Shelby Youth Sports, Inc

SHELBY YOUTH SPORTS, INC. CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I

NAME – MISSION – OBJECTIVE - SCOPE

SECTION A – NAME

This organization shall be known as Shelby Youth Sports, Inc., and is an independent, non-profit organization operating under the laws of the State of Tennessee, hereinafter referred to as “The Association” or “SYS”.

SECTION B – MISSION

Be the leading provider of safe, affordable and quality community based after school youth sports programs and by doing so enhance their overall quality of life.

SECTION C – OBJECTIVE

The objective of The Association shall be:

 To provide Administration, Coaches, Officials, Schedules, Locations, Leadership as well as other goods and services as required to achieve The Association’s Mission Statement.  To extend The Association to all areas and youth desiring entry, subject to their adherence to The Association Constitution and By-Laws.  The organization may offer any sport the Board of Directors deems appropriate providing the rules for the sport are adopted in an appropriate set of By-Laws.

SECTION D – SCOPE

The scope of The Association is as defined in the following section of this Constitution and By- Laws.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 1 of 13 Article II

MEMBERSHIP – REVOKING MEMBERSHIP

SECTION A – MEMBERSHIP

The following classes of Membership in SYS are available:

Area Membership

An Area is defined as a region of the Mid-South with specific boundaries that do not overlap other Areas within the organization. Any Area within the Mid-South is eligible for membership in the Association. Area membership will be governed by the Board of Directors and the procedures adopted for accepting new Areas into the Association.

Individual Membership

Participants, Volunteers, Parents, Guardians, Employees and Independent Contractors are considered members of the Association.

Members-at-Large

The Board of Directors shall elect certain individuals who by their interest and past performance have demonstrated skills that are valuable to the organization as members-at-large. These members will have an open invitation to all Board meetings; however they shall not have the right to vote. Members-at-Large shall be elected any time nominations are made and once elected can only be removed by a 75% vote of the Board of Directors.

Yearly a special meeting of the Board of Directors and the Members-at-Large will be coordinated by the President and Secretary/Treasurer. The purpose of this meeting will be to review the “State of the Association” that will be presented by the President and any members needed. This review will help preserve the traditions and legacy of the organization. Input will be solicited from Members-at- Large as to these parts of the organization.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 2 of 13 SECTION B – REVOKING MEMBERSHIP

Membership in SYS can be revoked or suspended only by the following procedures:

 Any member may be placed on suspension by any commissioner for cause, providing they have the agreement of one other commissioner. The decision should be announced to the President of the Association as soon as possible. The President will confirm the agreement of one other commissioner.

 Any member registered to an Area may be suspended and removed from the Area by the Area Director for cause.

 If a suspension is made, charges and the decision will be announced at the next meeting of the Board of Directors. This meeting must occur within 15 days of the suspension. Failure to schedule or hold this review meeting will result in the suspension being lifted until the meeting can be scheduled.

 A letter explaining the decision of the commissioner and reason for the suspension will be then sent to the affected member by certified mail within 5 days of the meeting. This letter will notify the member of a date for an automatic appeal of the suspension with the Board of Directors. The date for this meeting will be set by the President within 21 days of the meeting when the suspension was announced.

 At this announced meeting, the person against whom charges have been made will have the right to appear before the Board and explain his or her actions. Others may appear to also explain and represent the member in this meeting. Once their appeal is completed, they will be dismissed from the meeting and the issue taken up for discussion and a vote of the Board of Directors. The decision of the Board will be final and will be detailed in another letter and sent to the individual affected.

 If the suspended member doesn’t show up for the meeting and there is no response within 1 month, the suspension will be permanent.

 Over turning any suspension made by a commissioner will require a 75% vote. The Board also has the right to increase the suspension time by majority vote.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 3 of 13 Article III

AREA ADMINISTRATION – ASSOCIATION ADMINISTRATION – DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND OFFICERS

SECTION A – AREA ADMINISTRATION

1. The control of SYS Areas is vested in the elected Area Director and the appointed Coaches and Advisors. The Director shall be elected in December or January of the year in which an office becomes vacant. A term of office shall be no more than two (2) years, from January 1 through December 31. 2. Eligibility requirements for any Area that participates in SYS are as follows: i. The Area must be an incorporated organization as recognized by the appropriate state. ii. No Area will have SYS shown in a way that implies that they are legally or financially a part of SYS. It must be noted that they are an official participant within SYS only. This includes: 1. SYS may not be on any part of their checks 2. SYS may not be shown on other official financial documents such as invoices, bills, etc iii. All Areas will have an adopted set of By-Laws that govern the operation of their area: This will include statements that enforce the following: 1. The election of officers. The election of the Area Director should support and not conflict with the SYS Constitution and By-Laws that govern this process. 2. A requirement that all disbursements of money should be authorized by at least two individuals. All accounts should be open and reviewable independently by the Area Director as SYS’s official representative within the Area. 3. All individual Area officers that handle money must be “bonded” by a recognizable firm that specializes in bonding officers of this type. iv. Any known long-term (a balance of over $100.00 for more than 6 months) outstanding financial debts must be reported to SYS within 30 days from the 1st delinquent notice. v. No Area will be allowed to use the 501c(3) status of SYS to collect contributions directly nor avoid taxes. This will be used for official SYS functions and activities only. All contributions of money, goods or services given to SYS in the name of an Area will be forwarded to the Area once the purpose of the funds is confirmed to match that of SYS’s charter and our purpose for our 501c(3) status. vi. Twice yearly, as coordinated by the Secretary/Treasurer SYS will require a list of all vendors that are used by the Area for credit purchases. This will be all vendors that bill the area for balances owed. vii. Shelby Youth Sports, Inc. is comprised of Track & Field, Cheerleading and Football. All Areas that are currently active in all three (3) areas that Shelby Youth Sports provides, which include Arlington, Bartlett, Brownsville Road, Cordova, Ellendale, Elmore Park, Memphis Bears, Millington, Southwind,Tipton County and Whitehaven, will be required to continue to maintain all three (3) activities provided by the Association. For the purpose of expansion for the Association’s Track & Field, Senior Football and Cheerleading programs, new Areas may be allowed entrance into Shelby Youth Sports, Inc. under a “Sport Specific” format. All normal Administrative Procedures for entering the Association must be completed before being considered by the Board of Directors. All Sport Specific Area(s) will be required to be approved on a yearly basis for continued entrance in the Association by the Board of Directors. Approval will require the same vote as required for their admittance into the league. This vote can take place in November or December of the previous year only, no earlier. Any Area that is granted entrance into Shelby Youth Sports, Inc. with a sport specific team will have the right to attend any and all Director meetings and other activities. Sports specific areas may have a counting

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 4 of 13 vote for motions, by-law changes, and issues pertaining to their specific sport only. Sports specific areas may not vote on constitutional changes or matters, nor may they vote on motions, by-law changes or issues pertaining to sports in which they are not fielding teams. 3/26/12 All Sports Specific Areas that are granted entrance into Shelby Youth Sports should actively work towards fielding the other sports that Shelby Youth Sports provides and should work closely with the Sport Commissioners to try and achieve those goals. 4/4/11 viii. Sport Specific Areas will be required to meet all other requirements of membership, including participation at all Board Meetings. Participants in these Areas are open to other Areas in the sports not offered. They will be treated as if living in an open Area. ix. If it is found that any of these requirements are not met, the President of SYS is required to bring the Area’s Director to the Board of Directors for review. The Board upon vote can remove the Area Director for cause by a majority vote. x. SYS will allow for school based programs (private schools and charter schools) to participate with their school in SYS Track and Field events. The participant within the school based program will have to be currently enrolled at the school in order to participate with the school based program. Proof of enrollment will be required at the time of sign up. This type of program is Piloted for the 2012 Track season and evaluated for full implementation prior to the 2013 season. 3/12/12

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 5 of 13 DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR

a. Serve as a member of “The Association Board of Directors”. b. Establish play continuity in his/her Area. c. Be solely responsible to The Association for his Area’s adherence to The Association’s rules. d. Establish such procedures as may be required for the administration of his/her Area. e. Appoint and supervise all Area volunteers and positions f. Be responsible for The Association property in his Area’s possession. g. Appoint Assistant Directors, as needed only one receiving a vote in the absence of the Area Director, announcing such, providing a letter to the board of Directors. h. If a Director’s position becomes vacant for any reason steps down before his/her term is completed, the President shall name an interim Director to finish out the term of the past Director, or until the affected Area requests a Speaker’s Bureau for the purpose of electing a new Director to fill the vacated position. At the time of the election, the new Director will start a two-year term.

DUTIES OF THE HEAD COACHES AND CHEER ADVISORS

a. Obtain and supervise Cheer Coaches and Assistant Coaches as needed. b. Establish practice and play procedures in concert with the other Head Coaches and Director, in accordance with The Association Constitution and By-Laws. c. Participate in Association-sponsored clinics d. Follow the guidelines transmitted to them by The Association’s appropriate Sports Commissioner

SECTION B – ASSOCIATION ADMINISTRATION

1. The control of The Association is vested in the Board of Directors, who shall be elected in December or January of the year in which an office becomes vacant. A term of office shall normally be for two (2) years, from January 1 through December 31.

2. The Board of Directors shall: i. Elect an Executive Board. ii. Determine Association policies and procedures. iii. Make changes in The Association Constitution and By-Laws. iv. Appropriate and direct the disbursements of funds. v. Install Presidential appointed Officials’ Association President and Parliamentarian as members of the Board of Directors. 3. The Executive Board shall be comprised of a President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, Track Commissioner, Cheer Commissioner, Football Commissioner and Parliamentarian. 4. The President, Cheer Commissioner, and Football Commissioner shall be elected in even numbered years and the Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer and Track Commissioner in odd numbered years. 5. Board Members who miss more than two (2) Consecutive meetings or four (4) within any season without proper representation, with the exception of sickness, family deaths, or extenuating circumstances of a critical nature, will be suspended and a replacement appointed by the President at the earliest convenience.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 6 of 13 SECTION C – DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD and OFFICERS

1. DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

a. Preside at Association Board of Directors and General Meetings. b. Supervise the Executive Board c. Implement the Policies of the Board of Directors. d. Make final determination of penalties for Constitution violations e. When a Sport Commissioner fails to act, decide protests, and make final determination of penalties for By-law violations f. Appoint all temporary committees g. Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees

2. DUTIES OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT

a. Act for the President in his/her absence. b. Manage and direct all general events of the organization. This includes but is not limited to the following: i. Track Championships ii. Football Championships iii. Football Jamboree iv. Cheer-Off v. Mid-South Cheer and Dance c. Serve as a member of all Committees d. Act for any and all Sport Commissioners when these positions are vacant e. Work with the Sport Commissioners in the completion of their responsibilities f. Perform such other duties as directed by the Association President.

3. DUTIES OF THE TRACK COMMISSIONER

a. Appoint an Assistant Track Commissioner for term of his / her office and who is to be approved by the Board of Directors. b. Certify all track sites prior to the first track meet c. Organize and host Track Coach Meetings and Clinics d. Account for all Association track equipment e. Set up and facilitate the heat sheet meetings. f. Represent the Association in the AAU. g. Have primary responsibility of interpreting all rules (including TSSAA rules as necessary) concerning Track and decide the discipline of Coaches and participants who may be in violation of SYS rules h. Periodically check Area practices to be sure all rules are being followed i. Perform such other duties as directed by the Association President.

4. DUTIES OF THE CHEER COMMISSIONER

a. Appoint an Assistant Cheer Commissioner for term of his / her office and who is to be approved by the Board of Directors b. Attend all cheerleading tryouts and verify balloting c. Organize and host Advisor Meetings and clinics d. Be responsible for all half-time activities for Jamboree and the setting up of Cheer-Off e. Have primary responsibility of interpreting all rules concerning Cheerleading and decide the discipline of Sponsors and Cheerleaders, who may be in violation of SYS rules. f. Periodically check Area cheerleading practices to be sure all rules are being followed g. Perform such other duties as directed by the Association President.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 7 of 13 5. DUTIES OF THE FOOTBALL COMMISSIONER

a. Appoint an Assistant Football Commissioner for term of his / her office and who is to be approved by the Board of Directors b. Certify all playing sites prior to the first game. c. Attend and coordinate all football weigh-ins d. Account for all Association football equipment and the distribution of game day footballs e. Organize and host Football Coach’s Meetings and clinics f. Have primary responsibility of interpreting all rules concerning Football and decide the discipline of Volunteers and Players, who may be in violation of SYS rules g. Periodically check all Area practices to be sure all rules are being followed h. Perform such other duties as directed by the Association President.

6. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY/TREASURER

a. Account for and disburse all funds for The Association. b. Record minutes of the meetings. c. Notify members of meetings. d. Maintain Association files and records. e. Perform such other duties as assigned by the Association President

9. DUTIES OF THE PARLIAMENTARIAN

a. Assist the President in interpreting the Constitution b. Rule on all procedures at meetings c. Coordinate all Area elections and representation from SYS through the Speaker’s Bureau. d. Insure the proper execution of all elections within SYS and the Member Areas reporting all violations to the President and Board of Directors as soon as possible

10. DUTIES OF THE OFFICIAL’S PRESIDENT

a. Provide game Officials for all Association football games b. Train Officials in The Association playing rules c. Insure all rules are enforced properly and evenly at all football games d. Review the performance of all officials as necessary removing any that aren’t performing to the standard of the others e. Attend all Board meetings during football season to explain rules and answer questions about calls made during the previous weekend’s football games

11. OVERTURNING DECISIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OR EXECUTIVE BOARD

From time to time it will be the responsibility of the Executive Board to vote on decisions or an Executive Board Member to make rulings to clarify the By-laws or state the position of the organization on a particular issue with the appropriate sport. Once made, any ruling can be overruled only by a 75% vote of the Board of Directors or a change to the By-laws making them unnecessary. Any conflict with the Association Constitution or the By-laws of any sport, as determined by the President with the advice of the Parliamentarian will render them illegal.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 8 of 13 Article IV

PROCEDURES

SECTION A – ADMINISTRATION

1. The permanent rules of this Association shall be embodied in a Constitution. The By-Laws shall deal with rules necessary for the conduct of the playing league and Commissioner’s rulings will deal with temporary conditions which are encountered. In all matters the rules of the Constitution will have precedence.

2. Administrative Procedures are the responsibility of the Association President and Executive Board of Directors. They should be submitted annually to the Board of Directors by the President for adoption. Adoption will required a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Changes or modifications of those procedures require a 75% vote of the Board of Directors. Until the annual adoption of the new procedures, the previous Procedures will remain in effect. Any conflict with the Association Constitution or the By-laws of any sport will render them illegal.

3. Matters before the Board of Directors will be decided by the voting members. These voting members are as follows:

a. Each Area will have one vote, cast by the Area Director or the Assistant Area Director in their absence. Proxy votes will be accepted, but only by the President, Secretary/Treasurer or Parlimentarian in person, direct conversation (in person or on the phone) or by verified email. b. One each for the officers of the organization with the exception of the Officials President, Parliamentarian, and President. c. Ties will be decided by the votes of the three members without votes. Ties broken will remain the private decision of these three members. The results will be announced just as other vote results are announced.

4. Members of this Board of Directors may not serve concurrently in any other SYS capacity, except on appointed committees.

SECTION B – FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION

1. The Secretary/Treasurer of The Association shall be responsible to The Association President and Board of Directors for the financial management of The Association. 2. Funds of the organization will be maintained in a checking account, except for such amounts as may be set aside in a reserve fund by the Board of Directors. 3. No check shall be written which is not signed by two of the following Officials: The President, Vice-President, and the Secretary/Treasurer. 4. The Association Treasurer will report on the financial status of The Association at meeting at least quarterly. 5. The Treasurer shall be bonded by a legal bonding company, the fee to be paid by The Association. 6. If the annual budget allows for fee exemptions the following procedures will be followed for administering the allocation of these fee exemptions: a. All participants requesting a Shelby Youth Sports fee exemption must be approved by a Committee which will be chaired by the Vice President. Other standing Members will be the Secretary/Treasurer, the Sports Commissioner involved, and two Area Directors selected by the President. b. A set number of fee exemptions will first be allocated evenly to each area. c. The family of the participant requesting the fee exemption will forward a letter of intent to the Area Director. If deemed valid a copy will be forwarded to the committee for review. All released financial information must be available for consideration for fee exemption status.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 9 of 13 d. Upon the conclusion of the selection process, a voucher will be forwarded or a letter of denial to the family concerned. Upon approval the voucher must be attached to all paperwork for the SYS Secretary. The child must not be allowed to participate without the approval process being completed. e. On the 1st Saturday in September, any fee exemptions not used by the Areas will be available to the committee for disbursement to other Areas which may have additional needs. f. All active duty members that are currently in conflict overseas defending our National Interest will be offered SYS fee exemptions provided a copy of the Military orders are forwarded to the Means Committee Chairman. These exemptions will not be part of the financial hardship exemptions.

7. An independent auditor will be appointed by the President. This auditor will perform an audit in January of each year and submit a written report for inclusion into the minutes as soon as possible. 8. Only the Executive Board members of the organization will be allowed to obligate the organization of financial debt.

SECTION C – AMENDMENT TO THE CONSITUTION AND BY-LAWS

1. The Constitution can be amended providing: a. Such amendment is favored by 14 votes of the voting membership. 3/9/09 b. In order to provide notice to all Board Members of pending changes, a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours must pass between a motion to change the constitution and the vote for approval or rejection. 2. All By-Laws can be amended by a vote of 10 votes, except for the following times when 16 votes will be required to approve changes. 3/9/09 a. Football By-Laws - from the first day of practice until the end of the Championship game b. Track and Field By-Laws – from the first day of practice until the end of Championships c. Cheer By-Laws – from April 1 through the Football Championship Game (2/7/11)

SECTION D – MEETINGS

1. The Board of Directors shall meet at the call of the President, but at least once a month.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 10 of 13 Article V

ELIGIBILITY

SECTION A – ELIGIBILITY OF PARTICIPANTS

Eligibility rules for all three (3) sports, Football, Track and Cheerleading, are designated by age and residence. The recorded age must be validated by a birth certificate and/or school record. Cheerleaders and Track participants are governed by the same eligibility rules as listed in the football rules, except the age and picture requirements.

1. A participant is eligible to play on a team as long as he meets all requirements. Requirements include: a. SYS Registration form b. Birth certificate c. Current photo (unless pictures are handled by SYS) d. Registration fees e. Signature on the organization’s hold harmless statement f. Exemption approval, if needed g. A doctor’s release if deemed necessary. h. Permission must be granted in writing by parent or guardian before a participant may practice for league play. 2. All Areas participating in The Association have specified boundaries as designated by Constitution. Participants will play for the Area as designated by the boundaries of SYS. 3. If a player desires to play for an Area outside the boundaries in which he/she lives, he/she must have a completed exemption request on file with the SYS Secretary. 2/23/09

a. Exemptions must be filled out by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and submitted along with completed registration forms to the “Area Director or Assistant Director” for the “Area” in which he/she wishes to be exempted from. 2/23/09

b. The Area Director or Assistant Director must then approve or deny the exemption request with-in three days. 2/23/09

c. If approved, that child becomes a permanent participant of the new Area and any changes must follow the same procedures. The exemption request form must be submitted with the completed registration form and SYS fees to the SYS secretary. 2/23/09

d. If denied, the requesting Area Director can submit a request to the Board of Directors at a regular scheduled meeting . It will require at least a 75% yes vote to overturn the denial of the “Home Area Director”. 2/23/09

e. Once the Board of Directors have reached a decision, that decision is final.

f. If any Area is found to have a participant practicing without being exempted, the Area will be fined $50.00 for the first infraction, $200.00 for the second infraction and for the third infraction, suspension of the Area Director for 12 months. 2/23/09

g. Only one exemption may be considered within a 12 month period of time per participant. 2/23/09

h. SYS fees will be collected per participants, per sport. The cut-off dates for transferring the SYS fees to other participants will be:

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 11 of 13 the same date as the final day to register participants for Track, Football and Cheer in their respective seasons. 4/4/11

SECTION B – ELIGIBILITY OF SYS Board Members, Coaches and Advisors

All Track coaches, Cheer Advisors, Football Coaches and SYS Board Members will be required to pass a background check administered by the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI). This background check will be required every two (2) years beginning in 2008 and must be current anytime the coach or advisor is working with any team at an SYS event or serving on the Board representing the SYS organization. Any applicant, who has served in one of these positions for 5 or more years, may appeal to the Board of Directors for an exemption which would allow them to continue in their current position. This exemption must be appealed and reapproved yearly.

In the event a volunteer comes back with a “red light”, the following rules are to be followed for an appeal through the Board of Directors.

1. All “red lights” are discussed with the Area Director and are to be immediately turned in to them with the name of the individual. 2. The Area Director is to notify that individual and they are to cease all official activity immediately. 3. If the individual meets the criteria and wants to appeal to the Board, the Director can with a minimum of 1 week’s notice and during a regular board meeting appeal on behalf of said individual (the 1 week’s notice is to allow the Secretary/Treasurer enough time to retrieve the reason for the “red light” from the background screening company. 4. The Director should be prepared to provide extensive and complete information to the Board of Directors stating the exact reasons the red light was received. This will enable the SYS President or Secretary/Treasurer to verify that the information given to the Board of Directors is complete and accurate. 5. During the appeal process, if the information presented is found to be incomplete or misleading, the President or Secretary/Treasurer will inform the Board of Directors of this fact only. At no time will details be released to anyone other than the individual. They will simply indicate during the appeal process that the information doesn’t match what was received from the screening company. 6. Discussion will then be allowed. Once discussion is heard, the President will close he floor to discussion and call for a vote. All votes will be closed ballot. 7. An exemption to the “red light” flag from a background check will require 90% yes votes from all voting members of the Board. 8. Once the 3rd attempt at overturning the “red light” of an applicant has failed, the applicant will remain ineligible ( a red light) to participate until a “green light status” can be achieved. 11/10/09

All SYS Board Members and at least one person from the hosting team must be present as a Certified First Aid Responder at all events. SYS Officials (Referees, SYS Board Members) will be responsible for insuring the identification of this person before any event starts platy or competition. If no Certified First Aid Responder is present at the game or competition, the home team will forfeit the game. SYS Officials may wait no longer than 15 minutes for this person to be on site at the event. SYS will reimburse all Board

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 12 of 13 Members the cost (up to $25) for anyone elected to the Board of Directors. This certification must be current and evident to the SYS Official by official ID.

Shelby Youth Sports Constitution Page 13 of 13