NCMYH By-Laws

BY-LAWS

Proposed: May 16, 2013

Table of Contents

Definitions Section

NCMYH – North Central MA Youth Hockey Association, Inc. NCMYH is an affiliate of Massachusetts Hockey and is one of 8 youth hockey programs within District 7. As an affiliate of Massachusetts Hockey, NCMYH is bound by the By-Laws, Rules, Regulations, and the decisions of their Board of Directors.

Officers of the Corporation - Consists of elected officials of the corporation to fulfill the

leadership roles of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These positions constitute the leadership of the corporation.

Board of Directors – Consists of the elected officials of the corporation that have been

empowered by the membership, along with the Officers of the Corporation, to manage the direction and business of the corporation.

Membership – Consists of a representative for each paying participant in the North Central MA Youth Hockey Association Program. Payment is in form of a registration fee.

Committee – Group of the membership or directors, led by a director for a specific purpose. The guidelines of all committees are defined within the By-Laws and further defined in the Policies.

Robert’s Rule of Order – The standard guide to Parliamentary procedures adopted in 1893, these rules are the basis for the fair conduct of business at a formal meeting.

USA Hockey – This is the governing body for amateur hockey across the United States, and is the official representative to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

Massachusetts Hockey – This is the governing body for amateur hockey across the state of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Hockey is the state affiliate of USA Hockey. As an affiliate of USA Hockey, Massachusetts Hockey is bound by the By-Law, Rules, Regulations, and the decisions of the Board of Directors of USA Hockey.

Director At Large – The Director At Large, when passed by the Board of Directors, is a

member of the Officers of the Corporation and will have the voting rights as any other Officer of the Corporation.

Article 1: Name

Section 1:

The name of the corporation is the North Central MA Youth Hockey Association, Incorporated (NCMYH).

Section 2:

The principal address of the corporation will be:

North Central MA Youth Hockey Association

P.O. Box 212

Gardner, MA 01440

Article 2: Purpose

Section 1:

North Central MA Youth Hockey Association Inc. is a non-profit corporation, organized for the following purposes:

1. To encourage, promote and to teach amateur youth hockey through an organized

effort that fosters sportsmanship, community spirit and fellowship of all participants

for the betterment of their physical, mental and social well being. NCMYH fully

supports academic excellence and scholastic requirements put forth by the local

school systems.

2. To arrange and promote amateur hockey competition and to raise funds by donations, subscriptions or otherwise for the encouragement of such amateur

hockey.

3. The Association shall be conducted, managed and operated as a charitable nonprofit

corporation under the provisions of Chapter 180 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

4. The By-Laws of the NCMYH fully support Massachusetts Hockey, which in turn

supports the positions and By-Laws of USA Hockey. Anything not expressed within these By-Laws may be covered in the documentation of one of the aforementioned organizations, of which NCMYH is a member in good standing. These documents are available from the secretary, on a loan out basis.

Article 3: Membership

Section 1:

Membership of the Corporation encompasses a parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of a registered player(s) in good standing with the NCMYH program, regardless of race, color, creed, national origin or sex. Each family shall be entitled to one (1) vote at the annual meeting during the selection of the Board of Directors.

Section 2:

All elected and appointed officers and directors are members of the Corporation. No fee for membership shall be charged these members unless they have a child/children registered in the NCMYH program.

Section 3:

The Board of Directors shall set membership fees and payment terms for the ensuing year. A non-refundable registration fee per applicant shall be paid at the time of registration.

Section 4:

Any member elected to the Board of Directors or as an Officer of the Corporation, may relinquish their elected position at any time by giving written notice to the secretary, which in turn will be duly recorded in the records of the Association.

Article 4: Officers

Section 1:

The Officers of the Corporation shall be elected by the Board of Directors at its annual

meeting after the election of the new board members, or in the event of a vacancy, the vacant position will be voted upon at the next scheduled monthly meeting when 51% of the board is in attendance. The position will then be held through the rest of that term. There shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and such other officers the Board of Directors may deem necessary. The Board will be staggered to hold one (1), two (2) and three (3) year positions to ultimately be three (3) year positions. The exception to the elected term is if the elected officer chooses to vacate that position or by 51% majority vote of the Board of Directors they are removed from office for just cause, in accordance to the By-Laws and Policy Statements. The presiding officer shall not have a voting right unless in the event of a tie. No one person shall hold more than one (1) position as an Officer of the Corporation. Those Officers of the Corporation include President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2:

The President shall be the Chief Executive of the Corporation, and shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. He/she will have the authority to make executive decisions and act in behalf of the Corporation. Any executive decision that was made can be appealed and brought up for a vote at the next subsequent Board of Directors meeting. He/she shall perform all the duties commonly incident to his/her office, and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may designate, such as, but not restricted to:

1. Will sign and execute all contracts in the name of the Corporation when authorized

to do so by the Board of Directors.

2. Will appoint and discharge agents and employees, subject to the approval of the

Board of Directors.

3. Will be responsible for the general management of the affairs of the Corporation.

4. Will authorize payment of all checks, drafts, notes and orders for payment of money

and may sign in the absence of the Treasurer.

5. Will be responsible for a representative of the association attending all meetings

pertaining to any aspect of the NCMYH program.

6. Will channel all information to the appropriate committee for action and follow-up

to said matters.

7. Will serve as ex-officio on all committees.

Section 3:

The Vice-President of Operations shall perform all the duties of the President whenever the latter is absent or unable to meet his/her commitment as President. The Vice-President of Administration in the absence of the Vice-President of Operations shall perform the duties of the President whenever the latter is absent or unable to meet his/her commitment as President. The Vice-Presidents will oversee ad-hoc committee activities and insure that these committees are given Board of Directors meeting agenda time to report out their activities. Ad-hoc committees are those committees that are formulated for specific period of time to address a specific business need. The Vice-Presidents shall also perform such other duties as may be determined by the President of the Board of Directors.

Section 4:

The Secretary shall maintain a written record of all meetings of the Corporation. The Secretary will give due notice of all meetings and shall conduct the general correspondence of the corporation. The Secretary will maintain a membership book containing the names of all members of the Corporation, showing their place of residence, and said book shall be open for inspection by any member of the Corporation at reasonable times. The Secretary shall also perform all duties incident to his/her office.

Section 5:

The Treasurer shall have charge of and be responsible for all funds of the Corporation and shall make all disbursements for and in the name of the Corporation on the approval of the President or the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will keep an itemized record of all transactions and report on the same at the monthly Board of Directors meetings along with the Corporation’s financial status. The Treasurer shall also perform all duties incident to his/her office, such as, but not restricted to:

1. He/she shall sign all checks, drafts, notes and orders for payment of money

authorized by the President or the Board of Directors.

2. Will at reasonable time, exhibit the books and accounts to a member of the

Corporation.

3. Will file all State, Federal, and local taxes as required.

Article 5: Board of Directors

Section 1:

By virtue of the majority vote rule, the Board of Directors shall have general charge and

direction of the Corporation. The Board of Directors shall be elected by the general

membership at its annual meeting by a written confidential ballot.

Section 2:

Each Director will accept the assignment of a Standing and/or Special Committee Chairperson, that committee assignment being of the Director’s choice. If two (2) or more Directors request the same committee, the decision will be determined by written confidential ballot. The President in order of Directors availability will assign chairperson positions that remain vacant at the conclusion of the volunteer assignments as it pertains to the program.

Section 3:

As Committee Chairperson, the Director will solicit participation from other Directors and/or membership to form his/her committee. The said committee will have complete responsibility for that committee’s area of concern and will make final decisions not requiring a vote of the full Board of Directors. The Committee Chairperson will report periodically to the Board of Directors as to the status of their committees work.

Section 4:

The Board of Directors shall be comprised of a minimum of 7 members but will not exceed 15 members.

Section 5:

A Director shall have the powers usually vested in a Board of Director of a Corporation

organized under the provisions of Chapter 180 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; they shall have the direction, control and management of the property and affairs of the Corporation.

Section 6:

A Director of the Board may be removed from office for just cause, in accordance to the By-Laws and Policy Statements, with a 51% majority vote. The presiding officer shall not have a voting right unless in the event of a tie.

Section 7:

Once a vacancy has been determined:

A. First – any present Board Member will have the option to be elected to that position

by the Board of Directors. That Board Member will then step down from the position he/she held before the election to the new position.

B. Second – the next step is to send a letter out to all members advertising the position and requirements with a general election to take place at the next regular monthly meeting.

Section 8:

Voting members of the Board of Directors must be made up of no less than 50% of individuals who have children actively skating in the program.

Article 6: Meetings

Section 1:

The annual meeting of the membership will be held once a year during the month of May. Meeting notification will be widely circulated as to ensure every effort has been made to inform the general membership of the time and location of the said meeting. The annual meeting of the membership cannot transpire without 51% of the current Board of Directors present.

Section 2:

Monthly Board of Directors meetings will be held to conduct the business of the Corporation. The date, time and location will be disseminated at the previous monthly meeting. The monthly Board of Directors meeting cannot transpire without 51% of the Board of Directors present. The 51% of the Board of Directors in attendance will represent a quorum.

Section 3:

Special meetings can be called by the President whenever requested by 10% of the

membership of the Corporation or a majority of the Directors in office; Seven days notice must be given. Only the business that required a special meeting can be transacted.

Section 4:

All voting that takes place will be conducted under majority decision with a minimum of 51% of the current Board of Directors present. At monthly meetings, only elected Board of Directors will participate in the vote. All members are encouraged to attend.

During the annual meeting the voting for the new Board of Directors will be tallied as

indicated below. Prior to, and subsequent after, all voting will be restricted to the Board of Directors. Each family, in good standing, will be entitled to one (1) vote. The Officers of the Corporation that do not have a child in the program will be entitled to one (1) vote. The Board of Director that has not qualified from either of the first two (2) criteria will not be entitled to a vote. The presiding officer is not entitled to a vote, except in the case of a tie.

Section 5:

All meetings will be conducted according to “Robert’s Rules of Order”, any member refusing to adhere to this By-Law will be required to leave the meeting, and will relinquish his/her vote for the entirety of the meeting. Continuance of the non-compliance to this By-Law by a Board Member will constitute just cause for process of removal from the Board. 

Article 7: Finances

Section 1:

The Board of Directors shall decide on all matters pertaining to the finances of the

Corporation. The President and Treasurer in coalition with USA Hockey will negotiate all

contracts and notes. The President and/or the Treasurer will sign all checks. The Board of Directors must approve all contracts, notes and distribution of funds.

Section 2:

The Corporation shall never pay, assume or become responsible for the personal or unapproved debt or liabilities of any individual of the Corporation.

Article 8: Fiscal Year

Section 1:

The fiscal year will begin on June 1st and run until the completion of the last day of May each year.

Article 9: Hockey Players

Section 1:

All hockey players shall pay a registration fee, as determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 2:

USA Hockey shall govern the age division of all hockey players playing in league hockey for consistency across the U.S. Those players shall play in a group commensurate with the age group of the league they are registered (Midgets, Bantams, PeeWees, Squirts, Mites, etc). The age group shall be all-inclusive. Any and all exceptions must formally request a waiver and be voted on by the Board of Directors.

Article 10: Coaches

Section 1:

The duties of each coach shall consist of instructing the players in the basics of skating,

hockey, good sportsmanship and team spirit. Each coach shall be responsible for the general management of all team activities.

Section 2:

The coaches are responsible for the care, storage and return of the Corporation’s equipment issued to him/her.

Section 3:

Coaches shall attend periodic coaches meetings as called by the Coaches Committee.

Section 4:

No later than December 31st of the current playing year, all individuals on the players bench, acting in the capacity of a coach, must show up on the USA Hockey roster as certified from the Coaching Education Program. All coaches must be “patched” to the appropriate level and meet all UDA Hockey requirements.

Section 5:

Each level (Mite through Midget) will have a coordinator appointed by the Coaches Committee and approved by the Board of Directors for the purpose of representing each Coach at that level and overseeing the smooth and successful operation of that age level.

Section 6:

The coaching staff for each team will be responsible for either locating a team parent for the purpose of representing the team and parents of that team, or the coaching staff will be responsible for themselves.

Article 11: Amendments

Section 1:

These By-Laws may be amended, altered, or appealed at any meeting or special meeting by the majority of the Board of Directors. Amendment or changes to these By-Laws require a 2/3-majority vote by a quorum of the Board Members.

Article 12: Committees

Section 1: Appointment to Committees

The Board of Directors, as determined in Article 5 Section 2, shall appoint the Chairperson of the following committees. The Chairperson shall select the necessary number of members to complete each committee.

Section 2: Primary Programs Committee

The Primary Programs Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to the following activities:

1. To administer and manage Learn-To-Skate, any Mini-mite or Cross-Ice programs of

the NCMYH. This may include both on-ice and off-ice sessions to explain the basics

of skating and hockey to the players and parents.

2. To periodically scout Learn to Skate, Mini-mite and Cross-Ice Program players for the

purpose of moving those players, who are ready, into competitive play. The coaches committee will be contacted for appropriate placement and placement verified with the Registration committee to insure team balance.

3. To periodically evaluate Learn to Skate, Mini-mite and Cross-Ice Program level of play to insure that instruction meets the standards as approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 3: Coaches Committee

The Coaches Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following activities:

1. To review all applications for coaching assignments and make recommendations to

the Board of Directors for all NCMYH level of play.

2. To ensure all coaches have completed all requirements of the position

3. To insure By-Laws pertaining to Coaching certification is adhered to, and assign

new coaches to teams promptly on January 1st if any coach is not certified as indicated in Article 10, section 4.

4. To assign coaches to each team and appoint Divisional Commissioners.

5. To select replacement coaches to fill any coaching vacancy that might occur.

6. To work with the information provided by the Registration Committee in the selection and assignment of players for each team, with the objective of balancing all teams in the NCMYH program. Final selection will be reported back to the Registration Committee for paperwork finalization.

7. To investigate complaints from coaches or parents and working with the Policy,

Information, Personnel and Discipline Committee, make recommendations to the

Board of Directors for appropriate action.

Section 4: Ice Time Committee

The Ice Time Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following activities:

1. To represent NCMYH at ice time allocation meetings.

2. To allocate and assign ice time where applicable for both practice and games (when applicable) for each NCMYH team equitably.

3. To maintain records on each teams activities and reference to hours allocated.

4. To advise the treasurer as to those teams who should be billed additional monies for

ice time over and above original allocations.

5. To balance practice ice times equally among Cushing's Iorio Arena, Gardner's Veterans Arena, and Winchendon's Ritchie Ice Arena based on availability.

Section 5: Registration Committee

The Registration Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following

activities:

1. To be responsible for conducting player registration prior to the start of the season,

specific dates to be approved by the Board of Directors per USA Hockey and league requirements.

2. To collect all player registration forms by division.

3. To insure maximum coverage of prospective players by reviewing past registration

lists.

4. To maintain a file on current registered players as well as past registered players,

and to ensure a copy of that list is delivered to the Secretary for appropriate filing.

Section 6: Fund Raising Committee

The Fund Raising Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following

activities:

1. To be responsible for the planning and promoting of fund raising activities for the

NCMYH.

2. To maintain financial records for each event that transpires and reports to the Board

of Directors on the profitability of those events.

Section 7: Policy, Information, Personnel and Discipline Committee

The Policy, Information, Personnel and Discipline Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following activities:

1. To be responsible for the formulation of the By-Laws and Policies that governs the

Corporation. The By-Laws and Policies that this committee recommends must be

approved as indicated in Article 11, Section 1 of the NCMYH By-Laws.

2. To be responsible for communicating the meaning of the By-Laws and Policies to

any member of the NCMYH needing clarification.

3. To be responsible to work with the Coaching Committee to enforce all disciplinary

measures set forth by USA Hockey, Massachusetts Hockey or NCMYH for all players

and/or coaches are carried out as prescribed.

4. To be responsible for reviewing each grievance or complaint, work with any other

committees concerned, and make recommendations to the Board of Directors for

appropriate action.

Section 8: Budget Committee

The Budget Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following activities:

1. To be responsible for reviewing in detail the books and accounts of the Corporation

at the end of each fiscal year and such other times as the Board of Directors request.

2. To be responsible for preparing a budget for the next fiscal year.

Section 9: Equipment Committee

The Equipment Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following

activities:

1. To be responsible for the management, allocation, distribution and collection of the

Corporation’s equipment.

2. To be responsible to oversee the purchasing of all equipment such as goalie

equipment, shirts, pucks, etc.

Section 10: Sponsors Committee

The Sponsors Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to the following activities:

1. To be responsible for working with the local businesses in order to solicit their

support in the NCMYH, in form of monetary sponsorships for each of the teams in the

NCMYH program, as well as any Primary Programs.

2. To be responsible to work with the Budget Committee in order to make a

recommendation to the Board of Directors as to the monetary amount of the

sponsorship.

3. To be responsible to collect the sponsorship monies and turn them into the

Treasurer for deposit and journaling.

4. To be responsible for ensuring a letter of thanks is sent to each of the sponsors for

their continued or new support. This letter will be a form letter that is approved by

the Board of Directors.

Section 11: Information and Communication Committee

The Information and Communication Committee will be responsible for, but not restricted to, the following:

1. To be responsible for preparing and distributing a newsletter (print or electronic) designed to inform players, parents, coaches and all other interested people on the operation of NCMYH program. The newsletter will serve as the Association’s primary means of communication between the Board of Directors and the membership of NCMYH.

2. To disseminate information of general interest in a timely manner.

3. Work as a liaison between the Board of Directors and the Web Site management

and design hosting service.

Section 12: Special Committees

The Special Committees will consist of, but not restricted to, the following activities:

1. League Representative – To represent the NCMYH in all meetings

and report back to the Board of Directors the content of those meetings.

2.District 7 Representative – To represent the NCMYH in all meetings and report back

to the Board of Directors the content of those meetings.