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Article 1: Name [Back to Top] The name of this organization shall be the Ohio Rugby Union Inc. hereinafter referred to as The Union. It shall operate in the state of Ohio of the United States of America. The Union shall be a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Ohio. Article 2: Objectives [Back to Top] The objective of the Ohio Rugby Union shall be to promote, serve, and manage The Game of Rugby in the Ohio area, at all levels of play. As a minimum, the ORU shall: Encourage and promote the development and growth of Rugby among theschools, colleges, and clubs in the Ohio area; To advocate adherence to the Laws of the Game of Rugby as promulgated by the IRB with directives, variations, interpretations, etc. adopted by USARFU; To support and assist a local referees society; To cultivate social interaction among The Union members and followers of Rugby, facilitating the involvement of as many people as possible in Rugby activities. To develop the financial capabilities to carry out these stated objectives, and to dispose of it as approved by The Union membership. The Union shall be a nonprofit organization and no remuneration shall be paid to any Officer or Coordinator except for authorized expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Article 3: Definitions [Back to Top]
Article 4: Membership [Back to Top] Membership in The Union shall be open to any person, club, corporation, association, or other organization interested in the promotion and development of The Game of Rugby, which agrees to conform to the Bylaws of The Union. Application for membership shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary of The Union. The Executive Committee shall decide temporary approval of membership by a simple majority of those present: final approval of membership shall be decided by a two-thirds majority vote of those members present who are in good standing and eligible to vote at the AGM or SGM. Termination of membership shall be decided by a two-thirds majority vote of those members present who are in good standing and eligible to vote at the AGM or SGM. Membership in The Union shall be according to one (1) of the classifications listed below.
Any member of The Union is liable to suspension or termination according to The Union's Disciplinary Article 5: Board of Directors [Back to Top] The Executive Committee shall be composed of four (4) Officers and all officially appointed Coordinators, as designated below: Officers:
All elected Officers shall be members in good standing of an organization affiliated with The Union. Election of Officers shall be held at the AGM. Officers shall be elected for a two (2) year term, with the President and Secretary being elected on alternating years from the Vice President and Treasurer. No number of term limitations shall apply to any Officer position. President The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of The Union. The President shall reside at all Union meetings and shall execute any and all decisions enacted by The Union membership. In his/her absence at a Union meeting, a chair of the meeting shall be elected from those present. The President shall have the authority to appoint or remove Coordinators to manage the following activities of The Union: the administrative office, area liaisons, coaching programs, medical programs, tournaments, tours, youth programs, and any other activities not covered by Coordinator appointments by other Officers. Vice President The Vice President shall assist the President with all duties requested and produce and publish a regular newsletter of The Union. Treasurer The Treasurer shall perform any administrative duties as required by the President, or assigned by a vote of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall preserve the financial records of The Union, collect the agreed annual dues, and disburse funds as directed by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall have the authority to appoint or remove Coordinators to manage the following activities of The Union: dues compliance, insurance programs, marketing programs, and sponsorship programs. Secretary The Secretary shall perform any administrative duties as required by the President, or assigned by a vote of the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall have custody of all records of The Union, maintain minutes of all meetings, serve as official correspondent of The Union, maintain corporate records and seal, and perform any task normal to this Office. The Secretary shall have the authority to appoint or remove Coordinators to manage the following activities of The Union: media programs, publicity programs, newsletter publication, and public relations. Coordinator A Coordinator shall have leadership control of the Program(s) which they manage, with the authority to set standards, levy fines, discipline participants, and in general, run the Program(s) as they see fit, within guidelines and policies set by the Executive Committee of The Union. The Executive Committee shall have authority to nullify the appointment or removal of any Coordinator by an Executive Officer. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to remove an Officer with or without cause, at any duly scheduled meeting of the Executive Committee at which a majority of all the Officers and Coordinators are present, upon approval by two-thirds of the Officers and Coordinators present. Said cause may include, but is not limited to: 1) failure to attend duly scheduled Executive Committee meetings; 2) failure to perform the duties of the Officer or Coordinator position as defined and described in the The Union's Bylaws; 3) failure to carry out directives of the Executive Committee relating to performance of said position; or 4) any other reason the Executive Committee deems appropriate. Any Officer so considered for removal shall be notified in advance of such an agenda item. Should any Officer choose to resign at any time during their term, the Executive Committee shall elect a new member to complete the remainder of the term. Executive Committee The Executive Committee shall be The Union's official representative at all territorial and national meetings at which representation from The Union is required or necessary. At least one member of the Executive Committee, or its appointees, shall represent The Union at such meetings. Each member of the Executive Committee may be required to attend at least one such meeting per year. Disciplinary Committee The Disciplinary Committee shall enforce and communicate disciplinary policies and procedures for The Union. All members of the Disciplinary Committee shall be elected by the Executive Committee and shall serve for whatever period the Executive Committee deems appropriate. The Executive Committee shall have authority over the Disciplinary Committee. Select Side Committee The Select Side Committee shall manage The Union's all-star activities. It shall be composed of a Manager, Coach, and five (5) Selectors for each Select Side. All members of the Select Side Committee shall be elected by the Executive Committee and shall serve for whatever period the Executive Committee deems appropriate. The Executive Committee shall have authority over the Select Side Committee. Referee Coordinator The Referee Coordinator shall serve as liaison between the Executive Committee and the Referee Society. The Referee Coordinator shall have responsibility for The Union's management and coordination of referees. The Referee Coordinator shall have the authority to appoint or remove area Coordinators to manage activities of referees associated with The Union. Article 6: Board of Director Meetings [Back to Top]
All Officers and Coordinators in good standing shall receive written notification prior to the meeting. Regular meetings shall be held at periodic intervals as designated by the President or appointed representative. The presence of a majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote, and all matters shall be decided by a majority vote of those present. Individuals holding more than one (1) Office or Coordinatorship shall cast only one (1) vote for each issue. . Article 7: Member Meetings [Back to Top]
All members in good standing shall receive written notification at least four (4) weeks prior to the meeting. The presence of the majority of the members in good standing and eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum. An elected Officer shall represent each club, or other appointed representative properly certified with the Secretary. Each member club in good standing and eligible to vote shall be entitled to one (1) vote. All matters shall be decided by a majority vote of those present. The election of Officers shall take place at the AGM. Member teams may participate in the elections for Officers as follows: All teams may participate in the elections of any of the Officer positions (i.e. President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary). Special meetings shall be called at any time at the request of the Executive Committee or by order of one-third of the membership of The Union. Article 8: Dues [Back to Top] Dues shall be on an annual basis and shall be determined by the Executive Committee, subject to ratification by member clubs in good standing and eligible to vote. Dues shall be billed at the beginning of the applicable fiscal year for which they represent. Article 9: Fiscal Period [Back to Top] The fiscal period shall be from January 1st through December 31st. Article 10: Rules [Back to Top] The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern The Union in all cases to which they are applicable in which they are not contradictory with the Bylaws of The Union. Article 11: Amendments [Back to Top] These bylaws may only be amended at the AGM or a SGM called expressly for this purpose. Notice of the proposed amendment shall be given to the Secretary and distributed to all members at least four (4) weeks before the meeting. A two-thirds vote of those member clubs present in good standing and eligible to vote shall be required for an amendment to the Bylaws. Proxy votes are not admissible. Article 12: Discipline [Back to Top] The Union shall self govern all acts of misconduct by its members according to The Union's Disciplinary Code Article 13: Grievances [Back to Top] All grievances shall be submitted in writing to the President and presented before the Executive Committee for resolution within seven (7) days of receipt of the grievance. Article 14: Dissolution of the Union [Back to Top] In the event The Union ceases to exist, for any reason, all funds remaining after payment of all outstanding debts and liabilities shall pass to a succeeding group or organization with the same or similar goals or purpose, as long as the provisions of Article II of this constitution are followed and the group is a not for profit organization. If no succeeding organization is forthcoming, the moneys shall pass on to the previous organization under whose affiliation The Union was last represented. If such and organization does not exist, any monies shall be disbursed to a not for profit organization (to be chosen by the first existing executive committee) actively involved in the development of amateur athletics. Back to Top | Back to ORU Office
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