United States
Bowling Congress (USBC)
ALASKA WBA Bylaws
Article
I
Name
This association is chartered by the United States Bowling Congress. The name of the organization is the: ALASKA USBC WBA.
Article
II
Nonprofit
Corporation and Charter
Section
A. Nonprofit Corporation
The
association is organized as a nonprofit corporation and operates consistent
with the requirements of an organization classified as tax exempt under Section
501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenues Code (IRC).
Section B. Charter
The
association shall be chartered by USBC and subject to its authority. To
maintain its charter, the association must:
1. Provide services for USBC WBA (women only).
2. Adopt bylaws approved by USBC.
3. Not enact any bylaws or rules inconsistent
with USBC’s bylaws.
4. Adhere to Performance Standards and stated
requirements as set forth in the USBC
Association Policy Manual.
5. Apply for renewal of its charter every five
years.
Article
III
Purpose
The
purposes of the association as stated in the Articles of Incorporation,
include, but are not limited to:
1. Providing equal opportunity for all in the
sport of bowling without regard to race, religion, age, gender, disability, or
national origin. “Gender” does not apply to AWBA associations.
2. Promoting the game of American Tenpins.
3. Conducting and supporting bowling
competition.
4. Engaging in any other activities permitted by
an organization classified as tax exempt under Section 501(c) (3) of the IRC.
Article
IV
Membership
and Dues
Women who have obtained USBC and local association membership, in accordance with USBC and local association bylaws, become members of this association through payment of applicable annual state dues, if any.
The
AWBA delegates, by two-thirds vote, determine and adopt adult dues, if any.
The
annual state adult dues are $1.00. (Cannot exceed $1.)
The
Board may waive all or part of state dues for:
1. Members of other USBC associations having a
reciprocal agreement with the association.
2. Other
groups, such as seniors, etc., as determined by the board.
The association cannot charge additional non-dues assessments.
Article
V
Board
of Directors - Management
Section
A. Board Composition, Authority and
Duties
The
management and governance of the association is vested in the board of directors.
The number of directors is determined by the AWBA delegates.
The total number of directors is 8.
The
board shall not engage in any acts constituting a conflict of interest. The
board’s duties include but are not limited to:
1. Enforcing
the bylaws.
2. Complying
with the USBC Association Policy Manual.
3. Ensuring
adherence to all USBC Performance Standards.
4. Conducting
championship level competition for its membership constituency: AWBA (women only).
5. Providing
education, training, evaluations, recognition and other services as determined
by USBC.
6. Implementing
USBC programs.
7. Selecting/appointing
and evaluating the performance of the Association Manager.
8. Approving
use of membership records.
Section
B. Eligibility
A
candidate for the board must be:
1. A USBC female member in good standing of the
association at the time of election and throughout their term.
2. Elected or appointed without regard to race,
color, religion, disability, national origin, or age, other than the minimum
age of 14 years, unless state laws mandate a specific age and be reasonably
representative of the membership.
a. Any member of the board authorized to sign
contracts or acting as a signatory on association accounts must be a minimum
age of 18.
b. A maximum of three bowling center proprietors
may serve on the board at one time. A proprietor is an individual who is the
owner, partner, or corporate officer of a bowling center or group of bowling
centers. Excluded from the definition of proprietor is an individual who owns
25 % or less of the equity shares, or who is inactive in the management of the
bowling center and remains so during a term as an officer or director.
c. A candidate to be eligible for nomination as
an officer on the AWBA Board of Directors must have served at least three years
during the last five years as an officer, director or delegate of the AWBA and
must be in attendance at the annual meeting.
d. A candidate to be eligible for nomination as
a director on the AWBA Board of Directors must have served as a delegate,
director or officer for at least one year during the last five years prior to
nomination, must be a member of the association that she is to represent, and
must be in attendance at the annual meeting.
Associations organized less than two years shall be exempt from the
prior service portion of this requirement for directors.
Additional eligibility requirements, if any, will be developed by the Nominating Committee to be approved by the AWBA delegates.
Section
C. Election of Directors
Directors
are elected by a majority vote* of AWBA delegates present and voting, from:
1. A slate provided by the Nominating Committee.
2. Nominations from the floor. Qualifications
must be submitted to the Nominating Committee at least 24 hours prior to the
opening of the annual meeting.
Voting will be by ballot if more
than one nominee for each position.
Section
D. Term
The term for directors is 2 years. The
number of years in a term, the number of terms allowed and a stagger system are
determined by the AWBA delegates
The AWBA shall establish a stagger system so that all directors are not elected at the same time.
The stagger system is as follows: In odd numbered years, Directors from Homer, Mat-Su, and Skagway will be elected. In even numbered years, the Directors from Anchorage, Juneau, Kodiak, Midnight Sun and Soldotna/Kenai will be elected.
Section
E. Resignation, Removal, and
Vacancies
1. Resignation.
A board member may resign from the board of directors by providing written
notice of resignation to the president or, in the case of the president, to the
board.
2. Removal
for Ineligibility. A board member who is no longer eligible to serve on the
board may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the board when a quorum is
present.
3. Removal
for Cause. When a board member is accused, in writing, of failure to
properly perform the duties of their office or otherwise engaging in improper
or unfair activities or conduct, the board may conduct a hearing following the
Removal Procedures in the Suspension and Reinstatement Chapter. An appeal may
be filed with USBC within 15 days of the removal. Two-thirds written consent of
the full board is required to seek re-election and/or re-appointment to the
board.
4. Vacancies.
Vacancies in positions on the board are filled for the un-expired portion
of each term as follows:
a. The president, with board approval shall fill
vacancies in director positions.
b. The board fills vacancies in officer
positions.
*If a majority vote is not reached on the first ballot, the candidate receiving the lowest vote total is dropped and balloting continues until a candidate receives a majority vote.
Article
VI
Officers
Section
A. President and Vice President
The
officers of this association shall include a president, two vice presidents and
a sergeant at arms. A definition of the
duties and responsibilities for all of the positions will be placed in the
association’s operations manual.
Section
B. Election
Officers
are elected by a majority vote* of the AWBA delegates present and voting, from:
1. A slate provided by the Nominating Committee.
2. Nominations from the floor. Qualifications
must be submitted to the Nominating Committee at least 24 hours prior to the
opening of the annual meeting.
Voting will be by ballot
if more than one nominee for each position.
Section
C. Term
The
term for elected officers is two years.
The number of years in a term, the number of terms allowed and a stagger
system are determined by the AWBA delegates.
The
AWBA shall establish a stagger system so that all officers are not elected at
the same time.
The
stagger system is as follows: In odd numbered years, the 1st
Vice-President and the Sergeant of Arms will be elected. In even numbered years, the President and 2nd
Vice President will be elected.
Section
D. Authority and Duties
1. President
a. Presides at all meetings.
b. Acts as spokesperson for the association.
c. Serves as the liaison to the state
proprietors association, if applicable.
d. Appoints committees, except nominating, with
board approval.
Note: All
committees may be composed of both board members and non-board members.
2. Vice
President(s)
a. Presides at all meetings when the president
is absent in the order of their precedence.
b. Performs other duties as prescribed by the
board or requested by the president.
3. Sergeant-at-Arms
a. Perform such duties as may be required of her
by the president or the board of directors.
4. Association
Manager
a. Selected/appointed by and accountable to the
board.
b. Responsible for implementation of USBC’s
Performance Standards.
c. Acts as the ex officio non-voting
secretary/treasurer of the board or such other officer designation as required
by law and determined by the board.
d. Responsible for other duties as prescribed by
the board and in the USBC Association
Policy Manual.
*If a majority vote is not
reached on the first ballot, the candidate receiving the lowest vote total is
dropped and balloting continues until a candidate receives a majority vote.
Article
VII
Meetings
Section
A. Annual Meeting
An
Annual Meeting of the AWBA delegates/alternates shall be held at a time and
place approved by the board of directors. (See Article IX, Section B for the
time frame for election of AWBA delegates and alternates to the USBC Annual
Meeting.)
Attendance
is open to all members. Voting officers, directors and delegates/alternates,
must be at least 14 years of age, unless state laws mandate a specific age.
1. The
Association Invites All Associations and Delegates within its jurisdiction, as
follows:
a. Associations:
1) AWBA will invite all AWBA associations as
well as those associations that have a combined membership of men, women and
youth.
b. Delegates
and Alternates. Defined as members, at least 14 years of age, unless state
laws mandate a specific age, who are elected by chartered local associations as
follows:
1) Only female membership will be used to
determine the number of adult delegates and alternates an association is
entitled to send to the USBC WBA state annual meeting.
2) Based on the previous seasons membership as
of July 31, each local association shall be entitled to delegates as follows:
1-50 members 2 delegates
51-150 members 3 delegates
151-200 members 4 delegates
251-1000 members 5 delegates
1001 to 2000 members 6 delegates
2001 to 3000 members 7 delegates
3001 and over 8 delegates
A
local association is not eligible to send delegates/alternates if it is
declared delinquent or USBC has revoked its charter.
Note: An
association that has not processed dues for the current season shall be
considered delinquent.
c. Credentials.
Credentials are forwarded to the state association at least Dec. 1 prior to the
opening of the annual meeting.
2. Voice
and Vote
a. AWBA Delegates, voting officers and directors
of the association, at least 14 years of age, unless state laws mandate a
specific age, have voice and vote.
Other members may attend with voice only.
Absentee and proxy voting are not permitted.
3. Responsibilities
a. AWBA Delegates shall:
1) Adopt bylaws.
2) Adopt state adult dues, up to the established
maximum.
3) Elect officers and directors to the board.
4) Elect one delegate and one alternate to the
USBC Annual Meeting.
4. Meeting
Notice
Written
notice of the meeting shall be forwarded to the board and AWBA delegates at
least 15 days prior to the annual meeting. Special meetings may be called by
the president or upon
written request of a least three board members.
5. Quorum
a. 51%
of the delegates entitled to vote constitute a quorum.
6. Action
a. A majority vote of the delegates, officers
and directors, present and voting, at a properly noticed meeting, when a quorum
has been established, is required to take action, unless otherwise provided by
law or these bylaws.
Election
of officers and directors requires a majority vote*. Election of delegates and
alternates requires a plurality vote. Absentee and proxy voting are not
permitted.
Section B.
Board Meeting
The
board shall meet at least annually. Special meetings may be held upon the
request of any board member if a majority of the board approves.
1. Notice.
Written notice for all regular and special meetings shall be forwarded to the
board at least 15 days prior to the meeting.
2. Quorum.
51% of the Officers and Directors entitled to vote constitute a quorum.
3. Action. A majority vote of the officers
and directors, present and voting, at a properly noticed meeting, when a quorum
has been established, is required to take action unless otherwise provided by
law or these bylaws. Absentee and proxy voting are not permitted.
4. If
state law permits, a mail or e-mail vote by the board is permitted for
emergency/urgent issues.
a. Questions may be submitted through the mail
(e-mail if each member of the board has email) to all members of the board
b. If a quorum is received, a majority of votes
received within 10 days from the date submitted decides the question. Record of the vote will be recorded in the board’s minutes. The action must be
reported at the next board meeting. This
has the same effect as a taking a vote at the meeting.
Section
C. Parliamentary Procedure
The
most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of
Order, Newly Revised, shall govern all meetings.
Article
VIII
Committees
Section
A. Standing Committees
The
association shall have the following Standing Committees: Nominating and
Finance.
1. Nominating Committee. The committee
reviews candidates, prepares slates and publicizes criteria and procedures for
elected positions for the board. The AWBA Nominating Committee reviews
candidates and prepares slates and publicizes criteria and procedures for the
AWBA delegate and alternate to the USBC annual meeting.
(See
the USBC Association Policy Manual
for composition of the Nominating Committee.)
2. Finance
Committee. The committee is responsible for reviewing and monitoring the
annual budget and other financial matters.
Section
B. Other Committees
The
president may establish other committees, with board approval.
*If a majority vote is not reached on the first ballot, the candidate receiving the lowest vote total is dropped and balloting continues until a candidate receives a majority vote.
Article
IX
Delegate
and Alternate to USBC Annual Meeting
A delegate and alternate to the USBC Annual Meeting are elected by plurality vote** of those AWBA delegates present and voting. (See Article VI, Section A of the national bylaws for representation.)
Section
A. Eligibility
Delegates
and Alternates must be:
1. Elected by the AWBA delegates.
2. At least 18 years of age.
3. A USBC member in good standing of the association
at the time of election and throughout their term.
If
a member is elected to represent more than one association to attend the same
meeting, the first election shall stand and any succeeding election shall be
declared null and void.
Note: If the association’s charter has been revoked they are ineligible to send delegates to the USBC Annual Meeting.
Section
B. Election
The
delegate and alternate serve for one year, beginning August 1, and are elected
by:
1. A slate provided by the Nominating Committee.
2. Nominations from the floor. Qualifications
must be submitted to the Nominating Committee at least 24 hours prior to the
opening of the annual meeting.
3. Plurality vote*. The election shall be by
ballot, except that a voice vote may be taken when the number of candidates
does not exceed the number of positions to be filled.
The election is to be held in compliance with the USBC Annual Meeting requirements.
Section
C. Vacancies
Vacancies
in delegate positions are filled by the alternates in the order in which they
were elected for the un-expired portion of each term. If a vacancy still
exists, the president fills the vacant position by appointment.
The appointee must also meet the same eligibility requirements as elected positions.
**A plurality vote is the largest number of votes cast for a given candidate. The candidate(s) receiving the most votes are elected.
Article X
Amendments
Section
A. Procedure
Any
member of the association may submit proposed amendments to these bylaws. The
state association bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any AWBA
delegate meeting, by the delegates present and voting. The amendment must be:
1. Submitted
in writing to the Association Manager or president.
2. Submitted
at least 60 days prior to the
meeting when the association is considering the proposal.
3. Amendments
must then be forwarded by the state association at least 45 days before the
meeting to:
a. Local Association Managers.
b. Board of directors.
c. AWBA
delegates.
Section
B. Change in Dues
Forward
a notice at least 15 days prior to the meeting at which the proposed change is
considered to the AWBA delegates.
The
notice must:
1. Be in writing.
2. Specify the amount of the change.
3. Specify the reason for the change.
Notification of any adopted change in dues and the reason for the change will be forwarded in writing to each local association.
Section
C. Effective Date
All
amendments are effective August 1, following adoption, unless otherwise
specified when adopted.
Article
XI
Fiscal
Year
The fiscal year of this association is August 1 through July 31.
Article
XII
Indemnification
Directors, officers, and other authorized volunteers, employees or agents shall be indemnified against claims for personal and individual liability arising in connection with their positions or service on behalf of the association to the full extent permitted by law.
USBC Alaska WBA March, 2008