North Country Region

Handbook

Table of Contents

Purpose / 2
Bylaws / 2
Policies / 6
Alcohol Policy / 6
Adult Officiating Policy / 6
Recruiting Policy / 6
Tryout Policy / 6
Signing Date Policy / 6
Junior Officiating Policy / 6
Officiating Team Policy / 6
Sanctioning Event Policy / 6
Age/Grade Policy / 7
Due Process / 7
Due Process Procedure / 7
Disciplinary Procedure / 8
Guidelines for Review Committee Hearing / 9
Code of Conduct / 10
Requirements for Conduct / 10
Junior Division Club Responsibilities / 11
Junior Coach Responsibilities / 12
USA Volleyball Junior Club Personnel Code of Ethics / 13
NCR Board Members / 14
Office Staff / 14
Regional Referees and Scorekeepers / 14


North Country Region

Handbook

PURPOSE

The specific purposes of this corporation are:

a. To act as the official representative of USA Volleyball within the geographical region assigned to it by USA Volleyball, a California nonprofit corporation.

b. To foster and conduct regional and national amateur volleyball competition.

c. To teach the sport of volleyball to youth and adults through clinics conducted by qualified instructors.

d. To provide lectures, seminars and clinics through which trainees may be schooled in competitive coaching, playing and officiating techniques.

e. To select and train candidates in the techniques of volleyball in national and international competition, and thereby improve the caliber of candidates representing the United States in Olympic and international competition.

BYLAWS OF

NORTH COUNTRY REGION

USA VOLLEYBALL

(Effective January 5, 2007)

This instrument constitutes the Bylaws of North Country Region USA Volleyball, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation, adopted for the purpose of regulating and managing the internal affairs of the corporation.

ARTICLE I

CORPORATE SEAL

The corporation shall not have a seal.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERS

Section 2.1. No Voting Members. This corporation shall have no members. Any action or approval of the members or shareholders of a corporation which would otherwise be required by the terms of any agreement to which this corporation is a party, or by which this corporation is bound, or by the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to which this corporation is subject, requires only action or approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 2.2. Nonvoting Members. The Board of Directors may, by resolution, establish one or more classes of nonvoting members and provide for eligibility requirements for membership and rights and duties of members, including the obligation to pay dues.

ARTICLE III

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 3.1. Management. The business and charitable affairs of the corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have primary responsibility for overseeing the activities of the corporation; engaging in long-range planning for this corporation; ensuring the mission of this corporation; and approving the annual budget for this corporation.

Section 3.2. Number, Composition of Board. The members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of fifteen (15) voting members, comprised of the following:

(a) Ten (10) Area Representative directors, with one (1) Area Representative director elected from each of the ten (10) geographic areas served by the Corporation, and

(b) Five (5) At-Large directors.

The Executive Director shall serve on the Board of Directors as an ex-officio, nonvoting member.

Section 3.3. Terms of Directors. Directors shall serve for a term of three (3) years each, and shall be so elected that approximately one-third (1/3) of the directors are elected each year. At-Large directors may serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms without a lapse in service of at least one (1) year. There shall be no limit on the number of consecutive terms Area Representative directors may serve.

Section 3.4. Directors. The directors shall be selected from a list of nominees compiled by the Nominating Committee and elected to office at a meeting of the Board of Directors called and held for such purpose.

Section 3.5. Nomination of Directors.

Section 3.5.1. Nominating Committee. The President shall appoint an advisory committee to be known as the Nominating Committee composed of directors and non-directors. The Nominating Committee shall select nominees for directors at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of election of Board members set by the Board of Directors.

Section 3.5.2. Nominations from Board of Directors. In addition to nominations, as provided in Section 3.5.1, a director may nominate a Board candidate at a meeting of the Board of Directors called and held for such purpose at least sixty (60) days prior to the date set for the election of Board members.

Section 3.6. Quorum. At all meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of the directors then in office shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Section 3.7. Number Required for Action by Directors. Except where otherwise required by law, the Articles or these Bylaws, the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at a duly held meeting shall be sufficient for any action.

Section 3.8. Action Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken by written action signed, or consented to by authenticated electronic communication as permitted by the Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation Act, by the number of directors required to take the same action at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which all directors were present. The written action is effective when signed, or consented to by authenticate electronic communication, by the required number of directors, unless a different effective date is provided in the written action. When written action is taken by less than all of the directors, all directors shall be notified immediately of its text and effective date, except that failure to provide such notice does not invalidate the written action. As used in these Bylaws, the term “authenticated electronic communication” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that

(a) creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by the recipient of the communication,

(b) may be directly reproduced in paper form by the recipient through an automated process;

(c)  is delivered to the corporation’s principal place of business or to an officer or agent of the corporation authorized by the corporation to receive the communication, and

(d)  sets forth information from which the corporation can reasonably conclude that the communication was sent by the purported sender.

Section 3.9. Regular Meetings/Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors shall have regular meetings as it shall establish by resolution. The annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held at such time and place as may be designated by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Section 3.10. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time upon request of the President, the Executive Director, or any five (5) directors, provided that any such request shall specify the purpose or purposes for the meeting. The President shall set the date for the special meeting within three (3) working days of making or receiving such a request and shall give not less than five (5) nor more than thirty (30) days written notice of the time, place and purpose of such special meeting.

Section 3.11. Resignation of Directors. A director may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Secretary of the corporation. The resignation is effective without acceptance when the notice is given to the corporation, unless a later effective time is specified in the notice.

Section 3.12. Removal of Directors. A director may be removed from office, with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at a duly held meeting; provided that not less than five (5) days and not more than thirty (30) days notice of such meeting stating that removal of such director is to be on the agenda for such meeting shall be given to each director.

Section 3.13. Filling Vacancies. In the event of the death, removal or resignation of a director, a successor to fill the unexpired term shall be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at a duly held meeting.

Section 3.14. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall be chaired by the President. The Executive Committee shall have the authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business of the corporation, and shall at all times be subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee shall meet monthly and Special Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called at any time by the President or any two members of the Executive Committee. At all meetings of the Executive Committee a majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee at a duly held meeting of the Executive Committee shall be sufficient for any action. Notice of the purpose of any meeting of the Executive Committee is not required.

Section 3.15. Other Committees. The Board of Directors may establish one or more committees (in addition to the Executive Committee) having the authority of the Board in the management of the business of the corporation to the extent determined by the Board. The Chair and the Members of all Committees (other than the Executive Committee) shall be appointed by the President. Members of a committee (other than the members of the Executive Committee who must be directors or officers of this corporation) need not be directors and shall hold such office for a term of one (1) year from their appointment or until their successors are appointed, whichever occurs first. Meetings of a committee may be called, from time-to-time, upon request of the President, the chair of the committee or any two (2) committee members. Notice of the purpose of committee meetings is not required.

Section 3.16. Place of Meetings. The Board of Directors, and any committee thereof, may hold its meetings at such places, whether in this state or in any other state, as a majority of the directors then in office may from time-to-time appoint. Upon failure to appoint any other place, such meetings shall be held at the principal offices of the corporation.

Section 3.17. Electronic Meetings. Any meeting among directors may be conducted solely by one or more means of remote communication through which all of the directors may participate in the meeting, if the same notice is given of the meeting as required by these Bylaws, and if the number of directors participating in the meeting is sufficient to constitute a quorum at the meeting. A director may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors by means of conference telephone or, if authorized by the Board of Directors, by such other means of remote communication, in each case through which that director, other directors so participating, and all directors physically present at the meeting may participate with each other during the meeting. Participation in a meeting by any of the above-mentioned means constitutes presence at the meeting. As used in these Bylaws, “remote communication” means communication via electronic communication, conference telephone, video conference, the Internet, or such other means by which persons not physically present in the same location may communicate with each other on a substantially simultaneous basis.

Section 3.18. Form of Notice. Whenever under the provisions of these Bylaws notice is required to be given to any director, notice is given:

a) when mailed to the director at an address designated by the director at the last known address of the director or at the address of the director in the corporate records;

b) when communicated to the director orally;

c) when handed to the director;

d) when left at the office of the director with a clerk or other person in charge of the office, or if there is no one in charge, when left in a conspicuous place in the office;

e) if the director’s office is closed or the director has no office, when left at the dwelling or usual place of abode of the director with a person of suitable age and discretion residing in the house; or

f) when communicated to the director by facsimile, e-mail, or other electronic means, at a facsimile number or e-mail address designated by the directors; or

g) when the method is fair and reasonable when all the circumstances are considered.

Notice by mail is given when deposited in the United States mail with sufficient postage. Notice is considered received when it is given.

Section 3.19. Waiver of Notice. Any director may execute a written waiver of notice of any meeting required to be given by statute or by any provision of these Bylaws either before, at or after that meeting, and such waiver, when signed and filed as hereinafter provided, shall be equivalent to notice. Such waiver shall be filed with the Secretary, who shall enter it upon the minutes or other records of that meeting. Appearance at a meeting by a director shall be deemed a waiver of notice thereof, unless the appearance is solely for the purpose of asserting the illegality of the meeting.

Section 3.20. Compensation of Directors. Directors shall receive Fifty and No/00 Dollars ($50.00) as compensation for each meeting of the Board of Directors they attend. A director may receive a salary for his or her services as an employee of the organization.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

Section 4.1. Appointment of Officers. The officers of the corporation shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers as the Board of Directors may, from time-to-time, appoint.

Section 4.2. Duties of Officers. The duties of the officers of this corporation shall be:

Section 4.2.1. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and shall oversee the long term goals and purposes of the corporation. He or she shall also perform such other duties as may be determined from time-to-time by the Board of Directors.