Red Stick Lacrosse
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Red Stick Lacrosse Bylaws

Article I
Name

Section 1. The name of this lacrosse club is Red Stick Lacrosse, subsequently referenced as RSL. 

 

Article II
Affiliations

Section 1. RSL will be affiliated with the US Lacrosse Organization and other organizations or leagues as decided on by the Board or Directors, also known as the Board. 

Section 2. RSL is the parent organization of the Baton Rouge Mustangs Youth Lacrosse program. 

 

Article III
Purpose

Section 1. RSL provides a well-rounded lacrosse program for youth to participate in organized team play, regardless of race, religion, or economic background.

Section 2. RSL provides the opportunity for the development of skills and knowledge of lacrosse to its participants.

Section 3. RSL provides funds and fundraising opportunities for participants in Kindergarten through eighth (8th) grade.  

Section 4. RSL is organized exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Article IV
Mission

Section 1. RSL encourages and publicizes the sport of lacrosse and promotes the physical and emotional well-being of participants while focusing on fun, growth, and enjoyment.

Section 2. RSL promotes the ideals of good sportsmanship, sportsmanlike conduct, respect for others, honesty, loyalty, positive self-esteem, self-discipline, leadership, team play, and camaraderie.

 

Article V
Club Policy

Section 1. The organizational year will be from July first (1st) to June thirtieth (30th). 

Section 2. Membership requirements are detailed in Article VI.

Section 3: Teams will be organized based upon grade level of players unless tournament(s) or leagues define age groups differently.  The creation of any team comprising a new age bracket must be approved by the Board prior to organization. 

Section 4. Each team’s size will be based on the individual player’s skill, team needs, and coach’s recommendation. The final roster will determine the team’s size.

Section 5. Players must submit all required registration forms and fees to be considered for the final roster.

Section 6. Based on the financial needs to operate RSL, the Board will determine the cost of registration for all teams.

The Board reserves the right, on a case-by-case basis, to allow a child to participate who, due to financial hardship, may otherwise not be able to participate. Approval to participate must be by a majority vote of the Board.

All finances will remain strictly confidential, and the Board will protect and ensure the financial privacy of all participants.

Section 7. Game schedules will be established by the Board or their designee(s).

Any open dates on the schedule may be used to play scrimmage games, at the discretion of the Head Coaches.  The Secretary should be notified to ensure communication goes out to parents and players. 

Section 8. Each player will be allowed playing time depending upon the particular game situation and the discretion of the coaching staff.

 

Article VI
Membership, Eligibility, and Expectations of Members

Section 1. Membership includes all youth and adults participating in the RSL program at any time. This includes all players, parents, and volunteers.

Section 2. Eligible players include boys and girls in Kindergarten through eighth (8th) grade from the Greater Baton Rouge area. 

Section 3. All members must abide by these bylaws to remain in good standing with and a member of RSL.

 

Article VII
Governing Bodies, Duties, Responsibilities, Elections, and Terms

Section 1. The Executive Board includes the following positions and their respective duties:

President

  1. President at all meetings and be an official member of all committees, although he/she is not obligated to attend all committee functions.
  2. Perform the duties as voted upon by the Board.
  3. May delegate duties to members, but ultimately maintains full responsibility for the operations of RSL.
  4. Correspond with regional program directors to identify game and tournament opportunities. 

Vice President

  1. Conduct the President’s duties in his/her absence.
  2. Perform any duties as called upon by the Board.
  3. Oversee all fundraising activities.
  4. Bring all proposals and requests for fundraising made by the fundraising chairperson to a vote of the Board at any general meeting for approval by the organization.
  5. Keep the minutes of any general, annual, or Board meetings in the absence of the Secretary.

Treasurer

  1. Receive, hold, and pay out all monies as directed by the Board.
  2. Act as a custodian of all financial records of the organization.
  3. Present a formal financial statement to the Board. The statement will contain a breakdown of all monies paid and received, as well as the financial standings of the organization, including the most current monthly bank statement.
  4. Ensure all fees are paid to tournaments, leagues, officials, fields, etc. 
  5. Act as the Head of the Budget Committee (if applicable) and provide the Board with updates.

Secretary

  1. Keep the minutes of all general, annual, and Board meetings.
  2. Preserve all records, bylaws, and communications.
  3. Present a report of the minutes from the previous meeting at each meeting, at which time the Board will accept, modify, or reject the minutes as written.
  4. Provide and maintain a guest/attendance record for all general and Board meetings.
  5. Secure a meeting space in advance of all meetings.
  6. Conduct all organization correspondence as deemed necessary by the Board.
  7. Maintain records of all active players’ and coaches’ USA Lacrosse membership affiliations, reporting inconsistencies when necessary. 
  8. Maintain an accurate roster at all times which will list each player’s name, shirt number, age, grade, and date of birth, ensuring the list is up-to-date and accurate.

Section 2. The Board includes the Executive Board and up to four (4) Board Members At-Large. 

  • Manage the day-to-day business of RSL.
  • Conduct all functions of the organization.
  • Establish any necessary committees and coordinate all activities required to support and maintain the organization, at the discrimination of the Board, new positions may be added as they become necessary.
  • Formulate an annual operating budget and expenditure budget to be presented no later than six (6) months from the Annual Meeting.
  • Receive and accept or deny all applications for coaching positions.
  • Maintain adequate liability insurance coverage for coaches and players.
  • Act as a grievance committee with the power-to-act.
  • Voting rights are detailed in Article XI.

Section 3. The duties of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary are detailed in Article VII. The duties of the remaining members of the Board are listed below. These duties may be combined with other officer roles if necessary.

Board Member(s) At-Large

  1. Have voting rights at Board meetings.
  2. Assist Board members with their duties as the need arises.

Schedulers

  1. Schedule all games, working with the Field Coordinator and the appropriate Coaching Coordinator.
  2. Rescheduling games as necessary, working with the Field Coordinator and the appropriate Coaching Coordinator.
  3. Notify the appropriate Coaching Coordinator and Head Coach of all scheduled and rescheduled games.
  4. Notify the Field Coordinator of scheduling changes.

Webmaster

  1. Maintain the RSL website and social media presence.
  2. Forward registration information to Board members and coaches, as applicable.

Field Coordinator

  1. Coordinate the initial lining of the fields.
  2. Coordinate volunteers and ensures all fields remain lined throughout the entire season.

Equipment Manager

  1. Maintain and store all equipment owned by RSL.
  2. Maintain a complete, recorded inventory of all equipment.
  3. Notify the appropriate Coaching Coordinator of all replacements, repairs, and new equipment required.
  4. Process budget requirements for all equipment requests and present to the Board for approval.
  5. Prepare a detailed equipment list and supply budget to the Board before the submission date for the annual operating and expenditure budgets.
  6. If an Equipment Manager is not appointed, the Coaching Coordinator will be responsible for the duties with regard to all equipment for their respective team, The President will be responsible for these duties with regard to all other equipment owned by the organization.

Apparel Manager

  1. Maintain and store all apparel and accessories owned by RSL.
  2. Responsible for all apparel and accessory orders and distribution upon delivery.
  3. Maintain a complete, recorded inventory of all apparel and accessories.
  4. Work with a sports apparel company, approved by the Board, to design the seasons apparel and accessories.
  5. Process budget requirements for all apparel and accessory requests and present to the Board for approval.

Coaching Coordinator

  1. Provide training and instruction to their respective coaches. Training should include RSL practices and procedures, the expectations and requirements of coaches, and potential US Lacrosse Certification and Coaches Clinics.
  2. Announce and enforce the rules and regulations pertaining to conditioning, safety, and training of players; the rules of lacrosse in general; and the rules set forth by RSL and US Lacrosse.
  3. Report major injuries (e.g., concussions, broken bones) of participants to the President.
    1. Ensure an adult representative of the organization takes responsibility for reporting the injury to a parent or guardian, and obtain a report on the condition of the injured participant.
    2. Following injuries of a serious prolonged nature, secure a signed medical release from a certified doctor and parent before the player is allowed to begin participating in the sport.
  4. Read and make all coaches aware of medical problems noted on a player’s medical form. Obtain additional information from parent or doctor if necessary.
  5. Enforce equal and befitting disciplinary actions among all and stand ready to justify those actions to the Board should the need arise.
  6. Schedule all practice sessions, assigning at least two (2) coaches to be with players at all times during the session.
  7. May delegate duties as necessary to the Assistant Coach(es), but maintains full responsibilities for the duties.
 

Section 4. New positions may be added to the Board as deemed necessary by the Board.

Section 5. In the event of a vacancy in any of the offices through resignation or other causes, nominations will be accepted and voted at the following general meeting. The Board may fill such a vacancy for the unexpired portion of the term, by a majority vote.

Section 6. Removal of any member of RSL, for sufficient cause, requires a two-thirds vote of the Board.

Section 7. Nominations for election to the Board will be made at the Annual Meeting.

Section 8. In the event the President becomes incapacitated or is unable to fulfill his/her duties, the Vice President will assume the duties for a period not to exceed 30 days.

Section 9: Terms of Board Member Positions

  1. President - The President term will consist of a three (3) year commitment to RSL; two (2) years as acting President, followed by a one (1) year term serving as Past-President. The role of Past-President serves purely as an advisor and does not have voting rights on the Board. 
  2. All other Board Member positions are non-elected roles with no defined term length.  Approval of roles will be Board determined upon an individual's commitment to serve at least twelve (12) months in official capacity. 

Section 10. Benefits of Board Members

  1. As a Board Member for RSL, individuals receive reimbursement for USA Lacrosse membership as well as reduced or waived fees for their children(s) annual registration fees. Fees for optional tournaments may be waived upon approval of the Board based on overall financial health of RSL. 
  2. To receive Board benefits, the Board Member must attend 75% of all scheduled meetings and fulfill all assigned duties of Board position. Failure to meet expectation minimum will result in resending of a prorated reimbursement. 

 Section 11. Board Member Emeritus

  1. RSL Founders Val Browning and J.R. Ball are considered Board Member Emeritus (BME) due to their continued commitment and contributions to the Baton Rouge lacrosse community. 
  2. BME are considered voting members around matters pertaining to By-Law changes, but are not required voting members on the Board for day-to-day operational issues. 
  3. BME can request to transition voting responsibilities to the current Board if/when they choose to no longer be involved. 

Article VIII
Coaches

Section 1. Head Coaches

  1. Responsible for all matters pertaining to the coaching of their respective lacrosse teams and must enforce all rules of the organization.
  2. Provide training and instruction to their respective team, stressing the principles of good sportsmanship and teamwork.
  3. Carry at all times the parental emergency medical assistance and permission forms.
  4. Maintain order and discipline among all team players.
  5. Oversee, perform, and/or delegate all duties.
  6. Reports injuries of participants to their respective Coaching Coordinator.
  7. Appoints a Team Manager, if desired.
  8. At a minimum, all RSL coaches are required to maintain current US Lacrosse standards and requirements.

Section 2. Assistant Coach(es)

  1. Assist the Head Coach, performing duties as delegated.

Section 3. Benefits of Coach(es)

  1. As a Head or Assistant Coach for RSL, individuals receive reimbursement for USA Lacrosse membership as well as reduced or waived fees for their children(s) annual registration fees. Fees for optional tournaments may be waived upon approval of the Board based on overall financial health of RSL. 
  2. To receive Coaching benefits, the Head or Assistant Coach must attend 75% of all scheduled practices, games, tournaments, meetings, etc. Failure to meet attendance minimum will result in resending of a prorated reimbursement. 

Article XI
Meetings and Voting

Section 1. Board meetings will be held on a consistent date each month.

  1. If the date must be changed due to a conflict, notification must be given to all Board members and posted at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting.

Section 2. There will be no less than eight (8) meetings during the organizational year.

Section 3. The Annual Meeting will be the final general meeting of the organizational year, held in June.

Section 4. All meetings of the organization will be governed according to the Parliamentary Law as set forth by Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.

Section 5. All members will be allowed to voice their opinions at general meetings.

Section 6. Only members of the Board will be allowed to present and/or vote on any motions made at meetings, unless otherwise determined by the Board.

Section 7. A quorum, the majority of those present and voting, is required when voting on all matters pertaining to RSL, unless otherwise specified in these bylaws, and will be the act of the Board.

  1. There must be at least three (3) Board members present for a quorum vote to be held.

Section 8. Where there are insufficient items to hold a meeting, the President may poll by phone and/or email all the members of the Board to obtain their vote, and notify each member of the Board within three (3) days of the date of the vote as to the results.

Section 9. The President has voting privileges, however, in the event of a tie breaking vote of the Executive Board and the Board, the President will withdraw his/her vote.

 

Article XII
Control of Funds

Section 1. The Board has the right at any time to veto any expenditure of monies in the best interest of RSL.

Section 2. No member of RSL will be allowed to disburse or permit funds without prior approval of the Executive Board.

Section 3. The Treasurer is authorized to establish and maintain both a checking and savings account in the name of RSL. There must be two (2) signers on each account.

Section 4. All funds belonging to RSL collected by any Board member or its designee must be logged in the financial ledger and signed off by two (2) people; one (1) must be a Board member.

  1. All monies must be deposited on day collected if funds exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00), or the next business day.
  2. The monies paid out from the organization must have one (1) signature for each transaction; two (2) signatures for each transaction over five hundred dollars ($500.00). Only the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary may sign for transactions.
  3. All monies collected for concessions, fundraising and registration will be collected by a Board member or Board their designee. A duplicate receipt will be given to all payees detailing amount received, dated, and signed.

Section 5. A full refund will be issued prior to the season start date and/or prior to the issuance of the US Lacrosse dues determined by RSL. Once the season has started a 75 percent (75%) refund will be issued prior to the first game of the season and any/all equipment belonging to RSL must be returned prior to an issuance of a refund.

Article XIV
Disciplinary Code

Section 1. Coaches have the authority to suspend or remove a member of a team any time with the condition that the final dismissal be explained in writing to the Board.

  1. The final decision on the suspension or removal will be voted on by the Board.
  2. The Board’s decision is final.

Section 2. A player may be suspended or removed from a team at the Head Coach’s or Board’s discretion for any of the following reasons, but not limited to:

  1. Any continuous or blatant violation of rules or policies set for the team or organization.
  2. The player is counterproductive to team atmosphere.

 

Article XV
Grievances

Section 1. All grievances should first be directed to the people involved in the dispute. If a satisfactory solution is not attained, a written submission of the grievance should be submitted to the President.

Section 2. All grievances will be discussed at the Board meeting. A special meeting may be called if the grievance is warranted, by the President with the Executive Board.

Section 3. All RSL members must abide by the 24-Hour Rule instituted by the Board. In the event of an incident or disagreement, all members will abstain from engaging in a discussion of the incident/disagreement for at least 24 hours. This allows all parties to reflect on the incident prior to a discussion about the incident/disagreement.

 

Article XVII
Amendments to the Bylaws

Section 1. Once adopted, the bylaws must be amended only by a three-fourths (3/4ths)vote of those present and voting at the meeting, including BME(s). 

Section 2. Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed at any meeting, general, special, annual, or Board. The amendment must be voted on by a majority of the attending voting membership. A minimum of three (3) voting members must be present.

 

Article XVIII
General Provisions

Section 1. No part of the net earnings of the corporation must inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the corporation must be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the articles of organization. 

Section 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the association must not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or corresponding provision of any corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

Section 3. Upon the dissolution of this association, assets must be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future federal tax code), or must be distributed to the Federal Government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.