SODA By-Laws

SOUTHERN OHIO DARTING ASSOCIATION 
By-Laws
2010-2011 Season

ARTICLE I: PRINCIPLE OFFICE

ARTICLE II: DEFINITIONS

ARTICLE III: OBJECTIVES

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIPS

ARTICLE V: MEMBERS

ARTICLE VI: THE BOARD

ARTICLE VII: BOARD DUTIES/QUORUM

ARTICLE VIII: DUTIES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ARTICLE IX: APPOINTED POSITIONS TO BOARD

ARTICLE X: MEETINGS

ARTICLE XI: RECALL OR REMOVAL OF BOARD MEMBERS

ARTICLE XII: ELECTIONS

ARTICLE XIII: GENERAL

ARTICLE XIV: CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS

ARTICLE XV: POLICY

ARTICLE XVI: INDEMNIFICATION


ARTICLE I: PRINCIPLE OFFICE
Until such time as practical, the office will be that of the presiding President.

ARTICLE II: DEFINITIONS
1. Whenever the initials SODA are used in these by-laws, they shall mean Southern Ohio Darting Association, Inc. 

2. Whenever the word BOARD is used in these by-laws, it shall mean the elected officials as described in Article VI, #1.

3. Whenever the word MEMBER is used in these by-laws, it will mean a person, an organization or a group which has interest as evidenced by membership in SODA.

4. Whenever the term APPOINTED POSITION is used in these by-laws, it will refer to a member, appointed by the Board to represent the SODA.

ARTICLE III: OBJECTIVES 
1. To promote competitive darts and good sportsmanship for social and recreational purposes.

2. To help coordinate and support activities, tournaments and functions of affiliated associations, leagues, dart clubs, and other similar groups.

3. To sanction league play according to rules in effect.

4. To improve and establish conditions of play in local establishments and throughout the Cincinnati area.

5. The SODA shall be a non-profit, non-political, and non-sectarian organization.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIPS
1. ACTIVE MEMBERSHIPS - Any approved person paying dues, participating in league play and holding a SODA membership card.

2. NON-ACTIVE MEMBERSHIPS - Establishments of sponsoring teams, through assessment of bar fee (hereinafter referred to as dues) and entitlement to a SODA membership card.

3. DUES ASSESSMENT - Price of membership shall be set by the Board of Directors and members shall pay to be in good standing.

4. No member may sell, assign, transfer, mortgage, hypothecate, or in any way alienate its/his/her interest in SODA; i.e., membership card.

5. All active members in good standing may have one (1) vote in any General Membership meeting.

6. All active members may play in the league. In the event that an Active or Non-active member breaks any rules as passed by the Board of Directors, that member may be prohibited from participating in any or all Association functions.

7. In the event dues are not paid in a timely manner, that member’s interest shall expire and its/his/her membership card shall be null and void and divested from him/her at the discretion of the Board.

8. Any person or team may be refused membership for any reason by the Board, if their membership would be deemed detrimental to SODA.

ARTICLE V: MEMBERS
1. Members must be 21 years of age to participate in league play.

2. A member’s rights (membership) may be terminated or restricted by a 2/3 majority opinion of the full Board, if such a member creates disharmony or behaves in a manner prejudicial to order and discipline. If such action is taken, a written notice shall be sent to said member and the person or persons in question stating that they have two (2) full weeks to petition the Board, in writing, for a full Board hearing to review the matter. After the hearing, the Board shall have a closed meeting, and immediately decide what action should be taken. The Board’s decision is final and binding.

ARTICLE VI: THE BOARD
1. The SODA Board of Directors shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Playing Conditions Supervisor, Sergeant at Arms, Bar Representative and three Members at Large.

2. The Board shall be elected for a period of two (2) years and shall take office no later than two (2) weeks after the Banquet. (Effective 87-88, the offices of Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Bar Rep and one Member at Large will be elected for a one year term and 88-89 will be the start of their two year term of office.)

3. Board vacancies may be filled by the President, provided 2/3 majority vote of the Board approves the appointment.

4. No joint elected offices may be held.

ARTICLE VII: BOARD DUTIES/QUORUM
1. The Board should meet at least once a month. The meeting date, time and location will be determined by the President. Attendance shall be excused if notice of the meeting is not given to and received by Board members at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the meeting.

2. Board meetings shall have a time limit of 2-1/2 hours with a maximum of 15 minutes allowed for the purpose of completing a point under discussion. This section may be waived by 2/3 majority vote of the Board members in attendance.

3. A majority of Board members shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of the President and Vice President, the Corresponding Secretary shall assume the chair.

4. If there is less than a quorum present at any meeting of the Board, the majority of members present may adjourn the meeting. Any business which must have been transacted at the meeting can be rescheduled.

ARTICLE VIII: DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1. PRESIDENT - The President shall be the Chief Executive of the organization and as such shall preside over all meetings of the general membership of the organization and unless excused by virtue of the “No Vote Proviso,” he or she may vote only to break a tie. The President shall decide all questions on order, appoint all committees, unless otherwise ordered, and he or she shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. He or she will also serve as Q.C.O. Assistant Co-Director (as described in Article VIII, #12). Anyone running for this position must have at least 2 years verifiable Board experience.

2. VICE PRESIDENT - The Vice President, working with the President, shall perform, direct and/or coordinate all general public relations for the Association and its functions. He or she will also be responsible for scheduling all SODA matches. The Vice President will assume all of the duties of the President in the event of the President’s resignation or unavailability, and will also assist other officers as needed.

3. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY - The Corresponding Secretary will keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board and/or the General Membership meetings of the Association, and shall distribute all meeting notices to the general membership. In addition, the Secretary will be responsible for maintaining and keeping a current list of all members of the Association. The Secretary will also have charge of such books, papers and documents as the Board may direct, and after terminating his or her office, he or she will turn over said materials to his or her successor. In general, he or she shall perform all duties incident to the office of Corresponding Secretary, subject at ALL times to the direction and control of the Board and/or the President.

4. TREASURER - The Treasurer will receive all moneys paid to the Association, subject to the Board’s direction otherwise, and shall have custody of the accounts and books of the Association. All moneys received by the Treasurer shall be promptly deposited in the Association’s accounts. The Treasurer will keep complete and accurate records of the moneys received and expenditures made by the Association, (all checks issued by SODA must be signed by two (2) Board members) and shall be prepared to make a current report on the Association’s account at each regularly scheduled meeting of the Board and or General Membership. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the development and coordination of a budget for the Association and its projected functions. The budget shall be subject to the approval of the Board. The Treasurer shall generally perform all other duties which are incident to the office of Treasurer, and/or President. At the expiration of his or her term of office, the Treasurer will turn over all pertinent books and papers to his or her successor. Anyone running for this position must have at least 2 years verifiable Board experience.

5. RECORDING SECRETARY - The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for the reporting and compilation of weekly results. Upon the authority of the President or the Vice President, he or she shall publish announcements of special tournaments being held by sponsoring establishments, provided such tournaments do not conflict with SODA matches or events following matches. Basic computer skills are needed for this position and he or she is responsible for arranging the housing and maintenance of all equipment owned by SODA. This includes holding insurance for the housing of the equipment. Anyone running for this position must have at least 2 years verifiable Board experience.

6. PLAYING CONDITIONS SUPERVISOR - The Playing Conditions Supervisor will evaluate the playing conditions, lighting and clientele of all members’ bars, and report back to the Board. He or she is responsible for checking out all complaints about playing conditions. These duties are subject at all times to the direction and control of the Board and/or the President.

7. SERGEANT AT ARMS – He or she shall assist in the administrative policy and provide and enforce all penalties for infractions committed by members of SODA. He or she shall be responsible for order at all times and at all General Membership meetings.

8. BAR REPRESENTATIVE – He or she shall represent the interests of member bars at all Board meetings and other Association functions. This Board position can only be nominated by a member bar owner or his/her representative.

9. THREE MEMBERS AT LARGE - Together with the Board of Directors, the three Board members shall have and exercise a general supervision of the affairs of the Association, and shall manage and control its properties and effects.

10. Should both the President and the Vice President take leave of office, the next senior officer of the Board shall assume the duties of the President with the provision that he or she shall call for a general election within 30 days of their leaving office.

11. NO VOTE PROVISO - No Board member may vote on matters pertaining to the team on which he or she is playing. The President may vote only to break a tie vote.

12. Q.C.O. ASSISTANT CO-DIRECTOR - The President of SODA will assume the title of Assistant Co-Director of The Queen City Open. He or she will have final approval and sign all contracts involved in the organization of the Tournament. No financial responsibility will be accepted without the SODA President’s signature. He or she (or a representative from the SODA Board of Directors approved by a majority of the SODA Executive Board) will be present at all meetings of the Tournament Committee. He or she or SODA, will be notified of all meetings and actions taken by the Queen City Open Tournament Committee. If the President of SODA is unable to represent SODA in the role of Assistant Co-Director of the Tournament, a representative will be appointed by the SODA Executive Board.

14. DIVISIONAL REPRESENTATIVE - Voluntary position held by an approved SODA member. He or she is responsible for an accurate review of all members, scores and trophy shots pertinent to his or her assigned division.

ARTICLE IX: APPOINTED POSITIONS
1. ADO REPRESENTATIVE – He or she handles all correspondence and communication with the American Darting Organization and will vote at all Board of Directors’ meetings on only ADO issues and will run all ADO events. This position will be appointed by a majority of the Board of Directors. The appointment and duration of the office shall be determined by the majority of the Board.

2. OTHER POSITIONS - Shall be made for special occurrences and he or she may vote at Board of Director meetings only on that topic for which they have been appointed. Appointments and duration of office shall be determined by the majority of the Board.

ARTICLE X: MEETINGS
1. BOARD MEETINGS - Board meetings shall be comprised of Board members and appointed positions and shall be subject to the provisions set forth in Article VII. Attendance is open to all members.

2. MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS - General Membership meetings will be open to all members of SODA. At least one member from each team must be present at the meetings. There will be a minimum of two (2) General Membership meetings per year. In the event a team is not represented at the meeting by its members, the Board may penalize the team, provided all team captains have been notified one week prior to the meeting. Each team will have one vote.

3. CAPTAINS’ MEETINGS – Captains’ meetings will be open to all team captains or acting team captains. Attendance is mandatory. Each team will have one vote.

4. Unless otherwise specified, all meetings shall be called at the discretion of the Board.

5. Unless otherwise specified, meeting announcements must be published at least one week in advance of the meeting.

ARTICLE XI: RECALL OR REMOVAL OF BOARD OFFICERS
1. Any Board member may be removed from office by a majority vote of the entire Board at any Board meeting for reasons deemed acceptable by the Board.

2. Any Board member has the right to appeal such recall action. Appeals must be in writing and received by the Corresponding Secretary via Registered Mail no later than 30 days after the Board’s recall ruling. Ballots will be submitted to the entire membership, giving both sides or parties an opportunity to express their views, and 51% of the returned ballots are needed to ratify recall. There can be no further appeal.

3. Any member being displeased with any Board member may file a petition to recall, which will consist of the following:
a. A petition signed by 25% of the team captains.
b. The name of the officer and the position must be stated.
c. The reason for the recall must be stated.
d. The petition must be accompanied by a $25.00 deposit.
e. Ballots will be submitted to the entire membership giving both sides or parties an opportunity to express their views. 
f. 51% of the returned ballots are needed to ratify a recall.
g. If the recall is ratified, the $25.00 deposit will be refunded.
h. If recall is not ratified, SODA will deposit the $25.00 into the SODA account.

4. In the event a Board member is absent from three consecutive Board meetings without “Good Reason” accepted by the majority of the Board, he or she shall be removed from office as a Board Member and shall be replaced per Article VI, #3.

5. Should the President be recalled and appeal his case, his or her duties shall be assumed by the Vice President from the date of petition or until the final determination is made by the Board. In the absence of the Vice President, his or her duties will be assumed by the Corresponding Secretary.

6. Any Board member who is recalled or removed from office will not be eligible for office for a period of two (2) years from the date of recall.

ARTICLE XII: ELECTIONS
1. A General Membership meeting will be held no later than two weeks before the end of the spring season for the purpose of nominating Board Officers.

2. Ballots will be distributed to all members present at the annual Banquet.

3. Ballots will be collected and a non-partisan committee will tabulate the results, which will be announced following tabulation.

ARTICLE XIII: GENERAL
1. These by-laws may be amended by a majority of the Board at a meeting called especially for this purpose; and as for all legislation proposed by the Board, a majority vote of all members in attendance at a General Membership meeting is required.

2. Rules and regulations to supplement these by-laws will be devised for the purpose of clarity and uniformity. Any additions, deletions or changes may be made according to the provisions set forth in #1 of this Article.

3. The order of business and/or procedures of any Board meeting or election meeting called, or any subject not covered by these by-laws or noted Board minutes, shall be subject to “Robert’s Rules of Order Revised.” However, should these be in conflict with the by-laws and/or “Robert’s Rules,” the by-laws shall prevail.

ARTICLE XIV: CONTRACTS & AGREEMENTS
1. The Board shall have sole authority to enter into contracts and agreements in the name of SODA. Such contracts and agreements must bear the signature of the President in order to make such contracts or agreements binding upon SODA.

ARTICLE XV: POLICY
1. Policy changes and temporary rulings, as approved by a simple majority vote of the Board members, and general information, will be in the form of announcements issued by SODA. These policy changes and temporary rulings will be in force immediately upon their receipt by all Board members, individual members, and associate members.

2. It is the responsibility of all Board members, individual members and associate members to read any announcements issued by SODA. 

3. It is the responsibility of each team captain to relay the information contained in the aforementioned announcement to the team members whom he or she represents.

4. In the interest of promoting good sportsmanship as a prevailing attitude in darts and generally to present darts in a positive light, the Board reserves the right to revoke recognition of any player who has violated the standards of good sportsmanship while participating in any league or tournament play. Rights of appeal are preserved.

ARTICLE XVI: INDEMNIFICATION
In the event any claim or suit is brought against a Board member for any action taken as a Board member, the Corporation will indemnify the Board member and pay for all damages, including his or her attorney’s fees.



19 August, 2010