Rutland Youth Soccer
Constitution
Approved June 2021

Organization Name
Rutland Youth Soccer, hereafter referred to as RYS is a non-profit organization affiliated with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association and the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) and shall adhere to the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association Constitution in all respects.

Objective
To provide a soccer organization for  the youth of the Town of Rutland promoting participation in the game of soccer and teaching the principles of soccer excellence, sportsmanship, athletic skills, team spirit, character and social interaction.  The ideals of enjoyment, fair play, fun, safety, integrity and honesty will be emphasized through age- and ability-appropriate competition and soccer educational opportunities to enable every member, albeit a player, coach, or referee, of RYS to achieve their personal goals.

Description and Governing Body
RYS will be responsible for setting policy objectives, providing for game and field scheduling, game rules, officials, equipment, recruiting and training coaches.

Governing Body (Board)
The governing body of RYS will be the Executive Board, hereafter referred to as the Board, which shall consist of the following:

Open Board positions will be voted in at regularly scheduled Board meetings

Terms of Office
All Board positions have one-year term limits and after such, any interested individuals may be voted in by the Board to replace an existing and/or open position at regularly scheduled Board meetings.  A majority vote of the Existing Board will determine approval of aforementioned positions.

Board Attendance Policy
A Board Member must attend a minimum of two-thirds of the meetings held over the course of the year.

Board Decisions
All matters of policy shall be decided by a simple majority vote, except as noted in the FINANCIAL POLICY section of these By-Laws. If a person holds more than one Board position then that person only gets one total vote per issue before the Board.  

Any vote ending in a tie shall be determined by the President / Chairman of the Board.

Notice of Meetings
Board meetings will be held on a monthly basis or as deemed necessary.  Notice to the public will be available on the RYS Website Calendar.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Board
The duties and responsibilities of the members of the Board shall be as follows:

• President – The President shall officially preside at all meetings; act as Chairman of the Board; be the official representative of the RYS; be authorized to sign checks; be responsible for appointing members to all non-elected positions.
• Vice President – The Vice President shall succeed to the office and powers of the President in his / her absence, or for the remainder of the term if vacated for any reason. In the event of such a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of Vice President. Said person shall resolve the other grievances as described in the By-Laws.
• Clerk – The Clerk shall attend to all correspondence for RYS including but not limited to: Annual Directors Meeting filing (coordinate with Treasurer & Attorney), complete Annual Report (coordinate with Attorney and RYS Board), keep detailed minutes of all Board and General Meetings, communicate registration dates with local schools, newspapers, etc to ensure proper community engagement, solicit appropriate meeting space for all RYS Board meetings, keep records as necessary and correspond on behalf of the RYS only with the knowledge and permission of the President.
• Treasurer – The Treasurer shall have charge of the finances of RYS. He/She shall report on the finances at all Board and General Meetings, and shall submit and distribute a full written report of the financial transactions and the status of the finances at the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer will complete appropriate and necessary tax filings and support the Clerk in the development of the annual report. The Treasurer shall be authorized to sign checks. The Treasurer will prepare and propose the annual budget to the Board.
• Registrar – The Registrar shall be responsible for managing all registrations submitting team registration , submitting team profiles, and obtaining approval of  all team rosters from MAYS league officials. The Registrar is responsible for registering all members with MYSA for insurance coverage, including our Pre-K, K and U8 programs, and obtaining the certificates of insurance binders required by town recreation departments. The Registrar will also provide the Board an annual roster of available coaches for each team. In the event there is more than one coach applying for an open position the Registrar will notify the Board for discussion. The Board will make the final determination and fill the position with the best available coach.
• Player Agent - The Player Agent will be responsible for U10, U12, U14 and High School team draft administration and team assignments.  Working with the Registrar to receive all eligible players, the Player Agent will ensure that proper methods (determined by the Board) are properly used and managers are educated in advance of the draft of the selection process. The Player Agent must prepare the draft list, which lists all eligible players for selection. Additionally, the Player Agent must be aware of the draft process and all rules that apply, such as draft order. During the season, should there be the need for replacements, the Player Agent, along with the team head coach, must follow the established process for such replacement. The Player Agent must also provide proper notice to the individual being replaced.  It is the responsibility of the Player Agent to ensure no head coach is mishandling his roster and that all players are being treated equal.
• CORI Coordinator – The CORI Coordinator will coordinate and collect all CORI forms & information from all adult volunteers. He / She will be the liaison with the league CORI officer, the state Department of Justice and MAYS (or current league affiliation) regarding all such matters.
• Equipment Coordinator – The Equipment Coordinator oversees all activities related to equipment, supplies, merchandise and uniforms for the organization; obtains and controls storage space; maintains adequate records on inventory; sets minimum and maximum inventory levels; researches and recommends to the Board vendors and products to provide maximum value for the organization; orders equipment, supplies, uniforms as may become necessary from time to time with prior approval from the Board.  He/she is responsible for distributing and collecting equipment, supplies and uniforms to their respective areas of responsibility.
• Player / Coach Development Coordinator – The Player / Coach Coordinator shall be responsible for training and developing quality coaches for the RYS U10+ age groups; contracting, as approved by the Board, with outside organizations to provide specialized training and education; hire professional coaches when needed; conduct clinics for players and coaches; maintain a database of coaches and their qualifications; aid the organization in their search for qualified coaches; schedule license certification courses and promote the general advancement of coaches within RYS. The coordinator is responsible to work with coaches to capture and maintain the annual player evaluation and report the results to the Player Agent and Registrar.
• Field Coordinator – The Field Coordinator shall have the responsibility of securing sufficient field space to allow for a full schedule of practices and games for both competitive and recreational activities; coordinate and facilitates practice times; assign home fields with the league that RYS is affiliated; make the final determination as to whether a field is to be used for play or practice due to either schedule conflicts, weather, wear or other considerations; works with the Town of Rutland Recreation Department, Rutland Public Schools, Rutland Public Safety and private organizations and individuals to secure playing fields; arrange for the provision of portable restroom facilities, control the inventory, storage and movement of all field equipment and supplies, including, but not limited to, goals, nets, and line painting equipment and supplies; recruit and schedule parent volunteers to help with the maintenance of fields.
• Kindergarten / Pre-Kindergarten (Mixed U6) Coordinator –The Coordinator shall be the primary liaison with the parents at this level. They are the first point of contact for all parent questions or concerns at this age group. They will start the season by being present at every session for the first 2 weeks of the program, ensuring all parents and players are organized and have a solid understanding of our program & expectations.  The Coordinator must maintain a presence throughout the season. They will organize and assign parent volunteers at an approximate ratio of 1 volunteer for every 10 players. The parent volunteers will assist the professional training staff assigned by the RYS Board. The Coordinator will provide feedback to the board regarding the quality of the program, the quality of the professional trainers, and desired improvements. All parent issues or concerns shall be forwarded to the board via email within 24 hours.
• Instructional (Mixed U8) Coordinator –The Coordinator shall be the primary liaison with the parents at this level. They are the first point of contact for all parent questions or concerns at this age group. They will start the season by being present at every session for the first 2 weeks, ensuring all parents and players are organized and have a solid understanding of our program & expectations. The Coordinator must maintain a presence throughout the year. They will work with the Registrar & CORI Coordinator and assign two parent coaches per team. The Coordinator will work directly with the professional training staff assigned by the RYS Board.  The Coordinator will provide feedback to the Board regarding the quality of the program, the quality of the professional trainers, and improvements desired. All parent issues or concerns shall be forwarded to the board via email within 24 hours.
• Public Relations Coordinator – The Public Relations Coordinator will be responsible for writing and publishing web content and social media posts on RYS properties as well as delivering key information to local schools and media outlets to ensure proper community engagement. The timely publishing of this content will support the annual cycle of RYS activity including but not limited to general announcements, registration, player evaluations, special events, fundraisers and promotion of games or other club accomplishments.  With the coordination of key board members, the PR coordinator will also respond to public inquiries, comments and otherwise engage with the public on social media and other outlets.
• Fundraising Coordinator – The Fundraising Coordinator shall have the responsibility of determining and carrying out public awareness programs and fundraising, as agreed upon by the Board, to further RYS and foster the growth of soccer in the Town of Rutland. Select and purchase merchandise related to fundraising with prior approval of the Board.
• MAYS Representative – The Representative will have the responsibility to attend meetings of the MAYS League (or current league affiliation) and represent the best interests of RYS at those meetings; report monthly on activities of the league and their effect on RYS.
• Mountain Soccer Club (MSC) Town Representative – The Representative will have the responsibility to attend meetings of the MSC league and represent the best interests of RYS at those meetings; report monthly on activities of the league and their effect on RYS. Town Representative is a voting position on The MSC board.
• Instructional (Mixed U8) Referee Coordinator – The Coordinator will work with the Registrar and age appropriate coaches to identify and recruit soccer players who may be interested in becoming a referee. The Coordinator will organize appropriate training activities for all referee candidates. They will assign referees to all Instructional (Mixed U8) games as required by RYS and monitor performance throughout the season.
• Opening Day Coordinator –  The Opening Day Coordinator will focus on the planning and execution of Rutland Youth Soccer’s Opening Day Event. The event will typically take place on the first Saturday in September that occurs after Labor Day at a convenient location near the center of Rutland.  Events will include U6 sessions beginning at 8:30am, U10 games in the afternoon and special events in between. Activities may include 4v4 soccer games for U8 players, other mini games or challenges, a fundraising raffle, door prizes, RYS merchandise for sale, food trucks, food vendors, music, and team pictures.  Work with PR Coordinator for developing interest in the event. The Opening Day Coordinator will recruit and oversee a subcommittee of no less than 3 members in good standing (either board members, coaches or other active volunteer within RYS).  The subcommittee will report its progress to the Board of Directors during regularly scheduled meetings.
• Building Subcommittee Chair - The Field Construction Subcommittee will consist of 3 members of the Rutland community with the experience and interest to drive the construction of new fields for Rutland Youth Soccer.  Members should be selected based on their ability to provide field construction or solicit volunteers to construct the fields as designed.
• Appeals Chair - The Appeals Chair is responsible for pulling together an appeals committee of three non-board members as needed. The Chair must ensure that the appeals committee follows the appeal process as defined by MA Youth Soccer. If this position is not filled, the President, Vice President and/or Player Agent if U10 and older or the age specific coordinator if U8 or younger will be responsible as the acting Appeals Chair.

Coach Selection and Approval
The Registrar shall assign coaches for all teams.  In the event there are more qualified coach’s than teams at a given level, the Registrar will bring the situation to the Board and the Board shall appoint team coaches.

Quorum
A quorum is defined as a minimum of 5 active voting Board members.

Membership
Membership in RYS shall be open to all residents of the Town of Rutland as well as those attending a school in Rutland.  If an abutting Town does not provide a soccer program, exceptions may be made per the decision of the Board.

Conduct
The Board shall have the authority to suspend and / or remove any member of RYS whose conduct is considered detrimental to the organization.

Financial Policy

• Fiscal Year – The fiscal and tax year shall both be on a calendar year basis.
• Budget – A balanced budget for the forthcoming year shall be prepared by the Treasurer and approved by the Board before at the Annual Meeting.
• Major Expenses – Major, non-budgeted expenses over $250 from any individual or corporation shall require approval of the majority of the Board.
• Bank Account – All moneys shall be promptly deposited in either a savings or checking account in RYS name.
• Expenses – Bills shall be paid when due. Checks shall be signed by two authorized RYS signatories.
• Expenditures – Funds shall be spent only in the interest of RYS.
• Signatories – RYS shall maintain 3 signatories for the checking account. The President , Treasurer and a third Board member at the Boards discretion. This will be voted on as needed.  

Dissolution
Upon the dissolution of the corporation, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities of the corporation, dispose of all of the assets of the corporation to such organization or organizations as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations, as they now exist or may hereafter be amended, as the Board of Directors shall determine.

Other Matters
The Board shall have the power to deal with any matters not explicitly covered by the By- Laws.

Modifications to the Constitution
This Constitution, or any section thereof, may be amended by a majority vote of the Board.

Modifications to the By-Laws
The By-Laws, or any section thereof, may be amended by a majority vote of the Board.