Smithsburg Youth Athletics, Inc. By-Laws Amended December 2023
Article I – Name
The association is a non-profit and non-political organization, which shall be known as the Smithsburg Youth Athletic (SYA), Inc.
Article II – Purpose:
1) The purpose of SYA is to provide youth sports for participants in Smithsburg and the surrounding community. The sports programs will promote the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, and respect for authority. SYA will provide a supervised program of sports with adults and leaders who promote these ideals. Beginner sports programs will focus on skill development and instruction of the sports fundamentals. Travel programs will include competition with other sports leagues and will include competitive disciplines in preparation for the High School Programs. Some programs will offer programs to High School age participants when appropriate participants and resources are available, and such programs do not conflict with high school programs. The focus of the high school programs is competitive while continuing to promote the ideals stated above.
2) SYA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action organization. No person shall be excluded from participation in programs or be subject to discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, or disability in accordance with Federal and State laws and regulations. For gender specific sports programs the participants gender at birth will be used to determine eligibility.
Article III - Membership
Section 1 General Membership:
Any parent or legal guardian of a participant, coach, or sponsor that supports the purposes of SYA.
Section 2 Eligibility for Office:
To be eligible for an Executive Board position, (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer or Executive Board Member), the individual must either:
1) Attend a minimum of four of the ten scheduled monthly general membership meetings in the previous year or
2) Have fulfilled at least one season in the previous year as one of the following volunteer’s role. (Former Director, Coach, Assistant Coach, Team Manager, Fundraising Coordinator, Scholarship Committee)
3) The current sports Director cannot serve on the Executive Board.
Section 3 Dues:
There are no membership dues required to belong to this organization.
Section 4 Voting:
1) Any parent or legal guardian of a participant, coach or sponsor for the previous year who is at least 18 years old and has attended at least 4 meetings in the last year may vote on election of Executive Board officers and amendments to the by-laws.
2) To vote the member must be present in person at the meeting when the vote takes place.
Article IV – Executive Board Officers
Section 1 Elected Executive Board of Officers
1) The elected Board of officers of SYA will consist of President, two Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer and two Board Members.
2) There is no limit on the consecutive terms any officer may serve.
3) The President will be elected to a two (2) year term.
4) The Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer and Board Members will be elected to one (1) year terms.
Section 2 Executive Board of Officers for SYA
1) The executive board will consist of the seven officers of SYA: the President, two Vice Presidents, the Secretary the Treasurer and two board members.
2) This board will be responsible for the handling of the day-to-day operations of the league. This will include:
1) Appointing Sports Directors of the different sports programs
2) Establishing and maintaining the league budget including taxes and annual audits
3) Overseeing the management of the league facilities and equipment
4) Enforcing the Code of Conduct and issuing any suspension or discipline actions as required.
5) Make decisions on immediate needs as necessary.
Section 3 Duties of the Executive Board Officers:
President: Shall
1) Preside over all monthly league meetings of SYA as well as the meetings of the Board of Directors.
2) Enforce observance of the SYA By-laws.
3) Have general and active management of all SYA business.
4) Co-sign checks with the Treasurer.
5) See that all decisions of the Board of Directors are carried out.
6) Oversee the officers of SYA and see that their duties are efficiently carried out.
7) Be a member of all standing committees.
8) Form Committees and appoint Committee members when necessary.
Vice Presidents Shall:
1) In the case of the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties of the office, and while so acting, shall have all the powers of the office.
2) In addition, the Vice-Presidents will perform other duties as assigned by the President including but not limited to (Judicial committee, updating website, updating sports registrations, recruiting team sponsors, maintaining equipment, working with sports directors, Audits, scholarship committee)
Secretary Shall:
1) Keep a true account of all official meetings, maintain appropriate files, keep the minutes of all meetings, and cause them to be recorded in a file for that purpose.
2) Maintain the attendance listing to verify office eligibility.
3) Send correspondence to SYA members.
Treasurer Shall:
1) Receive all monies from SYA and keep itemized records of all league receipts and expenditures.
2) Pay out funds as authorized by the Executive Board.
3) Sign all checks with the President.
4) Maintain banking accounts in the name of Smithsburg Youth Athletics, Inc.
5) Present summarized records from previous year for tax return and financial audit in January.
6) Create a monthly financial report and present it at the monthly meetings.
7) Maintain sports directors’ budgets for each sport.
Board Members Shall:
1) Serve on committees as assigned by the President including but not limited to (Judicial committee, updating website, updating sports registrations, recruiting team sponsors, maintaining equipment, working with sports directors, Audits, scholarship committee)
2) Help Sports Directors and attend sporting events.
Section 4 Term of Office:
Each Officer shall serve through the calendar year starting on January 1 and ending December 31.
Section 5 Nominations and Elections of Officers:
A nominating committee will be formed at the regular September monthly meeting.
Nominations shall occur at the regular October monthly meeting with discussions of the candidate’s qualifications and agenda occurring at the
November monthly meeting by the general membership.
Section 6 Replacement of Officer:
If an executive officer needs to step down before the general election a replacement will be appointed to fill that term by the Executive Board.
Article V – Meetings
Section 1 Regular Meetings
Regular monthly meetings shall occur on the first Sunday of the month commencing at 7:00 p.m. at the Leitersburg Ruritan Community Center. In the event the first Sunday falls on a holiday weekend the Executive Board may move the meeting to the Sunday before or after the holiday weekend.
Section 2 Annual meeting
The annual meeting will occur in conjunction with the written financial report to be presented at the regular February monthly meeting.
Section 3 Special Meetings
Special meetings shall be called by any of the Officers on an as required basis.
Section 4 Quorum of Executive Board
A quorum is defined as one half of the number of Board of Directors plus one.
Article VI – Board of Directors
Section 1 Composition
The Board of Directors shall consist of the seven Executive Board plus the Individual Sports Program Directors
Section 2 Powers
The Board of Directors will oversee the day-to-day operations of the sports programs. This will include:
1) League administration
2) Policy issues
3) Bring motions to the general membership
Section 3 Duties of Sports Program Directors:
Are appointed by the Executive Board and serve in this role at the discretion of the Executive Board.
Are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the sporting programs they are the director for.
Work with the Executive Board to create a positive sporting experience for the athletes in their program.
Responsibilities including completing or assigning the following to others in the program to be completed:
1) Attend the monthly SYA membership meetings and give updates on the sporting program to the SYA membership, other directors and SYA board of directors. In the event you cannot attend you should make every effort to have someone else attend in your place to give the report
2) Attend any league meetings for leagues your sport participates in
3) Work with the Executive Board to create a budget for the sport.
4) Order any new or replacement equipment specified in the budget. CC treasurer on any orders placed and make sure invoices are sent to treasurer for payment.
5) Order uniforms for sporting teams as specified in the budget. (CC treasurer on any orders placed and make sure invoices are sent to treasurer for payment).
6) Organize fundraisers as appropriate (should be included in the budget and approved by Board of Directors)
7) Recruit and assign coaches.
8) Organize volunteers for necessary activities such as gate collections, concessions, field maintenance, field marshals.
9) Hold regular meetings with the coaches including pre and post season meetings.
10) Work with coaches to assign players to teams.
11) Complete facility use forms for schools if needed for practice or games.
12) Create practice schedules and game schedules for in-house program.
13) Confirm games do not conflict with Steam and Craft, homecoming, prom, Mother’s Day, or other activities as appropriate.
14) Cancel and reschedule games as needed due to conflicts and weather.
15) Set up date(s) for team pictures, distribute picture forms.
16) Work with Ruritan Club to create schedule if using the LRCC for practices or games.
17) Mark outdoor fields for practices and games.
18) Order any end of season awards, shirts, or giveaways (should follow what is in the budget and cc orders to treasurer and send invoices to treasurer to be paid)
19) Inventory and assign equipment to coaches and return equipment at the end of the season.
20) Attend training for their sport and encourage coaches to attend coaches’ clinics, first aid, CPR/AED, concussion awareness and any other training appropriate.
21) Routinely inspect fields to make sure they are safe, goals are secure.
22) Attend practices and games to monitor coaching techniques and make suggestions as appropriate.
23) Mitigate parent coaches’ issues that arise during the season, keeping the board of directors informed of issues and concerns.
24) Organize end of season celebrations and closures.
25) Complete injury form and submit to board of directors within 24 hours of any player injured severely enough to have to leave the game and not return, showing symptoms of a concussion, requiring trip to ER or urgent care.
26) Submit signed medical release form from medical provider to board of directors before player is allowed to return to practice and games.
Section 4 Meetings
Monthly meetings of the Board of Director will occur in conjunction with the monthly meeting of the general membership on the first Sunday of the month.
Program Directors will be prepared to give a report on their respective sports program to the general membership.
Program Directors will meet with Division Leaders and coaches outside of the general membership meetings during their sports season.
Section 5 Quorum of the Board of Directors
A quorum is defined as one half of the Board of Directors (all sports directors and executive board), plus one.
Article VII – Committees
Section 1 Judicial Committee
A Judicial Committee may be formed by the President to review issues brought before the Executive Board. Will consist of members of the board of directors.
Section 2 Election Committee
The Election Committee will be formed from three individuals representing general Membership. Their charter is to nominate individuals for each of the Officer positions.
If no new nominations can be brought forth for any of the Officer positions, the current Officer shall automatically assume that same position for another term.
Section 3 Scholarship Committee
The Scholarship Committee will create an application form for Smithsburg High School students who have participated in SYA sports programs to apply for the scholarship. The committee will then meet to review the applications and make recommendations for who will receive the scholarships and the amounts for each scholarship based on the amount budgeted for the scholarships.
Article VIII – Parliamentary Procedures
Shall be followed as in Robert’s Rules.
Article IX – Amendment of the Bylaws
A committee appointed by the Executive Board consisting of three (3) program specific members and one Board Member shall meet to discuss any proposed changes. These changes will then be brought back to a meeting of the general membership for discussion and eventual vote by the general membership.
Article X – Dissolution
If SYA does not function for a consecutive period of twelve (12) months, then the last known Treasurer and President are directed and authorized to pay all outstanding bills. All remaining funds shall be distributed equally to active, non-profit athletic organizations within the service area.