Bylaws
Article I - Name and Purpose
Section 1
The name of the organization shall be the BILLINGS PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION (BPA).
Section 2
The organizational mission is to promote the sport of pickleball in Billings and the wider Yellowstone County communities through education, training, and amateur competition.
Article II - Membership
Section 1
Membership shall consist of a Board of Directors and any other dues-paying persons wishing to join the BPA as long as they remain in good standing. Each member shall have one vote.
Section 2
Members will abide by the Bylaws and the Code of Conduct (added 01/2024) and actively support and participate in club functions.
Section 3
Membership may be terminated or denied (added 01/2024) by voluntary withdrawal, nonpayment of dues, or violation of the provisions of these Bylaws and the Code of Conduct (added 01/2024).
Section 4
The Board of Directors shall have the power to determine annual membership dues.
Article III - Meetings
Section 1
There will be a minimum of two meetings per year, with dates and times to be determined by current needs, with the purpose of conducting BPA business. The BPA president shall conduct these meetings.
Section 2
Special meetings may be called by the President or upon request of at least three members. Such meetings shall have at least three days notice given to members regarding time, place and agenda.
Section 3
An annual meeting shall be held in June each year, for the purpose of electing officers, assessing needs and general planning for the year’s activities.
Section 4
A quorum shall consist of at least one officer and 10% of the club membership. Members may vote by proxy.
Article IV - Officers and their Duties
Section 1
The elective Board of Directors of the BPA shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-large. Any BPA member in good standing is eligible for any office, but at least one of the President/Vice-Presidents needs to be a full time resident. All officers must be dues paying members of the BPA and in good standing.
Section 2
Duties of the officers are as follows:
A) The president shall assume a leadership role, preside at meetings, call special meetings as needed, shall establish committees as required to carry out organizational functions and generally be a spokesperson for the BPA.
B) The vice-president shall carry out tasks and chair committees as assigned by the President.
C) The secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of board actions, including overseeing the taking of minutes at all board meetings, determines whether a quorum exists, sending out meeting announcements, and distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to each board member.
D) The treasurer shall maintain possession of all organization funds, reporting thereon at each board meeting, advise the board in the preparation of the annual budget, and make financial information available to board members and the public as required.
E) The member-at-large shall perform such duties as assigned by the president, address the needs of the organization as a whole and to serve as a liaison to the general membership.
Section 3
The Past President shall continue in an advisory capacity for one year following their term.
Section 4
All elected officers shall serve one-year terms, from July 1st thru June 30th. Vacancies in any office may be filled by the President but then ratified by a majority of the members at the next scheduled meeting. There shall be no limits on the number of terms a member may serve.
Section 5
The Board of Directors shall meet at least quarterly, at an agreed upon time and place. Notices shall be published by email to the officers. A quorum will consist of the physical or electronic attendance of not less than 60% of the board membership. Meetings may be attended in person by physical presence with the presiding officer, or by electronic attendance (by telephone or video chat) or any combination of the above. At the time called for by the presiding officer, members attending by electronic means will forthwith cast their votes by email addressed to the president and all other board members in attendance at said meeting. Upon receiving all of the votes, the presiding officer will forthwith announce the vote count and certify the result to the organization secretary.
Section 6
All notices of the organization required to be in writing may be sent by email.
Section 7
New officers shall be elected by a majority of dues-paying BPA members present at the Annual Membership Meeting in June, and begin serving their term on the first day of July.
Section 8
The nomination of Officers shall be by self-nomination or by other-nomination with agreement of the nominee.
Article V - Financial
Section 1
A proposed annual budget shall be prepared for presentation at the Annual Membership Meeting. The budget shall be updated/amended as necessary throughout the year. The Board must approve all budgetary expenditures.
Section 2
All BPA monies are to be deposited in banks that are members of or whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or other government insurance agency. No club funds may be deposited into the personal account of a member of the Board.
Section 3
Receipts and invoices covering any incurred expenses shall be kept by the Treasurer as part of the BPA’s records. The Treasurer reviews the status of the general fund quarterly and forecasts estimated deposits and disbursements for succeeding quarters. The BPA Treasurer shall be responsible for all monies received or distributed by the BPA.
Section 4
The fiscal year of the BPA shall start the 1st day of January and shall end the 31st day of December.
Section 5
BPA financial records will be made available for officers or members in good standing to view upon request.
Article VII - Dissolution
Section 1
The BPA may not be dissolved until all of its outstanding debts have been paid. Upon dissolution, all assets and property of the BPA shall be liquidated and proceeds distributed evenly to all members in good standing at the time of dissolution.
Article VI - Amendments
Section 1
These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors. Any member in good standing may present a proposal to the Board for an amendment to these Bylaws. The proposed amendment shall be delivered to the President in writing with a statement of the reasons for the proposed amendment.
Article VIII - Code of Conduct (added 01/2024)
Section 1
Always display behavior that demonstrates good sportsmanship, respect, fairness, integrity and honesty to other players and spectators.
Section 2
Refrain from using obscene language or excessive anger (i.e. throwing a paddle) during play.
Section 3
No member shall display behavior or action that constitutes harassment, where harassment is defined as verbal, written, digital or physical behavior directed towards an individual, which is offensive, abusive, racist, sexist, degrading or malicious.
Section 4
Always strive to make correct line calls, but if in doubt, call the ball "in".