Northwest Chapter 1 Field Hockey Association

New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association

CONSTITUTION

Revised: September 2013

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the chapter shall be the Northwest Chapter #1 Field Hockey Officials Association, Inc., New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association. This Chapter comprises Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSES

Section I

The purpose of this organization shall be:

  1. To provide competent, uniformed officials for all organized scholastic

field hockey competitions.

  1. To promote the welfare of the game of field hockey, its players, school

officials and umpires.

  1. To promote better understanding of the rules of field hockey through

the proper interpretation and enforcement of said rules.

  1. To create the feeling of respect for and confidence in officials both on

and off the field.

  1. To have available, at all times, an adequate number of thoroughly

trained, capable umpires.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Section I – Organization

This Chapter shall be composed of all qualified and regularly approved members

currently in good standing with this board.

Section II – Eligibility

Membership shall be composed of individuals who are of good character and are

recommended by the N.J.S.I.A.A. Examination Committee. An applicant shall

submit a written application to the Chapter Secretary, shall be at least 18 years of

age and be considered for membership without regard to sex, race, color, or creed.

Section III – Classes of Members

This Chapter shall classify members as follows:

  1. Active: An active member must officiate a minimum of two (2) games

during the season and shall have fulfilled his/her obligations to the

chapter.

  1. Inactive: A member who is unable to officiate is inactive. It can be

granted only to a person who has received an official rating and is

prevented from remaining on active status. An inactive status must be

requested in writing to the Corresponding Secretary/Treasurer every

year. To regain active status, Chapter policy must be followed. An

inactive member can officiate a maximum of two games during the season he/she is inactive.

  1. Cadet: An official in training who has passed the N.J.S.I.A.A. written

test and attended the Chapter sponsored clinic. The cadet must affiliate

with a chapter and fulfill chapter obligations.

  1. Apprentice: An official who has completed one year as a cadet but is not yet ready to officiate varsity games.

Section IV – Transfer of Officials

Eligibility: Northwest Chapter #1 will only accept transfer officials or cadets in

good standing who have fulfilled all chapter obligations. No officials or cadets on

probation will be considered for membership.

  1. An official must have Chapter Secretary submit verification of good

standing to Northwest Chapter #1 Corresponding Secretary/Treasurer.

  1. A cadet must have Cadet Chairperson or Board Secretary submit

verification of good standing.

Section V – Lapsed Membership

A member who has allowed membership to lapse for one year shall no longer be

considered a member and must follow the same procedures as any new applicant

in order to again become a member of this Chapter.

Section VI – Meetings

  1. A minimum of four (4) meetings shall be held annually and, in addition, all

members are required to attend the Rules Interpretation Meeting conducted by

the Chapter Interpreter.

  1. Attendance – Active members must attend a total of three (3) meetings, of which one (1) must be a rules interpretation meeting and two (2) must be business meetings.
  1. If the Executive Board schedules a combined rules interpretation meeting and business meeting and if a member attends the combined rules interpretation/business meetings, it shall count as two (2) meetings, fulfilling one (1) rules interpretation and one (1) business meeting.
  2. A member may attend the rules interpretation meeting of any chapter, providing that documentation has been secured from said chapter’s secretary
  3. If the Executive Board schedules a rules interpretation meeting during the preseason workshop or Play Day, an additional rules interpretation meeting must be scheduled during the week following the workshop or Play Day. Both rules interpretation meetings must cover the same topics. Attending two (2) rules interpretation meetings does not count as attending two (2) meetings. If a member elects to attend both rules interpretation meetings, this will count as one (1) rules interpretation meeting. He/she must still attend two (2) business meetings.
  4. The Executive Board retains the right to mandate an additional required meeting if it is deemed necessary or it is an emergency situation requiring the members of the chapter to assemble. The Executive Board shall give at least one (1) week’s notice if the need arises.

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS

Section I – Titles

The officers of this Chapter shall be:

  1. President
  2. Vice President
  3. Corresponding Secretary/Treasurer
  4. Recording Secretary
  5. Interpreter
  6. Cadet Chairperson

Section II

The officers of this chapter shall be the governing body and shall serve as the

Executive Board and shall rule on all matters not specifically covered by the

Constitution and By-Laws.

Section III

The term of office shall be two (2) years. The offices of President and

Corresponding Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected on the odd years. The offices

of Vice-President and Recording Secretary shall be elected

on the even years. The Interpreter and cadet Chairperson shall be appointed by

the Executive Board.

Section IV

The officers of this Chapter shall constitute an emergency committee to act on any matters demanding immediate attention between meetings.

Section V

The position of Assignor shall be selected by the Athletic Directors of the conferences served by Northwest Chapter 1. Northwest Chapter 1 may recommend a person for this position in the event the position becomes vacant. This position is responsible for compiling a master list of all officials’ open dates and assignments. In addition this position is responsible for assigning games to officials in good standing with Northwest Chapter 1. The officers of Northwest Chapter 1 and the person or persons in this position must maintain a solid relationship and effective channel of communication.

ARTICLE V – AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended or repealed by two-thirds

(2/3) vote of the members present at any duly constituted meeting, provided

written notice of the changes has been sent by the corresponding

Secretary/Treasurer at least one (1) week before the meeting. In addition,

members in good standing may vote by proxy as long as the proxy is received

within 24 hours before the official vote. The Secretary / Treasurer will be

responsible for managing the proxy and tallying all votes.

Northwest Chapter 1 Field Hockey Association

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association

BY-LAWS

Revised: September2013

ARTICLE I – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

All meetings shall be conducted according to Parliamentary Law as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order, current edition.

ARTICLE II – ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section I

The order of business shall be guided by the following:

  1. Approval of the minutes from the previous meeting.
  2. Report of the standing committees.
  3. Report of the special committees.
  4. Communications
  5. Unfinished (old) business.
  6. New business
  7. Rules review
  8. Adjournment

ARTICLE III – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section I – President

Shall preside at all meetings. Shall have the authority to call special

meetings and appoint special committees. Shall be ex-officio member of

all committees and shall cast the deciding vote in case of a tie vote. Shall

enforce by-laws as well.

Section II – Vice President

Shall assume the duties of the President in the former’s absence or at the

President’s request. Shall be responsible for running the Chapter Play

Day. Shall be responsible for recording cards issued by chapter members.

Section III – Corresponding Secretary/Treasurer

Shall be responsible for processing any correspondence. Shall inform the

members of any correspondence. Shall be responsible for the collection

and safekeeping of all monies. Shall pay outstanding obligations as

directed by the Executive Board and prepare the annual budget. Shall

submit a financial statement to the Chapter.

Section IV – Interpreter

Shall attend the state interpretation meeting. Shall conduct the

interpretation meeting(s) for the Chapter, in the interest of uniformity and

strict interpretation of the rules and technique of good officiating. Shall

handle all matters of local interpretation.

.

Section VI – Recording Secretary

Shall keep minutes of the Executive meetings and all meetings of the

Chapter. Minutes of regularly scheduled meetings shall be read and

distributed at the next regular meeting of the Chapter.

Section VII – Cadet Chairperson

Shall be responsible for the training and instructing of cadets and new

officials. Shall oversee rating system; committee can be picked.

ARTICLE IV – ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section I – Nominations

The President shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of three (3)

active members. The committee must be approved by the Executive

Board. The committee shall present a slate at the final business meeting.

Additional nominations may be made from the floor at this meeting.

Election of officers will take place at this meeting by the membership in

attendance. The newly elected officers shall take office at this time.

Section II – Vacancy

The Executive Board shall have the power to fill a vacancy in any office,

except President, between annual elections. In case of vacancy in the

office of President, the Vice President shall assume the office.

Section III – Eligibility of Officers

Only officials in good standing with the Chapter may hold office.

Section IV – Eligibility of Voters

Only members in good standing with the Chapter may vote.

ARTICLE V – OBLIGATIONS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section I – A member in good standing shall assume the following obligations:

  1. Attend two (2) meetings and one (1) Interpretation (workshop)

meeting. Failure to do so will result in a letter of censure and a $50.00

fine. Members must attend meetings and may not be excused from any

meetings. If members cannot fulfill meeting requirements due to

extenuating circumstances, members may appeal their case to the

Executive Board by providing documentation of said circumstance.

The Executive Board may review these situations on a case-by-case

basis. The decision of the Executive Board is final.

  1. Payment of Dues
  2. Assist in cadet program as scheduled if unable to attend Play Day or pre-season workshop. Contact cadet chair in advance of scheduled cadet work sessions.
  3. Wear the official uniform.
  4. Attend Play Day or workshop prior to start of season when scheduled. This is usually every two years for senior officials and yearly for cadets and new officials. During Play Day, assist in the rating and feedback of all cadets, apprentices, and new officials. In addition, work a scrimmage during Play Day as an official and while doing so be evaluated by a senior official.
  5. Pass written National Federation Test (open book) with a score of 85% or higher.
  6. Cadets must maintain same status as above and the following:

1)Attend the annual Rules Interpretation meeting during their initial year

2)Cannot do varsity games at all

3)Will become an apprentice after completing one year as a cadet

4)If you go inactive as a cadet you must take whole cadet training program over again, including physical and written parts

5)Cannot do any state play (scoring, clock, etc.)

6)Must attend assigned evaluation game to be rated by a senior official.

  1. Apprentices must maintain same status as above (A through F) and the following:

1)Attend the annual Rules Interpretation meeting each year

2)Cannot do varsity games at all

3)Requires Executive Board approval to move up to New Official

4)Must understand that he/she may remain an apprentice for awhile until improvement is shown

5)Cannot do any state play (scoring, clock, etc.)

6)Must attend assigned evaluation game to be rated by an approved rater

7)If inactive, must remain the same the year you come back. Two or more inactive and you must retake cadet program. While inactive, must attend the annual Rules Interpretation meeting.

  1. New Officials must maintain the same status as above and the

following:

1)Cannot do any state varsity tournament games.

2)If inactive, must remain the same the year you come back. Two or more inactive and you must retake cadet program. While inactive, must attend the annual Rules Interpretation meeting.

3)Does not necessarily have to move up to the next level following year. Can remain here until improvement is shown.

  1. Senior Officials

1)Must maintain the same status as above.

2)Cannot do any state varsity tournament game(s) unless with Executive Board approval or 2 years experience.

3)If inactive, must attend the annual Rules Interpretation meeting.

4)If inactive for two or more years, an official who is on the roster as inactive must notify the board prior to May 1 of the year s/he wishes to become active of her/his intent, pay the difference between inactive and active dues at the time of notification, take the refresher test as scheduled for the chapter, and have an evaluation completed during the preseason prior to accepting games for the upcoming season. If the official should decide after May 1 to become active, that official will not be allowed to work any games until after her/his evaluation is done.

  1. Failure to comply with all member in good standing obligations will

result in dismissal.

Section II – Disciplinary Actions

The Executive Board shall consider the appropriate action for any of the

following:

  1. Non-payment of financial obligations.
  2. Failing to attend the required number of meetings.
  3. Conduct unbecoming an official in handling of a game.
  4. Failing to fulfill an assignment
  5. Failure to attend a workshop prior to each session.
  6. Any other action relative to the proper conduct of an official.
  7. Habitually appearing for a game out of uniform.
  8. Coaches’/other officials’ feedback on official’s behavior/actions

When a member of the Executive Board is notified of an event involving an official from our chapter (from an Athletic Director, coach, or official), the following process shall be followed:

The Executive Board shall determine whether the event warrants immediate action. If so, the official whose action(s) triggered the complaint shall be notified that a hearing will be convened as soon as practical.

The Executive Board shall convene a hearing for the official to gather information regarding the event that led to the complaint.

The Executive Board shall determine, if warranted, an appropriate action that shall be applied to the official, based on all information available from the hearing.

The Executive Board shall notify the official of the disciplinary action imposed on him/her.

The official may, at his/her discretion and in conformance with the appeals process that follows below, apprise the Executive Board of his/her intention to appeal the disciplinary action.

The Executive Board forms an Appeals Committee.

The Appeals Committee schedules a hearing with the official at which time a final determination of the disciplinary action to be applied to the official will be made.

The Executive Board shall notify the NJSIAA and/or assignors, as appropriate, of the disciplinary action applied to the affected official.

Disciplinary Actions

The following disciplinary actionsrepresent those typically to be applied by the Executive Board. The Executive Board, at its discretion, may alter or add to the penalties listed, as it deems appropriate to the offense, including the imposition of fines.

  1. Letter of censure – the lightest disciplinary action, used for the least egregious unprofessional behavior
  2. Impact – letter becomes part of the chapter’s records; repeated actions warranting action would rachet up follow-on disciplinary action if there is one or more letters in the past three seasons
  3. Probation – disciplinary action for moderate level of unprofessional behavior
  4. Impact – no varsity games for a specific time period for senior officials and new officials; no solo games for cadets; no solo games for new officials working subvarsity games; probation lasts 2 weeks, 4 weeks, or for the entire season; any further complaints about behavior would result in upgrading disciplinary action to suspension; official would be monitored during the season after the probationary period (for at least three games) to ensure conformity with the norms of good officiating; while on probation, official would be monitored by his/her partner, who would report to the Executive Board any anomalous events occurring at the game
  5. Suspension – disciplinary action for severely unprofessional behavior
  6. Impact – official would not be allowed to officiate any high school games for the defined period of the suspension; the shortest suspension period would be one week; the longest suspension period is for an entire season
  7. Expulsion – the most extreme disciplinary action for the most severe behavior issues
  8. Impact – the official is removed from the chapter’s roster; NJSIAA would be informed of the removal; assignors for the leagues we support would be informed immediately upon the action’s effective date

Appeal Process

A member who is placed on probation or given other disciplinary action from the Executive Board has the option to appeal his/her case. This member must request an appeal in writing. His/her request must be submitted to the Corresponding Secretary/Treasurer within two weeks of when disciplinary action was given.

An appeals committee will be formed consisting of three members in good standing with the chapter of which one committee member is the Vice-President. The committee will be established on as neededbasis from volunteers within the chapter membership. This committee cannot have more than one Executive Board member.

ARTICLE VI – MEMBERSHIP DUES

Section I – Chapter Dues

The Corresponding Secretary in the Chapter will be responsible for picking the

date by which dues will be paid. The amount per active member will be paid

annually and amount is to be determined by N.J.S.I.A.A. and Chapter

requirements. Cadets shall pay the amount required by the State and the Chapter.

ARTICLE VII – ASSOCIATED CERTIFIED OFFICIALS

Section I

An out-of-state official who meets certification requirements in their state may