Bylaws

CHILI SOCCER ASSOCIATION (CSA) BYLAWS

Updated January 2013

 

Article I. MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1 The Association shall consist of the Officers and Board Members. The term voting members shall include all Officers and Board Members.

 
  1. Officers shall be those members as defined in these bylaws
 
  1. Board Members shall be those persons, other than Officers, who are appointed to the Board in accordance with these bylaws. Any Board Member who does not attend at least half of the meetings in a business year (October to September) shall be under review by the Board.  The previous years contributions and commitments regarding that Board Members assignments will be considered in determining status of that Board Member moving forward.  It is expected that all Board Members hold one of the appointed positions within the organization or are a member of a formally recognized committee.
 
  1. The Executive Committee shall consist of seven (7) elected Officers specifically; the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and the Commissioners of Travel, House and Tykes.
 
  1. Any person who wishes to become a Board Member may do so by attending a Board meeting or by submitting their request in writing to the Board along with a completed Board Member Application. The applicant may present his/her qualifications to the Board at that time. Upon approval of a majority of the Board Members present, the applicant shall be appointed to the Board.
 
  1. After a review and recommendation by the Executive Committee, a Member may be removed from the Board by a majority vote from the Members present at the Board meeting.

Section 2 The membership of the CSA shall be open to individuals not subject to suspension under Section 4 of Bylaw 241 of the USSF Bylaws.

 

 

 

Article II. OPERATION

 

Section 1 This organization will provide programs designed to accomplish its purpose as stated in the Constitution.

 
  1. The programs will be designed for boys and girls ages five (5) to nineteen (19).
 
  1. The organization may conduct additional programs and tournaments as authorized by the Board.

Section 2 Programs will be designated as Travel, House, Tykes and Small Sided Games.

  1. The Travel Program will field teams that will compete against Travel level teams from other organizations. Each coach of a Travel team shall select the players to be on his/her team.
 
  1. The House Program will field teams that will compete against other CSA House teams. House teams may also compete against House level teams from other clubs. All properly registered players shall be eligible to play on a House team, subject to availability of space. In the event that an age division is full, preference will be determined based upon the date that the player’s registration was received
 
  1. The Tykes Program will be similar to the House program, but for 5 and 6 year old players. All properly registered players shall be eligible to play on a Tykes team, subject to availability of space. In the event that the Tykes program is full, preference will be determined based upon the date that the player’s registration was received.
 
  1. The Small Sided Games Program will field teams of smaller sizes. These teams will compete against other Small Sided teams within CSA Each coach of a Small Sided Team shall be assigned players to be on his/her team by the Director of Small Sided Games

 

Article III. GOVERNMENT

Section 1 The government of this organization shall be vested in the Board that will consist of all Officers and Board Members.

Section 2 The Board shall govern the day-to-day operation of this organization and shall have all the rights and authorities unless specified otherwise by the bylaws. The Board shall establish for itself a regular meeting date. A quorum will be the lesser of seven (7) voting members of the Board or a majority of all voting members of the Board and will be required before any business can be conducted at the said meeting.

Section 3 The Executive Committee will meet as necessary to address issues deemed not appropriate for a general Board meeting. A quorum will be five (5) voting members of the Executive Committee and will be required before any business can be conducted at the said meeting.

 
Section 4 The United States Soccer Federation (www.ussoccer.com) articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies, and requirements take precedence over and supersede the governing documents and decisions of the CSA to the extent applicable under state law, and the CSA will abide by those articles, bylaws, policies, and requirements.


Section 5 The CSA will abide by the USSF’s articles, bylaws, policies, and requirements on interplay.


Section 6 The CSA will provide equitable and prompt hearing and appeal procedures to guarantee the rights of individuals to participate and compete. These procedures shall include that all grievances involving the right to participate and compete in activities sponsored by the USSF, the NYSWYSA, RDYSL, MURSL and the CSA may be appealed to the USSF’s Appeals Committee in accordance with NYSWYSA bylaws and policies. The Federation’s Appeals Committee shall have jurisdiction to approve, modify, or reverse a decision. A decision rendered by the CSA or the NYSWYSA from which an appeal is taken is not suspended pending the final decision of the Federation’s Appeals Committee unless the Committee otherwise orders. The decision made by the CSA, RDYSL, MURSL or the NYSWYSA may be upheld, revised or reversed and remanded.

 

 

 

Article IV. ELECTIONS

 


Section 1 The Officers of this organization shall be elected from among the Board Members by a simple majority of the voting members at the annual election.

 
  1. The President will appoint up to three (3) members of the Board as a nominating committee. The nominating committee will notify every voting member in good standing that nominations for offices will be accepted until the September Board meeting.
  2. Those interested in seeking an Officer position shall notify a member of the nominating committee, of the position which they seek. Nominations may also be made from the floor at the September Board meeting.
  3. Voting will take place at the September Board meeting and will proceed for one (1) Officer at a time, by secret ballot, in the following order:
(1) President
(2) Vice President
(3) Secretary
(4) Treasurer
(5) Commissioner of House
(6) Commissioner of Travel
(7) Commissioner of Tykes
  1. Only members who were active voting members of this organization for thirty (30) days prior to the date of the election will be eligible to vote for officers, or be eligible to run for an office. Officers must be elected by a majority, 50% plus one (1).
  2. Vacancies for Officer positions occurring during an officer’s term shall be filled from the active Board members by recommendation of the President and agreement of a simple majority of the Board Members. In the event that the best candidate for an Officer position is from outside the active Board Members, it requires a 2/3  majority vote to approve the candidate.  Should a vacancy occur in the office of President, the Vice President shall assume the duties of the president until a meeting is held, at which time the Board shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.
  3. The elected officers of this organization shall hold office for a term of one (1) year.

 

Article V. MEETINGS
 

 

Section 1 The Board shall meet as specified in ARTICLE III, Section 2.

Section 2 The Executive Committee shall meet as specified in ARTICLE III, Section 3.


Section 3 The annual election meeting of Officers shall be held during the month of September, with the new Officers beginning their term immediately.

  1. Notice of the election meeting shall be mailed or emailed to each active voting member, at his or her last known address, at least ten (10) days prior to the election.

Section 4 In the interest of time, the Officer presiding over the meeting will be allowed to set a time limit to any discussions that may occur at a meeting.

Section 5 This organization will make available the first 30 minutes of each Board meeting open to the general public, to air their views and ask questions regarding our programs. Each visitor will have a maximum of five (5) minutes to address the Board.

  

 

Article VI. RULES OF ORDER
 

 

Section 1 Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of all meetings of this organization and its constituent’s parts except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws.
 

 

Article VII. AUTHORITY TO BIND
 

 

Section 1 No member of this organization shall contract for, or incur any debt or enter into any agreement or otherwise obligate this organization except by authorization of the Board or Executive Committee pursuant to the Bylaws.

 

Article VIII. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
 

 

Section 1 The PRESIDENT shall:

  1. Preside at all meetings of the Board and Executive Committee
  2. Serve as the chief officer of the organization and supervise the activities of the organization;
  3. Periodically report to the members on the affairs of the organization;
  4. Appoint all committees;
  5. Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.
Section 2 The VICE PRESIDENT shall:
  1. Preside at meetings of the Board and Executive Committee in the absence of the president;
  2. Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees;
  3. Fulfill the duties of president in the absence of the president;
  4. Perform other duties as directed by the president or the Board
Section 3 The SECRETARY shall:
  1. Give notice of all meetings to the Board and Executive Committee
  2. Take minutes of Board meetings and maintain minutes of meetings in accordance with applicable regulations and laws;
  3. Be responsible for periodically updating the bylaws and policies and issuing new copies if so directed by the Board.
  4. Perform other duties as directed by the president or the Board
Section 4 The TREASURER shall:
  1. Maintain the financial records of the organization;
  2. Be responsible for the payment of bills and disbursement of funds as authorized by the Board or Executive Committee;
  3. Receive and deposit all funds submitted to the organization;
  4. Periodically report to the Board on the financial condition of the organization;
  5. Present a final report at the end of the fiscal year;
  6. Prepare a proposed budget for approval by the Board;
  7. Perform other duties as directed by the president or the Board.

Section 5 The COMMISSIONER of HOUSE shall be responsible for the operation of the House programs. He/she shall appoint the Assistant Commissioners and notify the Board of their names at the next available Board Meeting

  1. Work closely with the assistants for the Boys and Girls House programs to:
    1. Select Division Directors, subject to the approval of the Board;
    2. Select House team coaches, subject to the approval of the Board;
    3. Prepare and distribute game and practice schedules;
    4. Oversee the assignment of House teams;
  1. Act as a CSA representative at the Intertown Committee or other appropriate committees;
  2. Ensure all coaches, division directors, and volunteers have up to date Risk Management passes obtained through the Registrar;
  3. Perform other duties as directed by the president or the Board

Section 6 The COMMISSIONER of TRAVEL shall be responsible for the operation of the Travel program. He/she shall:

  1. Appoint his/her assistant(s) and notify the Board of their names at the next available Board Meeting.
  2. Select coaches for Travel teams, subject to the approval of the Board
  3. Act as a CSA representative at meetings of all affiliated leagues;
  4. Schedule practice times for Travel teams;
  5. Ensure that schedules are distributed to Travel teams;
  6. Ensure all coaches, division directors, and volunteers have up to date Risk Management passes obtained through the Registrar;
  7. Perform other duties as directed by the president or the Board
     

Section 7 The COMMISSIONER of TYKES shall be responsible for the operation of the Tykes program. He/she shall:

 
  1. Appoint his/her assistant(s) and notify the Board of their names at the next available Board Meeting.
  2. Select Tykes team coaches, subject to the approval of the Board;
  3. Prepare and distribute game and practice schedules;
  4. Oversee the assignment of Tykes teams;
  5. Ensure all coaches, division directors, and volunteers have up to date Risk Management passes obtained through the Registrar;
  6. Perform other duties as directed by the president or the Board
  

 

Article IX. AMENDMENT

 

Section 1 These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Board present, providing that the notice of the proposed amendment is mailed to each Board Member not less than ten (10) days before the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.

 

 

Article X. NOT FOR PROFIT STATUS

 


Section 1 Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the corporation is organized exclusively for one or more of the purposes as specified in section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and shall carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under IRC section 501(C)(3) or corresponding provisions of any subsequent Federal tax laws.


Section 2 No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of any member, trustee, director or officer of the corporation, or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the corporation), and no member, trustee or officer of the corporation or any private individual shall be entitled to shares in the distribution of any of the corporate assets on dissolution of the corporation.

 
 
Article XI.  RISK MANAGEMENT

Section 1 In order to preserve the safety and welfare of participants involved in soccer served by CSA and its members:

 

A.   All CSA Board members, coaches, assistant coaches, and team managers within all programs shall apply and retain a Risk Management pass applied for, approved and obtained through NYSWYSA.

B.   All CSA Board members, coaches, assistant coaches, and team managers within all programs shall abide by the CSA Code of Conduct.

C.   Should a CSA Board member, coach, assistant coach and/or team manager lose their Risk Management Pass they are to notify the Board immediately and obtain a new pass via the Registrar.  Any funds required to replace such pass are the responsibility of that individual.

 
Section 2 The CSA will maintain liability insurance for the club.
 
 
Article XII.  RESERVE FUNDING POLICY

Section 1 The purpose of CSA’s operating reserve is to ensure that sufficient funds are available to manage cash flow and maintain financial flexibility.  The presence of an operating reserve increases CSA’s ability to absorb or respond to significant unbudgeted increases in our operating expenses and/or losses in operating revenues.

Section 2   CSA’s Reserve Policy shall be that 25% of the annual expense budget will be maintained on reserve on a yearly basis. 

  1. Funding for an Operating Reserve calculation will go into effect January 1st 2013 and will include a full 25% from that date forward.
  2. Procedures for calculation of Operating Reserve shall be as follows:  Annual expenses from most recent fiscal year multiplied by .25 = Current year Operating Reserve. 
  3. The Treasurer will be responsible for investing prudently and making sure CSA receives a reasonable rate of return on Operating Reserve funds considering the size of the reserve fund. 

Section 3  The Treasurer will report the status of the Board-Designated Operating Reserve Fund to the Executive Committee as part of the regular Treasurer’s report.

Section 4         Other Capital Funds, the Projects associated with them, and Plans to implement shall be on the President’s agenda to discuss every 3-6 months at minimum with the Board.

Section 5   Use of Reserve Funds can only occur within one of the following scenarios and would be limited to coverage of just that specific incident:

A.    Community disaster - to respond to a community disaster (i.e. tornado that wiped out local playing fields).

B.    Sudden shutdown or vastly unpredictable decrease in size of sponsors or players resulting in a significant decrease in revenue.

C.   Make up a budget gap between anticipated and actual revenue when losses are unpredictably higher than expected.

D.   Provide a funding source for extraordinary or unplanned capital purchases: (i.e. replacement of all goals that were vandalized)

 

Routine repairs, replacements, and otherwise predictable changes in revenues/expenses should already have a plan for funding rather than relying on Operating Reserve.

Section 6 Governance:  If the operating reserves exceed the targeted reserve level for two consecutive years, the excess should be made available for current use such as “Capital type expenditures” by the Board that benefits the club and its overall membership as a whole.

If the event the Operating Reserves are less than the targeted reserve levels, this deficit must be eliminated in a minimum of three years, with one third of the deficit balance being required to be funded in the current operating budget, until the reserve is restored to the target balance.

Section 7  Draw Down from the fund must be approved by a 2/3 majority of the Board.  A record of any such action will be maintained and be made part of the Board minutes.  Any such action would remove the Board designation of “reserves” from these funds.