SLA Bylaws

NAME OF ORGANIZATION

1.1 The organization shall be known as the Strongsville Lacrosse Association (“SLA”), incorporated as a non-profit organization under State of Ohio laws and exempt from taxation under Section 501C93) of the Internal Revenue Code. 

1.2 The principal office for SLA shall be the residence of the Executive Board President and its official mailing address shall be PO Box 36083, Strongsville OH 44149, unless otherwise designated by the Executive Board. 

PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION

2.1 The SLA is exclusively dedicated for charitable purposes as an amateur youth organization for all boys and girls from the grades K-8. Our goal is to encourage youth participation while providing each child an opportunity to participate. The philosophy of the SLA is to incorporate life lessons while educating and developing skills for Lacrosse. 

2.2 The SLA participates in competition with local communities as well as regional tournaments. The SLA conforms to the policies, principles, rules and requirements agreed upon by US Lacrosse. The SLA Executive Board shall vote to determine the specific bylaws. 

2.3 SLA shall operate as a corporation not for profit under Section 1702.01 et seq., revised code of Ohio. A copy of the Articles of Incorporation shall be kept on file with the Secretary. 

2.4 SLA shall be non-sectarian and non-partisan. 

2.5 Commitments made to other lacrosse organizations and agencies which bind SLA must be made with approval of the Executive Board. 

MEMBERSHIP

3.1 MEMBERS: Any person who has a child enrolled in the SLA program shall be a member of the Strongsville Lacrosse Association and shall be subject to its bylaws. Each family shall be eligible to cast one vote per registered child at the annual election meeting for the purpose of electing new members to the Executive Board.  

a) All voting members must be in good financial standing with SLA in order to vote. 

b) Good financial standing shall be defined as either all fees are paid in full or financial arrangements, acceptable to and approved by the Executive Board, have been made and are current. 

3.2 PARTICIPANTS: Any child meeting the requirements, as set forth in the bylaws of SLA shall be eligible for participation. As long as there are sufficient coaches to lead each age division, no child will be refused to participate if such child conforms to the SLA bylaws and rules of eligibility. Each player must have current US Lacrosse membership valid through the entire season. 

3.3 NON-PLAYER MEMBERSHIP: The Executive Board reserves the right to grant membership to coaches or volunteers who do not have a child enrolled in the program. Non player members will not have voting privileges. 

3.4 EXPECTATIONS: All members must follow the guidelines below: 

a) All members are encouraged to join and actively participate in a committee 

b) All members are expected to follow the SLA code of conduct. 

c) Voting members must be 18 years of age or older. 

3.5 DISQUALIFICATION: Any member not conforming to the SLA’s bylaws or Code of Conduct may be disqualified at the discretion of the Executive Board. 

EXECUTIVE BOARD & OFFICERS

4.1 EXECUTIVE BOARD: The SLA shall be governed by an Executive Board. The Executive Board shall have full power and authority over the affairs of SLA. The Executive Board shall have charge and control of all funds and properties of SLA. The Executive Board shall have the authority to enforce the stated principles of good sportsmanship and proper conduct of all members. The Executive Board shall serve the function of the Executive Board of Trustees required by law for a non-profit corporation. 

4.2 OFFICERS: The Executive Board shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Operations Director, Public Relations and Marketing Director and Founding Board Chair. Each person on the Executive Board shall have one vote on SLA issues. 

4.3 NON-VOTING BOARD MEMBERS: 

High School or travel team coaches, referees or other members of the Strongsville or greater lacrosse community may be granted membership via a Executive Board vote. These membership roles may serve as advisory or have responsibilities for a committee however do not retain voting privileges.   

4.4 TERM: The initial Executive Board shall serve a three-year term commencing on the date these bylaws are executed (the “Initial Term”), unless a board member resigns, dies or is removed from the Executive Board prior to the expiration of such three-year term. At the expiration of the Initial Term, a vote of the eligible membership will be taken at the annual September membership meeting for purpose of electing new Executive Board members. Newly elected Executive Board member shall serve one-year terms and be appointed at the monthly meeting subsequent to the election, at which time their term will begin. In the case where a board member resigns, dies or is removed from the Executive Board prior to the expiration of their term for any reason, or in the case where no eligible member is nominated prior to the annual election; the vacant position will be assigned by a vote of the Executive Board from a list of current members in good standing. 

OFFICER DUTIES

5.1 OFFICER DUTIES: The Executive Board's duties and powers shall include, but are not limited to, the following: 

a) President: The President shall act as Chairperson of the Executive Board. The President shall be responsible for conducting affairs for the SLA and for executing the policies established by the Executive Board. The President is responsible for the conduct of the SLA and must be in strict compliance with its policies, rules and regulations. 

b) Vice President: The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President. The Vice President is responsible for all practice and game scheduling, field contacts and scheduling, and oversees the Event Committee. 

c) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have the authority to disperse SLA funds with the approval from the Executive Board. They are further responsible for maintaining financial records and presenting such financial records at the monthly meetings, as well as an annual report at the January membership meeting. The Treasurer’s responsibilities include, budgeting, taxes, Arbiter pay, purchases, invoices, and the oversight of the fundraising and sponsorship committee. 

d) Secretary: The Secretary shall record minutes of each meeting to be presented at the next meeting and adopted. The Secretary is responsible for all Executive Board correspondence. The Secretary is responsible for keeping track of votes on SLA issues, member registration and insurance. The Secretary also oversees the Historian committee. 

e) Operations Director: The Equipment Director will be responsible for the inventory of all equipment needed for Boys and Girls Lacrosse games and practices, including but not limited to uniforms, goals, first aid supplies, and player equipment. 

f) Public Relations and Marketing Director: The Public Relations and Marketing Director will oversee the utilization and maintenance of social media, club website, club communications, school communications, pictures, Spirit Wear, and coordinate travel club and skills clinics information. 

g) Founding Board Chair: Will provide guidance and strategy to the Executive Board ensuring the preservation goals and mission of the Strongsville Lacrosse Association outlined in Article II. This role is to provide long term continuity and prevent the lose of organizational knowledge. This role can be passed on to another person through death or relinquish of the current Founding Board Chair and an Executive Board confirmation vote. Eligible candidates for this role must be picked from a pool of previous association Presidents or Vice Presidents. 

NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS

6.1 At a general meeting, not less than forty-five (45) days prior to the annual election, a nominating committee consisting of five (5) members and one (1) alternate shall be elected by the general membership. 

6.2 In order to serve on the Nominating Committee, it shall be required that all members be voting members as defined in Article IV. 

6.3 The Nominating Committee shall: 

a) Require the Secretary to provide them a roster of voting members who will be eligible to vote in the general election, not less than thirty (30) days prior to the general election. 

b) Compile a list of candidates for the elected offices with no more than two (2) recommendations per office. Candidates for all elected offices must be voting members in “good financial standing” as defined in Article IV, Section 2, subsection c. Candidates for the Office of President shall be required to have served one full term on the Executive Board or one full term as the Chairperson of a standing committee. Serving on the Nominating Committee does not prevent nomination for an elected office. 

c) Posted or published in a conspicuous location or to the associations website or social media page(s) as well as in a blast digital communication to all members, the list of candidates seeking office. Previous consent must be obtained from all nominees. Nominations from the floor shall be permitted. 

6.4 Elections 

a) Officers shall be elected by secret ballot. Elections shall be determined by simple majority in cases where three (3) or more candidates are nominated, election shall be by plurality. 

b) No person may be nominated for more than one office. 

c) Elections shall be held in a manner which insures that only those qualified to do so cast a ballot. 

d) The President at the time of the annual election shall appoint a Teller's Committee consisting of three (3) voting members. Any voting member of SLA may serve on the Teller's Committee except that members of the Nominating Committee, Executive Board, or current candidates are ineligible. 

e) The Tellers Committee shall supervise the election process, tabulate the results and determine the winners for each elected office. No numerical totals will be announced, and ballots will be retained for a period of thirty (30) days and then destroyed. The use of certified digital vote-taking and reporting systems is permitted for this process.  

FINANCE 

7.1 GENERAL: The fiscal year of the SLA shall begin on November 1 and end on October 31 of the next calendar year.  

7.2 BANK ACCOUNTS: A general bank account in the SLA name is to be established for the express purpose of deposits and withdrawals for revenues and expenses associated with the operation of the SLA. Additional bank accounts shall be opened with the approval of the Executive Board, as expressed by majority vote.  

7.3 SIGNATURE AUTHORITY: The President or otherwise appointed individual may have signatory authority for fund under the dollar amount of $600 (six hundred dollars) withdrawn from the SLA bank account. Expenditures or withdrawals greater than $600 must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board. 

MEETINGS 

The Executive Board shall meet at least annually in January to elect Executive Board Members and Commissioners Board Members, and deal with other relevant issues. Additionally, the President shall organize meetings on a quarterly basis, which shall be open to all members, to discuss relevant SLA issues. An Executive Board member may call emergency meetings as long as there is a twenty-four-hour notice given to each member of the Executive Board for which the emergency meeting is called. Board Members may participate in a meeting through the use of any means of communication by which all of the Executive Board Members may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting. A Board Member participating in a meeting by this means is deemed to be present in person at the meeting. 

8.1 General Membership Meetings shall be held at least three (3) times during the lacrosse season (September - June). Meeting dates are to be published at the beginning of the season (February 1st) and two (2) weeks prior to the meeting date. 

8.2 The General Membership Meeting held in September shall be known as the 'Annual Meeting' and shall be for purposes of electing officers, receiving reports of officers and committees and for any other business that may arise. 

8.3 Special meetings of the general membership may be called by the President or by the Executive Board or shall be called upon the written request of twenty-five (25) voting members. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least one (1) week notice shall be given. 

8.4 QUORUM  

a) A general meeting quorum shall be defined as 15 voting members.  

b) A quorum of two-thirds of the members of the Executive Board must be in attendance in order to vote on any issue at an annual, monthly or emergency meeting. 

8.5 COMPENSATION: No member of the Executive Board shall receive any compensation for serving on the Executive Board. Each member of the Executive Board is expected to attend a quarterly meeting. After two absences in a fiscal year (November to the following October), a member of the Executive Board may be disqualified at the discretion of the Executive Board. If a member of the Executive Board is disqualified, a vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board shall appoint a replacement to serve the remaining term. 

8.6 VOTING: Each member of the Executive Board in attendance at a membership meeting will be allowed to cast a vote on SLA issues. A simple majority will approve all motions and issues voted on by the Executive Board, with the exception of Disciplinary Actions and Reinstatement as noted in sections 11.4 and 11.5 respectively. 

8.7 ACTIONS WITHOUT MEETINGS: In lieu of holding a meeting, the Executive Board may vote or otherwise take action by a written instrument indicating the consent of all of the Executive Board Members. 

COMMITTEES 

9.1 REQUIREMENTS: The above committees shall be comprised of representatives, which shall all be members of SLA. 

9.2 COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT will be the responsibility of the Executive Board members referenced in Section 3.1. Committees can be formed at the discretion of an Executive Board Member to aid in the fulfillment of their responsibilities. 

9.3 DUTIES: Committee members shall perform the duties necessary to successfully operate their respective committee. Committee members will make recommendations to their overseeing Executive Board Member. 

9.4 MEETINGS: Committee Meetings shall be held as deemed necessary by the overseeing Executive Board Member. Results of the committee meeting shall be presented to the next General Membership meeting. 

FORMATION OF TEAMS

10.1 AGE DIVISION: The Executive Board shall be responsible for the determination of number of teams and their corresponding divisions. When possible teams will be based on graduation year.

10.2 PARTICIPATION: No child may participate on a team above their current age bracket, as defined by US Lacrosse, without the approval of a majority vote of the Executive Board. 

DISCIPLINARY

11.1 GENERAL: Any member of SLA shall become ineligible for membership in the SLA due to conduct detrimental to the interest of the SLA or for actions contrary to the stated resolutions of the Executive Board, contents of the SLA’s bylaws, or Code of Conduct. 

11.2 FILING OF CHARGES: Charges for ineligible membership shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Board President of SLA and provided to all member of the Executive Board. 

11.3 MEETING: SLA President shall notify the Executive Board and interested parties of the time and place for a meeting to hear ineligibility charges. 

11.4 VOTE: A two-thirds affirmative vote of the Executive Board, if a quorum of Executive Board members is present, shall be necessary to determine an individual’s ineligibility for further participation in the SLA. 

11.5 REINSTATEMENT: Ineligible persons may apply for reinstatement after a period of one year by submitting their request in writing to the President. Reinstatement submissions shall be made available to all members of the Executive Board and the President shall call an Executive Board meeting for purposes of considering reinstatement of the individual. Vote for reinstatement must be a unanimous affirmative vote by the Executive Board for reinstatement of the requesting individual to occur. 

INDEMNIFICATION & INSURANCE

12.1 INDEMNIFICATION: The SLA, shall indemnify any and all current and former directors and officers of the Organization and program entities, or any member who may have served at its request as officer, director or volunteer against expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in connection with the defense of any action, suit of proceeding in which they are made parties by reason of being or having been a director, officer or volunteer of the Organization or program entity, except in relation to matters as to which any such individual shall be adjudged in such proceedings to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of duties.  

12.2 ACCIDENT INSURANCE: The SLA shall be covered by an excess accident policy with a medical limit of at least $25,000 covering all players and staff members (i.e. coaches, managers, referees, scorekeepers, concession workers, field maintenance workers, etc.). It is not acceptable for each parent to provide individual evidence of health insurance for his or her child in lieu of an accident policy. The accident insurance policy is intended for use as a secondary insurance policy, which pays: (i) covered medical bills on behalf of injured participants who do not have a primary health insurance policy; and (ii) pays the medical bills not covered by an injured participants’’ primary health insurance policy.   

12.3 GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE: The SLA shall be covered by a General liability policy with an “each occurrence” limit of at least $1,000,000 combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage. The policy form must be “occurrence” instead of “Claims made” and must not contain any of the following unacceptable exclusions: (i) athletic participants’ exclusion’ or (ii) sexual abuse/molestation exclusion. 

12.4 OTHER INSURANCE: The SLA requires insurance for the owned equipment at reasonable equipment values to minimize the risk of loss to SLA. 

DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution of the SLA as affirmed by a vote of the Executive Board, all assets and income shall remain dedicated to charitable purposes through distribution to one or more qualified charitable Strongsville organizations or local Strongsville government as permitted by state and federal regulations at the time of dissolution. 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

In establishing the compensation for the Executive Board, officers and others, the SLA shall abide by the SLA Conflict of Interest Policy, attached hereto as Addendum A.