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.