Sutherland Dixie Youth Baseball League Inc

Sutherland Dixie Youth Baseball Association By-Laws

Sutherland Dixie Youth Baseball Association

Constitution, By-Laws, and Local Rules

Revision 2.4

Adopted on 8/20/2011

Last Revised on 2/21/2017

Table of Contents

1 Sutherland Dixie YouthVolunteer 3

2 Constitution and By-Laws 4

Articles ofAssociation 4

Article 1- The Association 4

Article 2- Purpose4

Article 3 -Members 4

Article 4 - Governed and Supervised by5

Article 5 - Officers5

Article 6 - Committees7

Article 7 - Board Meetings 7

Article 8 - Managers/Coaches8

Article 9-Finances8

Article 10 - This Constitution and By-Laws 8

Article 11- Earnings 8

Article 12- Dissolution 9

Article 13- Initial Trustees 9

3 Local LeagueRules 10

Article 14 - Dinwiddie Dixie Youth Baseball 10

Article15- Registrationand Tryouts11

Article16 - Age Limits 11

Article 17-T-Ball Division 11

Article 18 - Machine Pitch Division 13

Article 19 - Minor and Major Division 14

Article 20- Pitch Count Rules15

Article 21 - Player Additions and Substitute Runners 15

Article22 - Player Draft Selection 16

Article 23 -All Star Player and Coach Selection 16

Article 24–Sutherland Ballpark Field Care18

Article 25 - General Rules For All Managers & Coaches18

4 Document Revision History20

1 SUTHERLANDDIXIE YOUTH VOLUNTEER

As a volunteer in the Sutherland Dixie Youth Baseball program, I promise to:

Regard Dixie Youth Baseball as a proud community asset for my community and helpendow it with highest personal standards.

Respect the individual boy or girl. Try to understand his capabilities, limitations, andproblems of growing up today.

Be exemplary in the growing movement of Dixie Youth, ready to improve the state of ouryoungsters whenever possible, and to find honest enjoyment in the creative service andteaching the program affords.

Recognize obligations in training boys and girls and teaching lesson of fair play, disciplineand teamwork.

Keep informed in the basic understanding and knowledge of the objectives of the program.

Cooperate in scrupulous observance of the rules and regulations on a national and localbasis that are the strength of Dixie Youth.

Support the elected officials and directors of the Sutherland Dixie Youth program and abideby the policies and decisions made by them.

Attend regularly all official meetings and functions of the local program unless hindered bymeans over which I have no control, always placing the activities of the league at the highestlevel of importance. Unless hindered by unforeseen circumstances. I will always be presentfor team practices and games.

Encourage volunteer support of parents, educators and all agencies devoted to the welfareof youth.

2 CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

The undersigned, a majority of whom are citizens of the United States, desiring to form a Non-Profit Association under the Non-Profit Law of Virginia, do hereby certify:

ARTICLE 1 – THE ASSOCIATION

The name of the association shall be “Sutherland Dixie Youth BaseballAssociation.”

ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSE

(a) The place in this state where the principal office of the Association is to be located is the County of Dinwiddie, Virginia.

(b) Said Association is organized exclusively for educational youth sports purposes, including, forsuch purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) ofthe Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

(c) The exclusive purpose of this association shall be educational. It shall strive to trainthe minds, bodies and spirits of the boys and girls of Dinwiddie for the purpose ofdeveloping their capabilities. It shall seek to promote that ultimate goal of alleducation; understanding.

(d) In furtherance of its educational purposes the association shall provide supervisedathletic contests and tournament. These contests shall be held for the purpose ofdemonstrating to the children participating therein the value of hard work, selfdiscipline,self-sacrifice, extensive practice, cooperation with others and enjoymentwhich can result there from. The supervisory members of the cooperation shall at alltimes bear in mind that the outcome of the contests is secondary to their value ininclination constructive value and teaching understanding of self and others.

ARTICLE 3- MEMBERS

The members of the association shall be the officers (Board of

Directors) and team managersserving during spring baseball season. In the event that the team manager is unable to attend the assistant coach may vote in place of the team manager. The officers of the association shall be elected by a majority vote of themembers.

ARTICLE 4- GOVERNED AND SUPERVISED BY

The association shall be governed and supervised by the Board of Directors. The members of the association shall select the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE 5- OFFICERS

(a) The officers of the association shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer,Secretary, Equipment Manager, and Concession Stand Director. The officers shall be selected by the members of the association. The officers shall each serve for one year (January to December) and shall be eligible for re-election.

(b) The President of SDYB shall:

• Be responsible for the overall operation of Sutherland Dixie Youth Baseball;

• Set date, time, place of board meetings;

• Act as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors;

• Preside at all meetings;

• See that the organization adheres to the rules, regulations and policies as set forth inthe SDYB By-Laws and in other referenced documents;

• Be responsible for communications between Dinwiddie Nationals, District 5 Director and Virginia State Dixie Director (exceptthose assigned to other board members);

• Make the final decision concerning the playing fitness of the fields;

• Assure that each officer is aware of the duties and responsibilities of their office;

• Have the final decision on all matters until the issue can be reviewed with the board of directors for a vote;

• Bring all disputes and protests to the Board for consideration;

• Appoint, audit and be a standing member of all committees but shall not be achairman of any committee;

• Be the tie breaking vote during board members;

• Be the contact with all organizations outside Sutherland Dixie Baseball on matters thatdo not fall within the specific responsibilities of other Board members.

Assist the President in all duties described above;
Act as President in the absence of the President;
Assume the role of President in the event that the President is no longer able toperform his/her duties.
Oversee fundraisers to completion.

(d) The Treasurer of SDYB shall:

• Be required to distribute a monthly financial statement and may be called upon atany time to give an update of our financial status;

• Be responsible for maintaining fiscal integrity and assumes responsibility for allassociation finances;

• Sign checks and disburse funds as approved by the Board or as is necessary to meetthe routine cost-of-business. Routine cost of business is defined as association fees,insurance, post office box rental, or any other bills that are incurred on a regularbasis;

• Disburse funds for major purchases such as baseballs, equipment, appliances etc.Purchases of over $250.00 in cost shall not be approved without a quorum of theBoard.

(e) The Secretary of SDYB shall:

Contact all Board members and notify them of meetings;
Record and publish the minutes of all meetings;
Maintain an official record of all Board of Directors’ meetings and activities;
Maintain the official roster of officers and committee chairpersons;
Send the league roster to the State Director prior to the deadline;
Help prepare coaches packets, folders and handouts and assist with registration information and procedures;
Assist all-star coaches by providing proper forms for the credentials meeting afterregular season ends;
Be present for all meetings including drafting or drawing of regular season teams aswell as all-star team selection;
Keep track of the player records and birth certificates;
Create and distribute practice and game schedules and oversee field availability;
Be responsible for all official SDYB Documents.
Oversees maintenance of website to ensure correct and viable information is posted in a timely manner.

(d) The Equipment Manager of SDYB shall:

• Be responsible for distributing equipment to each team and keeping appropriaterecords of distributed equipment;

• Be responsible for collecting equipment from Head Coaches of teams at the end ofthe season for inventorying and repair or replacement;

• Be in charge of purchasing general field equipment needed to maintain the grounds(gas for mower, keys, locks, etc.) but should seekboard approval for such expenditures;

• Be responsible for inventorying all existing equipment for the coming year;

• Make recommendations for purchasing replacement equipment or new equipmentas necessary;

• Be in charge of purchasing and providing baseballs for the season, but should seekboard approval for such expenditures.

(e) The Concession Stand Director of SDYB shall:

• Have authority over the day-to-day operations of the concession stand;

• Work with the Secretary in setting up the staffing schedule for the

concession stand;

• Inventory equipment at the beginning and end of the baseball season and havingthings repaired or replaced when necessary;

• Stock the concession stand with items to sell;

• Set prices based on cost so that a reasonable profit is made.

(f) The Uniform Coordinator of SDYB shall:

•Have authority of all aspects of the regular season and All-Star uniform ordering process

•This shall include the parent orders

Order awards/trophies
Set times for photographer on Opening Day

(g) All Board Members for SDYB:

• Should attend all Board Meetings;

• Should be willing to dedicate the time necessary to ensure the success of ourassociation;

• Can sign the pay sheet and pay the umpires out of the concession stand cash drawerfollowing the last game the umpires work.

ARTICLE 6 – COMMITTEES

To help facilitate a successful baseball season the Board of Directors will appoint committee members as needed (examples may include: Director of Fundraising, T-Ball & Coach Pitch Director, Award & Picture Coordinator, Tournament Director, Website/Facebook Administrator, Opening Day Director).

ARTICLE 7– BOARD MEETINGS

(a) A meeting of the Board of Directors and members shall be conducted after the fall season ofeach year with the reading of reports and the election of officers. Additionalmeetings may be called by the President.

(b) The majority of members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at anymeeting and the majority vote of those present shall govern except when otherwiseespecially provided.

ARTICLE 8– MANAGERS/COACHES

(a)Team Managers shall be selected and approved by the Boardof Directors and will be held accountable for the conduct of the members on the field;

(b)Team Managers and coaches will be monitored throughout the year. A warning will be given to the coach for any inappropriate behavior. If the behavior is unchanged after the warning, the manager/coach will be reviewed by the Board and the appropriate action taken.

(c)Managers and Coaches participation in meetings, workdays, and field maintenance will also considered as the Board makes manager selections.

ARTICLE 9- FINANCES

The Board of Directors shall decide all matters pertaining to the finances of theassociation, and it shall direct all funds or be placed in a common treasury, to bedisbursed in such manner as will give no individual or team a relative advantage inmaterial.

ARTICLE 10– THIS CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

This constitution and by-laws, or any section thereof, may be amended or repealed by atwo-thirds vote of the Board of Directors present at any stipulated meeting.

ARTICLE 11- EARNINGS

No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees,officers, or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonablecompensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in ArticleThird hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwiseattempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing ordistribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to becarried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or thecorresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible undersection 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.If reference to federal law in articles of incorporation imposes a limitation that is invalid in your state, you may wish tosubstitute the following for the last sentence of the preceding paragraph: “Notwithstanding any other provision of thesearticles, this corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that arenot in furtherance of the purposes of this corporation.”

ARTICLE 12- DISSOLUTION

Upon the dissolution of the Association, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within themeaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, orshall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not sodisposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of thecorporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shalldetermine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this day of January 18th,2012.

ARTICLE 13–INITIAL TRUSTEES

The names and addresses of the persons who are the initial trustees of the Association are as follows:

Christopher Capps,20120 Eugene DriveSutherlandVA23885

Lance Costley, 18019 Wilkinson RoadDinwiddieVA23841

3 LOCAL LEAGUE RULES

These rules are supplemental to the rules listed in the current National Dixie YouthBaseball Rule Guide, and are to replace all previously adopted local rules governingoperation of the Sutherland Dixie Youth Baseball Association.

ARTICLE 14- DINWIDDIE DIXIE YOUTH BASEBALL

(a) In adherence to the National Dixie Youth Baseball regulations Dinwiddie Dixie Youth Baseball shall be separated into two leagues as follows:

• American League = Sutherland Dixie Youth Baseball Association

• National League= WHF, McKenney, Rocky Run

(b)Each league will send at least 3 representatives to the annual Dinwiddie County Dixie Youth meeting. The representative of the Sutherland will consist of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE 15- REGISTRATION AND TRYOUTS

(a)Registration fee shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

(b)Registration fees must be paid at the time of registration.

(c)Players must register with the league in which they reside, based on the league boundaries.

(d)Each player address shall be checked to ensure he/she resides within the American league boundaries.

(e)A player registered at Sutherland will not be allowed to transfer to another the league for the duration of his/her participation in Dixie Youth Baseball unless the player moves and now resides outside of the defined boundaries.

(f)The dates for registration, tryouts, and draft are to be set by the Board of Directors.

(g)All Minor and Major league players’ must attend scheduled tryouts and all managers must attend or be present at all tryouts.

(h)All prospects participating in tryouts will not leave the field until dismissed byofficials in charge of tryouts.

(i)Refunds of the registration fee will only be granted when requestedprior to a player being selected in the draft and placed on a team.

ARTICLE 16- AGE LIMITS

(a)Any candidate who will attain the age of five (5) years of age before August 1 andwho will not attain the age of thirteen (13) before May 1 shall be eligible forparticipation in the Sutherland program providing he meets all other requirements.

(b)The league shall have divide into the following age divisions;

Majors (11 & 12) - Minors (9 & 10) – Machine Pitch (7 & 8) - T-Ball (5 & 6)

(c)Candidates must play in their respective age group as governed by Dixie Youth.Players may play up in their next respective age group at request of parent. The parent should understand that play time may be reduced from what the player may get if he/she were to have played in his/her assigned age division. Once a player is assigned to a team no further changes will be considered.

ARTICLE 17– T-BALL DIVISION

(a) Goal Of Tee-Ball

To introduce the game of baseball.
To develop good sportsmanship, conduct, and teamwork between players, coaches and parents.

(b) Offense

All roster bat in succession.
We prefer for this age level to hit off of a tee in order to develop proper hitting mechanics but if a coach feels like the child can hit a thrown pitch then they will be allowed for 3 pitches (not swings) then after the 3 pitches the child hits off the tee. There should be no exceptions to this rule. This rule is in place to speed up the game and to keep the attention of the children on defense into the game.
The ball batted has to travel past the 10ft mark in front of home plate to be a playable ball.
No bunting is allowed at this age level. (No walks allowed)
A player will be allowed to advance only one base on all over throws at which time play will also stop.
If the ball is hit into the outfield grass then runners can advance to more than one base until the ball crosses back into the dirt infield, at this time the ball is dead. If the runner is not past the half way mark then the runner goes back to the base he or she left. If they are past the line then they forward to the next base they were headed to.
A coach can pitch overhand, underhand, kneeling, or standing at whatever distance they desire at this age group.
A coach can stay on the fieldand receive the ball coming in from the fielders.
Defensive head coach is responsible for making the call on close plays.