THREE FIRES/TRI COUNTY LITTLE LEAGUE

BYLAWS AND CONSTITUTION

(effective April 2022)

Article I

Definitions

1. Board: The Board of Directors of this organization. 

2. Director: Any member of this organization’s Board of Directors

3. Name: Three Fires/Tri County Little League, referred to as TCLL for the remainder of the document. League ID # 1221210

Article II

Objective and Philosophy

To firmly implant in the children of the Tri County area, the ideas of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect for authority, so they may be well adjusted, stronger and happier children and will grow to be good, decent, healthy, and trustworthy citizens. Behind every season, game, and practice is the driving spirit of adult volunteers working toward a common goal of training for life through the sport of baseball and softball. TCLL’s focus is to teach players the game of baseball and softball and to focus on teamwork. TCLL is not a program that emphasizes the win-at-all cost mentality or individual achievements. TCLL emphasizes teamwork, composure, and the chance for every player to play in every game. 

Article III

Board

Section 1.   The business, property, and affairs of the organization shall be managed by the Board of Directors. 

Section 2.   The governing body of this organization shall be the board consisting of 7 members of this organization; namely, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Player Agent, Safety Officer, and Coaching Coordinator. 

Section 3.   All board members shall have one vote in board decisions. The voting officers of this organization shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Safety Officer, Player Agent, and Coaching Coordinator. The non-voting officers of this organization shall be: Fundraising/Sponsorship Coordinator as well as any other position that may be deemed necessary and added by vote of the Board of Directors.

Article IV

Election & Removal of Directors & Officers

Section 1.   Board elections shall be held every 2 years, on even years, during the October meeting. Two weeks prior to October, the secretary shall request a letter of intent from individuals who would like to be considered for election. Nominations shall be presented for new members to the board via letter of intent by the secretary and voted on by the Board of Directors. If the nominee receives a majority of the votes, that person shall be elected to their respective board position. The list of all interested parties will be placed on the ballot and shall be made available to the Board of Directors. The current secretary shall issue and track ballots to ensure there are no duplicate votes. The secretary shall collect all ballots from the Board of Directors and tally the scores for all candidates. The list of candidates and their corresponding number of votes shall be presented to the current board. The board shall approve the candidates with the highest number of votes for each board member position. In the event that not all positions are filled, the President has the power to appoint until said positions are filled. All board members, along with committee members, will support the Tri County Varsity/JV baseball and softball programs/coaches. TCLL will work to build relationships with the school administration and encourage an environment that exemplifies sportsmanship and respect. 

Section 2.   A board member will be removed from office for any of the following: Violation of the by-laws of TCLL, gross misconduct, gross violation of the little league rules, or gross violation of finances. Violations will be discussed at a board meeting and voted on by the Board of Directors. If the board member in question receives a majority of the votes, that person shall be removed from their respective office(s). 

Article V

Duties of Officers

President:  Presides at league meetings and assumes full responsibility for the operation of the local league. The president receives all mail, supplies, and other communication from the Little League International. The President must see to it that league personnel are properly briefed on all phases of rules, regulations, and policies of TCLL. The league President is the contact between the local organization and Little League International. 

Vice President:   Presides in the absence of the president; works with other officers and committee members; carries out duties and assignments as may be delegated by the President. 

Secretary:   Maintains a register of members and directors; records the minutes of meetings; is responsible for sending out notice of meetings; issues membership cards and maintains a record of the league’s activities. 

Treasurer:   Signs checks co-signed by another officer or director; dispenses league funds as approved by the Board of Directors; reports on the status of league funds; keeps local league books and financial records; prepares budgets and assumes the responsibility for all TCLL finances. 

Player Agent:   Conducts annual evaluations (as necessary) and is in charge of player selection; assists the President in checking birth records and eligibility of players; supervises and coordinates the transfer of players to or from the Minor Leagues according to provisions of the regulations of TCLL. 

Safety Officer:   Coordinates all safety activities; ensures safety in player training; ensures safe playing conditions; coordinates reporting and prevention of injuries; solicits suggestions for making conditions safer; reports suggestions to Little League International through the league President and prepares the ASAP plan for submission to the Little League International. 

Coaching Coordinator:   Represents coaches/managers in TCLL; gains support and funds necessary to implement a league-wide training program; orders & distributes training materials to players, coaches, and managers; coordinates mini-clinics as necessary; serves as the contact person for TCLL and its manager-coach education; receives and distributes coaching information from Little League International and distributes to all coaches & managers. 

Equipment Manager:  Purchases, maintains, and repairs equipment. Takes inventory of equipment as well as stores, cleans, and liquidates as needed. Responsible for providing proper equipment for players and coaches. 

If, at any point, a member of the board steps down during their current term, the remaining board members will appoint an interim board member for that position until that term is up for election. 

The President may ask board members to stay on at the end of their term and at that point, the board member will keep their seat until the next election period. 

Article VI

Meetings

Section 1.   Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in January, February, March, April, August, and October. Day & time are TBD by the Board of Directors. Special meetings of the board may be called by the president whenever deemed necessary or upon request of another member of the board, due notice having been given. 

Section 2.   No Board member shall be absent for more than two consecutive meetings without justifiable reason. If more than two consecutive meetings are missed, the Board of Directors shall remove the Board member with a two-thirds vote. 

Article VII

Method of Voting

The business of the TCLL Board shall be transacted by vocal assent. The board may determine that a specific resolution be considered by ballot rather than by vocal assent. A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for transacting the business of any meeting. 

Article VIII

Order of Business

1. Call meeting to order

2. Roll call of Board members

3. Approval of minutes of the preceding meeting

4. Public comment: 2 minutes.

5. Approval of the Treasurer’s report

6. Committee Reports

7. Old Business

8. New Business

9. Public comment: 2 minutes. 

10.  Adjournment

Article IX

Committees

Field Committee- This committee shall facilitate field usage, set up and provide support for all home games and volunteer referees during regular season and any tournaments held at TCLL. 

Fundraising Committee- This committee shall generate ideas and implement means of raising funds to help support the general operations of TCLL. They shall also be responsible for designing and ordering merchandise to include but not limited to player jerseys, hats, and items to be sold for raising funds for TCLL. 

Coaching Committee-  This committee shall oversee the management of all coaching staff including the placement of coaches to their selected teams for regular and all-star season. This committee shall receive all head coach, assistant coach, and managers names to be given to the safety officer for background checks. 

Community Outreach-  This committee shall work within the community to spread awareness of TCLL events, sign-ups, and information. 

Article X

Handling of Funds

Any Board member shall account for all monies received by providing supporting documentation such as receipts. Sign-up money will be direct deposited in the TCLL bank account at Independent Bank. All sponsorship/fundraising checks will be made out to TCLL and given to the treasurer for deposit within 5 days of receiving said check. 

Article XI

Participants

Section 1.  Any boy or girl, age 4 through 14, is eligible to play in this league provided that he or she resides within the boundaries of the TCLL or is school of choice with Tri County Public Schools. Sign ups will be done via SportsConnect via the TCLL website, www.tricountylittleleague.com. 

Section 2.  The TCLL will follow the league age guidelines as specified below: 

T-Ball: League age 4-6

Coach Pitch: League age 7 and 8

Minor League: League age 9 and 10

Major League: League age 11 and 12

Junior League: League age 13 and 14

NOTE: The player agent monitors the make-up of each team based on age and experience. Every effort will be made to balance the number of players on each team within the same division. 

Section 3.  Coaching: All coaches are held in high regard for their willingness to volunteer their time and demonstrate their appreciation of the philosophy of TCLL. The coach of each team has total responsibility for their team and the overall welfare of all players. The coaches will place their emphasis on teaching the skills of baseball/softball and sportsmanship to all their players, regardless of talent. The coaches are required to always display good sportsmanship in their dealings with parents, players, other coaches, umpires, and members of the board. There are disciplinary guidelines that will be strictly enforced for coaches who violate TCLL rules. 

Section 4.  Coaching Selection: Volunteers wishing to coach a season shall contact either the Coaching Coordinator or a coaching committee member to display their interest in which team they would like to coach. TCLL will conduct background checks on all coaching applicants and coaches will be considered based on individual standings within the league. Applicants must also be an exemplary figure both on and off the field, demonstrate knowledge of baseball fundamentals and coaching experience, and demonstrate willingness to attend all coaches’ meetings before, during, and after the season. If more than one candidate requests to coach, the secretary will generate a ballot and it shall be voted on by the Board of Directors. 

Section 5.  Background checks: Each coach, assistant coach, Board of Directors, and any parent helping the team will be required to do a background check before being placed to a team, using the Little League International’s recommended background check company, JDP. If the background check receives a red flag, that said coach/volunteer will not be allowed to volunteer until said infraction is cleared by JDP on an additional background check. 

Article XII

Conduct

Section 1.  Disciplinary Actions: These By-Laws set forth are the authority for the TCLL Board of Directors to establish rules of conduct for all persons associated with the league. No disciplinary action shall be taken against a person associated with the league unless the allegations against that person are supported in writing by the preponderance of the evidence. Under no circumstances shall TCLL Board discriminate against any person by taking disciplinary action on the basis of the following: 

*Race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation;

*Partisan political beliefs, affiliations or actives; or

*Marital status

The league President or designee shall maintain a record of the allegations, deliberations, and decisions of the Board for all issues raised concerning any disciplinary actions. 

Section 2.  Disciplinary Guidelines: The guidelines of disciplinary offenses and penalties are established to provide uniformity in determining actions taken against individuals who have violated TCLL rules. The offenses listed do not address game rules that are covered by Little League Rules and Regulations. 

*Assault:  Includes but is not limited to the following acts committed on or threats

against an individual: hitting, kicking, punching, choking, spitting on or at,

grabbing or bodily running into, and damaging property. 

*Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Includes but is not limited to any actions taken that 

disrupts or makes a mockery of the game, use of obscene or vulgar language or

gestures, baiting or inciting opposing players or coaches, repeated ejection from

the game, throwing or kicking equipment. 

*Safety Violation: Includes but is not limited to any conditions during a game or

practice that poses a threat to the safety or endangerment of players, coaches, 

or spectators. 

*Tobacco, Drug and Alcohol Use: Includes the use of any legally controlled

substance, use of any tobacco product, alcoholic beverage or prescription drug(s) that impairs the judgment of the coach, especially as it pertains to the safety of the players. Tobacco use is not permitted before, during, or after any 

TCLL game or practice, whether that event is home or away. Players are prohibited from the use of such substances. League officials are prohibited from using alcoholic beverages during all league sanctioned games and practices, including post-season and tournament play. 

Section 3.  To initiate consideration by the Board of Directors of disciplinary action, a written complaint shall be filed with the TCLL Board setting forth grounds upon which the complaint for disciplinary action is based. The complaint shall contain a brief statement of the violation(s), the alleged violator’s name, and the date/time/location of the alleged violation. The complaint shall set forth the complainant’s name, address, phone number, team, and shall be signed by the complainant. The complaint shall either be mailed or emailed to the TCLL Board or hand delivered to a TCLL Board member within a reasonable time following the occurrence of the alleged violation. It shall be presumed that a reasonable time should not extend beyond 14 days of the alleged violations. 

Article XIII

Safety

Section 1.  Action plan: Safety is always the first consideration in all aspects of games and practices. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that safety rules are followed and to make immediate corrections when necessary. Coaches are encouraged to have some training in first aid and/or CPR. First aid kits will be dispersed to each coach with their team equipment. It is the coaches’ responsibility to have these available for all games and practices. No games or practices shall be held when weather or field conditions are unsafe, particularly when lighting is inadequate or when lightning storms are nearby. Play must be halted in these situations. 

Section 2.  Injury: In the event of an injury, treat it immediately. For any injury or accident that requires medical assistance, coaches are required to seek professional medical assistance through a 911 call and notify the parent/guardian immediately. The coach shall fill out the Injury incident report and file it with the TCLL Safety officer immediately. If the injury requires medical attention or is a concussion, the child will not be allowed to return to practice or play without a written authorization from a medical professional or parent. The written authorization must be submitted to the coach and the coach must submit it to the TCLL Safety officer. 

Article XIV

Amendments

These by-laws may be amended at any board meeting, a quorum being present, by a two-thirds vote of all members present, provided that notice of such proposed amendment shall have been emailed to each member at least ten days prior to such meeting.