USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
ARTICLE 1 NAME
1.1 The name of the association shall be USA Wrestling - Ohio, to be abbreviated hereinafter USAWO. In addition to the formal name specified above, the association may conduct its affairs under such trade names as may be approved by its Board of Directors.
ARTICLE 2 PURPOSE
2.1 The purposes of the association are to have one representative organization, open to any individual or club, to assist, supervise, standardize, and regulate the development and conduct of amateur wrestling in the styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling in the state of Ohio;
2.2 To promote and advance the sport of amateur wrestling in the state of Ohio by setting up a formal structure to deal with the matters of membership, competition, officiating, and the disbursement of funds to athletes and members of the association;
2.3 To improve the standards and appreciation of wrestling in the state of Ohio for all races, colors, and sexes, regardless of age, by providing training in wrestling skills, organizing meets and tournaments, offering instruction in officiating, providing equipment, conducting clinics, instructing parents in selection of proper equipment, and associating with wrestling associations and clubs in and outside of the state of Ohio; and
2.4 To maintain and execute any and all rules, regulations, and guidelines established by the National Governing Body for Wrestling and the state of Ohio and to continue to be recognized as a member of the National Governing Body for Wrestling.
ARTICLE 3 MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Membership Classes USAWO shall have two classes of members clubs and individual.
3.2 Club membership shall be open to any well organized wrestling club in the state of Ohio.
3.2.1 Registration All clubs must register and pay the appropriate fees to the USAWO office and the National Governing Body for Wrestling to be recognized as a Chartered Club.
3.2.2 Voting Rights Each Chartered Club shall have one vote at all open meetings of USAWO. Any Officer, Director, or Coach from a Chartered Club may represent the club and cast the club’s vote at these meetings. Individuals may not represent or cast the vote for more than one club.
3.3 Individual membership in the association shall be open to any individual engaged in amateur wrestling as a competitor, coach, or support personnel (e.g., officer, director, at-large member, mat official, operations official). USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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3.3.1 Registration Each individual must register and pay the appropriate fees to USAWO and the National Governing Body for Wrestling to be eligible to participate in USAWO activities and state tournaments.
3.3.2 Birth Date Certification Each individual registering with the association as a competitor must provide a document which proves his/her date of birth.
3.3.3 Voting Rights Individual members shall have no voting rights unless they are elected to the Board of Directors, represent a Chartered Club, or are a Past Chairperson of USAW-Ohio, Senior Mat Official, a Senior Pairing Official, or a Senior Certified Coach. Senior Mat Officials are those with a USWOA category of M1C or higher. Senior Operations Officials are those with a USWOA category of P1 or higher. Senior Certified Coaches are those who are certified under the National Coaches Education Program (NCEP) at the Silver Level or higher.
3.4 Fees The membership fees shall be the amount set by the National Governing Body for Wrestling and USAWO.
3.4.1 Payment Membership fees shall be payable as designated by USAWO at the time the individual or club member joins USAWO on an annual basis.
3.4.2 Non-Payment No member shall be allowed to participate in any USAWO wrestling activities unless the membership fees are paid in full prior to the activity.
ARTICLE 4 OFFICERS
4.1 The Officers of the association shall be Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chairperson, MVKWA Director, and Coaches’ Council Director.
4.2 Election of Officers The Officers of the association shall be elected at the Annual Meeting by a majority vote of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches present and voting.
4.2.1 Chairperson, Secretary and MVKWA Director Elections for these offices shall be every two (2) years in odd-numbered years beginning in 2017.
4.2.2 Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, Membership Chairperson, and Coaches’ Council Director Elections for these offices shall be held every two (2) years in even-numbered years beginning in 2018.
4.2.3 Officers Holding Multiple Positions No individual elected to one of the seven offices listed above may hold any of the Director positions listed in Article 5.2 or be an At-Large Board Member at the same time. If an individual who is currently a Director or At-Large Board Member is elected to one of these offices, he/she must immediately resign as a Director or At-Large Board Member. USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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4.3 Tenure of Officers The term of office for each Officer of the association shall be two years beginning on the date of the Annual Meeting in the year in which they are elected and ending on the date of the Annual Meeting two years later.
4.4 Duties of Officers The duties of the Officers shall be as follows, but not limited to:
4.4.1 Chairperson The Chairperson shall preside at all open and special meetings of USAWO and shall be the principal executive officer of the association. He/she shall oversee the execution of the regulations (i.e., the Constitution and Bylaws) and shall be responsible for carrying out the decisions of the USAWO membership and the Board of Directors. The Chairperson shall also perform such duties that may be assigned by the USAWO membership and/or the Board of Directors.
4.4.2 Vice Chairperson The Vice Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson and shall serve in the absence of the Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall also perform such additional duties that may be assigned by the USAWO membership and/or the Board of Directors.
4.4.3 Secretary The Secretary shall record the minutes of all USAWO meetings and shall report these to every Chartered Club, Officer, Director, and At-Large Board Member of the USAWO. The Secretary shall assist the Chairperson with the association correspondence and perform other such duties that may be assigned by the USAWO membership and/or the Board of Directors.
4.4.4 Treasurer The Treasurer shall be the principal financial officer of the association and shall maintain all the financial records of the association. The Treasurer shall provide a financial statement to the Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, and At-Large Board Members of USAWO once a year at the Annual Meeting. The Treasurer shall also perform other such duties that may be assigned by the USAWO membership and/or the Board of Directors.
4.4.5 Membership Chairperson The Membership Chairperson shall co-ordinate with the USA Wrestling National Office for the various membership classes, club charter applications, and event sanction forms, and ensure that the appropriate fees are forwarded to the Treasurer. The Membership Chairperson shall also be responsible for keeping accurate records of memberships, clubs, and events.
4.4.6 MVKWA Director – The MVKWA Director shall serve as liaison between USAW-Ohio and Miami Valley Kids Wrestling Association (MVKWA), promotes Folkstyle wrestling development, reports on the accomplishments of MVKWA and ensures that all athletes and coaches have obtained the appropriate membership levels and that all events are sanctioned.
4.4.7 Coaches’ Council Director – The Coaches’ Council Director shall serve as the liaison between USAW-Ohio and the Coaches’ Council (CC), report on the accomplishments and activities of the CC, promote Folkstyle, Freestyle and Greco wrestling developments throughout the state and for all age groups, ensures that the age group national team coach and team selection processes follow the established guidelines. USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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4.5 Vacancies If an Officer of the association resigns or is otherwise unable to serve, the remaining Executive Board shall place the names of the nominees for the vacant officer on a ballot which shall then be distributed by electronic communication to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will have seven (7) days to return a vote for the proposed officer.
The vote will be official if 75% of the Board of Directors responds within the seven (7) day period and one candidate has a majority of the votes. In the event that 75% of the Board of Directors has not responded or there is a tie after the seventh day, the remaining Board of Directors will be contacted until the 75% response is achieved or the tie is broken.
ARTICLE 5 DIRECTORS
5.1 Purpose USAWO shall establish Directors within itself to provide a better means of operating quickly and efficiently.
5.2 Directors The Directors of the association shall be Kids / U14 Director, National Teams Director, Open Director, Mat Officials Director, Operations Officials Director, Greco Director, Freestyle Director, Folkstyle Director, Media / Promotions Director, Fund Raising Director, International Exchange Director, Women’s Wrestling Director, Safe Sport Director and Beach/ Sombo/ Grappling Wrestling Director. The Board of Directors may designate other Directors from time to time as necessary.
5.3 Election of Directors The Directors of the association shall be elected at the Annual Meeting by a majority vote of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past and voting.
5.3.1 Election of At-Large Board Members The At-Large Board Members shall be elected at the Annual Meeting by a majority vote of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Coaches present and voting.
5.3.2 Elections for Directors/ At Large Members shall be held every two (2) years. Directors shall be elected as indicated in their respective job description . At Large Members shall be elected in even-numbers years beginning in 2018.
5.3.3 Directors Holding Multiple Positions No individual elected to one of the directorships listed above may hold any of the other Director positions listed in Article 5.2 or be an At-Large Board Member at the same time. If an individual who is currently a Director or At-Large Board Member is elected to one of these offices, he/she must immediately resign as a Director or At-Large Board Member.
5.4 Tenure of Directors The term of office for each Director of the association shall be two years beginning on the date of the Annual Meeting in the year in which they are elected and ending on the date of the Annual Meeting two years later.
5.5 Duties of Directors Directors shall supervise all activities which involve their particular division. Recommendations shall be made to the USAWO membership and the Board of USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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Directors on matters that pertain to development of programs to meet the needs of the participants.
5.6 Programs Each Director shall present to the USAWO membership at the Annual Meeting of the association each year a proposed program the division will follow during the coming year.
5.6.1 The program should include a proposed budget, information on division championships, requests for special funding, ideas on promotion, and the site and date of regional and national tournaments in which the division will be involved.
5.6.2 The USAWO membership shall vote on each program proposal with a majority vote of Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches present and voting at the Annual Meeting needed to pass the item in question.
5.7 Vacancies If a Director of the association resigns or is otherwise unable to serve, his/her successor for the remainder of the term of that directorship shall be promptly voted into office by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE 6 EMERGENCY FUNDS REQUESTS
6.1 Funds Requests Requests for additional funds above budgeted funds may be considered when their use is vital to USAWO.
6.1.1 Request Procedures Requests must be made to the USAWO Chairperson in writing. The Chairperson shall in turn contact each Board Member and submit to them a request. Each Board Member shall give their decision on the request, and the USAWO Chairperson shall then contact the Treasurer and inform him/her of the majority decision.
6.1.2 Tally of Final Votes A copy of the final vote of each Board Member will be sent to each member.
6.1.3 Funds If the request is approved, the funds will be distributed by the Treasurer.
ARTICLE 7 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
7.1 Composition The Board of Directors shall be composed of the following:
7.1.1 The USAWO Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chairperson, MVKWA Director and Coaches’ Council Director.
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7.2 Tenure of Board Members The term of office for each member of the Board of Directors shall coincide with their term as an Officer of the association. USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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7.3 Meetings The Board of Directors shall meet upon call of the USAWO Chairperson or upon the written request of not less than 25% of the Board Members. Meetings shall be held at such location and at such time as shall be specified in the notice of meeting.
7.4 Quorum and Voting A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of its members, but if less than a quorum is present at a meeting, those present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. Unless otherwise provided herein, all actions to be taken by the Board of Directors shall be by a majority vote of those present and voting, a quorum being present. No voting by proxy shall be permitted. Each Board Member shall be entitled to one vote.
ARTICLE 8 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
8.1 The Board of Directors shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the association and carrying out the objectives of USAWO.
8.2 The Board of Directors shall be responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations of the National Governing Body for Wrestling and USAWO.
8.3 The Board shall be empowered to purchase or otherwise acquire necessary equipment and dispose of or sell property not needed by the association. Expenditures shall be reported to the USAWO membership at the Annual Meeting.
8.4 The Board of Directors shall not unduly assume powers generally considered resident in the Chartered Clubs of USAWO.
ARTICLE 9 REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
9.1 Resignation, Removal and Vacancies.
A Board, Director or At Large member’s position may be declared vacant upon the member’s resignation, removal, incapacity,
disability, or death. A member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Executive Board. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, and unless otherwise specified, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
The Executive Board may remove a Board Member, Director, or At Large member if they breach their fiduciary duties, are the subject of an ethical infraction, or have performed by deeds or actions in such manner that is detrimental to USA Wrestling-Ohio . In such circumstances, the Board Member, Director, At Large member shall be removed upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting power of the Executive Board (not including the voting power of the member in question, if also an Executive Board member).
9.2 Replacement of a removed Officer, Director, or At-Large Board Member shall take place as is set forth in these Bylaws. USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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ARTICLE 10 USAWO MEETINGS
10.1 Number General meetings of the association shall be held no less than once during a fiscal year, on call by the USAWO Chairperson or at the request of a majority of the Chartered Clubs of USAWO.
10.2 Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting of the association each fiscal year must be held after September 1st.
10.3 Election of Officers, Directors, and At-Large Board Members The election of Officers, Directors, and At-Large Board Members must be held during the Annual Meeting.
10.4 Notice Meetings shall be held at such time and at such location as specified in the notice of meeting. Notices of all open meetings (including the Annual Meeting) shall be sent to each Officer, Director, At-Large Board Member, Chartered Club, and Past Chairperson of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches by modern telecommunication systems at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting. Meeting notices shall also be posted on the USAWO web site at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting.
10.5 Quorum A quorum at any general meeting of USAWO, including the Annual Meeting, shall be established whenever a minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of all current Officers, Directors, and/or At-Large Board Members and representatives for a minimum of ten (10) percent of the current Chartered Clubs are present. If a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting, information may be presented and tournaments may be scheduled, but no official business, including the election of Officers, Directors, and At-Large Board Members, may be conducted.
10.6 Minutes Minutes of each open meeting shall be posted on the USAWO web site within forty-five (45) days after the meeting.
10.7 Meeting Chairperson The USAWO Chairperson shall be the Chairperson of all open meetings of the association. In his/her absence, the Vice Chairperson shall act as the Chairperson of the meeting. If both the USAWO Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are unable to attend the meeting, the USAWO Chairperson shall designate one of the other members of the Board of Directors to chair the meeting.
ARTICLE 11 CHARTERED CLUBS
11.1 The association shall conduct its affairs on a district and local basis in the state of Ohio through recognized local organizations (herein called "Chartered Clubs") that are formed to foster the purposes and carry out the programs of the National Governing Body for Wrestling. Such clubs shall be called "The __________ __________ Wrestling Club of USAWO."
11.2 Any organization or group wishing to be recognized as a Chartered Club of this association shall be required to pay the appropriate fees and submit to the association any documents USAWO may request. The organization or group shall demonstrate an agreement to abide by the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of this association and any other such provisions as may be prescribed by the association through the Board of Directors. USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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11.3 Disputes Any disputes with or among clubs shall be resolved by the Board of Directors if they are requested to by the parties involved.
ARTICLE 12 DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS
12.1 Authority to Disburse The USAWO Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the association as may be ordered by the USAWO membership, the Board of Directors, or the USAWO Chairperson.
12.2 Checks All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the association shall be signed by the Officer or Officers, agent or agents of the association and in such a manner as shall be determined from time to time by resolution of USAWO or the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE 13 INTERNAL DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
13.1 Composition The composition of the Disciplinary Committee shall be designated by the Board of Directors of USAWO and shall consist of five current USAWO members.
13.2 Allegations Any member of the association may file a written allegation with the Chairperson or the Secretary of USAWO regarding any matter within the cognizance of the association and alleging a violation of any provision of the Constitution and Bylaws of the association or serious misconduct by any person currently holding a USA Wrestling card.
13.3 Terms All allegations shall be signed and shall state with particularity the nature of the alleged violation of the Constitution and Bylaws or act(s) of misconduct by reference to specific sections thereof, stating in concise language how, when, and where the alleged violation or misconduct occurred.
13.4 Referral of Grievances The Chairperson or Secretary receiving the allegation shall contact members of the Disciplinary Committee within seven (7) days after receipt of the aforementioned allegations and inform them of the particulars.
13.5 Resolution The Chairperson shall send the entire written allegation via modern telecommunication systems to each member of the Disciplinary Committee and to the accused individual as soon as possible. The accused individual shall have seven (7) days to submit to the Chairperson his/her response to the allegation. The Chairperson shall immediately submit this response to the members of the Disciplinary Committee. Each member of the Disciplinary Committee must render a decision to the Chairperson regarding the allegation and a proposed penalty if appropriate.
13.5.1 The majority vote of the Disciplinary Committee shall be the decision relayed to the Chairperson who shall then inform the party involved within twenty-four (24) hours after the committee has made such a decision. USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws
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13.6 Appeal If the party filing the allegation or the accused individual are not satisfied with the resolution of the matter reached by the method outlined above, the party shall be entitled to be heard before the USAWO Board of Directors at their next scheduled meeting. The resolution provided by the Board of Directors shall be considered final.
13.7Alternate Disciplinary Procedure If the alleged violation of the Constitution and Bylaws or acts(s) of misconduct occur during a competition outside of the State of Ohio and it is determined that it/they must be addressed in a timely manner during the competition, the Team Leader, Head Coach and /or Age Division Director shall designate a Disciplinary Committee to hear the alleged violation as soon as possible. The accused individual may be represented at the hearing by a coach or other individual of his/ her choosing. In this case, the allegations may be verbal, but they must reference a specific part of the Constitution and Bylaws or established team rules.
13.8 Notification and Appeal The accused individual shall be notified verbally regarding the decision of the Disciplinary Committee. Any decision involving restriction or suspension of an individual’s privilege of wrestling or coaching in USA Wrestling events must be conveyed in writing to the individual’s parents or legal guardian within fourteen (14) days. All appeals will be handled as outlined above.
ARTICLE 14 RULES OF ORDER
14.1 The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the association may adopt. In no case shall the rules of the association conflict with the Articles of this Constitution and Bylaws.
ARTICLE 15 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
15.1 Notice and Voting The Constitution and Bylaws of this association may be amended at the Annual Meeting of the association, starting with the first reading of the aforementioned document at the 1990 Annual Meeting and thereafter at any of the Annual Meetings of the association. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches present and voting shall be required to amend any portion of the Constitution and Bylaws, a quorum being present.
15.2 Distribution The USAWO Secretary shall send a copy of the entire Constitution and Bylaws including the amendment (s) to all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches by modern telecommunication systems within thirty (30) days after the meeting. The amended Constitution and Bylaws shall also be posted on the USAWO web site in its entirety within thirty (30) days after the meeting.