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BYLAWS
FOR
THE FRIENDS OF THE COUGARS ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I
NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1: Name
The name of this Association shall be the Friends of the Cougars Association.
Section 2: Purpose
The purpose of the Friends of the Cougars Association shall be the establishment
of a parents auxiliary for the California Cougars Traveling Hockey Club.
The Association's main objective is funding support to encourage participation
in tournament play and other team-based activities.
This Association shall be non-profit, non-commercial, non-sectarian, and
non-partisan.
ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Regular Member
Any parent or legal guardian of a California Cougar Traveling Hockey Club
participant shall be a regular member in this Association.
Section 2: Voting Member
Each active California Cougar Traveling Hockey Club team may appoint a voting
member to the Association.
ARTICLE III
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1: Composition of the Board
The government of the Friends of the Cougars Association shall be vested
in a Board of Directors as follows:
- Hockey Director
- Six (6) Officers
- A Voting Member for each active traveling club team
- Past President
The officers of the Association shall be: President, Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor and Parliamentarian.
Section 2: Duties of Officers
The Board of Directors shall carry out the Association directives. None
of its deliberations or actions shall conflict with action(s) taken or
decision(s) made by the Association.
The Board of Directors shall transact necessary business during the time
between Association meetings and such other business as may be referred
to it by the Association.
The Board of Directors may authorize payment of routine organizational
bills within the limits of the budget adopted by the Association.
Expenditures not included in the budget that exceed $300 shall be submitted
to the Association for approval.
The Board of Directors shall have the authority to create other chairpersons
and committees as deemed necessary to meet the needs of the Association.
The Board of Directors shall fill all Board vacancies, including that
of the President.
Section 3: Terms of Office
- Each member of the Board of Directors, with the exception of the
Hockey Director and the Past President, shall serve an annual term.
No officer, with the exception of the Hockey Director and Past President,
shall be eligible for the same office for more than two consecutive
terms. Terms of office will commence at the start of the Association's
fiscal year, July 1st, and run through the end of the fiscal
year, June 30th.
- All members of the Association, with the exception of the Hockey
Director, are eligible for any office. The officers of the Board shall
be decided upon at a general meeting of the Association in April of each
year. Appointment of a voting member for each team shall be decided
upon after the player selection process is completed, but no later
than September 30th of each year.
Section 4: Voting
Each member of the Board of Directors and each Voting Member shall have
one vote.
Section 5: Absence from Meetings
Any member of the Board of Directors who is absent from three (3) consecutive
regular meetings of the Association without prior notification to the President
or Secretary may be asked to forfeit his/her office and thereby cease to
be a member of said Board. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board
of Directors is required to remove an officer from his/her elected office.
Section 6: Resignation
Any member of the Board of Directors who finds he/she is unable to perform
his/her duties must notify, either in person or in writing, the Board at
the next regular meeting.
Section 7: Vacancy of Office
A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the remainder of the
term by a person elected by the Board of Directors.
Upon expiration of an officer's term in office, or at an officer's resignation,
the officer shall turn over to his/her successor, without delay, all records,
books, and other materials pertaining to the office; and shall return to
the Treasurer, without delay, all funds pertaining to that office.
ARTICLE IV
DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Section 1: President
The President shall preside at the meetings of the Association and the
Board of Directors and shall oversee the success of all Board activities.
The President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees, except
the Nominating Committee, and shall appoint the chairpersons of committees,
subject to the approval of the elected Board of Directors. The President
shall also act as liaison between the Association and the community-at-large.
Section 2: Vice President
In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall perform the
duties of the office of President, which includes presiding over Board
meetings. The Vice President shall be responsible for planning, coordinating
and reporting of all fundraising committees and activities for the Association.
The planned fundraising activities, as approved in the Association's budget,
shall only be changed or deleted by a plan submitted by the Vice President
to the Board of Directors for approval. The Vice President shall prepare
and submit reports to the Board of Directors at the conclusion of each
fundraiser. A copy of each report will be given to the Secretary for filing.
Section 3: Secretary
The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Association
and the Board of Directors, which shall at all reasonable times be open
to inspection by the members of the Association. The Secretary will also
keep a roll of members of the Board, and be responsible for accurate attendance
records. The Secretary will maintain and provide copies, as needed, for
committee, audit and financial reports. The Secretary will maintain, and
provide copies as needed, of current Association Bylaws and Standing Rules.
He/she shall also conduct all correspondence of the Association and shall
perform such duties as may be provided by the Board of Directors.
Section 4: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall collect and disburse the funds as provided by these
Bylaws. He/she shall keep the account in books belonging to the Association,
which shall at all times be open to the inspection of the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the Association, depositing
such funds into the Association bank accounts; shall keep accurate and
itemized records of all transactions, receipts, and disbursements; and
shall prepare and report the statement of Association accounts at every
Association meeting. A copy of the monthly report shall be given to the
Secretary for filing. The Treasurer shall prepare and provide reports,
as requested by the Board of Directors, for any individual or team account
statements. In conjunction with the Board of Directors, the Treasurer
shall prepare an annual budget, which will be submitted for approval at
the Association meeting in July. The Treasurer shall prepare the annual
report and file the appropriate Association tax returns.
Section 5: Parliamentarian
The Past President shall serve as Parliamentarian at all of the regular
meetings of the Board. The Parliamentarian shall attend all Association
and Board of Directors meetings to provide advice in parliamentary procedure
when required; shall ask for volunteers to serve on the Nominating Committee;
shall serve as chair of the Nominating Committee; and shall call the first
Nominating Committee meeting to provide procedural instructions.
Section 6: Auditor
The auditor shall audit the Association's financial records at the end
of each fiscal year, upon resignation of the Treasurer, or at any time
deemed necessary; and shall render a written report to the Association
on or before the October meeting.
Section 7: Hockey Director
The interests of the Cupertino/San Mateo Cougar Traveling Hockey Club
shall be represented by a senior staff member of the Ice Chalet.
Section 8: Duties of Voting Members
The duties of each voting member include participation at Association
meetings, at which each team will have one vote, and the responsibility
of communication to and from the Association with the parents of the team,
which he/she represents.
ARTICLE V
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1: Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the Parliamentarian. If this
office is vacant, the Board of Directors may appoint a person to serve
as chair of the Nominating Committee. During the month of February, the
President shall appoint a committee of no less than three (3) persons
to seek out nominations for Board of Director positions. No member shall
serve on the Nominating Committee for more than two (2) consecutive years.
The Nominating Committee shall open nominations to the entire Association
membership and actively solicit nominations. By March, the Committee shall
present the slate of candidates for Board offices. Additional officer
nominations may be made from the floor at the election meeting.
The consent of each candidate must be obtained before his/her name is
placed in nomination.
Section 2: Election of Officers
The slate of candidates for the Board of Directors shall be presented
and voted upon by the general membership at the April Association meeting.
Elections shall be by ballot. If there is but one candidate for any office,
the ballot for that office may be dispensed with, and the election made
by voice vote.
Officers of the Association shall be elected by a majority vote of the
members present at the election meeting.
New members will be formally introduced at the first meeting of fiscal
year (July).
ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS
Section 1: Meeting Schedule
The Association shall hold regular meetings on a quarterly basis (July,
October, January, April) on the first Wednesday. These meetings shall be
open to regular members and a permanent record shall be kept on all
proceedings. The final meeting of the year shall be designated as the
Election Meeting.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by
the President, provided however, that written or oral notice be given to
every member of the Board at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of
such meetings.
At all regular and special meetings, four (4) Board members shall constitute
a quorum. All meetings shall be conducted under Robert's Rules of
Order.
Section 2: Voting
Each member of the Board of Directors and each Voting Member shall have
one vote.
Section 3: Actions from the Floor
The privilege of making motions and debating shall be limited to members
of the Board of Directors, the Voting Members, and General Members of the
Association in good standing.
ARTICLE VII
COMMITTEES
Section 1: Formation of Committees
The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, may form such
committees and appoint such chairpersons as he/she may from time to time
deem necessary to fulfill the objectives and purposes of this Association.
The committees may be formed as Standing Committees or as Special Committees.
A Standing Committee is one that has been deemed necessary on an ongoing
basis by the Board of Directors to carry on the work of the Association.
A Special Committee is one that the Board of Directors has deemed necessary
for a finite period of time to meet the needs of the Association.
Section 2: Duties of the Committee Chairperson
Each Standing and Special Committee shall have a Chairperson appointed by
the President, and approved by the Board of Directors.
Each Standing and Special Committee Chairperson's term of office shall be
for one year, or upon completion of the purpose for which the Special Committee
was appointed.
The duties of each Committee Chairperson shall be to present an operating
plan and progress reports to the Board of Directors for approval.
It shall be the responsibility of each Committee Chairperson to
compile and submit an annual report of activities and outcome to
the Secretary at the April Association Meeting to serve as a guideline
for subsequent chairpersons.
Section 3: Vacancy of Position
The Board of Directors may declare a Chairperson's position vacant, if a
Chairperson fails to attend three (3) consecutive meetings without an adequate
excuse. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board of Directors is
required.
Upon expiration of a Chairperson's term, or at a Chairperson's resignation,
the Chairperson shall turn over to his/her successor, without delay, all
records, books, and other materials pertaining to the Committee; and shall
return to the Treasurer, without delay, all funds pertaining to that Committee.
ARTICLE VIII
FUNDS
Section 1: Purpose of Funds
Funds earned or collected by members of the Friends of the Cougars Association
shall remain the property of the Association, and shall be used solely
to meet the Association's obligations in fulfilling the purposes of the
Association.
Section 2: Annual Budget
The Board of Directors shall prepare an annual budget of income and expense,
and submit the budget to the Association for approval at the first Association
meeting of the fiscal year (July).
Each approved budget shall specify a level of support for each active
team. This budget amount shall be equal for all active teams, which have
not been fully underwritten by another source.
Section 3: Signatory Policy
The Board of Directors shall authorize three (3) signators for the Association's
bank account(s).
Signatures of any two of the three authorized signators shall be required
to withdraw bank assets of the Association.
Section 4: Receipt of Funds
Designation of monies raised through each fundraising activity shall be
made prior to the commencement of the fundraising efforts by the Chairperson
and approved by the Board of Directors. Funds can be designated for a
specific team, individual players or to the general fund.
Funds collected through team-based activities, such as the Skate-a-thon,
shall be applied to team-specific accounts managed by the Association,
and as specified in the annual budget. Each designation will represent
the team's specific participation and results.
Funds collected through individual team activities, such as coffee and
bake sales may be directed to team-specific accounts or individual player
accounts managed by the Association.
Funds raised through broad-based activities, such as e-scrip, will be
directed to the general fund, managed by the Association.
Section 5: Disbursement of Funds
Disbursements of funds shall be authorized by a majority vote of the Board
of Directors or Association.
Single expenditures exceeding $300, and not approved in the budget, including
those expenses related to fundraising, shall be approved by the Association.
Disbursements from the general fund will be allocated to the active teams,
without full sponsorship, on an equitable basis as specified in the annual
budget.
Disbursements from team-specific accounts shall be used to cover the specific
team's expenses.
Disbursements from individual accounts shall be used to cover that specific
player's expenses.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
Section 1: Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of
Directors and Voting Members present at any Association meeting, provided
notice has been given at the previous Association meeting, or thirty (30)
days' written notice has been given to the General Members of the Association.
ARTICLE X
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES
Section 1: Parliamentary Authority
"Robert's Rules of Order Revised" shall govern all Association
deliberations.
Section 2: Distribution of Bylaws
At the beginning of an officer's term, the officer shall be given a copy
of these Bylaws, and shall be responsible for making a thorough study
of said Bylaws.
A copy of the Bylaws shall be made available by the Secretary to any Association
member, upon request.
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