Highland Pop Warner
Constitution and By-Laws
Incorporated: State Of Indiana
Approved January 2022
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this corporation is the Highland Pop Warner, Inc. hereinafter HPW.
ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES
SECTION 1:
To fulfill and perform the general purposes of the HPW as expressed in the Constitution and by-Laws of said corporation.
SECTION 2:
To teach our youth the fundamentals of the game of tackle Football and Cheerleading.
SECTION 3:
To promote sportsmanship, team play and loyalty to themselves and their fellow persons.
SECTION 4:
To conduct and sponsor programs and events for the purpose of raising moneys to be used for the general purpose of said corporation.
SECTION 5:
To own and operate such amusement and recreational facilities as may assist in the performance of the general purposes of this corporation, providing the same shall be consistent with the laws of the State of Indiana. HPW owns all assets of the Corporation, to which a yearly inventory of all assets is to be submitted by the Equipment Manager to the Executive Board no later than the 1st Wednesday of December.
SECTION 6:
To perform acts which may be necessary in order to conduct the general purposes of this corporation, which are in the scope of the laws of the State of Indiana.
SECTION 7:
To provide for all youth athletes, regardless of sex, race, creed or color, the opportunity to qualify for any team or teams, in HPW.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1:
Coaches, parents and any other interested parties may become members of this corporation.
SECTION 2:
(a) Any youth playing on a team of HPW will be a member of said corporation.
(b) All youth must turn in completed and signed "Players release and Parents Permission Form" before he/she is able to participate in any practice session (uniformed or non-uniformed).
(c) At any Pop Warner event, practice, competition, electronic messaging or via any social media outlet, any adult who:
(1) verbally abuses;
(2) attempts to intimidate;
(3) is flagrantly rude;
(4) cannot control their language or actions with an official, coach or Pop Warner volunteer will be immediately removed from the Pop Warner event along with their child(ren) and issued a written warning regarding their behavior.
Any adult that commits a second similar offense will be banned from Pop Warner events, along with their child(ren), for the remainder of that season.
Any adult who physically assaults an official, coach, or Pop Warner volunteer, will be banned from Pop Warner along with their child(ren) for one year. After one year, the parent may apply for reinstatement of his/her child(ren). If the adult commits a second offense, he/she along with their child(ren) will be permanently banned from Pop Warner. HPW has a zero tolerance policy for said behavior.
SECTION 3:
(a) The Executive Board of Directors, by majority vote, at any scheduled or Special meeting, shall have the authority to discipline, suspend or terminate any member of any position, including Executive positions, when the conduct of such person is considered detrimental or incompetent (pursuant to documentation) towards the Highland Pop Warner organization or its members.
(b) All applications of Highland Pop Warner may be accepted or denied by the Highland Pop Warner Executive Board by a 2/3rds majority vote with no just cause.
(c) Membership may be terminated by resignation or by the action of the Executive Board of Directors. The Executive Board by simple vote will have final decision after a board of director’s discussion at any duly constituted or special board meeting. The Executive Board shall have the authority to discipline, suspend or terminate the membership of any member when conduct written or spoken by such person, is detrimental to the best interest of Highland Pop Warner. This includes all Social Media Outlets.
(d) The President shall have a vote in all “Executive Board” votes. In case of a split vote, the Associate Board of Directors by majority vote will break the tie.
SECTION 4: All members must be in “good standing” to have full membership rights within the organization. Any failure to pay within 30-Days of the “Final payment” date will result in the member being considered no longer in good standing. Once the account is settled in full or arrangements have been made and approved by the Executive Board the members status will be returned to “good standing”.
ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 1:
(a) The Corporation shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Appointed Associate Board of Directors, who shall be called Directors. All Directors and Executive Board Members must be in good standing at the time of election and must remain members in good standing during their elected tenure. If the Director and/or Board Member loses their status of good standing they will lose the ability to vote and if not corrected or other arrangements made and approved by the board, shall be terminated from the board after 90 days.
(b) The Executive Board shall consist of 4 elected officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.
(c) The Executive Board shall handle all of the organization’s day to day business matters. The Executive Board will make final decisions on all head coaching positions for football and cheer and all disciplinary actions of Members. The Head Coach is responsible for their staff (i.e. Assistant Coaches, Play Counter, Team Mom and any other member of their team). Coaches may be relieved of their duties by the Executive Board for behavior unbecoming of a HPW coach. (pursuant to Documentation)
(d) The maximum number of Officers & Directors of this corporation shall be limited to Twenty -one (21).
(e) The Executive Board will appoint an Associate Board (Directors) to chair the various committee’s necessary to perform the assignments of HPW. All Associate Board terms expire December 31st of that year. Or upon appointment of a new President. See Article V for a complete list of Officers & Directors and their duties.
(f) All Officers and Directors of this corporation should attend all scheduled meetings and serve without remuneration. Those that cannot attend MUST notify the Secretary in advance.
(g) Nomination of new Officers will be put forth at the December regular meeting and voted upon at the next regularly scheduled meeting or Special meeting. Nominee’s must be in good standing with HPW and must have at least two consecutive HPW “seasons” of experience as a Director or Committee Chair immediately preceding their nomination. The current Executive Board may deem a person as “experienced” to be nominated for any executive position if necessary in the Executive Board’s view.
(h) All Officers & Directors shall sign a Covenant of said duties.
(i) All potential Directors shall sign a Covenant of said duties upon request of being considered for a Board position.
(j) Officers and Directors who have been convicted and/or plead guilty to any Felony(s) will not be accepted and/or automatically dismissed from the Highland Pop Warner Board of Directors. All Officers and Directors must notify the Executive Board in writing within 30-days if charged with a Felony.
(k) All discussions, proceedings and decisions of Highland Pop Warner Executive Board and Directors shall remain confidential. Any breach of confidentiality by a Highland Pop Warner Executive Board and Directors can and will be considered a violation and could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from the board with 2/3rds majority vote by the Executive Board. Any person or persons subject of said vote shall NOT have a vote in such matters. Any ties will be broken by a vote including the Associate Board of Directors.
(l) All grievances shall be reported first to the Head Coach, then the Player Representative at which time the Player Representative shall immediately report directly to the Executive Board for resolution, if matter is not yet resolved. This chain of command should be followed at all times. Breaking this chain of command, without Executive Board approval, and directing grievances directly to HLA shall result in disciplinary action and possible termination from HPW membership.
(m) The Executive Board shall have the power to make final decisions on all matters not mentioned in these by-laws.
ARTICLE V: DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 1: President
The President shall preside at all meetings of this corporation and while present, enforce all laws and regulations. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. The President shall appoint all necessary committee chairs with the recommendation of the Executive Board and shall be an ex-official member of all committees of which he/she is not an active member.
The President or their duly appointed designee shall represent HPW at local HLA meetings.
He/she shall also sign all documents and perform all other duties imposed upon him/her by this constitution. The Chairman has authority to authorize checks or cash not to exceed $250, receipts must be presented within 48 hours to the treasurer and the expense must show benefit for Highland Pop Warner. The President has a vote in all Executive Board votes.
SECTION 2: Vice-President
In the absence of the President or inability of the President to exercise his/her office, the Vice-President shall perform his/her duties as if he/she had been duly elected President. The Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of any duties pertaining to the corporation as directed by the President. The Vice-President has authority to authorize checks or cash not to exceed $250, receipts must be presented within 48 hours to the Treasurer and the expense must show benefit for Highland Pop Warner.
SECTION 3: Secretary
The Secretary shall conduct all official correspondence; keep all records, issue all notices to members of meetings. He/she shall perform functions and duties, which pertain to the office of Secretary.
SECTION 4: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the corporation in a ledger book and prepare checks for signature as directed by the Executive Board. Also, to make deposits, give a financial report and provide a current bank statement at each meeting. Treasurer will prepare a year-end review of all financial information at the January meeting.
It is required to have at least two individuals count and sign off on receipts of cash at HPW events and to have co-signatures on all checks issued. Treasurer will ensure that all cash deposits are deposited within 48 hours of an HPW event unless there are extenuating circumstances. In the event there are extenuating circumstances the Executive Board must be notified in writing. Treasurer shall have the responsibility to file with State and Federal authorities all reports required by this organization for the purpose of taxes. The Board of Directors must authorize any monies spent over $250.
SECTION 5: Director of Football Operations
The Football Director oversees the football component of HPW. The Director of Football is responsible for organizing and running any said “football camps” and responsible to report to the Board all business that pertains to the football program. The Director is to assist in the recruitment and nominations of all Head Coaches and coaching clinics for their development. The Director will issue a rule book and safety kit for all new football coaches.
Director is responsible, along with the head football coaches, for the upkeep of the practice fields and game fields including any preparation and cleanup of the field for game day.
Director is responsible for the maintenance of the weight scale and will assume or assign the responsibility of weighmaster at home games.
SECTION 6: Equipment Manager
The Equipment Manager Shall be responsible for all assets of HPW. The Equipment Manager Shall be responsible for distributing equipment to both student athletes and Coaches. In turn is also responsible for collection of all equipment at the end of season. The Equipment Manager will be responsible for shipping Helmets for certification and maintaining proper quality of all equipment. The Equipment Manager shall request from the Executive Board of Directors any and all purchases to maintain proper inventory of working equipment.
SECTION 7: Director of Cheer
Director of Cheer oversees the cheering/dance component of HPW. Director of Cheer is a delegate to the regional cheerleading meetings and responsible to report to the Board all business of the cheering program. The Cheer Director is to assist in the recruitment and nominations of all Head Cheer Coaches and coaching clinics for their development, registration of cheer participants and organization of HPW’s participation and support of cheer competitions. Director is responsible for maintaining, distributing, collecting and storing all of HPW’s cheer equipment and uniforms with the assistance of all cheer coaches. Cheer Director is to inform the Board of any new equipment that needs to be purchased. The Executive Board is to vote on all cheerleading equipment or uniform purchases.
The Cheer Director will issue safety kits to all head cheer coaches. The Cheer Director will have final say as to placement of participants and approval of student instructors.
Director of Cheer will represent HPW at all HLA meetings and be the contact person for district, regional, and national competitions. Cheer directors may accept any grievances from the cheerleading squads, coaches or parents and bring them to the board for a closed-door meeting.
SECTION 8: Football Business Manager
The football Business Manager ensures the accurate and complete preparation of the football “Coaches Books'' and the rosters for both “Certification” and “Weigh-in Certification,” including photo ID’s. He/She is responsible for making sure that all appropriate documents are filled out by the parents of the said football players and files maintained for HPW at registration. Football Business Manager is responsible for registering all players into the “League One'' website as mandated by HLA. The Football Business Manager may assist the Scholastics Manager with preparing the necessary documents for those football players that meet scholastic excellence.
SECTION 9: Cheer Business Manager
Cheer Business Manager ensures the accurate and complete preparation of the cheer books and the rosters for both “Certifications” and for “Picture ID Day.” Business Manager is to ensure that all of the necessary paperwork is filled out by the players and parents for the cheer side of HPW. Cheer Business Manager is responsible for registering all players into the “League One” website as mandated by HLA.
SECTION 10: Director of Events and Fundraising
Director of Events and Fundraising will oversee, plan and execute any and all events related to HPW. This includes but is not limited to Fundraising, Games, and any and all social events throughout the calendar year. Director of Events and Fundraising is responsible for the coordination of all fundraising activities, including 50/50 raffles at games. Director is responsible for keeping track of all participation at events or fundraisers. Director will prepare, with the help of the treasurer, a year-end report of fundraising efforts and recommendations for future events. Director will directly oversee a committee of no less than two persons for fundraising.
SECTION 11: Player Representative
Football Player Representative is responsible for reporting all grievances to the Board relating to player/player, player/coach, coach/coach, parent/coach, parent/parent and any spectator disturbances at practice or games. Football player representative is to act as a liaison to the Board to help diffuse all potential conflicts.
SECTION 12: Spirit-Wear Chairperson
Spirit-Wear Chair is responsible for the organization and coordination of spirit-wear logos, themes, and styles for HPW. This may include all on-line, catalog or local business purchases for the purpose of display. Any spirit-wear inventory purchases must be approved by the Board.
SECTION 13: IT and Communications Chairperson
The IT Chair manages web-site design and content and may be responsible for sending out emails to the Members of HPW including meeting notices. Chairperson shall oversee production of all Marketing materials (i.e. flyers, banners, mailers) created both in house and outsourced
SECTION 14: Scholastics Chairperson
Scholastics Chairperson shall oversee the compliance of all HPW Student Athletes.
SECTION 16: Sponsorship Chairperson
The Sponsorship Chairperson shall Communicate directly with local businesses and families in regards to sponsoring HPW.
SECTION 17: ALL OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
The Executive Board of Directors manages the property and affairs of Highland Pop Warner and may change the “duties” of any Associate Director Chair at their discretion.
The Officers & Directors, upon election, immediately enter the performance of their duties. The Officers & Directors duties include involvement in all of the fundraisers and ticket sales for said events.
ARTICLE VI: ELECTIONS
SECTION 1:
(a) The President shall appoint a nominating chairperson at the November meeting and they shall present a full slate of officers at the December meeting. Nominations shall be accepted from the floor.
(b) Nomination of officers of this corporation shall take place at the regular December meeting. See Article IV, Section 1. (g) for qualifications of nominees.
(c) Elections shall be by secret ballot at the regular December meeting.
(d) Any active Member in Good Standing over twenty-one (21) years of age may cast a vote. One vote per member household.
(e) The Chairman shall name one (1) active director as a teller. No teller may be on the ballot.
(f) The election teller shall immediately count the ballots and shall certify the results to the Chairman before adjournment of the meeting.
(g) The Chairman shall announce the results of the election before adjournment of the meeting.
SECTION 2:
(a) Any individual wishing to be considered for a Head Coach of a HPW team must submit their "Coaches Background Check” form application in writing to the Director of Football Operations, Cheer Coordinator or to the President by the February meeting.
(b) All Head Coaching positions will be voted on at the March meeting by the Executive Board of the HPW. In the event that more than one individual submits his/her request to be elected coach of the same team, the executive board will vote by secret ballot to fill the position of said team. The Associate Board of Directors will vote to break any ties.
(c) The President shall announce the results of the Head Coaches election before adjournment of the meeting.
(d) All Coaches involved in Highland Pop Warner must sign and abide by the HPW coaches commitment policy.
ARTICLE VII: TERM OF OFFICE
SECTION 1:
Officers of this corporation shall hold office a term of two (2) years beginning with the first meeting in January. Terms will be staggered. The President and Treasurer will be elected in Even years and Vice-President and Secretary in Odd years. In the event that a member changes role or a term is vacated a 1-year term election and/or appointment will be utilized to maintain the election cycle beginning in January of 2023 and every year thereafter.
SECTION 2:
Any “vacancy” of said Office (Pres, VP, Tres, Sec.) shall be filled by a vote of the Board of Directors for the remainder of the current term. Any Associate Director/Chair vacancy shall be appointed by the President for the remaining year.
ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS
SECTION 1:
Meeting of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by the President.
SECTION 2:
Regular meetings shall be held the first Monday of every month.
SECTION 3:
All special meetings shall be called by the President.
SECTION 4:
The time and location for holding of meetings shall be designated by the President.
SECTION 5:
The Secretary or IT Chairman shall notify all active Officers & Directors and Members of the meeting. Meeting will be posted on HPW website and an email will be sent to the members.
SECTION 6:
Any Officer and/or Director missing three (3) regular meetings, without notice, in a twelve (12) month period may be notified of a probationary period of two (2) consecutive meetings, which must both be attended to retain Officer/Director status. All Directors holding chair titles to a committee must attend meetings upon request by the Executive Board.
SECTION 7:
Procedure to be followed at all meetings:
(a) Roll call of Officers
(b) Reading of minutes
(c) Treasurer's report
(d) Communications and bills
(e) Report of committees
(f) Unfinished or old business
(g) New business
(h) Adjournment
ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1:
Any proposed amendment to this Constitution or these By-Laws may be submitted at any regular meeting. Should a majority of active Directors in attendance approve the proposal, it shall be considered for final approval at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
SECTION 2:
A two-thirds vote of the active Directors in attendance shall be required to pass an amendment.
SECTION 3:
Should any proposed amendment fail to pass the two-thirds vote, it may not be re-submitted within a two (2) month period.
ARTICLE X: TRAVEL FUND
(a) The Executive Board of Directors chooses the fundraisers that will be strictly used toward the travel fund. The Executive Board has the authority to disperse any donations received by any individual or team among the entire general travel fund.
(b) Each child and Coach beginning with the Tiny Mites can start their own personal travel fund account.
(c) Each family will be notified on what fundraisers will go toward their account. The league treasurer, fundraiser chairman and cheer coordinator will maintain a spreadsheet on each Child and coach on funds raised.
(d) The account will stay with the child and coach until they are no longer involved with the program. If the child or coach quits and decides to return to the program at a later date, or does not meet the requirements of Pop Warner, their money goes into the general fund. If they are eligible to play the following year, their account starts over at zero dollars.
(e) The travel fund money can only be used for either National competition or the National Little Scholar Banquet. The parents can elect to use a maximum of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00) of their fundraising account for Regional competitions.
(f) It is not mandatory for the parents to fundraise each year towards their child's travel fund, but must understand that it is their responsibility to provide the money for their child to participate in the said above events.
(g) Boys in the Tiny Mite division can also start an account using the same criteria as mentioned above for football travel expenses for either Division II or Division III competition.
(h) All Head coach’s teams that are advancing to National Competition in Florida may receive monetary assistance from Highland Pop Warner to help with expenses as long as they show effort in raising money in all travel fund fundraisers and any designated General fund fundraiser. All monetary donations from the Executive Board will be at the Board’s discretion.
ARTICLE XI: SPECIAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 1:
This corporation shall not be liable for any injuries sustained by any of its members, families or guests, whether by athletic competition or otherwise.
ARTICLE XII: PARLIAMENTARY
SECTION 1:
Robert's Rule of Order shall be the governing parliamentary law of the corporation in all cases not specifically provided for in this Constitution or these By-laws.