RICHMOND HOCKEY, INC.
Richmond Royals Youth Hockey Club Association
ByLaws
Introduction
These Bylaws, in addition to all Standing Orders, Fiscal Operations and Policies, Travel and Select Program Handbook, and any other administrative documents shall be the governing rules of Richmond Hockey, Inc, hereafter referred to in the Bylaws as the Richmond Royals Youth Hockey Club Association or the Association.
Article I
Members
Section 1. The name of the organization shall be legally known as the Richmond Hockey, Inc. hereafter referred to as the Association. The Association shall make membership in the Association available to any individual that has a child playing on an affiliated team, or holds a coaching or administrative position in the Association. In addition, members shall be considered in good standing so long as they abide by the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Standing Orders, policies and have met their financial obligations of membership.
Section 2. Membership Categories:
a. Regular Member: Includes all rights and privileges to actively participate in the affairs and functions of the Association, the right to nominate and elect members of the Board of Directors, the right to hold office and voting privileges shall be awarded under either of the following conditions:
1. By the payment of all financial obligations established by the Board of Directors prior to elections. Regular membership established in this manner includes the parents and/or legal guardians of any travel player. Each member family shall have one vote regardless of the number of parents, legal guardians or registered players. In the case of a family with a select team player, the family shall have ¼ of a vote unless they have a combination of travel and select team players then they shall have one vote.
2. By voluntary contribution of time or services. This includes those who do not have a player in the Association and thus are not subject to dues or other fees. The voting privilege is limited to that individual alone.
b. Honorary Member: This type of membership may be conferred upon the persons who have distinguished themselves or made significant contributions to amateur hockey, consistent with purposes and objectives of the Association. Candidates for honorary membership shall be elected by a two-thirds vote of the elected Board of Directors. The honorary member shall have no voting privileges, but may serve on Association committees in an advisory capacity.
c. Fees: The Board of Directors shall prescribe the amount and manner of imposing and collecting any Association fees, costs, assessments, fines and penalties, the manner of suspension or termination of membership and for reinstatement, if any, and, except as may hereinafter be provided, the rights, liabilities, and other incidents of membership. With the acceptance of participation on an Association team, annual fees are considered due and payable in full as prescribed by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors must approve request for consideration of refunds of annual team fees or other assessed costs.
Section 3. The Board of Directors may, by a two-thirds vote of the elected Board, designate any member “not in good standing” for any of the following reasons.
a. Failure to abide by the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and policies.
b. Actions or conduct that, in the opinion of the Board members, reflects discredit on the individual or the Association.
c. Failure to meet financial obligations of the Association.
Section 4. A member who has been designated “not in good standing” is considered to be suspended from all active participation in the Association. That member may not participate in practices, games, or any other event or activity sponsored by the Association; may not hold elective office or be appointed to any position and may not vote.
Section 5. Eligibility to participate in the Association is not determined by sex, race, creed, or color. The Association does not discriminate against any person based upon sex, race, creed, or color.
Article II
Board of Directors
Voting members
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall be established pursuant to Article III of the Articles of Incorporation and Article VII of these Bylaws and shall commence execution of their elected positions on March 31st following the annual election. The Board shall be responsible for the governance of the Association. The Board shall establish policy, oversee all Association functions, and support the activities of the Association through Board established committees. Each Director may work actively on one or more committees to accomplish the goals and objectives outlined in the Bylaws, Standing Orders, policies, and Association manual. Unless otherwise stated, all votes of the Board shall require a majority of those elected to the Board.
Section 2. A member of the Board of Directors shall serve terms as outlined below:
a. With adoption of these Bylaws the voting members of the Board shall serve two-year terms elected in either odd or even years dependent upon the office as listed below:
1. President – Odd-year election
2. VP Business Operations – Even-year election
3. VP Hockey Operations – Odd-year election
4. VP Fund Raising – Even-year election
5. Secretary – Odd-year election
6. Treasurer – Odd-year election
7. CBHL Representative – Even-year election
Section 3. Duties:
a. President: The President is responsible for the administration of the Association as established and approved by the Board. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association and Chairperson of the Board; preside at all meetings of the regular membership and the Board meetings; appoint members of all Association committees as established and approved by the Board; co-sign all contracts, leases and other legal documents as may be authorized or approved by the Board; and generally conduct the affairs of the Association as specifically established by the Bylaws, Standing Orders, or other policies as approved by the Board.
b. Vice President/Business Operations: Shall assume all duties of the president in his or her absence; responsible for administration of all business matters; co-sign all contracts; serve as coordinator and moderator of the budget, ice contracts and work with rink liaison to schedule ice time for practices, league and non-league games and other Association rink events; coordinate operations of team managers and other Association volunteers; coordinate with team managers and volunteer staff the distribution of all Association hockey uniforms and team resources as ordered by the Association uniform representative and/or the Vice President/Hockey Operations; and any other endeavors necessary for the operation of the hockey programs of the Association and approved by the Board.
c. Vice President/Hockey Operations: Shall assume the duties of president in the absence of the president and vice president/business operations; shall negotiate contracts for hockey programs; chair the Association Discipline Committee; supervise player registration; supervise the coaches, establish monthly coaches meetings, and ensure that Association goals and policies are uniformly being administered by coaches of all Association teams; supervise the coordination, assignment and training of all teams’ contracts for on-ice officials; supervise the purchasing and receipt of all Association hockey uniforms and team resources; and any other endeavors necessary for the continual operation of the hockey programs of the Association and approved by the Board.
d. Vice President/Fund Raising and Corporate Sponsorship: Shall be responsible for all matters pertaining to club and individual fund raising and corporate sponsorships. Maintain records of donations; oversee all correspondence to donors and potential donors; develop fundraising programs; team wearable sales and community relations; develop and implement marketing and promotion programs; and any other endeavors necessary for the operation of the hockey programs of the Association and approved by the Board.
e. Secretary: Shall keep minutes of all Association membership and Board meetings; maintain the Association Bylaws, Standing Orders, all reports, policies, documents and other non-financial records connected with the business operations of the Association; maintain membership records; prepare and post notices of regular and special Board meetings and regular and special general membership meetings; prepare all official correspondence; post meeting agendas no less than 48 hours prior to, and post minutes of all meetings of the membership and a synopsis of all meetings of the Board within 96 hours of said meetings; coordinate publication of all Association materials with the newsletter, public relations, nominating and election, or other established committees, oversee the Association’s web page; and any other endeavors necessary for the operation of the hockey programs of the Association and approved by the Board.
f. Treasurer: Shall have custody of the funds of the Association and maintain such financial records as may be required by the Bylaws, Standing Orders, policies, or the Commonwealth of Virginia, or federal laws; maintain records of receipts and disbursements; render financial reports annually and at such times as requested by the Board; provide a treasurer’s report at all Board and general membership meetings; present all financial records to a non-partial accounting firm no later than 20 calendar days after the close of each fiscal year in order that tax preparation and an annual review take place; co-sign all checks in excess of $500 with the President of the Association or his Board designee; collect all fees or other Assocation charges; and assist the Vice President/Business Operations in the preparation of the annual budget; and any other endeavors necessary for the operation of the hockey programs of the Association and approved by the Board. In addition, in order to be eligible to serve in this position, the person shall be able to attain a financial bond of assurance.
g. CBHL Representative: Shall be responsible for maintaining good working relationship with our league affiliate; attend and report back to the membership on the monthly CBHL league meeting or request a Board member or an Association member representative to attend in his steed; represent the Association at the league meetings, and vote on league business as required and in line with the mission, goals, and objectives of the Association and/or Board policies and procedures as approved by the Board.
Non-Voting Members
a. Hockey Director: Shall be a Board appointed position reporting directly to the Vice President/Hockey Operations; be directly responsible for developing hockey programs, player development, coaching programs and act as player/coach parent/coach liaison; assist with the development of a disciplinary policy and procedure manual for Board approval; and any endeavors for the operation of the hockey programs of the Association as submitted by the Vice President/Hockey Operations and approved by the Board.
b. Local Supervisor of Officials: Appointed by the Virginia Supervisor of Officials; serve as a liaison between the local hockey officials and this Association.
c. Other non-voting member positions may be established and duties detailed in
Association Standing Orders as approved by the Board.
Section 4. Members of the Board are to be present at all Board meetings and general membership meetings unless specifically excused in advance by the President or his designee.
Section 5. In order to retain a position of elected office, each Board member must attend a minimum of 10 regularly scheduled meetings per year of his or her term unless such absences have been excused.
In the event a Board member does not fulfill the meeting attendance requirement, the Board member may be removed from their elected position by a vote of the Board and the remaining term of the vacant position will be filled accordingly:
a. If the Board member is in the first year of a two-year term, the vacancy shall be filled within 60 calendar days by a majority vote of the general membership after notice of the vacancy has been posted and candidates for election have been solicited and identified for election per established procedures.
b. If the Board member is in the second year of a two-year term the vacancy shall be filled within 30 calendar days by a majority vote of the remaining elected Board members.
Section 6. The Board with or without cause may initiate a recall from office. A member of the Board may be recalled by a two-third’s vote of the general membership of the Association entitled to vote at any special or regular meeting of the Association for which proper notice has been given and a quorum is present. In the event a Board member shall be recalled from office and a vacancy occurs, that position shall be filled according to section 5 of this Article.
Section 7. All other vacancies shall be filled in accordance with section 5 of this Article.
Section 8. Expenses incurred by a Board member or designated Association official or representative in defending or representing the Association in any proceeding may be paid by the Association in advance of the final disposition of such proceeding upon receipt and approval of the majority vote of the elected Board. Such expense incurred by other employees or agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Board deems appropriate by a majority vote of the elected Board.
Section 9. Except as stated above, a Board member may only receive reimbursement for mileage for attendance at Association related meetings. No Board member shall receive any salary or compensation (direct or indirect) from the Association for service as a Board member.
Section 10. The Association may maintain insurance at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Association or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise against any such expense, liability, or loss, whether or not the Association would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the general laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Article III
Meetings and Quorums
Section 1. All meetings of the Association shall be conducted in accordance with these Bylaws, Association Standing Orders, and “Robert’s Rules of Order”.
Section 2.
a. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held on a regular schedule, not less than monthly, at a time and location mutually agreeable to a majority of the elected Board members. Such meetings may be canceled provided such cancellation is agreed to by the Board no less than three (3) days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting date or in the case of inclement weather,
b. Special meetings of the Board shall be called by the President or a majority of those elected to the Board provided 3 business days prior notice is given via writing, telephone, or electronic mail system to all Board members.
c. All meetings of the Board shall be open unless a specific motion is made and approved by the Board to close the meeting.
Section 3. A quorum for the purpose of conducting a meeting of the Board shall be a majority of the elected Board. Unless otherwise prohibited, a Board member shall be allowed to be counted as part of the quorum either by being physically present or by participating in the meeting via tele-conference, via telephone, or other electronic resources, In cases of an emergency as determined by the President or at the request of a minimum of two Board members, Association business may be conducted via telephone or electronic mail.
All matters brought to a vote shall be decided by a majority vote of those elected to the Board unless otherwise required in these Bylaws or Association Standing Orders. All matters which result in a tie shall be considered not passed and unless successfully reconsidered shall be considered final.
Section 4. Regular general membership meetings shall be conducted by the Board not less than quarterly and may be held in conjunction with Board meetings. Written, printed, or electronic notice must be provided to each Association member stating the location, day, and time of each meeting and, in case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which such meeting is called, and shall be delivered not less than three (3) days and not more than ninety (90) days before the date of such meeting, either personally, by mail or other electronic communication, at the direction of the President or his designee approved to provide notice of the meeting. The first regular membership meeting after the annual elections shall be held no later than thirty-five days (35) after such elections. The purpose of this meeting shall be organizational for the next hockey season and may include the introduction of the elected Board, announce committee appointments, plans for the next season as it may relate to tryouts, proposed budgets, programs, etc… and any other administrative procedures and information that is part of the Bylaws or Standing Orders.
Section 5. Once the Annual Association Budget has been approved by a majority vote of the elected Board, a general membership meeting shall be held for the purpose of presenting the budget to the members for their ratification. This meeting shall be held prior to the beginning of the regularly scheduled travel team tryouts for the next hockey season. All proposed player team fees shall be announced and contained in the annual player contract.
Section 6. Special meetings of the regular membership may be requested in writing to the Board, stating the purpose(s) of the meeting and shall be signed by no less than 20 percent of the general membership, or at the call of the President, or a quorum of the Board members. The Board shall respond within five (5) business days with a posted, mailed, or electronic notice to the general membership stating the purpose(s), date, time and location of the meeting.
Section 7. The Board shall announce the annual general membership meeting designated for the purpose of electing members to the Board of Directors pursuant to Article VII. In addition, this meeting shall include the presentation of a President’s Annual Progress Report of the year’s activities.
Section 8. A quorum for the purposes of conducting business at general membership meetings shall be determined by the attendance of the team manager from each travel team or a minimum of 15 regular members which 15 may include those present and serving in elected Board positions. Unless otherwise stated, all decisions at a general membership meeting shall be decided by a majority vote of the members voting.
Section 9. Voting by proxy will be allowed provided the proxy is in written form and sets forth the specific issues and positions that may be voted by proxy. Voting on all matters, including the election of directors, may be conducted by mail or a electronic medium that documents the specific issue(s) to be voted on by the general membership to the extent permitted.
Article IV
Financial Management
Section 1. All funds of the Association shall be deposited in the name of the Association in a duly chartered banking institution approved by the Board.
Section 2. Expenditures of the Association’s funds shall adhere to guidelines set forth by the annual budget and ratified by the membership within the timelines and fiscal year as approved by the Board.
Section 3. All finances of the Association will be audited annually by an in-house audit committee and are to be reviewed by a non-partial professional accounting firm. Results will be reported at the first regular membership meeting after completion and appended to the minutes of the meeting. Professional audits of the financial records of the Association may be conducted as deemed necessary and as directed by the Board.
Section 4. The fiscal year of the Association shall be fixed, and shall be subject to change by the Board of Directors.
Section 5. No Board member of the Association may receive financial benefit or gain from their position on the Board.
Article V
Committees and Chairpersons
Section 1. Committees and Chairpersons may be appointed by the President, with Board approval, as established in the Bylaws or Standing Orders and as required to assure the continual operation of the hockey programs of the Association.
Section 2. When required, the Board shall determine the number of committees and chairpersons to be appointed and their functional responsibilities.
Section 3. Committee and Chairperson appointments are to be for a term of no longer than one year and are to be made as required or established. A Chairperson or committee member may be reappointed on an annual basis. It is assumed that all members will take an active roll in volunteering and serving on committees or in other capacities as identified, established, and approved by the Board for the continual operation of the hockey programs of the Association.
Section 4. Any person may serve as a Chairperson or committee member on more than one (1) but not more than three (3) committees. This limitation may be waived by a vote of the Board.
Article VI
Member Financial Obligations
Section 1. Each regular member of the Association whose child or children play for the Association shall be subject to payment of all team fees pursuant to Article I of these Bylaws and as stated in the annual player contract or other Association policies that may be adopted.
Section 2. The annual budget may contain individual player registration fees and shall be set forth in the budget for each such player to be registered in the program and shall be approved by the Board. Such fees may include those to offset administrative costs associated with membership in USA Hockey or other sanctioned governing body with which the Association may be affiliated.
Section 3. An annual player contract, which sets forth team and club fees, shall be required for each player registered with the Association and shall be in an amount determined by the Board and set forth in the annual budget. Such fees shall be used to offset expenses relating to the conduct of the Association’s programs. The Board may, at its discretion, establish a flat fee or a sliding scale applicable in cases where there is more than one player per family.
Section 4. Registration fees and any other associated costs are due and payable at the time as determined by the Board. The Board may establish a payment schedule for the annual player contract fees, allowing for payment to be made over the length of the playing season, which may include financing costs, to be assessed over the term of the payment period. The Board may establish special payment schedules for delinquent player contract accounts and club debts to be resolved. A receipt shall be available upon request from the Association’s Treasurer for each payment.
Section 5. Each player in the Association and his/her parents and/or legal guardians shall be responsible for meeting all financial obligations, regardless of the player’s degree of participation.
a. Exceptions may be made by the Board only in cases of:
1. Extreme financial hardship which, in the opinion of the Board, warrants such exception.
2. A player becoming ill or injured, causing that player to be unable to finish the playing season for which fees have been paid or a portion of such fees remains unpaid. If approved by the Board, the amount of reduction or refund will be prorated by the Treasurer according to the time of the playing season remaining when such injury or illness occurs.
3. For any case to be given consideration by the Board, a written request to the President or to the Board as a whole shall be required to be received from the parents and/or legal guardian of the player(s) stating in detail the rationale for such request.
Article VII
Nomination and Election Procedures
Section 1. The President shall appoint a Nominating and Election Committee comprised of a minimum of three members of the Association (members wishing to be nominated or members of their families may not serve on the Nominating and Elections Committee), subject to approval by the Board, at least sixty (60) days prior to the general membership meeting scheduled for the purpose of electing members of the Board. The membership of the Association may also nominate candidates by submitting the names of members to the Secretary of the Association to be included on the ballot within the time frame as stated in section 2 of this Article. All candidates for election must be Regular Members of the Association in good standing. Unless exempted by the unanimous vote of the Board, all coaches are prohibited from consideration as a candidate for election to the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Nominating Procedures – upon appointment, the Nominating and Election Committee shall immediately begin soliciting eligible candidates seeking to serve on the Board as well as those to be nominated as Honorary Members. A member of the Association shall be eligible for nomination as a voting member of the Board of Directors provided they are a parent or legal guardian of a player on an Association travel team during the year for which the position is open for election per the Bylaws and shall meet any additional requirements as required by the Association Bylaws.
Applications for such positions should be made readily available to the membership at the time the Nominating and Election Committee is appointed. The date by which such applications should be turned in to the Nominating and Election Committee shall be no later than thirty (30) days prior to the election. Nominations shall be made in an impartial manner. Nominees shall be notified no later than 21 days prior to the election date and be given an opportunity to accept or decline the nomination. Written ballots should include copies of the applications for nomination so that all eligible voting members may become familiar with all candidates. Any member may make nominations for candidates for office from the floor during any meeting prior to the deadline for nominations to be received.
Section 3. Election Procedure – The election of officers will be by secret written ballot and shall be received from a “Regular Member” that is “in good standing” pursuant to Section 2 of Article I of these Bylaws. The ballots for election may be distributed from the Nominating and Election Committee via Team Managers to all eligible voting members and collected and returned to the Secretary of the Association by the date of the general membership meeting announced for such purpose. The general membership meeting announced for the purpose of electing members of the Board of Directors shall be scheduled during the month of February.
Any “Regular Member” of the Association in attendance at said meeting and that has not had the opportunity to cast a ballot shall be provided a ballot at the meeting. All ballots cast at the meeting shall be counted with those received from Team Managers or received via mail or email. Any eligible voting member shall cast his own vote, however, absentee ballots, either mailed or sent electronically, will be allowed and must be received by the Nominating and Election Committee no later than 48 hours prior to the general membership meeting announced for such election. Nominees for election may be asked to make brief remarks at a meeting prior to the election. The Nominating and Election Committee shall insure no ballot has been received from a member ineligible to vote. Votes shall be counted at the designated meeting and winners announced. All such ballots on which a vote has been cast shall become part of the records of the Association for one month in the event a recount is requested by a majority of the total membership.
Article VIII
Books and Records
The Association shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of the members of the Board, any committee having the authority of the Board, and any general membership meeting, and shall keep at its registered office or principal office in the State of Virginia a record of the names and addresses of all members. The address of the initial registered office of the Association and the name of the initial registered agent of the Association are set forth in the Articles of Incorporation.
Article IX
Bonding
All members of the Board as well as any personnel of the Association required to handle cash and other financial matters, including but not limited to management, shall, at the Boards discretion, be required to be bonded. The expense of such bonding will be borne by the Association.
Article X
Parliamentary Authority
The Parliamentary Authority for the Board of Directors and for any meeting of the Board or of the general membership shall be Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised except where otherwise stated in these Bylaws.
Article XI
Bylaws Amendments and Standing Orders
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended or repealed at any general membership meeting or at any special meeting for which proper notice shall have been given, or pursuant to Article III Section 9 of these Bylaws. A quorum required for a general membership meeting shall be the quorum required to consider any amendments to the Bylaws, except in the case of Bylaw amendments submitted for approval by mail or an electronic medium pursuant to Section 9 of Article III of these Bylaws. Amendments to the Bylaws will be passed by a two-third’s majority vote of the “Regular Members” voting or represented by proxy.
Section 2. The Board shall have the authority pursuant to its Parliamentary Authority to adopt, amend, or repeal Standing Orders of the Association. The Standing Orders shall not be in conflict with any Bylaw and may be approved by the majority vote of the members elected to the Board.
________________________ __________________
President of the Association Date
________________________ __________________
Secretary of the Association Date
Submitted for Approval August 22 2008
