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Upon
ratification of the membership, this document shall supercede
any and all previously existing documents governing this association.
The name of
this organization shall be the Akron Soccer Referees Association. This name may be abbreviated as ASRA.
Section A. The
PURPOSE of the ASRA shall be:
1. To
recruit, properly train, educate and assess soccer officials for all levels of
competition.
2. To achieve and maintain the highest
standards of ethical conduct in
soccer
officiating.
3. To abide by the policies of the State
and/or National body governing the
game of
soccer.
4. To promote the game of soccer.
5. The
ASRA shall be a not-for-profit educational organization organized in the State
of Ohio under Chapter 1702 of the Ohio Revised Code, and will operate in the
spirit, intention and meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 (as amended).
The
order of precedence is United States Soccer Federation (USSF), Ohio Soccer
Association—North, Inc. (OSAN) and ASRA.
ASRA agrees to abide by the articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies
and requirements of these organizations.
ASRA
will abide by all requirements of USSF and OSAN including, but not limited
to: submission of membership
information, holding hearings and protecting the rights of members,
registration and other matters.
The
purposes. The current address is:
Each
new president (or his/her designate) is responsible for obtaining the keys to
the ASRA post office box on the day the new president takes office. Any permanent office can be established by
the membership, upon amendment of this article, as long as it is physically
within the territory of the Association.
Past minutes, a complete, correct copy of the constitution, bylaws,
rules and regulations, and copies of every annual report and audit shall be
maintained by each current and subsequent president and passed to the next
president on the day the new president takes office.
Any person
regardless of color, race, sex, or national origin, having passed the
appropriate United States Soccer Federation (USSF) requirements, may become a
member of this Association.
There shall be
two classes of membership. Class A
members shall be at least 16 years old at the Annual General Meeting and shall
be a minimum of USSF Grade 8 (Referee) properly registered with the USSF. Referees under the age of 16, or who hold
USSF grades lower than 8, shall be Class B members. Class B members who meet
certain developmental criteria established by the Board of Directors may be
promoted to Class A membership.
Section
C. Rights of Class A
Members
All Class A
members in good standing with the Association shall have the following rights:
1. To vote at all general meetings.
2. To receive any awards or citations
pertaining to their soccer activities.
3. To approach the Association on all
matters pertaining to soccer.
4. To be nominated for office or appointed
to any committee after completing
two (2) consecutive
years of membership.
5. To fair and
complete hearings on any and all disciplinary matters.
All Class B
members in good standing with the Association shall have the following rights:
1. To receive any awards or citations
pertaining to their soccer activities.
2. To approach the Association on all
matters pertaining to soccer.
3. To fair and
complete hearings on any and all disciplinary matters.
4. To receive the complete and appropriate
training and evaluations necessary to advance in Grade and achieve Class A membership upon their 16th birthday.
All members of
the ASRA are independent contractors who are hired by leagues and tournaments
to officiate soccer matches. They are not employees of the ASRA, and the
ASRA is never responsible for paying members for their work, or for tracking or
withholding taxes, unemployment compensation, or disability insurance. The only insurance provided to members is
that provided by the United States Soccer Federation to all registered
referees. Every member of the
association, regardless of class, is entitled to equal access to league and
tournament assignors, and these assignors have the final say in assigning
officials and determining their qualifications to officiate in any particular
soccer match.
Membership in the ASRA is a voluntary association. No USSF certified and registered referee is required to join this association as a condition for obtaining game assignment. By joining, a referee agrees to abide by this constitution, the rules and regulations of the ASRA and all the competitions, which it serves, the Code of Ethics of the USSF, and to be subject to the disciplinary procedures contained in this constitution. By joining, all members agree that they will not seek remedy to any grievance in a civil court of law, and specifically waive their right to sue the association and/or any of its officers and appointees.
Section G.
Meeting Attendance
Every member of the ASRA is required to attend at least five meetings each excluding the Annual General Meeting.
The Board of
Directors of the Association shall manage all affairs of the ASRA. The Board of Directors shall consist of the
Executive Board and non-voting ex-officio members. The non-voting ex-officio members shall be
the
The Executive
Board shall consist of five (5) elected officers. They shall be the: President, First Vice-President, Second
Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
All members of
the Executive Board shall be elected to terms of two (2) years, with the
President, Second-Vice-Present, and Treasurer being elected in even numbered
years. The First
Vice-President and Secretary being elected in odd numbered years. A simple majority vote of the members present
at the Annual General Meeting elects each position.
No member
shall hold more than one elective office.
Any member desiring to run for an elective office must have been a Class
A member in good standing for at least two consecutive years.
The Board of Directors
shall meet at least quarterly. The Board shall also meet at the direction of
the President. The Executive Board may
meet in executive session at any meeting of the Board of Directors or General
Meeting.
The Executive
Board shall handle all routine business of the Association including, but not
limited to:
1. Advise and consent on all appointed
positions.
2. Review of game fees.
3. Routine financial matters.
4. Action on recommendations of committees.
5. All disciplinary actions, including
initial hearings and appeals.
The officers
of the Executive Board shall have, but not be limited to, the following duties.
1. President. The president is responsible for the
administration of the
Association. The President shall preside at all meetings,
appoint all
committees
and other positions, fill vacancies by appointment, and
initiate
investigations in all disciplinary and ethical matters (including
the forming
of a grievance committee when needed).
2. First Vice-President. The First Vice-President shall assume the
duties
and
responsibilities of the President in his or her absence. In case of
resignation
or incapacitation, the First Vice-President shall fill the office
of the
President until the next AGM election.
The First Vice- President
shall perform other duties as instructed by
the President.
3. Second Vice-President. The Second Vice-President shall assume the
duties and responsibilities
of the President and/or First Vice-President
in his or
her absence. The Second Vice-President
shall perform other
duties as
instructed by the President. The Second
Vice-President shall
be in
charge of all election procedures in odd numbered years and may,
upon
approval of the Executive Board, form a committee to assist in
the discharge of this function.
4. Secretary. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all
meetings,
maintain membership
records, notify the membership of all meetings,
and handle
general correspondence. The Secretary
shall be in charge
of all
election procedures in even numbered years and may, upon
approval of
the Executive Board, form a committee to assist in the
discharge
of this function. The Secretary must
attend Ohio Soccer
Association-North (OSA-N) meetings,
as needed, or may appoint a
substitute to attend these meetings as needed.
5. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be the guardian of all
funds and financial
records of
the Association. The Treasurer shall
collect dues, make
disbursements
through the Association’s checking account, present a
current
financial statement upon request of the President and prepare
an annual
financial statement for presentation to the State Association.
All members of
the Executive Board are eligible to vote in Executive Board and Association
meetings. All Executive Board votes will be determined by a simple majority of
members present with the required quorum being three (3) members.
Any Executive
Board member who does not fulfill his or her obligation to the Association may
be recommended for removal by the other members of the Executive Board. Such a removal recommendation shall be
presented to the membership for a vote at any regularly scheduled meeting
provided two (2) weeks notice of this action has been given to the membership
by email for the vote. A simple majority
vote of members present is required to remove any Executive Board member.
Section A. The
appointed positions of the Association may be, but will not be limited to:
1. Head of the Mentoring Committee -
two-year term.
2. Head of the Assignment Committee -
two-year term.
3. Rules Interpreter - two-year term.
The term of
all appointed positions shall run concurrently with the President.
Section
C. Head of Mentoring Committee shall:
1. Head a committee to coordinate
mentoring, assessment and promotion of the
Association
members. Committee size and
staffing will be determined by the
Executive Board.
2. Set policy in conducting on-site
evaluations.
3. Facilitate promotion within the
framework of the applicable governing organizations.
4. Attend Executive Board meetings, in an
ex-officio capacity.
5. Oversee and coordinate a mentoring
program.
Section
D. Head of Assignment
Committee shall:
1. Head a committee to assist in the assignment
of matches to Association
members. Committee size and personnel staffing to be
determined by the
Executive Board.
2. Coordinate appointment of USSF
certified assignors and the actual assignments of officials with the soccer
leagues.
3. Maintain a full and complete list of
contacts, including all league administrators, all USSF certified assignors in
this area, all tournament organizers and the status of affiliated and
unaffiliated organizations. This list
shall be regularly updated and given to all members.
4. Attend Executive Board meetings, in an
ex-officio capacity.
Section
E. Rules Interpreter shall:
1. Work with the ASDI to select the
training subjects for each session.
2. Assist the ASDI in selecting the
presenters for the training sessions.
3. Co-ordinate any interpretation
clarifications with the ASDI.
4. Attend Executive Board meetings, in an
ex-officio capacity.
Registered
referees are required to complete a minimum of 5 hours of in-service training
each year in order to re-test and re-register for the next year. The ASRA will provide a minimum of 10
regularly scheduled meetings at which at least one hour of in-service training
will be given. Any other business of the
association of a general nature may be conducted at any training meeting.
The ASRA will
hold one Annual General Meeting each year for the purpose of electing officers
as specified in this constitution, and for considering amendments to this
constitution, and for considering any other business as shall properly be
brought before the meeting. Every member
of the ASRA is encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting.
Roberts Rules of Order shall be the
order of business authority for the training meetings and Annual General
Meeting of the ASRA.
Section
D. Agenda of
Association Meetings:
·
Call To Order
·
Attendance
·
·
Treasurer’s Report
·
Communications
·
Committee Reports
·
Old Business
·
New Business
·
Training
·
Comments
The
Association may hold special meetings at the request of the Executive Board or
the President. Members are encouraged to
attend all specially called meetings.
The ASRA will
provide at least one meeting devoted to completing the annual USSF test(s) and
re-registration of members. All members
who wish to continue in the ASRA are required to attend a Re-Registration
meeting, complete and pass the required written test, complete re-registration
paperwork, and pay their membership fees.
Section
A. Violations and Penalties as defined
by this Constitution, are:
1.
Missed game/match assignment.
a. First
instance: phone call from ASRA representative to investigate reason
b. Second
instance: phone call to investigate, and warning
c. Third
instance, phone call to investigate, and fine equal to the missed game fee
d. Fourth
instance, a formal hearing to institute disciplinary penalties
2. Failure to meet mandatory minimum
requirements established by USSF.
a. Warning issued
to the member to meet the requirements by a given deadline
b. Member must
pay the costs of any additional training or testing required
c. If member
fails to meet requirements, no longer qualifies for membership and is expelled
from the ASRA.
3. Unethical conduct.
In every instance where unethical
conduct is charged, the member is entitled to a hearing.
4.
Failure to abide by a specific provision of the Constitution and bylaws
of the ASRA
a. First instance: phone call from ASRA
representative to investigate reason
b. Second instance: phone call to investigate,
and warning
c. Third instance, a formal hearing to
institute disciplinary penalties
5.
Failure to file game reports within reasonable time, where necessary.
a. First
instance: phone call from ASRA representative to investigate reason
b. Second
instance: phone call to investigate, and warning
c. Third
instance, phone call to investigate, and fine equal to the game fee
d. Fourth
instance, a formal hearing to institute disciplinary penalties
6. Failure to follow the Rules of Competition
for any event or match.
a. First instance:
phone call from ASRA representative to investigate reason
c. Third instance,
phone call to investigate, and fine equal to the total fees earned
d. Fourth instance, a
formal hearing to institute disciplinary penalties
7.
Suspension for cause by other soccer organizations
Suspension from the
ASRA for the same length of time as the suspension from the other organization, subject to appeal by
the member.
Section
B. Penalties for Violations for which a
hearing is held shall range from:
1. Warning.
2. Probation.
3. Fine, not in excess of one hundred
dollars per violation.
4. A censure letter to be prepared
detailing the incident under written grievance
and the findings of the
ASRA. This censure letter will be sent
to the applicable authority recommending an action to be taken
commensurate with incident.
5. Suspension, not to exceed one (1) year
per violation.
6. Expulsion.
Every member
has the right to appeal, within 10 days, any penalty. Appeals are directed to the Board of
Directors of the ASRA, which shall hold a hearing within 10 days of receipt of
the appeal. The Board of Directors will
issue a ruling on the appeal within 10 days.
Every member has the right to appeal decisions of the Board of Directors
to Ohio Soccer North, and decisions of Ohio Soccer North to the United States
Soccer Federation under procedures outlined in the USSF Administrative
Handbook. Members are responsible for
all costs, including their own and any costs incurred by the ASRA or its
officers, associated with any appeal. By
joining this association, members have agreed to waive their right to sue and
will not seek relief for any claim in any civil court.
Any member of
this organization may file a written grievance within thirty (30) days of the
alleged violation with the President and/or Secretary of the Association. The written grievance must state the specific
Constitution/By-Law or Ethics violation by a member, specific problem with a
league or assignor, or specific rationale for the complaint.
A hearing
shall take place within thirty (30) days of receipt of the grievance before a
Grievance Committee appointed by the President on an as-needed basis. All necessary parties shall be present, and
notice sent to the other party by certified mail. All parties must agree on a date, time and
place for the grievance hearing to be held, and either party may request one
30-day extension.
A
determination by the Grievance Committee shall be made within two (2) weeks of
the hearing. The determination shall be
sent to all respective parties by certified mail.
A
determination by the Grievance Committee may be appealed to the Executive
Board. This appeal must be made in
writing within ten (10) days of receipt of the written determination of the
Grievance Committee. Since the
determination must be mailed by certified mail, it will be considered received
and in effect three (3) days after it is mailed by the Chairman of the
Grievance Committee.
Section
E. Grievance hearing procedures shall be
as follows:
1. The President shall appoint a committee
of three (3) members to conduct a
hearing.
No
member of the committee may be party (Plaintiff or Defendant) to the grievance.
2. The Chairperson of the Grievance
Committee shall notify all parties and
witnesses
in writing of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The
Chairperson shall forward a copy of
the complaint directly to the accused
prior to
the hearing if that has not already been done by the President or
Secretary. The letter should also recommend that the
accused has the
responsibility
to have his or her evidence and/or witnesses available at the
hearing. The defendant is responsible for providing
three copies of his or
her
evidence, one copy to the Chairperson, one copy to the plaintiff and one
copy to be
forwarded with the case in event of an appeal.
3. The Chairperson should arrange to have
the hearing tape recorded or
transcribed
by a court reporter. An exact duplicate
copy of the recorded
or
transcribed hearing will be given to the defendant if the defendant
seeks an
appeal.
4. A member advocate may represent the
defendant, provided that the
member
advocate is not an attorney.
5. The Grievance Committee will not allow
the contesting parties or
witnesses
to testify together (to eliminate charges and countercharges).
If the Committee has released a
witness, that witness must leave the
hearing
site. Plaintiff’s witnesses should be
placed in a separate room
away from
the Defendant’s witnesses, if possible.
6. The Grievance Committee will allow the
Plaintiff and the Defendant ten (10)
minutes each to
cross-examine one-another on the issue.
7. The Grievance Committee’s determination
and penalty, if any, will be
effective
three (3) days after it is sent by certified mail and will remain in effect
until
overturned by appeal or runs the length of the penalty.
8. The Chairperson will report the
findings of the Committee in writing to the
Executive Board, and to the parties
to the grievance by certified mail within ten (10)
days of the hearing. All
committee members should receive a copy of the report sent to
the Executive Board. The
report and notification of penalty must include notice of right
of appeal
and specific instructions on how and when an appeal can be filed.
Section
A. Delegation of
authority.
1. Treasurer may approve any expense less
than $200.00.
2. The Executive Board shall approve all
disbursements greater than or
equal to
$200.00
Section
B. Audit.
1. The President shall appoint a committee
to perform an audit of the
receipts
and disbursements annually.
2. Committees shall complete the audit and
report to the Executive Board annually.
Section
C. Reimbursement
guidelines.
1. All members shall be reimbursed for
expenses incurred on behalf of the
Association. These include, but are not limited to: supplies, postage,
computer time,
etc.
2. All expense reimbursements must be
submitted to the Secretary-
Treasurer in writing, and is subject
to his approval, or where necessary,
Executive Board
approval.
This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present at any meeting. This Constitution may not be superseded by any document by less than a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the members present at any meeting. The above amendments or changes may only come to a vote provided that a written notice of the proposed modification shall have been supplied to all of the members of the Association at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting, either by US Mail or by electronic mail.