Bylaws for Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball League

Article I – Description and Location

Section 1 –     This document and its content is the sole property of Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball.  Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball League is a charter member of the Babe Ruth League, Incorporated.  Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball League here after referred to as “the League” and also referenced as NBYB (Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball).  These names and phrases are completely interchangeable throughout this document and any other document originated and approved by the League board members.  Any use of the terms: “the League” or NBYB when referring to Cal Ripken Baseball or Babe Ruth Baseball without prior approval of the board is not authorized.

Section 2 –     Rules: The League conducts play in accordance with current Cal Ripken Division Baseball Rules and Regulations, Babe Ruth League, Inc. Baseball Rules and Regulations and Official Playing Rules, current Major League Baseball Rules and Regulations, and current Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball Rules and Regulations.  All members are encouraged to review and become familiar with these rules and regulations in an effort to support fair play and proper baseball etiquette.

Section 3 –     The League resides in District 2 of South Washington Cal Ripken League and District 2 of South Washington Babe Ruth League.  League district consist of the following schools:

Bethel School District – Roy Elementary

Eatonville School District – Columbia Crest Elementary, Eatonville Elementary, and Weyerhaeuser Elementary

Rainier School District – Rainier Elementary, Rainier Middle School

Yelm School District – Fort Stevens Elementary, Lackamas Elementary, McKenna Elementary, Mill Pond Elementary, Prairie Elementary, Southworth Elementary, Ridgeline Middle School, and Yelm Middle School

Section 4 –     The principle office is with the President of the League.

Mailing Address:

Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball League

P.O. Box 1691

Yelm, Washington 98597

Web Address:

www.nisquallybasinyouthbaseball.com

Section 5 –     The League shall continue to remain in existence and operate until further notice or unless modified by the board of directors or Babe Ruth League and its affiliates.

Article II –Nature of Organization

Section 1 –     The League is organized exclusively for educational purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Section 2 –    The League shall have no capital stock and therefore no shares shall be issued.

Section 2 –     The number of memberships of the League shall be fixed by the board members.

Section 3 –     The League shall operate exclusively as a Non-profit Organization and no member shall be entitled to receive any dividends or compensation for their participation.

Article III – Missions and Goals

Section 1 –     The mission of the League is to teach baseball fundamentals, teamwork, and good sportsmanship to youth.

Section 2 –     The goals of this organization are to promote fair play and sportsmanship through beneficial team and league play, to develop skills in baseball and team spirit, to provide a respect for the game, to develop self-control, develop a good relationship with the local community, and to foster a sense of responsibility with an opportunity to achieve success while having fun.

Section 3 –     The League shall provide and encourage any youth meeting the age and residency requirements and determined to be eligible to compete within the League, as established by the Babe Ruth Organization and these Bylaws, an opportunity to compete in organized league play.

Section 4 –     The league and associated members shall provide equal opportunity for every youth regardless of race, color, gender, religion, or disability within the League’s geographical region covered within these Bylaws and who are within the age group approved by the Babe Ruth League.

Section 5 –     The League shall instill in the youth and the community the goals of good sportsmanship, loyalty, courage, honesty, respect for authority, and a sense of fair play for both league play and in all activities.

Section 6 –     In order to achieve these objectives, the League will provide a supervised program of competitive baseball under all applicable rules.  Members of the Board, Officers, and Coaches shall keep in mind that promoting athletic skills and winning is secondary to instilling a valued leadership goal.

Article IV – Organizational Structure

Section 1 –     The League shall be made up of a Board, Managers, Coaches, Parents, Players, and Volunteers.

Section 2 –     The League assembles teams in 6 separate divisions for players between the ages of 4 years old through 18 years old.  Age shall be determined in accordance with the Babe Ruth League Inc. Rule book.

Section 3 –     Each team shall consist of a Manager, two Coaches, a Score Keeper, and a Team Coordinator all registered with the league.

Section 4 –     The 6 separate divisions are; T-ball, Coach Pitch, Rookies, Minors, Majors, and Babe Ruth

Section 5 –     Player: any youth meeting the requirements to be a member of the League.  A Player shall participate in practices, games, and other team activities.  Failure to participate may result in removal from the team in order to make room for other youths wishing to participate.

Section 6 –     Active Parent(s): those parent(s) who have paid their dues for League participation for their Player(s) and shall be responsible for:

I.       Ensuring player is at the game and practices on time.

II.     Assisting team coaches and managers as necessary.

III.    Being present during the game.

Article V –Powers and Responsibilities of the Board

Section 1 –     All board members shall set a good example both morally and in the community by following local and State laws, abstaining from alcoholic consumption during League functions where children are present, abstaining from tobacco usage during League functions where children are present, and promoting good citizenship at all times.

Section 2 –     The Board shall have the power to set and levy player fees, set and levy sponsor fees, and set and levy fees for advertising.  These fees shall be used to operate the League throughout each season.

Section 3 –     The Board shall have the power to operate the League throughout each season using the fees described in Article V, Section 2.

Section 4 –     The Board shall have the freedom to make rules as long as the new rules do not conflict or violate the Babe Ruth League Rules.

Section 5 –     Board members shall present requests for expenditures to a quorum (at least 4 board members) of the board for approval.  All requests must contain at least three supplier sources unless approved for less by two-thirds majority of the Board members present.

Section 6 –     Board members shall have the authority to rule on any actions pertaining to League operation, conduct, and functions.

Section 7 –     Board members shall have the authority to suspend, remove, or replace any member not adhering to the rules established by these Bylaws and the rules established by the Cal Ripken Organization Inc.  This vote shall be by two-thirds majority of Board members present.

Section 8 –     No funds shall be distributed to players or teams without prior approval of the board.

Article VI – Board Organization

Section 1 –     The Board shall consist of an Executive Board and Regular Board Members. The following positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer will serve as the Executive Board The following positions: Equipment Manager, Fund Raiser, Event Coordinator, Umpire-in-Chief, Babe Ruth Division Representative, Majors Division Representative, Minors Division Representative, Rookies Division Representative, Coach Pitch Division Representative, Tee Ball Division Representative, and Uniform Manager / Logo Wear will serve as Regular Board Members.  The Board may also assign any such other positions as deemed necessary by the board.

Section 2 –     New Board positions shall be voted in by the sitting Board members.  Terms of Office for Board positions are 2 years.  For the purpose of these Bylaws, a year shall be from 01 November through 31 October of the following year.  At the end of a member’s second year term, they may be re-nominated and fill the position for another 2-year term.  There is no maximum number of terms a member may serve.

Section 3 –     The President of the League shall be responsible for conducting all meetings and business operations pertaining to League functions.  In the absence of the President the board hierarchy is as follows:

1.     President

2.     Vice President

3.     Secretary

4.     Treasurer

5.     Umpire-in-Chief

6.     Babe Ruth Division Representative

7.     Majors Division Representative

8.     Minors Division Representative

9.     Rookies Division Representative

10.  Coach Pitch Division Representative

11.  Tee Ball Division Representative

12.  Equipment Manager

13.  Fund Raiser

14.  Event Coordinator

15.  Uniform Manager / Logo Wear

Section 4 –     All members of the board with the exception of the President shall have one vote that can be cast only when the member is present at meeting either in person, via web-ex, or by conference call.  Meeting votes shall consist of at least 4 board members with approval by majority unless otherwise stated elsewhere in this document.  The President shall only cast a vote to break a tie.  Tie votes are not allowed as a resolution.

Section 5 –     In the event of a vacancy occurring due to death, resignation, or other circumstance, the board may convene and elect a replacement for the vacated position.  The term of replacement shall continue for the remainder of the term.

Section 6 –     The President of the League shall call all meetings of the Board.  Meetings may also be called at any time by three members of the board, to include the Vice President, when a written request is submitted to the Board.  Notices of meetings shall be presented to Board Members with significant time to respond and/or acknowledge receipt of a meeting’s time and location.

Article VII – Description of Board Member Duties

Section 1 –     The President shall set the location of the League within the district assigned by the State Commissioner.  The President shall set meeting locations and times and shall preside over all meetings and functions of the League.  The President may change the time and place of the meeting provided all board members have been given 48 hours advanced notice.  The President shall provide general supervision, direction, and management of all the League’s affairs.  The President shall sign in conjunction with the Secretary all deeds or contracts on behalf of the League.  The President shall set goals and direction of the League in order to adhere to the scopes of Articles II, III, and IV.  The President shall sign player rosters and submit to Babe Ruth League, Incorporated pursuant to Babe Ruth League rules.  The President shall ensure League is charted and insured in accordance with Babe Ruth League, Incorporated guidelines.  The President shall decide all protests only after receiving protest information and applicable rules from Umpire-in-Chief and respective Division Representative.  The President shall write all documents pertaining to league functions.  Documents shall be approved by the Board.  The President shall meet with local community officials to secure field usage.  Plan of field usage shall be presented to board for approval.  The President shall ensure all fields are accessible for league usage on league reserved days and at reserved time slot.  The President shall obtain any key needed for field access.

Section 2 –     The Vice-President, in the absence of the President shall perform the duties of the President.  If the Office of President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall assume the duties of the President and act as such for the remainder of the term for which the duly elected President was serving.  In case such contingency arises, the board shall, by majority vote, elect one of its members as Vice President to serve until the end of the current term.  The Vice President shall preside as Master-at-Arms at all board functions.  The Vice President shall assemble schedule for all league games, events, and functions.  Schedule shall be presented to board for approval.  Functions such as Season Ending Tournament weekend shall have detailed schedule of all events that will occur during the length of the event. Vice President shall enter schedules on league web site upon approval. The Vice President shall enter schedule for umpires on web site.

Section 3 –     The Secretary shall keep full and correct minutes of all meetings of the board and shall attend to all correspondence.  The seal of the corporation shall be in the Secretary’s custody and the Secretary shall affix the seal where required.  The Secretary shall sign in conjunction with the President all deeds or contracts on behalf of the corporation.  The Secretary shall keep records of all board members attendance at meetings and functions, date each member was voted into office, and current term length of each member.

Section 4 –     The Treasurer shall have charge of all moneys of the corporation and shall ensure that accurate accounts of all receipts are kept.  The Treasurer shall monitor and collect mail at Leagues post office box.  The Treasurer shall verify all statements and warrants.  The Treasurer shall continually scrutinize the cash flow and observe the budget.  The Treasurer shall present a full report showing the financial condition of the corporation when requested by the President.  The full report shall show at a minimum the follow items: assets (both monetary and physical), debts, future distributions, receivables, and payables.

Section 5 –     The Umpire-in-Chief shall ensure that Umpires are hired for all Babe Ruth, Majors, and Minors games.  Contract for Umpires Association shall be presented to League for approval.  The Umpire-in-Chief shall assemble umpire schedule for Babe Ruth, Majors, and Minors games  The Umpire-in-Chief shall work with all Division Representatives to ensure each division is adhering to proper rules and regulations for game play.  The Umpire-in-Chief shall work with respective Division Representative concerning game protest(s).  The Umpire-in-Chief shall be the reviewing authority for all umpire disputes or inquiries.  The Umpire-in-Chief shall report, in writing, any violations, discrepancies, or situations involving members, players, parents, coaches, or spectators involving umpire conduct or misconduct.

Section 6 –     All Division Representatives shall comply with all requirements of this paragraph.  Division Representatives shall ensure all Managers and Coaches are informed of local League rules and that Managers and Coaches are adhering to all Babe Ruth League Rules and local League rules.  All Division Representatives shall receive all protests from Managers and Coaches.  All Division Representatives shall work with Umpire-in-Chief to assemble report of incident and present report to the President.  All Division Representatives shall actively recruit Managers and Coaches for their respective division.  Potential Managers and Coaches names shall be presented to board for approval.  All Division Representatives shall assemble roster for all teams in all seasons using the web tools available on the League’s web site.  All Division Representatives shall present roster to Board for approval prior to President’s signature.  Once rosters are approved they will be delivered to President for signature and delivery to Babe Ruth League, Incorporated.

Section 7 –     The Equipment Manager shall be responsible for repair and purchase of equipment, inventory of equipment, issuance and return of equipment.  The Equipment Manager shall be responsible for inventory, issuance, and return of keys.  Equipment Manager shall manage locker combinations so that combinations are changed between each new season.  The Equipment Manager shall ensure all equipment used for field preparation is in good working condition and is located in remote storage areas.  Equipment Manager will ensure that all field lockers are stocked with line chalk.

Section 8 –     The Fund Raiser shall solicit donations from local businesses, vendors, and private individuals.  The Fund Raiser shall ensure advertisements and banners are properly located at fields and at events.  The Fund Raiser shall organize and manage all fund events such as the Hit-a-thon, Candy sales, Car Washes, Parents night out, or what other activity deemed necessary for raising funds for the League.  All activities must be approved by the board.

Section 9 –     The Event Coordinator shall organize all concession activities, ensure concession schedule is made and posted, and ensure concession stand(s) are well stocked.

Section 10 –   The Uniform Manager / Logo Wear shall assemble uniform order for all teams and contact suppliers for bid.  Bids shall be presented to board for selection and approval. The Uniform Manager / Logo Wear shall purchase Logo Wear for fund raising purposes and shall actively solicit parents and fans.  All purchases for resale shall be submitted to board for approval.

Article VIII – Team Management

Section 1 –     All Managers and Coaches shall possess a Babe Ruth Coaches Certificate unless approved by the Board to coach without a certificate.

Section 2 –     All Managers and Coaches shall follow all rules and regulations in the Babe Ruth League Rule book, in the League Standard Operating Procedure, and division rules written by Division Representative and approved by the board.  Managers and Coaches are responsible for reading and understanding all rules and regulations issued by the board.

Section 3 –     Managers must be at least 21 years of age.  With Board approval, Coaches may be under 21 years of age, but may never be left in charge of team players without Manager Supervision.

Article IX – League Emblems and Seals

Section 1 –     The following emblem is the seal of the League and is used for arm patch and shows up on League documents.

Article X – Amendment or Repel of Bylaws

Section 1 –     These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of all voting members of Nisqually Basin Youth Baseball present at the stated meeting, provided members have been given 48 hours’ notice of the place and time for the meeting.

Article XI – Dissolution

Section 1 –     Upon the dissolution of this organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.

Last Revised July 18, 2017