WSCA By-Laws

WASHINGTON STATE CURLING ASSOCIATION, INC. BY-LAWS
Originally adopted August 4, 1975 and as last revised January 11, 1994.
Beth Bronger-Jones President Murray Beighton Secretary

ARTICLE I - NAME DESIGNATION This Association will be known as the Washington State Curling Association and referred to hereinafter as the WSCA. A curling club belonging to the WSCA is referred to hereinafter as a member club. Individuals duly appointed to represent their member club are hereinafter referred to as representatives. The WSCA is a nonprofit corporation, incorporated under RCW 24.03 of the laws of the State of Washington. The WSCA is also a member of the United States Curling Association, Inc.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE The WSCA has been formed to represent Member Clubs in
matters pertaining to international and nationally sanctioned curling events.

Specifically the WSCA shall endeavor to:
A. Stage and officiate at competitions for determining Washington State Curling Championship Teams to represent the State in competition for U.S. National Curling Championships as they occur, to include the promotion and assistance of the Competitive Curling of Washington, a Washington corporation.
B. Promote the game of curling in and for the State of Washington and provide a communication link between Member Clubs.
C. Maintain and encourage any international relationships with other curling organizations on behalf of the Member Clubs in the State of Washington.
D. Encourage and assist in the organization of the curling clubs in the State of Washington and to promote the good fellowship of curling wherever possible.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP A. QUALIFICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the WSCA as a member club is open to any Curling Club in the State of Washington having a least sixteen (16) dues paying members to the WSCA.
B. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Application for membership shall be made in writing by the Secretary of the applying club to the Secretary of the WSCA. Said application shall contain the name of the club, the name of its officers, the names and addresses of its members, a copy of its charter of By-laws, a request for affiliation, and such information as the WSCA may require.
C. ELECTION FOR MEMBERSHIP
The application of the applying club may be considered by the WSCA at any regularly constituted meeting. The election to membership shall be by the affirmative vote of a majority of the representatives.
D. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
The association may suspend or expel a Member Club for cause after an appropriate hearing, and may, by a majority vote terminate the membership of any member club who shall be in default of the payment of dues as outlined in ARTCILE XIII of these By-Laws.
E. RESIGNATION
Any member club may resign, in good standing, by filing a written resignation with the secretary of the WSCA, but such resignation shall not relieve the member club of resigning of the obligation to pay any dues, assessments or any charges theretofore accured and unpaid.
F. TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the WSCA is not transferable or asssignable. ARTICLE III A - RIGHTS AND GRIEVANCES
No club may be a member of the WSCA unless that club selects its club members without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin.
All competitions sponsored by the WSCA shall provide equal opportunity to amateur athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, administrators, and officials to participate in amateur athletic competition without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Any member of a WSCA member club who has been suspended for any reason from a club may be subject to review by the WSCA concerning participation in WSCA sanctioned functions.
a. This review may include suspension from WSCA functions at any time, until the matter is resolved.
b. It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees of the member club to
submit documentation or questions concerning eligibility to the WSCA Board.
Notice and opportunity for hearing shall be given to any amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, adminstrator, or official at any time he or she is initially determined to be ineligible to participate in any competition sponsored by the WSCA. Such hearing shall be conducted by the Board of Review, consisting of at least 2/3 of the members of the board of the WSCA. Any person who has initially declared to be ineligible may appeal that ruling to the Board of Review by sending a written statement to the registered office of incorporation, which is presently designated as:
President-Washington State Curling Association, CO Granite Curling Club, 1440 North 128th St., Seattle, WA 98133
or such other registered office as may be hereafter adopted by the corporation.
The written statement shall contain a factual statement of how and why the individual was found to be ineligible and a statement of why the individual believes the determination was in error. The Board of Review will ordinarily meet within ten days to discuss the appeal and rule upon it. The appeal meeting may be held in less than ten days at the discretion of the President of the WSCA if the circumstances warrant a quicker appeal hearing. The Board of Review of the WSCA shall have discretion to decide the matter on the basis of the written submissions,or may request that the complaining party and any other individuals involved in the determination of the ineligibility be present at the hearing. The basis of the decision will be made by a quorum (majority) of said Board of Review.
The WSCA Board of Review procedure as described herein, shall be in addition to the Bill of Rights and right of grievance procedure established by the United States Curling Association in Sections 3A and 3B of the USCA By-laws.
ARTICLE IV - MEETING OF MEMBERS A. PLACE OF MEETING
Any and all meetings of the WSCA shall be held at the place and time selected by the WSCA President.
B. ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of the WSCA shall be held during the month of June for the purpose of selecting new officers and for the transition of such other business as may come before the meeting.
C. SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings of the WSCA may be called by the WSCA President or by a majority of the member clubs.
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D. COMMITMENT OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the WSCA shall commit member clubs to acceptance and support of the WSCA, its by-laws and purposes. Member clubs must give their appointed representatives freedom to conduct themselves in the best interest of the WSCA as a whole to achieve these stated purposes.
E. NOTIFICATION
A written notice of each annual meeting and of any special meetings pertaining to the election or termination of any member club, or pertaining to any amendments to these By-laws, shall be made by the secretary of the WSCA to the secretaries of the member clubs and their representatives at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting. Member clubs shall acknowledge, in writing, notification of the annual meeting and shall include the names of the member clubs representatives to the WSCA for the ensuing year. Notice of regular meetings shall be given to each representative ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE V - REPRESENTATION A. REPRESENTATIVES
Each member club shall be entitled to two (2) representatives in the WSCA for each 100 dues-paying members of its club or a fraction thereof, as determined from the official membership list as required in Article XIII. Validation of the representatives must be made in writing to the WSCA President on or before May 31 by the president of the individual member clubs. Member clubs must also give prompt and written notice of any changes in the member club officers or its representatives to the WSCA. The representatives selected by the member clubs are expected to serve a two (2) year term. The member clubs will ensure only one-half of the representatives are elected each year.
B. INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL DIRECTORS OR REPRESENTATIVES
The WSCA acknowledges representatives of the USCA, USWCA, AND WCF as representatives to the WSCA. It is recognized by the WSCA that whether USCA members are state appointed/elected, or whether they are board appointed/elected, they are representatives of WA state.

ARTICLE VI - QUORUM-VOTING-PROXIES A. QUORUM
A majority of the representatives present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any regularly consituted meeting.
B. VOTING RIGHTS
Each representative, the immediate past president, international and national directors or representatives shall be entitled to one vote even though they may subsequently be made an officer of the WSCA. The President of the WSCA shall
cast his or her votes only if it would have bearing on the vote. C. PROXIES
At any meeting of the WSCA a representative may vote in person or by proxy executed in writing by the representative or by his/her duly authorized Attorney-in-fact. A proxy shall be valid only for the designated meeting.
ARTICLE VII - OFFICERS A. OFFICERS
The officers of the WSCA shall consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and immediate past president. Each of the first four officers as listed above shall be elected from and by the incumbent representatives at the annual meeting. No officer elected to more than his or her first term of any office in the WSCA can be confirmed prior to their validation by the member club they represent.
B. VACANCIES
A vacancy in any office, except immediate past president, because of death, reasignation, removal, disqualifcation, or otherwise, may be filled by the representatives for the unexpired portion of the term. Vacancies may be filled or new offices created and filled at any regualarly constituted meeting of the WSCA. Each officer shall hold office until his successor has been duly elected and qualified.
C. REMOVAL
Any officer or agent elected or appointed may be removed by the representatives whenever in their judgement the best interests of the WSCA would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, it any, of the person so removed.
D. PRESIDENT
The president shall be the principal executive officer of the WSCA and shall in general supervise and control all the business affairs of the WSCA. The president shall preside at all meetings of the members. The president may sign, with the secretary or any other proper officer of the WSCA authorized by the representatives, any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts, or other instruments which the representatives have authorized to be executed, except in cases where the signing and execution thereof shall be espressly delegated by the representatives by these By-laws, or by statute to some other officer or agent of the WSCA; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and other duties as may be prescribed by the representatives from time to time.
E. VICE-PRESIDENT
In the absence of the president or in the event of the president's inability or
refusal to act, the vice-president shall perform the duties of the president, and so when acting, shall have all the powers and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president. The vice-president shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the president or by the representatives.
F. SECRETARY
The secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the WSCA in one or more books provided for the purpose; see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these By-laws or as required by the law; be custodian of the WSCA records; keep a register of the mailing address of each member club and its representatives which shall be furnished to the secretary by each member club; and in general perform all duties incident to the office of secretary and such other duties as from time to time are assigned by the president or by the representatives.
G. TREASURER
The treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the WSCA; prepare and submit semi-annual and year-end financial reports; receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the. WSCA in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected in accordance with the provisions of Article VIII of the By-laws; and in general perform all the duties incident to the office of treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the president or by the representatives. If required by the representatives, the treasurer shall give a bond for the faithful discharge of his or her duties in such sum as with such surety or sureties as the representatives may determine.
H. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
The immediate past president assumes office only in the year immediately following the term of office as president. The purpose of this office is to provide continuity between the preceding and present administrations. This office will remain vacant in the event the immediate past present cannot serve or in the event of election to serve in any other office in the WSCA.
I. INDEMNIFCATION
The WSCA shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless each of its directors, representatives, and officers from and against all claims, charges and expenses, which he or she incurr as a result of any action or lawsuit brought against any such director, representative, or officer arising out of the latter's performance of his or her duty in this corporation, unless such claims and expenses were caused by fraud or wilfull neglect on the part of the said officer, representative, or director.

ARTICLE VIII - CONTRACTS, CHECKS, DEPOSITES AND FUNDS
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A. CONTRACTS
The representatives may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents of the association, in addition to officers so authorized by these By-Laws, to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the association and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
B. CHECKS, DRAFTS, Etc.
All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the association, shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the association and in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the representatives. In the absence of such determination by the representatives, such instruments shall be signed by the Treasurer or such officers or agents as the represetatives shall from time to time designate for that purpose.
C. DEPOSITS
All funds of the association shall be deposited in a timely manner to the credit of the association in such banks, trust companies or other depositaries as the representatives may select.
D. DISTRIBUTION
No part of the income of the association is distibutable to its members, directors representatives, or officers, and no part of the net earnings of the association shall inure to the benefit of any private individual. If the association applies for and receives tax exempt status, either under Section 501 (c) (7) of the Internal Revenue Code or Section 501 (C)(3) of the said Code, then the association shall not engage in any activities that conflict with or jeopardize its particular tax exempt qualification.

ARTICLE IX - CERTIFICATES OF MEMBERSHIP
The representatives may provide for the issuance of certificates evidencing membership in the association which shall be in such form as may be determined by the representatives. Such certificates shall be signed by the President or a Vice President and by the Secretary. The name and address of each member club and the date of issuance of the certificate shall be entered on the records of the association. If any certificate shall become lost, mutilated or destroyed, a new certificate may be issued therefore upon such terms and conditions as the representatives may determine.
A. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES
When a member club has been elected to membership and has paid any initiation fee and dues that may be required, a certificate of membership shall be issued in its name and delivered to the member club by the Secretary, if the representatives shall have provided for the issuance of certificates of membership under the foregoing stated provisions of this Article

ARTICLE X - BOOKS AND RECORDS
This association shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall also keep minutes of its proceedings. All books and records of the association may be inspected by a representative or a representative's agent or attorney for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.
ARTICLE XI - FISCAL YEAR
The Fiscal year of the association shall begin on the first day of June and end on the last day of May in each year.
ARTICLE XII - RULES
The Rules contained in Robert's Rules or Order, Revised, shall govern the meetings of the representatives where they are not inconsistant with these By-Laws. Unless otherwise provided in these By-Laws, a majority vote shall govern at any meeting of the members.
ARTICLE XIII - DUES A. ANNUAL DUES
The representatives may determine from time to time the amount of initiation fee, if any, and annual dues payable to the association. Each member club shall pay dues based on its curling membership. The amount per member shall be fixed by the association.
B. PAYMENT OF DUES
Dues shall be payable to the Treasurer of the association on or before December 1 of each year and the tender of such dues shall be accompanied by a certified statement of the names and addresses of the curlers who are members of the dues-paying club. Payment of dues shall entitle a club to representation in the association and to all benefits of the association.
C. DEFAULT AND TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
When any member club shall be in default in the payment of dues for a period of one (1) month from the beginning of the period for which such dues become payable, its membership may thereupon be terminated in the manner provided in Article 111 of these By-Laws.
D. U.S. NATIONAL DUES AND FEES
Verification shall be provided to the association that dues and fees as required for membership in the U.S. National Organization(s) have been paid prior to
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participation in National sponsored competitions.

ARTICLE XIV - AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed and new By-Laws may be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of the representatives present at any regularly constituted meeting of the association, provided that written notice is given of the intention to alter, amend or repeal or to adopt new By-Laws at such meeting in accordance with Article IV of these By-Laws.