A non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Michigan.

 

 The name by which this corporation shall be known as: Livonia Junior Athletic League. Also to be known as L.J.A.L.

 

 Office 

The principle and registered office shall be located at the residence of the President, or as designated by the Board of Directors.

 

 

A. Any person who is a bonafide resident of the Livonia School district or has a youth registered in the Livonia Public and living in the City of Livonia, whether mother, father, or legal guardian of a participant eligible for the programs the L.J.A.L. and of good moral character and conduct, shall be eligible for membership in this organization and shall become a member in good standing by paying the appropriate dues or registration fee. Such membership shall continue for a period of one (1) year from the date in which the membership becomes effective.

 

B. Membership shall become effective on the following dates:

Baseball:           August 1st

Football:           August 1st

Basketball:        January 1^st

 

C. Each unit’s individual sport shall compile and maintain a roster of members in good standing, complete with names, addresses, sports participated in, and birth dates. Such roster shall be available for examination by any member in good standing upon two (2) days notice to the League Membership Chairperson.

 

 

 

A. The annual meeting of members shall be held within the first two (2) week’s of December, at such place within the limits of the City of Livonia as the Board of Directors may direct.

 

B. One purpose of said meeting shall be the election of the Board of Directors for the next calendar year.

C. Directors shall be notified of the place, date, and time of the meeting at least 30 days prior to the meeting, the general membership will be mailed only upon individual request.

 

D. The presence in person or by written proxy of directors representing a majority of the voting rights shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of director whether annual or special. The affirmative vote of a majority of these directors present in person, or written proxy, shall be required to carry any motion or resolution, unless otherwise set forth herein. Proxy should be dated for that meeting. The Unit Director will have the voting rights of all absent Directors for his unit.

 

E.   The order of business at the annual meeting shall be as follows:

 

1. Roll Call

2. Proof of notice

3. Reading of Minutes of last meeting

4. Reports of: President, Treasurer, Others

5. Election of Directors

6. Transaction of other business

7. Adjournment

 

However, the presiding officer may vary the order of business at his discretion in the absence of any objection.

 

F. A copy of the minutes of the Annual, or any Special Meeting, plus a copy of any amendments, deletions, additions , or other changes to the By-Laws, shall be published and distributed to each director within thirty (30) days after such changes have been made.

 

 

 

A. A special meeting of members may be called at any time by the President, a majority of the Board of Directors, or upon written petition of at least twenty- five (25) percent of the members in good standing with forty-eight (48) hours notice.

 

 

                                                                   ARTICLE VII

 

                                                               Election of Directors

 

A. The next year’s Board of Directors shall be elected by the existing Board of Directors at the annual meeting of members.

 

B.   At a meeting of the Board of Directors at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting of members, the Directors shall place in nomination a slate of names of members in good standing as nominees to the Board of Directors for the ensuing year. Members are defined in ARTICLE IV A.

 

C. The Secretary shall cause the names of all nominees to the Board of Directors to be placed upon a printed ballot, and only that ballot, shall be available for use in the election.

 

1. Said ballots will be available for one-half hour prior to the time established for convening the annual meeting, and until one-half hour after the annual meeting opens, hereafter the balloting shall close.

 

2. At the close of the balloting, the President shall appoint three (3) members as judges of the election who shall count the ballots and inform the President of the results and to the members assembled.

 

3. In case the casting of equal number of votes leaves undetermined one or more places on the Board of Directors, the final determination will be made by the existing President, except for the position of President. The position of President will be determined by lot.

 

 

                                                                  ARTICLE VIII

 

                                                                Board of Directors

 

A. The Business property, and all affairs of this Corporation, shall be managed by a Board of Directors composed of nine (9) Directors (3 Baseball, 3 Basketball, & 3 Football) from each of the Units of which the League is geographically comprised, along with a sport commissioner for Basketball, Football and Baseball.  Each Unit maintains (9) votes to be exercised by the Unit Director present at a meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

B.   The Board of Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of members for a term of one (1) year, or until their successors have been qualified and elected.

 

C. Vacancies on the Board of Director shall be filled by appointment made by the remaining Directors. Such appointees shall remain a Director until that person, or a successor, is qualified and elected at the annual or special meeting of members.

 

D. The Board of Directors shall elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Corporate Auditor who shall serve in their respective capacities for a term of one (l) year, or until their successors are qualified and elected.

 

E.   The unit that has the President elected shall place in nomination a new Board Member at the December Board Meeting to serve as the ninth (9) Board Members for that Unit. The President, at this point, shall not be allowed to exercise his vote.

 

F.   The Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint such other officers or agents as the Board may deem necessary for the proper transaction of business of the corporation. Any officer or agent, so appointed may be removed by a majority vote of the Board whenever, in the judgment of the Board, it is in the best interest of the Corporation.

 

G. A director may have himself relieved from the Board by submitting his request in writing to the Board thirty (30) days prior to leaving.

 

H. A director may be removed from the Board upon proof of just cause and a majority vote of all the remaining members of the board when it is deemed to be in the best interest of the organization.

 

I.    If a Director Misses three (3) successive meetings, we may request a review of the Director with the Unit Director of said Director, the Sport Commissioner of said Director and the President.

 

J.       If the current President is seeking re-election there will be a temporary position created called an “Alternate Director” that can be used to allow the current President to run for re-election. Once re-elected the “Alternate Director” position is removed. If the former President is not re-elected the “Alternate Director” position is still removed, meaning the only way for the former President to remain a Director is to move into one of the nine unit directors and/or sport commissioner positions, if an opening exist.

 

 

                                                                    ARTICLE IX

 

                                                    Meetings of the Board of Directors

 

A. The Board of Directors shall meet no less than ten times during a fiscal year.

 

B.   Within thirty (30) days of the annual meeting of members, the Board of Directors elected at said meetings shall convene at an organizational meeting at such time and place as the Board shall determine.

 

C. Secretary: The Secretary shall preserve in the books of this corporation the true minutes of the proceedings of all the meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of members. The Secretary shall give all notices required by these By-Lays, resolutions or statute of the State of Michigan.

 

D. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have custody of all corporation funds and shall keep full and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements of the corporation in books belonging to the corporation, and shall deposit all monies in the name of the corporation in such depositories as may be designated for that purpose by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the corporation as authorized by the Board. Taking proper vouchers for same, and shall render to the Board at their regular meetings and whenever requested by them, an account of all his transactions and of the financial condition of the corporation.

 

E.   All meetings shall be conducted according to Robert Rules of Order.

 

 

                                                                    ARTICLE X

 

                                              Special Meetings of the Board of Directors

 

A. A special meeting of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or at least          three (3) Directors upon written notice that shall be given at least four (4) days prior to the date established for the special meeting , unless said notice is waived and herein provided.

 

B.   An Executive Committee consisting of all elected officers, all Unit Directors and all League Sports Commissioners shall meet when deemed necessary by the Elected Officers for the purpose of establishing the direction and the future of the League and to take emergency action on behalf of the entire Board of Directors. A quorum of two-thirds (2/3) of the above officials must be in attendance to commence such a meeting.

 

 

                                                                    ARTICLE XI

 

                                                                        Officers

 

The officers of this corporation shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Corporate Auditor, elected by the Board of Directors at their annual meeting, and such other officers the Board may appoint.

 

A. President: The President shall be the chief executive officer of this corporation and shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and members. The President shall have general supervision over all business activities of the corporation and shall be responsible for the effectuation of all policies stated by the Board, and all orders and resolutions pursuant there to.

 

B.   Vice-President: The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence and shall serve as the Chairmen of the Policy Committee. The Policy will include all Unit Directors and meet for the purpose of reviewing policy, rules, or procedural changes that may affect the welfare or the League and make recommendations regarding these changes to the Board of Directors.

 

C. Secretary: The Secretary shall preserve in the books of this corporation the true minutes of the proceeding of all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of members. The Secretary shall give notice required by these By-Laws, resolutions, or statute of the State of Michigan.

 

D. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have custody of all corporate funds and shall keep full and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements of the corporation in books belonging to the corporation and shall deposit all monies in the name of the corporation in such depositories as may be designated for the purpose by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the corporation as authorized by the Board, taking proper voucher for the same, and shall render to the Board at their regular meeting and whenever requested by them, and account of all his transactions, and of the financial condition of the corporation. The treasurer shall check into and secure an independent accounting firm to audit the L.J.A.L. books on a quarterly basis. This accounting firm shall be approved by the Board of Directors. Also, each Unit shall allow the same accounting firm to audit their books on a quarterly basis. Any costs for auditing will be paid for by the L.J.A.L.

 

F.   Other Officers: Other Officers appointed by the Board, from time to time, shall have duties as the Board may designate at the time of their appointment.

 

 

                                                                   ARTICLE XII

 

                                                                    Remuneration

 

No Director, officer, or Member shall receive remuneration monetary or otherwise, for services rendered to the corporation, nor shall the League, any Officer, or Member utilize his office or status for personal gain, political or otherwise which may conflict with the corporate status or goodwill of the L.J.A.L. Fees paid for umpiring baseball or refereeing basketball in not considered as being in conflict with the corporate status or goodwill of the L.J.A.L. Also, the fee paid to the President of the L.J.A.L by Livonia Parks and Recreation for being on its Board is not considered as being in conflict with the corporate status or goodwill of the as being in conflict with the corporate status or goodwill of the L.J.A.L. Any work that will to be done or equipment that will be purchased over $2,000.00 will be selected from bids and each sport will be responsible for determining the winning bids and placing orders.

                                                                  ARTICLE XIII

 

                                                            Execution of Instruments

 

A. Instruments: Any contract, conveyance, or other instruments authorized by the Board of Directors may be executed by the President or Vice President or Treasurer, in the name of the Corporation, unless the Board shall specifically designate other officers or agents to execute an instrument in behalf of the Corporation.

 

B.   Orders to pay: All checks, drafts, money orders, and all other orders to pay, shall be signed by the Treasurer or the President in the name of the Corporation or by other such Officers or agents as the Board of Directors shall, from time to time, designate for that purpose.

 

 

                                                                  ARTICLE XIV

 

                                                                  League Banking

 

A. Banks: All League and individual Unit checking accounts shall be set up through the same financial institution, shall be decided upon by a vote of the Board of Directors of the L.J.A.L. Each account will be set up to require the Treasurer or the President’s signature; each individual Unit account shall require both Unit Director and their appointed Treasurer.

 

B.   At every monthly L.J.A.L. Board of Directors meeting each Unit shall be required to turn in a copy of their balanced monthly statement to the League Treasurer. Each Unit shall also be required to keep a copy of that statement and all canceled checks. All League and Unit balanced monthly statements shall be made available to any member of the L.J.A.L. upon request.

 

C. All funds generated by a unit through a fund raising activity by that unit shall be deposited into that Unit’s account solely for that unit.

 

D. All registration fees collected by each Unit shall be deposited into their account within five (5) days after the registration. A form signed by the Unit Director and their Unit Treasurer shall be submitted along with a Unit check for total amount collected at the registration within two (2) weeks after the registration. The form shall include the number of registrations and the total amount collected.

 

1.   Registration fees shall be paid to the league in accordance with this section. In the event they are not, the appropriate sanctions shall be imposed.

 

2.   Infractions shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Fines will be paid to the league and shall be utilized at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

 

Sanctions:

 

One week late: $25.00 fine for unit director

Two weeks late:           $50.00 fine for unit director

Three weeks late:          Board of Directors shall convene special meeting and consider unit director removal

 

E.   Each individual Unit shall deal with bounced checks. A fifteen dollar ($15.00) service will be charged for each bad check, with each individual Unit retaining the service fee for their own accounts.

 

F.   There is a NO REFUND policy for all L.J.A.L. sports programs.

 

 

                                                                   ARTICLE XV

                                                                             

                                                         Failure to Return Equipment

 

If a participant fails to return equipment which has been loaned to the participant by a unit, that participant or a member of their family shall not be allowed to participate in an L.J.A.L. sponsored activity until that equipment (or reimbursement for the equipment) has been returned to the unit director of their designee.

 

 

                                                                  ARTICLE XVI

 

                                                               Background Checks

 

Each Director and Coach who is volunteering their time to coach and participate in and L.J.A.L. sponsored activity shall submit their name (first, middle and last), date of birth, address, drivers’ license number and social security number to their respective unit director. The unit directors shall forward this information to the President.

 

The President or his representative shall be responsible for submitting this information to the State of Michigan. The purpose of this is to insure that any individual who has a criminal history involving minor children be prohibited from coaching in the L.J.A.L.

 

This information shall remain confidential and will be the exclusive property of the Board of Directors.

 

 

                                                                  ARTICLE XVII

 

                                                 Disciplinary Action Regarding Coaches

 

If a coach has been accused of intentionally breaking the rules of this league or their individual sport, the Sport Commissioner, Directors of that sport and the Unit Director of that unit shall be responsible for conducting a fact finding session and determining the appropriate sanctions.

 

In the event the Sport Commissioner, the Directors of that sport and the Unit Director of that unit cannot reach a decision, they will take it to the Board of Directors to determine the appropriate sanctions.

 

Each infraction, the severity and seriousness of the infraction and the individual coaches

expressed contrition as compared to an obvious display of recalcitrance, shall be taken into consideration by the Board of Directors.

 

The Board of Directors decision shall be final and binding.

 

 

                                                                 ARTICLE XVIII

 

                                                                Conflict Resolution

 

A.        Participant/Parent/Coach

 

1.   Occasionally disagreements or conflicts may occur, especially when supervising and instruction children who are immersed in competitive sports. Coaches should be sensitive to the ages of the children they supervise and try to resolve conflict in a positive manner. If necessary, involve a parent if the problem persists.

 

2.   If a problem with a parent develops, the head coach of the particular sport must involve themselves. Proper decorum should be utilized and focusing on objective rather than subjective terms is encouraged and emphasized. Positive resolution with the team interests at the forefront shall be the ultimate goal.

 

3.   In the event the coach cannot resolve the manner, the particular sport director should be notified. If the sport director cannot successfully resolve the conflict, the unit director should be notified. The Unit Director shall be responsible for arranging a meeting with the coach and parent and working towards an amicable resolution.

 

4.   In the unlikely event that the Unit Director cannot resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the parent, the matter should be forwarded to the L.J.A.L. Board of Directors. After conducting the necessary and appropriate fact finding, the Board of Directors shall render a decision regarding the conflict.

 

5.   At the discretion of the Board of Directors, they shall have the option of requesting the assistance of a disinterested unit or sport director. The Board of Directors shall be the final point of appeal and their decision shall be final and binding.

 

 

B.         Inter-unit conflicts

 

1.   Conflicts arising from disagreements within an individual unit should be resolved by mutual compromise and agreement. In the event that resolution cannot be reached, the specific sport director(s) should serve as mediator.

 

2.   In the event the conflict involves the specific sport director, the unit director shall mediate the complaint. In the event the issue is not mutually resolved, it shall be forwarded to the Board of Directors.

 

3.   The Board of Directors decision is final and binding.

 

C.        Intra-unit conflicts

 

1.   Conflicts involving different units shall only be addressed by individual unit directors. In the event mutual agreement is not reached, the matter should be forwarded to the Board of Directors.

 

 

 

                                                                  ARTICLE XIX

 

                                                                      Fiscal Year

 

The fiscal year of this corporation shall commence on January 1st and end on December 31st.

 

 

                                                                   ARTICLE XX

 

                                                            Amendment of By-Laws

 

These By-Laws may be amended, added to, or repealed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors or their written proxies at any regular or special meeting of the Board. This meeting shall include a specification of the proposed amendment there of, addition there of, or repeal there of, in suitable form.

 

The Secretary will be responsible for keeping the By-Laws updated based on any approved amendments/motions.

 

The Vice-President shall be responsible for forming a committee once a year to review and make recommendations to the By-Laws. The Vice-President will present their changes to the Board of Directors for their approval. The Vice-President will verify that the By-Laws have been updated by the Secretary.

 

                                                                  ARTICLE XXI

 

                                                                      Fundraising

 

Any Unit and/or sport may have fundraising activities. Approval of the Board Directors is required for the following Fundraising activities: Raffles and any Gaming/casino event.

 

 

                                                                  ARTICLE XXII

 

                                                                Rules Commission

 

A. Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to define the responsibilities, the members, and the chain of command of the Rules Commission. The purpose of this Commission shall be to interpret the rules in the various sports, sponsored or co-sponsored by the Livonia Junior Athletic League, and to act upon any disputes brought to their attention.

 

B.   Organization: A rules Commission for each sport shall be appointed by the Sports Commissioner of each individual sport of the L.J.A.L This Commission shall consist of three (3) member panel. In any sport containing units that participate outside the L.J.A.L. by-laws, these outside units shall mutually appoint by the one (1) representative to act on their behalf on Rules Commission. The Alternate commission members shall also be appointed by the President of the L.J.A.L. Their services shall be requested should a conflict of interest arise amongst these units previously represented. Each sport Rules Commission shall be appointed prior to the start of that sports season. A season’s start shall be considered the first day of practice. The Rules Commission Chairperson shall be selected by the commission members.