ARTICLE I - NAME AND PURPOSE

1.1 Name. The name of the organization shall be Sharon Springs Athletic Association.
 
1.2 Purpose. The Sharon Springs Athletic Association is a non-profit volunteer organization comprised of parents, coaches, youth and interested people of South Forsyth County and the surrounding area. Its purpose is to provide its members wholesome, educational and recreational sports based programs aimed at improving the quality of life within the communities it serves. The Association shall strive to accomplish its goals by promoting safety and fair competition within its programs while teaching and encouraging the principles of good sportsmanship, physical fitness and the development of athletic skills. It is also the intent of the Association to work closely with local government agencies to provide the best possible programs to the youth of the communities it serves and its members.

 

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

2.1 General Membership. A general membership to the Association shall be granted to: 1) each individual or family which has a registered participant in activities sponsored by the Association, 2) each individual who has been accepted by the Association to coach in activities sponsored by the Association or has been selected to manage an Association sponsored activity, 3) each individual who is elected to the Board of Directors of the Association or 4) each individual or family who pays an annual yearly membership fee of $25.00. As applicable, the general membership will be considered active for one (1) year from the date of registration of a participant, acceptance as a coach, selection as a manager, selection to the Board of Directors or payment of annual dues.
 
2.2 Membership Revocation. Any individual who acts inconsistent with the purposes, rules or principles of this Association are subject to having their membership revoked by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. A membership can only be revoked following a hearing conducted by the Board of Directors where the member who is subject to expulsion has been given an opportunity to speak in his/her defense. Prior to the expulsion hearing, the affected member shall be notified no less than seven (7) days in advance of the hearing according to the mailing provisions provided for in section 3.5 of these By-laws. Also, prior to a revocation hearing, a membership can be suspended for no more than thirty (30) days by the President of the Association to allow time for a revocation hearing to be scheduled.

 

ARTICLE III - MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Time and Place of Meetings. Meetings of the general membership of the Association shall be held at such date, time and place as is set by the Board of Directors.
 
3.2 Annual Meeting. An annual meeting of the general membership shall be held during the month of May.
 
3.3 Regular Meeting. The Board of Directors shall determine by resolution how frequently to convene regular meetings of the general membership.
 
3.4 Special Meeting. Special meetings of the general membership may be called at anytime by a majority vote of the Board of Directors or when requested in writing by not less than ten (10) percent of the general membership of the Association.
 
3.5 Notice of General Membership Meetings. Written notice stating the date, time and place of any annual, regular or special meeting of the general membership of the Association shall be delivered not less than ten (10) nor more than thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting to each general member of record of the Association. If mailed, such notice shall be considered delivered when deposited in an official receptacle of the United States Postal Service, addressed to the general member at their last known address as it appears on the records of the Association and with prepaid postage attached thereon.
 
In the case of a special meeting and in addition to the aforementioned information, the purpose(s) for which the meeting is called shall also be stated on the notice. Email is an acceptable medium for delivering such notice and should follow the timelines as stated in this section.
 
3.6 Quorum. Any number of members present at any general membership meeting of the Association shall constitute a quorum.
 
3.7 Voting Rights. Each general membership to the Association shall be entitled to two (2) votes; however, in no case shall an individual cast more than one (1) vote.
 
3.8 Proxies. No proxies will be allowed at any general membership meeting.
 
3.9 Resolutions. All resolutions voted on by members at a general membership meeting shall require a majority vote of the members present at the meeting to pass.
 
3.10 Elections. To be elected to the Board of Directors, all candidates shall require a plurality of votes of the members of the Association present at the annual general membership meeting.
 
3.11 Order of Business. All meetings of the general membership of the Association shall be conducted by the President of the Association.

 

ARTICLE IV - GOVERNMENT

4.1 General Powers of the Board of Directors. The business and affairs of the Association as a whole shall be managed by the Board of Directors. Unless otherwise stated in these By-laws, the directors shall in all cases act as a Board, and they may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of their meetings and the management of the Association as they may deem proper.
 
4.2 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of twenty officers consisting of an Executive Board, General Board and Full Board outlined as follows:
 

Full Board

General Board

Executive Board

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

 

Recreation Baseball Commissioner

 

Travel/Recreation Softball Commissioner

 

Travel Baseball Commissioner

 

 

Recreation Baseball Athletic Director 5/6

 

 

Recreation Baseball Athletic Director 7

 

 

Recreation Baseball Athletic Director 8

 

 

Recreation Baseball Athletic Director 9

 

 

Recreation Baseball Athletic Director 10/11

 

 

Recreation Baseball Athletic Director 12+

 

 

Recreation Softball Athletic Director 5-8

 

 

Recreation Softball Athletic Director 9+

 

 

Equipment

 

 

Uniforms

 

 

Park Planning

 

 

Director of Scheduling

 

 

Director of Fund Raising

 
4.3 Board of Directors terms/elections/qualifications. All members of the Board of Directors shall serve a term in office of approximately one year. This term shall run from the first day of August following their election at the annual general membership meeting in May to the last day of July the following year. Each officer shall be elected separately at the annual meeting. A candidate must be nominated for a specific office by a member of the Association and elected by a plurality of votes of members present at the annual meeting. All nominated and/or elected candidates should currently be a member of the Sharon Springs Athletic Association at the time of their nomination/election. All elected officers must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or older and be a current resident of Forsyth County, Georgia. The President and Treasurer of the association cannot be in the same immediate family, as a husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, siblings, or cousins. Exclusive travel involvement disqualifies any member of the Sharon Springs Athletic Association from being elected for an exclusively recreation leadership position. This includes all recreation commissioner and athletic director positions.
 
4.4 Duties of the Board of Directors. The individual duties of the officers who compose the Board of Directors shall be defined but not limited to the following:
 
A. President - The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association and Chairman of the Board of Directors charged with the duty of supervising all of their functions subject to the orders of the Board of Directors. The President shall be responsible for the planning, preparation and implementation of all programs sponsored by the Association. He/she shall insure that sound economic principles are utilized throughout the Association. The President shall preside over all general membership, Board of Directors (Full Board), Executive Board and General Board meetings. He/she shall appoint standing and special committees and their managers, and can serve as ex officio head of all committees. The President shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors.
 
B. Vice President – The Vice President shall be charged with the day to day management of two concession stands and serve as Chair to the Team Coordinator Committee. The Vice President shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President.
 
C. Recreation Baseball Commissioner - The Recreation Baseball Commissioner shall be charged with the day to day operations of the Association sponsored baseball programs. He/she shall be responsible for the supervision of the Baseball Athletic Directors and act as the primary liaison between the Athletic Directors and the President. The Recreation Baseball Commissioner shall also chair the committee and activites involving All-star baseball within our association. The Baseball Commissioner shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President.
 
D. Travel/Recreation Softball Commissioner - The Softball Commissioner shall be charged with the day to day operations of the Association sponsored softball travel and recreation programs. He/she shall be responsible for the supervision of the Softball Athletic Directors and Travel Coaches. act as the primary liaison between the Athletic Directors, Travel Coaches and the President. The Travel/Recreation Baseball Commissioner shall also chair the committee and activites involving All-star softball within our association. The Softball Commissioner shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President.
 
E. Travel Baseball Commissioner – The Travel Baseball Commissioner shall be charged with the day to day operations of the Association Sponsored Travel baseball programs. He/she is responsible for the supervision of the Travel Coaches and act as the primary liaison between the Travel Coaches and the President. The Travel Baseball Commissioner shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President.
 
F. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall be charged with the management of the financial affairs of the Association. He/she shall collect all Association moneys and deposit those funds in the name of the Association in such banks as have been selected by the President for deposit of those funds. All disbursements from the Association shall be made by check from an Association checking account and disbursed with the consent of the President. The treasurer shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President.
 
G. Secretary - The Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the Association, issue notices and keep the minutes of all general membership, Board of Directors (Full Board), Executive Board and General Board meetings. He/she shall be custodian of the records, keep the roll of all members of the Association, and discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President.
 
H. Recreation Baseball Athletic Directors - The Baseball Athletic Directors shall act as the primary liaison between the Associations’s sponsored baseball coaches and the Baseball Commissioner. The Baseball Athletic Directors shall report through and be supervised by the Baseball Commissioner. The Baseball Athletic Directors shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President or Baseball Commissioner.
 
I. Recreation Softball Athletic Directors - The Softball Athletic Directors shall act as the primary liaison between the Associations’s sponsored softball coaches and the Softball Commissioner. The Softball Athletic Directors shall report through and be supervised by the Softball Commissioner. The Softball Athletic Directors shall also discharge other such duties as may be assigned by the President or Softball Commissioner.
 
J. Equipment Director - The Equipment Director shall act as primary distributor of equipment. The Equipment Director should report through and be supervised by the President of the Association. He/she should coordinate equipment pick-up and return times for coaches with the Commissioner. He/She is responsible to maintain association equipment, by keeping inventory, evaluating equipment needs each year proposing a yearly order to replace damaged or obsolete equipment. He/she is required to have all orders approved by the Board of Directors.
 
K. Uniform Director – The Uniform Director shall be responsible for ensuring that all participants in our baseball and softball programs are outfitted appropriately with an SSAA approved uniform. Additionally, the Uniform Director ensures that uniforms are purchased within the financial guidelines established by the Board of Directors. This includes operating within the uniform budget which is comprised from a specific allotment for uniforms from the registration fees paid by our participants. The Uniform Director will also receive Board Approval for the vendor chosen to provide SSAA approved uniforms.
 
L. Park Planning Director – The Park Planning Director is the primary liaison between the County and the Board of Directors for the matters of Park Improvements. The Park Planning Director is responsible for making recommendations on the budget allocated for Park Improvements and working closely with the County and the Board of Directors to determine which party(ies) will be financially responsible for approved initiatives.
 
M. Director of Scheduling – The Director of Scheduling is responsible for ensuring practices and games are appropriately scheduled and communicated for all SSAA participants in both softball and baseball. The Director of Scheduling will work closely with the Commissioner and County staff to ensure this scheduling occurs and is effectively communicated.
 
N. Director of Fund Raising – The Director of Fund Raising is responsible for establishing and developing participant-wide fund raising activities to ensure that SSAA budgetary goals are met. These activities can be general across all participants, or program specific. The Director of Fund Raising works closely with the Board of Directors to seek approval on these activities and to ensure that these activities contribute to the financial goals of the association. He/she shall coordinate standing acticities of the association that are related to fund raising to include Team Pictures, Golf Tournament, Banners, Field Sponsorships, General Sponsorships and the SSAA Yearbook.
 
4.5 Arbitrator. The Board of Directors shall be the ultimate arbitrator with regards to issues affecting the Association.
 
4.6 By-law Modification. Modifications to the By-laws of the Association shall only be made via the passage of resolutions at an Association general membership meeting.

 

ARTICLE V - MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

5.1 Time and Place of Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors of the Association shall be held at such date, time and place as is set by the President of the Association.
 
5.2 Regular Meeting. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held, as a minimum, once per calendar quarter, but may be called more frequently and as appropriate by the President.
 
5.3 Special Meeting. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at anytime by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Any request for a special meeting shall be made in written form to the President and must be signed by the majority of officers who are requesting the meeting. Once a request has been received by the President, the requested special meeting shall be held no later than fourteen (14) days following the receipt of the request.
 
5.4 Notice of Meetings. Notice stating the date, time and place of any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given prior to the meeting. Notice shall consist of either verbal notice given in person, verbal notice given over the telephone to an officer or an officer's spouse or if mailed, such notice shall be considered given when deposited no later than seven (7) days before the scheduled meeting in an official receptacle of the United States Postal Service, addressed to the officer at their last known address as it appears on the records of the Association and with prepaid postage attached thereon. Email is an acceptable form of notice.
 
In the case of a special meeting and in addition to the aforementioned information, the purpose(s) for which the meeting is called shall also be stated in the notice.
 
5.5 Quorum. A majority of the officers which make up the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Association business at any regular or special Board of Directors meeting.
 
5.6 Voting Rights. Each officer of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to one (1) vote on each matter voted upon at a regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors.
 
5.7 Proxies. No proxies will be allowed at any Board of Directors meeting.
 
5.8 Resolutions. Resolutions passed by a majority of the officers at a Board of Directors meeting in which a quorum exists shall be considered an act of the entire Board.
 
5.9 Order of Business. All meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted by the President and recorded in the form of minutes by the Secretary.
 
5.10 Vacancies. The Board of Directors shall fill any vacancy which arises in the Board as a result of a resignation, relocation, incapacitation, death, etc. Their appointment shall be considered binding until the next election of officers at the annual meeting of the general membership of the Association.
 
5.11 Removal From Office. Any officer who acts inconsistent with the purposes, rules or principles of this Association, the laws and statutes of Forsyth County, state of Georgia or the United States are subject to removal from office by the Board of Directors. Also, any officer not present at any combination of three (3) or more consecutive general membership or Board of Directors meetings inclusive of their elected position is subject to removal by a majority vote of the Full Board of Directors with no less notice to the board member in question than seven (7) days in advance. In order to remove an officer in any other circumstance from the Board of Directors, it will be necessary for two-thirds (2/3) or greater of the total number of officers of the Board of Directors, less the vote of the officer in question, to vote in favor of the removal. A vote to remove an officer from the Board of Directors can only be taken following a hearing conducted by the Board of Directors where the officer who is subject to removal has been given an opportunity to speak in his/her defense. Prior to the removal hearing, the affected officer shall be notified no less than seven (7) days in advance of the hearing according to the mailing provisions provided for in section 3.5 of these By-laws.