ARTICLE 1 - NAME This organization shall be known as the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League, affiliated with USA Softball. ARTICLE 2 - OBJECTIVE The objective of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League is to impart in the children the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty and courage so that they grow to be good, healthy citizens in our community. This objective will be reached by teaching the fundamentals of fastpitch softball in a fun, recreational and instructional environment. The supervisors shall bear in mind AT ALL TIMES that the building of character and molding of personality transcends the acquisition of exceptional athletic skills or the winning of games. ARTICLE 3 - GENERAL MEMBERSHIP The general membership of this organization shall be comprised of the parents/guardians of the youth playing in the association and any adult approved volunteer. ARTICLE 4 - POSITIONS, ELECTIONS AND REPLACEMENT 1. To be eligible and/or maintain a board position, a person must be, or have been a coach, manager, umpire or parent, in good standing with the organization and currently live in Rancho Cucamonga or surrounding area. If at any time a Board member is found to be using their position to influence managers, coaches or umpires and/or are found to be utilizing their position for activities that negatively affect the RC ACE League, it will be the duty of the Board to investigate the matter and be brought for disciplinary action up to and including removal from the Board. a) Spouses can share a board position and work as a team. This shared position shall have only one (1) vote. b) A member in Good Standing means a member who: i. Is current on all league fees or dues; and ii. Has not been suspended by the Board of Directors for a violation of RC ACE Consitituion, Rules, Corrective Action Policy or other RC ACE policies. 2. All Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball Board positions are elected by a simple majority vote of the General Membership. If no volunteer is available, the President shall have the authority, with Board approval, to combine Board positions, create a new board position or leave one or more positions vacant or fill an open position with a qualified individual. 3. At the annual closing ceremonies, the General Membership shall elect from the eligible membership, the following officers and members of the Board: 1. President 2. Vice-President & Public Relations Director 3. Secretary 1
4. Treasurer & Sponsor Resource 5. Player Representatives 6. Draft Specialist 7. Division Coordinators 3-5 8. Umpire-In-Chief 9. Field Coordinators-2 & Equipment Manager 10. Snack Bar Coordinator 11. Scheduler 12. Uniforms and Trophies & Special Events Coordinator 13. Website Director 4. Division Coordinator will be appointed to represent divisions at the end of the year. 5. The Board has the authority to designate auxiliary positions as needed. However, these positions have no voting privilege. 6. A vacancy exists in the Board if any of the following instances occur: a) The authorized number of offices is increased b) The removal of an officer with Board approval as a result of his/her missing four regularly scheduled Board meetings. c) The removal of a Board member for conduct unbecoming a League Official as stated in the Code of Conduct. 7. Any Board member who is in good standing with the league will pay for uniform cost only as registration cost for any child participating in the league. If the board member resigns prior to the season ending the discount is to be owed back to the league. ARTICLE 5 - OFFICERS AND DUTIES 1. President a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the General Membership and the Board of Directors. He/she shall also be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. b) Shall coordinate and administer the rules, policies and principles of Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball. c) Shall appoint all members of the various committees except the Nominating Committee. d) Shall be responsible for securing fields for play through the City of Rancho Cucamonga and USA Softball USA SOFTBALL Affiliation. e) Shall be responsible for providing a roster to the Sports Advisory Committee/City of Rancho Cucamonga. 2. Vice-President(s) & Public Relationships Director a) Shall assist the President and in the absence of the President, shall perform the duties 2
of the President. b) Shall be the parliamentarian. c) Oversee USA Softball USA SOFTBALL administration and all background checks. d) Shall head the Nominating Committee. e) Oversee fundraising. f) Will be in charge of putting together a disciplinary committee, one that is approved by the Board when needed and such disciplinary committee will deem out any necessary punishment as deemed necessary. g) Shall be responsible for all press releases and television appearances. h) Shall be responsible for the printing and distribution of all league information. k) Shall be in charge of coordinating opening and closing day ceremonies. l) Shall coordinate the picture taking activities of the organization. 3. Secretary a) The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings and activities of all meetings of the General Membership and the Board of Directors and shall maintain minutes of all meetings. b) Shall conduct all necessary correspondence of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League. c) Shall notify all officers and members of their appointment to committees. d) Shall send out notices of meetings. e) Shall schedule all Board meetings (including special meetings). f) Assist Player Rep with USA SOFTBALL Registration and Background Checks. 4. Treasurer / Sponsor Resource a) The Treasurer shall receive all monies for the league and deposit it in the name of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League in a bank approved by the Board of Directors. b) Shall keep an itemized account of receipts and disbursements and maintain books and records in an orderly fashion. c) Shall give a written report at the 1st meeting of each month and a complete written annual report to the Board of Directors at the end of each calendar year. d) Shall prepare and submit the league budget to the Board of Directors for action prior to the start of each playing season. e) The Treasurer shall receive all monies for the league and deposit it in the name of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League in a bank approved by the Board of Directors and shall keep an itemized account of receipts and disbursements and maintain books and records in an orderly fashion. f) The Treasurer shall receive all team collected fundraising monies and deposit it in the name of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League in a separate Team Sponsor Funds account at a bank approved by the Board of Directors and shall keep an itemized account of team sponsorship receipts and disbursements. g) Shall be responsible for maintaining a list of all sponsors. h) Shall assist teams in obtaining sponsors when needed. 3
i) Shall be responsible for purchasing and distributing appreciation plaques for each sponsor at the end of each season. j) Shall be responsible for collecting and coordinating any sponsorship or fundraiser. 5. Player Representative(s) a) The Player Representative(s) shall be the agents of all the players in the league. b) Shall be informed of all grievances between players, parents and/or team management. c) Shall be responsible for the selection of all league teams. d) Shall keep a current file of all the registration cards of the league. e) Shall be responsible for advising and notifying USA SOFTBALL of new teams, new members and deletion of teams or members. f) Shall be responsible to maintain a log of all grievances. g) Shall oversee player representatives and managers to select All Star players, managers and coaches. h) Shall coordinate the All Star commitment letter. i) Organize and run all drafts for each division. k) Submit All Star League Tournament to the USA SOFTBALL Blue Book in November. 6. Division Coordinators a) The Division Coordinators shall supervise all the activities of their divisions. b) Shall receive and coordinate information received from the teams of the divisions. c) Shall attend all managers meetings. d) Shall be responsible for Team Parents in their division. e) Shall receive official protests from their division managers for presentation to the Board. 1) All protests submitted to the Coordinator must be accompanied by an administrative fee of an amount set in the Rules and Regulations. This fee will be returned to the protesting manager in the event the protest is upheld. If, after a hearing, the protest is not upheld, the fee will be deposited in the league's checking account. f) Shall review the schedule of practices and games for their divisions. g) Shall be responsible for all grievances between managers, coaches, players and parents in their division and communicate with the Player Representative. 7. Umpire-in-Chief (UIC) a) The Umpire-In-Chief shall be responsible for coordination and scheduling of umpires for each game. The UIC with Board approval may use an outside source for scheduling of umpires. b) Shall serve on protest committee and rules committee. c) Shall preside over all playing rules and score keeping clinics. d) Shall review all umpires qualifications and abilities on an on-going basis. 8. Field Coordinator & Equipment Manager a) The Field Coordinator shall be responsible for the condition and safety of all fields and 4
field equipment. b) Shall be responsible for storing all field equipment, maintaining the equipment and obtaining approval for replacement when needed. c) Shall organize work parties for maintaining of said fields. d) Shall be responsible for field preparation for all games for all age divisions and/or assigning individuals for field preparation for all games. e) Shall be responsible for overseeing the maintenance of practice fields on a weekly basis. f) Shall be responsible for purchasing game balls and field supplies throughout the season. g) Shall be responsible for maintaining sufficient gas for the ATV field maintenance vehicle. h) Shall be responsible for the condition and safety of all playing equipment. i) Shall be responsible for inventory and storage of all league equipment. j) Shall be responsible for making sure that each team has sufficient amount of equipment to practice and playing games. k) Shall be responsible for the Trade In and Trade Up program. l) Shall be responsible for distributing and tracking CMS keys. m) Shall be responsible for filling all propane tanks. 9. Snack Bar Coordinator a) Shall be in charge of the snack bar and all related duties. b) Shall be in charge of scheduling Board members snack bar duty. c) Shall be in charge of inventory management and purchasing. 10. Scheduler a) Shall make and have approved by the Board all practice templates prior to the draft. b) Shall make and have approved by the Board all game schedules. c) Shall review umpire schedule with Umpire-In-Chief, or send game schedule if using an outside source for scheduling umpires. d) Shall distribute game schedules to all Managers and Board Members. e) Shall be the person contacted in the event of a request to reschedule a game by managers and will notify all parties involved of any rescheduled games. Rescheduling of games shall follow Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League Rules and Regulations. f) Shall Schedule All Star Tournament games in the event Rancho Cucamonga Ace Softball holds an All Star Tournament. g) Schedule and Request All Star fees. 11. Uniforms and Trophies & Special Events Coordinator a) Shall quote and purchase all league supplied uniforms. b) Shall quote and purchase all league supplied trophies and pins. c) Shall quote and purchase all sweatshirts for fundraising purposes. 5
d) Shall coordinate with Sponsor Resource for all sponsorship plaques. e) Shall be responsible for the distribution of uniforms to all teams. f) Shall be responsible for scheduling special events throughout the season. g) Shall be responsible for planning opening and closing ceremonies. 12. Website Director a) Shall be responsible for maintaining all league websites 13. General Responsibilities of Rancho Cucamonga ACE Board Members: In addition to the above listed duties, it is expected that Board Members shall equitably share in the responsibilities necessary to facilitate the smooth operation of the league. This includes duties at games and other functions where they will be responsible for opening, obtaining equipment, turn lights on/off, overseeing the snack bar, closing up, and trash pick-up. Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Player Representative. ARTICLE 6 - APPOINTMENTS, NOMINATIONS AND VOTING 1. The Nominating Committee shall be headed by the Vice-President. The Board shall appoint three (3) other Board members to the committee during spring of each year. The committee will prepare a proposed slate of officers for the following year. It shall be this committee s responsibility to insure that all nominees meet the criteria for Board members as described above. All parties seeking office will be made public via newsletter, public postings, etc. 2. The election of the officers for the following year will be held during playoff week, by written ballot. Each adult member of the association will receive a ballot after verification of the current league rosters. Results will be posted on website by midnight of Closing Day. 3. The Nominating Committee shall elect a Ballot Counting Committee from the General Membership. These persons must be over the age of 21 and must include at least one (1) non Board member. 4. All Board members and members of standing committees shall serve in office for a period of one year and shall be eligible for reelection. 5. The President can only serve two consecutive 1-year terms. After the second consecutive year, a new President must be nominated and elected. 6. The new Board will assume duties and hold its first meeting in June and on a regular basis as scheduled thereafter. Board members shall assume their duties immediately upon completion of a 30-day transition period of working in conjunction with the old board following closing day ceremony. ARTICLE 7 - BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES, RULES AND PROCEDURES 1. Each Board position shall have one (1) vote, excluding the President, who will vote only in 6
the case of a tie. 2. A quorum for any Board meeting shall be a simple majority of its membership. 3. A schedule of regular Board meetings will be posted at the beginning of each year. All members are welcome to attend any open Board meeting; however, if they wish to address the Board on a particular issue, they must inform the President a minimum of three (3) days in advance to be included in the agenda for that meeting. 4. Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the proceedings of all meetings, except where in conflict with the constitution or bylaws of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball league. 5. The President has the authority to call before the Board any league personnel, including Board members, whose conduct is considered detrimental to the best interest of the league for the purpose of, reprimand or exclusion from participation in League activities. Dismissal can occur only after a majority vote by the Board. 6. For issues that come to the board between regular scheduled meetings, the Executive Board will first determine if it will require an emergency board meeting to resolve it. If not the matter may be resolved and voted upon via email, texting or telephone communication. The secretary will draft a summary to be entered into the minutes in the next meeting. ARTICLE 8 - CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES 1. On the 1 st meeting of January of each new year, The Constitution of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League or any section thereof will be approved by a majority vote of the league s general membership present at the meeting. Notice of yearly changes to the Constitution must be posted in writing 15 days prior to the 1 st board meeting in January. 2. The Constitution of the Rancho Cucamonga ACE Softball League or any section thereof may be amended or repealed in a special meeting. For the constitution or any section thereof to be amended or repealed at a special meeting there must be a 2/3 vote of a majority of the overall membership, provided the General Membership has been informed of such proposed changes in writing, fifteen (15) days in advance. The website shall be the official notice of any and all proposed Constitutional changes. The only exception to this will be winterball draft formation as it will be left open and voted on prior to winterball assessments. 3. Any item to be amended, repealed or added to the Constitution will be in effect as dictated by its proposals. Proposals may be revised at the General Membership meeting during discussion before being voted upon. 4. The Board shall have the authority to make simple corrections, amend typographical errors and provide minor changes in wording for purposes of clarifying previously approved 7
sections. ARTICLE 9 - FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 1. The organization is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 2. Not withstanding any other provision of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on. 3. The organization shall be a corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). 4. The organization shall be a corporation to which contributions are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). 5. No substantial part of this organization shall consist of carrying on propaganda. The organization shall not participate or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. 6. No part of the net earnings of this organization shall ever be utilized for the benefit of or be distributed to its members, trustees, officers or other private persons, except that the organization shall be empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the exempt purposes for which it was formed. 7. Upon the dissolution of this organization, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the organization, the remaining assets shall be distributed to another youth organization in the local area with general membership approval. 8. The Board of Directors shall decide all matters relating to finance. a) It shall be the general policy to deposit all monies received in the league treasury. b) Monies shall be expended in a manner that will provide all individuals and teams equal benefits and privileges. 9. The Board of Directors shall strictly observe and regulate all fund raising activities, which shall include, but not be limited to, sponsorship, boosters, sales, etc. These activities must conform to the fundraising policies published by the league. a) All teams or members shall promptly remit all funds collected on behalf of the league fundraising activities. It is general policy to deposit all monies received in the league treasury. b) Any League Sponsor monies collected shall be expended in a manner that will provide all individuals and teams equal benefits and privileges. 8
c) Any Team Sponsor monies collected shall be expended in a manner that will a specific team with additional benefits as determined by the sponsored team and with Board Approval. 1) Sponsor funds and donations intended by the sponsor for a specific team rather than for the league general fund, shall be remitted to the treasurer and placed in a Team Sponsor Funds account. 15% of team sponsorship funds will be remitted to the league general fund. The remainder of sponsorship funds will be made available for team expenses. 2) Reimbursements for team expenses may be issued against that team s sponsor funds with proper documentation of the team related expenditure (i.e. receipts an/or invoices) Reimbursements will be distributed within 7 days of receipt 3) Any unused team sponsor funds will be forfeited to the league general fund 30 days following the conclusion of the last season game. d) The Board shall take immediate and appropriate action in the event of an irregularity in the fund raising activities of the league. 10. The league s books are to be reviewed at the end of each playing season and Prior to the new Board taking over by an outside independent committee approved by the Board of Directors. a) They shall provide a copy of the annual report and auditor's report to each officer of the organization. b) These reports shall be authenticated and verified by the officers of the organization excluding the Treasurer and remain sealed until that time. 1. 11. Any team soliciting funds or other financial support from the team sponsor other than the League Sponsorship fees shall be in compliance with the appropriate IRS codes. 12. Refunds will be issued within 10-14 business days from request. Refunds requested prior to assessments will be refunded at 100%, prior to draft will be refunded at 75% and no refund after draft due to uniform ordering. 9