Bylaws Denville Baseball – Denville Baseball

DENVILLE BASEBALL CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I. NAME

This organization shall be incorporated as Denville Baseball, Inc. and shall operate as Denville Baseball.

ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVE

A. The objective of Denville Baseball shall be to implant firmly in the children of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and reverence, so that they may be finer, stronger and happier children and will grow to be good healthy citizens.

B. The objectives will be achieved by providing supervised athletic games. The supervisors shall bear in mind that the attainment of exceptional athletic skill or the winning of the game is important, but the molding of citizens is the primary function.

ARTICLE III. STATEMENT OF AFFILIATION

Denville Baseball shall be affiliated with Babe Ruth League, Inc., a New Jersey corporation, and shall be governed by, and shall comply with the principles, rules and regulations enunciated and decreed by Babe Ruth League, Inc.
ARTICLE IV. SITES OF PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS

A. The principal operations of Denville Baseball shall be in and about the city Denville in the County of Morris, and State of New Jersey, but may extend into such areas as provided for by the State, Regional, and National Headquarters rules and regulations.
ARTICLE V. POWERS

A. This league (or corporation, or organization, or association) shall have the following powers in addition to the powers expressly or implicitly conferred on it by law.

1. To make and enforce rules and regulations to govern itself on a local basis, but consistent with and not contrary to any rules and regulations promulgated by Babe Ruth League, Inc., a New Jersey corporation, or by the Regional, or State echelons of said Babe Ruth League, Inc., to which Denville Baseball is subject.

2. Denville Baseball seeks to include in its constitution, such as the power to solicit contributions, enter into contracts, hold and own property, etc.

ARTICLE VI. MEMBERSHIP

A. Any child meeting the requirements as to age and residence as set forth in the rules of the youth baseball organization with which the League is affiliated shall be eligible for active membership in Denville Baseball. Active membership shall be defined as any child playing in any of the recognized divisions of the League. Boundary: All of Denville Township including those children whose parents’ property lies partially in Denville Township and an adjoining township and whose legal voting residence is in Denville Township. Any children who attend a school in the Township of Denville, this includes St. Mary’s Prep, those who will attend the following: Morris Catholic High School, Morris County Vocational School and Morris Knolls High School. Active members are not eligible to vote.

B. A person, age 18 or over, actively interested and participating in Denville Baseball, but not in a playing capacity, shall be considered a General Member; and be eligible to vote at Open Meetings.

C. Any parent of a child registered in Denville Baseball shall be considered a General Member.

D. The Executive Board shall have the authority to suspend, until a meeting of the Board of Directors is called, the membership of any members whose conduct is considered by the Executive Board and/or Board of Directors as detrimental to the best interests of the League.

E. The Executive Board shall be notified of any act of misconduct within twenty-four (24) hours of the act.

1. For a child: The manager of the team of which the child is a member shall first consult with the child’s parents to inform them of the incident, and to attempt to resolve at this time the difficulty which is the basis of the action. If no solution to the problem is found at this point, the aforementioned manager shall notify the League Director and the President, who will appoint a committee to investigate the incident in question. This investigation may require that the parents be consulted once more. The findings of the investigation will determine the disciplinary action that will or will not be taken, which can include suspension or termination of the player in Denville Baseball. The decision of the Executive Board and/or Board of Directors is final. During the time between the first notification by the manager to the President of the misconduct and the final decision as to the disposition of this case the child in question shall continue as a team member and is subject to the participation rule under the Local Rules.

2. If any adult member of Denville Baseball is guilty of misconduct, the President shall request that said adult member attend a special meeting of the Executive Board, after a full investigation is done. The Executive Board shall conduct said investigation and report its findings and recommend action at the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors or at a special meeting of that body called by the President. The final decision will be made by the Executive Board and or Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VII. EXECUTIVE BOARD AND TRUSTEES

A. Executive Board, which is comprised of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Umpire-in-Chief and Player Agent.

1. The purpose of the Executive Board is to work in conjunction with the Board of Directors.

2. The aforementioned officers shall be appointed for a term of a minimum two (2) years or until their successors are elected and installed.

3. All Executive Board Members must have completed the Rutgers Certification Course, Concussion On-line Course and submitting the required fingerprinting paperwork.

4. Any Vacancy on the Board with the exception of the President shall be filled by the Executive Board and/or the Board of Directors electing a successor no later than the next meeting of the Board. The Vice-President shall automatically assume the Presidency, if available.

5. The President and Player-Agent shall not simultaneously hold the managership of a competitive team in any league of Denville Baseball. The Umpire-in-Chief shall not be an active paid umpire in the Denville Baseball System.

6. The Executive Board will deal with such matters as misconduct, any issue that requires confidentiality, and any issue that may arise that needs immediate attention between monthly Board of Director meetings and if the Board of Directors cannot be convened in a timely manner.

B. The Executive Board and/or Board of Directors shall also elect from the general membership of Denville Baseball up to four (4) trustees to comprise a Board of Trustees to satisfy incorporation requirements.

1. Each Trustee shall serve for a term of two (2) years.

2. Each year the Executive Board and/or Board of Directors shall elect up to two (2) Trustees so the terms do not run concurrently.

3. It shall be the responsibility of the Trustees to ensure the Executive Board and Board of Directors operates within the framework of this Constitution and By-Laws.

C. All matters concerning the management and policy of Denville Baseball shall be decided by the vote of the Executive Board at meetings as described in Article X.

ARTICLE VIII. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A. The Board of Directors, which is comprised of the Executive Board, Equipment Manager, Concession Director, Field Director, Field Scheduler, Travel and Tournament Director, Immediate Past President, League Directors, and Player Development Director.

1. The Board of Directors shall be elected from the membership of Denville Baseball.

2. Effective October 2019, any Board Members shall have a physical address within the boundaries of Denville Baseball’s residency requirements.

3. The aforementioned officers shall be elected for a term of a minimum of two (2) years or until their successors are elected and installed.

4. All Board of Directors must have completed the Rutgers Certification Course, Concussion On-line Course and submitting the required fingerprinting paperwork.

5. Any Vacancy on the Board with the exception of the President shall be filled by the Executive Board and/or Board of Directors electing a successor no later than the next meeting of the Board.

ARTICLE IX. COMMITTEES

A. The President shall create such committees as deemed necessary for the general welfare of Denville Baseball. Each committee shall have a chairman appointed by the President. Each committee will have a minimum of one (1) Board Member. Each Committee will have a maximum of four (4) members. Standing committees shall include: By-Law/Constitution, Rules/ Safety, Nominating, Travel, Fundraising, Finance and others deemed desirable by the Executive Board and the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE X. MEETINGS

A. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly at a time and place designated by the convenience of the Board of Directors and the availability of a meeting place.

1. Executive Board may hold meeting prior to the Board of Directors meeting, if deemed necessary.

2. Special meetings may be called by order of the President or upon the request of at least three (3) members of the Executive Board and/or Board of Directors stating the object of the meeting. All members are to be notified of such special meetings.

3. Meetings of team managers and directors of the division shall be held at a minimum of twice a year as scheduled by a Division Director or Executive Board. (A meeting prior to the start of the season and a meeting prior to the start of playoffs will be standing meetings.) Code of Conduct forms must be signed by all managers and coaches at the meeting prior to the start of season. Any manager or coach who does not sign and hand in form will not be permitted on the field or in the dugout.

4. Managers and Coaches must attend any meeting that is set by the Division Director or Executive Board.

B. A majority of the members of the Executive Board/Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting and majority vote of those present shall govern.

C. Proxy voting is allowed only when there is a resolution to vote on a particular subject on the agenda. The agenda with the proposed resolution must be presented to the members of the Denville Baseball Board not later than seven (7) days prior to the scheduled monthly meeting. If voting by proxy, the vote must be given to the President and Secretary via email no later than 9:00am on the day of the scheduled monthly meeting. Vote must be clearly stated in email.

D. Abstaining from votes shall be discouraged. The only exception(s) to this rule are 1. If the topic being voted on has a direct conflict of interest with the member voting, ex. will affect the member or member’s family directly, or 2. If the member voting was not in attendance at the prior regularly scheduled meeting for the discussion of the topic being voted on.

E. Electronic voting shall be permitted, when needed.

F. In the event that a member does not attend three (3) regularly scheduled monthly meetings, he/she may be placed on a temporary leave of absence. A temporary replacement may be selected from the general membership to attend. The Executive Board will vote on the status of the member with a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

G. Open Meetings may be held at twice per year, prior to the regularly scheduled monthly meeting, time permitting. Meetings will begin thirty (30) minutes prior to the regularly scheduled monthly meetings. Each discussion point will have a three (3) minute time limit. If no one from the general membership is in attendance ten (10) minutes after the scheduled start time, the meeting will be adjourned.

H. Roberts’ Rules of Order shall serve as a guide in the proceedings of monthly meetings except where there is some conflict with the Constitution and By-Laws of the League.

ARTICLE XI. DISSOLVING OF DENVILLE BASEBALL

A. If Denville Baseball is to be dissolved as an Incorporation, all and any and all Fundraising monies

that remain are to be given to the Foundation of Denville, a school enhancing program.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS

A. This Constitution or any section thereof, may be amended or repealed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the General Membership present, under the following stipulation:

1. Amendments may be made to this Constitution or Local Rules by two-thirds (2/3) vote cast at any general membership meetings, providing that notice of such proposed change has been given at a previous general meeting of the membership.

ARTICLE XIII. APPROVAL

A. This Constitution and these By-Laws and/or amendments thereto shall be approved by the general membership present at a general meeting of the League and shall be submitted by the Secretary to the youth baseball organization(s) with which it is affiliated for final review and/or approval, as required by the individual youth baseball organization(s).

DENVILLE BASEBALL BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

A. President: Shall preside at all meetings of Denville Baseball and the Executive Board. Shall appoint all committees and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

B. Vice-President: Shall preside in the absence of the President and perform all duties of that office. Shall be responsible for all fundraising.

C. Secretary: Shall keep minutes of all Executive Board, General, Special and Open Meetings, sending a copy to the President. Shall maintain a permanent file of the membership list, a list of all committees and official copy of these Constitution and By-Laws, standing rules and special rules. Shall renew the Denville Baseball’s Charters annually. Shall conduct the correspondence of Denville Baseball and shall keep a copy of all such correspondence on file.

D. Treasurer: Shall keep an accurate record of all funds collected, all bills paid and account receipts and expenditures, and pay all bills approved by the Executive Board and Board of Directors.

E. Player-Agent: Shall conduct the annual player selection system. Shall assist the President in checking birth records and eligibility of players, and generally supervise and coordinate the Major League, Minor League, Rookie, T-Ball and Babe Ruth League waiting lists according to Local Rules and the Regulations of Babe Ruth Baseball, Inc. Shall aid the Tournament Director in the Try-Out and selection of the Tournament Teams in the Fall and District Teams in the Spring.

F. Umpire-in-Chief: Shall be responsible, under the direction of the Executive Board and Board of Directors, for forming and organizing a corps of umpires to officiate at all Babe Ruth, Major, Minor and Rookie League games.

G. Fields Director: Shall be responsible, under the direction of the Executive Board and Board of Directors, for communicating to the Township of Denville, Recreation Director of Denville, and DPW for any field needs.

Director of the Major League: Shall preside in the absence of the President and Vice-President and perform all duties of that office. Shall be responsible for the organization and operation of all phases of the Major League activity, under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors. See Section R.
I. Director of the Minor League: Shall preside in the absence of all the foregoing officers and perform all duties of that office. Shall be responsible for the organization and operation of all phases of the Minor League activity under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors. See Section R.

J. Director of the Rookie League: Shall preside in the absence of all the foregoing officers and perform all duties of that office. Shall be responsible for the organization and operation of all phases of the Rookie league activity under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors. See Section R.

K. Director of the Babe Ruth League: Shall preside in the absence of the President, Vice-President and Director of the Major League and perform all duties of that office. Shall be responsible for the organization and operation of all phases of the Babe Ruth Division under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors. See Section R.

L. T-Ball Director: Shall be responsible for the organization and operation of all phases of the T-Ball League activity under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors. See Section R.

M. Immediate Past President: Shall assist the Executive Board in an advisory capacity. Shall be responsible for Picture Day, Sponsorship, and Discount Card program. This is a non-voting position.

N. Concession Director: Shall be responsible under the direction of the Executive Board and Board of Directors for the operation of the Concession Stand in conjunction with the Denville Baseball.

O. Equipment Manager: Shall be responsible under the direct of the Executive Board and Board of Directors, to purchase, distribute and maintain accurate accounting of equipment, supplies, uniforms and trophies.

P. Field Scheduler: Shall be responsible under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors to assign field usage for all practices and games.

Q. Tournament /Travel League Director: Shall be responsible under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors for ensuring that all of Denville Baseball’s tournament responsibilities (e.g., providing tournament director, official scorer, announcer for each game) are fulfilled. Shall act as liaison between Denville Baseball and the applicable governing authority for all tournament matters. Shall be responsible for the organization and operations of all phases of the Tournament/Summer League/District activity under the director supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors. Shall be responsible, with the aid of the Player Agent for the tryout and selection of all Tournament Teams in the Fall. Shall oversee the tryout process. Shall, with the rating from the previous season, select the Tournament Teams with the aid of the Tournament Committee.

R. Player Development Director: Shall be responsible under the direct supervision of the Executive Board and Board of Directors for the development of Denville Baseball’s players. Shall be responsible to oversee all training of managers and coaching staff in a yearly manager/coaches training session prior to the season. Shall oversee all player instructions changes and updates.

S. General Duties of all League Directors: General duties of all League Directors include nominating managers and coaches for their respective leagues. Keep adequate and complete league records. Aid Player-Agent in draft and All-Star/Travel Selection in their respective leagues. Conduct meetings with league managers before beginning of season and as deemed necessary during season. Assisting the Publicity Director in making sure that all managers and coaches have their Rutgers Certification and fingerprinting up to date. Complete evaluations of players in their respective league by the end of June. To represent managers, coaches and teams in their league at Board of Director meetings and in general oversee all activities in their respective leagues under the direct supervision of the President and Executive Board.

T. Fulfillment of Duties: Any position on the Board of Directors that is not fulfilling their duties on a regular basis will be brought to the Executive Board for disciplinary actions. The Executive Board may place the member of suspension until a decision is made as to the member’s future on the Board of Directors. Any Executive Board member that is not fulfilling their duties on a regular basis will be brought to the Executive Board and will not be included in any discussions on the future of their position. All decisions by the Executive Board are final.

U. Social Media: All Executive Board members and/or Board member shall not post to any material on the internet that brings discredit to or may adversely affect the efficiency or integrity of Denville Baseball. Any and all postings and/or responses via social media, ex. Facebook, Twitter, etc., shall be done solely by the current President, as the voice of Denville Baseball. All internet and media content shall be posted solely by the current Publicity director, unless prior permission is given by the Publicity Director and/or President. Any and all Executive Board member or Board member may face disciplinary action from the Executive Board if postings, responses or other brings a negative view to Denville Baseball via social media and/or internet and media. Family members are strongly suggested to refrain from negative posts, comments or engaging in negative conversations as well.

ARTICLE II. FINANCIAL POLICY

A. The Executive Board and or Board of Directors shall decide all matters pertaining to the finances of the League, and it shall be a permanent policy to place all income in a common League treasury, directing the expenditures of same in such a manner as will afford no individual or team an advantage over the others as to equipment, etc.

B. The Executive Board and or Board of Directors shall not permit the contribution of funds or gifts of any description to individuals or teams. All solicitations or contributions shall benefit the League Treasury. The foregoing regulation is meant to discourage favoritism among the teams and to endeavor to equalize the benefits of the League.

C. All checks issued by the League in payment of any and all bills and any withdrawals from the savings account of the league shall carry one of the signatures of two (2) officers. Those officers authorized to sign checks shall be the President and Treasurer.

D. The Executive Board may appoint an Audit Committee to audit the financial records of the League annually or at such time as deemed necessary.

E. The fiscal year shall be from October 1st to September 30th.

F. Fund raising activities shall be handled by a Finance Committee whose chairman shall be appointed by the President.

G. Any and all donations to families/causes must be approved by the Executive Board and Board of Directors. A per incident limit, with a limit of $250 per incident, and not to exceed a total of $1000 per year, may be distributed as directed by the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. Complimentary gift registrations can be given to families in need, in a case by case situation, as directed by the President and Player Agent.

H. All non-budget exceeded items will be voted on with a majority rules by the Executive Board and Board of Directors.

ARTICLE III. MANAGING AND COACHING PERSONNEL

Managers and coaches shall be selected and approved annually by the Executive Board and Board of Directors in accordance with Local Rules. All Babe Ruth, Major and Minor League managers and coaches shall be responsible for the selection of their teams in accordance with Local Rules and for their team’s actions and conduct on the field.
Rookie, T-Ball League managers shall accept their team rosters in accordance with Local Rules and shall be responsible for their team’s actions and conduct on the field.
Tournament/Travel Team managers shall be selected and approved annually by the Executive Board and Board of Directors in accordance with Local rules. All Tournament team managers and coaches shall be responsible for the actions of their team and conduct on the field, in Denville and when traveling.
All league managers and coaches shall be responsible to the Executive Board and Board of Directors for their actions and conduct on the field. A Zero Tolerance Policy will be followed for any actions or conduct that is inappropriate and not following the guidelines in the Local Rules.
A mandatory coaches meeting will be held prior to the start of each season. Attendance is mandatory by a team representative, either a manager or coach. Any team without a representative not in attendance at meeting or and equivalent will not be allowed to be on the field or in the dugout.
A Director of any given league in Denville Baseball will not be allowed to manage in his league.
Any and all children of a Director that is submitting a bio for a managing position must be registered and paid in full by the cut-off date imposed by the Board of Directors for registration. If a bio is submitted and the Director’s child(ren) are not registered and paid in full, their name will be automatically withdrawn from being considered.
All level managers and coaching staff, will be determined by the Board. No more than three (3) for dugout, and unlimited for field coaches. Field coaches are eligible to help during practice and warm-ups to games. All coaches are approved annually by the Executive Board and Board of Directors. All coaches must meet township background checks to be on the fields.
ARTICLE IV. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

A. Five (5) members shall serve on the Nominating Committee appointed by the President. The Nominating Committee shall present one (1) or more nominees for each elective office at the July meeting. In the event that the July meeting does not take place, nominees and recommendations of positions will be sent out via email and voted on in the August meeting. No person shall be nominated whose consent to serve has not first been obtained.

B. The nominees shall be voted upon at the July or August meeting.

1. Nominations for any office shall be made in writing ten (10) days prior to the election to the Nominating Committee.

2. If there is but one (1) nominee for any office, vote may be made by voice. If there are two (2) or more nominees for any office, vote shall be by ballot. (Ballot form not specified)

3. Any current Board Member cannot nominate himself/herself for a position, either off the floor or in writing. All nominations for positions are to be recommended by the Nomination Committee or nominated off the floor by another member.

4. Current Board Members shall not take a position that is vacant based solely off the premise that they are an existing member. All open positions with two (2) or more nominees will go to a vote, regardless of status on current Board.

C. The officers elected shall assume their respective duties in the October meeting. The September meeting will be a transition meeting for members who are vacating their positions and newly elected members. All newly elected and vacating members will attend this meeting.

D. The Treasurer’s term will be from October 1st to September 30th each year.

ARTICLE V. RULES

A. Each league in Denville Baseball shall follow the official playing rules of the youth baseball organization with which it is affiliated.

B. The Local Rules of this League shall be adopted by the Executive Board and Board of Directors at a meeting to be held prior to the first scheduled game of the season, but the Local Rules shall in no way conflict with the rules of the youth baseball organization with which the league(s) is affiliated.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

A. This By-Laws or any section thereof, may be amended or repealed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the General Membership present, under the following stipulation:

1. Amendments may be made to this By-Laws or the Local Rules by two-thirds (2/3) vote cast at any general membership meetings, providing that notice of such proposed change has been given at a previous general meeting of the membership.

ARTICLE VIII. APPROVAL

ARTICLE IX. MULTIPLE AFFILIATIONS

A. The Executive Board and Board of Directors of Denville Baseball may from time to time vote to affiliate Denville Baseball with different youth baseball organizations to provide a better and more completed baseball experience for its members. Youth baseball organizations with which the Executive Board and Board of Directors votes to affiliate must be of sound character and good financial standing.

B. In the event that the Executive Board and Board of Directors of Denville Baseball votes to affiliate with multiple youth baseball organizations (e.g., Little League International, Babe Ruth Baseball, etc.) at the same time, the Executive Board shall appoint sub-boards responsible for the organization and operation of the leagues so affected. Each sub-board shall be comprised of the league director(s) associated with the age groups participating in the affected league(s), the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Player Agent and the Umpire-in-Chief.

C. The sub-boards shall be overseen by the entire Executive board and Board of Directors. All members of the Executive Board and Board of Directors shall act in support of the sub-boards and the leagues they represent.

D. The finances, both income and expenses, of each sub-board (and the league(s) it represents) shall be accounted for separately from the finances of any other sub-board (and the league(s) it represents) by the Treasurer. Income associated with one sub-board (and the league(s) it represents) may not be used to pay the expenses of any other sub-board (and the league(s) it represents). Income (e.g., concession stand income, fund-raising income, etc.) common to all of Denville Baseball shall be credited to each sub-board’s account as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board. Expenses (e.g., liability insurance, website costs, etc.) common to all of Denville Baseball shall be charged to each sub-board’s account as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board.

E. The meetings of each sub-board shall take place in conjunction with the meetings of the Executive Board. Each sub-board may also meet separate as required for the operation and organization of the league(s) governed by it.

F. Each sub-board (and the league(s) it represents) shall operate under the rules, policies, practices and guidelines set forth by the youth baseball organization with which it is affiliated.

Updated: 02/01/22