GVUA Constitution Page

Article I

Name and Purpose

Sec. 1 – This Association shall be known as the Genesee Valley Umpires Association.  This Association shall be a Chapter Member of the NEW YORK STATE BASEBALL UMPIRES ASSOCIATION, INC. (NYSBUA, INC.) and recognized therein as the Genesee Valley Chapter.  This Association shall be recognized as the GVUA.

Sec. 2 – The purpose of this Association shall be to sponsor and promote a program that shall recruit and train candidates to become potential umpires; to conduct annual training clinics that will further the development of the more competent official; to adopt and employ a standard system of officiating for all Association umpires; to determine and apply a uniform interpretation of the Official Rules; to make available efficient service and provide certified umpires for all classifications of baseball competition; to promote sportsmanship and stimulate improved relations between the umpires and those whom this Association serves; to enhance the conduct, welfare, the interests, and the integrity of its Members; and to preserve the compensation warranted for the caliber of services rendered by this Association.

Sec. 3 – This Association cannot dissolve while nine (9) Members, in good standing, object to its dissolution; and this Section cannot be altered, amended, or rescinded.

ARTICLE II

TERRITORIAL RIGHTS

            Sec. 1 – The region assigned to the Genesee Valley Umpires Association Chapter shall be located within the boundaries as established in the incorporation of Chapters under the NYSBUA, INC.  It shall include schools in Livingston, Monroe, Wyoming, Steuben, Genesee, and Orleans Counties.  These schools comprise the following leagues; Livingston County, Genesee Region, Monroe County and Independent Schools. This Chapter shall be the only organization under the NYSBUA, INC. empowered to qualify and certify umpires and to govern the umpiring standard and activities in this region wherein they do not conflict with the by-laws of the NYSBUA, INC.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP

Sec. 1 – There shall be three classifications of membership, namely:  Active, Inactive, and Honorary.  The status of a Member in Active Membership shall be by rank of Probationary, Associate, and Certified.  The rank is determined on the basis of qualifications and length of service.  Inactive Membership is the status granted to a Member, possessing an Active certified rank, who desires a leave of absence from active officiating, without loss of certification, providing the conditions of Section 3 of this Article are met.  Honorary Membership may be proclaimed for a senior Certified Active Member who has retired from Active Status. 

Sec. 2 – To maintain an Active Membership status, a Member must be in good standing and must actively participate in the promotional functions of this Association, as well as, being an active umpire.  To qualify as a Member-in-good-standing, the Member must meet his/her dues obligation, must attend compulsory meetings, must attend the required number of annual Umpire Training Sessions conducted by this Association, and must perform in the best interests of and for the good of this Association.

            Junior Status:  Junior membership status eligibility would apply to any applicant between the ages of 16 years old and 17 years old. Junior members must meet the prescribe requirements listed in By-laws XI (Association Forms) to be eligible for active member status. Junior members would only be eligible for “summer” assignments deemed to be age appropriate by Association Assignor. At the time of a Junior members 18^th birthday said member will be granted Probationary status.

Probationary Status:  Probationary members must meet the prescribe requirements listed in By-laws XI (Association Forms) to be eligible for active member status. The Probationary Member who fails to gain a mark of 85 or above on the NYSBUA, INC. Examination, but has otherwise met the requirements expected by the GVUA of a first year umpire to the satisfaction of the Membership Committee, shall be retained on Probationary Status until he/she is successful in passing the following year’s State examination, or until he/she is declared unacceptable to this Association.

            Associate Status:  After having demonstrated one year of satisfactory performance, the successful Probationary Member shall be classified as an Associate Umpire.  He/she shall retain the Associate classification during his/her second full year of membership with this Association.  While under this status, the Associate Umpire shall have all the rights and privileges as reserved by this Association for the Certified Umpire, except that of holding office.

            The Associate Umpire shall maintain the same Member-in-good-standing status, shall comply with all Association Rules and Regulations, and shall meet the same Annual Umpire Training Requirements as prescribed for the Certified Umpire.  The progress of the Associate Umpire shall be observed and reviewed at the end of each year by the Membership Committee.  At the conclusion of the first year of Associate Status, the Membership Committee will review Associate Umpire prescribed evaluations completed by the Executive Board or Executive Board designee as listed in Article IX Section II and Section III of the By-Laws, before the successful Associate Umpire shall be granted Certified classification.  The Associate Umpire who fails to gain approval of the Membership Committee for advancement to the Certified classification shall be retained as an Associate Umpire on the provision that the Membership Committee consider him/her as having potential to acquire the necessary qualifications for Certified Status through an additional year(s) of experience as an Associate Umpire or until he/she is declared unacceptable to the Association.

            Certified Status:  The Highest active membership rank obtainable in this Association shall be that of Certified Umpire.  The Member who has completed two (2) full years of satisfactory performance as an active official and who has given evidence of being a credit to this Association while under the status of Probationary and Associate Status shall be eligible to become a Certified Umpire.  The Certified Umpire shall be granted all the privileges and benefits established by this Association and reserved in its Constitution and By-laws. 

            Sec. 3 – Inactive Membership is the status granted to a Certified Umpire, who after having served this Association three (3) or more consecutive years of active membership, finds that he/she cannot actively officiate for a period of one (1) year.  Inactive Membership shall be granted on the presumption that Active Membership can be restored upon request to and approval from the Executive Committee without having said Member required to re-qualify as a new Member.  A Member on Inactive Status shall pay dues as prescribed in Appendix A to Article III of the By-laws and shall be granted the same privileges reserved for the Active Member, except that the Inactive Member cannot umpire or be elected to an office of the Association or vote on Association matters while on Inactive Status.

            Any Member on Inactive Status at the Spring Meeting must remain on inactive status for the entire calendar year. In granting Inactive Membership Status to any individual in this Association, it shall be understood that the umpire shall not officiate ball games of the type for which services are provided by this Association or for any other organization or as an individual.  However, he/she may officiate ball games in this Association if called upon in an emergency situation.  Violation of this rule shall be grounds for fines, suspension, expulsion, or any combination thereof.

            Requests for Inactive Membership must be presented in writing to the Secretary stating the reason for this request.  In addition, the letter should acknowledge that the individual making the request is aware that he/she cannot officiate in any league or for any other team while on Inactive Status without the expressed approval of the Executive Committee.

Sec. 4 - Honorary Membership shall be considered only when a Member-in-good-standing, who has served this Association loyally for five (5) or more consecutive years, makes the decision to retire permanently from active officiating.  Honorary Membership shall be granted upon recommendation of the Executive Committee and when approved by a majority of the quorum present at a regular membership meeting.  An Honorary Member shall not be required to pay dues or assessments or attend compulsory meetings and may not act in the capacity of an Active Member.

Sec. 5 – Application for membership to this Association must be submitted to the Chairperson of the Membership Committee in writing on the Association Application Form.  Applicants accepted for the written examination on Official Baseball Rules shall be required to pay a registration fee as detailed in Appendix A to Article III of the Constitution.  This registration fee shall be credited as partial payment of the membership dues for the candidate, who is successful in passing the written examination, and is non-refundable.  Applicants for membership in GVUA must be a minimum of eighteen (16) years of age.  Application maybe found in Article XII Section I of the By Laws. 

Sec. 6 – The Executive Committee shall review and approve all applications received from those seeking a transfer membership to this Association.  Such applications must be submitted in writing and only applicants able to provide genuine affidavits and proof of having current Active Status in Professional Umpiring Ranks or with a recognized Certified Umpires Chapter shall be considered for transfer under this Section.

Any requests received for a transfer membership to this Association from an applicant having less than two (2) full years of active officiating or claiming a status other than Certified shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee.  If considered for either Probationary or an Associate Status, the Executive Committee shall determine the specific status under which the transfer shall be accepted, and the same transfer shall apply.

Sec. 7 – The Executive Committee shall implement a rating structure for all levels of active status within the membership.  All levels of active status will be evaluated through

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION

            Sec. 1 – The officers of this Association shall be a President, a Vice-president, a Secretary/Treasurer, Rules Interpreter, and a Membership Chairperson.  The Officers shall be elected by secret ballot vote every two (2) years at the Spring Business Meeting.

            Sec. 2 – The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the Board of Officers as listed in Section 1 and the Immediate Past-president.  The term of office for this Committee shall coincide with that of the Officers listed in Section 1.

            Sec. 3 – The newly elected Officers shall assume their full duties as prescribed in the By-laws at the beginning of the new fiscal year as stated in By-Law Article IX Section III.

ARTICLE V

MEETINGS

            Sec. 1 – There shall be two (2) annual Business Meetings:  a Mid-winter Meeting and a Spring Meeting.  The Executive Committee shall select dates and sites for these meetings and list them in the annual Business Association Business Program.  The Mid-winter Meeting and the Spring Meeting shall demand compulsory attendance of all Active and Inactive Members.

            Sec. 2 – The President may call a Special Meeting for the General Membership or the Executive Committee provided he/she submits an email to each Member and post upon the Association webpage an advanced notice of at least seven (7) days. The President shall be compelled to call a Special Meeting when presented with a signed petition of fifty-one (51) per cent of the Active Membership or a Special Executive Committee Meeting when presented with a signed petition by three (3) or more Executive Committee Members.  He/She shall call these meetings within seven (7) days after receiving such petitions, and he/she must submit an email to each Member and post upon the Association webpage an advance notice of at least seven (7) days.

ARTICLE VI

BY-LAWS

            Sec. 1 – The By-laws for the administration of this Association shall be made by a majority vote of the Executive Committee and shall be ratified by a majority vote of the Quorum present at a Regular Membership Meeting.

            Sec. 2 – The By-laws shall not be suspended except by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Quorum present at a Regular Meeting.

ARTICLE VII

AMENDMENTS

            Sec. 1 – The Executive Committee or the General Membership may propose an amendment to this Constitution or its By-laws.  The proposed amendment may be introduced at any Regular Meeting and shall be recorded in the minutes of that Meeting and shall be read for the first time at the end of the Meeting in which it is proposed.  The second reading of the proposed amendment shall be made at the Meeting immediately following the Meeting in which the amendment was proposed and first read, and after which a Membership vote will be taken for adoption.  Three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the Quorum present at the Regular or Special Meeting shall be required to carry the amendment to the Constitution, and two-thirds (2/3) majority shall be required of a similar Quorum for amending the By-laws.

ARTICLE VIII

REVISIONS

Sec. 1 – In order to facilitate continual revision and/or additions to this Constitution or subsequent By-laws, the Resolutions Committee is authorized to update this Constitution and By-laws every fall to include By-laws and Amendments passed under Article VI and/or VII of this Constitution.

Sec. 2 – The Resolutions Committee is further authorized to excerpt portions of this Constitution and By-laws and present the extracted portions in Appendices to this Constitution.  Any Appendix to this Constitution and By-laws shall have the same force as if it were included in the body of this Constitution and By-laws.

GVUA BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

            Sec. 1 – The President shall preside at all membership and Executive Committee meetings; shall preserve order therein; shall appoint all committees listed in the By-laws; shall only vote in case of a tie, except for the election of an officer; and shall render assistance and council as may be required or requested by any member or Committee in the promotional or administrative activities of this Association.

            Sec. 2 – The Vice-president shall assist the President in conducting all meetings.  The Vice-president shall assume the responsibility for conducting the duties of the President during his/her absence or shall be installed as the President of this Association when necessary to fill an unexpired term of the President elect. The Vice-president shall maintain proper conduct among members and shall act as the adviser in guiding the activities and the interests of the membership within this Association. He/she shall receive as compensation, for his/her responsibilities and services, dues-free membership for each term of office

            Sec. 3 – The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all Association Membership and Executive Committee meetings and shall submit it at each succeeding meeting.  He/she shall send a copy of such minutes to the President.  He/she shall notify the members of meetings, their elections to office, suspension or expulsion, shall notify Committee members of their appointment and assigned duties, and shall conduct correspondence and keep records normally associated with his/her office for this Association.

            Sec. 4 – The Treasurer and GVUA Assignor shall be the custodian of all monies accepted and distributed in the name of this Association.  He/she shall deposit said money in the local bank designated by the Executive Committee.  The Treasurer and GVUA Assignor may issue checks for payment of warranted Association indebtedness for an amount up to that specified in Appendix A to Article 1 of the By-laws without formal Executive Committee approval.  No Check may be drawn for any amount in excess of that amount specified in Appendix A to Article 1 of the By-laws until an official bill has been submitted for review and approval for payment authorized by the Executive Committee.

            The Treasurer shall prepare and submit, to the membership in writing, a detailed line item financial statement at the Annual Mid-winter Business Meeting or at such time as requested by the Executive Committee or the membership.  The Secretary shall keep one copy of said report on file.  The Treasurer shall also record all monies received by the Association and collect and keep an account of all dues, assessments, and fines.  He/she shall advise the President of the eligibility of any member to take part in certain proceedings during meetings.  He/she shall notify all members, who are delinquent in their payment of dues, by mail; and if the dues are not paid within one month (30 days) of such notification, he/she shall report it to the Executive Committee. 

The Treasurer shall report at every compulsory meeting a list of those members who are subject to fines or penalties.  He/she shall submit his/her books, upon request, to the Executive Committee for inspection and deliver the books to his/her successor in office.  He/she shall assist the Secretary whenever possible.  The office of Secretary/Treasurer shall be a joint office held by one person.

            Sec. 5 – The Chairperson of the Membership Committee shall be responsible for promoting and conducting the annual Association recruiting program for new candidates for membership.  He/she shall conduct the necessary orientation and rules interpretation clinics to prepare applicants for the Rules Examination and shall educate the probationary members on their conduct and responsibilities to the Association.  He/she shall supervise the program of the Membership Committee to sponsor, train, and develop the candidates through their probationary season.  He/she shall administer the procedure for the Membership Committee to observe and appraise performance of the first year members and to pass final judgment on the probationary umpires to determine their qualifications for advancement to Associate rank.

            The Chairperson shall also, with the assistance of the Membership Committee, be responsible for observing and appraising the progress of the Associate Members and for keeping them informed about what they must do to improve their individual performance or conduct as necessary, in order to qualify for advancement to Certified Status.

            Sec. 6 – The Executive Committee shall administer and direct the affairs and activities of this Association and shall review and rule on any problem or proposal that may be submitted by any Member or Committee of this Association.  The Executive Committee shall have the jurisdiction to act and render decisions on all matters not specifically covered or addressed in the Constitution and By-laws of this Association.

            Sec. 7 – Any Officer who is absent from two (2) consecutive Executive Committee meetings and cannot submit a justifiable reason to the Executive Committee shall be subject to possible removal from office.  In case of such removal, the Executive Committee shall appoint a successor who shall serve the remainder of the term of office unless otherwise removed.

ARTICLE II

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

            Sec. 1 – To qualify as a candidate for an office, the nominee must have been an active member-in-good-standing for four (4) or more consecutive years in this Association.  The candidate for President shall, in addition, have served at least one full previous term as an officer and as a member of the Executive Committee.

            Sec. 2 – The newly elected President shall present his/her candidate for Chairperson of the Membership Committee to the Executive Committee at the first meeting after his/her installation and, upon their approval, shall install the Chairperson as a voting member of the Executive Committee.

            Sec. 3 – The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee.  This Committee shall select a slate of candidates whom the Chairperson shall introduce at the Mid-winter Business Meeting prior to the Spring Business Meeting at which the elections are to be held.  Additional nominations may be made from the floor by the general membership during the Spring Business Meeting to oppose the candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee in the biennial election of officers.

            Sec. 4 – When a member is nominated either by the Nominating Committee or from the floor, he/she shall declare his/her acceptance of the nomination before his/her name can appear on the ballot.  A member can be a candidate for one of the five (5) association central offices only; and when nominated for more than one office, he/she must declare his/her preference for the office for which he/she wants to be a candidate.

            Sec. 5 – The biennial election (ODD years) of officers shall be held at the Spring Business Meeting.  The election shall be by secret ballot.

            Sec. 6 – Only Active Members-in-good-standing at the time of the elections shall be entitled to vote.  A plurality of the votes cast shall be necessary to elect any candidate.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP DUES

Sec. 1 – The dues for annual membership in this Association shall be approved by a majority vote of the membership.  The current dues are presented in Appendix A to Article III of the By-laws.

Sec. 2 – The Association annual membership dues for the ensuing year shall be payable on or before the annual Spring Business Meeting.  All dues must be made payable to the Genesee Valley Umpires Association (GVUA).

Sec. 3 – The members of the Executive Committee of the GVUA shall receive “dues free” membership, as long as they hold office, to compensate for their time and expenses incurred in performing their duties on the Executive Committee.

APPENDIX A

ARTICLE III—BY-LAWS

Membership Dues

                                                                Associate, & Certified Officials                              $100.00

                            Probationary Officials                                              $0.00

                            Inactive Member                                                       $50.00

ARTICLE IV

UMPIRE FEES

Sec. 1 – The scale of minimum fees per official for each NYSPHSAA (High School) game for the various classifications of umpires shall be in accordance with the current agreement between Section V and the United Sports Boards Council.

Sec. 2 – The establishment of other fees for individual leagues, tournaments, or special events shall be reviewed and resolved by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V

PROVISIONS FOR ISSUING & ACCEPTING ASSIGNMENTS

            Sec. 1 – The Association’s Assignor or the Executive Committee shall make all umpiring assignments.  No member of this Association may accept an assignment from any other source.

Sec. 2 – Any member of this organization who umpires a game in any league or for any team that is not sanctioned by the GVUA shall be suspended until the circumstances are heard by the Executive Committee and a decision is rendered.

Sec. 3 – Officials of this Association may umpire both baseball and softball games.  If, however, a baseball umpiring assignment is refused and the member accepts a softball umpiring assignment on the same day, said member shall be suspended until his/her case is heard by the Executive Committee and a decision is rendered.

Sec. 4 – An Active Member of this Association shall be permitted to officiate a ball game only where two or more approved umpires are assigned.  A member shall be permitted to officiate with any other Active Member from this or any other Certified Umpires Chapter or with active umpires in professional rank or with an applicant registered with this Association.  Any deviation from this Section for specific cases must be reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee.

Sec. 5 – It shall be the responsibility of the Assignor or Executive Committee of this Association to make certain that when assigning an official, who is not a member of this Association, such partner or partners can display a membership card showing certification or can claim registration as stated in Section 2 of this Article.

Sec. 6 – Whenever practical, a minimum of two (2) umpires shall be assigned to handle the duties of umpiring each game.   These umpires must be members of the GVUA.  If in the sole discretion of the Assignor, it is impractical or in the best interests of the GVUA, he/she may assign one member to umpire a game.  No member of the GVUA shall umpire a game in conjunction with an official who is not a member of the GVUA, except in the instance of post season play, intercollegiate games, or when called on to fill in professional leagues.

Sec.7 – Once a member has accepted an assignment, it becomes his/her responsibility to assure the fulfillment of that assignment.  In an emergency, when it becomes impossible for the member to carry out the assignment, the committed member must seek an authorized replacement through the Association Assignor or the Executive Committee, depending on the origin of the assignment.

Sec. 8 – In all cases, the Certified Umpires shall be considered first for all pending assignments.  After all Certified Umpires have been approached or considered, the Associate Umpires shall have the next preference for the unassigned games.  The Assignor shall consider the Probationary Umpires for assignments only after all available Certified and Associate Umpires have been assigned or for certain High School Varsity, Junior Varsity, or Modified games.  No applicant shall be considered for any assignment until every one of the Active Members of this Association has been assigned or has acknowledged his/her unavailability.

Sec. 9 – To become eligible for umpiring all caliber of High School baseball games each Active Member of this Association must meet the requirements of the NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION 5 Point Program for baseball officials.  To qualify for this position the member must attend a minimum of five (5) meetings from the following list, for which credit toward the 5 Point Program is given:

1.      Rules interpretation meetings,

2.      Mechanics clinic,

3.      Mandatory business meetings, including Part II of the NYSPHSAA Exam,

4.      Annual New York State Baseball Umpires Association, Inc. (NYSBUA) clinic.

ARTICLE VI

EVALUATIONS

Sec. 1 – The Executive Committee shall have the jurisdiction to act, administer and direct the affairs and activities of the evaluation implementation.

            Sec. 2 – The Probationary Umpire shall maintain the same Member-in-good-standing status, shall comply with all Association Rules and Regulations, and shall meet the same Annual Umpire Training Requirements as prescribed for the Probationary Umpire.  The progress of the Probationary Umpire shall be observed and reviewed at the end of each year by the Executive Board.  All Probationary Umpires are expected to be evaluated by the following criteria:

1.    Score an 85% or above on the NYSBUA, INC Examination

2.    Score passing grade on the Mechanics Examination

3.    Score a passing grade on minimum of 1 plate evaluation

4.    Score a passing grade on a minimum of 1 base evaluation

            Sec. 3 – The Associate Umpire shall maintain the same Member-in-good-standing status, shall comply with all Association Rules and Regulations, and shall meet the same Annual Umpire Training Requirements as prescribed for the Associate Umpire.  The progress of the Probationary Umpire shall be observed and reviewed at the end of each year by the Executive Board.  All Associate Umpires are expected to be evaluated by the following criteria:

1.    Score an 85% or above on the NYSBUA, INC Examination

2.    Score passing grade on the Mechanics Examination

3.    Score a 85% on one (1) plate evaluation

4.    Score a 85% on one (1) base evaluation

            Sec. 4 – The Certified Umpire shall maintain the same Member-in-good-standing status, shall comply with all Association Rules and Regulations, and shall meet the same Annual Umpire Training Requirements as prescribed for the Certified Umpire.  The progress of the Certified Umpire shall be observed and reviewed at the end of each year by the Executive Board.  All Certified Umpires are expected to be evaluated by the following criteria:

1.    Score an 85% or above on the NYSBUA, INC Examination

2.    Score a 85% on one (1) plate evaluation during a three (3) year period

3.    Score a 85% on one (1) base evaluation during a three (3) year period

ARTICLE VII

CONDUCT OF MEMBERS

            Sec. 1 – No member shall represent this Association beyond the privileges and provisions of the Constitution and By-laws in any affairs or administrative matters unless authorized by the Executive Committee.

            Sec. 2 – No member shall solicit games or contact coaches, managers, athletic directors, schools, league officers or directors, teams, or players for personal or Association gains unless specifically authorized by the Executive Committee.  Furthermore, if any member of this Association is contacted directly by any of the aforementioned or any others for the purpose of soliciting officiating services, it should be reported to the Executive Committee.

            Sec. 3 – No officer, committee member, or Association Member shall involve or obligate this Association in any indebtedness unless he/she is given explicit authorization by the Executive Committee.  Such infraction shall be considered a flagrant violation of Association Rules and Regulations.

            Sec. 4 – No member of this Association shall officiate and/or accept a game for less than the scale of fees established by the Executive Committee and the membership for that level of ball.

            Sec. 5 – No member of this Association shall officiate a game in any organized league or for any individual team that is not sanctioned by the GVUA.  “Not sanctioned” is taken to mean not having a contract, written or verbal, with the GVUA, being under suspension by the GVUA, or having had umpiring services terminated by the GVUA for disciplinary reasons.

            Sec. 6 – A member shall be considered liable for misconduct when he/she has committed any transgression against Section 1 and 2 of this Article or has been reported for one or more of the following infractions:

1.      Failure to fulfill an accepted assignment,

2.      Guilty for “jumping” an accepted assignment, shall be considered a flagrant violation,

3.      Displaying discourtesy toward a fellow official either on or off the diamond or at any activity concerning this Association,

4.      Committing disrespectful or discourteous deeds which may result in harmful reflection against this Association or any one of its Officers or Members,

5.      Commenting or participating in any team affairs or player affairs while on the diamond in the capacity of an umpire,

6.      Failure to appear in time to start the game as scheduled,

7.      Failure to maintain standard appearance regarding the uniform and equipment and the neatness of both,

8.      Wagering or gambling on any game, its course or its players, which shall be considered a flagrant violation,

9.      Use of illicit drugs, alcoholic beverages, or tobacco products  before or during a game or appearing for a game under the influence of illicit drugs, alcoholic beverages, or tobacco products,  shall be considered a flagrant violation,

10. Discussing or commenting on confidential administrative matters of this Association with non-concerned, outside personnel,

11. Improper conduct while in uniform before and during officiating a game such as smoking, mingling with fans, obscene language, and conduct unbecoming to an umpire or while representing this Association in off-the-diamond affairs.

ARTICLE VIII

SUSPENSIONS AND PENALTIES

            Sec. 1 – A member may be suspended for a period or expelled for cause, such as violation, of any of the By-laws or Rules of this Association or for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of baseball or this Association.

            Sec. 2 – Any member of this Association shall have the right to bring charges, in writing, against any other member of this Association for alleged violation of any section of this Constitution and By-laws with the exception of Sections 8 and 9 of this Article which shall be the duty of the Treasurer.

            Sec. 3 – Any member so charged shall be informed of the charges levied against him/her and the name of the umpire placing the charges.

            Sec. 4 – Any exposed transgression will first be heard and reviewed by the Executive Committee.  Before any vote by the Executive Committee in this matter, the member shall be given the opportunity to appear before the Executive Committee in his/her own defense or to be represented by a member-in-good-standing of this Association.  A two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Executive committee is required to find a member guilty of the charges brought against him/her.  The decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.

            Sec. 5 – Should charges be levied against any officer of this Association, his/her case shall be referred to the Executive Committee for determination.  The accused Officer shall not be allowed to vote or act as a member of the Executive Committee during the hearing of the charges against him/her.

Sec. 6 – All hearings shall be conducted fairly, openly, and honestly. 

Sec. 7 – Failure of a member to appear at any hearing or refuse communication without written or verbal justification, for which he/she has been notified in writing, shall be cause for expulsion.

Sec. 8 – A member who fails to pay his/her membership dues by the day of the Spring (test date) Business Meeting shall be automatically suspended.  Such delinquent member may be reinstated, provided a fine, as prescribed in Appendix A to Article VII of the By-laws, is paid.  The penalty fine, as well as the regular dues, must be paid before the Executive Committee shall allow any consideration for reinstatement.  Failure on the part of such delinquent member to apply for reinstatement within thirty (30) days after the written notification of the suspension shall cause the member to be automatically dropped from membership in this Association, subject to review by the Executive Committee.

Sec. 9 – All provisions of an imposed sentence must be met prior to a member being considered as a member-in-good-standing and being allowed to officiate as representative of the GVUA.

Sec. 10 – Any member who has been imposed with a penalty and who fails to meet the reinstatement conditions, as prescribed in this Article, shall be subjected to indefinite suspension.

Sec. 11 – If the penalty assessed to any member, for a transgression of the Constitution or By-laws of this Association, is expulsion, such member shall have the right to have his/her circumstances heard and reviewed before an open meeting of the entire membership.  Such member can, at this meeting, represent himself/herself or can be represented by a Certified Member-in-good-standing of this Association.  A majority vote of the membership present at the meeting is required to sustain the penalty imposed by the Executive Committee.  The action taken by the membership at this meeting shall be final and binding on all parties.

APPENDIX A

ARTICLE VII—BY-LAWS

SUSPENSIONS/PENALTIES

Offenses

First                                                                                                    $10.00 (ten dollars)

+ one (1) week suspension

Second                                                                                               $25.00 (twenty-five dollars)

+ two (2) week suspension

Third                                                                                                   One (1) years dues

+ one (1) month suspension

Flagrant violation                                                                               Suspension and/or

revocation of membership

Late payment of dues                                                                                   $10.00 (ten dollars)

Soliciting games                                                                                           Game Fee + $10.00

Unauthorized early departure from meeting                                               $5.00 (five dollars)

Missing a mandatory meeting w/o a pre-submitted excuse                     $10.00 (ten dollars)

·        Members are only allowed one excused meeting per operating business year.

Failure to umpire assigned game w/o approval of the assignor             Current Game Fee +$10.

Umpiring a game out of uniform                                                                  $25.00

Any Official who misses the required Mechanic’s Clinic                          Probation for 1 year

·        As part of this probation, the Official shall be required to work a contest free of charge.  The Official must provide written verification that the contest was worked (Coach’s Signature and Date) and deliver said verification to the Secretary for recording.  If the Official then fails to make the required clinic the next year, he/she shall be returned to the rank of Probationary Member for that year, as stated in this Association Constitution and By-laws.

Any fines/penalties not specifically addressed in this section shall be determined at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Proper disposition of fines/penalties is each Member’s responsibility.

ARTICLE IX

ORDER OF BUSINESS AT MEETINGS

            Sec. 1 – The order of business to be processed at business meetings of this Association shall be:

1.      President calls meeting to order, promptly, as scheduled,

2.      Roll call of Officers, Active, and Inactive Members,

3.      Reading of minutes from the preceding meeting,

4.      Financial report by the Treasurer,

5.      Communications and Association incurred indebtedness,

6.      Report from the Executive Committee,

7.      Committee reports,

8.      Unfinished business,

9.      New business,

10. Election of officers and/or appointment of committees,

11. Discussion for the good of the Association,

12. Roll call of Officers, Active, and Inactive Members,

13. Adjournment.

ARTICLE X

ANNUAL AGENDA

            Sec. 1 – The President shall draft an annual Business Program which is to specify:  the dates of the business meetings, the dates of the Rules Interpretation meetings, the date of the Mechanics meeting, the date of the Spring Business meeting at which the annual written Umpires Examination is given to the candidates for membership, the dates for other special events, the locations where the events shall be held, and any other information pertinent to such a program.  Such agenda shall be approved by the Executive Committee after which a copy is to be posted on the Association website prior to the first scheduled business meeting of the new fiscal year.

            Sec. 2 – The President shall include in the Spring Business Meeting, the names of the Chairpersons and members to be appointed to the standing committees.  These appointments shall become effective only after each member selected for committee assignment has signified his/her approval to serve and the committee appointments have been submitted to the Executive Committee for approval.

            The following Standing Committees are to be listed in the Annual Agenda:

1.      Membership,

2.      Nominating,

3.      Umpire Training,

4.      Banquet,

5.      Resolutions.

Sec. 3 – The fiscal year of this Association shall extend from October 1 of one calendar year to September 30 of the succeeding calendar year.

ARTICLE XI

PROCEEDINGS

Sec. 1 – The proceedings of this Association shall be governed by the rules as published in the Roberts Rules of Order, Revised in all cases where not stipulated in the Constitution and By-laws of this Association.

Sec. 2 – The Executive Committee shall review and rule on any encountered rule problem or proposal which cannot be resolved with the application of this Constitution and By-laws or the Roberts Rules of Order, Revised.

ARTICLE XII

ASSOCIATION FORMS

            Sec. 1 – New Member Application Form                        Page # 16

            Sec. 2 – New Membership Requirements                      Page # 17

            Sec. 3 – Umpire Plate Evaluation Form                          Page # 18

            Sec. 4 – Umpire Base Evaluation Form                          Page # 21

            Sec. 5 – Section V Disqualification Form                       Page # 24