Article I. Name and Areas Served
This full service Community Tennis Association (CTA) shall be called Tennis Valdosta. Tennis Valdosta serves Valdosta, Lowndes County, and surrounding counties in accordance with these By-Laws and consistent with the rules and policies of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Article II. Mailing Address
612 North Patterson St.
Valdosta, Georgia 31601
Article III. Purpose
The purpose of Tennis Valdosta is to:
1) Create, develop, maintain, and promote tennis within the region served.
2) Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with other like tennis organizations for the good of the sport in Georgia, the Southern Section of the USTA, and within the
USTA.
2) Assist in increasing participation in all tennis programs.
3) Promote awareness of tennis programs, events, and activities within the area served.
4) Support the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority tennis pro with
tennis programs, leagues, and tournaments.
5) Volunteer time, talent, and services to the City Tennis Programs as needed (captains,
coordinators, Tennis Valdosta board members, clinic organizers, social organizers,
Junior team captains, umpires, referees, and promoters of the game of tennis).
Article IV. Membership
Section I. Membership Qualifications
Membership shall be open to residents in the Tennis Valdosta area upon payment of the annual dues. Members must also maintain current membership in the USTA. Dues are due in full in January each year. Members may be dropped for non-payment of dues or for unacceptable conduct as determined by the Disciplinary and Grievance Committee. Resignation of membership will be submitted in accordance with the USTA constitution.
Section II. Non-discrimination Policy
Membership and all rights of participation in Tennis Valdosta and USTA programs shall be open to anyone without regard to race, age, creed, sexual orientation, national origin, or gender. Nonetheless, participation in divisions or tournaments and other events may be restricted on the basis of age or gender. Participation in all USTA programs, leagues, tournaments, and events will be conducted under the policy of non-discrimination.
Article V. Board of Directors (Board)
Section 1. General Powers. The property, affairs, and business of Tennis Valdosta shall be managed and controlled by the Board. The Board shall have discretion in the disbursement of funds in pursuit of the goals and objectives of Tennis Valdosta.
Section 2. Composition. The Board shall include four officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Board shall also include Directors as needed, responsible for running the day-to-day business of Tennis Valdosta. In addition to the four officers, the number of Directors shall not exceed twelve. All terms shall be two years, and officers or Directors may be re-elected. The Directors’ two-year terms will be staggered so that half will rotate each year. The immediate Past-President of Tennis Valdosta and the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority tennis pro will sit on the Board as ex-officio non-voting members.
Section 3. Meetings. The Board will meet quarterly on the second Monday of January, April, July, and October. Special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such time and place designated when called by the President or by a majority of the Board members. There shall be an Annual Membership Meeting of Tennis Valdosta on a date set by the Board, for the election of officers, the receipt of reports, and the transaction of all official business. The Annual Membership Meeting shall be open to all active members of Tennis Valdosta. Notice of such meetings, issued by the Tennis Valdosta Board, shall be given at least fifteen days prior to the meeting.
Section 4. Order of Business. The order of business at Board meetings and the Annual Membership Meeting shall be established by the President. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the authority for all parliamentary procedures not specifically mentioned herein. Except for voting on amendments to these By-Laws, a simple majority of all votes cast will be decisive. The Vice-President shall act as Parliamentarian.
Section 5. Quorum. A quorum shall be a simple majority of Board members for all Board meetings. For the annual meeting of Tennis Valdosta a quorum is not necessary to hold the meeting. However, a quorum must be met when voting. This may be achieved by the combination of members present at the annual meeting and those who may vote either electronically or through a mail-in ballot.
Section 6. Voting. The affirmative vote of the majority of Directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall decide any question brought before the meeting except as specified in Article 10.
Section 7. Vacancies. The Board shall fill vacancies among its membership. New officers or directors may begin immediately. Their normal two-year term starts at the beginning of the next year.
Section 8. Removal. The Board may remove any officer or director at any time for just cause. A majority of the Board members must agree upon this action.
Section 9. Ex-Officio Board Members. The Board may invite non-members to address specific issues or opportunities. Community leaders, recreational directors, professional support, and past presidents are such examples.
Section 10. Spending Authority. On rare occasions, there may be a need for funds to be authorized prior to a Board meeting. In these cases, the funding approval limits below shall apply. The authorizing officer shall explain all such authorizations at the next Board meeting.
a. President or Vice President - $300
b. Secretary or Treasurer - $250
Article VI. Committees
1. Special Committees. The Board may establish Special Committees to address ad hoc issues. The proposed tenure for each committee shall be set by the Board. The committee chairperson shall be a current Board member. The President may sit on any committee as an ex-officio non-voting member.
2. Nominating Committee. Chaired by the Vice President and shall include at least two other Board members.
3. Other committees may be established as needed by the Board members. Such committees may include, but are not limited to: Junior Development Committee, Sanction/Schedule/Tournament Committee, Disciplinary and Grievance Committee, and Membership Committee.
Article VII. Officers
Tennis Valdosta officers are the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers are selected by and serve at the pleasure of the Board, for a two-year term. Officers may be re-elected. Vacancies may be filled at any time. The term of office starts in January. Complete job descriptions for each position are included in Appendix A, “Tennis Valdosta Job Descriptions”, which is incorporated herein by reference, and may be amended as deemed necessary by the Board.
Section 1. President. The President is responsible to the Board and the membership for the overall functioning of Tennis Valdosta. The President shall conduct all Board meetings and is an ex-officio member of all committees. The President may delegate his or her authority as appropriate, but he or she remains responsible for those functions and actions.
Section 2. Vice President. The Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President in the President’s absence with full authority of that office. The Vice President also chairs the Nominating Committee.
Section 3. Treasurer. The Treasurer is responsible for all Tennis Valdosta funds and ensures that all funds are accountable, fully open to examination, and used for the purposes detailed in Article 3. The Treasurer shall ensure that Tennis Valdosta retains its status as a 501 C, not-for- profit organization and that all tax matters are performed in a timely and correct manner, especially the filing of the annual tax return.
Section 4. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep all relevant documents for Tennis Valdosta, including copies of Budget documents supplied by the Treasurer. The Secretary shall give notice of and attend all meetings of Tennis Valdosta; make provisions for the keeping of a record of all proceedings; conduct correspondence and carry into execution all orders, votes, and resolutions not otherwise committed; maintain and publish an up-to-date Calendar of Events; keep a list of the membership. The Secretary shall also assist the President in ensuring that the meeting place is available and accessible for all Board meetings and the Annual Membership meeting.
Article VIII. Directors
The Directors are key to the success of Tennis Valdosta. They will deal directly with the members, and provide services and support for Tennis Valdosta activities. The Board may select a Director or assign this function to a current Board member. Directors shall provide a report, to include all expenditures at the Board meetings. Directors may include, but are not limited to:
1. USTA Combo League Director
2. Ladies Director
3. Men’s Director
4. Mixed Doubles Director
5. Membership Director
6. Public Relations Director
7. Sponsor Relations Director
8. Web Site Director
9. Youth Development Director
10. USTA Director
Article IX. Legal
Tennis Valdosta members assume their own risk while playing tennis or performing other Tennis Valdosta functions. Tennis Valdosta members shall use their judgment and take responsibility in accepting any task that may put them at risk.
Section 1. Contracts, etc. Except as otherwise provided by law or the By-Laws, the President and Secretary shall sign, in the name and on behalf of Tennis Valdosta, all deeds, bonds, contracts, leases and other instruments or documents, the execution of which shall be authorized by the Board and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
Section 2. Checks, Drafts, etc. All checks, drafts, notes, bonds, bills of exchange, or other orders, instruments or obligations for the payment of money shall be signed by the President and Treasurer. All financial transactions must have prior Board approval, except as noted in Article 5, Section X.
Section 3. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of Tennis Valdosta shall end on the last day of December.
Section 4. Books and Records. Tennis Valdosta shall keep correct and complete books and records on account and shall also keep minutes of all proceedings related to the organization. The Treasurer shall maintain all records related to financial matters, and the Secretary shall maintain minutes, documents, and other records related to Tennis Valdosta. The Secretary shall also provide the Georgia office of the USTA with minutes from all meetings.
Article X. Amendments
Amendments to these By-Laws may be made at any Annual Meeting by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the ballots cast, provided that a copy of each proposed amendment was sent to each member with the notice of the Annual Membership meeting. Ballots may be cast at the Annual Membership meeting, electronically, or main-in.
