TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SPORTS OFFICIALS-BASEBALL HOUSTON CHAPTER CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS CONSTITUTION Article I. Name Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Texas Association of Sports Officials- Baseball-Houston Chapter. Section 2. Membership A) Member must be in good standing with the Texas Association of Sports Officials- Baseball Division. B) The membership shall be classed as Certified, Approved or Registered. C) Members, male or female, must be eighteen (18) years of age or older. D) Members must take an annual rules and mechanics examination and attend an annual rules clinic. Section 3: State Affiliation Houston chapter of TASO-Baseball is formed under the authority of and subject to the constitution and by-laws of the Texas Association of Sports Officials. Article II. Purpose Section 1. The Purpose of this organization shall be to: A) Provide training and opportunities for assignment of baseball games to baseball officials, who act as an independent professional contractor. B) Develop and maintain a membership of experienced, capable umpires whose integrity is above reproach. C) Foster a high standard of ethics, encourage fair play, sportsmanship, closer cooperation and better understanding among officials, athletic representatives, coaches, player, and the press.
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 2 D) To furnish umpires for schools in Harris County and schools in other counties who desire our services, subject to manpower limitations. E) All members of this chapter will abide by the operating procedures adopted by the board of directors of TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter. Article III. Types of Memberships Section 1. Active members: Members in good standing with TASO-Baseball and TASO- Baseball-Houston Chapter. Section 2. Inactive Members: Members who take leave of absence during baseball season with approval of the Houston Chapter board of directors. Section 3. Honorary Life: A member who has met the criteria for Life Membership. Article IV. Officers and Board of Directors Section 1. The officers of the chapter shall be a president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer. The immediate past president will serve as an ex-officio member and chairman of the ethics committee. The board of directors will consist of eight (8) in number, with three (3) officers and five (5) classification directors. Section 2. Nominations and Elections A) Elected officers must be classed as Certified or Approved. The President shall be elected in even numbered years to serve a two (2) year term. The vice president and secretary/treasurer shall be elected in odd numbered years to serve a two (2) year term. B) Any member in good standing may place nomination for officers. C) President, vice president, and secretary/treasurer will be elected by secret ballot of all members in good standing present and voting. The officers will be elected by the majority vote. D) There shall be five (5) classification directors. One Certified, one Approved, and one Registered director shall be elected in even numbered years and serve a two (2) year term. One Certified and one Approved director shall be elected in odd numbered years and serve a two (2) year term. Classification directors will be nominated and elected by members of that classification present and voting. Directors will be elected by majority vote. E) New officers and classification directors will assume office at the close of the election meeting. F) In the event of promotion, the classification director will fulfill that term of office. Section 3. Vacancy of Officers and Directors A) President: vice president will assume the presidency. If the vice president is unable to serve, the secretary/treasurer will temporarily assume the duties and call a meeting for a special election for the vacancy. B) Vice president: will be elected at the next regular scheduled meeting after the vacancy.
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 3 C) Board of directors will appoint an interim secretary until the next regular scheduled meeting and election to fill the term of secretary. D) The president with the approval of the board of directors will appoint an interim director until the next regular scheduled meeting and election to fill the term of said director. If a director is not elected, the president will appoint a director. Article V. Meetings Section 1. The board of directors will annually set up a calendar of meetings. Section 2. The president or majority of the board of directors may call a special board meeting. A written request of two thirds (2/3) of the members in good standing may call a special general membership meeting. Section 3. A quorum for a general meeting consists of fifteen (15) percent of voting members. A quorum for board of directors meeting consists of a majority. Any member may adjourn. Article VI. Voting Privileges Section 1. All members in good standing may vote at all meetings. Section 2. Only members of that classification may vote in the election of a classification director. Section 3. All members of the board of directors may vote at board meetings. Section 4. No mail or proxy votes are valid. Article VII. Parliamentary Authority Section 1. Questions of procedure shall be decided according to Robert's Rules of Order, except as provided for in this constitution and by-laws. Article VIII. Satellite Chapters Section 1. Satellite chapters will be approved when authorized by the TASO-Baseball Board of directors and approved by TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter board of directors. Article IX. Amendments Section 1. Proposed amendments to the constitution must be submitted in writing to the Secretary by May 1 st of each year. A copy of proposed changes will be mailed to the general membership thirty (30) days prior to the annual scheduled general meeting when officer elections will be held. The proposed changes must be approved by three-fourths (3/4) of the vote cast at said meeting and will become a part of the constitution when approved by TASO-Houston board of directors. Article X. General Duties of Officers
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 4 Section 1. Duties of officers and directors to conduct the business and affairs of this chapter shall be provided for in the by-laws, such by-laws serving as an addendum to this constitution. Article XI. Effective Date Section 1. This constitution and by-laws become effective upon approval of the existing membership and TASO-Baseball board of directors. BY-LAWS Article I. Ethics and Code of Conduct The Houston Chapter subscribes to the following ethics and code of conduct. Failure to observe these guidelines may be grounds for disciplinary action. A) Do everything you can to uphold the integrity of the game and respect for the umpire's position both on and off the field. B) Support your partner and other Chapter members as you would want them to support you, on or off the field. Do nothing to diminish the respect others may have for fellow umpires. C) Strive to improve your knowledge of the rules and mechanics to be better able to officiate competently. D) Administer the rules diligently and consistently to prevent unfair advantages. E) Work cooperatively with coaches to explain rule interpretations. F) Avoid conversations with game participants unless necessary to do your job. G) Stay in control of your game at all times. Article II. Responsibility of the Board of Directors It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to address or investigate any incident or activity related to the conduct or performance of any of its members, or any incident or activity that may affect the best interests of the chapter. Detailed procedures are given in the Houston Chapter Orientation Guide. Article III. Process for Resolving Questions or Problems
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 5 In general, questions and problems raised by members shall first be addressed to the classification Director(s). If the issue cannot be handled by the Director, he will inform the President. The President will then decide whether it is an issue to be investigated by the Board of Directors or the Chapter Grievance Committee. Detailed procedures are given in the Houston Chapter Orientation Guide. Article IV. Duties of the Chapter Officers and Board Members A) President 1) The President shall preside at all chapter meetings of the general membership, meetings of the Board of Directors, Executive Sessions, and any other meetings unless otherwise specified in the By-Laws. 2) The President, with the advice and consent of the Chapter Board of Directors, is empowered to act on behalf of the Houston Chapter to conduct necessary business pertinent to the activities and objectives of the Chapter. This authority is complete unless restricted elsewhere in the By-Laws. 3) The President is empowered to appoint members to positions deemed necessary to Chapter administration; these members will not have voting privileges on the Board of Directors. Examples of positions include, but are not limited to: Rules Interpreter, Sergeant(s) at Arms, Parliamentarian, temporary Scheduler, Grievance Committee member, and any member of an ad hoc committee. All appointments must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. 4) The President shall solicit nominations from all members of the Board of Directors for any honorary game assignments. Final selection of umpires from these nominations must be approved by a majority of the members of the Board. games. 5) The President shall schedule, or appoint a scheduler, for all high school playoff 6) The President shall administer, and be responsible for, the annual mechanics clinic held prior to the start of the high school season. B) Vice-President 1) The Vice-President may be delegated any or all powers of the office of President at the discretion of the President if he is temporarily unable to perform the duties of the office. 2) The Vice-President shall administer, and be responsible for, the annual Houston Chapter umpire school. 3) The Vice-President shall be responsible for recording attendance at all chapter meetings, and is also responsible for enforcing the penalty on members who fail to comply with attendance requirements. 4) The Vice-President is responsible for updating the Chapter Constitution and
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 6 By-Laws, when legally amended. C) Secretary-Treasurer 1) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for administering and maintaining all relevant permanent records for each Houston Chapter member, including application forms, dues payments, fee or fine payments or reimbursements, and the transfer of records into and out of the Chapter. This duty includes the communication, and assistance in the maintenance, of accurate records for the state office of TASO in Austin. 2) The Secretary-Treasurer is empowered to collect any and all dues, fines, fees, or other collections necessary to legitimate Chapter operations. This includes the administration of Chapter accounts with financial institutions, such as a commercial bank checking or savings account. 3) The Secretary-Treasurer shall make a complete Treasurer's report, including receipts, disbursements, and financial status, to the Board of Directors at the first Board meeting after annual elections. A Chapter audit or financial status report must be submitted by the Secretary-Treasurer at any time when requested by majority vote of the Board of Directors. 4) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for annually providing each Chapter member the necessary information and forms as detailed in the Houston Chapter Orientation Guide. 5) The Secretary-Treasurer shall, to the best of his ability, carry out instructions directed to him by the TASO office in Austin. 6) The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for the recording, distribution, and permanent maintenance of minutes taken at Chapter meetings, Board Meetings, Executive Sessions, and other meetings where Chapter business is conducted. 7) The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for updating the Chapter Orientation Guide, when amended by the Board of Directors. 8) The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for general communications and record keeping within the Houston Chapter as listed in the Orientation Guide or requested by the President. D) Directors 1) The Director represents the individual and group interests of members classified in that Director's classification to which he/she was elected. Members shall make their Director(s) the first contact for any questions concerning chapter policy, activities, plans, complaints, Board actions, etc. The Director shall carry the concerns of his members to the Board and represent their views to the best of his ability.
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 7 2) The Directors are the standing members of the Chapter Scheduling Committee. In this capacity, the Director must represent his members in the equitable allocation of game assignments during meetings of the Scheduling Committee. 3) When requested, Directors will assist the Chapter Officers in the administration of Chapter activities, such as, annual schools and clinics, meetings, contacting members, and other related duties. Article V. Elections and Holding Office A) The term of office for all Officers and Directors is two years. There is no limit on the number of consecutive terms a member may hold office. Terms begin immediately upon election. B) Nominees for office are elected by majority vote of the members in good standing attending the election meeting. Votes are by secret ballot. If three or more members are running for the same office, and if a majority of votes is not received by one nominee, a series of run-off votes will be held that will eliminate the nominee with the fewest votes until only two nominees are left. C) Any member in good standing may nominate and vote for the Officer positions of President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer. D) Only members in good standing that are classified in a particular classification may nominate and vote for that Director position, i.e., only Certified members may nominate and vote for a Certified Director. E) A member must be classified by the state office of the TASO as at least Certified or Approved to be elected an officer in the Houston Chapter. Officers are President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer. F) The Secretary-Treasurer will be paid an annual salary to be determined by majority vote of the Board of Directors. G) A member must be elected as a Director while in that classification. However, if the Director moves to a different classification while holding the two-year term, he continues to act as Director of that classification until the term expires. H) Elections for the following positions will be held in even-numbered years: President, Certified Director, Approved Director, and Registered Director. I) Elections for the following positions will be held in odd-numbered years: Vice- President, Secretary-Treasurer, Certified Director, and Approved Director. J) A member in good standing may nominate himself for an office if he is qualified. K) A member's classification is determined by the status he/she holds according to records already on file with the TASO office in Austin at the time of the election.
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 8 L) A member who is currently in office may be nominated for another open office. If the member is not elected to that office, his existing term of office is not affected. Unless provided in the Constitution or By-Laws, no member may hold two offices simultaneously. M) Impeachment of Board Members: Written requests to impeach an Officer must be received by the President from three-fourths of the Chapter members in good standing. If the President is being impeached, the Secretary will receive the letters and act in the role of President. If the Board member being impeached is a Director, the letters must only be from three-fourths of the active members in the Director's classification. To be valid, each letter must explain the reason(s) for desiring the impeachment. The President will present the letters to the Board of Directors at a special Board meeting as soon as possible; a majority of the Board members must be in attendance. The Secretary will verify that each member submitting a letter is in good standing at the time of the meeting. Two Chapter members may attend the meeting to explain why the impeachment is desired and to answer questions. The affected Board member may hear this testimony, and he may also present his case if he is resisting the impeachment. After hearing both sides, a majority vote by the Board is necessary for removal from office. The Board member involved in the impeachment has no vote. If the Board member is impeached, the position is immediately vacant, to be filled by procedures described in these By-Laws. Article VI. Vacancies of Office In the event an office holder must temporarily or permanently vacate office, the following procedure applies: A) For President, the Vice-President assumes the office of President for the remainder of the term. If the Vice-President is unable to assume the Presidency, the Secretary-Treasurer will serve as temporary President and will call a special general meeting as soon as possible to elect a new President. B) For Vice-President, the position will remain unfilled until the next scheduled general meeting when a new Vice-President will be elected. C) For Secretary-Treasurer, the Board of Directors will appoint a temporary Secretary- Treasurer until the next scheduled general meeting when a new Secretary-Treasurer will be elected. D) For Directors, the President will nominate a temporary Director to be approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors. At the next scheduled general meeting a new Director will be elected by the members in that classification to serve the remainder of the term. If a Director can not be elected at that meeting, the President will nominate a Director for that classification from the general membership to serve until a candidate is elected by the members in that Division. The Board of Directors must approve of the temporary Director by majority vote. Article VII. Voting A) Only members in good standing attending a meeting are allowed to vote, whether it be for elections, or for determining an issue put to the general membership. No mail-in votes or proxy votes are allowed. B) Unless specified in the Constitution or By-Laws, voting may be by voice, by hand count, or by secret written ballot, at the discretion of the meeting's presiding chairman.
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 9 Article VIII. Membership Status There are three types of memberships in the Houston Chapter: A) Active member: a member in good standing with the TASO and the Houston Chapter. 1) If a member is not in good standing, that member a) may not vote at Chapter elections, b) may not run for Chapter office, and c) may not work high school playoff games. 2) A member may lose his good standing status by a) becoming suspended for any reason, b) failing to pay scheduling fees and late fees, c) failing to pay annual dues before the deadline, d) failing to meet attendance requirements at Chapter meetings, or e) majority vote of the Board. B) Inactive member: a member who has elected to suspend his active local membership; this member must pay annual state dues and one dollar annually for local dues; this member will be a member in good standing, but will have no vote. C) Honorary Life member: a member who has met the TASO criteria for Honorary Life membership. Article IX. Board Meetings A) Regular Board meetings may be attended by any member in good standing in the Houston Chapter. To participate in the presentation or discussion of a topic during the meeting, a member must first contact his Director, request to be placed on the agenda, and inform the Director of the nature of the request. If the member is not on the meeting agenda, the member may observe only, unless asked to participate by the President. B) Executive Sessions may be attended only by members of the Board of Directors, unless exceptions are made by majority vote of the Board. Regular meetings may be preceded by, or followed by, an Executive Session. C) Minutes recorded at regular Board meetings are available from the Secretary to any chapter member in good standing. Executive Session proceedings are confidential within the Board of Directors, although by a majority vote of the Board, partial or complete minutes recorded during an Executive Session may be made available to the chapter membership. D) If there is no scheduled Board meeting, and a Board member deems a meeting is necessary, he will arrange a meeting in one of two ways: 1) by obtaining authorization from the Chapter President, or 2) by obtaining the agreement of a majority of the Board members that such a meeting is necessary. E) All eight members of the Board are entitled to one vote.
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 10 Article X. Meeting Attendance A) At least seventy-five percent of the annual Chapter meetings must be attended for a member to remain in good standing. Mandatory meetings must be attended by all members. B) If a member must miss a meeting, he must notify the Vice-President in writing prior to the meeting to be excused from the meeting. The Vice-President will approve or disapprove the absence. C) Members not attending mandatory meetings or the required number of meetings each year are ineligible to work post-season high school playoff games. This rule is to be enforced by the Vice-President. Article XI. Dues A) Each member must pay his annual state and local dues to the Chapter Secretary. Payment must be made by June 30th of the current year for the following year's dues. B) Local Chapter dues are set each year by majority vote of the Chapter Board of Directors. year. C) The Houston Chapter fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following Article XII. Grievance Committee The Houston Chapter has a standing three-man Grievance Committee to address grievances. Members serving on this committee will be appointed by the President and must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Grievance Committee members serve for the term of the President appointing them. They may be removed by majority vote of the Board of Directors. Grievance Committee procedures are detailed in the Orientation Guide. Article XIII. Bonding of Chapter Secretary/Treasurer The Chapter Secretary/Treasurer shall be bonded. The bond coverage and bonding company shall be determined by a vote of the Board of Directors. Article XIV. Members Soliciting Games Under no circumstances should a Houston Chapter member solicit ball games from a coach or league if that league is associated with TASO-Baseball. This is contrary to Chapter scheduling procedures and will be cause for disciplinary action if discovered.
TASO-Baseball-Houston Chapter Constitution and By-Laws... page 11 Article XV. Amendments to the By-Laws A proposed amendment to the Houston Chapter By-Laws must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Houston Chapter by a member in good standing by May 1 st of each year. A copy of the proposed amendment will be distributed by the Secretary to all members in good standing thirty days prior to the annual scheduled general meeting when officer elections will be held. The proposed amendment notification must include the time and place of the general meeting, and must state that this amendment will be voted on at that meeting. If the proposed amendment(s) receives approval by three-fourths of the vote cast at said meeting, the amendment to the By-Laws takes effect immediately. Article XVI. Work Rules Houston Chapter Work Rules are developed and authorized by the Chapter Board of Directors, and are published as the Houston Chapter Orientation Guide.