Cardinal Joseph Bernardin

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin

Athletic Board

Constitution and By-Laws

Enacted June 2011

Table of Contents

Preamble and Mission Statement

Article I – Name

Article II - Purpose

Article III - Membership

Article IV – Selection of Athletic Board Members

Article V - Resignations or Removal of Board Members

Article VI - Terms of Office

Article VII – Athletic Board Meetings

Article VIII - Accountability

Article IX - Athletic Director Duties

Article X – Duties of the President

Article XI – Duties of the Vice-President

Article XII – Duties of the Secretary

Article XIII – Duties of the Assistant Secretary

Article XIV – Duties of the Treasurer

Article XV – Amendments

Article XVI – Supervision and Management of the CJB Gymnasium

Article XVII – Volunteer Coordinator

Preamble and Mission Statement

The mission of the athletic program at Cardinal Joseph Bernardin School (CJB) is to promote an opportunity for all children to develop their physical talents, increase self-confidence and self-esteem, and promote the values of sportsmanship and teamwork in a manner that is grounded in our love of Christ and Catholic faith.

Through participation in the CJB athletic program, our students may develop life-long skills and positive values, including leadership, healthful living habits, self-discipline, integrity, respect for rules and regulations, and the ability to participate with dignity and grace.

Article I – Name

The name of this organization is the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin (CJB) Athletic Board. The CJB Athletic Board is a standing committee of the CJB School Advisory Council that works in collaboration and consultation with the CJB school Principal and Executive Pastor.

Article II - Purpose

● The CJB Athletic Board will organize, manage, operate and fund an Athletic Program open to all eligible students enrolled in Cardinal Joseph Bernardin School in compliance with Archdiocesan rules, the CJB School Handbook, the CJB Athletic Handbook and the Constitution and By-laws of the CJB Athletic Board. The CJB Athletic Board operates with the consent of the Executive Pastor and Principal, who have primary authority over any decision-making power of the CJB Athletic Board.

● The Principal and the Executive Pastor expressly reserve the right to immediately review and reverse any decision or policy of the CJB Athletic Board, if deemed appropriate by the Principal and Executive Pastor, to protect the best interests of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin School and its students.

Article III - Membership

● The CJB Athletic Board is comprised of the Athletic Director (AD) and nine (9) other selected individuals that will act as a standing committee of the CJB School Advisory Council, with ultimate accountability to the Executive Pastor and Principal.

● The Athletic Director (AD) shall be a permanent member of the Athletic Board in accordance with the terms of his or her employment relationship with CJB. The AD shall be a non-voting ex officio member of the Athletic Board.

● There shall be two registered parishioners over the age of 21 years sitting on the CJB Athletic Board who are from the sponsoring parishes of St. Stephen Deacon & Martyr, St. Elizabeth Seton, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Julie Billiart.

● The remaining member of the CJB Athletic Board shall be comprised of a faculty member from CJB school appointed by the Principal. In the event that a faculty member is unable to serve, the Principal shall appoint a substitute member who must be a registered member of any of the four sponsoring parishes in CJB.

● Due to conflict of interest considerations, coaches of CJB athletic teams cannot simultaneously serve on the CJB Athletic Board.

● The officers of the CJB Athletic Board consist of the following: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer.

● The officers of the CJB Athletic Board are elected annually by the current Board at the last regular meeting of the fiscal year (held in June). Prior to the start of the June Athletic Board meeting, any of the Athletic Board members may nominate any other member, including oneself, as a candidate for officer. Nominations will also be taken from the floor at the June meeting.

● The nominee receiving the most votes by written ballot for a given office, whether in person or by written proxy, shall be elected to such office. The office of President is filled first, followed by the Vice-President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer. An Athletic Board member can be nominated for multiple offices, but can only serve in one capacity. Athletic Board members may decline a nomination.

● If the current Athletic Board President does not run for re-election, he or she presides over the election. If the current Athletic Board President is either running for re- election or another office, the senior most Athletic Board member not running for office presides over the election. In the event that all Athletic Board members are running for an office, the Athletic Board shall petition the Principal to preside over the election.

● The ballots for each office are tallied and confirmed by whoever presides over the election. Once the entire election is completed, the new officers assume their functions and facilitate the remainder of the meeting.

Article IV – Selection of Athletic Board Members

● All members of the CJB Athletic Board must be of a good moral character at all times, interested in the welfare and growth of the students of CJB, model Christian values and be willing to uphold and promote the policies and guidelines of the CJB Athletic Program. All members must comply with all annual Archdiocesan requirements for interaction with minors, including all VIRTUS training.

● The AD and Athletic Board members must model Christian values.

● The AD is a paid position whose selection shall be based on the same hiring process utilized for the hiring of any other faculty member at CJB. The terms of the AD’s employment relationship shall be entitled to the same degree of confidentiality and respect afforded to other school faculty members.

● Each of the 8 Athletic Board members from St. Stephen Deacon & Martyr, St. Elizabeth Seton, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Julie Billiart collectively shall be selected by the respective Pastor of that parish. The procedure for selection of each Athletic Board member shall be based on a discernment process established by each individual Pastor at his discretion. If there are insufficient applicants from any single parish, the parish in question may open its application and discernment process to any of the 3 other parishes that sponsor CJB school.

● The faculty member shall be selected by the Principal based on a discernment established by the Principal at the Principal’s discretion. This process will also apply in the event that a faculty member is unable to serve, thus necessitating the Principal to appoint a substitute member from one of the four participating parishes.

● It is not a requirement to have a child enrolled in CJB school to serve on the CJB Athletic Board.

Article V - Resignations or Removal of Board Members

● Any CJB Athletic Board member may resign from the Board by submitting a resignation in writing to the Athletic Board;

● If the President resigns from the Board, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President for the remainder of office;

● The replacement on the Board of any member that has resigned will be identified by either the Pastor of the respective parish where the resigned officer registered, or by the Principal if the member was a school faculty member or other substitute appointee. The replacement shall be appointed to fulfill the original term of the member that resigned;

● Once a resignation has occurred and a new replacement appointee has been identified, the Athletic Board shall hold elections for any open officer positions;

● Any resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein and, unless otherwise specified therein, no acceptance of such resignation shall be necessary to make it effective;

● Members may be removed by a majority vote of the Board for “just cause” after a hearing on the merits of the petition, pending ratification of the Athletic Board’s decision by the Executive Pastor and Principal. Any member of the Athletic Board can submit a petition for removal.

Article VI - Terms of Office

● Except for the AD, membership on the CJB Athletic Board shall initially be for a term of 3 years, starting on July 1st and ending on June 30th. After 3 years, each Athletic Board member may request a one-year extension. The decision to grant that extension rests solely in either the discretion of the Pastor from the respective parish that the board member is from, or the Principal if the member is filling the faculty position on the Board. With the exception of the AD, no Athletic Board member shall serve more than 4 years total, subject to the exception noted below for those members appointed for the 2011-12 school year.

● Terms ordinarily should expire on a rotating basis, with the term of one member of each parish expiring in a different year than the other member of that same parish. For those individuals from the sponsoring parishes selected to the CJB Athletic Board for the 2011- 12 school year, they are allowed any necessary one-year extension by the Pastor to avoid both members of the sponsoring parish from leaving the Athletic Board in the same school year. This term exception would expire once the original members (or their replacements) selected to the Board for the 2011-12 school year leave the CJB Athletic Board and a proper rotating protocol is in place.

● The terms of employment for the AD shall be governed by a contract/agreement with CJB school.

Article VII – Athletic Board Meetings

● Members of the Athletic Board are expected to attend monthly meetings during the school year which will be held on the second Monday (except June) of each month at CJB school. Board members who are unable to attend a meeting must notify the Secretary in advance of the scheduled meeting. The Athletic Board may terminate the term of office of any member who misses two Athletic Board meetings without notification in a school calendar year through a majority vote.

● When necessary, a "special" meeting may be called and all board members are expected to attend.

● A majority of the Board, present either in person or by written proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the CJB Athletic Board. The act of a majority of the voting Athletic Board members shall be the act of the CJB Athletic Board. In those cases where only the officers of the Athletic Board are entitled to vote (such as the Grievance Procedure), the act of a majority of the voting officers shall be the official act of the Board.

● Meetings are generally open to parents and guardians of students. Those who wish to address the Athletic Board must submit the request in writing to the Secretary of the Board not less than 3 days prior to the scheduled meeting. This allows the item to be placed on the agenda and sufficient time allotted for discussion. Only individuals who have been allotted time on the agenda will be allowed to speak during the meeting. However, the notification requirement may be waived for an individual by a majority vote of the Athletic Board. Any participating parents or guardians shall not unduly interfere with the regular course of monthly business of the Board.

● Executive sessions, which are only open to CJB Athletic Board members, are either conducted before the regularly scheduled meeting or after it. Executive sessions are called by either the President of the Board, the Executive Pastor or the Principal. The Athletic Board meets in executive session to deal with sensitive issues that may not be shared with the public.

● There will be an agenda and minutes for each Athletic Board meeting. The agenda will be prepared by the President with the assistance of the AD and will outline a review of sports programs, issues/concerns, budget/financial issues, grievances, fundraising and special events. The agenda shall be provided to the Principal at least 48 hours before any scheduled meeting.

● Minutes of the meeting will be taken by the Secretary and distributed at the start of the next board meeting. Copies of all minutes shall be distributed to the Principal and Executive Pastor after each meeting.

● At the beginning of each meeting, there will be an opening prayer and the minutes will be reviewed for accuracy, modified if necessary, and accepted by the Athletic Board. The minutes will outline the topics discussed, actions to be taken and responsible party(s).

● The AD and Athletic Board officers will each present general reports to the Board, with the Treasurer presenting a monthly written budget report for review and approval by the Board.

● The Vice-President shall present a monthly report on the status of all fundraising activities.

● Any record of documented complaints shall be discussed, as well as the status of any pending grievance petitions, unless the President determines in his or her discretion that the matter should be reviewed in an Executive Session of the Board.

● Open issues and new business will be reviewed and discussed;

● Closing Comments.