HAVERFORD
TOWNSHIP HILLTOP
This organization shall be known as the Haverford Township Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League, also referred to in the following provisions as "League."
Please note: Any mention to gender contained in these by-laws is not intended in any way to discriminate against the other and is intended to include persons of either gender.
Hilltop Baseball League (Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League) was organized in 1963 and then became a special activity of the Hilltop Civic Association. The provisions of Article VIII of the Hilltop Civic Association’s by-laws, which were an integral part of the League’s authorization and responsibilities as a special activity, governed the League. The League was given authority to establish its governing body with the President of Hilltop Civic Association being an ex-officio member of its governing body. The League was permitted to maintain a separate treasury and the treasurer was required to submit a monthly financial report in writing at the Hilltop Civic Association meetings. Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League was officially deleted from the by-laws of the Hilltop Civic Association as a special activity on February 25, 1980.
Section I The specific objectives of the Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League are:
a.
To make
organized baseball available to all children, regardless of ability, residing
in the local geographical area.
b.
To teach
the fundamentals of baseball.
c.
To
encourage loyalty and competitive team spirit.
d.
To teach
good sportsmanship.
Section II The specific objectives will be achieved through supervised League games. In the conduct of League play, the development of future adults of high character is of primary importance and the development of exceptional athletic skills or the winning of games is of secondary importance.
Section III The
League is organized exclusively for the attainment of the objectives cited in
Sections I and II of this article and is limited to satisfy all requirements of
Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section I The
membership shall consist of adults who assist in the operation of the
League. Each participating adult must:
reside in the local geographical area; participate in one season of play; and
be approved by the Board of Directors.
Section II Membership
will automatically terminate when a member fails to assist in the operation of
the League for one season.
Section III The phrase "local geographical area" is defined in
the League's Babe Ruth Charter.
The fiscal period for the operation
of the League shall be October 1 through September 30.
The officers of the League shall be
President, Vice President of Player Personnel, Vice Presidents of Baseball and
Softball Operations, Financial Secretary, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chief
Umpire.
Section I The
governing body of the League shall be a Board of Directors, consisting of seven
officers (one-year term) and twelve other directors. These twelve directors will be elected by the membership to
assure that: four directors serve for three years; four directors serve for two
years; and four directors serve for one year.
Any director may be re-elected without limitation as to the number of
terms. All officers and directors must
reside in the local geographical area.
Section II A
President automatically becomes a member of the Board of Directors for one (1)
year immediately after his/her final year as President. This is a special Director's position of a
temporary nature. This position cannot
be filled if it becomes vacant.
Vacancies in offices and in the Board of Directors shall be filled by
the Board of Directors for the non expired terms as they become vacant during
the year.
Section
III Election of directors shall
precede election of officers.
Section I The
election of at least eleven (11) directors shall be held at the general
membership meeting in June.
Section II The
membership will elect seven (7) directors to serve a one (1) year term. Usually, these candidates are interested in
serving as an officer of the League.
Also, the membership will elect four (4) directors for three (3) year
terms and any vacancies with one (1) or two (2) years remaining to serve.
Section III A
Nominating Committee, appointed by the President and chaired by the Vice
President of Baseball Operations, shall present to the membership a list of
recommended candidates for the Board of Directors at the June meeting. Additional nominations for the Board of
Directors may be made and seconded from the floor by members at the June meeting.
Section IV If
more candidates are approved than there are existing vacancies, an election by
secret ballot shall be held. Each
member shall cast ballots for the number of candidates necessary to fill the
existing vacancies, and the candidate or candidates receiving the greatest
number of votes shall be elected.
Section V In
the event of a tie, a run-off election will be held between the parties who are
tied.
Section I The
election of officers of the League shall be held immediately after the annual
membership election of directors. The new
Board of Directors shall elect the seven officers by secret ballot.
Section II The
new Board of Directors shall elect the officers of the League by majority vote
of a quorum as designated in Article XIII.
The term of office of all officers shall be one year and all officers
may be re-elected without limitation as to the number of terms.
Section III If
the election of officers creates a vacancy or vacancies in the remaining Board
of Directors positions (e.g., a Board member resigns because of failing to be
elected as an officer) the new Board of Directors will fill the vacancy or
vacancies as stated in Article VII, Section II.
The
officers and directors of the League, duly elected under these Articles shall
take office at the October meeting of the Board of Directors.
Article
XI
Section I President
a.
He shall be
charged with the overall responsibility for the administration and operation of
the League in accordance with the objectives of the League (Article III) and
shall carry out all decisions of the Board of Directors.
b.
He shall
preside over all regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors and
appoint chairmen to all committees.
c.
He shall
prepare the annual operating budget for the approval of the Board of Directors.
d.
He shall
appoint a director to obtain all managers and coaches for the approval of the
Board of Directors.
e.
He shall
receive all mail and sign all correspondence pertaining to League matters,
except those matters relating to the disbursement and receipt of League funds.
f.
He shall be
an ex-officio member of all committees.
g.
He shall
have the power to review all decisions made by any officer.
h.
He shall
recommend disciplinary action to the Board of Directors against any player or
League member.
Section II Vice President of Player Personnel
a.
He shall
conduct tryouts for all players entering any subdivision of the League.
b.
He shall
prepare a player draft system.
c.
He shall
assign all players to teams.
d.
He shall
assign managers and coaches to teams, subsequent to the approval of the Board
of Directors.
e.
He shall
determine the eligibility of any player and rule on any dispute regarding
player participation.
f.
He shall
recommend to the President disciplinary action against any player or other
League member.
g.
He shall
devise and arrange the playing schedule.
h.
He shall be
an ex-officio member of the Rules Committee.
i.
He shall
coordinate the registration of returning and new players.
j.
He shall
obtain Coordinators for the league's subdivisions to assist him in performing
the above duties (see Article XV, Section I).
The Board of Directors will approve coordinators. Although not required, every attempt will be
made to select coordinators from the existing Board of Directors.
k.
In the
discharge of the above duties, he shall perform them in conjunction with and
with the full knowledge of the President.
Section III Vice Presidents of Operations
a. Vice President of Baseball Operations
1. He shall be responsible for assuring
that procedures are followed at
all meetings and advise the President of any deviations from these articles.
2.
He shall
conduct meetings in the absence of the President.
3.
He shall
serve as a judge of all elections.
4.
He shall be
a member of the Opening Day and All Star Day Committees.
5.
He shall be
chairman of the Articles and Rules Committees.
He shall evaluate League playing rules and the Articles of Organization
and recommend changes to the Board of Directors.
6.
He will be
chairman of the Nominating Committee to solicit, receive, evaluate and
recommend nominations for officer and director positions that become vacant
each September.
7.
In the discharge
of the above duties, he shall perform them in conjunction with and with the
full knowledge of the President.
b.
Vice President of Softball Operations
1. He will conduct meetings in the
absence of the President and Vice
President of Baseball
Operations.
2. He will be a member of the Opening
Day and All-Star Day Committees.
3. He will serve as a judge of all
elections.
4. He will be a member of the Articles
and Rules Committees. He will evaluate Softball playing rules
and the Articles of Organization and recommend changes to the board
of directors.
5. He will be a member of the nominating
Committee.
6. In the discharge of the above rules,
he will perform them in conjunction with
and with the full knowledge of the President.
Section IV Financial Secretary
a.
He shall
solicit funds from business organizations when deemed necessary by the Board of
Directors.
b.
He shall be
the chairman of any committee that is established to recommend ways and means
to raise funds.
c.
He shall be
the chairman of the Audit Committee responsible for the annual audit of League
income and expenditures.
d.
In the
discharge of the above duties, he shall perform them in conjunction with and
with the full knowledge of the President.
Section V Secretary
a.
He shall
prepare all correspondence relating to League matters as requested by the
President.
b.
He will
conduct a roll call of all directors at each meeting.
c.
He shall
take minutes of all meetings and present typed copies to all officers at the
next scheduled meeting.
d.
He shall
prepare and send to all directors any proposed change or changes to the
Articles of Organization or Rules in accordance with Article XVIII.
e.
He shall
assist the Vice Presidents of Operations in judging all elections.
f.
He shall be
responsible for contacting all directors as to the time and location of all
meetings.
g.
He shall
assure that a meeting room is reserved for all meetings and special activities.
Section VI Treasurer
a.
He shall
receive all income and disburse all funds relating to all activities carried on
under the supervision of the League. He
shall not be granted purchasing authority.
b.
He shall
keep a record of all such receipts and disbursements as stated in Article XIV.
c.
He shall be
responsible for the organization and operation of the Snack Bar.
d.
He shall
prepare a report of all financial transactions that take place between meeting
dates and present this report at each meeting.
A copy of the report will be given to the Secretary for inclusion in the
minutes of each meeting.
e.
He shall prepare
a detailed annual report of all income and expenditures for the September
meeting.
f.
In the
discharge of the above duties, he shall perform them in conjunction with and
with the full knowledge of the President.
Section VII Chief Umpire
a.
He shall
obtain qualified personnel to serve as umpires in League games.
b.
He shall
instruct, from time to time, the League umpires in the proper conduct of League
games.
c.
He shall
prepare a schedule for umpires.
d.
He shall
supervise the assignment of all umpires and any changes thereto.
e.
In the
discharge of the above duties, he shall perform them in conjunction with and
with the full knowledge of the President.
Article
XII
The
duties of the directors of the Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League shall be as
follows:
a.
To elect
the officers of the League in accordance with Article IX.
b.
To
determine all matters of general policy in accord with League objectives
(Article III).
c.
To approve
all budgets and major expenditures relating to the operation of the League.
d.
To rule on
all matters relating to the registration of applicants for team play.
e.
To approve
all proposed playing rules and changes thereto as per Articles XVII and XVIII.
f.
To approve
all managers and coaches and when necessary to discipline or remove any League
personnel.
g.
To approve
all amendments to or changes in the Articles of Organization as per Article
XVIII.
h.
To serve on
committees when appointed thereto.
i.
To approve
of any expansion or contraction of the League.
j.
To attend
meetings called by the President. Any
director who misses three (3) regularly scheduled meetings, without being
officially excused by the President, will be subject to automatic removal from
the Board of Directors of the Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League. Removal of the individual shall become
effective when the President advises the Board of Directors of his decision to
vacate that office.
k.
To rule on
any matter not specified in this Article or specifically placed in the
jurisdiction of the President.
Article
XIII
Section I All meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted in accordance with the Roberts Rules of Parliamentary Procedure.
Section II The
presiding officer at all meetings of the Board of Directors shall be the
President. In his absence the
Vice-President of Operations shall preside.
Section III The
Secretary shall take the minutes of all meetings, properly recording all
statements of importance, recording all motions and votes upon motions. Upon editing the minutes they shall be read
and distributed at the next meeting. If
the Secretary is not present, the President shall designate a member of the
Board to take the minutes.
Section IV The
quorum necessary for any meeting shall consist of any three officers and seven
other directors.
Section V The
League President shall call a minimum of five (5) meetings during the year, one
(1) of which shall be the annual meeting in September. The topics listed as subject matter for any
meeting are not all inclusive. Any
other matter of importance may be discussed at any meeting. The remaining four (4) meetings shall be
called by the President.
a.
October
Meeting. At this meeting all incoming
officers and directors shall officially take office. The responsibility of chairmanships of standing committees and
any other committees so created (see Article XV) shall be assigned by the
President.
b.
January
Meeting. At this meeting the President
shall require a report by the chairman of each committee assigned at the
October meeting in order to permit the smooth operation of all functions of the
League. The President shall present to
the Board of Directors, for its approval, a budget indicating his expectation
of receipts and expenditures for the ensuing year of League operations.
c.
March
Meeting. At this meeting the President
shall present to the Board of Directors, for its consideration and approval,
all procedures whereby the playing of all games shall be conducted. This includes: the registration of participants;
the assignment of players, managers and coaches to teams; assignment and
briefing of umpires; the scheduling of games; expansion or contraction of team
structure; and, game playing rules.
d.
July
Meeting. At this meeting the League
shall wind up all operations including financial so that the books of the
League may be substantially closed for the current year. At this meeting, nominations for any new
officers and directors may be presented.
Section VI The above meetings shall be referred to as regular or membership meetings. The President, at his discretion, may call any special meeting of the Board of Directors.
Section VII The
vote on any motion presented to the Board of Directors shall be carried by a
majority of any legally constituted quorum, unless specified otherwise by any
other article (Article XIII, Section IV).
The vote on any motion may be by secret ballot if called for by the
President or if any director, by motion, requests a secret ballot.
Article
XIV
Section I All decisions which involve the spending of money shall be considered to fall within the scope of financial policy, the power over which shall be vested in the Board of Directors. Financial policy shall also include the responsibility of the Treasurer and the keeping of the books for the League.
Section II All
receipts and expenditures of any activity carried on under the supervision of
the League must pass through the Office of the Treasurer. All disbursements shall be made by
check. When a cash transaction must be
made, the Treasurer will assure that the transaction is fully documented.
Section III The
Treasurer shall keep in his possession the League checkbook and keep an
historic record of all receipts and disbursements in a check journal or
daybook. The Treasurer shall establish
and maintain an accounting system to assure that a detailed statement of
receipts and expenses can be easily prepared and verified.
Section IV The
Treasurer shall assure that financial transactions and/or purchases are
authorized and executed only by officers acting within the scope of their
authority. Any deviations shall be
promptly reported to the President and Vice Presidents of Operations.
Section V The
Treasurer shall assure that the League has purchased adequate liability
insurance to protect all League members/volunteers. The Treasurer shall assure that the League has purchased adequate
accident/medical insurance that covers all League personnel. The Treasurer shall be responsible for
reporting the purchase of both types of insurance to the Board of Directors at
any meeting prior to the start of League play.
Section VI The
Treasurer shall submit a financial report of League operations to the Board of
Directors at each meeting.
Section VII Each
year the financial books of the League shall be audited between October 15 and
December 15 by the Financial Secretary and any two Directors appointed by the
President but excluding the President, Vice Presidents, and Treasurer.
Section VIII No
part of the net earnings of the League shall inure to the benefit of, or be
distributed to its officers, directors or other private persons, except that
the League shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for
services rendered and to make payments in furtherance of the purposes set forth
in Article III hereof. No substantial
part of the activities of the League shall be the carrying on of propaganda or
otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the League shall not
participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of
statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public
office. Notwithstanding any other
provision of these articles, this League shall not, except to an insubstantial
degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance
of the purposes of the League.
Article
XV
Section I The
League shall have the following standing committees:
A.
Equipment. The League expends a considerable amount of
money each year to purchase equipment (uniforms, bats, baseballs, etc.). Therefore, this committee shall be
responsible for the purchase, distribution and accountability of all League
equipment. Working closely with the
Vice President of Player Personnel and his subdivision Coordinators, the
committee will assure that:
¨
The best
equipment is purchased at a reasonable price.
¨
All
equipment requests are submitted by a manager in writing with the initial
approval of the Coordinator.
¨
Old
equipment is considered for repair before purchasing new equipment.
¨ An inventory system is established and maintained to accurately account for each team's equipment.
¨
By the
September meeting, a report on the status of the League's equipment is
presented to the Board of Directors. At
this time, the committee should present an estimate of expenses for the
upcoming year to assist the new President in forming the budget.
B.
Committee
of Coordinators and Managers. This
committee shall be composed of one (1) coordinator and the managers of all
teams in each subdivision. They shall
function primarily as a source of new ideas for improving the League. The Vice President of Player Personnel shall
be the chairman of each committee. The
Coordinator of each subdivision shall be responsible for assisting the
Vice President of Player Personnel in performing all of his duties associated
with the specific subdivision.
Coordinators work closely with the managers in their subdivision to
assure the smooth operation and conduct of the League.
C.
Rules
Committee. Responsible for drafting and
recommending playing rules and rules of conduct and the changes thereto. The Vice President of Player Personnel shall
be an ex-officio member of this committee.
D.
Registration
Committee. Responsible for the annual
registration of participating players, the validation of all applications and
the collection of the stipulated fees.
E. Opening Day Committee. Responsible for the opening day program officially beginning the League playing season.
Section II Any
committee, including a standing committee, shall be chaired by a member of the
Board of Directors. The other members
of any committee may be other directors, but may also include any other person
connected with the League. The President
shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Section III All
committees must report, from time to time, to the President either at the
meeting as specified by Article XIII or at any time at the discretion of the
President.
Section IV Committees,
other than those specified by this Article, may be formed at the discretion of
the President and fall subject to the rules of this Article.
Article
XVI
Section I Any
child who resides in the local geographical area and who has attained the age
of five (5) prior to August 1 of any year or who has not reached the age of
nineteen (19) prior to August 1 of the current year shall be eligible to
play in that year by timely submitting a valid application and paying the
stipulated registration fee.
Section II Any
adult requesting to manage or coach will be approved by the Board of
Directors. Managers shall be assigned a
team by the Vice President of Player Personnel provided they are residents of
the local geographical area.
Section III Any
game involving a League team with an outside team may be permitted at the
discretion of the President provided that such game does not jeopardize the
insurance protection of those participating and the League.
Section IV The setting, naming, expansion and contraction of League
subdivisions shall be
within
the discretion and power of the Board of Directors (see Article XII).
Article XVII
Section I The playing rules shall be the Official Haverford Township Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League Rules. These rules shall be detailed in separate documents according to the League's subdivisions.
Section II All
rules which are deemed necessary for smooth play in the League, e.g., no balk
rule, no stealing bases, etc., must be approved by the Board of Directors at a
meeting. All proposed changes to the
playing rules must be submitted in writing to the Vice Presidents of
Operations, exactly as the rule would be incorporated into the Official Rules
of each subdivision of the League.
These Official Rules shall be distributed to the manager of each
participating team before the season begins.
Section III The
interpretation of any rule shall rest with the President and Vice Presidents of
Operations with advice from the Rules Committee (Article XV, Section I).
Article
XVIII
Any
article or section thereof of this document may be amended or repealed by a
two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors at any regular or special
meeting—provided that, at a minimum, a written notice of any proposed change or
changes over the signature of the Secretary shall be mailed to each member of
the Board of Directors at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the meeting at
which time such proposed change or changes shall be submitted to vote. Article II may be updated but will remain as
an historic record of Hilltop Babe Ruth Baseball League.
Upon the dissolution of the League, the
Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of
all of the liabilities of the League, dispose of all of the assets of the
League exclusively for the purposes of the League in such manner, or to such
organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for purposes
as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under
section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding
provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of
Directors shall determine. Any such
assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of
the county in which the League is located, exclusively for such purposes or to
such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are
organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto
subscribed our names this ________ day of March 2004.
_________________________________ _________________________________
Fred Steigerwalt Jr. President Drew
Dwyer, Financial Secretary
__________________________________ _________________________________
Don Foley, Vice President Denise
Lattanzio, Secretary
of Player Personnel
_________________________________ _________________________________
Louis D. Lattanzio, Vice President Ed Banes, Treasurer
Of Baseball Operations
_________________________________
Bob McGowan, Chief Umpire Tom
Garrity, Vice President
Of
Softball Operations