Oklahoma Water Ski Federation. By-Laws and Policies

Oklahoma Water Ski Federation By-Laws and Policies Revised July 2017 1

Article 1 Purpose and Name Oklahoma Water Ski Federation By-Laws Section 1. The purpose of the Oklahoma Water Ski Federation is to promote the sport of water skiing, water safety and good sportsmanship, to oppose legislation detrimental to skiers, to serve as a pipeline of information, to assist in planning state tournaments, and to do all other things that tend to further the interest of the sport of water skiing in Oklahoma. Section 2. Federation. The name of the organization shall be the Oklahoma Water Ski Article II Membership Section 1. Membership in the Oklahoma Water Ski Federation shall be open to all individual water skiers who are members of USA Waterski. Individual memberships are defined as follows: Adult Members - 18 years of age and over as of December 31, and Junior Members - those age 17 or younger as of Dec. 31 Junior Members do not have voting privileges. Section 2. Application for membership in the Federation shall be made in the manner prescribed by the Board of Directors. The membership application, in its approved form, shall contain an agreement to abide by the by-laws of the Federation. An application for membership will be accepted upon payment of required dues. Section 3. Membership in the Federation can be terminated by a ¾ vote of the Board of Directors. Termination of the membership shall not release the said member of the obligation to pay all dues owed to the end of the period of the membership. Article III Management Section 1. The management of the Federation shall consist of the Board of Directors. Article IV Board of Directors Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the State Chairperson, Assistant Chairperson, Secretary/Treasurer, Directors of Officials, Training, Promotion, Immediate Past State Chairperson and one representative from each member club. 2

Section 2. All members of the Board of Directors shall hold office for one year or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Three Directors and two Club Representatives shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board of Directors. Section 3. The Board of Directors may employ whatever personnel they deem necessary and for which funds are available to aid in management of the Federation. Section 4. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors will be held semi-annually; one at the State Tournament and one mid-winter meeting at the call of the chairperson, before the regional mid-winter meeting but after the last tournaments scheduled in the region. Section 5. Voting at all Board of Directors meetings shall be on the basis of one vote per Board Member present and voting. Proxies will not be honored. Section 6. Special Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairperson, notice of which shall be given in sufficient time to permit members to be present, taking into consideration the availability of transportation and other contributing factors. Section 7. Persons not on the Board of Directors may attend their meetings to offer suggestions and to express opinions, but will not have voting privileges. Article V Officers Section 1. The elective officers of the Federation shall be the State Chairperson, Secretary/Treasurer, Reporter, Director of Officials, and Director of Promotion. Additionally there shall be an Assistant Chairperson appointed by the Chairperson and approved by the membership. Section 2. The officers shall be elected by the members of the Federation at their annual meeting which shall be at the State Tournament, and shall hold office for the term of one year or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. New officers shall assume office at the conclusion of the State Tournament except for the State Regional Councilperson who must take over in accordance with USA Water Ski by-laws. To be elected to the Board of Directors, one shall meet the following requirements and job duties: Chairperson: Qualification: A USA Water Ski Member Job Duties: The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Federation and of its Board of Directors, shall appoint all committees, and shall carry on those other responsibilities assigned to him or her by these by-laws and by the Board of Directors. He or she may vote only to break a tie at meetings of the Board and the Federation. The Chairperson will be responsible for e-mailing to all current OWSF members a minimum of two newsletters a year with an option for additional letters if needed. He or she will 3

also maintain a current list of all OWSF memberships. The Chairperson will maintain a list of State Records updating it at least annually and including a list of new State Records in at least one OWSF Newsletter. The Chairperson along with the help of the Oklahoma SCR Junior Development Representative will promote the Junior Development Program within the state. Assistant Chairperson: Qualification: A USA Water Ski Member Job Duties: To assist the chairperson in his or her duties. To do any job functions required of the chairperson, which the chairperson deems necessary. Secretary/Treasurer: Qualification: A USA Water Ski Assistant Rating, or club representative to the Federation, or served as a Councilperson to the South Central Region. Job Duties: Secretary: Must attend all Board of Directors meetings and general membership meetings. Is responsible for preparation of the meeting minutes in a reasonable time frame with a hard copy of the minutes to be placed in the OWSF Secretary/Treasurer Record Book and a copy to the Chairperson for his or her records. If the Secretary/Treasurer cannot be present at a meeting, it will then be the responsibility of the Chairperson to appoint someone to fill in at that meeting. The Secretary is responsible to bring all necessary information to a meeting and will sit with the Chairperson. The Secretary will assist the Chairperson in preparation for a meeting, if needed and assist during a meeting, i.e. handling of papers, counting votes, etc. The Secretary shall be responsible to update the By-laws and Policies with any amendments and provide the Chairperson with the most current copy. Job Duties: Treasurer: All Moneys coming in and going out of the OWSF are the responsibility of the Treasurer. Bookkeeping: Maintain balancing of checkbook, recording of all debit and credit transactions in the appropriate journals, balancing the journals back to the bank, preparation of income statements twice a year for the Chairperson s newsletter and thereafter upon demand, making deposits, and writing all checks. Record Keeping: Maintain a receipt file and a membership file. All memberships are to be sent to the Chairperson. The Chairperson records the information via hand control or computer and then sends both the form and the money to the Treasurer to record. The Treasurer can take money direct from any source, however if it is a membership, the Treasurer must provide the Chairperson with membership information for his or her records. In the absence of the Treasurer, all money will be given to the Chairperson. Director of Officials: Rating Qualification: A USA Water Ski Regular Judges Job Duties: Arrange the annual Officials Clinic, Drivers Clinic, and/or Safety Clinic. 4

Director of Promotion: Qualification: A USA Water Ski Member Assistant Rating, or club representative to the Federation, or served as Councilperson to the South Central Region. Job Duties: Will serve as NSL Coordinator, Webmaster, and graphic design artist for OWSF. Graphic design artist: Will be responsible for all advertising, i.e., logos, T-shirts, boat shows, ads, flyers, and promotion of OWSF activities. Grassroots Coordinator: Will promote competitive water skiing at the grassroots level through the NSL Series. Will be responsible for all required paperwork and correspondence with USAWS. Will get Grassroots information and rules to the individual ski sites hosting Grassroots tournaments in the spring. Will keep a running tally of skier s points so that Grassroots winners can be chosen at State. It will be the Grassroots Directors responsibility to update our Grassroots Series Rules annually. Webmaster: The Director of Promotion or a volunteer will serve as OWSF Webmaster and promote competitive water through the OWSF website. They will design and maintain the website updating it at least annually. OWSF Reporter: Qualification: A competent typist experienced with computer usage, e-mail, FAX, and word processing programs. Job Duties: Will promote an awareness of competitive water skiing in the state by reporting on the OWSF website and any other local newspapers they deem appropriate. They could send in tournament announcements, information about OWSF, and/or results from major tournaments as appropriate. Results to be reported could include: the State Championships, the NSL Series, SCR Junior Development, Regionals, and Nationals. Section 3. During the absence or temporary incapacity of the Chairperson, the Chairperson may appoint a Director who shall perform the duties and have the powers of the Chairperson. Section 4. Vacancies in any elective office shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors and will remain in effect until the next regular membership meeting. Article VI Fiscal Year Section 1. The fiscal year of the Federation shall commence on the first day of January and end on the thirty-first day of December. 5

Article VII Financial Report Section 1. The Secretary/Treasurer shall submit to the members at their annual meeting, a financial report of income and expenditures. The officers and/or Board shall not obligate the Federation in excess of available funds, except with the approval of the majority of the Board of Directors. Article VIII Expenditures Section 1. Expenses that are considered usual and customary for the operation of OWSF do not need to have special approval by the Board of Directors before they are paid. Usual and customary expenses include: payment of the State Championship Guarantee, reimbursement for the purchase of State Championship T-shirts, and reimbursement for any expenses incurred in hosting a Judge s Clinic. Any other expenses that individual members or clubs would like to be reimbursed for must be voted on by The Board of Directors for payment approval. Article IX Dues Section 1. Dues for individual memberships will be as follows: Individual Membership - $20.00; Family Membership - $25.00 (includes member, spouse, and all children under *age 25 in the immediate household). As of January 2016, any skier under the *age of 25 not included in another OWSF member s immediate household will receive a FREE OWSF membership. A FREE One- Year Introductory Membership is also given to any new skier who has never before been a member of OWSF. *Age is defined by USA Water Ski as a person s skiing age on December 31 of the ski year. In addition, there is a $10 late fee added to the cost of a membership for individual or family memberships for dues paid after business hours on the Friday before the State Tournament or later. Dues for the following year may be paid at the mid-winter meeting. Federation membership will begin when dues are paid. Voting and tournament credit will begin when dues are received. There are not dues per se for member clubs; however, the Board may assess club dues from time to time to raise funds for specific purposes. Article X Meetings Section 1. The annual meeting of the members of the Federation shall be held at the State Tournament. In addition, the Chairperson may call a meeting of the members to be held on the same date as the mid-winter meeting of the Board of Directors. 6

Section 2. Written or electronic notice of the place, day, and hour of the annual meeting shall be prepared and distributed to the membership by the host club of the State Tournament. Section 3. Nine 9 members shall constitute a quorum. Any action taken at a regular or special meeting shall require the vote of the majority of those present. Senior members only will be able to vote. Article XI Amendments Section 1. These by-laws may be amended at any meeting of the Federation by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members represented at such meeting, providing a notice of such proposed amendment or amendments shall have been mailed to each member with notice of the meeting at which the amendment or amendments are to be considered. All State Federation By-laws must conform to the by-laws of USA Water Ski and the South Central Region. 7

Policies 1.0 State Tournament 1.1 The State Tournament must be held in the State of Oklahoma. 1.2 The State Tournament shall be held two weekends preceding the South Central Regionals. No tournaments shall be held in the state the weekend immediately preceding South Central Regionals in case the State Tournament cannot be completed on the scheduled date. 1.3 The entry fees for the State Championship tournament will be determined by the hosting site and publicized on the OWSF website prior to the tournament. Club members of the hosting site must pay at least one half the normal entry fee. Officials may receive further discounts. 1.4 T-shirts will be provided to skiers who register and pay the entry fee by July 1 st prior to the championship tournament. 1.5 State Championship format: Saturday One round slalom, trick, and jump End at 6:00 p.m. Banquet starts at 7:30 p.m. Sunday Additional rounds at the discretion of host site 1.6 The host club shall arrange for the banquet dinner and annual meeting. 1.7 The State Tournament will be hosted by rotation of eligible ski sites that have requested to be in the rotation to host. A. State Championship Site Requirements 1. Slalom, trick, jump course Class C requirements 2. Skiers starting dock, boat dock for tournament boats 3. P.A. System 4. Minimum of two restrooms 5. Two-way communications for all required officials 6. Safety equipment per Class C requirements 7. Jumping, slalom, trick equipment per Class C requirements 8

1.8. A net profit will be guaranteed but is not to exceed $500.00 to the sponsoring club with the approval of the Board of Directors after reviewing expenses. The hosting club will be responsible for expenses incurred except for the T-shirts, which are purchased by OWSF. 1.9 If there is a site change due to low water or mechanical/equipment malfunctions, the following procedures will be used to manage costs. A. Tournament fees will be collected by the substitute host. Any fees collected by the original host will be transferred to the substitute host. B. A detailed list of preparations and costs already incurred by the original host will be provided to the substitute host with a copy provided to the OWSF Chair. C. The original site will be reimbursed by the substitute host for costs incurred for tournament setup. All receipts must be presented, and the costs will be decided by the directors as named in the by-laws. D. The net profit guaranteed by policy 1.6 will go the substitute host club, and the original host club will receive their net profit in the following year when they host the Tournament. 1.10 If a new club joins OWSF and the new club wishes to enter the annual State Tournament rotation, they will be added to the end of the rotation established in 1.7 provided that the site meets all safety requirements and the site is approved by a majority vote of OWSF members at a duly convened OWSF meeting. 1.11 Requirements to be eligible for placement and awards are: 1. OWSF membership 2. USAWS membership 3. Current Oklahoma residency 4. Must have skied that event at one tournament before the State Championships or notify the tournament organizer at least two weeks in advance. 1.12 Out-of-state members may participate in the State Championship, but must have skied at least two tournaments in Oklahoma during the current ski year (nationals to nationals). Out-of-state skiers are 9

not eligible for Oklahoma State Records. 1.13 Skier seeding will be based on AWSA standings for the current year. Skier order will be based on seeding with the skier seeded number 1 going last. Divisions with three skiers or less may be grouped into one. The site will make this determination after reviewing the number of skiers in each division. 2.0 USAWS Reimbursement 2.1 OWSF will reimburse new members of OWSF for their cost as a first-time member of the USA Water Ski aka American Water Ski Association with proof of payment for said membership. 1.2 OWSF will NOT make a direct payment for said membership as OWSF is not responsible/liable for any individual s actions or membership. 3.0-2012 Oklahoma Grassroots Tournaments Section 1. General: All tournaments in Oklahoma will include a Grassroots Division and will follow these guidelines as well as all USA Water Ski rules that apply to Grassroots Tournaments. Section 2. Divisions: All Oklahoma Grassroots Tournaments will include a division for Novice Men. At the site s discretion, they may offer other divisions (such as Expert Men, Novice Women, Beginner Men, Novice Boys, or Novice Girls), but these divisions are optional and not required. Awards/trophies will be given in all Grassroots Divisions offered. A site may allow a skier to ski below the USAWS minimum starting speed (15 mph, 25 K); however the scores below 15 mph will not be recorded in the tournament scorebook. If a tournament chooses to offer Beginner Divisions, green buoys (mini-course, 10 feet in) may be used, but this is optional for a site. Section 3. Novice Slalom: Open to any male skier who has not skied past the breakout point in a sanctioned tournament. A second chance, mulligan, is given to Novice Men who miss their opening 10

pass. The USAWS s minimum starting speed is 15.5 mph (25 K). The following breakout points apply: Division Breakout Novice Men 6 @ 36 mph (58 K) Novice Men 3* or above 6 @ 34 mph (55 K) at 22 off * Men 3 or above age 35 or above on or before December 31 st of the ski year. Section 4. Breakout Rules: 3.0 Those who surpass the breakout point while skiing in Novice Men will be scored with their division for that tournament. They will receive any award they may have earned. The skier must ski any remaining rounds of the current tournament in the same division. USAWS rules do not allow a skier to ski in two different divisions in the same 4.0 State Records 3.1 The OWSF Chairperson has the responsibility to consider and approve all Oklahoma State Records. An application for a new record (photocopy of the rating clip or a copy of the official scorebook) must be submitted to their Chairperson for approval. You must be a current member of OWSF, a legal resident of Oklahoma, and set the record in a Class C or higher tournament. Records may be set while skiing in another state. Applications for records should be submitted as soon as possible and will only be accepted during the calendar year that the record was set. 3.2 The OWSF will provide a Framed State Record Certificate to all skiers who have set a new state record. Skiers who set records in multiple events or who set records more than once in an event in a season will receive only one State Record Certificate per year listing their final records. State Record Certificates will be presented at the State Championship Banquet. 3.3 A legal resident is defined as a person who maintains a permanent, year-round residence within the geographical boundaries of the State of Oklahoma. Oklahoma residents who attend out-of-state schools and return to Oklahoma during the ski season are considered a legal resident. Out-of-state students who only reside in Oklahoma during the school year are not considered a legal resident. If there is any question about a skier s legal residence, the directors will investigate and make a final determination on the skier s status. 11

5.0 Tournament Scheduling 4.1 South Central Regional Policy delegates authority to the OWSF to schedule all tournaments for the State of Oklahoma. The OWSF Chairperson will select a location and date for the OWSF midwinter meeting to plan the tournament schedule. 4.2 Each club wishing to host a tournament will draw for bidding order. In that order, clubs will select tournament dates, one per round, until all dates are scheduled. 4.3 When completed the schedule will be approved by the directors, and a copy sent to the SCR EVP to be incorporated in to the regional schedule. 6.0 Policy Approval, Changes, and Enforcement 5.1 The OWSF Board of Directors has the authority to set, change, and enforce policy at any directors meeting (providing there is a quorum present) within the bounds of the National, Regional, and State By-Laws. 12