USFA
OKLAHOMA DIVISION
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I
NAME AND AFFILIATION
The name of the division shall be the Oklahoma Division of the United States Fencing Association, Inc.
The Division shall hereinafter be referred to as “THE DIVISION,” and the
United States Fencing Association, Inc. shall be referred to as “USFA,
INC.”
THE DIVISION is a duly chartered, subordinate, constituent body of the
USFA, INC., exercising powers given by, performing duties directed
under, and subject to, the Charter and By-laws of the USFA, INC., with
jurisdiction over the geographic areas outlined by the USFA as the
Oklahoma Division.
ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVES
The purposes of THE DIVISION are:
To promote, encourage, and develop the sport of fencing.
To provide local competitions and tournaments.
To assist Divisional fencers to reach their full potential in fencing.
To aid and assist the USFA, INC., in all its objectives and purposes.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP - DUES - COMPETITIONS
Section 1.
Any person residing within the boundaries of THE DIVISION or
representing a fencing club within this same area shall be eligible for
membership in THE DIVISION. No member of this Division may be a
member of any other Division of the USFA, INC.
Section 2.
Classes of membership: Membership shall be the same as that designated from time to time by the USFA, INC.
Section 3.
Memberships may be transferred into this Division provided that the
transferee has a current valid membership card from the USFA, INC.
Section 4.
Any Member in good standing, 18 years old or older at the time of the
membership meeting, shall be qualified to vote.
Section 5.
Annual Divisional dues shall be determined by the USFA, INC. with the
concurrence of THE DIVISION. THE DIVISION may, upon majority vote
of the membership, add an additional fee or dues for the Divisional
expenses.
Section 6.
The Divisional Executive Committee shall prepare the fencing schedule
and shall determine the conditions and restrictions governing the
qualifications, entries, and conduct of all competitions under its
jurisdiction.
Section 7.
Fencers who are found to have entered a competition without being
members of the USFA, INC. or who have failed to pay the entrance fee,
will be subject to the following penalties and fines:
First offense: warning
Second offense: $25 fine and expulsion from the competition following the occurrence in which the fencer wishes to participate;
Third offense: Expulsion for the year
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS AND DUTIES
The Officers of THE DIVISION shall consist of a Chairperson, a
Vice-Chairperson, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. All officers shall
take office the first day of August next following their election, and
shall hold office until the following July 31, or until their successors
are elected and have justified.
The duties of the officers shall be as follows:
Section 1. Chairperson:
The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of THE DIVISION and its
Executive Committee, and perform such other duties as usually pertain to
that office and are not inconsistent with these By-laws. The
Chairperson has the responsibility for filing with the Secretary and the
Treasurer of the USFA, INC. the annual reports called for under the
corporate By-laws of the USFA, INC. and the standing votes of the Board
of Directors. The preparation of these reports may be delegated to
the Secretary and Treasurer of THE DIVISION. The Chairperson may,
from time to time, assign officers and members of the Executive
Committee to chair standing or ad-hoc committees. The Chairperson shall
be ex-officio member of all committees. The Chairperson of THE
DIVISION is responsible for the custody and maintenance of all Division
equipment.
Section 2. Vice Chairperson:
The Vice Chairperson, in the absence of the Chairperson, shall
perform the duties of the Chairperson and any other duties assigned by
the chairperson and / or the Executive Committee.
Section 3. Secretary:
The Secretary shall conduct all official correspondence, keep a
record of the meetings of THE DIVISION, issue notices to members of all
meetings, and perform such duties as may be assigned by the Chairperson
of THE DIVISION or any other proper authority. The secretary shall
be official custodian of the records of THE DIVISION. The
secretary shall prepare and publish minutes of all division meetings
including meetings of the executive committee, and shall bring a copy of
the previous meeting’s minutes to each meeting.
The Secretary shall bring the most current division membership roster to
each meeting of THE DIVISION and each meeting of the Executive
Committee. The secretary shall also verify the voting status of
each member as appropriate, and issue some indicia to the individual,
which shows the number of votes that individual represents (e.g. the
individual plus proxies). All Division meeting minutes shall be
published on the Internet.
The secretary shall discuss bylaw changes proposed under Article IX,
Section 2, with the USFA, in conjunction with the proponent, prior to
the required mailing.
Section 4. Treasurer:
The Treasurer shall, with the assistance of the Executive Committee,
present a budget for the following fiscal year (August 1 - July 31) at
the July Annual Meeting. Changes made upon the budget shall be
presented at the next Annual meeting. The Treasurer shall keep the
accounts of THE DIVISION, receive all money, fees, dues, pay all bills
approved by the Executive Committee, and preserve all vouchers for such
disbursements. The Treasurer shall, at the Annual meeting of THE
DIVISION, submit a report of the financial transactions of the preceding
period. All disbursements shall be made by check from the
Divisional checking account. Such disbursements must be supported
by receipts stating the nature of the transaction and the payee.
All funds of THE DIVISION shall be maintained in an FLIC insured account
under the name of THE DIVISION, checking and/or savings. No
amounts above $50 will be disbursed without Executive Committee
approval, and no amounts over $1000, not part of the budget presented at
the Annual Meeting, will be dispersed without the approval of THE
DIVISION’s membership by a majority vote. Said vote may be taken
by either mail or at least ten (10) members of THE DIVISION current
financial records within one (1) month of the request. The
Treasurer shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the
Chairperson of THE DIVISION or other proper authority.
Section 5.
The offices of the Secretary and Treasurer may be combined for any year
upon majority vote of the members of THE DIVISION voting, in person, at
the Annual meeting. In the event of such a vote, the candidates
for the office of Secretary and the Office of Treasurer, nominated
pursuant to Article VIII of these By-laws, shall all be deemed
candidates for the combined office.
Section 6.
Any officer of THE DIVISION may be removed from the office by the following procedure:
1. A petition by twenty-five (25) voting members of THE DIVISION, and
2. An election in which the officer receives less than a majority.
3. The election may be held at either an Annual meeting or a special meeting of the Divisional membership.
ARTICLE V
MANAGEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1: Division Clubs
Recognition as a Division club occurs if the club meets the requirements
for club membership specified in the USFA By-Laws, pays the specified
fee to the USFA, and the club members are members of the Oklahoma
Division. Division clubs are entitled to representation on
the Executive Committee of the Division.
Section 2. Composition:
The management of the Division shall be vested in an Executive Committee
consisting of the officers of THE DIVISION, additional directors, and a
representative from each USFA recognized club within the Division.
Section 3. Quorum:
A quorum shall consist of one-third (1/3) of the members of the Executive Committee or (3) members, whichever is the greater.
Section 4. Meetings:
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held on a regular basis at
such time and place as shall be designated by the Chairperson, and shall
be also called upon the written request of three (3) or more members of
the Committee. All Committee members shall be given not less than
forty-eight (48) hours prior notice of all special meetings. All
meetings except those in which disciplinary action is to be taken or
contemplated against any Executive Committee member or Divisional member
shall be open to the Divisional membership.
Section 5.
Any member of the Executive Committee who fails to perform his duties
may be removed by the Executive Committee using the following
procedures:
a. Written notification of the causes for removal must be provided to
the entire Executive Committee, including the member to be removed.
b. At any meeting in which the removal of any member of the Executive
Committee is contemplated, three quarters (3/4) of the members of the
Executive Committee must be present.
c. The member so charged has the right to appear at the meeting and present any arguments against removal.
d. The member who is contemplated for removal has no vote at this meeting.
e. Three quarters (3/4) of the Executive Committee members present at
the hearing must vote for the removal before the member is removed.
Section 6.
The Executive Committee may replace a member who has resigned or who has
been removed by the Executive Committee by the following procedure:
a. At any executive meeting where a new member is to be voted upon,
three quarters (3/4) of the members of the Executive Committee must be
present.
b. Three quarters (3/4) of the Executive Committee at this meeting must
cast votes of approval before the new member of the Executive Committee
is so approved.
Section 7.
The Executive Committee is empowered to carry out or cause to be carried
out actions necessary for the operation of the Division. All
disputes involving the Division, including actions by the executive
officers and scheduling conflicts regarding competitions, shall be
resolved by the Executive Committee. Any action taken or approved
by the Executive Committee requires a majority of the representative
votes. The Executive Committee is prohibited from changing or
amending the Division By-Laws without approval of the full membership.
The annual schedule for Division competitions must have the approval of
the Executive Committee. For a qualifying event, approval of fees,
location, and times are required. The Executive Committee may
levy fees on any Division event, in addition to fees assessed by the
host club, to raise funds to cover Division expenses. All Division
clubs must be made aware of any decision by the Executive Committee to
levy a fee or fees on a meet before the Division competition schedule is
finalized. The Executive Committee may raise funds by other
means, but may not require a financial contribution from any member or
club.
ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERS
Section 1. Annual Meeting:
The Annual Meeting of THE DIVISION shall be held at the end of the
Division fencing season. The date, time, and place for the Annual
Meeting shall be designed by the Chairperson.
Section 2. Special Meetings:
Special Meetings may be called at any time and place by the
Chairperson, and shall be called by the Chairperson upon written request
of not less than twenty-five (25) members of THE DIVISION or by the
simple majority of the Executive Committee members. THE DIVISION
members must be given two weeks advance notice of such special meeting.
Section 3. Quorum:
A quorum shall consist of those members of THE DIVISION present in
person or by proxy and must meet the quorum requirements set forth in
article v section 2 at a minimum. A majority vote shall control,
except as herein otherwise provided.
ARTICLE VII
ELECTIONS
Section 1.
Candidates for all offices established under these By-laws shall be
nominated from the floor at the annual meeting of THE DIVISION. To
qualify for a Division office, a candidate must be a current member of
the Division, and must agree to accept the position, either in person at
the meeting or in a written statement to a current Division officer.
Section 2.
If not more than one (1) nomination is made for any office, the
Secretary of THE DIVISION shall cast a unanimous ballot at the annual
meeting for the candidate nominated. If two (2) nominations are
made for any office, voting for the candidates shall be either in person
or by proxy and the candidates receiving the majority of the
votes cast shall be declared elected. Written ballots shall be
used. In the event that three (3) or more candidates are nominated
for any office, and no candidate receives a majority vote, a run-off
election shall be conducted between the two candidates receiving the
most ballots in the first round and the winner shall be declared
elected. If the voting in either a regular or run-off election for
any office results in a tie, a lot shall be cast and the winner
declared elected.
Section 3.
Members in good standing may give their proxy for election of officers
only to any other member in good standing of the Division. All
proxies shall be in writing and shall be submitted for verification to
the Secretary of THE DIVISION at the commencement of the Annual
Meeting. The person designated in the proxy must be in attendance
at the annual meeting in order to exercise it.
Section 4.
Election of club representatives shall be conducted at the annual
Division meeting. If an elected club representative position
becomes vacant, the club may elect a replacement who will serve until
the next annual Division meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
DIVISION FUNDS AND PROPERTY
Use of Division funds and access to Division equipment requires approval
by the Executive Committee. The signature of the
Secretary-Treasurer or Chairperson is required on all checks or
vouchers. Division clubs are responsible for the proper care and
transport to meets of Division equipment in their possession. All
Division equipment shall be clearly marked “Oklahoma Division”.
ARTICLE IX
COMPETITIONS AND OTHER EVENTS
The Division has no authority at, and takes no responsibility for, any
event not designated by the Executive Committee as a Division
event. Division competitions shall follow current USFA rules and
guidelines as outlined in the USFA manual and rule book. The host
club shall organize the meet and appoint bout committee members from
attending USFA members. A Division member assigned by the host
shall record all meet results and deliver then within seven days to the
Division Secretary-Treasurer.
Two types of competitions are recognized as Division events:
1. Division qualifying competitions
a. A Division qualifying competition is any
event where placement in that event is required to qualfiy for another
USFA sanctioned event.
b. A notice stating date, time(s), location,
fee(s) and a contact person’s telephone number for all qualifying
competitions shall be transmitted by the host to each eligible
competitor, directly or via their club, at least twenty-one days before
an event.
c. The host assumes all responsibilities for
the event and all fees belong to the host unless other arrangements have
been made with the Executive Committee before the schedule for the
event has been approved by the Executive Committee.
2. Non-qualifying competitions
a. A non-qualifying competition is any Division
event that is not classified as a Division qualifying competition.
b. In a non-qualifying competition, the host
organization may set the fee(s) it considers appropriate, provided that
the total cost for a fencer is clearly stated on the meet notices, and
that the notices are distributed to eligible competitors, directly or
via their clubs, at least fourteen days before the event. The
notices shall also state date, time(s), location, and the telephone
number of a contact person.
c. The host assumes all responsibilities for the
event and all fees belong to the host unless other arrangements have
been made with the Executive Committee before the schedule for the event
has been approved by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE X
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPETITORS
The Division recognizes all classes of competitors recognized by the
USFA, and may use such classifications to decide eligibility and entry
fee requirements at Division competitions. These classifications
include Beginner, Student, Unclassified, and Classified.
Classifications may overlap.
1. A Beginner has fenced in competitions
sanctioned by the USFA (or comparable organization in another country)
less than one year and has not won a sanctioned competition, including a
tournament for Beginner fencers.
2. A Student is enrolled full time in a
recognized elementary school, middle school, high school, trade or
technical school, college, or graduate school.
3. An Unclassified fencer (also called a Novice) does not have a USFA rating in a particular weapon.
4. A Classified fencer has a USFA rating in a particular weapon.
ARTICLE XI
BY-LAWS, RULES AND POLICIES OF THE USFA, INC.
All By-laws, rules, regulations and matters of policy concerning the
conduct of competitions as set forth in the fencing rules and manual of
the USFA, INC. are hereby incorporated as part of these By-laws without
action by the Executive Committee or members of THE DIVISION.
ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
These Oklahoma Division By-laws may be amended at any Annual Meeting of
the membership. An amendment receiving a majority of all votes
cast by the members voting in person shall be deemed as adopted, subject
to the approval of the National USFA, INC.
Members in good standing may give their proxy for election of officers
only to any other member in good standing of the division. All
proxies shall be in writing and shall be submitted for verification to
the Secretary of THE DIVISION at the commencement of the Annual
Meeting. The person designated in the proxy must be in attendance
at the annual meeting in order to exercise it.
Section 2.
These Oklahoma Division bylaws may also be amended at a special meeting provided that the following conditions are met:
1. That notice be given by US Mail to all division members no less than
three weeks before the special meeting, stating when and where the
meeting will be held and the general nature of the bylaw amendments to
be decided upon,
2. That the meeting date not conflict with any divisional, sectional or
national tournament, with the SAT or ACT exams, or with any major
religious or secular holidays, and
3. That at least twenty-five (25) members, or 10% of the membership, whichever is less, be present in person or by proxy.
An amendment will be approved (subject to the approval of the USFA,
INC.) if it receives two thirds (2/3) of all votes cast, in person or by
proxy.
ARTICLE XIII
ACCESS TO DIVISION RECORDS
All Division members shall be allowed to review Division records.
Requests must be submitted in writing to the Chairperson and a date,
time, and location will be scheduled for such review. The records
are Division property and must remain in a Division officer’s
possession.
Home