VEHICLE CITY SOCCER
OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION
CONSTITUTION
Article I-Name
The name of this association shall be designated and known as:
Article II- Purpose
A. Educate our members through classes, programs, meetings, and clinics designed to improve the quality of officiating.
B. Provide a high caliber of officiating for interscholastic contests between MHSAA member schools and for MHSAA tournament contests to which we are assigned.
C. Maintain the status of an “Affiliated Association” as defined by the MHSAA.
D. Provide mutual support to the Association members through a professional approach to athletic officiating in the sport of soccer.
E. Promote the MHSAA “Code For Athletic Officials”.
Article III- Membership
A. Membership in this Association shall be extended to all individuals who understand and support the purpose of the VCSO, upon application and acceptance according to the Association constitution.
B. Membership shall be of the following types:
a. Active Member--An active member is one who is properly registered with the MHSAA; who is current with his/her Association dues; who meets the membership requirements set forth here and elsewhere in this constitution, and who annually submits proof of this registration to the Secretary.
b. Honorary Member--An honorary member is one who is nominated for membership in the Association by virtue of his/her support of the purpose of the Association and evidence of commitment to officiating. An honorary member shall meet all member requirements except MHSAA registration and dues obligations.
c. Inactive Member--An inactive member is one who is not registered with the MHSAA or is not current in his/her Association dues.
C. Application for Membership
a. Active Memberships--Application for membership shall be made to a designated Association representative on an Association application form and shall be accompanied with the dues for that fiscal year and a copy of the applicant’s MHSAA official’s ID card.
b. Honorary Membership--Nominations for honorary members shall be made from the membership and will be confirmed by a vote of a two-thirds majority of Association membership present and voting.
D. Membership Privileges
a. Active members are entitled to vote in the conduct of Association business and are eligible to hold an office.
b. Honorary members may not vote or hold elected office, but may serve in any capacity to which they are appointed by the President.
c. Inactive members may not vote or hold elected or appointed offices.
E. Membership Obligations of Active Members
a. Maintain current registration with the MHSAA.
b. Volunteer to work at least one scrimmage per season.
c. Follow the MHSAA “Code of Conduct for Officials”.
d. Maintain conduct which reflects professionalism as an official and which bring credit to the association and its membership.
e. Attend meetings and training programs as set forth by the MHSAA to maintain Member-In-Good-Standing.
f. Develop officiating skills to the highest possible level of competency.
F. Resignation
a. A member not in default of dues and who in all other ways is a member in good standing, may at any time file for resignation in writing with the Association and it shall be effective as of the date it was filed.
G. Expulsion, Suspension, and Reinstatement
a. The Executive Board of the Association shall have the power to censor, suspend, or expel any member for violation of the MHSAA “Code of Conduct for Officials”.
b. The member shall receive written notice of any and all charges against him or her and shall receive such notice by certified mail. After receiving such notice, a member shall have a right to a hearing before the Executive Board before any disciplinary action is taken. The Executive Board shall issue a written decision regarding the disciplinary action taken against the member and shall send a copy of said decision to the member by certified mail.
c. If the member waives his/her right to a hearing, then the decision of the Board shall be final. Furthermore, the member shall lose all rights of appeal provided within.
d. If the member disagrees with the decision of the Executive Board regarding any and all disciplinary actions taken against him/her, then there shall be a right to appeal through the Association’s grievance procedure as provided herein.
Article IV- Elections
A. The election of the executive officers shall take place every two (2) years general meeting prior to the start of the fall season in the even numbered years.
B. The voting shall be by secret ballot with a simple majority of the vote of the members present sufficient to elect. Only active members may cast a vote.
Article V- Meetings
A. There shall be a minimum of two general meetings each calendar year.
a. The date, location, and time of all meetings (general and training) shall be determined by the Executive Board and all members will be notified in writing. A general meeting may be called by the Association President or by a majority of the Executive Board.
b. Only at general meetings may voting matters relative to the Association be considered.
B. There shall be a sufficient number of instructional meetings each season (fall and spring) to meet the member-in-good-standing requirements of the MHSAA and to allow the association to maintain its status as an approved association with the MHSAA.
a. An instructional meeting shall provide instruction in officiating mechanics.
b. Experienced officials will be expected to aid in one instructional meeting every two (2) years.
C. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the general meetings in all cases to which they are applicable and in which the are not inconsistent with this constitution or any special rules that have been made by the Executive Board.
Article VI- Executive Board
a. A person shall be eligible to be elected as a member of the Executive Board who is currently a member-in-good-standing of the Association and who has been a member of the Association for at least one (1) year prior to the date of the election or appointment.
B. Board Composition
a. There shall be eight (8) members of the Executive Board, which shall consist of the President, Vice President of Scheduling, Vice President of Instruction and Evaluation, Secretary/Treasurer, and four (4) members-at-large.
C. Election
a. The membership shall elect the persons to serve on the Executive Board.
b. The length of service for one term shall be two (2) years.
c. Each eligible member is limited to one vote for each position, which is up for election.
d. The candidate with the most votes for any given position will be elected and will take office at the close of the general meeting.
e. If there is a tie between any number of candidates for any given position, then those candidates will be in a run off election until the tie is broken.
f. The election shall be held at the “fall” general membership meeting held in even years.
D. Vacancies
a. The Executive Board shall fill any vacancy for unexpired terms of members of the Executive Board who either resign or are expelled from their positions.
E. Quorums
a. A majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.
F. Attendance
a. Any member of the Executive Board who fails to attend 50% of the meetings of the Board during any one (1) fiscal year will be replaced according to the provisions set forth in this constitution. Any exception to this section will be considered on an individual basis solely by the discretion of the Executive Board.
G. Powers
a. The executive power of the Association shall be vested in the Executive Board who shall have charge of the property, control, and management of the affairs and funds of the Association, and shall have the power and authority to do and perform all acts and functions consistent with the constitution of the Association.
b. The Executive Board shall designate which Association programs are to be dues supported and which are to be non-dues supported. All non-dues supported programs shall be for non-profit purposes. Any dues subsidy for programs designated as non-dues supported must be approved by the membership.
c. The Executive Board shall, in its approval of the Association’s annual fiscal report, approve the expenses of the Association.
H. Salaries
a. The Executive Board members shall not receive a salary; they shall be reimbursed for all expenses incurred in conducting Association business. The Vice President of Scheduling shall receive an additional stipend from the fee, which is charged to the high schools for scheduling contests.
Article VII- Officers
a. The general membership shall elect the following officers: President, Vice President of Scheduling, Vice President of Instruction and Evaluation and Secretary/Treasurer.
B. President
a. The president shall preside over general business meetings and meetings of the Executive Board.
b. The President shall serve as a liaison within the Michigan High School Athletic Association and other school officials.
c. The President shall assume any other responsibility as delegated by the Executive Board.
C. Vice President of Scheduling
a. The Vice President of Scheduling shall preside over general meetings and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President.
b. The Vice President of Scheduling shall be responsible for scheduling all contests as well as arrange for the membership to meet their scrimmage obligation.
c. The Vice President of Scheduling shall maintain a record of the schedules of all officials.
d. The Vice President of Scheduling shall recommend officials to the MHSAA for assignments to Regional, and State Tournaments, with concurrence of the Executive Board.
e. The Vice President of Scheduling shall establish a reasonable fee to be charged to high schools for scheduling contests, with the concurrence of the Executive Board.
f. The Vice President of Scheduling may designate a member to assist in the scheduling process.
D. Vice President of Instruction and Evaluation
a. The Vice President of Instruction and Evaluation shall preside over general meetings and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President of Scheduling.
b. The Vice President of Instruction and Evaluation shall plan and coordinate all instructional meetings.
c. The Vice President of Instruction and Evaluation shall provide recruitment information for potential new members.
d. The Vice President of Instruction and Evaluation shall coordinate all Association evaluation procedures and assume any other responsibility as delegated by the Executive Board.
E. Secretary/Treasurer
a. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping minutes of general meetings and Executive Board meetings and present such at the next meeting and keep copies of the minutes for Association records.
b. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for Association correspondence to and from all members, schools, individuals, and groups.
c. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare a budget for the association.
d. The Secretary/Treasurer shall make a secretarial report of each general meeting.
e. The Secretary/Treasurer shall make and maintain a mailing list of schools and other local sponsors of contests.
f. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve as Association liaison with area newspapers and radio stations and assume any other responsibility as delegated by the Executive Board.
g. The Secretary/Treasurer shall make a financial report at each general meeting.
h. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep records of assets, liabilities, income, and disbursements of the Association.
i. The Secretary/Treasurer shall coordinate annual dues collection through Association accounts.
j. The Secretary/Treasurer shall pay all bills for the Association through Association accounts.
k. The Secretary/Treasurer shall provide an annual budget report and income statement to the President and Executive Board and assume any other responsibility as delegated by the Executive Board.
F. Members-at-Large
a. The Members-at-Large (4) shall recommend policy to the membership and Executive Board and any other duties assigned by the Executive Board.
b. The Members-at-Large shall attend all board meetings.
Article VIII- Standing Committees
A. Membership
a. The Membership Committee shall promote membership within the Association and provide leadership in the recruitment of new individuals.
B. Awards
a. The Awards Committee will coordinate a social event at least once a year during which recognition will be given to worthy members of the Association for those categories established by the Executive Board.
C. Committee Appointments
a. The committee appointments shall be made by the President within thirty (30) days of his/her election.
Article IX – Membership Assessments
A. The fiscal year for the Association is Aug 1 to July 31.
B. Dues for the following year will be determined prior to the August general meeting and shall apply to the association membership year, which begins Aug 1 and ends July 31. Date for dues to be paid is August 1st. Failure to pay annual dues 30 days after the due date will result in the assessment of a late fee and all privileges of membership shall be suspended until all arrears are paid in full. Membership rights include the opportunity to be assigned games. The Board may authorize the imposition of a late fee for payment of dues after the beginning of the fall season and possible forfeiture of all remaining games.
C. Dues will be used to promote the Association and its activities and are to remain a part of the Association’s financial accounts.
D. The Executive Board, upon receipt of written application may waive, suspend, or reduce the dues for any members for the fiscal year for good reason.
Article X – Amendments
A. This constitution of the VCSO may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Association during a general meeting, at which at least 33% of the active membership are present and voting.
B. A proposed amendment must be in writing and read to the membership prior to voting on the amendment.
C. A new constitution must be approved first by the Executive Board and then by vote of the members of the Association during a general meeting, at which at least 33% of the membership are present and voting.
Article XI – Dissolution
A. If for any reason the Association fails to exist in the future, the assets of the Association shall be donated to a charity designated by the departing Executive Board.
Code for Athletic Officials
1. Register with the MHSAA each year on a timely basis (by July 1) and attend all required meetings. Work no interscholastic contests with officials who do not hold current registration in the sport.
2. Join and actively participate in an “Approved Association” for officials.
3. Accept contracts for and officiate contests for which you are qualified and experienced. Execute and honor contracts in a timely and ethical manner. Complete reports and follow-up all obligations resulting from a contest.
4. Be prepared, physically and mentally, to officiate according to the principles and philosophy of the MHSAA.
5. Refrain from use of tobacco or alcohol within sight of players and spectators and avoid use of alcohol any time before a contest on the day of the contest.
6. Cultivate professional relationships with partners, players, coaches, administrators, and spectators. Refrain from comment to the media.
7. Commit to a personal lifestyle which avoids sexual misconduct, use of illicit drugs, and public abuse of alcohol and will not in any other way impinge upon your perception in the community to fulfill the obligations and standards of the MHSAA “Code for Athletic Officials”.
8. Officiate according to the rules and manuals adopted for MHSAA competition. Admit and correct one’s own errors, hold to correct but unpopular decisions, and support the decisions of other officials.
9. Maintain self-control at all times. Guard against baiting or taunting which may generate a loss of poise or demeanor, which can erode the professionalism expected of officials in even the most difficult circumstances.
10. Hold to and maintain the basic tenets of officiating, which include honesty, integrity, neutrality, respect, sensitivity, professionalism, discretion, and tactfulness.
(This is a copy of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s CODE FOR ATHLETIC OFFICIALS, which is referred to in Article II of the VCSO Constitution)
(The above is reprinted from the “2009-10 OFFICIALS HANDBOOK)
APPROVED ASSOCIATION
Approved Association status will be granted
annually to all associations which qualify.
(This is a copy of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s CODE FOR ATHLETIC OFFICIALS, which is referred to in the Code for Officials section of the VCSO Constitution)
(The above is reprinted from the “2009-10 OFFICIALS HANDBOOK)