Bylaws

Article I – NAME AND AFFILIATIONS

The legal and official name of this organization shall be the Penns Grove – Carneys Point – Pedricktown Soccer Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association. The informal name of the Association shall be the Penns Grove Soccer Club, which may be printed on uniforms.  The Association shall be affiliated with the South Jersey Soccer League (SJSL) and South Jersey Girls Soccer League (SJGSL), US Club Soccer, and/or clubs as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.

 

Article II – Objective

The objective of the Association shall be to promote, foster and perpetuate the game of soccer on all levels:  to provide competition for all its members to play the game in accordance with the high standards of good sportsmanship and fair play; and to guard the interest of its members, for the benefit of residents of Penns Grove, Carneys Point, Pedricktown and their surrounding areas.

 

Article III – Membership

  1. Any person meeting the requirements of Article II and who resides within the authorized boundaries of the Association shall be eligible for membership. The following persons shall be deemed automatic members in the Association:  parents of registered players, coaches and assistant coaches, board of directors, trustees, coordinators and committee members.
  2. Members must be financially in good standing with the Association.
  3. Any person moving out of the authorized boundaries is still eligible to play with their team without restriction as long as they were a part of the Association prior to moving.
  4. Any player from out of town is eligible to play as long as a position on the team is available. No non-residential player may take the place of a resident player.
  5. Members of the Association in good standing shall be allowed to attend regular meetings.
  6. Discipline
  7. All member of the Association are subject to and shall abide by these bylaws as well as the players/parents codes set forth by SJSL, SJGSL, and US Club Soccer.
  8. The Board of Directors may discipline a member whose conduct is found to be detrimental to the best interest of the Association.
  9. A motion for a hearing as to the suitability of any officer, coach or appointee to serve may be called by any member with cause.
  10. The motion will be heard by a majority of the Board of Directors within 15 days of the incident. The Board of Directors shall conduct a hearing in a fair and reasonable manner.  Discipline which may be imposed includes but is not limited to, termination of membership, removal from office, suspension and probation.  The sanction shall be upheld by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
  11. Any member formally charged with a felony, or act of violence against a person shall be suspended from all Association activities immediately pending resolution of charges. If convicted, said member shall be removed from the Association.

 

Article IV – DUES AND FEES

Members of the Association will not be required to pay Association dues per se, but are required to pay registration fees as determined by the Board of Directors. The Association reserves the right to revoke permission to play in any official games until registration is paid, via withholding player cards, uniforms, etc. Hardships may be brought before the board for consideration; the board may vote to waive/reduce fees for players in need, potentially with provisions.

 

Article V – FUNDRAISERS

  1. Every team is expected to participate in one (1) mandatory Association fundraiser.
  2. All money generated MUST be turned into the club treasurer.
  3. Team Fundraisers are permitted, however, the Board of Directors must be notified and is subject to approval. Team fundraisers may not interfere with Association fundraising.

 

Article VI – MEETINGS

Section 1 – Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of members shall be held during the month of December for the purpose of:

  1. Receiving the annual report from the outgoing Board of Directors
  2. Receiving the annual treasury report from the Treasurer
  3. Elections of a new Board of Directors, Coordinators and Committee Members
  4. Conduct of such business as may properly come before the meeting

Section 2 – Regular Meetings

General membership meetings will be held once a month.  Currently meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.  Any other meetings during the month shall be deemed a Special Meeting.  Notice of all meetings will be placed on the Association’s website in advance of the meeting.

Section 3 – Quorum

The quorum at any meeting of members shall consist of a majority of the members present and entitled to vote; quorum shall number no less than five (5) members, two (2) of which must be members of the Board of Directors.

Section 4 – Voting

  1. The voting members of this Association shall be persons who are elected members of the Board of Directors. In addition, at the August meeting each team may designate up to two (2) voting members, one of which is a coach, as voting members to cast votes on behalf of the team.  Each team has a maximum of two votes and each individual has a maximum of one vote.
  2. A simple majority vote of those present will rule on all matters except issues of amendments and issues of bylaws; in those instances a majority affirmative vote of the Board of Directors and membership present shall rule.
  3. There shall be no voting by proxy.

 

ARTICLE VII – BOARD OF DIRECTORS, COMMITTEES AND COORDINATORS

Section 1 – Board of Directors

  1. Officers of the Board of Directors shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting by official voting members.
  2. Nominations for the Board of Directors are taken at the three (3) preceding meetings of the Annual General Meeting.
  3. The board is composed of the President, Vice President, Registrar, Fundraising Coordinator, Treasurer, Secretary, Girls Club Representative, Boys Club Representative, Trustee(s) and the Past President. All members except the Past President shall serve a two year term.
  4. The Board of Directors shall function as the governing body of the General Membership. The Board of Directors shall conduct general operating business and recommend policy on any new business to the General Membership.  The Board of Directors shall establish the Rules and Regulations of the Association.  The Board of Directors shall be responsible for all matters pertaining to the business of the Association.  The Board of Directors shall be responsible for keeping the Association in a sound financial condition.
  5. The outgoing President, at the expiration of his/her term shall become a member of the Board of Directors for the term of one year; said office shall be an advisory one and he/she shall render advice to any member of the present Board of Directors or committee requiring his/her experience.
  6. No member shall hold more than one board position at one time.

President

  1. The President shall be responsible for conducting the affairs of the Association and executing all policies established by the Association. He/she or their alternate shall preside at Association meetings, and shall present the Association’s summary report at the Annual General Meeting.
  2. The President shall be a member of all committees.
  3. He/she serves as an authorized signer of all Association checks.

Vice President

  1. In case of an absence of the President the First Vice President shall assume all the duties and responsibilities of the President.
  2. He/she serves as an authorized signer of all Association checks.

Fundraising

  1. He/she shall be responsible for all Association fundraising activities.

 

Secretary

  1. The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept a book of minutes and agendas, at such a place as the Board of Directors may order, of all meetings of Directors and members of the Association with the place and time of holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized and notice thereof given, the names of those present and the proceedings thereof.
  2. He/she shall maintain and safeguard all Association records.
  3. He/she shall maintain an updated file copy of all Treasurer’s monthly financial reports and each and every committee report.
  4. He/she shall file updated player rosters as submitted by the Travel Team Coordinator and Micro Coordinator.

Treasurer

  1. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all Association money and securities. He/she shall receive all purchase orders, receipts and make all Association approved disbursements and timely deposits of cash receipts.  He/she shall keep records of all receipts and disbursements and report them at the general membership meetings, as well as submit those reports to the Secretary.  He/she shall maintain a detailed ledger of financial records of accounts to insure continuity, prepare monthly accounts reconciliations between the records of the Association and those of the institution.
  2. He/She serves as an authorized signer of all Association checks.
  3. All disbursements must be endorsed by the treasurer and one other authorized signer.
  4. Disbursements over $250 shall be voted on at general membership meetings.
  5. He/she shall make a complete financial report at the Annual General Meeting.

Club Representative (SJSL & SJGSL reps)

  1. The Club Representative shall be responsible to have representation at all League Meetings and notify club of such information.
  2. He/she will be the liaison for the Association to communicate with the Recreational Center facility to ensure prior agreement standards are upheld.
  3. He/she will attend the monthly Recreational Center meetings and communicate back to the Board of Directors.

Registrar

  1. The Registrar shall organize and coordinate all procedures for player registration within the Registrar’s jurisdiction, including, but no limited to: developing registration forms, verifying and maintaining copies of player birth certificates, tracking funds to maintain current registered player records and other administrative forms as requested by the Board of Directors.
  2. The Registrar shall forward all registration packets to the Board for review and placement on teams.

Trustee (Up to 3)

  1. The Trustee(s) shall be entrusted with the administration, direction, policy and bylaws of the Association.

Past President

The outgoing President, at the expiration of his/her term shall become a member of the Board of Directors for the term of one (1) year; said office shall be an advisory one and he/she shall render advice to any member of the president Board of Directors or committee requiring his/her experience.

Section 2 – Committee and Coordinators

  1. All Committee and Coordinator positions shall carry a term of one year.
  2. Nominations for Committee chairpersons and Coordinators shall be taken at the three (3) preceding meetings of the Annual General Meeting; however final decision is based upon approval of the Board of Directors.

Player/Ethics Representative

  1. The Player/Ethics representative shall exist to maintain integrity within our sport.
  2. He/she shall know all the policies and rules set forth by the Association, leagues and state and national associations.
  3. He/she shall work in the spirit of cooperation with officials, directors, coaches and spectators to provide the players with maximum opportunity to develop.
  4. He/she shall set the standards for sportsmanship with opponents, referees, directors, coaches and spectators.
  5. He/she shall be responsible for the continuity of coaching and player education and keeping the Association and its members current with programs set forth by affiliated associations.
  6. He/she shall be a resource to players. He/she shall review playing guidelines and provide continuity across the programs as well as recommend changes to the Board of Directors.

Equipment Manager

  1. The Equipment Manager shall be responsible for the investigation and procurement of competitive bids from manufacturers and suppliers of the game, field equipment and uniforms and shall make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the acquisition of such items.
  2. He/she shall be responsible for the maintenance of all equipment. He/she shall purchase uniforms and needed equipment with approval from the Board of Directors.
  3. He/she shall issue equipment and uniforms to the coaches at the beginning of the season and collect equipment at the conclusion of the season. He/she shall also arrange for proper storing of equipment and annual inventory of supplies to determine procurement needs for upcoming years.
  4. He/she shall make available to coaches all equipment that is required to stage the Association for match play on game days.
  5. He/she shall be responsible for maintaining an updated file copy of the coach’s equipment and player uniform agreements and supply a copy annually to the secretary at the Annual General Meeting in December.

 

Auxiliary

The Concession Stand Manager shall be responsible for the operation of the refreshment stand, ordering food, supplies and aligning commitments for donations and workers.

Publicity Chairperson

  1. The Publicity Chairperson shall be responsible to produce and circulate notices for the Association, via hand-outs, email, website, and social media.
  2. He/she shall be responsible for designing, maintaining and updating the Association’s website.

Banquet Coordinator

The Banquet Coordinator shall be responsible to organize the banquet and trophy presentation.

Sponsorship Coordinator

  1. The Sponsorship Coordinator shall be responsible for ensuring that all micro and travelling teams have an annual sponsor.
  2. He/she is recommended to make suggestions to the Board of Directors to continue to improve the Sponsorship program.
  3. He/she will ensure that all sponsors are given their sponsorship packages which are voted on by the Board of Directors.

Micro Coordinator

  1. The Micro Coordinator shall be a resource for all micro coaches. He/she shall review coaching guidelines and provide continuity across the programs as well as recommend changes to the Board of Directors.  He/she shall keep coaches informed of policies/schedules and hold an annual coaches meeting near the beginning of the season to review the policies/procedures of the Association.
  2. He/she shall be responsible for coordinating with all micro coaches’ proper paperwork for rosters, game and stand schedules as well as submitting necessary insurance forms and all other micro related events.

 

Article VIII – COACHES AND PLAYERS

Section 1 – Micro Coaches

All coaches are required to fill out a coach’s application.  Micro coaches will be appointed by the Board of Directors based on the recommendation of the Micro Coordinator.

 

Section 2 – Travel Coaches

All coaches are required to fill out a coach’s application.  Applications for travel coaches will be reviewed by the Board of Directors.  Nominations shall be made and coaches shall be approved using the following guidelines:

  •                                 Experience
  •                                 Attitude
  •                                 Past Performance
  •                                 Knowledge of Soccer
  •                                 Past Cooperation
  1. Team coaches shall be nominated and approved by a majority vote of the full voting membership.
  2. Coaches shall maintain a high moral standard. All coaches shall possess a minimum of an F Class License or certificates of training required by affiliated leagues.
  3. Coaches are responsible for their own behavior as well as the behavior of their players and fans when playing in the League, State or Association sanctioned events. Any coach receiving discipline from the League or State will be personally responsible for any action or fine received and may be subject to further discipline by the Association.
  4. Coaches shall hold a vote and designate one (1) associate member as a voting member to cast votes on behalf of the team.
  5. Coaches or their representatives must attend at least six (6) meetings of the general membership each year.
  6. Head Coaches shall be determined by a point system. Point system shall be:  2 points per season as head coach and 1 point per season as an assistant coach.  If there is a tie, the existing coach in that age group shall be the head coach.  An existing coach cannot be removed by a more senior coach if the more senior coach has been absent from coaching for more than two years.  In the event any existing coaches; head coach or assistant of that team the prior season has a conflict with a more senior coach in matters of points, having all parties met the requirements of the bylaws of the Association the final decision of head coach shall be arbitrated by the Board of Directors.
  7. Each coach’s term is a one (1) year term, to expire no later than July of the following year.

The Association will not tolerate any form of harassment, or any action or activity which is intended or designed to cause pain, embarrassment, ridicule or demean others under any circumstance.  Written violations numbering more than three (3) shall be grounds for dismissal from the Association. If at any time legal action is taken against a coach or volunteer, the board will immediately suspend the member from their position. Upon conclusion of proper investigation, the board will have final say as to whether the coach/volunteer may resume their duties (see Article 3, Section F).

The Board of Directors has the authority to make all final decisions concerning teams in the Association.  These include, but are not limited to, selecting a team’s coach, appointing assistant coaches and removal of a coach or assistant coach from his or her position.

Head Coach

The head coach shall:

  1. Be 18 years of age or older
  2. Sign coach’s application and Code of Conduct forms
  3. Provide Association with a copy of the team roster and other documents as may be requested
  4. Select assistant coach(s) at least one of whom shall be 18 years of age minimum
  5. Act responsibly in the interest of player safety
  6. Have medical release forms in possession at all practices and games
  7. Attend club meetings or send an alternate
  8. Notify players and parents of Association directives
  9. File accident report in event of an injury
  10. Comply with Association, League and State bylaws
  11. Bring unresolved parent/player issues to attention of Player/Ethics Representative

Assistant Coach

The assistant coach shall:

  1. Be 18 years of age or older
  2. Assume all responsibilities of the head coach in his/her absence
  3. Attend games and practices to assist head coach as may be required
  4. Perform such duties as may be designated by head coach
  5. Sign coach’s application
  6. Comply with Association, League and State bylaws

Section 3 – Players

  1. Each player must play approximately 1/3 of each regular season and playoff games, exceptions to this are any disciplinary reason or breaking team or tournament rules, in which case playing time may be affected. The reduction of playtime will be left up to the coach’s discretion.  In the event a player’s time is reduced to less than 1/3 of the game, board notification as to the reason for the reduction is mandatory.
  2. Each team shall roster the maximum number of players allowable as set forth by the Association’s parent leagues, unless the registrant numbers allow for more than one team to be formed. The head coach withholds the right to finalize the roster once the approved registration deadline has passed.
  3. If a registrant wants to play up to the next age group, in accordance with SJSL and SJGSL rules, a request must be made to the board, via email or at a general membership meeting. The request may be granted under the following guidelines:
  4. The player does not take the position of a player who is age appropriate
  5. The player does not take the position of an existing player
  6. The player does not leave their appropriate age group short of players. Teams shall have enough players to field a team plus two additional substitutes.
  7. A player that has established tenure with a team is not subject to Section 3:C:1-3. Tenure is established after playing two consecutive seasons on one team ( a Spring and a Fall, unless the team/player does not play a Spring season. In that case, two consecutive Fall seasons will define tenure.)
  8. Late registration shall be on a first come first serve basis; subject to team availability.
  9. Micros will play under the modified USSA rules with the league amendments.
  10. Eligible micro players shall only be permitted to move up to a travel team if there is space available, with the understanding that they are not tenured to the team until they are travel-appropriate age, and will be subject to Section 3-C once travel age is reached.

Players are expected to report to all practices and games on time and prepared to play including shin guards without exception and full uniforms when necessary.  Players may not practice or play while wearing jewelry, hard casts or any other object which may cause injury to self or another player. Travel players wearing a cast may play in a match with SJSL/SJGSL approval.  Cooperation with the coach(s) is expected.

All disciplinary problems and actions will first come before the Ethics Representative who will discuss the actions with the Board of Directors; no coach is permitted to release a player without first going through the above mentioned procedures.

 

Article IX – FINANCIAL POLICY

Section 1 – Treasury

All Association monies shall be maintained in a common treasury.  This shall include all dues, fees, sponsorship contributions, sales and monies for other fund raising activities.  All checks will be signed by the Treasurer and one other authorized signer.  The common treasury provisions shall not apply where fundraising programs are governed by the laws of a higher local, state or federal authority (such as a lottery).

Section 2 – Non-Profit Status

This organization shall be a non-profit organization.  All monies collected shall be used to purchase equipment, uniforms and to pay necessary fees (referees, franchise, etc.).

 

Article X – AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended or appealed by a designated By-Laws Committee. The Secretary shall immediately forward the proposal for posting on the Associations website as a means of providing notice to all members.  The changes shall be discussed at three (3) consecutive meetings, including the presentation meeting.  At the third meeting the motion will be submitted for a vote.  A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the Board of Directors and voting membership present will be necessary to pass the original motion.

 

Article XI – TRY OUTS

  1. Tryouts will be necessary if a team has more players than allowable sign up by the registration deadline. Tryouts shall be announced to all registrants in the age group holding the tryout prior to the event via phone, email, and/or Facebook. Other methods and locations of notice are encouraged.
  2. Objective, competitive and measurable activities shall be conducted at least once each year prior to selecting the fall roster. Evaluation may include but is not limited to:  dribbling, trapping, shooting skills, speed drills and a general overall sense of the sport.
  3. At least three qualified evaluators, determined by the Board of Directors and Player/Ethics Representative, shall be utilized.
  4. A list of cut players shall be submitted to the Registrar. This list must be received at least two (2) weeks prior to the League registration deadline so players have an opportunity to roster with other teams.

 

Article XII – UNIFORMS

The Association will ensure that every player has a uniform at the beginning of each season.  A uniform consists of a jersey with the appropriate logo and colors.  Players are responsible for the purchase of designated colored shorts and socks. Alternate jerseys are the responsibility of the parents to purchase after the Head Coach designates said jersey.

 

Article XIII – TOURNAMENTS

  1. The Association will gift a $100 tournament allowance to each team once per soccer year, provided the funds are available. The team must have participated in the Association fundraiser to be eligible for these funds.
  2. The Association will provide patches.
  3. Tournament teams are to be made up of Association members first before asking out of town guest players.
  4. Fall Season Cup Winners shall be given $25 per player as well as $25 per rostered coach towards the purchase of jackets provided the funds are available.

 

 

 

Revised December 2018