TFA By-laws

Tracyton Fastpitch Association (TFA)
Constitution & By-laws
revised 2010

Article I:   Name, Purpose and Objectives

Section 1.
   The name of this organization shall be TRACYTON FASTPITCH ASSOCIATION, a non-profit organization, an affiliate of KITSAP PENINSULA YOUTH FASTPITCH COUNCIL. Herein after called TFA or The Association. Non-Profit Status. This organization is organized exclusively for charitable or education purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 2.
The purpose of TFA is to encourage, assist, organize and promote team work through All girls Fastpitch Softball for both Recreational and competitive purposes. Girls ages 5-16 yrs. will be drawn from within the geographical boundaries organized and described by the Youth Council. Primary effort shall be to encourage good sportsmanship and to teach fundamentals of Fastpitch Softball.

Section 3.
This organization shall cooperate with the Youth Council and abide by all of their rules and regulations. Sports shall include organized, competitive sports sanctioned and authorized by the Youth Council.

A.   To promote amateur softball for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry.
B.   To enforce uniform softball rules and regulations.
C.   To promote competition, recreation and sportsmanship.
D.   To cooperate with all Youth Council associations.
E.   To engage in annual amateur softball championships.
F.   To educate and train the Association membership in the proper skills of amateur softball play and the rules of the game by: promoting, organizing and conducting clinics, seminars and training courses.
     G.   To promote and supervise sponsorship and fundraising activities on behalf of the     Association.

Article II.   Membership

Section 1.
Association. This Association shall be composed of interested volunteers who organize and register young women on teams in respective age divisions in the Tracyton area and have agreed to abide by all the rules and regulations adopted by TFA.

Section 2.
Representation. Each actively involved team will be represented by their Association Representative and the President of the TFA. Voting privileges shall be in accordance with Article V Section 5. Voting Rights are defined in Section 3 of this Article.

Section 3.
Voting Rights. Each actively involved member in good standing at any regular or special Association meeting shall have voting privileges. An “actively involved member” shall be defined as: Board electees and committee appointees. “In Good Standing” means those members that have performed their responsibilities in accordance with the By-laws of TFA, guidelines and general rules.

Section 4.
Termination. Any individual may be dropped from membership of TFA by majority vote at a regular or special meeting provided written recommendation is sent to that individual’s mailing address or email address. The Board will be responsible for presenting a basis for any termination that is proposed for cause. “For Cause” means any activities of a member or a participant subject to TFA, including other active members as defined above, coaches, asst. coaches, umpires or opposing coaches or participants, to excessive and unexcused harassment, intentional or reckless injury, or other incident which places TFA in an embarrassing light or derogatory position.

Section 5.
Withdrawal from Membership. Any team may voluntarily withdraw after submitting a letter to the Association its intent to withdraw from the Association. The letter shall clearly explain the reason for withdrawal and shall be signed by the Head Coach, Assistant Coach and at least 51% of the registered players’ parents. Withdrawal from TFA means that the team may not participate in any TFA games and scrimmages. Upon withdrawal, the sponsor shall be notified by TFA and the sponsorship fee shall be transferred to the Association.

Article III.   Coaching Positions

Section 1.
Head Coaching and Assistant Coaching are privileges, not a right in TFA. All coaches are appointed on an annual basis by the Board of Directors. Should a situation arise in which your actions are deemed to not be in the best interest of TFA, the players, the team, Kitsap Peninsula Youth Fastpitch Council aka KPYFC
, or you have violated your code of conduct terms, the board has the right to remove you as a coach.

Section 2.
Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Board Members. All Coaches, Assistant Coaches must complete a Coaches Application form. Board Members will complete a code of conduct form. And a form for submission to the Washington State Patrol which will be used for the purposes of a background check. All Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Board Members will be expected to attend all coaches’ committee meetings. The recruitment and evaluation of coaching candidates shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board.

Section 3.
Returning Coaches. All returning Coaches must indicate desire to return by attending a monthly Association meeting or by stating his or her intent to return verbally to any Association Board member. Returning coaches will be expected to attend all coaches meetings thereafter. Returning coaches must also comply with the requirements set forth above for Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Board Members.

Section 4.
Board Members are allowed to register one player free of charge as long as they fulfill their obligation to the organization and attends required meetings.
Coaches are allowed to register one daughter free of charge as long as they fulfill their obligation to the organization and attends all required meetings.

Coaches will be required to put a $120 check deposit when checking out equipment.
Coaches will receive their $120 registration fee deposit or coach hold check once all equipment is returned to Equipment Manager by the end of the season. If equipment is not returned by the end of the season. The check will be deposited 10 days after end of the year inventory has been completed.

Article IV:   Association Executive Board

Section 1.
Association Executive Board Members. The Association Executive Board (“the Board”) is an independent body consisting of ten (10) members. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Field Manager, Equipment Manager, Fund-raising coordinator, Uniform Coordinator and Youth Council Rep.

Section 2.
Powers and Duties. The Executive Board Members shall have the following collective functions:

A.   Attend all regular and special meetings of TFA.
B.   Interpret, enforce and follow Association guidelines as to the best of their ability.
C.   Arbitrate disputes and protests regarding members, Coaches or games.
D.   Make decisions regarding Coaches’ eligibility.
E.   Make decisions regarding player waivers.
F.   Propose decisions regarding the betterment of TFA that will be accepted with a majority vote of the membership.
G.   All officers elected or appointed to office shall have voting privileges.
      Form a *quorum for the purpose of voting on TFA business. *A quorum shall be the majority of Board Members or at least 4 members.
H.   Assist in preparation of the Association’s annual budget.
I.   Prepare and/or present Association By-law changes/additions.
J.   Formulate agenda for regular and special Board meetings.
      K.   Appoint additional Chairpersons and assistants for special projects/committees.

Section 3.
Term and Succession. Board Members and Committee Chairpersons shall perform their duties for one (1) year commencing with the beginning of the sport season. In the event a Board Member or Chairperson vacates or abandons his or her position, those duties shall be distributed among the remaining Board Members until a replacement is appointed. In the event the Treasurer resigns, the President shall call a special meeting of the Board to audit the outgoing Treasurer’s records and report the findings to the membership. A proposed replacement for the Treasurer will be selected by the Board. The named replacement will be approved by the membership at the next regularly scheduled Association meeting.

Section 4.
Elections. The election of Board Members shall occur at each annual meeting of the Board which shall be conducted on the last business meeting of the sport season. The existing board has the final say in the election of new board members. The newly elected Board Members shall then serve for the term mentioned in Section 3 of this Article.

Section 5.
   Specific Duties. The Individual Officers and Committee Chairpersons of the Board shall have the following specific duties:

A.   President.
The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association and, subject to the direction and control of the Board, shall have general charge and supervision over its property, business and affairs. The President shall preside at and conduct all meetings of the Board and the Association. Duties include:

1.   Call meetings of the Board.
2.   Designate the recording of the meeting minutes.
3.   Act as liaison between TFA as non-voting member of the Youth Council, and assume the voting role in the absence of the Youth Council Representative at such meetings.
4.   Participate in the selection of select team Coaches.
5.   Act on behalf of the Association as liaison with parents.
6.   Organize Association sponsored tournaments.
7.   Approve checks for TFA and manage the financial structure of the Association.
8.   Complete all paper work appropriate to the Association USSSA programs at the local, state, regional and national level, as needed.
9.   Receive and distribute program information from the Youth Council and state, regional and national USSSA offices to the membership.

B. Vice President.
The Vice President duties shall be in the absence of the President, all duties described above for the President.

           1. Act as chairperson for the coaches committee.
           2. Review all complaints concerning coaching that are submitted in writing and report the finding to the board.
           3. Have the authority to counter-sign all check written and issued by the Treasurer.
           4. Act as a liaison between the board and Coaches.
           5. Oversee annual background check on all active coaches and Executive Board members.
           6. Solicit new sponsors.

C. Secretary.
The Secretary shall take and keep the minutes of all Board and general membership meetings of the Association, in one or more books provided for that purpose, and provide the minutes to the President for approval by the Board.

           1. Prepare correspondences as required and approved by the board. Maintain a hard copy of all correspondences sent out.
           2. Distribute copies of by-laws, General Rules, and other important correspondence to Association members as required.
           3. Act as a point of contact for all Board Meetings and message distribution to Board members and Coaches.
           4. Mailings such as Sponsorship forms, tax forms or other mailings needing to be distributed.

D. Treasurer.
Subject to the direction and control of the Board, the Treasurer shall have custody, control and disposition of the funds of the Association, and shall account for the same at all regular meetings. At the expiration of the treasurer’s term of office, he or she shall turn over to his or her successor all funds, account books, monthly activity statements and check registers of the Association in the Treasurer’s possession. Additional duties include:

1.   Receive, receipt and, within five (5) calendar days, deposit all Association funds into the Association banking account.
2.   Receive all statements representing bills owed by the Association and report the same to the Board for approval.
3.   Pay all statements approved for payment by the Board and maintain a record of payment.
4.   Maintain a simple ledger of receipts and disbursements.
5.   Be responsible for the filing and payment of all taxes as required by law.
6.   Maintain and update bank account signature cards and post office box requirements.
7.   Any expenditures outside of budgeted line items need the approval of the President or in absence of the President, the Vice President.

E.   Registrar.
The Registrar shall be responsible for the: registration, eligibility determination and assignment of all prospective player/participants. All activities of the registrar will be conducted in accordance with the Association’s “Registration Rules” as currently adopted or subsequently modified. Duties include:

1.   Advertise Association sign-up information to the general public.
2.   Conduct registration of all eligible participants and determine eligibility of all applicants for participation in the Association.
3.   Collect membership and fundraiser fees from all qualified participants, account to the treasurer and turn over all registration and fundraiser fees received.
4.   Collect from each prospective player, verification of age by requiring a copy of birth certificate or passport. All copies are to be sorted and stored.
5.   Assign and place all eligible participants on team rosters using care to ensure that all teams shall have an equal number of assigned participants.
6. Complete and distribute rosters of all teams to the appropriate Coaches, participants, Youth Council and any other state or national softball association, as required.
       7. Cannot be a coaching parent.

F.   Equipment Manager.
The Fields/Equipment Manager shall be responsible for maintaining an inventory of the equipment of the Association, distributing the same to Association teams and participants and collecting all equipment at the end of the sport season.
   1. Order or replace equipment as needed following approval of the Executive Board.
   2. Retain keys to the Association storage shed and maintain order within.

G. Fields Manager.
The primary function of this position shall be the coordination of the preparation and use of athletic fields for Association teams. He or she shall also follow the responsibilities as set forth in the Association’s “Guidelines for the Field Manager”, as currently adopted or subsequently modified.
   1. Arrange for playing fields and practice time.
   2. Supervise field preparation for Association sponsored tournaments and season play.
   3. Arrange for work parties required to prepare fields for safe play.
   4. Keep accurate record of umpire usage, rainouts and field usage.

H.   Youth Council Representative.
   The Youth Council Representative shall act as the liaison between the Association and the Youth Council Assembly. He or she will be the primary voting member for the Association on the Youth Council. Additional duties are contained in the Association’s “Guidelines for the Youth Council Representative”, as currently adopted or subsequently modified.
   1. Attend all monthly Kitsap Peninsula Youth Fastpitch Council aka KPYFC
meetings.
   2. Solicit Board consensus on all issues pertinent to Youth Council Proceedings or issues prior to voting.
   3. Act as the Associations voting Representative to the Youth Council.
   4. Report to the Associations Board all pertinent information form the Youth Council Meetings.

I. Uniform Coordinator.
   1. Solicits a company or vendor that issues a quote for approval of the board.
   2. Coordinate with coaches and parents to issue uniforms prior to regular season play.
   3. Order team uniforms as needed following approval of the board .


J. Fundraising Coordinator.
1.Oversee the annual fundraiser for the Association.
2. Coordinate with the fundraising company to establish incentives and products to be sold.
3. Collect money and distribute products to participants. All monies collected to be turned over to the Treasurer for deposit into the Associations account.
4. Provide an annual report to the Board on results of fundraiser.

K. Picture Coordinator
1. Solicit Photographers for season pictures and report selection and fees to board for selection.
2. Schedule Location and dates for team photos to take place.
3. Provide coaches with dates, fee schedule and necessary information for team photos.
4. Assist any photographers as needed on Photo days.
5. Make arrangements for delivery of photos.
6. Billing arrangements for team mate photo paid for by TFA.

Section 6.   Removal.
Any Board Member may be removed for repeated nonattendance at Board meetings or general business meetings of the Association. Any Officer or Committee Chairperson may also be removed for cause in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of these By-laws.

Article V:   Meetings

Section 1.   Regular Meetings.
General business meetings of the Association will be held at a location to be specified by the Association President seven (7) calendar days prior to the meeting date. A quorum must be present for the conduct of Association business. A “quorum” means a combination of no less than four (4) Officers and Committee Chairpersons are personally present at the meeting.

Article V:   Meetings

Section 1.   Regular Meetings.
General business meetings of the Association will be held at a location to be specified by the Association President seven (7) calendar days prior to the meeting date. Or scheduled monthly from October through July on the 3rd Sunday of each month. A quorum must be present for the conduct of Association business. A “quorum” means a combination of no less than four (4) Officers and Committee Chairpersons are personally present at the meeting.

Section 2.   Executive Board Meetings. Board meetings and special meetings will be called at the discretion of the President, or at the request of four (4) or more Board Members. The time and place of any such meeting shall be announced in the notice of the same.

Section 3.   Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the Association shall take place at the last business meeting of the sport season, which shall be the November regular meeting.

Section 4.   Ratification of Principles. The Structure, Guidelines and Principles of the Association shall be reviewed and ratified annually at the first business meeting of the new sport season and become effective after the November general meeting.

Section 5. Voting.
Voting on all motions relating to Association general business matters will be by a simple majority of the eligible voting members personally in attendance. Board voting will follow the same rule. The President will only vote in the event of a tie or if his or her vote is necessary for a quorum. In case of a tie vote by the other Board Members on any Association matters, the President’s vote will become the deciding vote.

Article VI.   Financial Responsibility

Section 1.   Annual Budget. The annual budget shall be prepared by the Treasurer and presented to the Board for changes/approval prior to the upcoming sport season.

Section 2.   Reimbursement Request. All bills submitted to the Association for reimbursement by Board Members and Coaches must have been approved in advance by the President, must be accompanied by the receipt and must be submitted to the Treasurer within thirty (30) days of the purchase date.

Section 3.   Unauthorized Expenses. This Association will not be responsible for financial obligations incurred by members or teams without the prior written approval of the Association.

Section 4.   Registration Fees. The Board will adopt a registration fee which will be charged to all participants, after considering such factors as the estimated budget for the upcoming sport season, the fee charged by similar youth organizations in this area and the costs, including estimated increases the Association will be charged for such as field usage and umpires. Players who withdraw before the Opening Day events shall be reimbursed all fees.
Section 5.     Conflict of Interest. No relatives, by blood or marriage, may be joint signatories on any Association checking, savings or reserve fund accounts.

Section 6.     Fundraiser.
A.   Any team sponsoring a fundraiser for that team shall be responsible for that fundraiser and any monies generated by that fundraiser. TFA is not responsible for any liability issues raised by that team’s fundraiser.

Article VII.   Miscellaneous Provisions

Section 1.   Adoption by Reference.
Except as modified by these By-laws, the provisions of the District 9 Washington Amateur Softball Association Youth Council Structure Guidelines and Principles are hereby adopted by reference and incorporated in these By-laws as though fully set forth herein.

Section 2.   Amendments.
Proposed amendments, additions or changes to these By-laws may be presented by the Board in writing to the membership at any regular business meeting. Such proposals may be adopted at the following business meeting of the Association by approval of the majority of the voting members present. Such proposals shall take effect by the next regular meeting or such a time the Board deems appropriate.

Section 3.   Issues Not Covered.
Issues not covered in these By-laws shall be determined in accordance with Roberts’ Rules of Order.

Octavia Craig
TFA President