Jr Maples Hockey  

Bylaws

TRITON-AMESBURY JR. MAPLES YOUTH HOCKEY LEAGUE BY-LAWS

(Established 2021)

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of the organization shall be TRITON AMESBURY JR. MAPLES YOUTH HOCKEY LEAGUE (hereinafter referred to as the “JR MAPLES").


ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVE

  1. The JR. MAPLES strive to be a high quality, competitive, community-focused non-profit, youth sports organization. The League seeks to develop in its players the values of sportsmanship, discipline, teamwork, and respect for all participants in a safe, growth-oriented environment. 
  2. The objective will be achieved by providing supervised skating and hockey instruction, adequate ice facilities, and competitive athletic hockey games. The supervisors and personnel of the League shall always bear in mind that winning of the game is secondary to the members’ socio-emotional well-being and the development of the values listed above. 
  3. It is the intent of the League to provide as a minimum: an organization that will allow as many youths of Lower Merrimack Valley, as can be accommodated, to participate in an organized competitive youth hockey program, with preparatory training session necessary for player growth, and entry of said player(s)/team(s) into a league program where the youth of the Amesbury, Salisbury, Newbury, Rowley and surrounding communities will participate in competitive programs involving other cities and towns, representing the TRITON-AMESBURY JR. MAPLES in such leagues which are, or may be, established. The League shall also, as necessary, establish and/or contract for any clinics necessary to facilitate the objectives set forth above. The competitive programs the league will enter will be selected in accordance with the provisions of these by-laws, Rules and Regulations of the League, and procedures and practices approved by the Board of Directors 
  4. Success of TRITON-AMESBURY JR. MAPLES will be measured by the League’s ability to develop and retain local talent within a consistent, progressive instructional framework that follows players through each stage of their hockey experience.


ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership Defined - Any person or family interested in having a child participate in the League’s activities, and who desires to further the goals of the League, is eligible to become a member upon completion of the prescribed application and payment of the dues established by the Board of Directors. Members shall be entitled to one vote at all meetings of members.
  2. All player members shall be any youth, aged 3-18, that is a registered member of the League in good standing.
  3. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to suspend or revoke the membership of any member whose conduct is considered detrimental to the objectives of the League. Such dismissal shall be by two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors, at a duly constituted meeting. Members may appeal the decision of the Board of Directors to a general membership meeting, who, on a two-thirds vote, may order reinstatement.
  4. Upon receipt of substantial evidence of misconduct by a playing member, the Board of Directors shall, at the earliest opportunity, notify the coach of the team of which the youth is a member. The coach, assistant coach(es), Legal guardians or parents acting as witnesses, shall appear before the Board of Directors, to determine appropriate action as outlined in the Rules and Regulations of the League.
  5. With the approval of the Board of Directors, membership can be extended to individuals who do not have children participating in the TRITON-AMESBURY JR. MAPLES program. The individuals to whom this form of membership is accorded shall be known as “Associate Members.” To be considered for Association Membership, an individual must demonstrate to the Board of Directors their commitment to youth hockey and the principles espoused by the League.
  6. Associate Members may be appointed to the Board of Directors.


ARTICLE IV: GOVERNMENT

  1. Board of Directors - The members of the League shall be governed by a Board of Directors, who may exercise all the powers of the League. Powers include the following:
  2. Membership and voting powers of the Board of Directors shall consist of not less than 20% of Board of Directors voting members who are current on their tuition payments and have children who are rostered on a current TRITON-AMESBURY JR.MAPLES team, including the Learn-to-Skate/Play and Mite Instructional Programs.  
  3. The Board of Directors shall determine all policy matters and make such reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out objectives and purposes of the League. 
  4. The Board of Directors shall have control and management of the property and management of the League.  
  5. Funds of the League shall be withdrawn from banks or banks which they are on deposit by the signature of the duly elected treasurer, assistant treasurer, and president.
  6. Directors -- The members of the League at their annual meeting shall elect a Board of Directors. The Board shall consist of 11 Directors: seven (7) general representatives, one (1) Registrar, one (1) Director of Coaching, one (1) Director of Fundraising and Public Relations, and one (1) Director of Community Outreach and Recruitment. 
  7. Election - The Board of the Directors will take nominations from the general membership for open seats on the Board of Directors thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting of the League. The League will do its best to ensure there are nominees from each competitive level of the league (Mite, Squirt, Peewee, Bantam). At the Annual Meeting, each candidate will be allowed no more than five minutes to introduce themselves. At the conclusion of introductions, voting will take place by the general membership. Said votes will be calculated by the remaining Board of Directors at the close of voting.
  8. Tenure—The seven (7) general members of the Board of Directors shall be elected for two-year terms. The positions of Registrar, Coaching Director, Director of Fundraising and Public Relations, and the Director of Community Outreach and Recruitment shall be elected annually. Any Director may resign by delivering their written resignation to the President or Secretary of the Board. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some other time or upon the happening of some other event. 
  9. Removal – A Director may be removed from office by vote of a majority of the Directors then in office.   
  10. Vacancies – shall be filled by vote of the Board of Directors; such appointees will serve the duration of the term of the individual being replaced or until the next regular election, whichever occurs sooner.
  11. Officers – An Officer shall be defined as being a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer or Secretary of the League.
  12. Election, qualification, tenure—The officers shall be elected by the board of directors at the first meeting following the annual meeting from the 7 general board members. Each officer will be elected annually. All officers shall be members of the League. The Secretary shall be a resident of Massachusetts unless the corporation has a resident agent appointed for the purpose of service of process. No officer shall receive any compensation for the performance of their duties as such. 
  13. Duties – 
  14. The President, as chief executive officer of the league, shall supervise league affairs and activities and shall make an annual report thereon to the members and shall be the Chair of the Board of Directors. They shall have voting privileges. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. They have the right to appoint members of the league to represent the League before individuals and groups as necessary in their stead.
  15. The Vice-President shall preside at the membership and Board of Directors meeting in the absence of the President, shall also work with the President on such affairs as membership, finances, and public relations.
  16. The Secretary shall give notice of all regular and special meetings and shall keep a permanent record of the minutes of such meetings. The Secretary shall be the custodian of all official and non-financial records of the League and keep attendance of all board meetings and ensure a proper quorum attend all general membership meetings.
  17. The Treasurer shall issue notices of dues payable and be responsible for the collections thereof, submit notices of sponsors dues payable, keep the financial records of the organization, disburse funds at the direction of the Board of Directors, and shall report in detail at the annual meeting and such other times as directed on the financial condition of the League.
  18. The Assistant Treasurer shall in the absence of the Treasurer maintain the books of the League to ensure consistent record keeping and will also serve as an audit point throughout the year to maintain a constant dual control of the financial records.


  1. NON-BOARD POSITIONS—to help facilitate the objectives of the League, the following non-voting & non-board positions shall be established and preserved annually as necessary: chair person(s), an equipment manager, a tournament coordinator, a Valley League and MA Hockey representative, a scheduler, and a webmaster. These positions are open to general league members for nomination and appointment through the majority vote of the Board of Directors. Board Members are not excluded from these non-board positions. Non-board members filling these positions may be extend board voting privileges through motion and ¾ majority vote of the Board of Directors.


ARTICLE V: MEETING

  1. The Annual meeting and the election of the Board of Directors shall be called on in April of each year, after the April board meeting has taken place but before the May board meeting, for the reading of reports. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors will be held monthly (date to be set by mutual agreement of the Board). The Secretary of the Board shall notify members three (3) days prior to meetings.
  2. Additional meetings may be called by the President at anytime or upon written request of at least three members of the board of directors or ten (10) general members of the League.
  3. A duly constituted meeting of the Board of Directors shall be one at which the majority members of the Board are present. A duly constituted meeting of the general membership of the League shall be one at which ten (10) percent of membership are present.
  4. A majority of voting members at such meetings shall govern except when otherwise provided for by these by-laws.
  5. For Board of Directors meetings, a quorum of six voting members (half plus one) must exist to conduct board business. Each voting member present shall have one vote for each item presented to vote at each meeting.
  6. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of all meetings, except where the same conflicts with the constitution and by-laws of the League.
  7. The monthly Board meetings shall be open to the general membership of the League. The Board of Directors shall go into executive session, at its discretion, to discuss matters which may contain confidential information such as a family’s financial status or matters surrounding a player’s skills, safety or medical condition.


ARTICLE VI: FINANCIAL POLICY

  1. Except as from time to time otherwise determined by the Directors, the fiscal year of the League shall be the twelve months ending June 30.
  2. It shall be a permanent policy to place all income in a common League Treasury. The Board of Directors shall decide matters pertaining to the finances of the League directing the expenditure of the same in such manner as will give no individual or team an advantage over the others as to equipment, ice facilities etc…
  3. The Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and President of the League shall receive all the income of the League and shall be empowered to sign all checks for all payment of bills properly incurred by the Board of Directors or the League.
  4. The Board of Directors shall not permit the contribution of funds to individuals or teams without its authorization as shall solicit same for the common treasury of the League. The above regulation is to discourage favoritism among teams and endeavor to equalize the benefits of the League.
  5. Bonding of the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and President may be designated by the Board of Directors. If so designated, the expense of said bond will be borne by the League.
  6. The registration and program fees of the League shall be voted on annually by the Board of Directors and encompassed in a document entitled “Fee Policy.” The Fee Policy will be made available to membership via the League website. To remain a member of good standing, fee payments to the League shall be current. Failure to remain current with fee payment schedule can result in immediate suspension from League activities. The Board of Directors reserves the right to make special exemptions for fee timelines based on financial hardship.
  7. Sponsorship fees for the League teams shall be set at the discretion of the existing Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall see that such sponsors are given warning of any increase in sponsor rates prior to the time of renewal of contracts as sponsors.


ARTICLE VII: RULES

  1. The Official Playing Rules and Regulations of USA Hockey and/or Massachusetts Hockey Inc. shall be binding on the League except where such rules conflict with any local rules sponsored by this League.
  2. The Board of Directors shall annually institute “Rules and Regulations” to ensure the smooth and efficient implementation of the League’s stated purposes and policies. These Rules and Regulations shall be in effect for one year. The passage of these Rules and Regulations shall take place at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting and will require a simple majority vote.
  3. Rules and Regulations can be added, deleted or changed during the year only by a three-fourths majority vote of the members present at a duly called meeting of the Board of Directors.


ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS

These by-laws or any section thereof may be amended or repealed by two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors and two-thirds vote of the voting membership at any duly constituted meeting provided that written notice of such proposed changes over the signature of the Secretary shall be mailed to each member at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting at which such proposed changes shall be submitted to vote.


ARTICLE IX: STANDING COMMITTEES

The Board of Directors at their annual meeting shall appoint the following committees. All Board members must serve on at least one standing committee. General members who wish to join a committee after the annual has taken place shall seek normal appointment at any duly constituted meeting of the board of directors. Committee Chairs shall provide updated status reports for this committee at the Board of Directors monthly meeting or by providing said report to an officer of the Board to report in their stead. All general members of the League are eligible to serve on a committee. All Committees shall remain active for a term of one year commencing at the first monthly meeting after the general election.

  1. Audit, Budget, and Finance Committee:
  2. The Auditing Committee shall be composed of at least one board of directors ‘member and may include other general members of the league.
  3. The Treasurer of the League shall serve as chair of this committee.
  4. It shall be the duty of the Auditing, Budget and Finance Committee to present to the board of directors a written report of the financial condition of the League. Said report is to be presented to the Board of Directors at the first regular meeting following the appointment of the committee.
  5. The Public Relations and Fundraising Committee:
  6. The Fundraising Committee shall be composed of at least one Board of Directors member and may include other general members of the league.
  7. The duly elected Director of Public Relations and Fundraising shall serve as chair of this committed.
  8. The BOD shall appoint a co-chairperson to this committee by June 1st annually.
  9. It shall be the duty of this committee to raise funds for and promote the league, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
  10. By-Law & Rules Committee:
  11. The By-Law & Rules committee shall consist of at least one member of the Board of Directors and may include other general members of the league.
  12. The Board of Directors shall appoint a chairperson to this committee by June 1st annually.
  13. It shall be the duty of this committee to provide interpretation of the By-laws and Rules and Regulations of the League to the President, Board of Directors, and the voting membership. They shall act as consultants to “Robert’s Rules of Order”. They shall also author any proposed amendments or revisions to the by-laws of the League, submitted to the Board of Directors (by intent), subject to the voting membership.
  14. Compliance Committee:
  15. The Compliance Committee shall consist of at least one member of the Board of Directors and may include other general members of the league. 
  16. The Registrar of the League will serve as the chairperson of the Compliance Committee
  17. It shall be the duty of this committee to ensure that the following requirements are being met:
  18. Rosters
  19. Registration
  20. CORI/SafeSport compliance
  21. Coaching patches (Coaching Education Program)
  22. AMD Certification
  23. USA HOCKEY Registration
  24. Valley Hockey League Registration
  25. Coaches and Player Development Committee:
  26. This committee will include three (3) sub-committees as follows and must include at least one member of the board of directors and may include other general members of the league. The duly elected Director of Coaching shall serve as chair of this committee and reserves the right to appoint sub-chairs within the Coaches and Player Development Committee:
  27. Coach and Player Development Document Committee:
  28. will develop progression drills based on the American Development Model (ADM)
  29. create focus on player safety
  30. will create strategies to track player progress throughout the season
  31. Coaches Committee
  32. Interview potential coaches and submit recommendations to the Board of Directors
  33. Have an initial meeting before the start of the season with all team managers, coaches, and assistant coaches to inform them of the League’s objectives.
  34. will attend any games and/or practices as to survey the development status of any or all teams
  35. To investigate and address any and all conflicts which may occur regarding a coach before and if it need be presented to the Board of Directors.
  36. Design and develop coaching programs in line with the development committee.
  37. Communicate changes and new program to coaches of the League
  38. Ensure new skills and drills are being introduced and followed
  39. Clinic Committee
  40. Organize and conduct such programs that are consistent with the objectives of the League.  
  41. They shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, a sufficient number of coaches necessary to carry out the programs.
  42. Review outside training contracts and ensure the needs are of the League are being met including but not limited to skating skills and goalie training. 
  43. Player Placement Committee
  44. The Player Placement Committee shall be composed of one member of the Board of Directors and two League members and chaired by the Director of Coaching. 
  45. It will be the duty of this committee to make recommendations to the Board of Directors on guidelines and methods to be used in placement of players to available teams. Should a transfer of any youth be requested, the matter will be brought to the Board of Directors.
  46. The Player Placement Committee will organize and coordinate tryouts for playing members of the league.
  47. It will be the duty of this committee to organize and coordinate tryouts shall insure an equal opportunity to each youth to qualify for a team next season.
  48. 

ARTICLE X: EQUIPMENT

  1. At the beginning of each season, the Board of Directors will specifically address the policies as to equipment worn by each playing member during practice, power skating, and games.
  2. An Equipment Manager shall be appointed from the General Membership by the Board of Directors and work with the Board to assess the condition of all equipment belonging to the League. The Equipment Manager will be responsible for the securing equipment for various teams and shall render all vouchers for payment to the Treasurer of the League. The Equipment Manager shall maintain a depreciation schedule of all League equipment to ensure proper maintenance of the League’s assets and safety of the players. 


ARTICLE XI: DISBANDING

In the event that this League should ever be dissolved, all of its assets will be given to an area non-profit organization. A three-fourths vote of the total Board of Directors will be necessary for the League to be dissolved.

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