CBFO Fast Pitch SoftballOrganizational By-Laws January 2008 Article 1 - Name a. This organization will be known as Cedar Bluff-Farragut Optimist Club Girl's Fastpitch Softball (CBFO Girl's Softball). Article 2 - Locationa. The location of the CBFO Girls Softball organization is 11609 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37922-4807. Article 3 - Objective a. The objective of the CBFO Girls Softball organization shall be to instill in the girls of the community the ideas of good sportsmanship, loyalty, courage, and reverence. This objective shall be achieved by providing supervised athletic games. The supervisors shall bear in mind that the attainment of exceptional athletic skill or winning of the game shall be secondary and molding of the character is of prime importance. The CBFO Girls Softball organization shall govern all girls' softball activities, which they supervise. b. This organization is organized exclusively for nonprofit educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Individual members will not derive profit from this organization. Article 4 - Leagues and Eligibility a. There are four leagues within the CBFO Girls Softball. b. They are based upon the age of the girl on January 1 of the year of the active season. c. Membership is limited to girls of age range five to 19. d. The leagues are 5-7 year old league, 8-10 year old league, 11-12 year old league, and 13-19 year old league. e. Girls are eligible to play up one league level with prior permission from the Commissioner of CBFO Girls Softball. If a girl "plays up" for a season, she is no longer eligible to play back in the league of her legal age. Article 5 - League Commissioner a. The League Commissioner is a position established by the parent organization of the CBFO. b. The Commissioner has ultimate authority of decisions made on behalf of the CBFO Girls Softball. His responsibility is to the current President of CBFO. c. The Commissioner is charged with enforcing the rules and regulations under which leagues and teams play. His duties include, but are not limited to, serving as the ultimate arbiter in any dispute or protest concerning the rules and regulations of CBFO Softball; serving as the chief administrative officer of the organization; authorizing all actions necessary to discharge the duties of this office, including the employment of personnel; serving as custodian of the general operating fund; representing CBFO Girls Softball at all official functions which he may attend; and, coordinating and promoting public relations activities for the organization. Article 6 - Executive Committeea. The government and direction of CBFO Girls Softball shall be under the direct supervision of the CBFO Girls Softball Executive Committee (EC). b. The EC consists of membership of the CBFO Girls Softball League Commissioner, EC Chairman, Secretary and selected members as deemed required by the EC to provide fair representation of the organization. Membership should be maintained at a number, which would allow for fair and equal representation during voting practices. c. The EC will operate in a basic parliamentary order with simple majority rule. The chairman may vote only to break ties or deadlocks. Selection consideration should be given to coaches, parents associated with the team members and those that can provide expertise in activities needed to benefit the business of the organization. d. Members may serve as long as the continue to have a vested interest in the organization and remain in good conduct with the EC. e. The Chairman is a position nominated and elected by the EC and may serve in one-year increments. f. A Chairman may serve consecutive terms if nominated and re-elected by the EC. Article 7 - Coachesa. Each team within a league will have a Head Coach named at the time of the player's draft. b. An assistant coach may be named before or after the draft. c. Coaches will be selected based upon a volunteer basis. d. A seniority process will be used in selection of coaches. The head coach will be assigned a rank using the criteria set forth in Table 1. e. The coach designated as the Head Coach will be required to complete a background check submitted to the Knox County Park and Recreation Department for review and approval. Ranking | Basis | 1 | Head Coach in good standing with current league from previous year. | 2 | Head Coach in good standing moving from a different league. | 3 | Assistant Coach in good standing with the current league from a previous year. | 4 | Assistant Coach in good standing moving from a different league. | 5 | Previous Head Coach in good standing who has been out for one year and wishes to return as Head Coach. | 6 | All others. Will be selected based on date of request. |
Article 8 - Code of Conducta. The conduct of all persons shall be maintained on a high level and in the best interest of the CBFO Girls Softball at all times. Personnel, shall at all times, refrain from the use of verbal abuse, profanity, derogative behavior, and discrimination and shall not publicly display undue anger or animosity toward each other. b. Any charges of misconduct against any person, except the League Commissioner, shall be presented in writing to any committee member. c. The EC Chairman must then call a special meeting of the EC within seven (7) days. The accused and the accuser have the right to be heard, and may call witnesses as desired. The EC will determine if the accused will be cleared, warned, or suspended. d. If the EC should determine that a charge is extremely serious, said meeting would be scheduled by the EC Chairman within (48) hours pending further investigation. e. Any charges of misconduct by the League Commissioner shall be presented in writing to the EC Chairman, who shall, within seven (7) days, notify the CBFO Board of Directors for further action. No charges of misconduct may be brought more than thirty (30) days after the alleged event. f. Any person accused of misconduct and who refuses to attend a special meeting of the EC convened to hear the matter shall be subject to suspension without recourse. g. Any person who knowingly accuse another falsely may have their privileges suspended. Article 9 - Appeal Processa. Within thirty (30) days of the issue of a suspension by the EC, a person may make application for reinstatement through the EC by setting forth all the facts regarding the suspension and the action of the EC will be final in either upholding the suspension of reinstating the person. b. A vote to either uphold the suspension or reinstate the person will require a majority vote of the EC at which a quorum is present. Article 10 - Rules of Playa. All league games will be played in accordance with the latest version of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) rules. b. Exceptions to these rules (local league rules) will be documented and provided to all coaches and umpires at the beginning of each season. c. Interpretation of the rules during a game is the responsibility of the head umpire. d. If there is a reason for protest of a game because of rule interpretation, the requesting coach will have the protest so noted in the official scorebook, with time and date of request, documented by the scorekeeper. The scorekeeper will indicate the place in the game, (i.e., inning, score, number of outs, runners on base, etc.) that the protest was requested. e. Protests will be presented to the league commissioner after the affected game is completed, but within 24 hours. Both team coaches and the umpires will be present. The head umpire will determine to maintain or rescind the ruling made based upon review of the ASA Softball Rule Book. f. In the event the call made was in error with the ASA Softball Rule Book and the team making the protest did not win the game, the game will be replayed from the point of protest. The league commissioner will reschedule the game at a suitable time. Article 11 - Amendments a. The By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the EC present at any regular or special meeting. The amendments must have been presented at the preceding regular of special meeting of the EC. Article 12 - Ratification a. These By-Laws of the CBFO Girls Fastpitch Softball organization, adopted this 5th day of January 2008, by the EC, supersedes all previous By-Laws and minutes of meeting issued by the CBFO Fastpitch Girls Softball organization or any previous affiliation either written or oral. Article 13 - Player Protectiona. The head coach may protect his/her daughter(s) and two (2) additional girls each year. If the coach chooses to protect sisters, the coach will be allowed an extra protected player for a maximum of five (5) protected players on the team. The protection will be documented with the League Commissioner. Those girls that are protected will be acknowledged and documented with the League Commissioner. Those girls that are protected will be so noted on the league sign-up roster to indicate the protected status. Protected players do not have to try-out at the draft. By: CBFO Girls Softball Executive Committee Michael West Chairman Don Hutcheson Commissioner Cory Gerlach Member Fiona Hill Member Mary Klimas Member Dave Kubeja Member Dan Machiela Member Jerome Moore Member Kimberly Pemberton Member Dave Shupp Member | 
