Ohio By-Laws
BYLAWS
OHIO HORSESHOE PITCHER’S ASSOCIATION
Article
1 Name
The name of the Association shall be the Ohio Horseshoe Pitcher’s Association (hereinafter referred to as The Association or OHPA).
Article
2 Purpose
The purpose of the Ohio Horseshoe Pitcher’s Association shall be to develop, foster, and promote horseshoe pitching at the local and state levels.
Article
3 Membership
Section 1 Qualifications for Membership
Any reputable person may become a member of The Association by the payment of State and National dues as fixed by The Association and The National Horseshoe Pitcher’s Association (NHPA). Annual dues include NHPA liability insurance.
Section 2 Adult Dues
Dues for adult members are NHPA dues in addition to State Association dues.
Section 3 Junior Dues
Dues for junior members are NHPA only. No State dues are charged for juniors. Boys and girls are eligible to compete as juniors up to and including the entire calendar year in which they turn 18 years of age.
Section 4 Dues Payment Dates
Annual dues are payable January 1 (or upon joining The Association), and are valid until December 31 of the year issued.
Section 5 Membership Cards
A combined State and National membership card shall be issued by the Secretary-Treasurer for persons who maintain legal residence in the State of Ohio. Legal residence is determined by place of voting or State from which driver’s license is issued. NHPA cards issued to non-residents shall require that the recipient pay NHPA dues only, and be given a receipt for said payment. NHPA dues shall be forwarded by the Ohio State Secretary-Treasurer to the NHPA Secretary-Treasurer along with the name, address, and card number so that the Charter of legal residence may be notified of collection of that Charter’s dues.
Section 6 Medical Exemptions
The Official Rules of Horseshoe Pitching states that “All Open Men and Senior contestants shall observe the 37-foot foul lines. Physically impaired males in these categories may be given permission by the governing NHPA officials to move onto the extended platforms and observe the 27 foot foul lines.” (See Rule 3, Section A, number 2) The NHPA has further delegated the responsibility of this decision-making to the various State Associations for acceptance or denial. The Executive Council of the Ohio Association has made this process more formal by the creation of a form, which will also serve as an official record. The steps of this process are outlined on the form, which is available, upon request, from the State Secretary. A pitcher cannot pitch from the shorter distance in any sanctioned event before permission is granted by the Ohio Executive Council.
Section 7 Suspension
Any pitcher under suspension by either the NHPA or the OHPA shall not be permitted to pitch, keep score, enter the court area or otherwise participate in any sanctioned event held or sponsored by the OHPA. In addition, any member may be suspended for:
a.) Willfully violating any official playing rule or Bylaw of The Association or of the NHPA (See Rule 11, sections a, b, and c).
b.) Fixing games, cheating, or any other conduct unbecoming a member.
c.) Placing a bet of monetary value on a contestant or self when participating in a competition.
d.) Using unsanctioned shoes in a tournament.
e.) Forfeiting in a tournament for an unapproved reason.
Suspensions shall be considered by the elected State Officers after receipt of written complaint by a bona-fide member of The Association or NHPA stating the rule allegedly violated. The suspension, if approved by a majority of the State Officers, shall be in effect for one year or until the next annual convention at which time the suspended member may appeal to the Convention for reinstatement. Letters of suspension shall be mailed by The Association Secretary-Treasurer to all clubs in the State.
No member may be suspended without being given an opportunity of attending a hearing before two or more of the State officers. If a member refuses to or does not attend a hearing, they may be suspended.
Article
4 Convention
Section 1 Time of Convention
The Association Convention shall be held during the annual State Tournament at a time announced by the President.
Section 2 Location
The State Convention shall take place at the site of the annual State Tournament.
Section 3 Delegates, Voting, and Quorum
Delegates will be every current NHPA/OHPA cardholder who is in attendance at the State Convention. Only delegates in attendance are eligible to vote. A quorum shall be equal to 5% of OHPA members in good standing.
Section 4 Business and Proposals
Any delegate may bring business before the Convention either in written form or presented verbally from the floor of the Convention. Written proposals, resolutions, etc. are preferred as they allow for careful consideration by other delegates. Proposals for the revision of Bylaws are described in Article 9; Sections 2 and 3.
An agenda shall be prepared for each Convention; therefore all proposals, resolutions, etc. must be communicated to the President no less than 5 days prior to the Convention either in writing or by telephone. Complete details need not be presented. The subject matter is sufficient to place the item on the business agenda of the Convention.
Other matters may be considered by the Convention if they arise out of other business or are of such an urgent or late-breaking nature that they could not have been anticipated prior to the five-day deadline.
Section 5 Rules of Order
Roberts Rules of Order (revised) shall govern the proceedings of the Convention except when they are not consistent with these Bylaws in which case these Bylaws shall prevail.
Article
5 State Officers, Terms, Duties
Section 1 Officers
The officers of the Association shall be:
a.) President
b.) A First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Vice-President (the numbers assigned to the vice-presidents shall not indicate rank, but rather refer to the five state districts)
c.) Secretary-Treasurer
The above officers shall be known as The Executive Council.
Section 2 Eligibility of Officers
a.) All officers shall be NHPA members in good standing (dues paid and not under suspension).
b.) At least one officer, if available, shall be a woman, and, similarly, at least one officer must be a man. No junior pitcher may be an officer.
c.) All officers must subscribe to the NHPA newsletter, currently Horseshoe Pitching Newsline.
Section 3 Districts
District 1 - Southwest District - Counties are: Adams, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Darke, Fayette, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, Warren.
District 2 - Northwest District - Counties are: Allen, Auglaize, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, VanWert, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.
District 3 - Central District - Counties are: Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Muskingum, Pickaway, Perry, Union.
District 4 - Southeast District - Counties are: Athens, Belmont, Gallia, Guernsey, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, Washington.
District 5 - Northeast District - Counties are: Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Wayne.
Section 4 Terms of Office
Each officer shall serve a term of two years. Officers shall be elected by the delegates at the annual convention, and shall assume their duties immediately following the convention. Officers shall be elected according to the following schedule:
Even Years - President, Second and Fourth Vice Presidents
Odd Years - Secretary-Treasurer, First, Third and Fifth Vice-Presidents
Section 5 Duties of Officers
a.) Executive Council
The Executive Council shall be made up of the OHPA officers and shall have full power to conduct the business of The Association between annual conventions to the degree that the business does not conflict with these Bylaws.
This shall include setting a budget which shall include payment of compensation and allowances, purchases of necessary supplies/equipment, setting of prize monies for the State Tournament, and all other necessary expenditures for The Association. The Executive Council shall establish rules for the payment of Association bills.
These decisions may be challenged by the next Convention and overturned if deemed necessary by a simple majority of the delegates (provided a quorum is present).
The Executive Council shall meet at the call of the President at least once each year at a time other than the Convention. Other meetings may be called by the President or by any two other members of the Executive Council.
Business may also be conducted by mail, e-mail, or by telephone if appropriate.
All officers are expected to attend and help run the State Tournament.
b.) President
The president shall preside at all meetings of The Association, shall preside over the State Convention, shall assign specific duties to the other elected officers, shall convene at least one (more if needed) meeting of the Executive Council between conventions, shall appoint standing and temporary committees, shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, shall appoint from among the District Vice-Presidents one to preside over any meeting at which he/she is unable to attend, shall cast tie-breaking votes at Executive Council sessions and at Conventions, shall manage the State Tournament in cooperation with the Tournament Director at the Tournament site, and shall appoint the State Tournament Director.
c.) Vice-Presidents
The District Vice-Presidents shall assist the President when called upon, shall serve on the Executive Council of The Association, shall assist in setting up and running tournaments in their districts, shall assist in establishment of new clubs when called upon, shall insure that all tournament results from their districts are promptly reported to the NHPA NATSTATS CENTER, shall attend as many tournaments as possible in their districts, shall appoint one or more district representatives to assist with District duties (e.g. attending a tournament as representative of the Vice-President), shall appoint The Association President if any event makes it impossible for the President to fulfill his/her duties, and assist with running the State Tournament. If possible, Vice-presidents shall live within the district that they represent.
d.) Secretary-Treasurer
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds, property, and records of The Association, shall keep minutes of all meetings of the Executive Council and of the State Convention, shall collect State and National dues and keep record of same, forwarding names and monies to the NHPA as required by NHPA bylaws and procedures, shall pay all routine bills of The Association, and shall submit a detailed written report of receipts and expenditures to the State Officers and to the Annual Convention.
Section 6 Vacancies
a.) President
A vacancy in the presidency shall be filled from among the District Vice-Presidents with the Secretary-Treasurer presiding over the process. The person selected by this method shall fill the un-expired term of the President.
b.) Vice-President
A vacancy in the office of Vice-President shall be filled upon recommendation of the President to the Executive Council. An officer selected by this method shall fill the un-expired term of the Vice-President.
c.) Secretary-Treasurer
A vacancy in the office of Secretary-Treasurer shall be filled upon recommendation of the President to the Executive Council. A person selected by this method shall fill the un-expired term of the Secretary-Treasurer.
Article
6 The Ohio State Tournament
Section 1 Location
The annual State Tournament shall be held on the Labor Day weekend each year at a site agreed upon by the delegates at a preceding annual convention. Any site chosen shall have sufficient courts to permit pitching the usual number of contestants at a State Tournament according to records of past tournaments.
Section 2 Bidding Process
a.) A city or organization desiring to hold the State Tournament shall place its bid in the hands of the OHPA Secretary/Treasurer by the 15th of March, two years in advance. The OHPA president shall designate one or more members of the Executive Council to open bids after he/she has determined that these members shall have no conflict of interest in the matter. No bids will be considered unless all of the following conditions are met:
1.) The facilities available for conducting the tournament are stated.
2.) A minimum bid of $1500 in cash is offered.
3.) A minimum payment of one third (33%) of the total cash bid shall accompany the bid. This deposit is refundable, after the Convention, to the unsuccessful bidder.
b.) The Convention shall award, two years in advance and by a simple majority vote, the privilege of conducting a State Tournament. If three or more sites are bidding and none receives a majority vote, the two sites receiving the most votes will have a runoff in a second ballot. In case no State Tournament bid is received by the OHPA deadline, the Executive Council has the authority to award the Tournament for that next open year only.
c.) Bidders who are awarded the State Tournament must sign a contract that, among other things, requires the total bid to be paid at least one year prior to the tournament dates.
Section 3 Dress Code
All pitchers competing in the State Tournament must have, as a minimum, their last name and City or State abbreviation professionally lettered on the back of their shirts. Letters shall be a minimum of ¾ inches in height and shirts cannot be sleeveless. Further dress code can be imposed by the Executive Council if all entrants are notified not later than the mailing of their pitching schedule.
Section 4 Alcohol, Tobacco, and Controlled Substances
At the State Tournament, the use of alcoholic beverages, illegal controlled substances, and any form of tobacco while in the confines of the courts shall be prohibited for all contestants, officials and scorekeepers.
Section 5 Entries
Entry into the State Tournament shall be based on NATSTAT records. The tournament director shall obtain these records the day after the tournament deadline and place participants into classes based on these records. A minimum of three (3) sanctioned events in the preceding twelve (12) months is required for entering. However, a pitcher without any previous record or who has not participated in three sanctioned events in the preceding twelve months, and who wishes to pitch in the State Tournament, may pitch 100 qualifying shoes in the presence of any sanctioned card holder or league or tournament director prior to the entry deadline. He/she may also present official records from any non-sanctioned event held during the preceding twelve (12) months. The State Tournament director shall then place the pitcher in a class which, in his/her judgment, most closely approximates the pitcher’s ability. If the pitcher has pitched in 1 or 2 sanctioned or non-sanctioned events, those events shall be averaged with the 100 qualifying shoes-average to establish a ringer percentage.
Section 6 Residence Requirement
In order to pitch in the Ohio State Tournament, a pitcher must meet the legal residence requirements stated in Article 3; Section 5, must be a sanctioned cardholder, and must additionally have lived in Ohio for a minimum of 90 days prior to the event. No pitcher may pitch in more than one State Tournament. A pitcher cannot pitch twice in the same State Tournament other than as a pacer.
Section 7 Presentation of Awards
At an appropriate time during each State Tournament, a brief meeting will be announced to present awards, remember deceased pitchers, make announcements, and inform those present of any news of importance to the membership. Times for these presentations and announcements will be set by the Executive Council after consultation with the Tournament Director and/or the host site committee.
Article
7 Rules of Play
The official rules for pitching any sanctioned horseshoe tournament in the State of Ohio shall be governed by the most recent Official Rules or Bylaws published by the NHPA except where Ohio rules are published to cover specific needs and do not constitute a violation of NHPA rules which would endanger the status of the Ohio Charter.
Article 8 Standing Committees
Standing committees, appointed by the President, shall be composed of one or several persons and shall be the following:
a.) By-Laws Committee
This committee shall review all suggested changes to the Ohio By-Laws annually and determine whether any portion needs clarification, deletion, update, correction, or any adjustment based on revisions of the NHPA By-Laws.
b.) Hall of Fame Committee
This committee shall establish written guidelines for membership into the Ohio Hall of Fame (subject to approval of the Executive Council and the Convention), and, after research, evaluation and selection, shall present the names of deserving individuals to the Convention delegates for induction. The Hall of Fame chairperson and committee will be appointed by the Executive Council and shall oversee the voting process.
c.) Communications Committee
This committee shall be composed of the Ohio Horseshoe Newsletter editor, the person in charge of the OHPA website, and two other individuals appointed by the Association President. The purpose of the committee is to provide a format for written communication to the membership.
d.) State Tournament Host
The State Tournament Host shall be responsible for preparation and maintenance of the courts at the State Tournament, shall insure the availability of judges and judging tools, proper lighting, and necessary equipment such as scoreboards, chairs, and all other terms of the tournament contract. Decisions regarding discontinuance and restart of play during rain, lightning and/or thunderstorms or any other emergency shall be made by the Tournament Director and/or the Tournament Committee.
Article 9 Amendments
Section 1 No Conflict with NHPA Bylaws or Rules
In the event that the NHPA adopts new, revised bylaws or rules which conflict with the Ohio Bylaws, the NHPA rules or Bylaws shall supersede the Ohio Bylaws.
The President shall request the Bylaws Committee to draft the necessary revision in the Ohio Bylaws to be voted on at the next Convention, if sufficient time is available for proper notification of delegates.
Section 2 Amendments and Revision to the Ohio Bylaws
Other than as indicated in Article 9 (Sections 1and 4), these bylaws shall not be amended except in odd-numbered years. The Bylaws Committee shall review and accept written suggestions for revisions to the Bylaws in the interim. All proposed revisions of the bylaws shall be received, in writing, by the Bylaws Committee prior to March 1st of the year when voting takes place.
Section 3 Publication of Proposed Revisions
Any proposed revision or amendment to these bylaws shall be published to the general membership prior to being considered by the Convention and shall have been considered by the Bylaws Committee and the Executive Council before publication. Both the existing and new text shall be printed for comparison. This publication shall constitute notice to the membership that the amendment(s) to the Bylaws shall be voted on at the next Convention. If possible, publication shall be through the Ohio Horseshoe Newsletter.
Section 4 Emergency Revision or Amendment
Sections 1 and 4 of this article are exceptions to section 2. If, during the course of a Convention, an issue is raised which requires and emergency/urgent amendment or revision of these Bylaws, the emergency amendment may be considered if three-fourths of the convention delegates present agree to do so (provided that a quorum is present).
Section 5 Required Vote to Pass Amendments
A two-thirds vote of the delegates present at the Convention is required to amend the Bylaws (provided that a quorum is present).
Article
10 Conducting Business
Section 1 Executive Council
In order to transact business at a meeting, a minimum of 4 of the 6 voting members must be present. Telephone, mail, or e-mail business shall require input by the President and Secretary Treasurer. Other Executive Council members shall be notified in due time.
Section 2 Convention
Business may be conducted at the Convention provided a quorum is present.
Section 3 Tie-breaking Votes
The President shall not vote on any matter before the Executive Council or Convention except in the case of a tie vote, in which case the President shall cast the tie-breaking vote.
Section 4 Vote Requirement
Other than to amend the Bylaws (see Article 9), the routine business of The Association shall require a simple majority (51%) vote for passage, provided that a quorum is present.
(revised 10/03)