San Carlos United Constitution

Revised 2/19/2003

ARTICLE ONE: Purpose

The purpose of this Club shall be to develop, promote, and administer the game of soccer. Coaches are to offer positive coaching rather than negative instruction. Good Sportsmanship in coaching, playing, and overall conduct before and following a game should represent the Club in a positive manner.

ARTICLE TWO: Name and Colors

This organization shall be named the "San Carlos United Soccer Club", and shall have royal blue and white as its recognized colors.

ARTICLE THREE: Affiliation

The Club shall be an affiliate and comply with the authority of the Redwood Soccer League, California Youth Soccer Association North, (CYSA-N), the United States Youth Soccer Association, (USYSA), and the United States Soccer Federation, (USSF).

ARTICLE FOUR: Membership

Members of the Club shall consist of registered players, parents, or guardians of players, coaches, assistant coaches, managers, and officers.

ARTICLE FIVE: Governing Authority

The governing authority of this Club shall be vested with the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Chief Referee, and Manager of Fields. Each director shall have the right to vote and each may cast no more than one vote. Their purpose shall be to enforce and interpret the Constitution and By-laws, and to act as the Club Disciplinary board, hearing and rendering judgments in disciplinary hearings concerning players, coaches, or others, within the Club’s jurisdiction. The Club President shall cast a vote only in the event of voting in a tie.

ARTICLE SIX: Right to Vote

Each Team shall have the right to vote and each may cast no more than one vote, with regards to the general business of managing the Club. The recognized team representative may delegate his/her right to vote to a team manager, coach, assistant coach, or other duly authorized representative.

ARTICLE SEVEN: Ratification and Amendment

7.1 Ratification of this Constitution and By-laws shall be by an affirmative vote of a majority of voting members in the organization, that are present at a properly announced meeting.

7.2 Proposed amendments to the Constitution or By-laws shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary thirty (30) days prior to the annual general Meeting, (AGM). All voting members shall be notified in writing of such proposed amendments a minimum of fifteen (15) days prior to the AGM. Amendments to this Constitution and By-laws require a majority vote by the voting members present at the AGM.

ARTICLE EIGHT: Annual General Meeting

An AGM shall be held each year no later than March 1st for the purpose of electing officers and to approve any amendments to the Constitution.

ARTICLE NINE: General Disbursements of Funds

Standard expenses of the Club and special funding to support team participation in tournaments, cups, and play-offs shall be approved by a majority of the voting members.

San Carlos United By-Laws

ARTICLE ONE: Membership

Members of the Club shall agree to comply with all provisions contained in the Constitution and By-laws of the club.

ARTICLE TWO: Board of Directors

2.1 Board of Directors: Shall be the officers of the Club and consist of a President, Vice-president, Treasurer, Secretary, Registrar, Chief Referee, and Manager of Fields.

2.2 President: Shall be the chief officer of the Club and of the Board of Directors; shall conduct all meetings and shall cast a vote only in the event of voting ending in a tie; shall appoint special or standing committees; shall, in general, perform such duties as are customary for presiding officers.

2.3 Vice-President: Shall assume the duties of President in his/her absence including casting of a vote in the event of voting ending in a tie; shall preside at meetings in the President’s absence; shall assist the President in the performance of his/her duties, and shall coordinate in the participation of tournaments.

2.4 Treasurer: Shall have custody of all funds, evidence of debt and other valuable documents, and shall deposit funds in the name of the Club in an accredited bank. The Treasurer shall keep appropriate books, an accurate account of all money received and paid out, and report at each Club meeting on the financial status of the Club. At the AGM the Treasurer shall submit an annual report on the Club finances, summarizing the past year’s operation and provide an estimated budget for the forthcoming year.

2.5 Secretary: Shall keep the minutes of all meetings, issue notices of meetings, conduct correspondence for the Club, ensure all votes at meetings are valid according to the Constitution and By-laws of the Club.

2.6 Registrar: Shall maintain a list of names and addresses of all members, issue coaches packets, provide a current list of names and addresses to the Club President and Secretary and inform them of any changes as they may occur.

2.7 Chief Referee: Shall recruit, instruct, and keep referees appraised of Laws as they may change. Maintain ongoing training, including interpretations of the Laws as they exist.

2.8 Manager of Fields: Shall arrange for and schedule use of all fields, indoor facilities and lights when necessary, schedule game and practice times, coordinate with other soccer organizations within city to insure no conflicts arise, publish a list of practice times and locations, provide the individual team with permits, and insure fields are properly lined for games.

ARTICLE THREE: Election of Officers

3.1 All Officers of the Club shall be elected at the AGM to serve a term of one year commencing March 1 and expiring the following February 28.

3.2 Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the voting members at the AGM.

ARTICLE FOUR: Club Bank Account and Funds

 

 4.1 All disbursements of Club funds shall be by check drawn on the Club account except for petty cash as set forth in Sec. 4.3. The Club account shall be established in a manner requiring two signatures, a signer and co-signer, for withdrawal of funds or drawing a check over the amount of $1000.00. The Treasurer shall have signature authority and Secretary and President shall be authorized co-signers.

4.2 Within five (5) business days after election of officers at the AGM the signature authority at the Club’s bank shall be updated to show only those signatures of the newly elected Treasurer (signer), Secretary (co-signer), and President (co-signer).

4.3 The Treasurer at the discretion of the Club may establish a petty cash fund, not to exceed one hundred (100) dollars for payment of miscellaneous Club expenses. The Treasurer shall keep appropriate receipts to substantiate all disbursements from petty cash. The petty cash fund shall be reimbursed by the Treasurer from the Club bank account when deemed necessary by the Treasurer.

 

ARTICLE FIVE: Meetings

 

5.1 Regular meetings shall be held once a month at a time and date selected by the voting members. This schedule may be modified by a majority vote of the voting members. These meetings are open to the entire membership of the Club.

5.2 The AGM shall be held in lieu of the regular meeting or at the convenience of the membership, but no later than March 1.

5.3 A special meeting may be called by the President or demanded by a majority vote of the voting members. These may be designated as open or restricted attendance meetings.

 

ARTICLE SIX: Quorum

                    Four members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at board meetings. A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum in Club meetings.

ARTICLE SEVEN: Appointed Positions

 

7.1 The President shall appoint by March 1 of each year through February 29 of the following year, individuals who are voting members, to be responsible for the following:

7.2 Manager of Equipment: Shall procure, maintain, and distribute all equipment such as balls, uniforms, patches, pins, sweat suits, and any other necessary equipment. Additionally, he/she shall acquire trophies, plaques, pennants, or other material needed for approved Club functions or activities.

7.3 Director of Publicity: Shall be responsible for promoting the Club and its activities, receive all game scores and highlights from coaches and provide this information on a timely basis to local media organizations, provide to local media organizations special announcements of significant Club achievements such as tournament victories, hosting of major soccer events, etc., to promote the Club in a professional manner.

7.4 Referee Scheduler: Shall arrange for referees to all home games for regular season, coordinate with Chief Referee to insure experienced referees and new referees are properly teamed.

7.5 Tournament Director: Shall be responsible for the planning, arranging, scheduling, and general running of the tournament. The authority to provide for the tournament with Club support shall be vested herewith.  Tournament Director shall be a two year commitment.  All teams within the club shall commit volunteer hours to support the tournament.  The Tournament Director shall be responsible for setting the number of volunteer hours needed per team and communicating that to the club membership by the AGM.

7.6 Field Maintenance Director: Shall be responsible for the maintenance of fields, identifying field problems, lining of fields and organizing volunteers to assist in said activities.

7.7 Community Relations Director: Shall meet with City Official(s) to discuss scheduling and maintenance issues as well as other related activities. In addition, he/she must attend all monthly Park and Recreation meetings and all City of San Carlos Athletic Council meetings held four times per year and report back to the Club the information provided and issues discussed.

7.8 Assistant Registrar:  Shall be assisting Club Registrar with all duties and will back up Club Registrar when the Club Registrar is unavailable to carry out their duties in a timely fashion.

7.9 Webmaster: Shall maintain www.SanCarlosUnited.org as our official web site on the World Wide Web.  Shall maintain content of the site’s information in a timely fashion.  Shall initiate Sub-webs for San Carlos United teams.  Shall maintain e-mail lists of team contacts.

7.10 Coach Education Director: Shall be responsible for documentation verifying that all teams coaches, assistant coaches and managers have meet the education requirements of our affiliations and coaching education requirements indicated by the City of San Carlos Field Permit policies.

7.11 Tournament Concessions Director: Shall be responsible for all tournament concessions.  Tournament Concessions Director reports to the Tournament Director and shall coordinate with the Tournament Director on all aspects of the Tournament concessions.

7:12 District Cup Coordinator/Tournament Director in Training:  Shall work with the Redwood League in hosting flights of the annual District Cup Competition.  Shall work with the Tournament Director in hosting our annual tournament and shall succeed the Tournament Director in their position. 

7:13 League Representatives: Shall be responsible for attending all League meetings and reporting back to the Club the information provided and issues discussed.  There will be a League Representative for all playing Leagues that have team participation from San Carlos United teams.

7:14 The elected board shall have the authority to appoint new positions and fill those positions after the AGM if the need arises.

7.15 Field workers: Shall help in the establishment of fields at the beginning of the season and shall maintain the field markings throughout the season.

7.16 AYSO Representative:  Shall represent San Carlos United and meet with the San Carlos region of AYSO on field use and other issues of mutual interest.

 

ARTICLE EIGHT: Selection of New Teams and Team Representatives

 

8.1 A majority of the voting members shall approve the selection of a new team. New teams must have one person who is designated as the Team Representative, and who will have final authority in making decisions regarding the team. Selection shall be based on:

8.2 The Team Representative must be a resident of San Carlos.

8.3 The Team Representative is responsible for naming the Head Coach.  The Head Coach must possess a substantial knowledge of the game of soccer and has demonstrated previous success in coaching. (It is recommended that the Head Coach have extensive playing experience, particularly at the college level or in open-division adult leagues.)  The Head Coach must meet the education requirements maintained by our affiliations and the city of San Carlos.

8.4 Acceptance of a Team and Team  Representative will depend upon satisfactory references. Club Officers will check with appropriate resources such as AYSO Board members, other coaches, and parents to obtain references.

ARTICLE NINE: Responsibility of a Team

 

9.1 Selection of: Team Representative, Coach,  Assistant Coach, Manager and players.  A majority of players on new teams must be San Carlos residents (see Article Sixteen).

9.2 Mandatory attendance at all Club meetings.

9.3 Representing the Club in a manner that is consistent with its philosophy and purpose, and as stipulated in the Constitution and By-laws herein.

9.4 Conducting all necessary affairs associated with league, tournament and cup play.

9.5 Each team in the Club must provide someone who is willing to do a specific task for the year. (see elected and appointed positions)

9.6 Each team must have a second coach who will assist the Head Coach at all practices.

9.7 Teams must provide a Referee or have a referee trained for use by the club throughout the season. 

9.8 Teams must provide volunteers to work our Tournament.  Number of hours per team will be set by the Tournament director by our AGM.

9.9 Teams may change their Team representative to San Carlos United by appearing at a regularly scheduled meeting and presenting the change.  The new team representative will need to be approved by the voting membership using the same qualifications as a new team.  

 

ARTICLE TEN: Annual Player Dues

Annual dues from each and every player are due prior to registration for the coming season. The amount of the annual dues shall be set forth each year at the AGM by a majority vote of the voting members.

ARTICLE ELEVEN: Fund Raising and Use

Funds in excess of the annual player dues are sometimes needed to support the Club activities. These funds may be raised throughout the year by dances, operation of food concessions, securing of sponsors, and other activities, and are deposited in the Club account for general support of the Club and shall not be set aside for use by any specific team. These activities shall be supported by all Club members

ARTICLE TWELVE: Intra Club Recruiting

A coach prior to CYSA registration may recruit a player from another team providing the recruiting coach has notified the other coach previous to seeking said player, and has the approval of the player and his/her parents. After registration, CYSA rules and regulations for player transfer will apply.

ARTICLE THIRTEEN: Rules of Order

 Robert’s Rules of Order shall be deemed as adopted at all meetings of the Club unless otherwise agreed to by the participants.

ARTICLE FOURTEEN: Dissolution

Should the Club be dissolved, all assets remaining after payment of all debts shall be turned over to the CYSA for the purpose of developing youth soccer.

ARTICLE FIFTEEN: Number of Teams per Age Group

The Club shall consist of no more than two Class III teams and one Class I team in any age group and sex. The Club shall attempt to keep an even balance between boys and girls teams.

ARTICLE SIXTEEN: Residency Requirements

New Class III Teams shall comply with San Carlos City Residence requirements for field use priority. New Class I Teams shall consist of a majority of San Carlos Residents.

ARTICLE SEVENTEEN: The Jerry Walters Memorial Scholarship Program

ARTICLE SEVENTEEN: The Jerry Walters Memorial Scholarship Program

17.1.  Priority shall be given to San Carlos residents or players directly connected to San Carlos (ie in school here, parent works here, was a resident when joined the team).

17.2.  Budget for Scholarship shall be established at AGM.

17.3.  Application deadline shall be June 1 of each year.

17.4.  A committee of 3-5 board members should be appointed by the president to review the applications.

17.5.  Award should be need based, but the application need not be formal.  ie no tax returns required.  App should be in the form of a letter from the team representative outlining the need and giving pertinent information on the player for the committee to consider.  Letter should include players' name, address, age, and relationship to San Carlos, if not a resident.  Also, a statement as to whether the player will be able to play in the absence of aid.

17.6.  Ability of the player is not an issue.  If the player is good enough to make the team, that is sufficient.

17.7.  No more than $250 to any player.  Money to go to the team and not the player.

17.8 History of the Scholarship Program

The San Carlos United Soccer Club established the Jerry Walters Memorial Scholarship Program in 2002.  The program seeks to identify and provide financial support to worthy youth soccer players on teams associated with San Carlos United.  Players, family members and supporters are encouraged to inquire about the availability of a scholarship for financially needy players.

            The program is named in honor of long-time San Carlos youth sports supporter Jerry Walters.  Jerry died prematurely, at the age of 48, in June of 2002.  Prior to his untimely death, Jerry was one of those adults who could always be counted on for support of youth sports.  Jerry always had time for the kids, regardless of whether the need was for financial support or for more direct involvement. 

            Jerry coached for many years in the San Carlos AYSO program.  Indeed, he started his coaching career in AYSO when his older daughter, Kelsey, was five years of age.  Kelsey went on to play CYSA soccer with the San Carlos Explosion.  Jerry continued to coach in the AYSO program until his death.  At the time of his death he was taking the classes necessary to become a soccer referee.

            In addition to supporting soccer, Jerry was an avid supporter of girls’ softball through the San Carlos Youth Softball Association’s Fast Pitch Program.  Jerry served as an assistant coach and head coach in the spring recreational league, as well as an assistant coach for the San Carlos Force traveling summer teams for two years.

            In addition to always being ready with his time, Jerry was a frequent sponsor of both soccer and softball teams.  If there was a financial need, Jerry Walters could always be counted on to contribute, asking that his contribution remain anonymous.

            Long-time friend and coaching collaborator, Steve Lavezzo, noted that “even though he was a very competitive person, he was able to see the big picture.  He knew we had to keep it fun.”  For those of us who knew Jerry, Steve’s observation rings true.  Jerry knew when to compete and, even more importantly, knew when to have fun.

            San Carlos United is proud to have its scholarship program associated with the memory of Jerry Walters.