The name of the Association shall be the Georgia Soccer Officials Association.
Article II. THE OBJECT
The object of this Association shall be:
Section I. To unite into one organization all Georgia High School Association registered soccer officials.
Section II. To contractually provide game assignment services to Association members.
Section III. To contractually provide soccer officials booking services to Georgia High Schools upon request.
Section IV. To study and improve the technique of soccer officiating.
Section V. To promote the uniform interpretation and administration of the Official High School Soccer Rules as adopted by the Georgia High School Association.
Section VI. To encourage and establish the place of high school soccer as a game for the development of character and good sportmanship.
Section VII. To promote the recruitment and training of all individuals interested in officiating high school soccer.
Section VIII. To work with all other organizations, public and private, interested in the advancement of all aspects of the game of high school soccer.
Article III. MEMBERSHIP
Section I. There shall be four (4) classes of membership in this Association: Regular, Associate, Life, and Honorary.
Section II. Regular Membership Entry Requirements:
a. Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older who has graduated from high school shall be eligible for membership in the Association, provided the following entry requirements have been met:
1. Has attended the Georgia Soccer Officials Association new officials Entry Training Program.
b. Beginning with the 1989-1990 officiating year, first year membership dues shall be an amount equal to fifteen dollars ($15) more than the regular membership dues.
Section III. Regular Membership Renewal
a. Regular members may renew membership annually by meeting the following requirements:
1. Met all the specific requirements delineated in Section II.a. above.
b. Regular members shall have dues for the following year withheld from their Spring season earnings, if any.
c. Regular members having insufficient Spring season earnings to cover the membership dues shall ensure that dues are paid by September 1 of that year.
Section IV. Forfeiture of Membership
a. Regular members forfeit membership when renewal dues are not paid by September 1.
b. Regular members forfeit membership when any past due fees and/or fines are not paid by September 1.
c. The Executive Board shall develop a process for membeship revocation and shall place this procedure in a documen that is made available to every member.
Section V. Reinstatement of Membership
a. Regular members may be reinstated at any time provided renewal dues are paid, the new member surcharge is paid, all past due fees and/or fines are paid, and, all other normal requirements for regular membership are met. This provision remains in force for each member for a period of two years after regular membership is forfeited.
Section VI. Resignation
a. A regular member may resign without prejudice at any time provided all dues, fees, and/or fines are paid up in full. Dues paid for the coming of current year will be refunded provided that no games have been officiated and that the request is made in writing and submitted to the Executive Board prior to January 1 of the year.
Section VII. Life Membership Requirements
a. Life Membership may be bestowed upon any member, or former member, in good standing, who is no longer actively officiating soccer.
b. To qualify for Life Membership, a person must, in addition to paragraph a above, have:
1. Officiated high school soccer in Georgia as a member of this Association for not less than five (5) years.
c. The process for bestowing Life Membership is as follows:
d. Life Members shall have all the privileges of regular membership other than being authorized to officiate high school soccer in Georgia.
Section IX. Honorary Membership Requirements
a. Honorary Membership may be bestowed upon any individual, corporation or other entity who has actively and significantly supported high school soccer officiating in Georgia.
b. The process for bestowing Honorary Membership is as follows:
1. Nomination by a member of the Executive Board at a regular Executive Board Meeting.
c. Honorary Members shall have no membership privileges.
Article IV. OFFICERS
Section I. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, a 1st Vice-President, a 2nd Vice-President, a Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, a Treasurer, and four (4) Commissioners representing members in the Metropolitan Atlanta area. Up to five additional Commissioners may be added dependent upon the organizing of members outside the Metropolitan Atlanta area. Additionally, the most recently available past President of the Association shall automatically be an Officer without portfolio and without election. These Officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these By-Laws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association and shall be voting members of the Executive Board which shall be authorized to conduct all business of the Association. All offices shall be filled for the upcoming year by a vote of the membership during the June business meeting.
Section II. The President, with the approval of the Executive Board shall appoint a Clinician and a Parliamentarian to serve for his/her term of office. The offices of Clinician and Parliamentarian shall not be voting offices. It is recommended that the Parliamentarian be one of the Vice-Presidents.
Section III. At the regular meeting in February, a Nomination Committee of five (5) members, none of whom shall be currently serving as Officers, shall be elected by the Association. It shall be the duty of this Committee to nominate candidates for the offices to be filled at the annual meeting in June. The Nominating Committee shall report at the regular meeting in April. Before the election at the annual meeting in June, additional nominations from the floor shall be permitted.
Section IV. The Officers shall be elected by secret ballot to serve for one year, or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected.
Section V. No member shall hold more than one elected office at a time, and no member shall be eligible to serve more than two successive terms in the same elected office.
Section VI. Nominees for the offices of President and 1st Vice-President must have been regular members in good standing for three (3) full years prior to the date of election. Nominees for the offices of 2nd Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer must have been members in good standing for two (2) full years prior to the date of election. Nominees for the remaining offices must have been regular members in good standing for one (1) full year prior to the date of election.
Section VII. In the event that the office of President becomes vacant because of death, resignation or other reason, the office of President shall be filled by the 1st Vice-President for the entirety of the unexpired term. In the event that any other office becomes vacant because of death, resignation or other reason, the President shall appoint a qualified member in good standing to hold the office for the duration of the unexpired term, unless the vacancy occurs prior to the August meeting, in which case a Special Election shall be held.
Section VIII. Special Elections will be held at membership meetings for the purpose of filling vacant positions on the Executive Board. For Special Elections only, all nominations will be made from the floor. There is no requirement for Special Elections to be formally announced prior to the meeting when they are to be held. Such elections will be held be secret ballot, and, where more than one office is to be filled, the higher office will be filled first.
Section IX. The term of any officer may be ended through the process of impeachment as outlined below:
a. Articles of Impeachment must be submitted to the Executive Board by an elected member of the Executive Board for one of the following offenses:
1. Failure to perform the duties of the office.
b. The Articles of Impeachment must be sustained by a 3/4 majority of the Executive Board, whether present or not, i.e., 75 % of the total membership of the Executive Board excepting the Officer or Officers charged.
c. If the Articles of Impeachment are sustained by the Executive Board, then a Ruling Committee shall be appointed as follows:
1. The President shall appoint a member in good standing to represent the Association.
Article V. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
Section I. Duties of the President
The President:
a. Shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association.
b. Shall preside over all meetings and shall determine the content of the agenda.
c. Shall appoint all Committee Chairpersons, Committee members, the Clinician, and the Parliamentarian with the majority approval of the Executive Board.
d. Shall vote to break ties.
e. Shall ensure that all Officers and Committees are performing duties as assigned and specified by the Constitution and By- Laws.
f. Shall be an ex-officio member of every Committee except the Nominating Committee.
Section II. Duties of the 1st Vice-President
The 1st Vice-President:
a. Shall perform the duties of the President in his absence or inability to act.
b. Shall be responsible for client management, regular season booking, and tournament booking.
c. Shall supervise the Booking Manager(s).
d. Shall supervise the Data Manager(s).
Section III. Duties of the 2nd Vice-President
The 2nd Vice-President:
a. Shall be responsible for referee recruitment, development, and management.
b. Shall supervise the Association's instruction program.
c. Shall supervise the Association's assessment program.
d. Shall supervise the Clinician.
Section IV. Duties of the Secretary
The Secretary:
a. Shall keep a record of all of the proceedings of the Association, the minutes.
b. Shall keep on file all Committee Reports.
c. Shall keep the Association's official membership roll and shall record membership attendance at regular membership meetings.
e. Shall maintain record books in which the Constitution, By-Laws, special Rules of Order, standing rules, and minutes are entered, with any amendments to these documents properly recorded, and to have the current record book(s) on hand at every meeting.
f. Shall send out to the membership a notice of each meeting and shall conduct the general correspondence of the Association; that correspondence which is not a function proper to other Offices, or to Committee.
g. Shall prepare, prior to each meeting, an order of business for the use of the presiding Officer, showing in the exact order, under each heading, all matters known in advance that are due to come up and, if applicable, the times for which they are set.
h. In the absence of the President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice- President, call the meeting to order and preside as Chairman Pro Tem.
Section V. Duties of the Assistant Secretary
The Assistant Secretary:
a. Shall assist the Secretary in conducting the activities of the Office of the Secretary.
b. Shall perform the duties of the Secretary in his absence or inability to act.
Section VI. Duties of the Treasurer
The Treasurer:
a. Shall receive and place all monies into the Association's bank account(s).
b. Shall disburse funds only as authorized by the Association and as the By-Laws prescribe.
c. Shall make a complete record of all monetary transactions of the Association.
d. Shall prepare all tax records as required by law.
e. Shall submit all financial records for audit at the end of the Association's Fiscal Year.
f. Shall ensure that a second Authorized signature appears on all instruments disbursing funds from the Association's Treasury.
Section VII. Duties of the Commissioners
The Commissioners:
a. Shall act as the primary source of information for those members who been assigned to him/her.
b. Shall respond to complaints from clients, but only as requested by the President.
c. Shall ensure that the concerns of the assigned members are brought to the attention of the Executive Board.
Section VIII. Duties of the Past President
The Past President:
a. Shall act as advisor to the President.
Section IX. Duties of the Clinician
The Clinician:
a. Shall act as the Association's chief training officer.
b. Shall be the official rules interpreter of the Association.
Section X. Duties of the Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian:
a. Shall advise the President on Rules of Order and the official interpretation of the Constitution, By-Laws, Policies and Program Plan.
Article VI. MEETINGS
Section I. Membership Meetings
The regular meetings of the Association shall be held as follows:
a. February
Section II. New Membership Meeting
A Meeting for new member prospects shall be held in January.
Section III. Annual Business Meeting
The Annual Business Meeting shall be held in June.
Section IV. Executive Board Meetings
a. Executive Board meetings shall be held on a monthly basis and as may be additionally requested by the President.
b. The time and place of all Executive Board meetings shall be announced to, and shall be open to the Association membership.
c. Only Executive Board members may vote and participate in Association business at Executive Board meetings, except that regular members may take the floor to voice concerns or make proposals following a majority approval of the Executive Board and recognition by the Chair.
Section V. Called Meetings
Should the need arise, the President may call a meeting of the membership provided two weeks written notice is given.
Section VI. Meetings by Petition
The membership may, by circulating a petition containing the verified signatures of thirty percent (30%) of the members in good standing, require the President to schedule a membership meeting within two weeks of the date that the last signature was added to the petition.
Article VII. EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section I. The Executive Board shall be comprised of all the elected Officers.
Section II. The Executive Board shall conduct all the official business of the Association. At the August membership meeting, the Executive Board shall present the Annual Program Plan and Policy Manual to the membership for approval. Once approved, this document shall be the official operating document of the Association. At a minimum, the Annual Program Plan and Policy Manual shall contain the proposed budget for the current fiscal year as well as the official policies of the Association. For the remainder of the fiscal year, the Executive Board will need no further approval from the membership to implement the specifics of the Annual Program Plan and Policy Manual. Where Executive Board decisions or actions differ substantially from the Annual Program Plan and Policy Manual, the Executive Board may request membership approval, or the membership may require review and approval authority by a single majority vote at the next membership meeting, or at a called meeting.
Section III. All official business proposed must be submitted to the Executive Board prior to being submitted to the general membership for debate and/or approval.
Section IV. All actions approved by the Executive Board must be reported to the membership at the next regular membership meeting. This can be done in summary form although complete minutes of the Executive Board meeting must be available for review by members immediately prior to the regular membership meeting.
Section V. All expenditures of Association funds must be approved by the Executive Board except for those expenditures annually pre-approved in the Annual Program Plan.
Section VI. The Executive Board must prepare an annual report detailing the activities of the Association, including a financial audit. This report must be distributed to the membership at the annual membership meeting in June.
Section VII. The Executive Board must take final action on all disciplinary and other membership actions except for the impeachment of one of its members as decided by the Impeachment Resolution Committee.
Section VIII. All Committee reports and Officer reports must be submitted to the Executive Board for review and approval.
Article VIII. COMMITTEES
Section I. All Committees, with the exception of the Nominating Committee, shall be appointed by the President with the majority approval of the Executive Board.
Section II. No Committee may be appointed to serve for a term that extends from one administration into the next.
Section III. The Executive Board may create or reaffirm standing Committees, or Special Purpose Committees.
2. Has documented soccer officiating experience of at least two years.
3. Has passed the Georgia High School Association written examination for soccer officials.
4. Has taken the Georgia Soccer Officials Association physical test.
5. Has submitted a physician signed statement that applicant is physically fit to officiate soccer or has signed a physical examination waiver.
6. Has signed a membership agreement delineating the responsibilities of the Association and the individual referee.
2. Pay annual regular membership dues prior to being assigned to first game of the year. The amount of the regular membership dues is to be set on an annual basis by the Executive Board, subject to the approval of the membership.
2. Significantly contributed to the development of the Association.
3. Significantly assisted the Association in achieving its goals.
1. Nomination by a member of the Executive Board at a regular Executive Board Meeting.
2. Election by 3/4 of the total membership of the Executive Board by secret ballot.
3. Election by a majority of the membership at the annual business meeting by secret ballot.
2. Election by 3/4 of the total membership of the Executive Board by secret ballot.
3. Election by a majority of the membership at the annual business meeting by secret ballot.
2. Violating the Association's Code of Ethics.
3. Conviction on the charge of committing a violation of the Georgia Criminal Code of the United States Criminal Code.
2. The Officer being impeached shall appoint a member in good standing to represent him/her.
3. The two members appointed shall select a third member in good standing, mutually agreeable to both, to act as Chairman of the Ruling Committee.
4. The Ruling Committee shall then review all relevant facts and render a final decision based upon a majority decision.
b. March
c. April
d. June (Annual Business Meeting)
e. August (Program Plan Meeting)