Article I
Name, Location, and Meeting Sites
The name of the corporation is McLane Little League, a Pennsylvania corporation, not for profit, hereinafter referred to as the “Local League”. The principle mailing address of the corporation shall be located at P.O. box 166 Edinboro, PA 16412. The principle website shall be www.mclanelittleleague.org.
The principle email address shall be [email protected]. Meetings of members and directors shall be held regularly at such places centrally located in or between Edinboro and McKean to accommodate members and at times designated by the Board of Directors. The Local League includes youth from Edinboro and McKean, Pennsylvania. These by-laws are meant to govern the general operation of the League. Any items not covered in these by-laws default to Little League International Rules.
Section I
Board of Directors Meetings
Board meetings will be held on a regular schedule at the discretion of the board in order to appropriately handle league business and activities. The President or Vice President must be present at meetings in order for official league business to be conducted. Should the President and Vice President not be able to attend a meeting it is advised that the meeting be rescheduled. Furthermore a quorum must be established for official business to be conducted. A quorum is defined by the Board as ‘more than half of the current number of active board members’. (Example – if current active board member count is 13 then at least 7 board members must be present to establish a quorum. Meetings may not be called to order without a quorum present and no voting may take place without an established quorum. Executive meeting sessions may be utilized at the discretion of the league president to navigate issues or subjects that do not require input from all board members. A summary of the executive session should be compiled by the league secretary or other board member in attendance and shared with the general board of directors at the next scheduled meeting. The league secretary or other board member shall keep minutes of all official meetings. Meeting minutes are available upon request.
Section II
Board Member Meeting Attendance and Grounds for Dismissal
Board members are expected to attend all board meetings and the league Secretary shall maintain a log of all board members present or absent for each meeting. Attendance records shall be included within the official meeting minutes. Should a board member not be able to attend a meeting they are required to notify the league president prior to the start of the meeting. Any board member who is absent from (3) regularly scheduled meetings over the course of one league year and whose absences are unexcused (no advance notice to the president or secretary), will be subject to removal from the Board of Directors.
The following shall be considered as grounds for dismissal of Board Members:
1. Three or more unexcused absences from regularly scheduled Board of Directors meetings.
2. Lack of attendance at regularly scheduled monthly meetings.
3. Lack of participation in board activities or league events.
4. Failure to follow the code of conduct (s)
5. Failure to follow the McLane Little League Constitution/Bylaws
A Board Member can only be dismissed from the board via a majority vote of the other board members.
Section III
Board Member Voting Procedures
Voting shall be held at board meetings via a voice or ballot casting system at the discretion of the president. Motions shall pass or fail based on a simple majority. An official quorum (defined as more than half of the active board members present) must be established for voting to take place. There will be no voting by telephone permitted. Voting outside of board meetings will be permitted via email per Roberts’s rules of order for special circumstances that require action to be taken prior to the next scheduled meeting. Email voting must be authorized by the local league President prior to the motion being made available for voting to the Board. All other voting procedures will be adhered to as set forth in the McLane Little League Constitution.
Section IV
Board Size, Elections and Assignments
The Board of Directors shall be comprised of 13 total members (including the executive officers). An Annual League Meeting shall be held once per year between September 1st and September 30th to elect the new Board which officially begins the new league year on October 1st and ends their term on September 30th. The previous year’s Board shall determine the date and must officiate the meeting. This meeting shall be publicized and is open to the public. Nominations for board members shall be taken from the floor. Nominees do not have to be in attendance to be on the ballot. All in person attendees are eligible to cast votes for up to 13 nominees. The 13 nominees with the most votes will comprise the new board. Once the new Board is established the executive offices (President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary) should be elected. Only the 13 members of the new Board are eligible to vote for the officers. At the first Board of Directors meeting following the Annual meeting in which elections are held the board shall meet to vote for the remaining board assignments. All board members present will vote on the assignments (blind vote tally for each being counted and recorded by the sitting Secretary), and any Board member may be nominated (or nominate themselves) for any position. The candidate with the most votes for each position will be elected. The term of all positions on the Board of Directors will be from the September Annual Meeting to the Annual Meeting the following September. Board Members may hold more than one position on the Board excluding the Executive Offices (no Board member may hold more than one Executive Office).
The following positions must be voted on in order:
1. President*
2. Vice President*
3. Secretary*
4. Treasurer*
5. Player Agents (Baseball and Softball)
6. Coaching Coordinators (Baseball and Softball)
7. Equipment/Safety Officer
8. Concession Manager
9. Information Officer
10. Sponsorship/Fundraising Coordinator
11. Uniform Coordinator
12. Division Coordinators**
a. Recommendation is one coordinator per age group in both baseball and softball divisions plus one for t-ball).
b. It is preferred that division coordinators are members of the board but this is not required. Division coordinators may be non-board members but must be appointed by the board.
13. Umpire Coordinator** - optional
14. Field Maintenance/Facilities Manager** - optional
*The four Executive Positions should be voted on by the new Board immediately after the new Board is elected at annual meeting. The remaining positions may be voted on at a later date.
**Division Coordinators, Umpire Coordinator, and Field Maintenance/Facilities Manager may be filled by non-board members but must be appointed by the board and are required to attend any applicable board meetings as determined by the board. These are non-voting positions and are considered temporary with their responsibilities only being required during applicable parts of the league year.
Additional non-board member volunteers are always welcome to assist the Board with the responsibilities of the League. Any non-board member acting on behalf of McLane Little League for a temporary or extended time frame must be approved by the Board to do so.
Article II
Administrative Rules & Regulations
Section I
Insurance
The Local League Board of Directors shall be required to carry a policy of officers and directors liability insurance, insuring the officers and directors against any claims made against them whatsoever, except claims of willful negligence and misfeasance of office. Note: Players are covered under insurance with Little League International.
Section II
General Purchases
All purchases, with the exception of reoccurring monthly expenses, must be approved by the authorizing individual responsible for that particular division or area and be followed up with a receipt in order to be reimbursed. No purchase more than $250 shall be made without prior approval by the board of directors. Emergency purchases of up to $500 may be approved by the League President or Vice President but must follow the same rules for documentation as stated above. The treasurer should be immediately made aware of said purchase. Only authorized representatives of the League shall make purchases on account at approved vendors. All purchases on account will be followed up by a detailed invoice to the treasurer. At each Board of Directors meeting, the Board of Directors will review all invoices and expenses, whether paid or pending approval, that are received between meetings.
Purchases by the League President without Previous Board Approval
The League President may purchase equipment or items required by the league without prior board approval if the entire purchase price of the item is less than $500. The President should immediately make the Treasurer aware of the purchase and inform the remaining members of the board at the next scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors.
Bid Requirement for Large Expenses
Large one-time expenses greater than $1000 require the Board to attempt to obtain at least (3) bids or estimates for said expenses.
Large reoccurring yearly expenses (such as uniforms, pictures, etc.) require the Board to attempt to obtain at least (3) bids or estimates once every (3) years.
Section III
Player Registration
All players who are participating in Little League baseball or softball with McLane Little League must complete a registration form either on line or at one of the pre‐determined registration locations. Any players seeking scholarships will be required to complete the proper request form and submit the form along with all required documents to the McLane Little League President for approval.
Section IV
Payment of Registration Fees
Registration fees are due at the time of registration, and all documents must be completed and turned in together. Player uniforms will not be ordered unless player is properly registered and fees are paid or waived.
Section V
Volunteers
It is mandatory that anyone that is a coach, manager, board member, team parent, or other person that will be on the field or in the dugout in contact with players on a regular basis fill out a volunteer application and pass all background checks and certifications as required by Little League International, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and McLane Little League.
Section VI
Disciplinary Actions
The Board of Directors will review all infractions of the Code of Conduct (s). Depending on the seriousness or the frequency, the board may assess disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the league.
Section VII
Amendments to the Bylaws
McLane Little League bylaws may be amended, repealed or altered, only for safety concerns or situations that conflict with the Little League rule book(s), General McLane School District, or McLane Little League in whole or in part by a majority vote at any duly organized meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that notice of the proposed change is included in the notice of such meeting.
Article III
Facility Rules and Usage
All field usage must be approved and scheduled by the league. Field preparation and usage by McLane Little League will follow and adhere to the contract with General McLane School District and/or McKean Recreation Park Authority. Regular season Little League games and practices will have first priority when it comes to scheduling fields.
Section I
Game Rules and Schedules
In the event of field availability issues, the Board may make any necessary adjustments to game start times and the length of games. The Division Coordinator or other League Representative must be notified, in advance, should there be a need to cancel a game for any reason. No home games shall be cancelled or postponed by managers, coaches or parents without notification of the Division Coordinator or other League Representative. Managers may only cancel, postpone, or shorten games without League approval in the interest of player safety. In this case manager discretion is allowed but the Division Coordinator or other League Representative should be notified afterward as soon as possible. No games shall be played on a day that the Board has cancelled all games in that area due to weather or field conditions.
Article IV
Local League Structure
Section I
Managers, Coaches, and Umpires
Managers, Coaches, and Umpires will be required to attend meetings and appropriate training mandated by league officials and/or the Board of Directors. Managers and Coaches are required to attend one (1) coach’s clinic prior to the beginning of the season to maintain good standing as a manager or a coach. Additionally, all managers, coaches, umpires, and volunteers are required to attend the annual safety training.
Coordinators. The Coaching Coordinators shall submit a final list of Managers and Coaches to the Board of Directors for approval. Final approval by the Board of Directors shall be made prior to the start of the season. Managers and Coaches shall NOT be considered as having seniority. All managers and coaches must remain in good standing. Any manager or coach not in good standing with the League shall be subject to removal from their position by the Board of Directors.
A list of interested League Umpires shall be compiled by the Umpire Coordinator or other League Representative and submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Final approval by the Board of Directors shall be made prior to the start of the season.
Article V
All‐Star Selection/Process and Travel Teams
All-Star team selections shall be conducted in accordance with the current rules and recommendations set forth by Little League International. Player voting, coach voting, tryouts, or a combination of each may be used to select the final roster for each All-Star team. The player agents and coaching coordinators for baseball and softball must present the Board with a written plan to select each division’s All-Star rosters. This plan must be presented to and approved by the Board no later than June 1st each year. All plans must be approved by the Board prior to being shared with league participants (including any coaches, players, or parents). The appropriate player agent must be present for the final selection process (coaches meeting or tryout) of each all-star team. All Star teams must be selected prior to the selection of the managers for said teams. Once the manager is selected they are responsible for selecting their assistant coaches and may add any additional eligible players to their roster up to the current roster maximum should they choose to do so.
Players, coaches, or parents that participate on Travel or Tournament Teams outside the general play of McLane Little League must follow the regulations for these Teams set forth by Little League International. McLane Little League encourages baseball play at all levels including Travel Teams, Tournament Teams, etc. However, regular McLane Little League play including all practices, games, or scheduled league activities will always take priority for field use. Travel or Tournament teams are only permitted to use the fields or grounds maintained by McLane Little League after all regular League play events have been scheduled. Should any regular league play events (practices, games, etc.) need to be rescheduled due to weather or any other reason these events can be rescheduled during times the Travel or Tournament teams have requested to use the League’s fields. The Travel or Tournament team will be notified of the change by the rescheduling league manager in this case.
Addendum: MLL by-laws were amended to include a dissolution statement, as required by the state of Pennsylvania in our application for sales tax exemption.
Upon the dissolution of the organization, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the corporation or organization, dispose of all the assets of the organization in such a manner, or to such organization(s) organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Interval Revenue Code of 1954, as the Board of Directors shall determine.
Addendum: Public Comments/Proposals During Meetings
1. All meetings will have 10 minutes reserved for public comments just after roll call and the approval of minutes. Each speaker will be allotted a maximum of 5 minutes. If more than two speakers wish to speak, the allotted time for each speaker will be reduced to stay within the 10-minute allotment. (i.e. five people want to speak: each will receive two minutes). A sign-in sheet will be present at each meeting and guests wishing to speak must sign in before the meeting is called to order.
2. The Board will not be expected to address or respond to questions/concerns/proposals immediately. Should a formal response be needed it will be provided at a later time, no later than the next scheduled Board meeting.
3. Any party wishing to make a formal presentation to the board (and wishes to do so outside of the allotted 10 minute window for public comments) will need to provide the board 7 days advanced notice to ensure time is available and allotted on the next meeting agenda. The board reserves the right to accept or decline the opportunity to hear any proposal at any time. While 7 days advanced notice is required of a presenter the Board may choose hear the presenter’s proposal at a later meeting should time not be available at the next scheduled meeting.