Please find below a converted version of the Constitution as of 1/11/2022.
NASHOBA VALLEY YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE CONSTITUTION
- ORGANIZATION
This organization shall be known as NASHOBA VALLEY YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE, INC., hereafter referred to as NVYSL.
NVYSL is a non-profit corporation, affiliated with and complying with the authority of Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (Mass Youth Soccer), the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
To the extent permissible under applicable law and where deemed in service of NVYSL by its board, NVYSL constitution and bylaws shall be consistent with and shall abide by the articles of incorporation, constitution, bylaws, and all applicable rules and regulations of Mass Youth Soccer, USYSA and USSF.
- OBJECTIVE
NVYSL is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes including, but not limited to, developing and promoting a vital and exciting youth soccer program for members of participating Clubs, regardless of race, gender, creed, color, nationality or disability. This will be accomplished through programs of organized competitive soccer play and programs designed to educate and develop players, coaches and referees. NVYSL will be responsible for setting policy objectives and providing for game scheduling, League rules, officials and League organization.
- MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
NVYSL shall be an association of soccer Clubs within the Nashoba Valley geographical area, including the following twenty-one (21) member organizations:
- ATHOL SOCCER CLUB (serving Athol, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Royalston) AYER-SHIRLEY YOUTH SOCCER (serving Ayer, Shirley)
- BERLIN YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
- BOLTON YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
- BOYLSTON YOUTH SOCCER
- CHAIR CITY SOCCER (serving Baldwinville, Gardner, Templeton) CLINTON YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
- FITCHBURG YOUTH SOCCER
- GROTON-DUNSTABLE YOUTH SOCCER CLUB (serving Dunstable, Groton) HARVARD SOCCER CLUB (serving Harvard, Still River)
- HUDSON YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
- LEOMINSTER YOUTH SOCCER
- LITTLETON YOUTH SOCCER CLUB
- LUNENBURG YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
- MAYNARD YOUTH SOCCER
- NASHOBA REGIONAL SOCCER ASSOCIATION (serving Lancaster, Stow) OAKMONT OUTLAWS SOCCER CLUB (serving Ashburnham, Westminster)
- PEPPERELL YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE ASSOCIATION
- STOW SOCCER CLUB
- TOWNSEND-ASHBY YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION (serving Ashby, Townsend) TYNGSBORO YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
- GOVERNANCE
NVYSL shall be governed by its constitution, bylaws, and policies & procedures adopted by the NVYSL Board of Directors, as well as rules established by Mass Youth Soccer, USYSA and USSF.
- Fifteen (15) Officers, consisting of the following positions :
President Grade34 Boys Age Director Vice President Grade34 Girls Age Director Secretary Grade56 Boys Age Director Treasurer Grade56 Girls Age Director Information Technology Director Grade78 Boys Age Director Referee Director Grade78 Girls Age Director Sportsmanship Director High School Boys Age Director High School Girls Age Director - Twenty-one (21) At-Large Directors, consisting of one NVYSL Representative per member Club.
NVYSL Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in January of each calendar year, at a specific date to be determined by the Board. Officers shall be nominated and elected by the Clubs at the AGM. At-Large Directors shall be appointed by the Clubs at the AGM. At-Large Directors may be elected to serve as Officers, but may vote in only one capacity.
- Fifteen (15) Officers, consisting of the following positions :
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TERM OF OFFICE
Members of the Board shall take office effective immediately upon their election at the AGM, and shall serve in that capacity until the next AGM. Officers shall hold office for a one-year term and are eligible for re-election to a particular office for no more than four consecutive terms, effective October 6, 2019. -
BOARD DECISIONS
Matters of procedure will be decided based on the current version of Robert’s Rules of Order in all cases in which they do not conflict with the constitution, bylaws, and/or policies & procedures of NVYSL, Mass Youth Soccer, USYSA and USSF.One more than fifty percent of occupied Officer positions plus one more than fifty percent of occupied At-Large Director positions shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the board.
All matters of policy shall be decided by a simple majority vote, except as noted under "Amendments to Constitution”.
- NOTICE OF MEETINGS
Public notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be sent to all voting members at least two weeks prior to the meeting. Special General Meetings may be called by the Board as necessary or by the member Clubs. Member Clubs may call a Special General Meeting by written request to the President and signed by enough Clubs to represent 20% of the total votes.
Voting members at General Meetings (AGM or Special) shall be duly designated Club representatives and Board members. Each Board member shall have only one vote. Any person may vote in only one capacity. Each member Club shall have votes that are proportional to the number of teams that were registered for play in the spring season immediately prior to the General Meeting (AGM or Special). The number of votes is as follows:
Number of Teams Votes 1-5 1 6-10 2 11-20 3 More than 20 4 - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- (a) Officers
- President
The President shall officially preside at all meetings; be Chairperson of the Board; be the official representative of NVYSL; be authorized to co-sign checks; vote only to break a tie at Board and General Meetings. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of President.
- VICE-PRESIDENT
The Vice President shall succeed to the office and powers of the President in her/his absence. S/he shall be Chairperson of the Protest Committee, shall be responsible for preparation of the spring and fall NVYSL booklets, and shall be authorized to co-sign checks. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of Vice- President.
- SECRETARY
The Secretary shall attend to all correspondence for NVYSL; keep detailed minutes of all Board and General Meetings; keep records as necessary; be responsible for public relations and correspond on behalf of NVYSL only with the knowledge and permission of the President. The Secretary shall also be responsible for updating changes in the Constitution and Bylaws, and for contributing to preparation of the NVYSL booklet. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of Secretary.
- TREASURER
The Treasurer shall have charge of all the finances of NVYSL. S/he shall report on the finances at all Board and General Meetings and shall submit and distribute a full written report of the financial transactions and the status of the finances at the AGM. S/he shall be authorized to co-sign checks. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of Treasurer.
- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
The Information Technology (IT) Director shall be responsible for recommending and maintaining technology-based products and services to support the operation of NVYSL. The IT Director will solicit input and feedback from the membership, address outages or other issues as they arise, and coordinate with the treasurer to ensure services are duly budgeted and paid. New technology will be evaluated based on convenience and cost, with concern for security and the privacy of any non-public data entrusted to the league or its member Clubs. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of IT Director.
- REFEREE DIRECTOR
The Referee Director shall be responsible for recruiting, training, and retaining referees to officiate in NVYSL. S/he shall work jointly with the referee directors of the member Clubs to provide support and development for all NVYSL referees. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of Referee Director.
- SPORTSMANSHIP DIRECTOR
The Sportsmanship Director shall preside at all sportsmanship review committee hearings, unless disqualified under the conflict of interest section of the sportsmanship review committee bylaw. The Sportsmanship Director shall schedule sportsmanship review committee hearings, select committee members, and invite involved parties. The Sportsmanship Director shall report all activity to the Board. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of Sportsmanship Director.
- AGE DIRECTORS
The NVYSL Age Directors shall have responsibility for the administration of the affairs of the NVYSL within their age divisions. This includes assigning Teams to flights, reporting scores, rescheduling matches, and keeping division statistics. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a successor to the post of Age Director.
- President
- (b) At-Large Directors
At-Large Directors, consisting of a NVYSL Representative per member Club, shall be voting members of the Board who contribute to administration of league functions as appropriate.
- (c) Stipend Positions
Stipend Positions shall receive compensation for executing league functions. Duties and responsibilities of Stipend Positions are as follows:
- BOOKKEEPER
The Bookkeeper shall provide clerical and administrative support in the management of NVYSL financial transactions, under the guidance and approval of the Treasurer. The Bookkeeper shall manage accounts payable and accounts receivable functions; maintain an orderly filing system in accordance with accounting best practices and NVYSL policies and procedures; and conduct monthly reconciliations of all accounts to ensure their accuracy. The Bookkeeper shall assist the Treasurer in preparation of NVYSL budgets, financial statements, and external audits.
- REFEREE ASSIGNOR
The Referee Assignor shall provide support and guidance to assignors of the member Clubs, and shall verify that all Club assignors are currently certified with US Soccer. The Referee Assignor shall work jointly with the Club assignors and the NVYSL Referee Director to verify that all NVYSL referees are currently certified with US Soccer; to develop the skill level of the referees; to ensure that referee rankings are accurate; and to promote the opportunity for referees to accept more challenging assignments as appropriate. The Referee Assignor shall track rejected assignments or turned back assignments, and provide the Board with a report of any serious assignment issues.
- REFEREE PAYMASTER
The Referee Paymaster shall verify that referees completed their assignments, and shall facilitate referee payment by the Treasurer. The Referee Paymaster shall review referee game reports, compile instances of conduct violations and other anomalies, and report these incidents to the Board.
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ROSTER REGISTRAR
The Roster Registrar shall be responsible for overseeing the roster submission/validation process and acting as liaison with Mass Youth Soccer regarding rosters. The Roster Registrar shall be responsible for interpreting NVYSL policies and Mass Youth Soccer roster requirements.
- SCHEDULER
The Scheduler shall prepare and publish match schedules for all divisions of play, based upon team flight assignments obtained from the Age Directors.
- BOOKKEEPER
- (a) Officers
- CONDUCT
The Board shall have the authority to suspend any player, coach, team, club official, or Club of the NVYSL whose conduct is considered detrimental to the league.
- FINANCIAL POLICY
- (a) Fiscal Year
The fiscal year shall begin on January 1 and end on the following December 31 of each year.
- (b) Budget
A balanced budget for the forthcoming year shall be prepared by the Treasurer and approved by the Board before the start of registration. The budget shall be prepared on a per team basis with registration fees established to ensure that the expenses will be covered.
- (c) Bank Accounts
All moneys shall be promptly deposited in either a savings or a checking account in the NVYSL's name.
- (d) Expenditures
Funds shall be spent only in the interest of the NVYSL. All moneys shall be paid when due. Checks written for budgeted expenses shall require only one authorized signature. Checks written for any non-budgeted expenses over $500 shall require two authorized signatures. Major, non-budgeted expenses over $250 from any individual or corporation shall require approval by a majority of the Board.
- (a) Fiscal Year
- RULES OF PLAY
Any and all NVYSL sponsored competitions shall abide by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game, except as provided by USYSA and its affiliates.
Youth players in established age groups may play soccer under the auspices of NVYSL in accordance with the rules of the NVYSL’s player development program applicable to such age groups as provided by Mass Youth Soccer.
- OTHER MATTERS
The Board shall have the power to deal with any matters not explicitly covered by the Bylaws.
- AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
The NVYSL Constitution, or any section thereof, may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at the AGM or at a Special General Meeting. Notice of any proposed changes shall be sent to each member Club and each Board Member at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which such proposed changes shall be submitted to a vote.
- ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION
This Constitution was first approved at a General Meeting on December 18, 1984 and last amended on January 11, 2022.
