Last Updated September 15, 2002
MidSouth Rugby Union
Preamble
The MidSouth Rugby Union is organized under the authority of USA Rugby and is operated exclusively to promote and foster the growth of rugby football and to educate the public and players in the game of rugby as played under the laws of the International Rugby Board. The MidSouth Rugby Union will have concurrent jurisdiction over its members in all matters pertaining to the administration of rugby activities to include but not to be restricted to scheduling, discipline, and related matters.
Article I
Name
The name of the organization shall be the MidSouth Rugby Union hereinafter referred to as “Union”.
Article II
Membership
2.1 Qualification: The membership of the Union shall be composed of rugby clubs within and around the Tennessee River valley.
2.2 Delegates: Each member club shall provide one delegate, as it’s Union representative. These delegates will attend the general and special called meetings of the union and have complete authority to act on behalf of their club on all matters brought before this assembly.
2.3 Application for Membership: Applications for membership may be submitted at any regularly scheduled meeting. These applications must contain the following information:
A. Name, address, and phone number of officers,
B. Name, address, and phone number of the coach,
C. Name, address, and phone number of the (if applicable) faculty advisor,
D. An official permanent mailing address,
E. Complete contact information of the local area union and territory that the club is leaving,
F. Official colors.
2.4 Admission: After submitting an accepted application, a club will be admitted to the Union with an affirmative vote from 3⁄4 of the delegates physically present at a regularly called meeting.
2.5 Resignation: A club may resign from the Union at any time with or without cause. The resignation must be submitted in writing to the Executive Officer, who will record the action in the minutes of the next regularly called meeting. The resigning club will remain liable for its share of the financial obligations of the Union for the fiscal year in which the resignation was submitted.
Article III
Meeting of Members
3.1 Schedule: Two regularly scheduled meetings will be held each year. The Annual Meeting will be held on the first weekend of February and the General Meeting will be held in the last weekend of August.
3.2 Time and Place of Meetings: In an effort to accommodate a majority of the member clubs, when at all possible, meetings will be held near the geographic center of the Union. Starting times will be arranged to maximize the possibility of delegates traveling to and from the meeting on the same day.
3.3 Special Called Meetings: Under extreme circumstances, the officers of the Union may call special meetings for the purpose of conducting emergency business. Notice will be provided to each club either in writing, by receipt confirmed e-mail, or direct telephone contact. Proxy fees shall be waived and no Truancy fines will be assessed for any special called meetings.
3.4 Notice of Meetings: Notice of time and place of the regular meetings will be made available to all delegates 15 days prior to the meeting.
3.5 Attendance and Quorum: Each club is required to provide a Delegate at each officially called Union meeting. Clubs failing to provide a delegate or a proxy to any regularly scheduled meeting are subject to a fine. A quorum will be established when greater than 1⁄2 of the registered clubs are in attendance either physically or by proxy.
3.6 Proxy: To the extent necessary in order to ensure sufficient delegate representation at each meeting, the Union may request by telephone or otherwise the return of proxies. The Union will impose a fee on the club granting the proxy. Only written proxies with blanket authority will be recognized by the Union. A valid proxy will contain the name of the club and name and signature of the delegate issuing the proxy, along with the name of the person that has been authorized to act on behalf of the club. They must not contain specific requests or individual votes on specific issues, motions, or proposals. An authorized delegate may carry multiple proxies. Proxies may be used to establish a quorum and will have limited authority as defined under these by-laws (actions not requiring the physical presence of a delegate). They may not be used in matters related to admissions, discipline (including removal from office), and by-law amendments.
Article IV
Officers
4.1 Board of Delegates: The Delegates shall administer the affairs of the Union. They may make or cause to be made for the Union in its name, any description of contract which the Union may lawfully enter into, and they may generally exercise all such powers which the Union by these by-laws or otherwise, are authorized to exercise, except such powers as are reserved for the officers of the Union.
4.2 Executive Officer: It is the duty of the Executive Officer to preside over meetings of the Board of Delegates and supervise officers, appoint committees, encourage membership, and to supervise Union functions and responsibilities.
4.3 Administrative Officer: It is the duty of the Administrative Officer to maintain the following:
A. Minutes of Meetings
B. Current Financial Records
C. Official Contact List of the Union
4.4 Representatives for USA Rugby South:
I. Women’s Delegate- Representative to USA Rugby South for all issues related to women’s rugby, both
collegiate and senior, including all-stars, team compliance, etc.
II. Collegiate Delegate- Representative to USA Rugby South for all issues related to collegiate rugby, both
men and women, including playoffs, player and team eligibility, etc.
III. Senior Club Delegate- Representative to USA Rugby South for all issues related to senior club, both men and women, including playoffs, player and team eligibility, etc.
4.5 Terms: Each Officer shall be elected at the Annual Meeting and serve for a period of one (1) year and/or shall hold office until their respective successors have been elected. A person may hold multiple offices.
4.6 Removal from Office/Vacancies: Any Officer may be removed from office at any time by a 3⁄4 majority vote of the Delegates physically present at a regularly scheduled meeting. Additionally, an Officer may resign at any time with or without cause. If any vacancy shall occur in any office for any reason, the Delegates shall elect a successor at the next regularly scheduled meeting to serve the remainder of that term.
4.7 Elections: Nominations will be accepted from the floor at the Annual General Meeting. Election results will be determined by a popular vote of all eligible voting delegates present at the meetings.
4.8 Elected officers may also concurrently perform their official duties and represent a club as a delegate and/or as a proxy delegate. Consequently, each officer will have a vote provided that they have been appointed as a delegate or have received a valid proxy statement from a member club.
Article V
Finances
5.1 Dues: Each Member Club will pay yearly dues as specified by a vote of the delegates.
5.2 Budget: The Administrative Officer shall create and maintain the budget of the union. A budget will be proposed and ratified by the delegates at each Annual Meeting.
5.3 Fines, Fees, and Assessments:
A. Truancy: Failure to provide a delegate to a regularly scheduled Union meeting will result in a $100 fine.
B. Proxy Fee: A $10 fee will be assessed to any club granting a proxy for any regularly called meeting.
C. All-Star Assessment: The expenses budgeted for all-star programs will be shared through an assessment of clubs that they represent. Each All-star team budget review will be mutually exclusive and determined solely by those clubs to be assessed. Each all-star program may be provided a baseline of income from the general fund of the union.
D. Referee Society Assessments: The referee society has complete authority to assess individual member
clubs for referee assignments and administration.
E. Contracts and Checks: All checks, documents, contracts, and other financial instruments shall be signed only under the appropriate authority given by the Board of Delegates.
Article VI
Policies and Procedures
6.1 USA Rugby Policy: The MidSouth Rugby Union will adhere to all policies and procedures of USA Rugby,
included but not limited to:
A. CIPP
B. Insurance Requirements
C. Player and Club Eligibility
6.2 Disciplinary Policy: Any and all disciplinary action must be brought before the Union at a regularly scheduled Union meeting. All disciplinary items must be submitted to an officer not fewer than 30 days prior to the meeting, with two weeks notice given to all parties surrounding the incident/dispute. At the meeting, the executive officer shall read the charges into the minutes with a recommended action (if any), all parties directly involved will have an opportunity to speak, and then the delegates will determine the validity of the charges and confirm any remedy. All action must be approved by a 2/3 affirmative vote of the delegates physically present. Under no circumstances can any type of financial punitive damages be considered. All action may be appealed to the territorial governing body and/or USA Rugby.
6.3 Alcoholic Beverages: It is the policy of the Union to obey all regional and national alcohol related laws. Collegiate clubs are not permitted to display any type of alcohol related advertising on its official kit (pubs, saloons, bars, etc.).
6.4 Tours: Any team touring outside the United States, and any Union club hosting a touring side from outside the United States, must inform the union of its itinerary 30 days prior to the scheduled tour.
6.5 Kits: Each Union club must register its primary colors with the Union.
6.6 Referee’s Society: The MidSouth Referees Society shall maintain an affiliation with the Union and shall submit a report at each regularly scheduled meeting. The administrative officer, at his/her discretion, may maintain the financial records of the society provided each organization’s finances are kept mutually exclusive and generally accepted accounting principles are followed.
6.7 Communication: The preferred mode of communication for the Union shall be electronic mail and/or postings on the Union web site.
6.8 All-Stars: The Executive Officer shall appoint the coach for each union all-star program. The delegates must ratify this selection at the next regularly scheduled meeting. The coach shall have complete authority on the selection of the coaching staff and management, which will aid him/her in the selection of the players chosen to participate. Funding for each all-star team shall be arranged through the normal budgetary process and as defined in section 5.3.C.
Article VII
Amendments
7.1 The by-laws may be amended at any time during a regularly scheduled meeting with an affirmative vote of 3⁄4 of the Union delegates that are physically present at the meeting.
