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THE METROPOLITAN OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION(MOA) By-Laws (as of 2009)

Article I                         Membership

Section 1

Membership in the MOA is open to those persons who are interested in the objectives of the association. High school officials must be registered with a recognized state association.

Section 2

Membership shall be designed as follows: Founders, Active, Inactive, Associate and Honorary.

Section 3

Founding members are those persons who are noted in the archives as having founded and organized the Metropolitan Officials Association. Their names shall forever be incorporated on the MOA banner and letterhead. These founders are Ben Bluitt, Will Bonner, Jim Foreman, Larry Hawkins and Charles Stimson. Founding members shall have probono publico status.

Section 4

Active members shall consist of all persons professionally engaged in officiating one or more of the sports active to the association.

Section 5

Inactive members shall be persons who support the objectives of the association who have retired from all levels of officiating.

Section 6

Associate members are persons who are new to the association who support the objectives of the association and are interested in becoming active members. Associate members in good standing shall automatically become active upon their one year anniversary.

Section 7

Honorary members shall be those persons the association so votes to honor. Honorary members shall have probono publico status.

Section 8

Only active and inactive members shall have the right to vote.

Section 9

Only active and inactive members shall have the right to hold office.

Section 10

 The annual dues for active and associate members shall be $75.00.

The annual dues for inactive members shall be $35.00.

All dues and fees are waived for founders and honorary members.

a. All membership dues are paid yearly by June 30th.

b. Dues paid after June 30th will be assessed a $25 late fee.

c. All dues paid with a check that is returned for any reason will be assessed a $35.00 returned check fee.

d. Active members who fail to pay dues for a period of one year must be reinstated as associate members.

e. Active members who fail to pay late or returned check fees will not be considered for membership until all fees are paid. If fees are not paid within one year, this member can only apply as an associate member (see article 10d)

Section 11

Membership shall not be granted to person known to have felony conviction for drugs and or child related issues.

Section 12

Membership shall not be open to anyone known to be experimenting drug and/or alcohol addiction.

Article II                        Officers

Section 1

The officers of the association shall be: President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, Recording Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2

Members must be in good standing for two consecutive years in order to be eligible to hold office.

Section 3

The term of office for each officer shall be two years. The President may not serve for more than two consecutive terms.

Section 4

Officers shall meet at least one week prior to a general meeting.

Section 5

It shall be the duty of the President to:

a. Preside at all meetings of the association and executive board.

b. Appoint all committees with approval of the executive board.

c. Appoint the committee chairmen of all special and standing committees.

d. Appoint all operational expenditures of the association.

e. Provide a secondary signature on all checks and pay vouchers.

f. Make annual reports of the activities of his office at the March general meeting.

g. Vote in case of a tie of the executive board.

h. Appoint a Sport Coordinator for each active sport in which twenty or more members are involved, with the approval of the executive          board.

i. Appoint a Sergeant-at-Arms.

j. Appoint a Public Relations Chairperson.

   It shall be the duty of the Public Relations Chairperson to:

             1) Assume the responsibility for media coverage of all association matters for which coverage is appropriate.

             2) Conduct all business which may be considered appropriate to the publicizing of information and programs of the association.

Section 6

It shall be the duty of the Vice President to:

a. Perform the duties of the President in his absence and any other duties that the President or the executive board may direct.

b. Serve as coordinator for all MOA training and interpretation meetings.

Section 7

It shall be the duty of the Recording Secretary to:

a. Keep the minutes of all meetings of the executive committee and all special and general meetings and make a report at each meeting. Copies of the general meeting minutes are to be provided to the membership.

b. Perform such other duties as the President and executive board may direct.

c. Keeps on file the official records and reports of the association.

d. Secure all publications and stationary goods necessary to the needs of the association.

e. Responsible for all mailings.

Section 8

It shall be the duty of the Executive Secretary to:

a. Receive membership applications and collect dues

b. Provide a secondary signature on all checks and pay vouchers in he absence of the President.

c. Publish and distribute the membership roster at the general meeting in October.

d. Perform such duties as the President or the executive board may direct.

Section 9

It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to:

a. Keep records of all receipts and expenditures of the association.

b. Collect all finances (except dues) and make the necessary disbursements in connection with his office after being approved by the President and/or executive committee.

c. Submit a written statement of the financial status of the association at each regular general meeting. Pay disbursements on the first and fifteenth of each month.

d. Perform such duties the President or executive board may direct.

Article III                       Executive Board

Section 1

The members of the executive board shall be the President, Vice President, executive Secretary, recording Secretary, Treasurer and Sports Coordinators.

Section 2

It shall be the duty of the Executive Board to suggest legislation to the association and to put into effect rules, regulations and mandates passed by the association and to act for the membership between regular meetings.

Section 3

The executive board shall meet at least one week before a general meeting and at any other time deemed advisable by the President.

Section 4

Any vacancy occurring on the board shall be filled by appointment of the President with the approval of the executive board.

Article IV                       Election of Officers and appointment of Chairpersons and Committees

Section 1

The President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, Recording Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected by the membership.

Section 2

The meeting for the election of officers will be held every two years on the third Monday of October.

Section 3

Nomination procedure:

a. Candidates must submit applications to the executive secretary before August 31 of the election year.

b. The executive secretary must provide the list of candidates to the membership 30 days prior to the election. Nominations from the floor will not be accepted.

Section 4

Each eligible member may cast one vote and no individual shall cast more than one vote. Absentee ballots must be in a sealed envelope.

Article V                        Advisory Board

Section 1

The advisory board shall consist of at least three but not more than five persons who are known to the membership and who are dedicated to the purpose of the MOA.

Section 2

The advisory board may be consulted by the executive board on legislative matters and may suggest legislation.

Section 3

Advisory board members may be active, associate or honorary members of the association.

Section 4

The President, with the approval of the executive committee shall appoint the advisory board members.

Article VI                        Sports Coordinators

Section 1

The MOA shall provide coordinators for all sports in which there are twenty members or more involved.

Section 2

Each Sport Coordinator shall:

a. Develop in writing, procedures, policies and philosophies for that respective sport.

b. Establish a committee for the evaluation of officials. This committee shall establish and make available to IHSA a membership list of the top fifteen officials in ranking order using the following criteria:

     1. IHSA ranking (certified, recognized, registered)

     2. Toughness of schedule

     3. Playoff schedule

     4. MOA participation (rules, educational and general meetings)

     5. Reports from observers, mentors and peer review

     6. Camp participation

c. Recruit leagues in which members will be assigned games.

d. Be paid stipend not to exceed $300.00 annually.

Article VII                      Meetings

Section 1

There shall be at least four general meetings per year: the third Monday of October, December, March and June. Additional meetings may be called by the executive committee if necessary.

Section 2

The Vice President in conjunction with the Sports Coordinators will establish the date and place of educational and rules meetings for each spot. Each sport must meet not less than six times in season.

Section 3

“Robert Rules of Order, revised” shall govern the parliamentary procedure of this association unless inconsistent with these by-laws.

Article VIII                     Committees

Section 1

All members of the association shall be eligible to participate in the activities of a committee.

a. Standing committees shall come into existence and remain in existence throughout the life of the association:

          1. Membership                 4. Education/training

          2. Social                           5. Benevolent

          3. Grievance                     6. Finance/Audit

                        7. Election/By-Laws

b. Special committees shall come into existence at the discretion of the President and/or executive board for the purpose of resolving situations not governed y standing committees. These committees will be dissolved upon completion of their function.

Section 2

The President, with approval of the executive board shall appoint chairpersons for all committees. The chairpersons in turn will accept volunteers for additional committee members.

Section 3

Committee responsibilities:

a. Membership – recruit new members. Develop new member packets. Prepare membership roster. Provide pertinent information to all members.

b. Grievance – investigate and resolve allegations of membership misconduct. (Advisory/Executive Board)

c. Benevolent/Support – liaison to members having experienced death in family or sustaining prolonged illness.

d. Social – plan and facilitate social activities for members and supporters (golf outing, end of school year activity, banquet, etc.)

e. Finance/Audit – develop the annual budget and audit the association treasury.

f. Education/Training – develop, in conjunction with sport coordinator, training programs for members.

g. Election/By-laws – Oversee the election process. Recommend and facilitate amendments to by-laws.

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