recruiting and supervising of assistant coaches. He/she shall coordinates and conducts practice sessions and games. All coaches and assistant coaches are required to successfully have completed a background check as defined by the Borough of High Bridge. All coaches must complete the Rutgers Youth Sports Training Course.
Section B: All coaches will be responsible for training and supervising the HBYS Team members.
Section C: To maintain proper conduct and discipline by the team members. The coaches may suspend participation in a game for violations of players conduct guidelines. This can be done without prior approval of the Board of Directors, for persistent and flagrant refusal to comply with proper and appropriate rules established by the Coach and Soccer Club By-Laws. The Coach must notify the Vice President of the Board of Directors of any disciplinary activity within 48 hours of the incident. The Coach may also recommend to the Board of Directors suspension or termination of the player’s membership. Unresolved disputes between the Coach and player and /or members regarding disciplinary action under this policy must be appealed to and finally decided by the Board of Directors. Notification of appeal must be made to a member of Board of Directors within seven (7) days following the incident
ARTICLE IX: MEETING
Section A: The Board of Directors shall meet as deemed necessary. Special meetings may be called when required by the President. A simple majority vote will decide most issues. Five (5) voting members shall constitute a quorum.
Section B: The Board of Directors will hold The Annual Meeting at the close of each season. The Board of Directors shall call a special general membership meeting at the conclusion of each season.
ARTICLE X: BY-LAWS
The Board of Directors may recommend changes to the By-Laws. The membership may petition in writing the Board of Directors for changes. Changes in the By-Laws shall be approved by a two-thirds (2/3)-majority vote of the members in good standing that are present. Proposed changes in the By-Laws must be provided to the membership at least ten (10) days prior to any meeting at which the proposals are to be considered for adoption in writing. Amendments to the By-Laws shall include an effective date.
The Board of Directors may approve rules and procedures that are outside the By-Laws, for the orderly functioning and to effectuate the purposes of this Soccer Club.
ARTICLE XI: DISSOLUTION
Section A: If dissolution, disbandment, inactivation, or other termination of the Soccer Club is deemed necessary, it must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at a duly called general membership meeting.
Section B: Upon dissolution of HBYS, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 (C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future tax code), or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government for public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed by the Court of common Pleas of the county in which the principle office of the Soccer Club is then located. Exclusively, for such purposes or to such organization, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
Executed this 9th day of January, 2008
Vincent Schweikert, President
Gary Mills, Vice President
