Somers Lacrosse Association
Constitution
Article I: Name and Organization
1. The name of the organization shall be the Somers Lacrosse Association (“Association”). Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the Association is organized exclusively for the one or more purposes as specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from federal income tax IRC Section 501(c)(3) or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws.
2. The objectives of the Association shall be:
A. To encourage and promote the sport of lacrosse in the town of Somers, CT and in the Somers, CT Public School System,
B. To do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of lacrosse and to encourage sportsmanlike competition.
C. To annually sponsor the Paul Bowers Memorial Lacrosse Tournament
D. To award scholarships annually via the Paul Bowers Memorial Scholarship program
3. The Association shall not be conducted, or operated, for profit. No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of any member, trustee, director, officer, or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the Association), and no member, trustee, officer of the Association or any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any assets on dissolution of the Association.
4. No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall be carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided by IRC Sec.501(h)) or participating in, or intervening in (including the publication or distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
5. The members of the Association shall adopt, and may from time to time revise, such by-laws as may be required to carry out these objectives.
Article II: Membership
1. There shall be one class of membership with each member entitled to one vote in any Association election. Any member is entitled to run for, and hold, office in the Association.
2. In order to be a member, an individual must be at least 18 years old, have an interest in promoting the sport of lacrosse in the town of Somers, CT by being a volunteer of, or having a son or daughter playing youth lacrosse sponsored by the Association, and attend at least one meeting of the Association in the current or previous fiscal year. . Membership shall begin after an individual has attended at least one meeting.
Article III: Meetings
1. Association meetings shall be scheduled and held at the discretion of the Board, but no less than 4 times annually. Meetings will typically be held monthly during the spring lacrosse season of January through June, on a weekday night. The Association President or his/her designee will inform the membership of location and / or changes.
Article IV: Directors & Officers
Section 1: Directors
1. The Board of Directors (“Board”) shall be comprised of the officers of the Association, the Head Coach(es) of the Somers High School team(s), the Director of the Boys Program, the Director of the Girls Program and three at-large Directors duly elected by the membership.
2. Two of the at-large Directors shall be elected from the membership for a term of one year. One at-large Director shall be elected for a term of three years. The Director of Boys and the Director of Girls will be elected for a term of two year.
3. The Board of Directors shall be vested with the authority and responsibility for the general management of the Association’s property and affairs, so far as this delegation of authority is consistent with the laws of the State of Connecticut.
4. Meetings of the Board of Directors will be held at such time and place as specified by the President or any five members of the Board, provided that a two day notice is given to each officer and Director.
5. In the event an Officer or Director fails to attend at least one-third of the meetings of the Board of Directors in any calendar year, unless such absence is excused by the Board, such Officer or Director shall be deemed to have resigned his/her office. The Board will then appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the departed Director’s or Officer’s term (See Section 3).
6. Prior to holding any meeting where decisions or business transactions are made, the Secretary, or Secretary pro tempore, shall confirm and record that a quorum of fifty percent plus one of the Board of Directors is established.
Section 2: Officers
1. The Association’s Officers shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. To the extent than any one individual holds more than one Officer or Director position at the same time, said individual will only be entitled to one vote, regardless of the number of positions held. Officers shall be elected from the membership annually by the regular members casting one vote for each office. Officers will hold office for one year. Elections will take place annually at the September meeting.
2. The President, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the members of the Board of Directors. All standing committees shall be appointed by the President. Such appointments can be overruled by the vote of two-thirds of the Board and their decision shall be final. The President shall perform all duties commonly incident to this office and shall perform such other duties as the Board shall from time to time designate.
3. The Vice President shall preside at all meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors, in the absence of the President. The Vice President shall serve as “second in command” and shall perform such duties as are commonly incidental to the office and have such other powers and duties as the President and Board shall designate.
4. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all meetings of the membership and of the Board in books provided for that purpose. The books shall be open at all reasonable times for inspection of any member of the Association in good standing. In the absence of the Secretary, a Secretary pro tempore shall be chosen to record the proceedings of such meetings in the aforesaid books. The Secretary will also maintain the Association archives.
5. The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of the funds of the Association and shall have and exercise, under the supervision of the Board, all the powers and duties commonly incident to this office. The Treasurer shall submit a report at each meeting summarizing the financial activity for the period since the last report. The Treasurer shall have the financial records of the Association audited by a Board member or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and shall report the results of such audit to the Board at the end of the fiscal year (September 1 – August 31). The Treasurer shall also report in writing the financial activity for the year at the September meeting. The Treasurer shall perform such other duties, and have such other powers, as the Board shall designate.
Section 3: Vacancies
Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the Officers shall be filled at the next annual election, by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board with the exception of a vacancy in the office of the President. This vacancy will be automatically filled with the Vice President and the resulting vacancy in the office of Vice President shall be filled by vote of the Board. If the office of Vice President is vacant at the time that the office of President becomes vacant, both offices can be filled at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Association.
Section 4: Consecutive Terms
An Officer or Director may be elected to consecutive terms to the same office.
Article V: Committees
Section 1: Standing Committees
The President shall appoint a Chairperson to each of the listed committees to serve for a term of one year. Chairpersons may be elected from the general membership or the President may appoint members of the Board or Officers of the Association. Each Chairperson may appoint additional members to each Committee as they may require. These members will also be chosen from the general membership of the Association, or from the Board. Additional committees may be formed as deemed necessary by the President.
A. Paul Bowers Tournament Planning
B. Paul Bowers Scholarship
C. Coaches Selection
Section 2: Termination of Appointment
Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board, and the Board may appoint a successor(s) for the person(s) whose appointment has been terminated.
Article VI: Amendments
Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any member of the Association, provided it is submitted in writing. Proposed amendments shall be considered by the Board at the next scheduled meeting and presented to the membership at the following meeting, with comments and recommendations. Amendments will be adopted by the majority of the members present at such meeting, as long as two-thirds of the total membership is present.
Article VII: Dissolution
The Association may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds of the membership. In the event of dissolution, all of the remaining assets and property of the Association shall, after necessary expenses thereof, be distributed to the Somers, CT public schools subject to the approval of a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Connecticut. Such remaining assets and property are to be used for the promotion of athletic programs.
Article VIII: The Association Year, Voting, Nominations, Elections
Section 1: The Association Year
The Association’s fiscal year shall begin on the first day of September and end on the 31st day of August.
Section 2: Voting
At all regular meetings of the Association, each member shall be entitled to one vote. All votes shall be cast in person in a manner to be prescribed by the President. Voting by proxy will not be permitted.
Section 3: Nominations and Elections
A general meeting of all members shall be held in September for the purpose of electing Officers and Board members. Nominations for these positions will be taken from the floor. If more than one nomination is received for any office, an election will be held by written ballot. The person receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected.
Article IX: Paul Bowers Scholarship
1. Background
The Association shall maintain the Paul Bowers Scholarship Fund, established and dedicated to the memory of Paul Bowers, who was a young man who loved and played lacrosse in Somers, and who exemplified the spirit of sportsmanship and participation. Each year, the Association will award two scholarships, one each to a graduating male and female student.
Paul played lacrosse before it was part of the Somers High School sports program. He played several years for the Somers Lacrosse Club while attending Somers High School. Paul was dedicated to the sport and often helped to coach younger boys who were just entering the program. Although he played competitively and hard, Paul derived his pleasure from participation. He enjoyed the competition, the hard work, and the social aspects of the game. A team player on and off the field, Paul was liked and respected by his teammates, his classmates, and all who knew him. He died tragically in an automobile accident on March 5, 1985 at the age of 18.
2. Selection
The Paul Bowers Scholarship Committee will accept applications in May of each year, and shall select the Scholarship recipients, based upon the following criteria:
Ø Must be a graduating senior from Somers High School
Ø Must have participated in at least one (1) year of lacrosse at the varsity, junior varsity or Somers lacrosse youth level
Ø Must be furthering their education at an accredited college, university or vocational/technical school.
Ø Must have demonstrated good sportsmanship in athletics and maintain a good academic standing. Sportsmanship is defined as conduct becoming to one participating in a sport (as fairness, respect for one’s opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing)
3. Scholarship Fund
The Paul Bowers Scholarship Fund will be supported by donations made directly to the Fund, and by proceeds collected through the annual Paul Bowers Lacrosse Tournament. Funds will be only used in accordance with the objectives of the Association (Article 1, Section 2). The amount of the scholarship shall be determined each year by the Board of Directors of the Association, based upon the amount of funds maintained within the Scholarship Fund. No more than 10% of the funds shall be awarded in any one fiscal year.
Article X: Formation
The Association is hereby formed by the adoption of this Constitution by the persons below.
Revised, this 12th day of April, 2016
Kevin Foye 04/12/2016
President Date
Danielle Poulin 04/12/2016
Secretary Date