BYLAWS AND GOVERNING RULES OF
EAST LIMESTONE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
 
The Board of Directors of the East Limestone Youth Football Association, Incorporated adopts the following Bylaws and Governing Rules with the intent to repeal any other Bylaws and Governing Rules previously adhered to.
 
 
ARTICLE I.  NAME
 
This organization shall be known as EAST LIMESTONE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCATIOIN herein referred to as ELYFA or the League, a non-profit organization showing no discrimination in program services on the basis of age, national origin, race, religion, sex or disability.
 
This corporation is formed to operate exclusively for such educational and not-for-profit charitable purposes and will qualify it as an exempt organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and corresponding provisions of applicable Federal and Alabama tax laws.  Employer Identification Number: 47-5483583
 
 
ARTICLE II.  OBJECTIVE
 
This corporation is formed to operate for the advancement of education and for charitable purposes, by the distribution of its funds (1) to promote academic excellence in school; (2) teach young people basics football and cheerleading; (3) build self-esteem in concert with developing and reinforcing life skills and values of teamwork, commitment, good sportsmanship, fair play and good conduct; and, (4) serve as a ministry to the young people of the East Limestone Community 
 
Educational objectives include activities and reward programs, e.g., letters encouraging academic excellence, academic medallions and other special recognition directed to participants with outstanding achievement in the classroom.
 
This corporation will not carry on propaganda or otherwise attempt to influence legislation, nor will it participate or intervene (by publication or distribution of any statement or otherwise) in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
 
ARTICLE III.  AFFILIATION
 
ELYFA and all teams associated with it will be affiliated with whichever association(s) the board deems is in the best interest of the program.  This decision will be determined annually by a majority vote of the Board Members who are present at a scheduled meeting that satisfies the bylaw requirements listed in Article IV. The organization is bound by the constitution and bylaws of those associations. All players on any team associated with ELYFA must be registered with the appropriate League or organizations as determined by a majority vote of the Board members.
 
ARTICLE IV.  ELYFA BOARD MEMBERS
All Board Members shall be elected to a two-year term of office. In accordance with the election procedures outlined below. Any member may be removed prior to completion of his/her term of office by a two-thirds vote as detailed in Article X of this document.
Board Members
 
A.    President
The President shall be elected in general election in January of every even numbered year (beginning 2018) in accordance with the election procedures.
 The President shall preside over and conduct meetings of the Board Members and shall be responsible, for interpreting and enforcing the Bylaws and the Rules of ELYFA and for supervising the overall program of the League.
Although charged with several responsibilities, the President does not have sole authority to implement any decisions related to league policy, league affiliations, player and or team assignments, or finances.  All of the above mentioned items require a majority vote of the board members and officers present at a called meeting that meets bylaw requirements listed in Article IV.   
The President is responsible for coordinating and promoting league sign-ups.  Once sign-ups are completed the President will then take all the registration forms and organize them in accordance with what preference of league and what division they will be drafted from.  Also, the President will be responsible for ensuring all returning players go back to their returning teams.  Once the information is organized appropriately he/she will provide it to the Board in a timely manner before teams are assigned.
The president or Treasurer will be responsible to ensure that all monies shall be deposited in a federally insured financial institution in the name of this organization.
 
B.     Vice President
 
The Vice Presidents shall be elected in January of every odd numbered year (beginning 2019) in accordance with the election procedures.
 
The Vice Presidents shall have the authorities and responsibilities of the President during his/her absence. The Vice President shares responsibility for keeping the social media sites up-to-date. The Vice President is responsible for ordering equipment and cost estimating for league expenses. The Vice President will work with the Director of Coaches to ensure all equipment is in good condition and all applicable inspections and certifications are up to date. The Vice President is responsible for coordinating security for all home games that ELYFA participates in. 
 
 
C.    Secretary
The Secretary shall be elected in January of every even numbered year (beginning 2018) in accordance with the election procedures.
The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all meetings, handle all correspondence, give notice of meetings, and maintain the files of this league. The Secretary will be responsible for maintaining the league website and will assist with updating social media sites.  The Secretary will also be responsible for keeping and tracking meeting attendance by League Officers and Board Members and will bring to the attention of the board when someone has violated the agreed upon meeting requirements noted in Article IV.
D.    Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be elected in January of every odd numbered year (beginning 2019) in accordance with the election procedures.
The Treasurer shall: Keep records of all financial transactions in a double-entry bookkeeping system using the cash bases accounting method and keep all necessary records to file an annual corporate tax return. All expenditures shall be supported by receipts or statements, and shall be in accordance with the League budget adopted by the Board Members, or as otherwise agreed by the Board Members if off budget. Ensure that all books and vouchers be produced when required by the Board Members, properly balanced according the bank book or statement. Be responsible for preparing any and all papers pursuant to the articles of incorporation and tax exemption and the tax exempt status of this Association. Prepare and submit an annual budget for approval by the Board Members at the annual general meeting in January.
 
 
 
E.     Director of Coaches
The Director of Coaches shall be elected in January of every even numbered year (beginning 2018) in accordance with the election procedures.
The Director of Coaches is responsible for reporting to the President any problems with the equipment or equipment facility.  The Director of Coaches is also responsible for organizing a schedule for distributing equipment to all the teams and for a schedule of returning the equipment at the end of the season.  The Director of Coaches is also responsible to report to the President any issues with the equipment during the off season months. The Director of Coaches will be responsible for keeping the coaches informed on rules, guidelines and events that take place during the season.
F.     Director of Fundraising
The Director of Fundraising shall be elected in January of every even numbered year (beginning 2018) in accordance with the election procedures.
The Director of Fundraising will be responsible for the development, implementation, and sustainment of all fund raising efforts for the league. He/she must communicate with team parents to promote upcoming fundraising programs and is responsible for collecting and accounting for monies acquired as a result of those efforts. The Director of Fundraising shall also be responsible for assisting the board with coordinating team pictures.
G.    Director of Cheer
 
The Director of Cheer shall be elected in January of every odd numbered year (beginning 2019) in accordance with the election procedures.
 
The Director of Cheer is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the cheerleader team assignments, uniform ordering and collecting payment for uniforms.  Registration will be handled through the normal registration process. The Director of Cheer will also be responsible for providing each Cheer Coach with their team’s schedule and football teams Head Coaches name.  Director of Cheer will also be responsible for making sure each coach has their Cheer Coaches information and that the Head Coach is responsible for keeping in constant contact with the Cheer Coach on any schedule changes.
 
H.    Principal and Varsity Football Coaches
 
The Principals of East Limestone High School, Middle School, Creekside Elementary and the Varsity Head Football Coach will be offered positions on the board as “At-Large Members” This is to help build a relationship between all levels of football and schools in the community.  This position will be non-voting positions on the board.
 
 
E.  Board Members Attendance & Voting Rights
 
Any board member who is not physically present for three consecutive meetings or events will lose all voting privileges and can only have their voting privileges reinstated through a majority vote.  Voting privileges may not be used at the same meeting they are reinstated and must wait for the next meeting.  Any Board Member who misses four consecutive meetings or events will immediately be removed from the board and will no longer have any affiliation with ELYFA. 
 
Each member of the Board shall be entitled to one vote.
 
The persons holding voting membership on the Board must be present in order for his/her vote to be cast and counted.
 
The use of internet/phone/text messaging with regard to voting can be utilized only to support minor day-to-day activities.  The president or designee are the only ones who have authorization to call for a vote.  For an internet vote to be considered legally acceptable a majority vote of eligible board members must be achieved.
 
F. Board Member Meetings & Requirements
 
The Board shall meet as frequently as they deem necessary, but not less than every two months. All meetings must be pre-arranged with at least a 48 hour noticed given to all League Officers and Board members.  Any meeting held that does not meet the 48-hour requirement will not be considered an official meeting and the decisions, actions, etc., will not be considered valid.
 
Meeting structures will be as follows:
 
Agenda items will be established. Agenda item requests should be completed and turned into the league secretary no later than three days before a scheduled meeting is to take place.
 
A completed meeting agenda will be compiled by the secretary and sent out at the earliest convenience in order to allow board members to review items and be prepared to discuss as needed.
 
1) Meeting will be brought to order by the President or assignee.
 
2) The previous meeting minutes will be reviewed, discussed, corrections made if needed and then approved (meeting notes and agenda items will be organized and retained for a minimum of 3 years).
 
3) Any old business items will be reviewed and discussed.  If needed or required a motion will be made to vote with second being required.  Before the final vote is taken the President or assignee will ask for any further discussion before the official vote is taken.  Once the vote is taken the outcome will be final and all board members, present or not, are expected to support the final decision no matter what their position was prior to the vote.
 
4) Planned agenda items will then be reviewed and discussed.  If needed or required a motion will be made to vote with second being required.  Before the final vote is taken the President or assignee will ask for any further discussion before the official vote is taken.  Once the vote is taken the outcome will be final and all board members, present or not, are expected to support the final decision no matter what their position was prior to the vote.
 
5) New Business – In every situation possible all items need to be brought forth using the agenda item process form listed above and dealt with at the next scheduled meeting.  The new business slot should be used for critical/emergency situations only.
 
6) Meeting will be closed by the President or assignee
 
Note:  Official meetings will be called by the League secretary or assignee and will be done using email notification.  It is the responsibility of all league Officers and Board members to ensure that the League Secretary has your current email information. 
 
In order for a meeting to be considered a quorum there must be at least 5 voting eligible members present with at least one of those present being either the President or Vice President.  If in the event the secretary is not present at the meeting someone who is must be assigned to record the meeting minutes and make sure that the secretary receives a copy of it.  All votes that will be conducted will be under a simple majority unless it involves monetary decisions that exceed $2,000 or greater then a 2/3’s vote is required. 
 
G.  Board Members Responsibilities
 
The Board Members shall have responsibility to run the league and in pursuing that objective shall have authority to do all appropriate functions which include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
 
A minimum of two (2) board members are required to work each home game.
 
Ensure that work day schedules are followed and the stadium is clean and orderly after use.
 
Ensure that all rules, bylaws, and regulations of ELYFA and the affiliated league of play are followed by all parties involved.
 
Act as an ELYFA representative when dealing with any issue that may arise with a parent, coach or player that requires the interaction of law enforcement. 
 
Directing and supervising the operation and administration of the League.
 
Creating and implementing such policies and procedures as are appropriate to accomplish the purposes of the League.
 
Supervising the financial affairs of the League including: but not limited to; the establishment and approval of appropriate league fees, to provide the necessary financial support for implementation of the league programs, and arranging for an annual internal review or independent audit of league financial records and procedures. Annual expenditures may not exceed annual receipts except as approved by the Board Members. The League shall not distribute profits to members, Officers or Directors shall not engage in any profit-making activity unrelated to ELYFA activities only as allowed by law in accordance with the Leagues Not for Profit election.
 
 
ARTICLE V. GENERAL ELECTIONS
 
Board Member positions shall be voted for in a general election to be held at the Annual General Meeting in January of the odd/even year designated in ARTICLE IV
 
Ballots:
 
General ballot elections will be held at the annual Board Members meeting held in January of each year and will be settled with a simple majority vote. All board positions votes will be done by a voice vote unless it is felt that a concealed paper ballot would be in the best interest of the parties involved.
 
Head Coaches:
 
Head Coaching positions will be applied for on an annual basis in accordance with ELYFA policies and procedures. 
 
The Head Coaches Selection Process will be conducted as follows:
 
1) The Director of Coaching will accept, coordinate, and review all coaching applications and information with the intent of presenting each candidate to the Board of Directors for an up or down vote
 
2) The Board shall consider the following criteria in priority order:
 
A.    Active board member
B. Returning head coach
C. Listed assistant coach
D. New coach with considerable experience
E. Parent of a player
 
The ELYFA Board shall vote to confirm a head coach using the following process:
 
1)      Review all applicants.
2)      Determine if the applicant is in good standing
3)      The board shall vote for two candidates per person.  Once the a determination has been made as to who the top two vote getters are then re-vote will be conducted with board members voting for just one candidate.
 
Assistant Coaches: Assistant coaches will be appointed by the Head Coach.  The Head Coach must supply a list of assistant coaches to the Board after teams have been assigned. Any assistant coach on the list found to not be in good standing will be removed by the Board. 
 
ARTICLE VI.  COACHES AND COACHES RESPONSIBILITIES
 
The coaching staffs are expected to attend the mandatory, designated coaching certification and/or clinics and Association coaches’ meetings when scheduled by the Board. Attendance at the coaching clinics is mandatory in order to be a head coach. An individual can be named an assistant coach without attending the coaching clinic only in extenuating circumstances as approved by the board.
 
Coaching staffs are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that serves to make a positive influence on kids in the program, stressing principles consistent with these Bylaws and in compliance with Association sports ethics policies.  A Board determination of a coach’s failure to act in accordance with these policies constitutes grounds for immediate dismissal and is not subject to appeal or dispute. 
 
Coaching staffs shall:
 
(1) Collect, in a timely manner, the balance of monies owed to the Association for their child or from their team
(2) Conduct recurring meetings with all parents that communicate timely and effective information, schedules, notices of fund-raising activities, season program sales, team photo arrangements, requirements for volunteers needed for home game days, etc.
(3) Establish, distribute to every parent (at the first practice) and uniformly enforce clear and comprehensive written team rules (team letter) which define Association and team expectations/policies and the consequences of participant/parent non-compliances with Association or team requirements
(4)  Return in a timely manner properly filled out Volunteer forms, roster and coaching staff changes/additions/corrections
 (8) Conduct a team party and distribute trophies in a timely manner at the conclusion of the season
(9) Deliver trophies to kids that miss the team party in a timely manner
(10) Aggressively collect in a timely manner Association property, i.e., uniforms, equipment, and coaching gear (coaches bags/blocking shields/training equipment/megaphones/first aid kits/water trays/team record books, etc.). 
NOTE: Failure of a member of the coaching staff to comply with these policies constitutes grounds for the Board to dismiss a head or assistant coach from the program during the season and/or deny the appointment of the offender to a coaching staff.
 
The following additional duties and responsibilities shall be performed either by the head coach or delegated to a member of the coaching staff:
 
       (1) Enforce the Association safety policies
       (2) Be familiar with the ELYFA Board Members/Support Staff and their functions
       (3) Ensure the Team Record Book is kept current, updated and brought to every practice/game
       (4) Establish a communication channel to notify the parents if practice or a game is changed (field, date or time) or canceled on short notice.
       (5) Coordinate with team parent to communicate parent/guardian responsibilities with regard to work days 
 
Coaches, motivated to recruit players, increase their roster size or for any other reason, shall not directly or indirectly influence parents or players to consider changing teams.  A coach reported as doing so shall be brought before the Board, and if grounds merit shall be directed by the Board to cease.  If the unauthorized activity continues the coach is subject to dismissal by the Board.   
 
ARTICLE VII.  COMMITTEES
 
Subject to the approval of the Board Members, the President may appoint committees and committee chair-persons as may be deemed necessary.  It is necessary that we have full support of all Board Members. 
 
ARTICLE VIII.  VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECKS. 
 
All members of the coaching staffs, Board members and supporting committee Chairpersons shall submit annually a properly filled out Association Volunteer form to be used for conducting a background check every year.  Any volunteer found to have been arrested and convicted of a crime other than traffic violations or minor civil actions shall be deemed ineligible to hold a position in the Association.  There shall be no exceptions made to this rule.  As role models for young people to whom parents/legal guardians have entrusted their children, there is zero tolerance for placing children in the charge of adults with a record of conviction(s).
 
ARTICLE IX.  DIVISIONS AND TEAMS
 
Players are assigned to divisions based on the guidelines adopted by the League that ELYFA has affiliated with for any given season.
 
In the event that player numbers demand two teams in a division, the teams shall be divided in the following manner.
·         A returning coach to an age group may keep his team, if the head coach “moved up” an assistant coach from the previous team may keep the remainder of the team returning to the age group. For a player to be considered “protected” he must have played on the team in the prior season.
·         A returning coach who is “moving up” an age group may keep his players that move up the age group with him. For a player to be considered protected he has to have played for the head coach “moving up” in the prior age group.
·         A new coach will draft from the open pool of players until an equal number of players are reached with a returning or protected team.
·         Once each team has an equal number of players the two coaches will “draw” a number to determine a starting draft order. After the draft order is determined a “snake” process will be used defined as coach A will draft 1 player, coach B will draft 2 players, coach A will draft 2 players. This process will repeat until all remaining players are assigned to a team.
 
In the event that two or more teams can be fielded, A single team must be filled before a second team can be fielded.  A team is considered filled when it reaches, but is not limited to, 22 players. Every attempt will be made to keep players together when assigning teams (i.e. do not split kids who have played together for a number of years).
 
Coaches’ children will automatically be placed on the coaches’ roster.  The coaches must be identified before July 1 each year.  If a parent desires to coach, but was not identified before July 1, they must attempt to coach on the team that their child was assigned to.
 
Coaches cannot be requested by name.  All players will be assigned by one of three methods: (1) by age group when only one team, (2) older/younger team if two teams per division (3) by playing on a team coached by the players’ parent.
 
ARTICLE X - REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF OFFICERS, BOARD MEMBERS OR COACHES
 
Coaches Removal:
 
A meeting for the removal of any coach will be held upon the presentation to the Board of a petition for removal signed by at least a simple majority of the player’s parents on the effected team (Note: Each player can only be represented by one parent signature).  Once the petition has been received the Board will call an emergency meeting and review the petition and discuss the issues.  Before the Board can act, it must provide the accused coach with the opportunity to address the Board in defense of the situation.  Once these requirements have been met and the actions are consistent with principles of fairness and due process the Board will make a recommendation and call for a vote.  The vote to remove a coach will require a two-thirds vote.  All meetings associated with these proceedings in order to be binding must meet the criteria mentioned in Article IV.
 
Officer or Board Member Removal:
 
A meeting for the removal of any Officer or Board Member will be held upon the presentation of a petition that is signed by at least a simple majority of all active voting board members.  Along with the petition there must also be present a detailed letter explaining any and all reasons for the requested removal.  Once the petition has been received the non-effected Board can call an emergency meeting and review the petition and discuss the issues.  Before the Board can act, it must provide the accused Officer or Board member with the opportunity to address the Board in defense of the situation. Once these requirements have been met and the actions are consistent with principles of fairness and due process can the Board will make a recommendation and call for a vote. The vote to remove an Officer or Board member will require a two-thirds vote.  All meetings associated with these proceedings in order to be binding must meet the criteria mentioned in Article IV.
   
ARTICLE XI – LEAGUE REGISTRATION FEE
 
The ELYFA Board members will annually determine before the season begins what registration fees will be with the input/data provided from the Treasurer and or whatever sources are needed to make accurate projections.  It is a mandatory requirement that League fees be in line with what it actually cost to run the program.   
 
 
ARTICLE XII.  AMENDMENTS. 
 
The Bylaws may be amended by a simple majority (51%) vote of the Board at a meeting following notification to all board members of the meeting and the proposed amendment(s).  Any amendment or revision adopted shall be effective upon its approval.
 
ARTICLE XIII.  DISSOLUTION. 
 
In the event the Association is disbanded or dissolved for any reason, the funds and assets remaining after all outstanding bills are paid shall become the property of the churches or charity of choice of the current board members.