Constitution Amended: June 12, 2024
Constitution
Article 1 – Name
Article 2 – Purpose
Article 3 – Affiliation
Article 4 – Membership
Article 5 – Executive
Article 6 – Committees
Article 7 – Disciplinary Guidelines
Article 8 – Amendments
Article 9 – Use of Ice Time
Article 10 – Standardized Outerwear
Article 11 – Expulsion Bylaws
Bylaws
Article 1 – Executive Members-Duties of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
Article 2 – Executive Members-Other Duties
Article 3 – Meetings
Article 4 – Order of Business at Board Meetings
Article 5 – Voting Powers
Article 6 – Nominations
Article 7 – Amendments to By-laws and Rules & Regulations
Article 9 – Code of Conduct Agreement
Article 10 – NGHA Logo
Association Award
NGHA Disciplinary Policy
NGHA Executive Signatures
Constitution
Article 1 – Name
The Organization shall be known as “Norfolk Girls Hockey Association” (NGHA), also referred to herein as “the Association.” The official nickname shall be “HERicanes.”
The Association was incorporated under Ontario’s Corporations Act on May 22, 1998 as number 1296091.
Article 2 – Purpose
The association purposes are to promote ice hockey in Norfolk County for girls and women in the NGHA, to provide instruction and competition for female hockey, and to instill in the players a love for the game of hockey and a respect for ideals of sportswomanship.
Article 3 – Affiliation
The Association’s affiliation shall be with the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA), by whose regulations and rules it shall be governed. Should the Association ever cease to exist, all remaining monies shall be turned over to the OWHA.
Article 4 – Membership
The members of the Association shall be:
1) Each player
2) Each team official: coach, assistant coach, manager, and trainer
3) Each member of the Executive
4) Certain other officials appointed from time to time by the Executive
5) All of the above members shall agree to abide by Constitution, and comply with the Bylaws, Rules & Regulations of the NGHA. Failure to do so may result in a member no longer being in good standing, suspension and the forfeit of all rights and privileges of membership in NGHA.
Article 5 – Executive
a) The Executive shall be elected and will consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Past President and a minimum of four (4) or maximum ten (10) directors.
b) The President and Secretary shall be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting for a term of two (2) years in even years. The Vice President and Treasurer shall be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting and will serve a term of two (2) years in odd years.
c) The Directors shall be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting and will serve a term of two (2) years in odd years.
d) The Executive shall carry out the purposes of the Association according to the Constitution. The executive shall be responsible for the planning, organization and administration of the Association. The Executive’s duties shall include: responsibility for the Association’s finances, budgeting, fundraising, registration of players, promotion and publicity, appointing coaches and other team officials, providing facilities, equipment and uniforms, conducting development clinics, liaising with Recreation Department of Norfolk County, the OWHA, and various leagues for female hockey.
e) The official signing officers of the Association shall be the treasurer and either the President or the Vice-President.
f) The Executive may appoint standing or ad hoc committees for any purpose, made up of individuals on the Executive or in the membership.
g) The Executive may appoint certain officials with specific duties for one season, e.g. Referee-in-Chief.
h) The Executive may appoint a replacement and/or fill vacancies to serve until the next Annual General Meeting at which time an election will be held to fill the remaining term.
i) Any board member who shall be absent without legitimate excuse from three (3) consecutive regular meetings will face removal at the third missed meeting by a majority vote of the remaining board member. Any board member who has missed five (5) meetings in total from June through April shall face removal from the board at the fifth (5th) missed meeting by a majority vote of the remaining board members. If removal is voted affirmatively by the board it shall be a majority decision of the remaining board members as to whether or not to replace the vacated position.
j) There shall be no limitations upon the number of terms an active member may serve on the Board of Directors in either the capacity as an officer or an appointed/elected association director.
k) Members of the Board of Directors are expected to refrain from public criticism of Board policy and/or other Board members.
l) Board members are required to notify the Board of situations where a conflict of interest might exist in the execution of duties related to this Association. The Board shall decide whether or not the member should be excluded from discussion and/or voting.
m) Board members must represent and act in the best interests of the Association as a whole, rather than one specific centre or team.
n) The only spokesperson for the association when dealing with media shall be the President or designate.
o) Each member of the Board of Directors shall read and sign a copy of the Constitution, which shall be kept on file by the secretary.
p) Any Executive member that resigns during an elected term will not be eligible for re-election, or be eligible to fill a vacancy during that same term. The executive may waive, by majority vote, restrictions for resignation based on medical issues, personal matters or job commitments.
q) Any member suspended and/or expelled by the executive for violation of NGHA or OWHA Code of Conduct, violation the Constitution or conduct detrimental to its goals and purposes shall not be eligible to sit on the executive for a period of two (2) years following the serving of the suspension or expulsion.
Article 6 – Committees
1. a) The President shall appoint for his/her term of office, the chairperson(s) of each of the following standing committees and other committees as deemed necessary, with the approval of the Board, to fulfil the business of the Association.
b) All committees must keep in mind budget recommendations and/or annual operating budget in order to keep expenditures and income in the proper perspective.
c) All committees must present all proposals regarding the business for the season to the Executive and receive their concurrence before putting any program into effect.
2. Chairpersons be appointed as required:
· Registrar
· Sponsorship chair
· Fundraising chair
· Ice Convener
· Equipment chair
· Budget Committee
· Referees chair
· Tournament chair
· Coaches Selection Committee
· House League Convener
· Rep / Select convener
2.1 Discipline Boards, Appeals Tribunals, Protest Committees
1. a) Such committees shall be appointed by the President and operate on an ad hoc basis for a limited duration after which time they shall cease to exist.
b) Specify the time frame for the work and reporting of each ad hoc committee after which time it shall cease to exist.
c) Specify the general purpose of the Committee; and its particular objectives its responsibilities by way of consultations or otherwise any resources which will be provided to assist in the carrying out of its task
d) Specify whether the Committee shall report through a President, Vice-President or directly to the Executive Committee and whether there shall be an interim as well as final report.
2. Discipline Board
a) Where a disciplinary matter arises out of competition, the President, by his/her discretion, may appoint a special disciplinary board to deal with the matter and shall designate the person to chair the Board. The Board will consist of three impartial members of the Executive.
b) The Board shall conduct itself with fairness and impartiality and shall provide an opportunity for all parties to be heard.
c) All parties involved shall receive written notification of the board meeting. The notice shall include the time, date and location.
3. Appeal Tribunal
a) Where the Rules and Regulations provide for an appeal from a decision by a disciplinary board and/or association, the appeal shall be heard by the appeal tribunal.
b) The tribunal shall consist of three (3) members of the Executive, appointed by the President on an ad hoc basis, for the purpose of hearing an appeal. One of the tribunal members shall be designated as chairperson.
c) The President may choose to sit personally and chair the tribunal.
d) Members of the tribunal shall have no direct association with any of the parties involved or with the centre where the matter arose.
e) The tribunal shall conduct itself with fairness and impartiality and shall provide an opportunity for all parties to be heard.
f) The appeal shall be conducted in accordance with the Association’s Rules and Regulations.
4. Protest Committee
a) An ad hoc protest committee, consisting of three (3) members of the Executive, shall be appointed by the President to hear a protest.
b) Matters that may be protested:
i) a game official’s interpretation of a rule, which in the opinion of the aggrieved team may have given the opposition team a distinct advantage.
ii) An improperly registered, an unregistered or a suspended player or team official participating in a game or being on the players bench during a game.
c) Protests for house league games will be entered on the game sheets. To protest, a member of the team’s bench staff must:
i) Notify the referee verbally of a protest before, during, or at the end of the game before leaving the ice;
ii) Submit a copy of the game sheet and a letter to the President within twenty-four (24) hours, along with a $50.00 fee, refundable if the protest is upheld.
The ad hoc committee will render a decision within five (5) working days.
Article 7 – NGHA Disciplinary Guidelines
a) Infractions shall be reported to the president using the Incident Report Form (see appendix)
b) At the discretion of the president, disciplinary situations involving minor infractions may be dealt with directly by the president, or designate, who shall apply reasonable sanctions in accordance with the guidelines contained in this policy. In situations involving minor infractions where the president deems a suspension is necessary, approval from the executive is first required. In some cases, the president may choose to turn a minor infraction over to an ad hoc committee
c) All disciplinary situations involving major infractions will be addressed by an ad hoc committee in accordance with Article 6 - Committees, 2.1 Discipline Boards. A repeat appearance before an ad hoc committee on a related or unrelated issue to a prior appearance shall be treated as a major infraction and shall be subject to disciplinary action over and above that issued as a result of a previous incident.
d) disciplinary decisions shall be reported to the president who will notify the executive.
e) Examples of minor infractions
· a single incident of disrespectful, offensive, harassment, abusive, racist or sexist comments or behaviours directed towards others, including but not limited to peers, opponents, coaches, officials, administrators, spectators, sponsors
· non-compliance with the rules and regulations and/or code of conduct of NGHA
· a single incident of fighting
· vulgar language
f) Examples of major infractions
· repeated incidents of disrespectful, offensive, abusive, racist or sexist comments or behaviours or harassment directed towards others, including but not limited to peers, opponents, coaches, officials, administrators, spectators, sponsors
· activities or behaviour which endanger the safety of others
· repeated incidents of fighting
· repeated use of vulgar language
· deliberate disregard for the rules and regulations and code of conduct of NGHA
· any use of alcohol by minors at NGHA events
· any use of illicit drugs at NGHA events, or being under such influence at an NGHA event
g) Disciplinary sanctions
1. The following disciplinary sanctions may be applied, singly or in combination, for minor infractions.
· verbal reprimand
· written reprimand to be placed in individual's file
· verbal apology
· hand-delivered written apology
· reasonable suspension and/or loss of priviledges from the current competition and/or participation on certain teams or in certain events
· other sanctions as may be considered appropriate and reasonable for the offence
2. The following disciplinary sanctions may be applied, singly or in combination, for major infractions:
· written reprimand to be placed in individual's file
· hand-delivered written apology
· suspension from NGHA events, which may include suspension and/or loss of priviledges from the current competition, team(s) or from future NGHA teams, events or competitions
· recommendation for expulsion (forwarded for consideration by the executive pursuant to Article 10 - Expulsion)
· other sanctions as may be considered appropriate and reasonable for the offence
h) any disciplinary sanctions by an ad hoc committee shall be communicated to the individual in writing and any disciplinary sanctions applied shall take effect as outlined in the decision
i) the appeals procedure is open to all NGHA members who have been assessed disciplinary sanction(s). A decision of an ad hoc disciplinary committee may be appealed in writing, with a $50 fee, to the NGHA executive through the president within 48 hours of a written decision having been received. An appeal
Tribunal must respond to the appeal within seven (7) working days. Only those executive members who are not directly involved in the case and who are not related to those involved may take part in the hearing. All suspensions and /or expulsions will be served until such time as an appeal has been heard and the decision overturned.
Article 8 – Amendments
An amendment to the Constitution of the NGHA may be made at the Annual General Meeting. A proposed amendment must be signed by a mover and a seconder who are each voting members of the Association and submitted to the Secretary 30 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. A copy of the proposed amendment(s) will be available upon request to members of the Association. A simple majority of all votes cast at the Annual General Meeting is required for an amendment to be adopted.
Article 9 – Use of Ice Time
1. All ice time shall be booked by the ice convener.
2. If allocated ice time is not going to be used, the coach or manager shall notify the ice convener.
3. The ice convener must be given 96 hours notice of unused ice.
4. Non-contracted ice used by any team will not be paid for by the Association without prior approval of the ice convenor.
5. Individual teams using ice time which has been deemed user pay will have the cost of the ice billed to their team account.
Article 10 – Standardized Outerwear
Teams must have apparel approved by executive.
Article 11 - Expulsion
a) The Executive Committee may hold a special meeting to consider whether any member should be expelled for cause.
b) At least fifteen (15) days notice of such meeting shall be provided to such member and to the members of the Executive Committee together with the reasons for the proposed expulsion. Such member shall be given his/her opportunity to be present and to be heard in a closed-door session with the Board of Directors.
c) The board of Directors shall then convene in closed session to vote on termination of the member. A two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors is required for membership termination.
d) Within five (5) days of the board of Directors decision, the NGHA President shall notify the member in writing of the Board’s findings and actions. The decision of the Board shall be final.
e) Should the Board vote and act to terminate active membership in NGHA, the terminated member shall be able to appeal in writing for reinstatement not less than six (6) months subsequent to termination. Reinstatement of active membership to a terminated member shall require a majority approval by the Board of Directors.
f) Any member suspended and/or expelled by the executive for violation of NGHA or OWHA Codes of Conduct, violation of the Constitution’s or conduct detrimental to its goals and purposes, shall not be eligible for reinstatement for a period of two (2) years.
Bylaws
Article 1 – Executive Members-Duties of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
a) President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive and at all General Meetings of the Association. The President shall be one of the signing officers on cheques written in the name of the Association. The president shall be an ex officio member of all committees. The President shall call all Executive and General Meetings. The President or designate shall be the Association’s liaison with Norfolk County Recreation Departments and with the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association. The president shall, from time to time, at his/her discretion, appoint persons to ad hoc discipline boards, appeal tribunals and protest committees. The president may exercise the power of the executive in case of an emergency.
b) Vice-President: In absence of the President, the Vice-President shall preside at Executive or General Meetings. The Vice-President may perform other duties on behalf of the President when requested to do so by the President. The Vice-President may be assigned other duties by the Executive. The Vice-President shall be an authorized signing officer of the Association.
c) Secretary: The Secretary shall record the minutes of all Executive and General Meetings of the Association. The secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence in the name of the Association.
d) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall deposit all funds received, pay accounts on the approval of the Executive and keep records of all transactions. All disbursements shall be by cheque or etransfer with 2nd authorization via email prior to funds being transferred. The Treasurer shall sign all cheques written in the name of the Association, together with either the President, or Vice-President. The Treasurer shall be a member of all fund-raising committees. The Treasurer shall present at the Annual General Meeting a financial statement which is in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Treasurer shall be the chairman of the budget committee and an ex-officio member of all other committees relating to financial matters "at arms length".
e) Directors: The Directors shall be voting members of the Executive and of the Association. Directors may accept any duties assigned to them by the Executive. Directors shall share in the planning and decision making responsibilities of the Executive.
f) Past President: Shall have served one complete term as president and has not resigned from the board. The Past President shall assist the Association in any capacity he/she has either knowledge of or interest in.
g) No member of the same family shall hold the positions of President and Treasurer in any one given term.
Article 2 – Executive Members-Other Duties
a) Registrar
The Chairperson shall be appointed and approved from the Board and shall act in the capacity of Registrar. The registrar shall be responsible for the following:
· Initial registration
· Maintaining an up-to-date player list of all teams
· To work in conjunction with the treasurer to maintain proper records of all registration funds.
b) Sponsorship chair
This person shall be a member of the executive and will “solicit” funds from local, interested businesses/individuals to sponsor the various teams in NGHA. This person shall recommend a team sponsorship fee to the executive for approval. All sponsors should be in place by August 31 and payment received by September 30, otherwise alternative sponsorships shall be sought. The chair is responsible for Thank You letters to teams sponsors. This position on executive shall be deemed fulfilled by Oct. 15 with the only exception being the supplying of sponsors with Team Photos when these become available.
c) Ice program convener
This person shall be a member of the executive and shall, with the assistance of division conveners, set out a schedule for practices, league games and playoff games and attempt to give each team equal ice time. The ice convener is the only authorized person who shall book ice time on the association’s behalf. The ice program chair will be responsible for meeting with county officials to secure ice time for our program. The chair shall report monthly on ice time usage per team to the board and the treasurer.
d) Equipment chair
This person shall be a member of the executive and will administer all hockey equipment owned by NGHA. This person shall:· Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all NGHA equipment, with a copy of the inventory to be given to the Secretary.· Distribute this equipment and keep a record of the names and team of person receiving it.· At the end of the season, collect and store all equipment.· Make recommendations to the board for the purchase and repair of equipment and to disperse unusable equipment.· Ensure that no team orders on an individual basis.
e) Budget Committee
The Treasurer, with input from Board of Directors, shall compile draft budget no later than the end of July. The Board of Directors shall adopt an annual operating budget no later than the end of August. The fiscal year for NGHA shall be from June 01 through May 31.
f) Referee chair
Shall be a member of the executive or any other interested party approved by the executive. The chair shall be the official liaison with referee supervisors in setting rates, scheduling, cancellations of referees, etc. The chair will submit monthly reports to the board and provide the association treasurer with all necessary information related to issuing payments.
g) Coach and Bench Staff Selection Committee
This committee shall be responsible for the process of advertising, recruiting, interviewing and recommending coaches and bench staff to the board of directors for approval. The Coach and bench staff Selection Committee shall consist of a chairperson, appointed by the board, and at least two (2) other persons necessary to complete the work of the committee. If a member of the selection committee elects to apply to coach a team, he/she will be excluded from the selection process only for that division in which the selection committee member has applied. Coach interviews will be held before April 30th, The board will decide by paper vote after hearing from the committee and any discussion required. NO changes in bench staff will be made throughout the season, unless directed by the Executive committee.
h) Fundraising chair
This person shall be a member of the executive. This person, with input from the board, shall set a fundraising target for each season. Duties shall include actively seeking donations, planning and proposing fundraising activities, including at association tournament(s), and reporting to the treasurer. All activities shall be proposed to the board for approval.
I) Tournament chair
This position may be chaired by a member of the executive or any other interested person approved by the executive. This person will actively seek tournament participants, sponsors, liaison with the OWHA to full fill all procedures related to event sanctioning, etc. This person is also responsible for setting up a tournament committee to assist with planning and operating tournament(s). The chair will report to the board.
j) House League Convener
This person shall be a member of the executive and is responsible for all house league teams. This person will schedule exhibition games, regular league games in conjunction with the ice schedule chair. They will also be the direct contact for the association responsible for communication with teams and bench staffs. All comments, complaints, etc., must come through the convener. The convener will hold at least two (2) meetings during the course of the season with coaches.
k) Rep / Select Convener
This person shall be a member of the executive and is responsible for overseeing all rep/select teams, rep/select game and practice scheduling, OWHA Playdown scheduling, liaising with OWHA for competitive team matters, and the compliance and filing of all OWHA paperwork related to the operation of competitive teams. This person will also represent the association at required meetings of interlock rep leagues in which NGHA rep teams are involved, and report back to the NGHA board.
Article 3 – Meetings
a) Executive Meetings
Executive Meetings are to be held monthly, (or more frequently during hockey season if deemed necessary). Meetings are to be called by the President and notice of the meetings is to be given to each member of the Executive by the President or Secretary, specifying the time and place of the meeting. A quorum of six is required. A quorum shall consist of President or Vice-President plus 5 other director or executive members, or, President, Vice-President plus 4 other executive members or directors.
b) General Meeting
A General Meeting of the Association may be held at any time, providing the meeting is called by the President, and notice of the meeting is given to all members at least two weeks in advance. The president must call a General Meeting if requested to do so in writing by six voting members.
c) Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held before June 30 each year. Members shall be notified at least two weeks in advance of the meeting with the time and place of the meeting clearly stated. The Annual General Meeting agenda shall include: the presentation of the financial statement, any proposed amendments to the constitution, and the election of officers for the coming season.
Article 4 – Order of Business at Board Meetings
1. Call to order
2. Reading of the minutes of previous meeting
3. Business arising from the minutes
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. President’s Report
6. Reports of the Committees
7. Unfinished Business
8. Correspondence
9. New Business
10. Adjournment
Article 5 – Voting Powers
a) At General Meetings of the Association, each member of the Association designated in Article 4 (constitution) has the right to vote, with the following exceptions. No person under the age of 18 on the date of the meeting may vote. Only those players, team officials and Executive members age 18 or over may vote. On behalf of each player under the age of 18, one parent or legal guardian may vote. No individual may carry more than one vote.
b) Votes are not transferable and there shall be no proxy votes.
c) No quorum shall be required at the Annual General Meeting.
d) Every member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to vote at meetings of the Executive Committee.
e) The President may only vote in the event of a tie.
f) Voting by proxy shall not be permitted at Executive committee meetings.
Article 6 – Nominations
1. Each voting member shall have the privilege of nominating a candidate for an elected office of the Association, subject to the following provision: a member may be nominated for more than one office, but may not hold more than one office in any given year. Nominations must be received by the Secretary thirty (30) days prior to the Annual General Meeting. All such nominations must have a nominator, a seconder and permission from the candidate.
2. In order to be eligible for the position of president, a member must have been on the executive committee for a minimum one year.
3. An executive member who resigned his/her position is not eligible for the position of president in the immediate following term.
Article 7 – Amendments to Bylaws and Rules & Regulations
a) The Executive Committee may, from time to time, set repeal or amend such By-laws, as it deems necessary for the conduct of the business of the Association in a manner consistent with this Constitution.
b) Rules & Regulations can be changed by a simple majority by the Board of Directors at an official meeting.
c) A proposed amendment to the Bylaws of the Association must be received by the secretary in writing at least thirty (30) days in advance of the annual general meeting.
Article 8 – NGHA Code of Conduct
This Code of Conduct identifies the standard of behaviour, which is expected of all NGHA members, including players, coaches, parents, directors, volunteers, chaperones and others.
NGHA is committed to providing a sports environment in which all individuals are treated with respect. Members shall conduct themselves at all times in a fair and responsible manner. Members shall refrain from comments or behaviours, which are disrespectful, offensive, abusive, racist or sexist. In particular, behaviour, which constitutes harassment or abuse, will not be tolerated.
Members shall at all times adhere to NGHA operational policies and procedures.
Members shall not engage in activity or behaviour, which endangers the safety of others.
Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct will result in disciplinary action, suspension or release from membership. Such action will result in the member losing the privileges that come with membership in NGHA, including the opportunity to participate in the local association’s activities.
Article 9 – Code of Conduct Agreement
a) All players and at least one guardian must sign and return a copy of NGHA’s Code of Conduct to chair of registration committee prior to taking part in any Association activities.
b) All applicants for coaching or bench staff positions must sign and return a copy to chair of coach selection committee prior to interview. Applicants who do not sign and return a copy will not be interviewed or considered for a position.
c) All Executive members must sign copy of Code of conduct.
d) All signed copies of Code of Conduct shall be kept on file.
Article 10 -- NGHA Logo
The official Norfolk HERicanes logo shall not be copied or reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Norfolk Girls Hockey Association Executive.
Association Awards
The Ruth Pond Award for Most Exemplary House League Player (founded in 2003)
Each house league coach is permitted to nominate one (1) player from his/her team as a fitting candidate to receive this award. Please make your nomination by submitting a written explanation of no more than one page to the Association President detailing why you think the player is deserving of this award, taking into account the criteria.
The Cassie Turner Award for Most Exemplary Representative Player
(founded in 2008)
Each rep league coach is permitted to nominate one (1) player from his/her team as a fitting candidate to receive this award. . Please make your nomination by submitting a written explanation of no more than one page to the Association President detailing why you think the player is deserving of this award, taking into account the criteria.
Award criteria:
Most exemplary player. . . "A player that serves as a role model."
A player who demonstrates respect for coaching staff, officials and fellow players
A player who consistently promotes good sportswomanlike conduct on & off the ice
A player who encourages her teammates
A player who honestly demonstrates a love for the game
The award entries shall be judged by a panel of three individuals. The award will be presented at NGHA's banquet in April.