IOWA CITY ALLIANCE SOCCER CLUB

BYLAWS (adopted 8/19/97; last amended 4/17/02)

 

Article I - Purpose and Participants

The Iowa City Alliance Soccer Club (hereafter 'Club') is a non-profit organization of youth players, parents, coaches, and sponsors committed to the improvement and growth of competitive soccer in our community. All youth under nineteen (19) years of age on August 1 shall be eligible to participate in the Club provided, however, that the Club shall have the right to impose reasonable requirements for participation including (a) proof of satisfactory physical health, (b) the receipt of a waiver of responsibility signed by a parent or legal guardian, (c) proper conduct by the participant, (d) availability of coaches, teams, playing fields, and proper equipment, and (e) fees are paid in a timely fashion.

Article II - Affiliation and Membership

This organization shall be an affiliated branch of and comply with the authority of the Iowa State Youth Soccer Association (ISYSA), the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Teams, coaches, officers, and players of the organization shall not have any membership with unaffiliated soccer organizations without the written consent of the Executive Board.

2. Membership and registration shall be on an annual basis, the tenure of which shall extend from September 1 through August 31, hereafter known as the 'Club year'. New players may be registered throughout the Club year for the remainder of that year.

3. All members and players shall abide by these Bylaws and all rules and regulations as set forth by the Executive Board, Team Council and the organizations with which the Club is affiliated.

Article III - Annual General Meeting

1. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the members shall be held each year between approximately March 1and May 1 in the Iowa City area at a time and place to be determined by the Executive Board. The purpose of this meeting shall be for the election of officers and the transaction of business of the Club.

2. Electronic or printed notice of the AGM shall be made to each team through its team representative stating the place, date and time, at least fourteen (14) days in advance of the meeting.

3. Those eligible voters present at the AGM shall constitute a quorum. Any matter submitted to a vote shall pass if it receives an affirmative vote of the majority of eligible voters present.

4. Each registered player gets one vote at the Annual General Meeting. For players on Under-15 or younger teams, the voting individual is a parent or legal guardian. For players on Under-16 or older teams, the voting individual may be either a parent or guardian or the registered player. No parent or guardian shall at the same time represent members other than her/his children or wards nor may a player represent any member other than himself or herself.

Article IV - Officers

1.      The officers of the Club shall consist of Past-President, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer and three at-large officers. The Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer three at-large officers (and if necessary, President) shall be elected by a majority vote of the eligible voters present at the AGM. Such an officer shall be a member of the Club at the time of election. An officer of this Club shall not at the same time also be a team representative. A person who is a team representative may run for office but, if elected, must be replaced as team representative. Following a term of office as President, a person shall accede to the term of office as Past-President.

DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

1. The Past-President shall assist the President and other officers, Team Council, and the Club, shall perform such duties as the President or Executive Board may direct, and shall have such reasonable powers which the Executive Board may vest in her/him. If the President is unable or unwilling to accede to the office of Past-President at the end of her/his term or to complete her/his term of office, a former Alliance Club President will be asked by the Executive Board to fill the Past-President position. If no former president is available or willing to serve, the Board will appoint a club member with the title of At-Large Board Member to fill the term of Past-President. The appointee is subject to the approval of the Team Council.

The President shall preside over meetings of the Executive Board and Team Council. The President shall have the power to call special meetings of the Club by written notice to all member or all Team Representatives upon ten (10) days notice from the postmark. For such meetings, the definitions of quorum and eligible voters shall be the same as for the AGM. The President serves as an ex-officio member of all committees. She/he shall serve as the Club’s representative to the community, State and National organizations, and shall oversee the activities of the Club. She/he shall have such other reasonable powers which the Executive Board may from time to time vest in her/him.

The Vice President shall assist the President and shall perform all the duties and exercise all the power of the President during her/his absence or incapacity. She/he shall exercise requisite authority and perform such reasonable duties as the President or Executive Board may from time to time direct.

The Secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings of the Club and sign, as needed, with the President all contracts and other documents of this Club which are authorized by the Executive Board. In the fulfillment of these duties, the Secretary shall exercise requisite authority and perform such reasonable duties as the Executive Board may from time to time direct.

The Treasurer may be required to be bonded at the discretion of the Executive Board; such bonds costs shall be borne by the Club. The Treasurer shall deposit all monies in the name of the Club with a depository which shall be designated by the Executive Board. She/he shall execute receipts for such monies which are paid to her/him; keep the financial accounts; liquidate all bills against the Club, after the same have been approved by the Executive Board, and after she/he has received properly executed warrants for that purpose; report the state of finances of the Club at each Team Council meeting or whenever required to do so by the Executive Board. She/he shall submit a complete statement of accounts in writing to the Executive Committee and assembled members at the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer shall exercise requisite authority and perform such other reasonable duties as the Executive Board may from time to time direct.

The three at-large officers shall have full voting rights at all meetings of the Executive Board, but no specific duties. The at-large officers will instead accept ad hoc assignments from the President or Executive Board arising from deliberations and decisions made by the Board or Team Council. These officers will perform the important functions of contributing to all discussions about policy and planning, while serving as important volunteer leaders in organizing the members on behalf of Alliance activities.

2. A term of office shall be one year. Officers shall not serve more than three consecutive years in the same office (in this case only, the positions of Past-President and President shall constitute the same office) unless no one else is available to serve at the time of elections.

3. The officers shall serve from the conclusion of the AGM of their election (or accession, in the case of President and Past-President) to the conclusion of the AGM at which their successors are elected (or accede) to office.

4. Any vacancy occurring in any elected position shall be filled for the balance of the term of office by appointment of another person by the Executive Board. If this appointment is for more than two-thirds of a term of office, such appointment shall be approved by the Team Council and shall be considered a full term of office.

5. On or before September 21 of each year, the President, with the approval of the Team Council, shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of three (3) members. The duty of this committee shall be to prepare and present a slate of candidates for office. Persons wishing to be candidates or to nominate candidates shall notify this committee no later than January 16. Nominations from the floor will not be accepted. If there are two or more candidates for an office, each candidate may supply to the Secretary a position statement or biography not to exceed two hundred (200) words for inclusion in the Annual General Meeting announcement.

Article V - Executive Board

1. Collectively, the officers shall comprise the Executive Board. The Executive Board, in consultation with the Team Council, shall direct and manage the business affairs of the Club, including the hiring, firing, and management of personnel.

2. The Executive Board shall develop an annual budget. It shall determine registration and other fees and expenditures of the Club. This budget shall be presented to the Team Council for approval at least two (2) months prior to the beginning of the next Club year. If any budget item represents the first part of a multi-year financial obligation, this shall be made clear when that budget is presented.

3. The Executive Board may form committees to assist them in directing and managing the business affairs of the Club. However, no written contractual agreement which obligates the Club in any way shall be entered into by any Club member without the authorization of the Executive Board.

4. In the event that this Club is unable to meet its financial obligations, the Executive Board shall have the power to assess each registered player an equal share of a total amount not to exceed that needed to balance the budget for the fiscal year.

Article VI - Meetings of the Team Council

1. Each registered team shall have a Team Representative to the Team Council, whose members shall consist of said representatives and the Executive Board. The identity of a Team Representative will be made known to the Secretary at or before the first Team Council meeting of the Club year. A team may change its Representative at any time upon notification to the Secretary by the current Representative or other appropriate person. An Alternate Representative may take a Representative's place as a Team Council member upon notification to the Secretary prior to a Team Council meeting.

2. The Team Council members present at a Team Council meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Team Council meetings are open to all Club members as well as interested members of the general public. However, only Team Council members may vote on any matter or resolution before the Council. A Team Representative (or designated Alternate) may represent only one team and must be present to vote. Matters or resolutions before the Council shall be decided by a simple majority vote (or greater if so voted by the Council) or unless otherwise stipulated by these bylaws. The President shall not vote except in the case of a tie, in which case she/he will cast the deciding vote.

3. The Team Council shall meet at least eight (8) times per Club year for the purpose of transacting the business of the Club and advising the Executive Board. Teams without representation at four (4) or more regular meetings within a Club year shall surrender their voting privileges for the six (6) months following the fourth absence or until the end of that Club year, whichever comes first.

 Article VII - Amendments

1. Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be presented at a Team Council meeting for consideration. A vote on any such proposed amendments may not take place before the next regular meeting of the Team Council or the AGM.

2. Any changes in the bylaws shall take effect immediately or at a date determined at the time of the amendment.

 

Article VIII - Authority

Unless specifically stated herein, any circumstance, rule, administration process, or any other matter or procedure not covered by or under the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations of this Club shall then follow the rules of the ISYSA, USYSA and the USSF.

Article IX - Appeals and Grievances

1. An Appeals and Grievances Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Board at the beginning of each Club year to hear all charges of breach of Club rules brought by a properly registered member. The Committee shall be composed of five Team Representatives and shall be chaired by the Vice President.  If the Vice President is a party of interest to the charges, the Past-President shall chair the Committee for that hearing. If a Team Representative proves to be a party of interest to the charges, the Chairperson shall select an alternate to serve for that hearing. The Chairperson shall not vote in a decision except in the event of a tie.

2. Written charges must be submitted to this Committee. The Committee will provide copies of the charges to all parties of interest and set a date for a hearing within 21 days of its filing. The hearing shall be confined to those charges contained in the written statement presented to the defendant(s).

3. The hearing shall take place in the presence of all parties of interest. Reasonable consideration of personal schedules will be made for the hearing. If an interested party does not demonstrate reasonable cooperation in the scheduling of the hearing, it may take place outside her/his presence. The Committee shall have the power to summon any Club member or Club staff to appear at any hearing relative to any matter which comes before it for investigation.

4. The Committee Chairperson shall prepare a written summary of the hearing, detailing the charges, findings, and decisions taken in the case. The summary shall be distributed to all interested parties and the Executive Board within 14 days of the Appeals and Grievance Committee’s decision.

5. Decisions made by the Committee shall be honored by all Club members for the duration determined.