BY LAWS
LA MIRADA GIRLS SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION
Article 1
The name of the organization shall be La Mirada Girls Softball Association. This association does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit to the members thereof and is organized for non-profit purposes.
Article 2
The object of this organization is to provide a program of service to the youth of our community. The activity is dedicated to helping youth become good and decent citizens through wholesome fun, responsible leadership, the spirit of good sportsmanship, teamwork, and fair play. It strives to inspire them with a goal and to enrich their lives toward their own adult responsibility in communities in which they will be living.
The associations duties will include fundraising, equipment needs and voluntary services.
This association is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
No substantial part of the activities of this Association shall consist of carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
No part of the net earnings of this association shall ever inure to or for the benefit of or be distributable to its member, trustees, officers or other private persons, except that the association shall be empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the exempt purposes for which it was formed.
Being a board member and receiving compensation from the LMGSA Board for an outside duty will be seen as a conflict of interest and said member will need to choose between paid position and board position. This will reduce conflict of interest issues.
Any persons who fail to pass a background check will not be allowed to hold any positions in the La Mirada Girls Softball Association. This includes board positions, auxiliary positions and team positions, both rostered and non-rostered.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law) or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law). Upon the winding up and dissolution of this association, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be distributing to a non-profit fund, foundation or corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational or religious and/or scientific purposes which has established its tax exempt status under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Article 3
Section 1
The membership of this organization shall be comprised of the youth and the parents of the youth playing in the association and any interested adult citizen who is participating in the association.
Section 2
There will be at least two (2) general membership meetings, one pre-season and one at the end of the regular season. Notification of general membership meeting must be mailed no later than seven (7) days prior to the meeting. Each member eighteen (18) years of age and older will have one vote at each general membership meeting. A quorum necessary to conduct a general membership meeting shall be a minimum of twenty five (25) registered members of voting age.
Article 4
Section 1
The elective offices of the association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, player agents, umpire in chief, ways and means chairperson, 18 & under commissioner, 14 & under commissioner, 12 & under commissioner, 10 & under commissioner, 8 & under commissioner, t-ball commissioner, Fall Ball commissioner, team parent coordinator, safety director, and snack shack chairperson (s). The elected president shall have served on a previous board for at least one year prior to running for office.
Section 2
All board members shall be required to maintain contact with the board during their time in office and shall notify the president of any absence in excess of seven (7) days. The board will assume the duties of absent officers.
President- The President shall preside at all general meetings and board meetings of the association. He/she shall sign all contracts, act as spokesperson and perform other duties of the association as needed. The President will be responsible for the storage and maintenance of the association records. All board members will be responsible to the President for their duties of office. He/she will chair the managers meeting. He/she will be an ex-office member of all committees.
Vice President- The Vice-President shall preside at meetings of the association and the board of directors in the Presidents absence. He/she shall assist the President in carrying out the responsibilities of the Presidents office. He/she shall also maintain liaison between all Commissioners and monitor their activities. He/she shall coordinate and/or oversee tournaments hosted by LMGSA.
Secretary-The Secretary shall record the minutes of both board and general membership meetings and keep a record of board member attendance. He/she shall provide the President with copies of the minutes of all meetings and any other correspondence. The minutes are a permanent record of this organization. He/she shall be responsible for notifying all board members of any and all meetings.
Treasurer-The Treasurer shall provide the board with a preliminary budget which may be used as a guide for final approval after any necessary changes are made by the board. He/she shall maintain the associations funds and keep accurate record of it. He/she shall provide the executive board with copies of all bank statements. He/she shall be responsible for the disbursements of association funds and shall provide a financial report available to each board member at each board meeting and at the expiration of his/her term in office. All league funds shall be protected by two party signature accounts. All checks must be signed by the treasurer and one other designated board member. The authorized signers shall not be related by blood or marriage or reside at the same address. He/she shall be a liaison between sponsors and the board.
Player Agent-The Player Agent shall be in charge of player registration as well as direct evaluations. He/she shall be responsible for fair and impersonal placement of all players. He/she shall present, at each board meeting, a report on any disciplinary decisions made involving any player or manager. The Player Agent shall maintain a master registration log indicating players names, division, birthdates, and amount of registration fee.
Umpire-in-Chief-The Umpire-in-Chief shall be responsible for the preparation of the playing schedule for all divisions and submit the schedule to the board for approval. He/she shall be in charge of all umpires and the interpretation of the Amateur Softball Association rules and their exceptions as adopted by the board. The Umpire-in-Chief will be responsible for providing a schedule for umpires for all league games. He/she will not be available, so that they may act in his/her stead, for the scheduling of umpires, should the need arise. He/she shall chair all protest committee meetings. In the absence of the Umpire in Chief or in case of a conflict of interest, the Vice President shall chair.
Ways and Means Chairperson(s) - Ways and Means will be responsible for planning such events and programs necessary to meet association expense. The chairperson will work with the board in conjunction with any fundraising activities. He/she will work in conjunction with the league Treasurer for transfer of all monies and sales records will be provided to the Treasurer for monthly financial reports and filings.
Snack Shack Chairperson(s) -The Snack Shack Chairperson(s) will be responsible for the operation of the snack shack. He/she will provide a schedule to the Team Parent Coordinator that will organize adequate staffing. He/she will be responsible for the purchase of supplies, opening and closing of the snack shack and restrooms. He/she shall maintain master operations log indicating date of operation, daily sales, cash expenditures and monies submitted for deposit.
Division Commissioners-he/she shall maintain liaison between team personnel in their division, monitor its activities and make recommendations for improvements where needed. They will coordinate with the Player Agents to obtain managers for their division in accordance with the manager priority; to hold a predraft meeting and notify all managers in their division of the player evaluation where applicable; to assist Player Agent with his/her division draft; will schedule and notify managers of all star meetings for their division and provide each manager in their division of the all-star nominations by name, number and team; to assist player agents at the all star selection meetings and drafts where applicable.
Fall Ball Commissioner- This Commissioner will develop a Fall Ball program for the needs of our league. He/she will present to the board every April for approval a Fall Ball program for the following season. This will include eligibility rules, applications, registration and draft procedure. The Commissioner will coordinate with snack shack person for home games.
Team Parent Coordinator- The Team Parent Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating team parent information, holding an orientation meeting for the team parent (team mom or dad). Will be responsible for selection of photographer for league pictures. Will schedule team pictures date and team schedule. Will be the liaison between team parents and the board.
Safety Director- The Safety Director will be responsible for establishing and implementing standards of safety for all LMGSA activities. He/she shall maintain records of player injuries, accidents, any reports of unsafe conditions or equipment, and report all such occurrences to the board.
Section 3
If any vacancy on the board exists, it will be filled by board appointment.
Section 4
The board may appoint a chairman for the following committees and prescribe rules and regulations for the functioning of said committees: Managerial Selection, Publicity, Sponsors, Field, Equipment, By-Laws, Registration, Player Evaluations, Opening Day Ceremonies, Insurance, All Star, and Rules. (Rules Committee shall be organized for the purpose of setting forth playing rules of the association)
ARTICLE 5
Section 1
A general election will be held to elect a new board each year prior to the end of the regular playing season. The new board is to take office on August 1st. Newly elected board members should attend the July board meeting to allow for the smooth transfer of duties.
Section 2
At a regular board meeting not less than one (1) month prior to the last general membership meeting, the board of directors shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of five (5) board members. The President shall not be an ex-officer of the nominating committee. The nominating committee themselves shall appoint their chairman from the committee.
Section 3
The nominating committee shall meet as often as necessary to consult and advise pertaining to nominations and shall nominate one (1) candidate for each office of the association. The report of the nominating committee shall be posted no later than two weeks prior to the election. At the time of election, additional nomination(s) may be made from the floor for any position left vacant from the nomination list.
Section 4
Election shall be held by ballot at the general membership meeting at the end of the regular season. If there is but one candidate for any office, the ballot for that office may be dispensed with and the election held by voice vote. A simple majority will determine a winner.
Section 5
The new board will assume duties and hold its first meeting in August and be held at least once a month thereafter. A quorum for any board meeting shall be a simple majority of its elected board. A board meeting will be closed for disciplinary matters as is deemed necessary by the President or a majority of the board. The meeting will be open for input from the general membership for a period not to exceed 45 minutes. The President will have the right to request further input from the membership during the closed session at his/her discretion. The board meeting is for board members only during the closed session. Each board member shall have one (1) vote, excluding the President who will vote in case of a tie. In case of a vote taken over the phone, a reasonable attempt must be made to contact all board members. In the case of any phone vote, it will be the responsibility of the President or Secretary to call and tally all votes and written results will be given to the board members at the next board meeting.
Section 6
A special general membership meeting for the purpose of recalling board members or other important matters will be held within 30 days of the board receiving a petition, signed by at least 75 members of this association. Notice of this meeting must be mailed at least 10 days prior to it being held. Signatures on the petition must be of a parent/guardian of a rostered player.
ARTICLE 6
Section 1
The adult team personnel shall consist of a manager, team parent and coaches. When there are two or more coaches, one shall be designated as a head coach. Team Personnel rosters may be added to or changed by the Manager upon written notification to his/her division commissioner.
Section 2
A team parent must be an adult of at least 21 years of age.
Section 3
A female adult, 21 years or older must be in attendance at all team functions, including practices. Penalty for violation:
1st Violation-Warning
2nd Violation-Manager suspended from field for one game
3rd Violation-Manager must appear before the board
Section 4
The board shall have the right to remove or discipline any team personnel for any of the following reasons:
Conduct not conducive to the good intent of the program, etc.
Use of abusive language
Use of physical abuse
Abuse of the rules and/or regulations as established by the La Mirada Girls Softball Association.
Section 5
The conduct of any member of The La Mirada Girls Softball Association is to be maintained on a high level at all times. Any misconduct of a manager, coach or league member should be handled in the following manner:
During the game: The official scorekeeper should be notified immediately and all charges should be noted in the official score book and signed by the umpire. Must be added to the game report by both teams.
If at any other time, the league President should be notified in person or by phone.
Any charges shall then be presented to the President and the Commissioner of the offending division for the determination of any action required. Personnel charged shall have the right to appear before the board, whose decision will be final. A decision to remove league personnel from participation shall be by a majority vote of the board. If the President decides a charge to be extremely serious, he/she must contact and immediately suspend such person. In the event the President decides to remove such personnel without the vote of the board, he/she must file a report of removal with the entire board.
Suspended or terminated individuals may appeal by gathering as many signatures as is required to call a General Meeting as prescribed in the By-Laws. A person may be re-instated if and when said meeting is called and the matter is discussed and voted upon accordingly.
Section 6
No board member shall encourage a player to refuse or limit her participation in our league or on our All-Star teams. Persons serving as officers or board members of other organizations involved in raising funds and/or recruiting players in what may be construed as competition with LMGSA shall not serve as voting board members of La Mirada Girls Softball Association.
Section 7
The board will hold a predraft managers meeting at which the Umpire-in-Chief, Division Commissioner and Player Agent will attend and give a brief orientation. The meeting is a mandatory attendance meeting for all managers and/or a representative of the manager.
Managers and Coaches CODE OF CONDUCT
The objective of the La Mirada Girls Softball Association is to instill in the youth of the community ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty and personal responsibility. This objective will be reached by providing supervised athletic competition and activities in a positive, supportive environment.
The managers and coaches shall conduct themselves with the players welfare in mind at all times. Umpires and opposing team members must always be treated with courtesy and respect.
No verbal or physical abuse shall be directed toward any person, either on or off the field of play.
The attainment of exceptional athletic skill or the winning of ballgames is secondary to building strength of character and a positive self-image in our youth, so that they may become outstanding adult citizens in the communities in which they live.
Players CODE OF CONDUCT
Players are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and positive manner to their coaches, teammates, umpires and fellow players. No verbal or physical abuse shall be directed toward any person, either on or off the field of play. Players are representative of their team, their league and their community, and should strive to exhibit good sportsmanship at all times.
All playing facilities must be used in a responsible manner, with care given to keep restrooms, dugouts and playing fields clean. League equipment will be used properly and never intentionally defaced or destroyed.
