SASKATCHEWAN HIGH SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS MISSION STATEMENT To promote the positive development of the individual by providing competitive interscholastic athletic activities consistent with the goals of education." SHSAA Handbook Page 17
NAME C O N S T I T U T I O N The name of the Association is the: SASKATCHEWAN HIGH SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION MISSION The SHSAA exists to foster positive opportunities for students through interschool athletics. BELIEFS OF THE SHSAA We believe: 1. That we provide the administrative format for all high school sport activities. 2. That athletics is an integral part of the holistic development of youth. 3. In the value of sportsmanship and competition within an ethical framework. 4. That we provide equity of access to participation across the province. 5. That we encourage an active healthy lifestyle, through the promotion of activities. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the Association are: 1. To encourage schools to provide a program of athletic activities for students. 2. To encourage a varied athletic program in schools by restricting play to the recognized school sport season. 3. To encourage the development of citizenship, good sportsmanship and athletic skills. 4. To encourage, plan, supervise and administer inter-school and inter-district competitions. 5. To encourage participation by students in a wide variety of inter-school athletics. 6. To encourage the integration of sport activity with other portions of the school program. 7. To encourage participation by students as representatives of their school and to discourage all-star competitions. SHSAA Handbook Page 18
DEFINITIONS Association the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association Board of education a board of education or conseil scolaire established pursuant to The Education Act, 2005 but does not include district (local) boards of trustees High school a school conducting classes in grades 9 through 12 or any of these grades Independent school a school registered as an independent school with Ministry of Education Member a board of education, conseil scolaire, Indian Band or other body corporate who is a member of the Association Trustee an elected member of a board of education, conseil scolaire or governing body of a Member Provincial Council the voting delegates at the AGM of the SHSAA MEMBERSHIP Participating Members 1. The membership of the Association shall be open to the following: a) boards of education and conseils scolaire of the province of Saskatchewan; b) any independent school registered with the Ministry of Education and which is a body corporate or association and which operates a high school; and c) any Indian Band which operates a high school or on whose lands a high school is operated within the province of Saskatchewan. Associate Members 1. The Association may pass bylaws allowing organizations or individuals to be Associate Members. 2. Associate Members do not have voting privileges. 3. Associate Members may be required to pay associate membership fees as may be set from time to time by the Provincial Council. 4. Associate Members will be invited to send non-voting delegates to the annual meeting of the Association. SHSAA Handbook Page 19
MEMBERSHIP DUES 1. Each Member shall pay dues as set by the Association at the annual general meeting of the membership. 2. Membership dues may be collected by the District Council and forwarded to the Association by the District Council. 3. Failure of any Member to submit the assessed dues to the District Council prior to the date specified in the bylaws, shall entitle the Association to revoke the membership of the offending Member. ORGANIZATION Districts 1. The province shall be divided into districts, based on the school divisions established under The Education Act 2005, and the boundaries of the districts shall be as determined by public school division boundaries as determined by The Education Act 2005. 2. High schools operated by Indian Bands, independent high schools, and conseils scolaire shall be included in the district within which each high school is geographically located. Sections 1. The districts shall be divided, for the purposes of administration, into four sections as set out in the bylaws. VOTING DELEGATES 1. All Members within each district established pursuant to the bylaws shall form a subdivision of Members and shall vote at Members meetings of the Association through voting delegates to be selected in the following manner: a) Seven voting delegates from each district shall be selected in the following manner: i.) the principal of each high school in the district shall designate a representative for the high school and such selection shall be brought to the Member operating the high school for approval. Upon approval by the Member, the person so named shall be one of the SHSAA High School Representatives for the district and shall represent the Member. ii.) the SHSAA High School Representatives in each district shall attend a district meeting of all High School Representatives before the annual meeting of the Association in each year and shall elect the seven voting delegates for the district, which shall be done by majority vote of the High School Representatives present at the district meeting. SHSAA Handbook Page 20
iii.) the seven voting delegates of the district shall be made up of the following persons: 1. one trustee 2. one school administrator 3. one representative of LEADS (League of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents) 4. one person who has been elected as a District Officials Commissioner pursuant to the bylaws or who is a District Referee- In-Chief, and 5. three voting delegates-at-large, consisting of two persons of one gender and one person of the opposite gender iv.) the seven voting delegates do not have to be High School Representatives. v.) each voting delegate of a district must hold a valid Saskatchewan Teaching Certificate and must be employed by a Member in Saskatchewan at the time of the annual meeting of the Association. The exception will be the delegate appointed as a trustee, who must be a sitting member as a current elected representative of a Member at the time of the annual meeting of the Association. b) Each District Council shall file a certified copy of the list of the seven voting delegates of the district with the Executive Director of the Association prior to the start of each annual membership meeting of the Association. 2. A majority of Provincial Council voting delegates shall constitute a quorum for any general meeting of the Association. (Example: fourteen districts x seven voting delegates = 98 votes, a quorum would be fifty voting delegates.) DISTRICT COUNCILS 1. a) Each district shall establish a District Council to be made up of all the SHSAA High School Representatives in the district. b) A District Council may provide in its bylaws that other persons such as trustees, coaches, or officials may be voting members of the District Council provided: i.) that the appointment or election of such persons must be approved by the Member operating the high school that the persons are representing; and ii.) that such persons shall not vote to elect the Voting Delegates to the annual meeting. SHSAA Handbook Page 21
2. a) The District Council may pass a District constitution, bylaws, elect officers, hold meetings and collect district membership fees, provided however, that the purposes, aims, and rules of such District Councils shall be compatible with the constitution, bylaws and policies of the Association. b) Prior to any District Council constitution, bylaws or amendments to the constitution or bylaws, taking effect, the bylaws or amendments passed by the District Council must be brought forward for approval by the Executive Council. c) In the absence of a District Bylaw or Policy to deal with a particular situation arising in a District, the current SHSAA Bylaws and Policies shall be used. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL 1. The group made up of each of the seven voting delegates from all of the districts in the province shall be known as the Provincial Council. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 1. At the Annual Meeting of the Association the Provincial Council shall elect the following officers who shall each serve a two-year term: a) President following the president s term the president shall serve an additional one-year term as past-president b) Women s Representative c) Representative to the Officials Commissioners Council (must have served as a District Officials Commissioner or Referee-in-Chief) d) Representative from Saskatoon e) Representative from Regina f) Representative from Section I g) Representative from Section II h) Representative from Section III i) Representative from Section IV 2. a) Each elected member of the Executive Council must hold a valid Saskatchewan Teaching Certificate and must be currently employed by a board of education in Saskatchewan, an independent school, a band school or be a trustee. SHSAA Handbook Page 22
b) Members of the Executive Council do not have to be voting delegates but must either work in the district or section they represent or serve as a trustee within the district or section they represent. 3. One additional member-at-large of the Executive Council shall be appointed by the Saskatchewan School Boards Association. 4. One additional member-at-large of the Executive Council shall be appointed by the Saskatchewan League of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents (L.E.A.D.S.). 5. The Executive Council is empowered to fill any vacancy on the Executive Council until the next annual meeting of the Association. 6. The Executive Council may require the resignation of any elected or appointed officer who misses three consecutive meetings or who is negligent in the performance of the officer s duties. ANNUAL MEETING 1. An annual meeting of the Association shall be held in each year coinciding with at least one day of Departmental Examination dates as outlined by the Registrar's Handbook. 2. Notice of the annual meeting shall be given to all Members, and to each District Council in writing, at least one month prior to the date set for the meeting. 3. Voting at the annual meeting of the Association shall be by the Provincial Council. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS 1. The President may call a Special General Meeting of the Association, when the President considers it necessary, upon giving two weeks written notice to all Members. 2. The President shall call a Special General Meeting of the Association when requested to do so, in writing, by at least one half of the members of the Executive Council. 3. The President shall call a Special General Meeting when requested to do so, in writing, by more than seven Members. 4. Voting at any general meeting of the Association shall be by the Provincial Council. SHSAA Handbook Page 23
MEETINGS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 1. The Executive Council shall meet at least four times in each year. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND EMPLOYEES 1. The Executive Council may employ an Executive Director and other such employees as may be required on a permanent or temporary basis to conduct the affairs of the Association and other assigned duties as they occur from time to time. DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS 1. The Association shall have the right to impose disciplinary sanctions on Members of the Association in the event a Member violates the constitution, bylaws, policies or rules of the Association and may pass bylaws to set out the procedures to be followed. BYLAWS 1. a) The Executive Council may propose bylaws for the Association. b) Such bylaws shall be brought before the next Annual Meeting of the Association and shall be voted upon by the Provincial Council. c) If passed, the bylaws shall become effective at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting or from the date noted in the bylaws. 2. The bylaws of the Association may be amended in the following manner: a) Written notice of proposed amendments to the bylaws shall be forwarded by the second Wednesday of May in any year to the Executive Director who shall inform all District Councils of the proposed amendments. b) Proposed amendments shall be voted upon at the Annual Meeting and if passed by a majority of the Provincial Council shall become effective from the date noted in the amendment. c) Any proposed amendments to the Bylaws, which are not submitted to the Executive Director by the second Wednesday of May in any year, will require a 75% majority of the Provincial Council in order to become effective. 3. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be brought to the Annual Meeting only if the amendment has been proposed and/or supported by: a) the Executive Council, or b) a District Council, or c) a Member of the Association. SHSAA Handbook Page 24
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION 1. a) Written notice of proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be forwarded by the second Wednesday of May in any year to the Executive Director who shall inform all District Councils of the proposed amendments. b) Proposed constitutional amendments shall be voted upon at the Annual Meeting and if passed shall become effective at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting or from the date noted in the amendment. c) Amendments to the Constitution of the Association may be made only by a three-quarter (3/4) majority of the Provincial Council. d) Any proposed amendments to the Constitution submitted after the second Wednesday of May in any year will require a 100% majority of the Provincial Council in order to become effective. 2. Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be brought to the Annual Meeting only if the amendment has been proposed and supported by: a) the Executive Council, or b) a District Council, or c) at least 10 Members of the Association. SHSAA Handbook Page 25
NOTES SHSAA Handbook Page 26