1. Name
The name of this organization shall be The Ontario Soccer
Referees’ Association – London Branch, herein after referred as “The Association”.
2. Objectives
a) To
improve the status, education and general development of referees in order to
ensure that, all games are played in accordance with the Laws of the Game and
the rules of any competition that is properly affiliated to soccer’s governing
body.
b) To
protect the interests, the well-being and welfare of the members.
c) To
abide by the Constitution of The Ontario Soccer Association.
3. Headquarters
The headquarters of the Association shall be located
at the residence of the Secretary.
4. Membership
Membership shall be open to the following:
a) All
who are properly registered as referees with The Ontario Soccer Association.
b) Those
who have ceased to officiate, and who shall be known as Associate Members.
c) Life
Member – A member who has been nominated the votes of 75%
of the members at the Annual General Meeting.
5. Membership Fees
The annual membership fee will be set at The Annual
General Meeting.
a) Honorary
Life Members shall not pay membership fees.
b) Any
current or previous member registering later than December
31st. of that year, a $5.00 late fee
shall be added to his/her membership fee.
6. Officers
The officers shall be the President, Vice-President,
Secretary, Treasurer, and one Council Members who will serve for a 2 year term, being elected in the following manner.
a) The
President, Secretary, one Council Members in odd numbered years.
b) The
Vice-President, and Treasurer in even numbered years.
To be eligible for election the candidate must be a
member in good standing (4)(e) and be nominated at the
Annual General Meeting. The voting shall
be by secret ballot at which time the candidate for office must receive a
majority of the votes cast by the members present.
A member may be nominated for office when absent,
providing that the member has notified the Secretary in writing at least 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting of a
willingness to stand.
Should a position (other than that of President) on
the Executive Council becomes vacant it shall be field by a member in good
standing, appointed by the Executive Council.
7. Duties of Officers
The President shall preside at all meetings attended,
and decide on all questions of order and announce the results of any voting,
except during the election of officers, wherein a pro-tem chairman will be
appointed for that section of the meeting.
While in the chair the President shall neither move nor second any
proposal or amendment, nor vote unless there be a tie, when the President shall
exercise a casting vote.
The President shall be the spokesperson for the
Association and shall ensure that all other officers perform their respective
duties and that all rules are enforced.
The Vice-President shall assist the president in the
discharge of all presidential duties and, in the absence of President, take
over the President’s duties.
Should the office of President become vacant, the
Vice-President shall assume the position until the next Annual General Meeting.
The Secretary shall keep a true record of all meetings
of the Executive Council and General Meetings of the Association. All correspondence relating to the
Association and the issuing notices of meetings to all members shall be the
responsibility of the Secretary.
The Treasurer shall receive all funds. Including membership fees, giving an official
receipt for all monies received and be responsible to the Executive Council for
all funds of the Association. All
Association funds must be deposited in the name of the Association at a
recognized registered banking institute.
Accounts exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00)
may only be paid following the approval of the Executive Council. Any two of the following officers must sign
cheques issued on behalf of the Association:
Treasurer, President, Vice-President or Secretary. The Treasurer shall also prepare and present
a financial statement for the fiscal year ending September
30th annually.
8. Executive
Council
The Executive Council shall have of all Association
property. It shall conduct the business
of the Association between meetings. The
Council Member shall have such duties as prescribed by the President. The Executive Council may enlist the
assistance of other members for such special projects soccer related or not
that are deemed for the benefit of the Association. The Executive Council’s approval must be
unanimous.
Executive Council member/s shall be subject to being
expelled by the Executive Council from any Executive activities for showing
poor performance.
9. Meetings
a) Members
shall attend all meetings of the Association.
b) Members
who will be unable to attend a meeting must advise the Secretary or the
Treasurer in advance.
The Annual General Meeting shall be held within the 3rd week of October.
The Secretary shall send notice of all General Meetings to the
Membership at least 30 days prior the date of
the meeting.
A special General Meeting may be called by President
or at the written and signed request of 5
members. The Special General Meeting
must be held within 14 days of the receipt of
such request, notice being sent by the Secretary to reach the members at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. Only the business as specified in the request
may be discussed at the Special Meeting.
A minimum of 6 meetings
of the Executive Council will be held at the call of the President, or at the
request of three Members of the Executive Council.
The Order of Business for Meetings will be as follows:
Annual General Meeting
·
Roll Call
·
Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
·
Matters arising from those minutes
·
Correspondence
·
Presidents Address
·
Treasurer’s Report and Auditors’ Confirmation
·
Old Business
·
Membership Fees for ensuing year
·
Recess – Membership Fees paid
·
Amendments to the Constitution
·
Election of the Officers, Appointment of Auditors
·
New Business
General Meetings
·
Roll Call
·
Reading of Minutes of previous meeting
·
Matters arising from those Minutes
·
Treasurer’s Report
·
Correspondence
·
Old Business
·
New Business
Executive Council
Meetings
·
Roll Calls
·
Reading of Minutes of previous meeting
·
Matters arising from Minutes
·
Treasurer’s Report
·
Correspondence
·
Old Business
·
New Business
10. Conduct
Members of the Association shall conduct themselves in
a manner that will bring credit to the Association and to the game as a
whole. Cases of alleged misconduct
reported to the Executive Council shall be dealt at the earliest opportunity. The Executive Council shall have the power to
reprimand or suspend from membership any member deemed to have brought the
Association into disrepute.
The procedure for any alleged misconduct shall be as
followed:
· Any such
allegation/s should be forwarded to the Association’s Secretary in writing
accompanied by all the evidences.
· The
Association’s Executive shall investigate such allegation within seven days of
receiving the allegation.
· The
accused member may appear before the Association Executive to defend the
allegation. Then based on the facts
provided to the Executive Council a decision shall be made.
· The
Executive Council shall notify the member of their decision by registered mail
within seven days from the date of their decision.
Further more, the word MISCONDUCT
should not be interpreted out of context and should only be defined as an
activity that is contrary to the referees’ Code of Ethics and the game as
whole.
Rights to Appeal
A member alleged to have committed an act of
misconduct has the right to present a defence to the allegation before any
decision is rendered by the Executive Council.
Appeals against any decision must be made before the members at a General
Meeting. Should an appeal be lodged any
suspension will be placed in abeyance until the members have reached a
decision.
11. Fines
Any fines incurred must be paid in full before
renewing or applying for membership with the Association.
12. Auditors
Two members shall be appointed at the Annual General
Meeting. They will be charged with the
auditing of the Association’s accounts.
This shall be arranged at a time and place mutually agreed upon by the
Treasurer and themselves. An interim
check may be made at any time during the year.
The Auditors shall report their findings at the Annual General Meeting
or in case of an interim check, to the Executive Council. If all is correct, they shall annual
statement and balance sheet prepared by the Treasurer.
13. Quorum
At the Annual General Meeting/General Meetings/Special
Meetings 25% of registered members in attendance
for any meeting shall form a quorum. At the Annual General Meeting there must be
quorum to conduct business; otherwise, the business is postponed to a different
time.
14. Amendments to
the Constitution
Proposed amendment/s to this constitution will not be
considered, unless written notice of proposed amendment is received by the
Secretary 30 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
An Extraordinary Special General Meeting may be called
for this purpose, 14 days notice of such
a meeting must be given to all members.
A copy of the proposed amendment/s must be sent with any meeting
notice. To be approved, an amendment
must receive the majority of votes cast by the members at the meeting.
15. Referee of the
Year Award
The Executive Council may choose a referee/s of the
year, from our members list, on an annual basis. The criteria for a candidate shall be a
member in good standing that has during the current year of the award carried
out duties that are exemplary and bring refereeing into stead.
Roll of Honours
Honorary Life Members:
Ernie Huytan
(1974)
Horst Ammon
(1980)
Ed Troller
(1989)
Bob Callahan (1998)
John Quinn (2000)
Peter Elefthroglou
(2004)
Peter Timmerman (2004
Manfred Sommerfield
(2004)
Joe Agnew (2005)