"Legal Musts"
"Things to Do - Stay Out Of Court"
Associations are governed by the documents, not necessarily in the order listed. Should a higher ranking
document contradict with a lower ranking document, the information in the higher ranking
document should be adhered to.
1. Federal/state/local laws (including Articles of Incorporation)
2. Local Sports Officials Associations Bylaws.
3. Local Sports Officials Associations Association Policy Manual
4. Association's Operations Manual, if applicable
5. Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised (most recent edition)
6. Conflict of Interest Policy
7. Mediation/Arbitration article in bylaws
8. Removal of elected board members article in bylaws
9. Review and update Articles of Incorporation
10. Review and update of bylaws, per membership present. Take no shortcut here. You must have a quorum for first and second reading of any amendments.
11. Properly endorsed changes to Articles of Incorporation and amendments to bylaws.
12. IRS Determination Letter for gross income $5000 or more per calendar or fiscal year.
13. Can remain unincorporated, but must have IRS Determination Letter.
14. Have a "whistleblower" policy. This gives the association some protection, giving the board time to make immediate correction(s) to whatever the infraction(s) are. Keeps fraudsters from making false claims. It also provides protection to the person who blew the whistle on the fraud.
15. Corporate records folder
16. Document retention Policy
Note: Local sports officials associations should have minimum, easy to fix problems. Yet, there may be ones that have deep rooted problems that the current board is unable to correct or change, do to their own makings. Most boards spend time ignoring or convincing the membership that they are doing things right. That they are meeting their legal obligations as an organization and members buy it!
1. Federal/state/local laws (including Articles of Incorporation)
2. Local Sports Officials Associations Bylaws.
3. Local Sports Officials Associations Association Policy Manual
4. Association's Operations Manual, if applicable
5. Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised (most recent edition)
6. Conflict of Interest Policy
7. Mediation/Arbitration article in bylaws
8. Removal of elected board members article in bylaws
9. Review and update Articles of Incorporation
10. Review and update of bylaws, per membership present. Take no shortcut here. You must have a quorum for first and second reading of any amendments.
11. Properly endorsed changes to Articles of Incorporation and amendments to bylaws.
12. IRS Determination Letter for gross income $5000 or more per calendar or fiscal year.
13. Can remain unincorporated, but must have IRS Determination Letter.
14. Have a "whistleblower" policy. This gives the association some protection, giving the board time to make immediate correction(s) to whatever the infraction(s) are. Keeps fraudsters from making false claims. It also provides protection to the person who blew the whistle on the fraud.
15. Corporate records folder
16. Document retention Policy
Note: Local sports officials associations should have minimum, easy to fix problems. Yet, there may be ones that have deep rooted problems that the current board is unable to correct or change, do to their own makings. Most boards spend time ignoring or convincing the membership that they are doing things right. That they are meeting their legal obligations as an organization and members buy it!
