BYLAWS
Old Rochester Regional High School
Athletic Booster Club
A Non-Profit Corporation
Article One
Organization Name
The name of this organization shall be the Old Rocester Regional High School Athletic Booster Club, sometimes hereinafter referred to as “the Booster Club.” Old Rochester Regional High School is referred to herein as “ORRHS.” The Booster Club is a 501c3 organization, EIN# 46-48800742. The mailing address of the Booster Club is P.O. Box 192, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. The website is www.orrathleticboosters.org, and the primary email is president@orrathleticboosters.com.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
The Booster Club exists for the purpose of broadening the involvement of students and student families through support of all athletic programs at ORRHS. These by laws are intended to apply to all teams - varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen, if applicable. It is also intended, to the extent possible, that the benefits provided by the Booster Club to the students shall be evenly distributed to each applicable team and student participant.
The Booster Club works to achieve its goals through active participation of as many parents as possible working closely with the coaches, athletic director, and the building principal. The Booster Club shall not seek to control or direct the technical activities or policies of the coaches or of the school administration and shall operate in accordance with all Old Rocester Regional school district’s rules and regulations, which shall take precedence over these by-laws.
The Objectives of the Booster Club is to 1) To support, encourage and advance the athletic program and related activities of ORRHS; 2) To promote and support projects to improve facilities and equipment necessary to provide an excellent athletic program for ORRHS; 3) To foster and promote good will, communication and cooperation between parents, students, school, coaches, and the community; 4) To promote the health and welfare of student athletes at ORRHS and to raise funds in order to provide financial assistance to ORRHS athletics; 5) To enhance the experience for all present and future athletes and to promote and encourage involvement in the ORRHS athletics either as an active participant or as a volunteer.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to any person interested in supporting ORRHS’s athletic programs and who subscribe to the purpose and objectives of the Booster Club. Each Varsity, Junior Varsity and Freshman team shall appoint two (2) Team representatives/members to the Booster Club.
Team representatives/members shall be a parent, grandparent, or guardian of a student-athlete from each team. At the start of each team’s season, the Athletic Director and/or representative of the Booster Club will request the member(s) name and contact information. The President shall have the authority to appoint any member to fill any vacancies. The Secretary shall maintain a list of current Team Representatives and post them on the Booster Club website.
Amended from April 7, 2008 bi-laws. Approved March 6, 2023 2 All members are encouraged to participate in Booster Club activities, such as by volunteering for various projects or being involved with fundraising to promote the success of this organization and athletic programs at ORRHS.
The rules contained in Roberts Rules of Order shall govern meetings in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws or Old Rocester Regional school district’s rules and regulations.
Voting members are Board of Directors, active members and members present at the meetings and shall be entitled to one (1) vote on Booster Club matters. A member is someone who attends a meeting and an active member is defined as someone who has been present at a minimum of two previous meetings in the prior twelve-month period. We feel that informed voters are the best decision makers.
Athletic Director and Coaches shall automatically be non-voting ex-officio members of the Booster Club but shall be members of the Executive Committee to provide guidance and leadership, act as a liaison between parents and school administration and shall report pertinent information to the Booster Club. Annual dues for membership shall be discussed and proposed each year and confirmed by a vote of the Board of Directors before the Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS
General meetings shall be held monthly, September-June, on the first Monday of the month at ORRHS at 6:00pm or as otherwise directed by a vote of the Board of Directors.
Special meetings may be called by the President or by a majority of the Board of Directors. Notice of meetings shall be given by, or at the direction of, the secretary by email and by social media and/or distributed as part of ORRHS communications not less than 48 hours before each meeting.
Such notice shall specify the place, date and time of the meeting and in the case of a special meeting, the purpose of the meeting. The general order of business at meetings of members, as far as practical, shall be: (a) review and approval of minutes, (b) old business, (c) current financial report, (d) Athletic Director report, (e) reports from active committees, (f) new business, (g) adjournment.
To reach a quorum of any meeting to take action/vote, there must be at least five (5) members present, two (2) of which are current Board Members. In the absence of a quorum, the members may not act. In that event, any matter brought up at a meeting at which a quorum is not present shall be moved to the next scheduled meeting. If the item is timely, a vote will be taken by the Board of Directors and, if written consent is given, it will be filed with the minutes prior to the action being taken. (This consent may be given via electronic communication.)
ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Elections Board members shall be elected by a majority vote of the members of the Booster Club who are present at the meeting voting from nominations received from the general membership. Board members shall be elected for a one (1) year term.
ELECTIONS
Elections shall be held at the last general Amended from April 7, 2008 bi-laws. Approved March 6, 2023 3 meeting held prior to the end of the ORRHS academic year. New Directors shall take office at the close of this meeting.
DUTIES OF THE BOARD
The Board of Directors shall manage the business of the Booster Club. The board shall have all powers of the Club that are not required by law to be exercised by the members.
QUALIFICATIONS
Each Director must be an active member of the Club. Number
NUMBER
The number of Directors of the Executive Committee shall be eight (8), consisting of the Booster Club’s President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, three (3) Directors at Large, and the immediate past President. Athletic directors and Coaches shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.
TERM
Each Director shall serve for a term of one (1) year with a limitation of two (2) terms in one position. At this point, they may move to a different position on the Board. Any Director may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the Board. Vacancies Any vacancy in the Board of Directors occurring during the year may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by vote of the majority of existing Board members. Any Directors so elected shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the former director’s term and until the election and qualification of a successor.
VACANCIES
Vacancies shall be defined to include lack of attendance at meetings or lack of participation in Booster Club activities, as determined by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Duties of Officers. The Board of Directors will share with the Executive Officers the responsibilities of policy and decision-making for the Booster Club and work with the ORRHS Athletic Department to plan and implement activities in support of all athletic programs.
It shall be the duty of the President to act as the Chief Executive Officer of this club and (a) set the agenda and preside over all meetings of the Booster Club as well as issue the call for any special meetings deemed necessary; (b) appoint any Standing or Special Committees of the Booster Club; (c) see that regular elections are duly called, noted and held; (d) be the official spokesperson for the Booster Club and delegate an appropriate substitute; (e) sign all contracts and other official papers; (f) holder of the Booster Club Debit Card and any Booster Club banking institution user ids and passwords; (g) with consultation and agreement with the Treasurer, an additional holder of a Booster Club Debit Card may be designated for the sole purpose of managing purchases; (h) communicate decisions back to requestor(s) regarding requests for funds.
If the President cannot perform the duties of his or her office for any reason, the Vice President shall occupy his or her position and perform his or her duties with the same authority as the President. Under the direction of the President, the Vice President shall oversee the function of such committees of the Booster Club, as the President shall designate.
The Secretary shall work with the President and other Officers. In fulfillment of this, he or she shall (a) have custody, keep and maintain general records of the Booster Club, including records Amended from April 7, 2008 bi-laws. Approved March 6, 2023 4 of minutes of the Booster Club and Officer meetings, attendance, committee appointments, and elections; (b) notify all members of membership meetings; (c) record all minutes of all meetings; (d) handle all Booster Club correspondence; (e) upon completion of term, turn over all Booster Club property, records, and documentation to the incoming Secretary; (f) be responsible for Booster Club news to be published in the ORRHS Newsletter, social media or elsewhere.
The Treasurer shall (a) be custodian of all Booster Club funds, checking, savings accounts and debit card, including on-line banking information, usernames and passwords; (b) pay by check, debit card and/or online transactions the amounts approved by the President or the vote of the Booster Club membership; (c) with consultation and agreement with the President, an additional holder of a Booster Club Debit Card may be designated for the sole purpose of managing purchases; (d) have custody and keep and maintain financial records of Booster Club receipts and disbursements; (e) prepare and submit monthly, quarterly (if requested), and annual financial reports to the Executive Committee and to the membership; (f) prepare and submit tax returns to the State and Federal Governments by November 15th, as well as a Massachusetts Non-Profit Annual Report; (g) upon completion of term, shall turn over all Booster Club property, records, and documentation of this Club to the incoming Treasurer.
SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Special Committees The President, subject to the approval of the Board, may appoint any additional committees which he or she may deem necessary to the proper operation of the Booster Club. Special committees may include, but are not limited to, committees formed to advise the Executive Committee on matters involving finance, membership, fundraising, communications, activities and capital projects. The President shall choose chairpersons of such special committees.
COMPENSATIONS
Compensation Individual Board of Directors shall not receive any compensation for their service but may be reimbursed for any expenses they might incur in performing their Board duties. The one exception is if the Board of Directors feel it necessary to pay for Treasure/Financial Services. If the Treasure is a paid contractor, they will act as a non-voting member of the Board.
ARTICLE VI
FINANCE
This Booster Club is organized as a non-profit organization per Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue code and no member shall have any legal or equitable ownership of any of its funds or property. The funds of the Booster Club shall be used to further the purpose expressed in Article II of these By-Laws. The funds shall be disbursed only upon the approval of the Board of Directors by properly drawn warrant upon the deposits of the Booster Club.
PURPOSE
Purpose The purpose of the ORRHS Athletic Booster Club Fund is to establish a separate account and process by which coaches, Athletic Director and Principal can seek reimbursement for expenses relating to Article II.
OPERATING TEAM
Operating Term The fiscal year for the Booster Club shall begin on the 1st day of July of each year and end at midnight on the 30th day of June of each year.
DEPOSITS
All monies belonging to this organization shall be deposited and disbursed through a bank account established for this organization at a local banking institution. All funds are to be Amended from April 7, 2008 bi-laws. Approved March 6, 2023 5 deposited within three (3) business days after collection, within reason.
LIMITATION OF EXPENDITURES
Expenditures of the Booster Club shall be limited to the Booster Club's available funds.
BUDGET AND REPORTING
An annual budget shall be prepared by June 30th for the upcoming fiscal year. The Board of Directors, in consultation with the Athletic Director, shall prepare short- and long-range budget plans, taking into consideration the needs of the ORRHS athletic program. The Treasurer shall be required to provide a financial report at each monthly meeting and a detailed financial report at the end of each year. The Boosters external accounting firm files taxes each year.
REQUEST PROCESS
The Booster Club employs a standard policy on all requests. The requestor should complete a request form (obtained from the Booster Club website or the athletic office at ORRHS), obtain the signature of the department head or athletic director as applicable. Signed/approved forms should be returned to the Athletic Directors office. Appropriate supporting documentation should be included. The Athletic Director reserves the right to deny a request and is responsible for communicating denials to the requester.
CONTRACTS AND SPENDING
The Board of Directors may authorize one or more Executive Officers or agents of the Booster Club to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Booster Club. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Gifts.
GIFTS
The Board of Directors may accept, on behalf of the Booster Club, gift bequests for the general purposes of the Booster Club.
BOOKS AND RECORDS
The Booster Club shall keep current accurate, and complete books, records of account, minutes of its proceedings, and lists of its members and Board of Directors, and a record of the names, addresses, and email addresses of the members of the Board of Directors.
INSPECTION OF RECORDS
Any voting member may inspect all books and records for any purpose at any reasonable time.
BENEFIT OF INCOME
No part of the net earnings of the Booster Club shall inure to its members, trustees, Officers, Board of Directors, or other private persons, except that the Board of Directors shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered.
ARTICLE VII
STUDENT-ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION (if applicable)
Selection of the male/female student-athlete scholarship shall be conducted by a committee of seven consisting of the Booster Club Board of Directors, active members, and the ORRHS Athletic Director. Booster Club members who are parents of a senior cannot participate in any scholarship voting. In the event one of the above is unable to perform the duty, an alternate shall be selected by a vote of the Booster Club Membership. The President of the Booster Club Amended from April 7, 2008 bi-laws. Approved March 6, 2023, 6 shall preside over the selection process and can serve as an alternate.
ARTICLE VIII DISSOLUTION OF BOOSTER CLUB
In the event of dissolution, abandonment, or termination of the Booster Club, no income, contribution, or other revenue or funds of the Booster Club shall inure to the benefit of any individual or group not affiliated with the Booster Club, and any and all assets then possessed by the Booster Club after current indebtedness has been satisfied, shall go and be delivered forthwith to the Athletic Department account in the Old Rochester Regional School District and Superintendency Union #55 ("the School District''), or to a not-for-profit organization that will provide financial assistance to the School District's athletic programs consistent with the purposes outlined in Article II of these bylaws.
ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended, repealed, or altered, in whole or in part, at a regular meeting of the membership by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members present and voting provided that the proposed amendment has been discussed at at least one previous meeting. Changes in the text which do not affect the meaning of the section shall not be considered as amendments. Any such change in text shall require the approval of the Board of Directors. Any amendments to the by-laws become effective immediately at the close of the meeting at which the amendment(s) was approved unless the approved amendment otherwise specifies.
ADOPTION OF BY-LAWS
These By-Laws were adopted by the Booster Club Board of Directors at its March 2023 meeting to be effective immediately. The adoption of these by-laws will be recorded in the official minutes of the March 2023 Booster Club general meeting.
Kerri Durgin, President:
Rhonda Veugen, Vice President:
Bashawn Thorell, Secretary:
By-laws adoption and effective date: March 6, 2023
To download the PDF of the Bylaws, click HERE