as of May 2003
MYS Constitution as PDF document
MIDDLETON YOUTH SOCCER, INC.
The Constitution
This version was amended Fall 2003 (current constitution)
Article I:
Corporate Charter, Organizational Name:
This organization shall be known as Middleton Youth Soccer, Inc (MYS) and will be officially registered with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association.
Article II:
Purpose:
To provide capital and services necessary to support the game of soccer for the youths of the Town of Middleton, Massachusetts; and any, and all, other related businesses permitted under Chapter 180 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Article III:
Vision Statement
Our Vision is to be recognized as an outstanding youth oriented organization, respected for fostering sportsmanship, teamwork, physical fitness, and overall excellence in educating and developing soccer players.
Mission Statement:
The mission of the MYS shall be to provide the opportunity and training for the youth of Middleton, Massachusetts to learn and enjoy the game of soccer through the development of individual skill, fitness, teamwork, and fair play.
Middleton Youth Soccer Values
· The most important value of the organization is that children should have fun through learning the sport of soccer.
· Passion for soccer - "love of the game" is a specific goal for the program.
· Any and all decisions made shall be for the good of the organization, as a whole, with individual teams and persons being of secondary importance.
· MYS demands the highest level of ethical standards of behavior for all; club officials, coaches, players, parents, and spectators.
· MYS teams will always strive to play to the best of their ability.
· MYS will maintain a balanced perspective on winning and sportsmanship.
· Results oriented teams in the organization will strive to play at the level in which they can be competitive, develop, and enjoy the game.
Article IV:
Organization Structure:
MYS shall be governed by a Board of Directors (BOD) consisting of the following persons: (1) President; (2) Vice President Travel5; (3) Secretary; (4) Treasurer; 1 (5) Materials Manager; (6) Educational Director2; (7) Registrar/KidSafe Coordinator 5; (8) Vice President In Town5, and Directors from each of the age divisions, U4 & U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, and above, as necessary. All Officers of the BOD shall have one vote.
Notes:
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Registrar removed as BOD voting member in 1998.
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Educational Director added as BOD member in 1998.
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At-Large Director added as BOD member in 1998.
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A second At-Large Director added as BOD member in May 2002.
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Both at large positions removed. Vice President removed and replaced by two Vice President positions (In Town and Travel). Position of Registrar/KidSafe Coordinator created in May 2003.
Subcommittees of non-voting members will be formed, when necessary, to oversee annual events such as the soccer camp, Jamboree, team pictures, coaches training, and assist in yearly needs such as snack bar coordination, uniform recycling, registration, purchasing, field coordination and other needs as determined by the BOD.
The manual of Parliamentary Rule shall be in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order.
Article V:
Duties of the Board of Directors (BOD):
The BOD will be accountable to do the following:
● Establish goals, plans, and strategies to fulfill the mission of the MYS;
● Establish and monitor the operating policies of the Association;
● Establish and monitor the financial plans and policies so as to ensure the fiscal well-being of the association;
● Acquire and provide equipment and fields necessary for teams to compete;
● Support and encourage the participation of teams in tournaments and other soccer-related activities;
● Serve as the final Board of Appeals for any disputes, complaints, or problems;
● Recruit volunteers routinely in order to keep the organization healthy.
Board Commitment:
● Each BOD member will be an active participant in the board dealings and in the event that a BOD member can no longer make a full commitment, will inform the President that s/he can no longer honor the commitment to that position. BOD members shall be elected to serve one-year terms commencing on March 1 and ending on the last day of February, of the following year. All BOD members are eligible for re-election annually. Nominations to the BOD offices shall be solicited by the Secretary of the BOD and the voting shall take place by secret ballot at the regularly scheduled February meeting which will be open to all interested people. BOD officers, members of the subcommittees, and all Coaches and Assistant Coaches are eligible to vote in the BOD election. In the event of a mid-year resignation, the BOD will elect a replacement at the next regularly scheduled meeting or a special meeting convened by the President, or one-third quorum of the BOD.
Article VI:
Rules of Operation Pertaining to the Board of Directors:
1. Meetings will take place on the first Tuesday of every month.
2. Voting shall take place only when a quorum of one third of the BOD members is present.
3. All items for the monthly agenda shall be submitted to the President at least seven days before the regularly scheduled meeting and the agenda will be distributed to all members by the Secretary prior to the meeting, by means of the Boards discretion. Any items not on the agenda may be brought to the attention of the BOD under “new business” and in the case of emergencies, voted on the same evening. Special meetings may be called by the President, or by one-third vote of the BOD, upon notification of the entire Board.
4. The BOD Secretary or designate, will be responsible for keeping accurate minutes of all meetings.
5. Any changes, additions, or deletions of the Constitution amendments must, be submitted to the Board members in writing, prior to voting. Motions must be passed by a two-thirds vote of the quorum at the regularly scheduled December meeting, which precedes the general election by two months.
6. No Husband and Wife will serve on the Board of Directors at the same time.
7. The Board shall designate the financial fiscal year as the calendar year beginning on January 1, and ending on December 31.
Article VII:
Duties and Responsibilities of the Board of Directors:
President: The President shall represent Middleton Youth Soccer, Inc., (MYS) at Essex County meetings and, along with the Vice President, be the MYS contact to the Essex County President, Registrar, and Referee Assigner. S/he will coordinate and chair MYS BOD Meetings and along with the BOD, set and implement policies. The President will accept the responsibility of assuring that all members of MYS comply with the MYS Mission Statement and BOD Amendments for the best interests of the youth of Middleton. The President will be designated liaison for State and Federal agencies. S/he shall have the responsibility for corporate filings and obligations with State and Federal agencies. The President shall have the authority to ask for the resignation of a Board member, if the Board member misses 3 meetings in a given year 7.
Notes: 7 amended from “misses two thirds of the regularly scheduled meetings”
Vice President (Travel)
· shall assist the President of the Corporation;
· shall oversee the travel program and provide guidance to the Directors of Boys/Girls/”At Large” travel;
· shall assume the responsibilities of the President when the President is absent, cannot act, or refuses to act;
· is the secondary contact with the county youth soccer organization; and shall perform other responsibilities assigned by the Board of Directors or the President.
Vice President (In-town)
· shall assist the President of the Corporation;
· shall organize and chair the In Town Directors meeting with 21 days of the annual election;
· shall assume the responsibilities of the President when the President and Travel Vice President is absent, cannot act, refuses to act, or by agreement;
· shall oversee the In Town program and provide guidance to the In Town Program Directors
· is the primary contact for all In Town soccer for the corporation; and
· shall perform other responsibilities assigned by the Board of Directors or the President.
Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for distributing agendas for BOD Meetings and keeping of official minutes of all BOD Meetings including the Annual General Meeting. The Secretary shall submit minutes to the BOD for its approval at the next regular meeting. In the absence of the secretary from any meeting of Members and Directors, the person presiding at the meeting shall designate a temporary secretary to perform the secretarial duties.
Treasurer: The Treasurer, subject to the direction of the BOD, has general charge of the financial affairs of the MYS. S/he shall submit a financial report to the BOD, monthly, and at the Annual General Meeting, using generally recognized accounting methods. The BOD will make such reports available to the general public.
Registrar: The Registrar shall be responsible for the registration of all players, coaches, and administrators with MYS, ECYSA, and the entire town program. S/he will work closely with the President, Vice President, and Division Directors to ensure that all eligible players are placed on teams, as described in the By-Laws. The Registrar is a paid position and not a voting member of the Board of Directors. 7
Notes: 7 amended from a voting member to a non-voting, paid position in 1998.
Materials Manager: The Equipment Manager shall be the custodian of league equipment. S/he will coordinate all activities dealing with the distribution, recovery, and storage of league equipment and materials. S/he will also develop and implement a plan for replacement and maintenance of equipment / materials. S/he will purchase and receive and process all equipment / materials and paperwork.
Division Directors: The Division Directors shall be accountable to administer the duties and responsibilities of the position and promote an environment whereby Players, both boys, girls, and Coaches learn and experience the game of soccer at the U4, U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 and up, age levels. They will work with the President to implement and monitor programs established by the BOD while actively promoting the game of soccer within the Town(s), including recruitment of Coaches, Players, and organization of volunteers. With the Equipment Manager, they will define, disburse, and collect the proper equipment to each team and coach.
Registrar/KidSafe Coordinator
· shall work with the “paid” registrar, if appropriate to ensure or seek to ensure the corporation’s compliance with all prevailing affiliation and registration requirements of the corporation, its coaches, players and other members with the county, state and national affiliates;
· shall oversee the registration process including but not limited to establishing - dates and deadlines, registration procedures, notification of same, collecting fees and paperwork, with the assistance of the Board of Directors assist in establishing teams, submitting paperwork to the appropriate affiliates, and administering the registration process;
· from time to time shall compile data and other information for reporting purposes;
· shall act as the back up for paid registrar
· shall Investigate options for registration (on line, in town different from travel) and sign tournament rosters, coordinate changes and cards
· shall ensure or seek to ensure the corporation’s compliance with all prevailing provisions of the KidSafe program to include but not be limited to the disbursement and collection of application forms, submission to the appropriate parties, communicating information to and from the corporation concerning same, and confidentially administrating all aspects of the program; and
· may perform other responsibilities assigned by the Board of Directors.
Policies / Bylaws
Article I:
Director’s Responsibility:
● It will be decided between the U6 and U8 Directors, the placement of any players moving to one or the other age group because of skill level, with any dispute being settled by a majority vote of the BOD.
● 8
Notes: 8“· The Directors will work with the Boxford and Topsfield and Georgetown Directors to form teams and develop schedules” removed in 1998.
● Directors will monitor games and practices to assess the quality of programs and, when necessary, offer suggestions for improvement in accordance with the MYS mission statement.
● With Coaches, Directors will develop fair and even teams with each Division. Each Division will be based on individual player skill.
● Directors will work with the coaches to ensure every player plays at least 50% of the game.
Article II:
Team Placement:
● Players will play in their appropriate age groups. Any request to move a child into a level that is different from that age which age dictates should be made in writing to a Coach or Director and shall be decided by a consensus among the following people: parent, previous coach, new coach, age group director where player is currently playing and age group director where player is moving to, and the President. If the group cannot come to consensus, the BOD will decide the outcome. Rosters of division three teams shall adhere to the maximum roster allowed by MYS, where reasonable.
● Tryout information and any and all other information available will be used at the BOD’s direction, to determine the team placement of players, team format, and shall be decided in a timely fashion.
● The starting age for the U-4 program (Munchkins) will be three years of age by August 1, for the Fall season and April 1, for the Spring season. All U4 (Munchkins) and U6 (Tots) will have a parent or designated person present at any gathering.
Article III:
Registration:
● Registration will be publicized throughout the town by various means such as newspaper, cable TV, posters and flyers to the schools.
● Scholarships will be provided to any Middleton child where there is a financial need.
● All ID cards must be turned into the Division Director at the end of each season and in turn to the Registrar.
● No child can be added to a roster without proper registration.
● A late registration fee per player will be assessed starting the day after the last registration date.
● All fees, as well as, the family maximum, will be determined and voted, prior to the Annual General Meeting by the BOD, annually.
Article IV:
Annual Jamboree:
● There will be an annual Fall Jamboree at which awards and / or trophies will be distributed at the discretion of the BOD, depending on availability of funds.
Article V:
Finance:
● Any purchase over a $200 should have prior approval of the BOD. Any purchase under $200 shall be at the President’s discretion.
Article VI:
Tournament Play:
● League Sponsored Tournaments:
1. One per age group
2. One age group per sex
3. League provides patches for opposing teams members only. The players will pay for additional costs.
4. League will sponsor tryouts so all age / sex appropriate players are given the opportunity to participate in the tournament play.
5. The tryout committee will be made up of the Tournament Head Coach, the Division Director and other head coaches.
6. Tryouts should be scheduled one month before the tournament, where possible.
7. The Tryout Committee will choose the strongest players for the Tournament Team based on skill level, availability, attitude and desire of the individual players.
8. The Tournament Team Head Coach will schedule extra practices to allow the players the opportunity to play together prior to the tournament.
9. The league will guarantee each player a minimum of fifteen minutes of playing time.
10. The Tournament Team Head Coach will structure his game plan and player line-up so as to have the best possible chance to win, within the boundaries of the player fifteen-minute rule.
11. Any player can tryout for the League-Sponsored Team (see below). If his / her own team is entered as a Non-League Sponsored Team the player makes the choice on which team s/he will play.
● Non-League Sponsored Team
Any Coach desiring to take his / her team to a tournament will do so totally at the teams expense. The team will be allowed to carry the Middleton name and buy patches from the league at cost.
Article VII:
Indoor Soccer:
● MYS shall provide information to coaches about indoor soccer, as available, so that if an opportunity exists for MYS teams to play soccer during the winter, it can be taken advantage of:
Article VIII:
Conduct:
● The BOD shall have the authority to suspend, temporarily or permanently, the privileges of membership in the MYS of any member, player, or coach whose actions or conduct either on or off the field are considered unsportsmanlike, unethical, or more generally detrimental to the reputation or well-being of the Association or any of its members.
Article IX:
Bylaws:
● Any changes, additions, or deletions to these bylaws shall require approval by two-thirds majority of the BOD.
Article X:
Refunds:
● Refunds of 50% of season fee will be permitted, upon written request of MYS, up until one week before the first day of the season. After that point, no refunds will be allowed.
● No portion of a late fee will be refundable.
● Waiver of this policy will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors upon written request.
Article XI:
Non-Resident Players (In Town Programs)
Non-Middleton residents will be allowed to participate in the Middleton In-Town programs with the following restrictions:
· Middleton residents (registered on time) will have first preference to participate over non-Middleton residents. Children whose family plans to move into town within two months will be considered as Middleton residents.
· The town or city where the child resides does not offer this age level program. Players must return to their own city or town when an age appropriate program is offered.
· No more than 5% of the players in any one age group will be Non-Middleton residents. Decisions to reject applicants will be based on date of registration.
· A $10 surcharge per child will be added to the registration fee for all non-Middleton residents.
Non-Resident Players (Travel Programs)
· Non-resident play in the MYS travel program will be governed by the Essex County Bylaws. Any and all updates to such rules will take effect at the time of the rule change.
· First preference is given to residents of the Tri-Town (Boxford and Topsfield).
Revisions:
5/1995
6/1996
1997
1998
5/2002
5/2003