NON-PROFIT BYLAWS

OF

WLB Sports Association

 

ARTICLE 1 – NAME

The legal name of the Non-Profit Organization shall be known as WLB Sports Association (the “Organization” or “Association”).

 

ARTICLE 2 – PURPOSE 

The general purposes for which this Organization has been established are as follows:

The mission of the WLB Sports Association is to afford a healthy and safe sports environment for all children participating in programs sponsored by the Organization. The primary objectives of the Association are to teach sportsmanship, fundamental skills, and the rules of fair play.

The WLB Sports Association is an independent organization consisting of volunteers from the West Long Branch area. The Organization receives no public funding and programs are funded entirely by registration fees, sponsorships and fundraising activities.

The Organization is established within the meaning of IRS Publication 557 Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code and shall be operated exclusively for youth recreational sports programs.

In addition, this Organization has been formed for the purpose of performing all things incidental to, or appropriate in, the foregoing specific and primary purposes. However, the Organization shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activity or the exercise of any powers which are not in furtherance of its primary non-profit purposes.

The Organization shall hold and may exercise all such powers as may be conferred upon any nonprofit organization by the laws of the State of New Jersey and as may be necessary or expedient for the administration of the affairs and attainment of the purposes of the Organization. At no time and in no event shall the Organization participate in any activities which have not been permitted to be carried out by an Organization exempt under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code").

 

ARTICLE 3 – OFFICES

The mailing address of the Organization shall be located at PO Box 239, West Long Branch, NJ, 07764.

The Organization may have other such offices as the Board of Directors may determine or deem necessary, or as the affairs of the Organization may find a need for from time to time.

 

ARTICLE 4 – DEDICATION OF ASSETS

The properties and assets of the Organization are irrevocably dedicated to and for non-profit purposes only. No part of the net earnings, properties, or assets of this Organization, on dissolution or otherwise, shall inure to the benefit of any person or any member, director, or officer of this Organization. On liquidation or dissolution, all remaining properties and assets of the Organization shall be distributed and paid over to an organization dedicated to non-profit purposes which has established its tax-exempt status pursuant to Section 501(c) of the Code.

 

ARTICLE 5 – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

General Powers and Responsibilities

The Organization shall be governed by a Board of Directors (the "Board"), which shall have all the rights, powers, privileges and limitations of liability of directors of a non-profit corporation organized under the New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act. The Board shall establish policies and directives governing business and programs of the Organization and shall see that the policies and directives are appropriately followed.

Number and Qualifications

The Board shall have up to twelve (12), but no fewer than nine (9), Board members. The number of Board members may be increased beyond twelve (12) members or decreased to less than nine (9) members by the affirmative vote of a majority of the then serving Board of Directors whom are in good standing (subsequently defined). A Board member need not be a resident of West Long Branch.

Board Compensation

The Board shall receive no compensation. Board members may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in relation to Organizational activities.

Board Elections

The election of officers and members of the Board shall be conducted prior to the annual meeting of the Board during the course of the regular meeting. The President shall preside over the election. The election of an officer or a member of the Board shall require a majority vote of those present and in good standing.

Term of Board

All appointments to the Board shall be for a term of three (3) years. No person shall serve more than five (5) consecutive terms unless a majority of the Board, during the course of a Board meeting at which a quorum is present, votes to appoint a Board member to additional terms. After serving the maximum total number of consecutive years on the Board, a member may be eligible for reconsideration as a Board member after one year has passed since the conclusion of such Board member's service.

Vacancies

A vacancy on the Board of Directors may exist at the occurrence of the following conditions:

a) The death, resignation, or removal of any director;

b) The declaration by resolution of the Board of a vacancy in the office of a director who has been declared of unsound mind by a final order of court, convicted of a felony, found by final order or judgment of any court to have breached a duty pursuant to the Corporation Code and/or Act of the law dealing with the standards of conduct for a director.

c) Failure of Board member to remain in good standing. A Board member shall be in good standing unless, except for good cause, the member has missed three (3) consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors, or a total of four (4) meetings of the Board during any one calendar year;

d) An increase in the authorized number of directors; or

e) The failure of the directors, at any annual or other meeting of directors at which director(s) are to be elected, to elect the full authorized number of directors.

The Board of Directors, by way of affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then currently in office, may remove any director without cause at any regular or special meeting, provided that the director to be removed has been notified in writing in the manner set forth in Article 5 – Meetings that such action would be considered at the meeting.

Except as provided in this paragraph, any director may resign effective upon giving written notice to the President of Organization, the Secretary of Organization, or the Board of Directors, unless the notice specifies a later time for the effectiveness of the resignation. If the resignation is effective at a future time, a successor may be designated to take office when the resignation becomes effective.

Any vacancy on the Board may be filled by vote of the majority of the directors then in office, whether or not the number of directors then in office is less than a quorum, or by vote of a sole remaining director. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that director's term of office expires.

A Board member elected to fill a vacancy shall be elected for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office.

Resignation

Each Board member shall have the right to resign at any time upon written notice thereof to the President of the Organization and Secretary of the Board. Unless otherwise specified in the notice, the resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof, and the acceptance of such resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof, and the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Removal

A Board member may be removed, with or without cause, at any duly constituted meeting of the Board, by the affirmative vote of a two-thirds (2/3) of then-serving Board members, whom are deemed to be in good standing.

Meetings

The Board's regular meetings may be held at such time and place as shall be determined by the Board. The President of the Organization may call a special meeting of the Board with three days' notice provided to each member of the Board. The persons authorized to call such special meetings of the Board may also establish the place the meeting is to be conducted, so long as it is a reasonable place to hold any special meeting of the Board, and will provide a teleconferencing option.

Minutes

The Secretary shall be responsible for the recording of all minutes of each and every meeting of the Board in which business shall be transacted in such order as the Board may determine from time to time. However, in the event that the Secretary is unavailable, the President shall appoint an individual to act as Secretary at the meeting. The Secretary, or the individual appointed to act as Secretary, shall prepare the minutes of the meetings, which shall be delivered to the Organization to be placed in the minute books. A copy of the minutes shall be delivered to each Board member within seven business days after the close of each Board meeting.

Quorum

At each meeting of the Board of Directors or Board Committees, the presence of 50% of current members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If at any time the Board consists of an even number of members and a vote results in a tie, then the vote of the President shall be the deciding vote. The act of the majority of the Board members serving on the Board or Board Committees and present at a meeting in which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board or Board Committees, unless otherwise provided by these Bylaws, or a law specifically requiring otherwise. If a quorum is not present at a meeting, the Board members present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice until a quorum shall be present. However, a Board member shall be considered present at any meeting of the Board or Board Committees if during the meeting he or she is present via telephone or web conferencing with the other Board members participating in the meeting.

Voting

Each Board member shall only have one vote.

Proxy

Board members shall not be allowed to vote by written proxy

Board Member Attendance

An elected Board Member who is absent from three consecutive regular meetings of the Board during a fiscal year shall be encouraged to reevaluate with the President his/her commitment to the Organization. The Board may deem a Board member who has missed three consecutive meetings without such a reevaluation with the President to have resigned from the Board.

 

ARTICLE 6 – OFFICERS

Officers and Duties

The Board shall elect officers of the Organization which shall include a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and such other officers as the Board may designate by resolution. The same person may hold any number of offices, except that neither the Secretary nor the Treasurer may serve concurrently as the President. In addition to the duties in accordance with this Article, officers shall conduct all other duties typically pertaining to their offices and other such duties which may be required by law, Articles of Incorporation, or by these bylaws, subject to control of the Board of Directors, and they shall perform any other such additional duties which the Board of Directors may assign to them at their discretion.

The officers will be selected by the Board at its annual meeting, and shall serve the needs of the Board, subject to all the rights, if any, of any officer who may be under a contract of employment. Therefore, without any bias or predisposition to the rights of any officer that may be under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed with or without cause by the Board. All officers have the right to resign at any time by providing notice in writing to the President, and/or Secretary of the Organization, without bias or predisposition to all rights, if any, of the Organization under any contract to which said officer is a part thereof. All resignations shall become effective upon the date on which the written notice of resignation is received or at any time later as may be specified within the resignation; and unless otherwise indicated within the written notice, a stated acceptance of the resignation shall not be required to make the resignation effective.

Any and all vacancies in any office because of death, resignation, disqualification, removal, or for any other cause, shall be filled in accordance to the herein prescribed bylaws for regular appointments to such office. The compensation, if any, of the officers shall be fixed or determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.

President

It shall be the responsibility of the President, when present, to preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The President is authorized to execute, in the name of the Organization, any and all contracts or other documents which may be authorized, either generally or specifically, by the Board to be executed by the Organization, except when required by law that the President's signature must be provided. The President shall appoint committee chairpersons with the approval of the Board. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee. The President may direct the expenditure of Association funds for non-budgeted items up to a maximum of $500 without seeking Executive Board approval.

Vice-President

The Vice President shall perform such duties and have such authority as, from time to time, may be delegated by the President or by the Board. In the absence of the President or in the event of the President’s death, inability or refusal to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties and be vested with the authority of the President.

Secretary

The Secretary, or his/her designee, shall be the custodian of all records and documents of the Organization and shall act as secretary at all meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall keep the minutes of all such meetings. The Secretary shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices of the Organization.

Treasurer

It shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer to keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and accurate accounts of all the properties and business transactions of the Organization, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, retained earnings, and other matters customarily included in financial statements.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for ensuring the deposit of, or cause to be deposited, all money and other valuables as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Furthermore, the Treasurer shall disburse, or cause to be disbursed, the funds of the Organization, as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, and shall render to the President, and directors, whenever they request it, an account of all the Treasurer's transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Organization.

 

ARTICLE 7 – COMMITTEES

Committees of Directors

The Board of Directors may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the directors then in office, provided that a quorum is present, designate one or more committees to exercise all or a portion of the authority of the Board, to the extent of the powers specifically delegated in the resolution of the Board or in these bylaws. Each such committee shall consist of two (2) or more directors, and may also include persons who are not on the Board but whom the directors believe to be reliable and competent to serve at the specific committee. However, committees exercising any authority of the Board of Directors may not have any non-director members. The Board may designate one or more alternative members of any committee who may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee. The appointment of members or alternate members of a committee requires the vote of a majority of the directors then in office, provided that a quorum is present.

The Board of Directors may also designate one or more advisory committees that do not have the authority of the Board. However, no committee, regardless of Board resolution, may:

a) Approve of any action that, pursuant to applicable Law, would also require the affirmative vote of the members of the Board if this were a membership vote.

b) Fill vacancies on, or remove the members of, the Board of Directors or any committee that has the authority of the Board.

c) Fix compensation of the directors serving on the Board or on any committee.

d) Amend or repeal the Articles of Incorporation or bylaws or adopt new bylaws.

e) Amend or repeal any resolution of the Board of Directors that by its express terms is not so amendable or repealable.

f) Appoint any other committees of the Board of Directors or their members.

g) Approve a plan of merger, consolidation, voluntary dissolution, bankruptcy, or reorganization; or a plan for the sale, lease, or exchange of all or considerably all of the property and assets of the Organization otherwise than in the usual and regular course of its business; or revoke any such plan.

h) Approve any self-dealing transaction, except as provided pursuant to law.

Unless otherwise authorized by the Board of Directors, no committee shall compel the Organization in a contract or agreement or expend Organization funds.

Meetings and Actions of Committees

Meetings and actions of all committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of Article 5 - Board of Directors of these bylaws concerning meetings and actions of the directors, with such changes in the context of those bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board of Directors and its members, except that the time for regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board of Directors or by resolution of the committee. Special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board of Directors. Notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to any and all alternate members, who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. Minutes shall be kept of each meeting of any committee and shall be filed with the Organization records. The Board of Directors may adopt rules not consistent with the provisions of these bylaws for the governance of any committee.

If a director relies on information prepared by a committee of the Board on which the director does not serve, the committee must be composed exclusively of any or any combination of (a) directors, (b) directors or employees of the Organization whom the director believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, or (c) counsel, independent accountants, or other persons as to matters which the director believes to be within that person's professional or expert competence.

Executive Committee

Pursuant to Article 7 - Committee of Directors, the Board may appoint an Executive Committee composed of a minimum of three directors, one of whom shall be the President of the Board and another shall be either the Secretary, or the Treasurer, to serve on the Executive Committee of the Board. The Executive Committee, unless limited in a resolution of the Board, shall have and may exercise all the authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Organization between meetings of the Board, provided, however, that the Executive Committee shall not have the authority of the Board in reference to those matters enumerated in Article 7 - Committee of Directors. The Secretary of the Organization shall send to each director a summary report of the business conducted in any meeting of the Executive Committee.

 

ARTICLE 8 - STANDARD OF CARE

General

A director shall perform all the duties of a director, including, but not limited to, duties as a member of any committee of the Board on which the director may serve, in such a manner as the director deems to be in the best interest of the Organization and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinary, prudent, and reasonable person in a similar situation may exercise under similar circumstances.

In the performance of the duties of a director, a director shall be entitled to rely on information, opinions, reports, or statements, including financial statements and other financial data, in each case prepared or presented by:

a) One or more officers or employees of the Organization whom the director deems to be reliable and competent in the matters presented;

b) Counsel, independent accountants, or other persons, as to the matters which the director deems to be within such person's professional or expert competence; or

c) A committee of the Board upon which the director does not serve, as to matters within its designated authority, which committee the director deems to merit confidence, so long as in any such case the director acts in good faith, after reasonable inquiry when the need may be indicated by the circumstances, and without knowledge that would cause such reliance to be unwarranted.

Except as herein provided in Article 8 - Standard of Care, any person who performs the duties of a director in accordance with the above shall have no liability based upon any failure or alleged failure to discharge that person's obligations as a director, including, without limitation of the following, any actions or omissions which exceed or defeat a public or charitable purpose to which the Organization, or assets held by it, are dedicated.

Conflict of Interest

The purpose of the Conflict of Interest policy is to protect the Organization's interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of one of its officers or directors, or that might otherwise result in a possible excess benefit transaction. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable corporations/organizations and is not intended as an exclusive statement of responsibilities.

Restriction on Interested Directors

No persons serving on the Board of Directors at any time may be interested persons. An interested person is (1) any person currently being compensated by the Organization for services rendered to it within the previous twelve (12) months, whether as a full-time or part-time employee, independent contractor, or otherwise, excluding any reasonable compensation paid to a director; and (2) any brother, sister, parent, ancestor, descendent, spouse, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, mother-in-law, or father-in-law of any such person. However, any violation of the provisions of this section shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any transaction entered into by the interested person.

Duty to Disclose

In connection with any actual or possible conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors who are considering the proposed transaction or arrangement.

Establishing a Conflict of Interest

After the disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any discussion with the interested person, the interested person shall leave the Board meeting while the potential conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining Board members shall decide if a conflict of interest exists.

Addressing a Conflict of Interest

In the event that the Board should establish that a proposed transaction or arrangement establishes a conflict of interest, the Board shall then proceed with the following actions:

a) Any interested person may render a request or report at the Board meeting, but upon completion of said request or report the individual shall be excused while the Board discusses the information and/or material presented and then votes on the transaction or arrangement proposed involving the possible conflict of interest.

b) The President of the Board shall, if deemed necessary and appropriate, appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement.

c) After exercising due diligence, the Board shall determine whether the Organization can obtain with reasonable efforts a more advantageous transaction or arrangement from a person or entity that would not give rise to a conflict of interest.

d) If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the Board shall determine by a majority vote of the disinterested directors whether the transaction or arrangement is in the best interest of the Organization, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and reasonable. It shall make its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction arrangement in conformity with this determination.

Violations of Conflict of Interest Policy

Should the Board have reasonable cause to believe an interested person has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, the Board shall then inform the interested person of the basis for such belief and afford the interested person an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose.

If, after hearing the interested person's explanation, and after making further investigation as may be warranted in consideration of the circumstances, the Board determines the interested person intentionally failed to disclose an actual or possible conflict of interest, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.

Procedures and Records

All minutes of the Board Meetings, when applicable, shall contain the following information:

a) The names of all the persons who disclosed or otherwise were found to have a financial interest in connection with an actual or possible conflict of interest, the nature of the financial interest, any action taken to determine whether a conflict of interest was present, and the Board's decision as to whether a conflict of interest in fact existed.

b) The names of the persons who were present for discussions and any votes relating to the transaction or arrangement, the content of the discussions, including any alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement, and a record of any vote taken in connection with the proceedings.

Violation of Loyalty - Self-Dealing Contracts

A self-dealing contract is any contract or transaction (i) between this Organization and one or more of its Directors, or between this Organization and any corporation, firm, or association in which one or more of the Directors has a material financial interest ("Interested Director"), or (ii) between this Organization and a corporation, firm, or association of which one or more of its directors are Directors of this Organization. Said self-dealing shall not be void or voidable because such Director(s) of corporation, firm, or association are parties or because said Director(s) are present at the meeting of the Board of Directors or committee which authorizes, approves or ratifies the self-dealing contract, if:

a) All material facts are fully disclosed to or otherwise known by the members of the Board and the self-dealing contract is approved by the Interested Director in good faith (without including the vote of any membership owned by said interested Director(s));

b) All material facts are fully disclosed to or otherwise known by the Board of Directors or committee, and the Board of Directors or committee authorizes, approves, or ratifies the self-dealing contract in good faith—without counting the vote of the interest Director(s)—and the contract is just and reasonable as to the Organization at the time it is authorized, approved, or ratified; or

c) As to contracts not approved as provided in above sections (a) and/or (b), the person asserting the validity of the self-dealing contract sustains the burden of proving that the contract was just and reasonable as to the Organization at the time it was authorized, approved, or ratified.

Interested Director(s) may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, which authorizes, approves, or ratifies a contract or transaction as provided for and contained in this section.

Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Organization shall indemnify its "agents," as described by law, including its directors, officers, employees and volunteers, and including persons formerly occupying any such position, and their heirs, executors and administrators, against all expenses, judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with any "proceeding," and including any action by or in the right of the Organization, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a person as described in the Non-Profit Corporation Act. Such right of indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right to which such persons may be entitled apart from this Article.

The Organization shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any agent of the Organization, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against any liability asserted against or incurred by the agent in such capacity or arising out of the agent's status as such, or to give other indemnification to the extent permitted by law.

 

ARTICLE 9 – RECORDS AND REPORTS

Maintenance and Inspection of Bylaws

The Organization shall keep a copy of its bylaws as amended to date, which shall be open to inspection by the directors.

Maintenance and Inspection of Federal Tax Exemption Application and Annual Information Returns

The Organization shall keep a copy of its federal tax exemption application and its annual information returns for three years from their date of filing.

Maintenance and Inspection of Other Corporate Records

The Organization shall keep adequate and correct books and records of accounts and written minutes of the proceedings of the Board and committees of the Board. All such records shall be kept at a place or places as designated by the Board and committees of the Board, or in the absence of such designation, at the principal office of the Organization. The minutes shall be kept in written or typed form, and other books and records shall be kept either in written or typed form or in any form capable of being converted into written, typed, or printed form. Upon leaving office, each officer, employee, or agent of the Organization shall turn over to his or her successor or the President, in good order, such corporate/organization monies, books, records, minutes, lists, documents, contracts or other property of the Organization as have been in the custody of such officer, employee, or agent during his or her term of office.

Every director shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect all books, records, and documents of every kind and the physical properties of the Organization and each of its subsidiary corporations/organizations. The inspection may be made in person or by an agent or attorney, and shall include the right to copy and make extracts of documents.

Preparation of Annual Financial Statements

The Organization shall prepare annual financial statements using generally accepted accounting principles.

Reports

The Board shall ensure an annual report is sent to all directors within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year of the Organization, which shall contain the following information:

a) The assets and liabilities, including trust funds, of this corporation at the end of the fiscal year.

b) The principal changes in assets and liabilities, including trust funds, during the fiscal year.

c) The expenses or disbursements of the Organization for both general and restricted purposes during the fiscal year.

d) The information required by Non-Profit Corporation Act concerning certain self-dealing transactions involving more than $50,000 or indemnifications involving more than $10,000 which took place during the fiscal year.

The report shall be accompanied by any pertinent report from an independent accountant or, if there is no such report, the certificate of an authorized officer of the Organization that such statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the Organization.

 

ARTICLE 10 – FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year for this Organization shall end on December 31.

 

ARTICLE 11 – AMENDMENTS AND REVISONS

These bylaws may be adopted, amended, or repealed by the vote of two-thirds of the directors then in office. Such action is authorized only at a duly called and held meeting of the Board of Directors for which written notice of such meeting, setting forth the proposed bylaw revisions with explanations therefore, is given in accordance with these bylaws. If any provision of these bylaws requires the vote of a larger portion of the Board than is otherwise required by law, that provision may not be altered, amended or repealed by that greater vote.

 

ARTICLE 12 – CONSTRUCTION AND DEFINITIONS

Unless the context otherwise requires, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions contained in the Non-Profit Corporation Act as amended from time to time shall govern the construction of these bylaws. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter, the singular number includes the plural and the plural number includes the singular, and the term "person" includes a Organization as well as a natural person. If any competent court of law shall deem any portion of these bylaws invalid or inoperative, then so far as is reasonable and possible (i) the remainder of these bylaws shall be considered valid and operative, and (ii) effect shall be given to the intent manifested by the portion deemed invalid or inoperative.

 

CERTIFICATE OF SECRETARY

I, August Stoll, certify that I am the current elected and acting Secretary of the benefit Organization, and the above bylaws are the bylaws of this Organization as adopted by the Board of Directors on July 13, 2021, and that they have not been amended or modified since the above.

 

EXECUTED on this Thirteenth day of July, in the County of Monmouth in the State of New Jersey.

 

 

                __________________________________

                         August Stoll, Secretary

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