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Sachem Ice Hockey Club
Bylaws
updated January 2024

Article I: Name

This organization shall be known as the Sachem Ice Hockey Club, Inc.

Article II: Membership

Membership shall be composed of the coaches, board members, and parents or guardians of all players of all teams of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club who remain in good standing with the organization by fulfilling their financial and participatory obligations. Membership for parents or guardians of seniors shall expire at the end of the Suffolk County High School Hockey League winter season. The parents or guardian of each participating player is entitled to one vote per player. Coaches and board members are entitled to one vote each.

Article III: Purpose of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club

  1. To promote competitive interscholastic ice hockey.

  2. To develop hockey skills of players grade 7 through 12.

  3. To field teams on the Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshmen Level, or any other level as designated by the Board of Governors.

Article IV: Governing Body

The Sachem Ice Hockey Club shall be directed by a Board of Governors comprised of the following members:

  1. President

  2. Vice President

  3. Secretary

  4. Treasurer

  5. Coach Coordinator

A head coach may not serve in the dual capacity of coach and board member. A board member is not required to have a participating player in the organization.

Article V: Purpose of Governing Body

The Board of Governors shall be the governing body of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club. They shall by their majority vote, render all decisions on matters brought before them or originated by them on any and all matters concerning the best interest of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club. Each member shall have one (1) vote.

Article VI: Definition of Responsibility

  1. President – The president shall have the overall responsibility for the well-being and operation of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club. He/She shall see to it that the mandates of the Board of Governors are implemented and carried out according to the by-laws of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club. He/She will chair all meetings of the Board of Governors and will represent the Sachem Ice Hockey Club at all meetings needing representation.

  2. Vice President – The Vice President shall act as an assistant to the president and in his/her absence shall assume the president's duties. In addition, the vice president will be responsible for all advertising of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club, including publicity of the games, and shall also act as a historian by maintaining a scrapbook on all activities and publicity that the Sachem Ice Hockey Club receives.

  3. Secretary – The Secretary shall take attendance and record the minutes of all board meetings and general meetings and report those meeting minutes at subsequent meetings. They shall provide general administrative support as required, including preparation of letters and notices to the members, mailings, etc.

  4. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall prepare and maintain a financial report summarizing the financial status of the organization and will present this information to the general membership at each meeting and/or as otherwise required by the by-laws of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club. The treasurer shall receive all payments, and all checks issued by the organization shall be signed by both the treasurer and president (or vice president in the absence of the president). In addition, the treasurer shall be responsible for having the annual tax return prepared.

  5. Coach Coordinator – The Coach Coordinator must have ice hockey experience, must be a Level 2 or higher, and will be responsible for organizing the coaching staff and communicating with them on a regular basis. The purpose of this position shall be to create and maintain a “coaching philosophy” for the organization as well as to develop systems of play for use by all levels. It shall be the coach coordinator’s responsibility to act as chairman at all meetings of the coaches.

Article VII: Elections

  1. At the January meeting, a nominating committee shall be formed from the general membership to take nominations for the election of the Board of Governors.

  1. The nominating committee will consist of no more than three members.

  2. The members of the nominating committee will be from the general membership.

  3. Volunteers for the nominating committee shall be selected at the January meeting from the general membership, and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses will be posted immediately to the Sachem website.

  4. The purpose of the nominating committee is to gather the names of persons wishing to run for office for the following season.

  5. The nominating committee will submit the names of those persons wishing to be placed on the ballot to the secretary no later than one week prior to the "Elections" meeting.

  6. Names and positions must be posted in advance on the website by the secretary one week before.

  1. Elections for the five members of the Board of Governors shall be held no later than one month prior to the last regular season Freshman or JV game. The election will be by closed ballot.

  2. The term of office for all positions shall be two years, and no member may serve for more than four (4) years consecutively in the same capacity. A quorum of members must be in attendance. The definition of a quorum is 25% of the number of players registered for the season. A simple majority vote of those members attending the election will be required for election to office.

  3. Any vacancies on the Board of Governors shall be filled by the Board of Governors by appointment from the general membership subject to the majority approval of the general membership in attendance.

  4. Any or all members of the Board of Governors may be removed from office by a majority vote of the members of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club.

  5. Two family members may not serve on the Board of Governors in the same given year.

  6. A nominee is not required to have a participating player in the organization.

Article VIII: Fees

A. Prior to the start of each season, the Board of Governors shall determine the cost of participation per player. This cost will consist of but not limited to the following:

  • The total cost of league fees for all teams

  • Total estimated cost of practice ice

  • Uniform package

  • Off-ice training

  • Special events

  • Awards dinner (# of complimentary guests will be determined by Board of Governors)

  • The cost of general operations (i.e., printing, stamps, etc.)

  B. Fees will be due and payable as follows:

  1. Total cost will be paid based on a payment schedule determined by the Board of Governors.

  2. Failure to meet the payment schedule may result in the suspension of the player from the team.

  3. In the event that a player leaves the team for any reason and still has fees unpaid, that player shall not be permitted to rejoin the team until all past due balances are paid in full.

C. The Sachem Ice Hockey Club will conduct an annual fundraiser whereby each player while assisting the club he/she will have the opportunity to cover part of the cost of tuition.

D. It shall be a club policy not to issue any refunds except as deemed by the Board of Governors in the case of an injury or other grievance.

Article IX: Eligibility

Player eligibility shall be in accordance with Suffolk County High School Hockey League rules. In the event of a vacancy occurring on the Varsity or Junior Varsity levels, eligible candidates will only be those players who registered for the current season's tryouts.

Article X: Team Structure

Leadership of each team shall consist of a Head Coach, one or two Assistant Coaches, and a team manager. Each Head Coach shall select a captain and two assistant captains from the team players, in addition to his Assistant Coaches. Head Coaches shall be selected by the Board of Governors prior to the tryouts.

  1. The Coaching Coordinator will appoint at least one but not more than three assistant coaches subject to the approval of the Board of Governors.

  2. All Head and Assistant Coaches must have a minimum of a USA Hockey Associate level coaching certification by December 31st of the year in which the coaching assignment is to begin. Any coach who has not yet attained this certification may not act in the capacity of a coach at any USA Hockey sanctioned event.

  3. Team rosters should carry no less than 15 or no more than 20 active players unless special approval is granted by the SCHSHL.

  4. The team manager shall be selected by the Board of Governors subsequent to the tryouts and will be responsible for the following:

  1. The team manager shall act as a liaison between the parents and the club.

  2. The team manager shall be responsible for coordinating all team activities, contacting players, and assisting the coaching staff when needed.

  1. The captains shall act as a liaison between team members and coaches and shall provide leadership by example both on and off the ice.

The coaching staff shall handle minor disciplinary problems. Major disciplinary problems (i.e., those involving a suspension for more than one game or removal from the team) shall be directed to the Board of Governors.

Article XI: Participation Commitment

All players on each team of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club are expected to make a participation commitment to attend all practices and scheduled games of their team. Failure to meet this obligation may result in disciplinary action at the discretion of the coach.

Article XII: Ice Time

There is no guarantee of equal ice time. Ice time will be at the discretion of the coaches. Article XIII Complaint Procedure will be followed for any complaints regarding ice time.

Article XIII: Complaint Protocol

Members having comments or complaints concerning an individual or team issue should adhere to the following protocol:

  1. Adhere to USA Hockey’s 24 Hour Rule. Wait 24 hours before issuing a complaint.

  2. If after 24 hrs., it is decided that there is still a complaint, the individual will request to speak with the team manager, who will be the liaison between the parents and coaching staff. When this occurs, either the team manager or the coaching staff will respond.

  3. If the issue remains unresolved, you may request to speak with the coaching coordinator which will be arranged by the team manager.

  4. If the Coaching Coordinator is unable to resolve the issue, you may request the audience of the Board of Governors. The Board’s decision will be final.

  5. Failure to follow the 24-hour rule or the protocol may result in disciplinary action for the person involved at the discretion of the Board of Governors.

Article XIV: Miscellaneous

Any matter not covered by the articles in the by-laws shall be determined by the Board of Governors.

Article XV: Retired Numbers

Uniforms #1, #9, #12, #13, #14, #15, #18, #22, #86, #96 are retired on all levels of the Sachem Ice Hockey Club in honor of #1-Keith Kinkaid and in memory of Todd Keleman, Anthony Fronzoni, Anthony Gallo, Donnie Richardson, Jim Kelly, Joseph Buttacavoli, Michael Rizzo, Thomas Herzberg, and Jeff Bausch, respectively.

Article XVI: By-Laws

  1. At the January meeting, the names of volunteers for the by-laws committee will be taken.

  2. The purpose of the by-laws committee is to review the present by-laws and any new proposed changes and present the opinion of the committee as to the merit of the proposals and the committee's recommendation.

  3. The current by-laws and proposed changes must be posted on the club's internet website, at least one week prior to the 'Elections' meeting at which time any proposed changes will be voted on by the members present at that time.

  4. A two-thirds majority of the members present is required for any by-law changes.

  5. A copy of the revised and dated by-laws will be maintained on the Sachem Hockey website, and copies will be made available to the general membership by September of the same year, upon individual request.

  6. All bylaw changes go into effect immediately.

Article XVII: General Meetings

The Sachem Ice Hockey Club must hold at least three (3) general meetings per year. These meetings shall be held as follows:

  1. The first meeting will be held at or around the time that the first fee payment is due.

  2. The second meeting will be held in January to form a nominating committee and by-laws committee for the elections (this can be one person).

  3. The third meeting will be held no later than the last varsity practice, to enable the varsity parents to vote.

Article XVIII: Scholarship Awards:

The Sachem Ice Hockey Club shall fund two Scholarships.

  • The Todd Keleman Memorial Scholarship

  • The John Rizzo Community Service Scholarship for the amount of $500 per scholarship.

In addition, The Sachem Ice Hockey Club, in conjunction with the Palaez and Bausch families present three additional Scholarship awards in which the monetary value will be determined and paid by said families.

Article XIX: Tuition Payments

All Sachem Ice Hockey Club players shall pay the full price of tuition for their respective teams.

Article XX: Candidate Introduction:

The candidates for office will introduce themselves to the Sachem Membership on the night of the vote, the introduction will last no longer than 5 minutes per candidate. The introduction is needed so that all members can make an informed decision on the best candidate for the Sachem Ice Hockey Club.

Article XXI: President Emeritus:

The President-elect can ask the President who is stepping down to stay on as President Emeritus. The President Emeritus will attend all Board Meetings as a consultant and is a nonvoting position of the Board. The term shall last for one year and can continue at the discretion of the President.

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