Bylaws

Name

1. The name of this organization shall be the Metropolitan Senior Women’s Soccer League hereinafter referred to as “The League”.

Objectives

1. The objective of the League shall be as stated in our memorandum of association: The expressed league philosophy is that the League is dedicated to promoting women’s soccer at a level that balances sporting behaviour with healthy competition. The league encourages and expects all members to support this philosophy through their interactions with opponents, coaches, officials, and all other members of the league. In addition, the league operations will be to provide competitions at the Senior Women’s AA, A, B, C, and U21   tier levels under the guidelines of Soccer Nova Scotia.  One of the express purposes of the league is to select teams to represent the league at the annual senior Soccer Nova Scotia provincial championships.

Head Office and Fiscal Year

1. The Association shall be incorporated under the Societies Act for Non-Profit Organizations with its Head office in the Halifax Regional Municipality in the Province of Nova Scotia.
2. The fiscal year of the Association shall be the one-year period ending on October 31st.

Status Of League

1. It is expressly recognized that these Bylaws and any amendments thereto are to be established by the membership of the League.

Organization

1. The League shall be composed of members, as herein set out, and shall be managed by the Executive constituted as stated in these Bylaws.

Membership

1. The membership shall be composed of:
   1. all women’s senior teams formed by Soccer Nova Scotia registered players for the purpose of participating in the League organized by division, duly registered and in good standing with the Metropolitan Senior Women’s Soccer League as well as belonging to a club in good standing with Soccer Nova Scotia;
2. associated members who are individuals not affiliated with any team but who desire to assist the League in obtaining its objectives. Any new team coming into the league shall not be allowed to contain more than three (3) players from an existing League team, in good standing, if the existing team will be playing in the league in the upcoming season.
3. Any new team based outside the borders of HRM must either provide a home field for games playable on a weekend or be able to provide a field on a week night that supplies artificial light. If neither are possible, a home field must be made available by that team, at a halfway point between Halifax and the community where the team is based, for home games if scheduled on a week night.
4. A member in good standing is one that:
   1. has met the registration documentation requirements of the League;
   2. has remitted the stated fees to the League in accordance with registration requirements;
   3. is a team that attends their scheduled games, with sufficient number of players to participate in the game;
   4. conducts themselves in a manner that supports the League, its Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, and the League philosophy.
5. A member ceases to be a member if they:
   1. are no longer registered with the League;
   2. are determined to be not in good standing with the League based upon a review by the executive;
   3. resigns their associate membership.

Membership Fees

1. Annual fees are as follows:
   1. for members (teams), are those fees charged by the League to cover participation costs for the season;
   2. for associated members, the annual fee is established by a majority of delegates present and entitled to vote at an Annual General meeting of the League.
2. Annual fees shall be paid in the following manner:
   1. on terms arrived at the previous Annual General Meeting, all fees must be paid in full on the agreed registration date;
   2. associate members must have their annual fees paid in full by June 1st.

Annual General Meeting

1. The Annual General Meeting of the League shall be held no later than two (2) months following the completion of the outdoor season but no later than November 30th.
2. All members shall receive via email, fourteen (14) days notice of the time and location of the Annual General Meeting.
3. Order of business for the Annual General Meetings:
   1. Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
   2. President’s address
   3. Officer’s reports
   4. Treasurer’s report, Financial Statement & Budget
   5. Other reports
   6. Unfinished business
   7. Amendments of the Constitution
   8. Election of Officers & Directors
   9. Any other business
   10. Adjournment
4. The Chairperson may, at their discretion, introduce any special business for discussion after the approval of the minutes.

Special General Meeting

1. A Special General Meeting may be called by the Executive by its own motion.
2. All members shall receive via email, fourteen (14) days notice of the date, time and location of any Special General Meeting and only business for which the meeting has been called will be dealt with.

Rules Of Order

1. All meetings of the League shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order insofar as they apply.

Presiding Officer

1. The President at all General Meetings of the League, and in the absence of the President the Vice-President, shall take the chair.
2. The absence of both those Officers shall require the selection, by the Executive Committee of a pro-tem Presiding Officer.

 Quorum

1. Twenty-five (25%) of the membership shall constitute a quorum at all General Meetings.

 Voting

1. Those who shall be qualified to vote and to take part at General Meetings of the League shall be delegated accredited by members (teams) who are in good standing. Each member (team) may accredit one (1) delegate to represent that team at General Meetings. Votes may only be cast by accredited delegates in attendance at the meeting. Accredited delegates have one (1) vote; however, they may cast up to four (4) proxy votes representing teams in good standing with the League, providing the delegate forwards to the League forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting a permission letter from the affected team allowing the team’s vote to be cast by proxy by a named delegate. The permission letter shall be signed by the authorized representative of the team wishing for its vote to be cast by proxy. Emails and Fax copies will be accepted as a form of authorization.  For decisions specific to a particular tier division (AA, A, B, C, U21), only those delegates for teams participating in the tier category, who are in good standing, will be eligible to vote on the motion.
2. At all meetings of the League, voting shall be by show of hands unless a poll is requested. Decisions shall be reached by a simple majority unless otherwise required by the bylaws of the League.
3. If a poll is required, appointed scrutineers shall total the votes and report same to the Presiding Officer, who shall announce the results to the Assembly for the record.
4. The President shall have a casting vote only in the event of a tie vote.
5. Members of the League’s Board of Directors may sit as voting delegates at General meetings.

Board of Directors

1. The operation of the League shall be governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of the Executive, Senior AA Representative, Senior A Representative, Senior B Representative, Senior C Representative, U21 Representative, and any other members appointed by the League membership. The Executive shall be determined at the League’s Annual General Meetings.   If the league does not have operations at a particular tier level in any given year, the Representative position for that tier will remain vacant.
2. The management of the activities of the League shall be vested in the Board who, in addition to the powers and authorities of these bylaws expressly conferred upon them, may exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the League as specified in the rules and regulations and are not hereby or by Statute expressly directed or required to be exercised or done by the League by General Meeting. The Board may appoint committees or other persons as deemed necessary without cost to the League.
3. The Board may, within the financial and other resources available, authorize other minor expenditures not specifically provided for in the annual Budget, not to exceed in the aggregate 3% of the annual team registration fees collected. Under no circumstances may the Board or Executive commit to the expenditure of funds that will increase annual fees without the express consent of the membership.

Duties of Directors

1. The duties of individual Directors shall be assigned by the President, subject to the approval of the Board.

Term of Office

1. The Executive shall hold office on the Board for two years from the date of appointment in accordance with Bylaw 26. Other directors shall hold office on the Board for a term to be determined by the League membership.

League Executive

1. The Executive shall consist of the following officers:
   1. President
   2. Vice- President
   3. Treasurer
   4. Secretary
   5. Registrar
2. The duties of the Executive shall include the responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the League within the framework of the full authority of approved policies of the League and in conjunction with the approved recommendation(s) of the League Committees. Furthermore, the Executive shall refer all matters which constitute major departures from established practice or precedent, to the Board for approval. The Executive shall carry out all functions, in addition to those enumerated herein, as provided in the bylaws.
3. The Board may appoint a temporary substitute for the Secretary who shall, for the purpose of these bylaws, be deemed to be secretary, but may not vote.

Duties of Officers

1. The President
   1. shall preside at all General, Board, and Executive meetings of the League and shall have no vote except in the case of a tie vote. The President may then cast the deciding vote;
   2. shall be ex-officio member of all committees of the League, standing and ad-hoc, except the Nominating Committee;
   3. shall be the chief executive officer of the League and shall have the responsibility for the general supervision of all activities of the League;
   4. may delegate some of their responsibilities, including financial signing authority to other members of the Executive Committee on approval of the Board of Directors.
2. The Vice-President
   1. in the absence of the President, the duties of the office shall be carried out by the Vice-President;
   2. shall be assigned other duties by the President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
3. The Secretary
   1. shall take minutes of all general Board and Executive meetings of the League, and distribute same among all parties concerned within a reasonable time;
   2. shall be responsible for all correspondence, records, filing reports and of the documents required by the League in its daily operations;
   3. shall notify all concerned parties of all General and Board meetings, and of decisions on matters of applications of acceptance and discipline;
   4. shall provide the League with a directory within a reasonable time prior to the commencement of the regular playing season;
   5. will perform other routine work including the issuance of all notices referred to in the bylaws, unless otherwise specified;
   6. will retain the minutes of proceedings of meetings of the League and other records as necessary.
4. Treasurer
   1. shall deposit all monies of the League in a recognized financial institution covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Act and approved by the Board and shall keep all financial records and books of the League;
   2. will advise and assist the Directors and Officers of the League and approved of the procedures to follow when handling finance matters and will be responsible for receiving all monies and dues and to pay all expenses of the League. The Treasurer will be responsible for the safe keeping of the financial assets of the League;
   3. shall produce all financial statements as required and/or upon request of the Executive and/or Board of Directors of the League. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual report, an annual budget with proposed fees to be submitted to the Board prior to the Annual General Meeting of the League;
   4. shall execute contracts, deeds, bills of exchange and other instruments and documents as approved by the majority of the membership.
5. Registrar
   1. Shall confirm the registration of each member team in its particular tier category.
   2. Monitor member team’s rosters throughout the playing season to ensure all participants in league competitions are eligible as defined by the League’s Code of Conduct.
   3. Report to the Board of Directors and Discipline Chair any eligibility issues identified.
   4. Ensure all game results are updated properly on the League’s website

 Committees

1. Standing Committees
   1. There shall be a minimum of four (4) standing committees to provide specialized input into the following area of concern to the executive and Board of Directors
      1. Discipline
      2. Playing Fields
      3. Constitution
      4. Finance
   2. Each standing committee shall have a Chairperson duly appointed by the Board of Directors. The number and composition of each standing committee shall be prescribed by the Board of Directors annually. Chairpersons shall normally be selected from within the Board of Directors preferably from those who do not hold executive office. The other members of the standing committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors from the general membership of the League with representation from all League divisions to the extent possible
2. Standing Committee on Bylaws
   1. It shall be the duty of this committee to be responsible for all matters relating to the Bylaws and for amendments thereto.
   2. This committee shall also receive and review all resolutions submitted to the League and present them to the membership at the Annual General Meeting
3. Standing Committee on Finance
   1. It shall be the duty of this committee to oversee the fiscal affairs of the League.
   2. The Treasurer shall be the Chairperson of this committee
4. Other committees
   1. The league may constitute such other committees as it deems necessary to ensure the efficient administration of its affairs
5. Ad Hoc Committees
   1. The President shall be empowered, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, to establish ad hoc committees to report on issues which in the opinion of the Executive require examination. Such committees shall be duly constituted at the discretion of the Board and for a duration sufficient to enable a report to be submitted.

 Restrictions

1. Each member of the Board of Directors shall have only one (1) vote at Board meetings, regardless of the number of positions held.
2. No member of the Board of Directors or Executive is empowered to borrow money in the name of the League without approval by a majority of the membership.

Meetings of the Board of Directors

1. The Board of Directors shall meet not less than four (4) times per year.

 Vacancies

1. The office of a member of the Board of Directors shall be vacated:
   1. upon resignation in writing
   2. if the member becomes of unsound mind or otherwise incapable of performing duties of their position
   3. if the member absents them self from two (2) consecutive meetings of the Board without satisfactory reason
   4. if the member is removed by Resolution of the League for a good and sufficient cause.
   5. the tier category for which the member is a representative does not operate during the playing year.

Laws of the Game

1. The League shall support and maintain the Laws of soccer as set out in the Soccer Nova Scotia Policies & Procedures Manual.

Other Regulations

1. The League may make such miscellaneous Rules and Regulations as may be deemed necessary to govern its affairs.
2. The League may impose such regulatory measures as it deems necessary for the efficient administration of its affairs.
   1. No such regulation may violate the individual’s rights and freedom except as may be required to protect the rights and freedom of any other individual and to ensure the stability of the League.
   2. Amendments to the Rules & Regulations of the League may be made by a majority vote of the Board of Directors and ratified at the next General Meeting. The amended rules and regulations will be implemented immediately if they were approved prior to May 1.

Monies Owing

1. All monies owing the League shall be due and payable on the dates stipulated in the bylaws or rules and regulations.
2. Penalties for late payment or non- payment of monies due shall be established by the Board of Director

Amendments to the Bylaws

1. All proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be forwarded in writing to the League Secretary no later than thirty (30) days prior to the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
2. Copies of proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be sent via email, to all members no less than fourteen (14) days prior to the General Meeting at which they will be considered.
3. Amendments to the Bylaws will require three-quarters (3/4) majority vote of those members present at the General Meeting.

 Seal

1. The seal of the League shall be maintained in the possession of the Head Office of the League, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, therein where the business of the League may from to time be carried out.

Review of Records

1. Each member of the League can review the records of the League (minutes or financial) upon giving three (3) days notice to the holder of such records.