ASSOCIATION OF
BYLAWS
Revised September 4, 2007
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
ARTICLE III
ADMINISTRATION
ARTICLE IV
AMENDMENT
ARTICLE V
JUDICIARY
ARTICLE I NAME
SECTION
1
The name of this
organization shall be the Oklahoma Horseshoe Pitchers Association.
Herein-after, it shall be referred to as the same.
SECTION
2
Location:
Headquarters, in care of the Secretary and Treasurer, name and address during
tenure of office.
ARTICLE II PURPOSE
SECTION
1
The
purpose of this association, an affiliate of and in harmony with the National
Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America: Promote among its members, the
populace of the state of Oklahoma, an opportunity to participate in the
exercise and art of pitching horseshoes for fun, skill, competition, health and
relaxation; encourage arrangements for facilities for contests, therein
providing a creative outlet for the community, suitable for all ages and
sex. We hereby establish the following
rules, regulations and bylaws.
ARTICLE III ADMINISTRATION
SECTION
1
The
officers of this association shall be selected from and elected by the
association membership and shall consist of a President, 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. They shall herein be referred to as the
Executive Council and shall serve a term of three years without pay;
exception Secretary/Treasurers amount subject to vote of the membership The 3rd
Vice President's term to coincide with the President's term; the 1st Vice
President's term to coincide with the Secretary/Treasurer's term; the 2nd Vice
President in the third year. (no proxies allowed)
There
shall be at least one woman on the Executive Council at all times.
SECTION
2
The
Executive Council responsibility shall be: charge, as well as direction, of the
association and that such action be in harmony with the constitution and the
bylaws of the association.
Areas
of responsibility include:
a. Power to remove officers and appoint officers in
event of resignation, removal or death.
b. Any major issue, or removal of officer, malfeasance
of office, or any action that tends to reduce or discredit the efficiency of
the association shall be conducted upon only after sufficient notice to all
members by the Secretary upon orders of the President stating time, place, date
and nature of business. A two-thirds majority of those present may take action
and render a decision that will be final.
SECTION
3
The
election of officers will be held at the annual meeting; date, time and place
to be announced by the President. The newly-elected officers will take charge
of their offices effective the first day after the State Singles Championship
Tournament for that year.
SECTION
4
Unless
so stated herein, Roberts Rules of Order shall guide the
parliamentary procedures. Format for conduct of meeting is:
1. Invocations
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3.
4. Report of Standing Committees
5. Report of Special Committees
6. Unfinished Business
7. Recognition of Visitors
8. New Business
9. Financial Report
10. Election of Officers
11. Adjournment
ARTICLE IV AMENDMENT
SECTION
1
The
Constitution, Bylaws, Rules and Regulations may be amended only on odd numbered
years. An amendment must carry by a
two-thirds vote of members present at the meeting. No amendment can be made
that is contrary to rules of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association.
SECTION
2
Any
proposed amendment must be in writing and bear the signature of the petitioner,
so that it can be read to the delegation prior to discussion and voting.
ARTICLE V JUDICIARY
SECTION
1
The
President (Chief Executive) shall preside at all association meetings. Line of
succession shall be: Vice Presidents in their order, followed by Secretary-Treasurer.
SECTION
2
The
President shall be empowered, when deemed advisable, to call special meetings
to appoint committees when necessary; also to remove such committees or
committeemen from their or his/her said position at any time.
SECTION
3
The
Secretary/Treasurer shall be custodian of the records, funds, and property of
the association. These items shall be turned in upon the end of tenure of
office or upon Presidential demand.
SECTION
4
The
Secretary/Treasurer shall be empowered to collect monies for membership,
qualifying fees, entry fees or assessments that have been authorized by the
association; also to pay out such monies as necessary for the continued
function of the association or on the verbal order of the President. This person is also to be the one responsible
for correspondence that is in the best interest of the association.
SECTION 5
The
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Vice Presidents, in their
order, shall
1.
Assume the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President
2. Assist the President, when requested and assume any duties appointed to them
by the President.
SECTION
6
The
Executive Council and Regional Director shall be the Judiciary Council. They will interpret and define the bylaws,
rules and regulations of the association. They will also act as arbitrators in
any protests and/or disputes of serious nature.
ARTICLE VI MEMBERSHIP AND FEES
SECTION
1
Any
reputable person, who can provide proof of residency in the state of
Dues
to be set at $20.00 for adult members. $12.00 for national dues, $4.00 for
state dues, and the remaining $4.00 divided equally between the Hall of Fame
and a State Tournament prize fund.
Dues
for Junior and Junior Cadet members shall be the $5.00 required for national
dues.
All
junior members must attach a copy of their birth certificate to their
membership application to insure placement in the proper distance division.
The
application for membership shall include an optional subscription to receive
the State Newsletter by
SECTION
2
Members
are permitted to enter open non-sanction tournaments. The exception is: State
Championship in all classes must first obtain sanction for title to be at
stake.
ARTICLE VII RULES OF CONDUCT
SECTION
1
The
rules of this association shall not be contrary to those of the National
Horseshoe Pitchers Association.
In
addition are those set forth by this association as follows:
In
all meets and tournaments at all levels, the members of the association shall
conduct themselves in a manner of the highest order as to set forth the best
image before the membership and the public at large, subject to local ordinance
and/or park regulations. There shall be
no
a. Profane or vulgar language
b. Heckling, ridicule or horseplay
c. Open drinking of alcoholic beverages on the courts
d. Public drunkenness
e. Gambling
f. Fighting, brawling or disturbance of peace
g. Smoking on the courts by competitors or scorekeepers
h.
cell phone
usage by competitors, scorekeepers or judges on the courts or during a game
In
that we wish our facilities to be a place conducive to bringing the family and
children, and open to all public, members should conduct themselves in a
respectable manner while on the courts or in the stands. Violations will be
subject to action by the Executive Council, tournament director or others in
charge.
SECTION 2
World Tournament dress code
as set forth in Article X, Section 7 of the N.H.P.A. By-Laws will be enforced
in all O.H.P.A. sponsored events. I.E. State Singles Tournament, State Doubles
Tournament,
(All pitchers competing in
a World Tournament must have, as a minimum, their last name and State or
Country abbreviation professionally lettered on the back of their shirts. Said
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.)
ARTICLE VIII STATE TOURNAMENT
SECTION
1A
The
title Champion Horseshoe Pitcher of Oklahoma is accorded to the winner of the
Championship Class, but the championship in any class can be contended for only
in state tournaments sanctioned by the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association
of America.
SECTION 1B
The
location of the State Tournament shall be put up for bid at the annual business
meeting at least 4 months prior to the tournament date and voted on by the
members present.
SECTION
2
The
responsibility of the Executive Council shall be to promote one such sanctioned
tournament each year, on Labor Day weekend, making all the necessary
arrangements to include:
a. Selecting the best sponsor
b. Adequate facilities
c. Trophies and awards with equitable distribution
thereof
d. Establish type of play, conduct of meet and manner
of scoring
e. Arrangements made in time to alleviate conflicts.
SECTION
3
a. To be eligible to pitch in the state tournament, you
must be a member of the O.H.P.A. and the N.H.P.A. (Refer to ARTICLE VI
SECTION 1) and be able to show proof of residing in the state of Oklahoma
for a period of no less than six months prior to the entry deadline, or by
approval by Executive Council review. Your qualifying average for the State
Tournament will be the N.H.P.A. NatStat average shown for you at the time the
State Tournament schedule is created.
b. To pitch in the Oklahoma State Tournament, a
contestant (1) must pitch in at least two sanctioned tournaments in
c. New members (beginners only) must pitch 200 shoes in
the presence of and scored by an O.H.P.A. member appointed by the Executive
Council. Total amount of ringers will be divided by two. All score sheets must be signed by the
scorekeeper and a member of the Executive council.
d. All score sheets, entries and fees must be in the
hands of the state Secretary two weeks prior to the state tournament.
e. State Secretary will mail out a pitching schedule no
later than one week prior to the state tournament.
f. Qualified members must be present to pitch at the
scheduled time. If absent at the beginning of play, the member will forfeit the
first game and if not present for the second game, he or she will be scratched
from the tournament and entry fee forfeited. Exception: Entry fee may be
refunded for extenuating circumstances determined by the Executive Council.
SECTION
4
Current
champions in any Championship Class will have to qualify for the State
Tournament under Article VIII, Sec. 3b, to be seeded in the Championship
Class by current percentage.
SECTION
5
Round
robin play will be used to determine the winners of each class. Games won or
lost will decide the contestants standing. The scoring system will be decided
in advance by the officers. The Championship Class will pitch the same type
game and use the same type scoring as the World Championship Class.
SECTION
6
All
ties for first place shall be settled by a one-game play-off. If there is a
three-way tie, #2 and #3 will play one game and the winner will play #1 in a
one game play-off. If more than a three-way tie, play will continue as a round
robin. The two winners will play each other in a one-game play-off. All other
classes will settle a first-place tie in a one-game play-off. A tie for any
place less than first will be settled by percentage first, then by total
points.
SECTION
7
The
host club and the Executive Council shall be responsible for the tournament
director, scoring devices, scorekeeping material, scorekeepers (if needed),
announcing of necessary ground rules, time limit between games, responsibility
of players, etc
All scorekeepers will be stationed at the center of the courts
during play.
SECTION
8
The
Regional Director shall be responsible for class and state champions receiving
patches and for the continued existence confirmation.
SECTION
9
Awards
for all Championship Classes shall read as follows:
MENS
DIVISION
STATE
CHAMPION
Subsequent
places will read:
MENS
DIVISION
1ST
RUNNER-UP
2ND
RUNNER-UP
All
other classes will read:
MENS
CLASS A
And
so on, with the divisions and classes labeled accordingly.
Divisions
will be for Mens, Womens, Seniors, Elders, Junior Boys, Junior Girls and
Junior Cadet, provided there is an entry in each division. Qualifications for
each division will be as set forth in the NHPA RGS book, Rule 1 Pitching
Divisions.
ARTICLE IX
SECTION
1
The
site of the Annual Oklahoma Open Tournament shall be put up for bid, the same
as the State Championship Tournament. It shall be bid and voted on at the
Annual State Meeting, one year in advance so as to allow ample time for
advertising/publicity.
ARTICLE X STATE DOUBLES TOURNAMENT
SECTION 1
The site of the annual
Oklahoma State Doubles Tournament shall be put up for bid, the same as the
Oklahoma State Championships. It shall be bid for and voted on at the annual
business meeting the preceding year to allow ample time for
advertising/publicity. Tournament Director, trophies and paper supplies will be
provided by the host club. Paid entries shall be sent directly to the
Tournament Director.
SECTION 2
There will be a division
for each distance in which an entry is received 20, 30 and 40 foot.
Count-all, handicap scoring will be used, with championship trophies being
awarded in each division. If a division has too many entries to compete in a
single round robin, it will be divided into heats, with the winners of each
heat advancing to the championship round. If fewer than four heats, runners-up
will also advance.
SECTION 3
A team must consist of two
pitchers who use the same distance foul line. Eligibility requirements will be
the same as for the State Singles tournament.
ARTICLE XI HALL OF FAME
To
establish a system to help determine qualified nominees to the Oklahoma
Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame. Note: Being qualified does not GUARANTEE
nomination.
There
will be three ways to qualify:
(1)
through pitching skill and achievement
(2)
through service to and promotion of the game of horseshoes
(3)
through a combination of pitching achievements, service and promotion
All
three systems will be based on pre-established, objective measurements and
accomplishments (point system) to free the membership from personal bias,
politics, religion and racial differences.
Qualifying
achievements and points must be earned while the individual is a member of the
Oklahoma Horseshoe Pitchers Association.
TYPES
OF AWARDS
Pitching
Ability and Achievement
A. Win at least three State Championships in the
Womens or Mens top class. Residency requirements in the by-laws are adequate
or can be changed if one feels need for more stringent residency requirements.
B. Qualify for the top Womens or Mens class in the
World Tournament.
Service
and Promotion
Recipient
must accumulate at least 15 points due to service or promotion in the following
categories:
1. National officer, one of V.P.s or higher (per
term)
15
2. Regional Director (per term)
.. 4
3. State President (per term)
.. 5
4. State Secretary (per term)
.. 4
5. State Vice President (per term)
. 3
6. Regional Director (per term) max 4 points
. 4
7. State Area Director (per term) max 3
points
. 1
8. Local club officer (per term) max 3
points
.. 1
9. Promote one open tournament that survives five
years
.. 3
Max 3 points
PITCHING
AND PROMOTION
An individual can qualify for nomination through a
combination of pitching achievements, service and promotion. In this category,
each State Championship won in an adult division of a championship class (or
the top class of a state tournament where the term championship class was not
in use) will receive 5 points. These, combined with points acquired from
serving in a leadership role or promoting tournaments, will earn consideration
for nomination when totaling 15 or more.
Procedure
Once
an individual has attained the level of pitching achievement, or has attained
the required points through service and promotion or a combination of pitching
achievement and promotion, he/she will be considered for nomination by the Hall
of Fame Committee.
The
committee will consider all who meet the requirements, verify the
qualifications using any means available, and determine which individual
appears most deserving at that time - through achievements, deeds and character
- to be brought before the delegation of mmembers. This process could include an
interview with the prospective candidate.
The HOF committee has the option to present a name
for nomination of an individual that has not met the requirements for pitching
achievement or service and promotion, based on other criteria such as
consistently assisting at tournaments with maintenance, scorekeeping, record
keeping, etc
and helping promote the sport in ways other than holding office or
running tournaments.
The
committee chairperson will present the name of the nominee(s), along with a
history of qualifying data at the annual business meeting. Nomination must be
ratified by a two-thirds majority of all current OHPA members in attendance.
Presentation
The
award may be presented at an autumn awards banquet in the same year of
nomination, or a Hall of Fame tournament in the spring of the following year.
The
award shall be purchased with funds from the OHPA treasury.
ARTICLE XII ALL OTHER AREAS
In the event a ruling is required on an incident or
topic not specifically covered in this document - all rules, guidelines,
specifications and bylaws of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association will
be upheld.