ARTICLE 1. Name:

The name of this organization shall be the Greater Springfield Junior Amateur Hockey League and shall be a total USA Hockey League.

ARTICLE 2. Purpose:

1. To sponsor amateur hockey games at rinks in the Greater Springfield and surrounding areas in order to provide the opportunity for organized play for youth from novice to midget age classification.
2. To develop and foster good sportsmanship and conduct among all participants, coaches and spectators.
3. To encourage parents, relatives and friends to support the League in an active and constructive manner.

ARTICLE 3. Membership:

1. Membership in the League shall be open to any USA Hockey Registered Team representing their community, sub-division or organization in the Greater Springfield and surrounding areas. Membership shall be contingent on adherence to the League Constitution and By-Laws, and such other rules and policies as established by the Board of Directors and in meeting all financial obligations set by the League.
2. Application for membership by new Teams shall be given in writing to the League Secretary prior to September 15th of any given year and shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.
3. Any Association / Team may be dropped from membership for repeated violation of League rules, for conduct that is detrimental to the League and its stated purpose, for failure to meet its financial obligations or for any other cause that would warrant disassociation. Expulsion shall be by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE 4. Board of Directors:

The management of the affairs and property of the League shall be vested in the Board of Directors.

1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Elected Officers and one representative from each member association. No Association Shall hold more than two (2) voting positions (i.e. one (1) elected officer and one (1) Association Representative.)
2. The Board of Directors shall hold a minimum of six regular meetings per year at times and places to be determined by the of the League including the annual meeting which shall be held before the 30th of April at which time the election of officers shall be held. A schedule of all meetings to be held for the season shall be sent out at the September meeting.
3. A Special Meeting of the Board may be called at the request of five (5) Directors. Such a request shall be submitted in writing to the League Secretary. It shall clearly state the purpose of the meeting and shall be received at least seven days prior to the requested date of the special meeting.
4. A quorum shall constitute voting representatives of one-half plus one of the Board of Directors including a minimum of three (3) officers.
5. If a Director representing a member association is unable to attend a meeting, his vote may be cast by proxy by an individual from the same association. The League Secretary shall be notified of any proxies prior to the meeting.
6. A Director or Officer may be removed from the Board for cause by a two-thirds vote of all Directors.
7. A roll call shall be taken at the beginning of each meeting, to keep an accurate record of attendance. Member associations shall be assessed a $10.00 fine for each Board of Directors meeting at which they have no representative present unless excused by the President.

ARTICLE 5. Officers:

The officers of the League shall be a President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Ice Scheduler, Statistician, Public Relations Director and Webmaster. They shall be elected to hold office for one year at the Annual Meeting in April. Tenure of office shall be from May 1st to April 30th.

• President: The President shall schedule meetings of the Board of Directors, preside over these meetings, appoint committees and perform other duties normally associated with this office. This position is non-paying.
• 1st Vice President: The 1st Vice President shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President and shall perform such other duties as assigned by the president. He/she shall be the Chairperson of the Nomination Committee, and Annual Budget Review Committee. This position is non-paying.
• 2nd Vice President: The 2nd Vice President shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President and the 1st Vice President. He/she shall serve as Chairperson of the Protest Committee and shall perform such other duties as assigned by the President. He/She shall serve as Disciplinarian and shall be responsible for enforcing all league suspensions for both players and coaches, shall be responsible for investigating any complaints brought against players, coaches, etc. by another association. This position is non-paying.
• The Secretary and Record shall maintain the League records, give adequate notification of meetings, record the minutes of all meetings and handle all League correspondence. In the absence of the Secretary, a Secretary Pro-Tem shall be appointed by the President. The Secretary shall be in charge of the recruiting, scheduling and training of League Timekeepers. This is a paying position.
• The Treasurer shall deposit all funds, pay all bills and maintain accurate records of all League financial transactions. The Treasurer shall present a written report to each Board of Directors at least once each quarter and at the end of the fiscal year, May 31st. This is a paying position.
• The League Statistician shall keep all standings, records, penalties and post a copy of these standings at all rinks. This is a paying position.
• The Ice Scheduler shall be responsible for obtaining ice and the scheduling of all games. He shall also determine if any GSL games are to be cancelled because of adverse weather. This is a paying position.
• The Media Relations Director shall be responsible for promoting the GSL in the community in the best interest of the League and it’s member Associations. This is a non-paying position.
• The Webmaster shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of the website as well as posting schedules, schedule changes, board of directors information, rink information etc up to date. This is a paying position.

Any Vacancy occurring during the season shall be filled by a majority vote at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE 6. Protest Committee:

The Protest Committee shall consist of the 2nd Vice-President as Chairperson and two other members appointed by the President. In the absence of a 2nd Vice President, the 1st Vice President shall act as Chairperson.

ARTICLE 7. Nominating Committee:

1. The President shall appoint a nominating committee at the meeting held at the beginning of March consisting of not less than three persons including the 1st Vice President as Chairperson, who shall accept nominations for election of officers for the coming year.
2. A written report of the nominating committee shall be submitted to the League President and/or Secretary at least 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting.
3. Additional nominations for any office may be made from the floor at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE 8. Other Committees:

The President shall appoint such other committees, as he/she deems necessary to implement any League function or activity.

ARTICLE 9. Financial Authorization and Liability:

1. The President and Treasurer shall be authorized to sign all checks on behalf of the League. All checks over $500.00 shall be signed by both the Treasurer and the President.
2. The Treasurer’s books shall be audited during July of each year by a qualified committee appointed by the President and a report shall be given at the first meeting of the following season.
3. The League or Board of Directors shall not be responsible or held liable for any injury or loss sustained by individuals participating in its program or by spectators.

ARTICLE 10. Amending the Constitution:

Amendments to this Constitution shall be made in writing and submitted to the Secretary of the League and shall be submitted to the Board of Directors at least fourteen (14) days prior to the Board meeting at which such amendments shall be approved by a two thirds vote of the Directors.

ARTICLE 11. Amendments to the Constitution:

Any Amendment to the Constitution previously defeated by the Board shall not be brought before the Board for reconsideration for a minimum of two (2) years. Any Motion previously defeated by the Board shall not be brought before the Board for reconsideration for one (1) calendar year.

ARTICLE 12. Rules of Order:

All meetings shall be conducted under Roberts Rules of Order. Also, Roberts Rules of Order shall be the default document, when applicable, if our Constitution or Bylaws fail to address a particular situation

Revised & Approved 9/25/02