Articles of Organization for the Southern Middle Tennessee Youth Football Association

Mission Statement
The Southern Middle Tennessee Youth Football Association was established to ensure and provide every child the opportunity to participate in organized football and cheer regardless of race, creed, national origin, prior experience, athletic ability or size. We desire to provide all of the youth in our respective communities an organized, safe and supervised environment where the goal is to keep the game free from pressure to win at all cost. This Association also believes in and strives to maintain the highest level of competition and coaching possible for the betterment of our youth thereby ensuring their readiness for football at the next competitive level.

As an Association, we believe the following values are imperative for each participant so that they may become contributing and active members of our community: Sportsmanship, Honesty, Loyalty, Courage, Scholarship, Integrity, Respect, Commitment, Teamwork and Physical Fitness.  
We will also strive to challenge our youth to embrace competition and fully appreciate the joys of victory while at the same time learn and grow from our defeats.

These goals will be accomplished and realized through the dedicated effort of our volunteers, parents and community members who desire to support the youth of our area in organized football and cheer.

Article I. Organization

Section I
The name of this Association shall be the Southern Middle Tennessee Youth Football Association.

Section II
The Association shall have its address listed as the current address of the representative Member which has a Representative serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Section III
The principal operation of this Association shall be in the city of Manchester, county of Coffee and state of Tennessee.  The SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION boundaries include the counties of Coffee, Franklin, Warren, Moore, Marshall, White, Van Buren, Dekalb, Lincoln, Smith, Grundy, Bedford, Cannon and Rutherford.

Section IV
In accordance with Section 501(c)3 of the Federal Internal Revenue Code, the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION shall operate exclusively as a non profit educational organization providing a supervised program of football. No part of the net earnings shall insure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and which does not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Article II. Affiliation

Section I
The SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION is not associated with any other national or regional multi-organizational Association, league or conference. 
 
Article III. Rules and Regulations

Section I
The SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION shall be governed by and comply with the principals, rules and regulations enunciated and decreed by the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Board of Directors.

Section II
Rules and regulations shall be reviewed at the end of each season to evaluate the need for amendments or changes so that the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION can maintain the highest level of play while maintaining the intent and purpose of the Association.

Section III
Any changes to Association rules shall be proposed and voted on before May of the upcoming season. All proposed additions and/or changes shall be submitted to the Chairman of the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, in writing, at least 60 days prior to the first day of May. The President will compile all recommendations and distribute them to the Board of Directors no later than 45 days before the first day of May. The Board of Directors shall convene and vote on any proposed additions and/or changes at least 30 days before the first day of May. A simple majority vote of members present is required to approve any individual addition and/or change to the official Association rules and regulations.

Section IV
Each Board Member, for use and distribution, shall maintain a hard copy of all Association rules and regulations.

Article IV. Limited Powers and Authorities

The principal operation of this Association shall have the following limited powers and authorities in addition to the power expressly of implicitly conferred on it by law.
•    To make and enforce rules and regulations to govern itself on a regional basis.
•    To create and maintain a common rulebook for the field of play to be used by all Members. This common rulebook will only govern the rules of the game and shall not extend into how a Member conducts business within their own league.
•    Dual Membership. The SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION and its members may not join or follow the rules and regulations of any other national or regional youth football program.

Article V. Membership and Representation

Section I
Member. A Member is defined as a league and not as an individual.
Eligibility.  In order to become a participating Member of the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, the Member league must field a minimum of six teams with an active roster of at least 15 players per team. The teams must be created using either a regional approach whereby teams are created based upon geographic location or via an Association-monitored draft. The Association-monitored draft would have at least one representative from each county to ensure that teams are drafted in a fair manor that is not inconsistent with the intent and purpose of this Association. These sanctioned team-forming methods are meant to preserve the equality of teams across the different leagues associated with the Association. If it is observed that a Member has created teams inconsistent with the intent of the Association, then the Association reserves the right to request a redraft or may remove the Member from the Association.

Gaining Membership. In order to gain Membership into the Association, the league must petition the Association in writing no later than January 31 of the current fiscal year. A simple majority vote of Executive Committee is required to approve a probationary Membership into the Association.
Probation. The first fiscal year in which a Member joins the Association will be a probationary year to ensure that the entering Member is able to adhere to and abide by Association rules and regulations. During the probationary year, the Member will be represented on the Board of Directors as an ex-officio non-voting Member. After the probationary year, the Member may be voted in, by a simple majority of the Executive Committee, as a full Member of the Association with full voting powers on the Executive Committee.

Section II
Representation. Each Member shall be represented by three Member-appointed Representatives. These Representatives will serve as the Members’ voting representatives for the current fiscal year. It is the intention of the Association to encourage that the same three representatives serve a full term for each fiscal year in order to maintain continuity and a working knowledge of all Association issues. When voting on Association matters, it is the goal and intention of each Representative to vote based upon what is in the best interest of the Association. Voting is not intended to be done so based upon league lines. Voting as a league will be discouraged and any lobbying or encouragement to do so could be grounds for removal from the Association.

Article VI. Financial Accountability and Management

Section I
General Fund.  The SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION may maintain a general fund for normal Association deposits and expenditures. If there is an account, the following representatives must maintain signatory authority on any and all accounts: Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

Fund Reporting. The Treasurer will provide the Board of Directors with detailed line item income and expense reports on a Quarterly basis.

Fiscal Year. The fiscal year shall run from January 1 to December 31. An Annual Report of the previous years finances will be provided to each Member no later than March of the current year for review and comment.

Article VII. Board of Directors

The Board of Directors will conduct all affairs and business of the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION. The Board of Directors will be elected by current voting Representatives on an annual basis for the upcoming fiscal year no later than November 30 of the current fiscal year.

Section I
Membership. The Board of Directors shall consist of a minimum of six persons from within the Representative Membership of the Association.

Section II
Vacancies. In the event of a vacancy on the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors shall fill the unexpired term by appointing a Member representative. If any vacancy occurs in the Board of Directors, it may be filled by a majority vote of the remaining Directors at any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for the purpose. The positions of Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer must be filled by a current Board Member in good standing from the same representative Member. The Board of Directors may replace any Director missing three consecutive meetings in a row without being excused. A Quorum vote is required to replace an inactive Director.

Section III
Required Membership. At least six Directors must be present at any given meeting in order to hold a meeting.

Section IV
Director Rotation. No individual Member may hold more than one of the following Director positions: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, or Secretary. In order to serve in one of these positions, the representative Member must have served the previous fiscal year as a full voting Executive Committee representative in good standing. Before any Member Representative may hold the position of Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Secretary for a second fiscal year term, all other full voting Executive Committee Members must have served in that position. This is meant to ensure equal Member representation at all levels of the Executive Committee on a rotational basis.

Section V
Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will consist of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Procurement Coordinator, Scheduling Coordinator and At-Large representatives. The Executive Committee is empowered to handle emergencies or unusual situations, which are beyond the powers and duties of any single director in the absence of a full board.

Section VI
Voting. Each representative Member of the Executive Committee shall have an equal vote. In matters requiring a vote, a simple majority of Executive Committee Members present is all that is required for any motion to pass.

Article VIII. Meetings and Quorum

Section I
Quorum. Having 51% of active Directors present at time of vote will constitute a quorum. The voting requirement for a quorum is a two-third vote.

Section II
Annual Business Meeting. The Annual Business Meeting shall be held after January 1 of the following year at a time, date and place of the Board’s choosing.

Section III
Regular Meetings.  Regular meetings for the Board of Directors shall be held immediately following the annual election and on such days thereafter as shall be determined by the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Section IV
Special Meetings. The Chairman of the Association can call special meetings at any time as long as every effort is made to contact every Member of the Board of Directors.

Section V
Rules of Order. “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall be the parliamentary authority on all matters not covered by these Articles of Organization.

Article IX. Officers, Duties and Powers

Section I
Chairman. The Chairman shall:
•    Work closely with the Board of Directors in strict conformity to the policies, rules and regulations of the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
•    Be the primary contact for the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
•    Preside at all meetings of the Association
•    Conduct the affairs of the Association and execute the policies established by the Board of Directors
•    Present a report on the condition of the Association at the Annual Business Meeting
•    Investigate complaints, irregularities and conditions detrimental to the Association and report them unto the Board of Directors as circumstances warrant
•    Be responsible for the conduct of the Association in strict conformity to the policies, rules, principles and regulations of the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.

Section II
Vice-Chairman. In the absence or disability of the Chairman, and provided that he/she is authorized by the Chairman of the Board of Directors so to act, the Vice-Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman, when so acting, he/she shall have the powers of that office.

Section III
Secretary. The Secretary shall:
•    Keep the minutes of all proceedings and record same
•    Provide previous meetings minutes at each board meeting for approval
•    Give notice of all meetings, notify all officers of their election and provide the names of newly elected Members to the Board of Directors and perform such other duties as his/her office may require
•    Conduct all correspondences in connection with meetings
•    Provide public access to all minutes in a reasonable amount of time.

Section IV
Treasurer. The Treasurer shall:
•    Receive and safely keep all funds of the association and pay out the same only on order of the Chairman
•    Prepare a Balance Sheet report for each meeting where any financial transactions may have occurred since the last called meeting not to exceed more than one report per month.
•    At the Annual Business Meeting, present the previous fiscal years financial report.

Section V
Procurement Coordinator. The Procurement Coordinator shall:
•    Organize, manage and conduct all activities related to purchasing for the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
•    Work closely with the Chairman of the Association and other Board Members to ensure that the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION is receiving the most competitive prices possible for all line item purchases over $100.00
•    Be responsible for all insurances and any other business related fees if applicable.

Section VI
Scheduling Coordinator. The Scheduling Coordinator shall:
•    Organize and conduct all activities related to the scheduling of Association games and activities.

Section VII
At-Large Representatives. The At-Large Representatives shall:
•    Assist with and help coordinate activities as needed to ensure that the Association can meet its goals and objectives as efficiently as possible.

Section VIII
Ex-Officio Representatives. The Ex-Officio Representatives shall:
•    Assist with and help coordinate activities as needed to ensure that the Association can meet its goals and objectives as efficiently as possible
•    Are not represented on the Executive Committee and have no voting authority but are encouraged to offer ideas, recommendations and support.

Article X. Fees

There are no fees associated with becoming a Member of the Association.

Article XI. Amendments

These Articles of Organization of the SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION may be altered or appealed and a new Articles of Organization may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee at any meeting of the Board after notice of a proposed change has been given at a previous meeting, so long as at least five days transpire between the two meetings.