PVGS - Bylaws

Bylaws

ARTICLE I - Name

The name of the association shall be Ponte Vedra Girls Softball, hereinafter referred to as the “Association”, operating under the auspices of the Ponte Vedra-Palm Valley Athletic Association.

ARTICLE II - Purpose

The purpose for which this Association is organized is to develop and operate a softball program in affiliation with Babe Ruth League, Inc., a New Jersey corporation in conformity with and pursuant to the principles, rules and regulations enunciated by said Babe Ruth League, Inc. In conjunction with such purposes, the objective of this association is that, through the medium of a supervised, competitive softball program, this association will seek to implant in the youth of the community, ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty and loyalty.

ARTICLE III - Powers

This Association shall have the following powers in addition to the powers expressly or implicitly conferred on it by law.

Section 1. To make and enforce rules and regulations to govern itself on a local basis.

Section 2. Such other powers, as the association requires to fulfill its purpose, including, but not limited to the power to solicit contributions, enter into contracts and hold property.

ARTICLE IV-Officers

Section 1. The management and control of business of the Association shall be composed of the following officers:

A. COMMISSIONER: At an annual meeting of the League Coaches, a commissioner of softball shall be elected. All existing head coaches shall select, by majority vote, a person for the position of Commissioner. This election shall occur in May or June at the discretion of the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall serve until the next election. Said Commissioners’ duties shall include but not be limited to:

Conduct the affairs of the League

Make decisions necessary to organize and maintain the League.

Appoint all coaches and submit youth league coaches for approval through the Association.

Create and appoint an “Advisory Board”. Said Board shall consist of Secretary, Treasurer, Past Commissioner and 2 Members-at-Large

Perform all other duties enumerated in these by-laws and the by-laws of the Association.

Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by Association players, coaches and parents.

B. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER: At an annual meeting of the League Coaches, a Deputy Commissioner of softball shall be elected. All existing head coaches shall select, by majority vote, a person for the position of Deputy Commissioner. This election shall occur in May or June at the discretion of the Commissioner. The Deputy Commissioner shall serve until the next election. Said duties shall include but not be limited to:

Assist Commissioner in the conduct of the League

Act as presiding officer at Board meetings when the Commissioner is not present.

Act as Parliamentarian to insure that the Rules of Order are followed.

Oversee and appoint a Chairperson of Registration and Membership (duties as defined in Exhibit A)

Assume responsibilities for the position Chairperson of Registration and Membership in their absence or inability to perform their duties.

Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by Association players, coaches and parents.

C. SECRETARY - Duties shall include but not be limited to:

Keep an accurate accounting of all official actions and proceedings of the Board of Directors; the minutes of all Association meetings, and all other official documents of the Association.
Handle any necessary correspondence.
Oversee and appoint a Chairperson of Communication (duties as defined in Exhibit D)
Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by Association players, coaches and parents.

D. TREASURER - Duties shall include but not be limited to:

Be chief custodian of the Association funds (With bond to be provided by the Association)
Submit to the membership at meetings a written financial statement covering all transactions for the year to date.
Issue checks to cover all expenses approved by concurrence of the Board, or expenses incurred with the personal limitations of designated representatives as outlined in Article VII.
Keep accurate records and accounts of Association funds and file all necessary reports and forms.
Oversee and appoint a Chairperson for Fundraising (duties as defined in Exhibit B).
Oversee and appoint a Chairperson of Equipment and Uniforms (duties as defined in exhibit C).
Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by association players, coaches and parents.

E. MEMBERS-AT-LARGE - Duties shall include but not be limited to:

Attend Board meeting as voting members
Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by Association player, coaches and parents.

F. PAST COMMISSIONER - Duties shall include but not be limited to:

Shall serve on the Board as a non-voting advisory member for 1 (one) year.
2. Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by Association player, coaches and parents.

Section 2: Any vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled by appointment by the Commissioner. In the event of a vacancy of the Commissioner, a special meeting will be held, all existing head coaches shall elect by majority vote an Interim Commissioner to serve until the next normally scheduled annual election as described in Article V, Section 3. The Interim Commissioner may exercise all the powers and rights of the Commissioner. Notice of a special meeting shall be given with at least 5 (five) days advanced notice.

ARTICLE V - Association Meetings

Section 1. Regular meetings - Regular meetings of the Board shall be held on a monthly basis at a time and place to be determined no less than 14 days prior to such meeting.

Section 2. Special meeting - Notice must be given at least 5 days prior to said meeting and must include all existing Board members and existing head coaches. The purpose of this meeting will be to elect an Interim Commissioner.

Section 3. Annual Meeting - The annual meeting of this Association shall be held in May or June at the discretion of the Commissioner but not more than 13 months shall elapse between annual meetings. The primary business of the annual meeting shall be the election of the Commissioner. Such election shall be by a majority vote of all the existing head coaches. The Commissioner shall serve until the next election.

Section 4. Emergency Meeting - An emergency meeting may be called by any member with quorum approval to address any issue, which requires attention with less than 5 days notice. Such meeting may be designated as a “closed” meeting by a majority vote of the members and shall be the first order of business for the meeting.

Section 5. Quorum- a quorum shall consist of 50% of the Board members.

ARTICLE VI - Order of Business

Section 1. Roberts Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority on all matters not covered by these articles.

Section 2. The usual order of business is as follows

1. Call to order by the presiding officer

2. Roll call by Secretary.

3. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting by the secretary.

4. Questions and vote of acceptance of the minutes.

5. Treasurers Report

6. Committee reports

7. Old business

8. New business

9. Discussions

10. Adjournment

ARTICLE VII – Contracts, loans, checks, deposits and operations

Section 1. A quorum of the Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Association; such authority shall be confined to specific instances.

Section 2. No loan shall be contracted on behalf of the Association and no evidence of indebtedness shall be issued in its name unless authorized by resolution of a majority of the Board of Directors. Such authority shall be confined to specific instances.

Section 3. The Treasurer shall be bonded at the expense of the Association. All checks are to be signed by either the Treasurer or the Commissioner.

Section 4. All funds of the Association not otherwise employed shall be deposited in a timely manner to the credit of the Association in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may select.

ARTICLE VIII-League Composition

Section 1. For youth softball, it is anticipated that the age groupings will be as follows:

A. 6 & Under

B. 8 & Under

C. 10 &Under

D. 12 & Under

E. 14 & Under

F. 16 & Under

Section 2. Assignment to the appropriate group will follow Babe Ruth League, Inc. rules, specifically the player age as of Jan 1 will determine the players group assignment.

Section 3. The player may not play down. Players may only play up on the basis of a hardship exemption. A request for a hardship exemption must be made in writing, containing a full explanation of the hardship and submitted to the Board for approval. The Board shall act in a timely manner and the majority decision of the Board is final.

Section 4. Fall leagues are considered a continuation of the spring season. The age limits that are applied in the spring will apply in the fall, however the ability to play up will be given preferentially to those players who will be required to move up the following spring.

ARTICLE IX – Team Selection Process

Section 1. In the T-Ball Leagues, the Board shall select all rosters. A roster of each team shall have twelve players. However, if absolutely necessary, the board may expand a team’s roster to place additional players if total registration does not allow for equal distribution of players. However, said expansion shall be evenly distributed to the extent possible.

Section 2. Each T-Ball team shall be comprised of 6 “younger” players and 6 “older” players. Age shall be the league age as determined in Article VIII, Section 2. Thus, for example, all junior T-Ball teams shall have six 5 year olds and six 6 year olds. An attempt shall be made to comprise each T-Ball team with an equal number of younger and older players. No “trading” of players shall be allowed.

Section 3. If possible requests by parents for specific coaches shall be honored. However, they cannot be guaranteed. No such requests can be honored in the leagues above T-Ball.

Section 4. League team selections shall be by a draft system in conjunction with a player evaluation system. Each player shall attend a player evaluation session for the purpose of obtaining a current value to assist with an equitable draft. Each season a player evaluation session will be scheduled at the discretion of the commissioner, such evaluation may be conducted by outside evaluators if possible, or by coaches from a different age group then the group being evaluated. e.g. 10U coaches may evaluate the 8U players group. Players shall be evaluated on multiple skills with a composite score being created. Players not attending the scheduled evaluation session or (if scheduled) a make-up evaluation session will be assigned the maximum score on each skill. The Commissioner shall determine the team “roster size” each season.

Section 5. Each coach will be entitled to exempt his/her child and that of one assistant coach on his/her team. However, the selection of an assistant coach must be made in good faith and not solely for the purpose of securing a good player. The Commissioner shall retain the right to deny the request for an exemption if he/she feels that said request is not made in good faith. The draft will proceed by age group with coach’s child and the assistant coaches child’s composite scores being combined to give each team a beginning aggregate score. The team with the lowest aggregate score shall then make their draft selection from the player pool, with the chosen players evaluation score added to their aggregate score to create a new aggregate score. Then the team with the lowest current aggregate score will make their draft selection with the above process repeating until all players in the age group have been selected

Section 6. The draft session shall be defined and scheduled by the Commissioner.

Section 7. When a younger sibling joins a league wherein an older sibling has already been placed on a team, the younger child may be placed on the same team, assuming it is age appropriate, unless the parents make a contrary request. The purpose of this rule is to insure that siblings play together.

ARTICLE X – Rules for League Play

Section 1. With the exception of local rules as defined in ADDENDUM A, all play will be governed by the rules set forth by Babe Ruth Softball Rules and Regulations. Such local exemptions shall not apply in Babe Ruth League tournament play.

Section 2. The Commissioner, at his/her discretion in conjunction with Commissioners of competitive leagues and with the advice of his/her coaches, may make amendments to Addendum A as he/she may see fit.

ARTICLE XI - Amending By-Laws

Section 1. These By-Laws may be amended or repealed at any meeting of the Association provided, however, that such proposed amendment or proposed set of amendments must have been read at two (2) consecutive regular Board of Directors meetings. The amendment or set of amendments must be passed and approved by a majority of all voting board members at such second meeting. Prior to the first reading of amendments the Board of Directors must inform the General Body of Membership for the sole purpose of informing the General Body of their right to attend the Board Meeting and address the proposed changes.

ARTICLE XII – Coaches

Section 1. The Board shall approve all youth coaches, and the Board’s decision is final. In cases where there are more requests than vacancies for head coaching positions, the following rules shall be applied to assist the Board in the selection of coaches.

A. Seniority with child in the League – Number of full seasons as head coach valued as one (1). Number of full seasons as an assistant coach valued as one-half (1/2). The total numerical score shall determine seniority.

B. Seniority without a child in the league.

C. Adult with training and /or certification and child in the league

D. Adult with a child in the league.

E. Other qualified adult.

Section 2. All coaches shall abide by any requests for information with respect to completing a Criminal History Check. Refusal to complete such request will result in the coach’s suspension of duties until such time as the request is completed.

Section 3. Subject to Section 1 above, prior coaches shall be given preference for positions in each new season. If slots are available, “graduating” coaches shall be given preference over new applicants in an upper league. For example, assume that the 8 & under league has 5 teams with 3 prior coaches. Two coaches from T-ball will be allowed to fill the slots. If more than 2 graduating coaches apply and the above rules fail to break the tie, the Commissioner shall draw 2 names from a hat at random. Those not selected shall have the option to be considered for a return to the lower league and assume the status of a “prior coach” It is the intention of these By-Laws to give priority to parents with existing players

Section 4. If a new division is created, existing coaches in the league shall be given first preference at positions over new applicants. This paragraph shall not be inconsistent with Section 3 above. If there are more applicants than positions, the rules in Section 1 shall be applied to determine selection.

ARTICLE XIII– Discipline

The Commissioner may at his/her discretion, temporarily remove from the league membership, participation or affiliation any coach, player or parent who is guilty of offensive or unsportsmanlike behavior. No warning shall be required but may be permitted at the discretion of the Commissioner. An emergency meeting of the Board will then be called at which time the Board in “closed “ session will determine the extent and severity of the discipline.

ARTICLE XIV – General Provisions

Section 1. No person can be head coach in more than one league.

Section 2. Completed applications, medical releases and copies of birth certificates shall be required of all players wishing to participate in the league.

EXHIBIT A

CHAIRPERSON OF REGISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP

Duties to include but not limited to:

1. Maintain a roster of all active members.

2. Coordinate all association registration activities during the year.

3. Maintain birth certificates and medical release forms for all teams.

4. Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by association players, coaches and parents.

EXHIBIT B

CHAIRPERSON OF FUNDRAISING

Duties to include but not limited to:

1. Coordinate and supervise the annual fundraising events that the committee with approval from the board may deem appropriate.

2. Coordinate the team sponsorship program.

3.Coordinate the team’s sports pictures, which will include vendor selection and scheduling of pictures.

4. Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by association players, coaches and parents

EXHIBIT C

CHAIRPERSON OF EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS

Duties to include but not limited to:

1. Maintain a complete inventory of all athletic equipment and uniforms.

2 Supervise the distribution and collection of athletic equipment and/or uniforms to each teams representative.

3. Supervise the ordering and purchase of all equipment and uniforms with the boards’ approval.

4. Maintain records of equipment and uniform orders and purchases.

5 Supervise the ordering and purchasing of all team trophies with board approval, and coordinate the distribution of trophies to each teams representative.

6. Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by association players, coaches, and parents.

EXHIBIT D

CHAIRPERSON OF COMMUNICATION

Duties to include but not limited to:

1. Establish and maintain contact between the association and the various media.

2. Supervise the publication of literature between the association and the general body of membership.

3. Monitor games for appropriate sportsmanship by association player’s coaches and parents.

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Ponte Vedra Girls Softball • P.O. Box 3374 • Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32004

A member of the PVPV Athletic Association