Amateur Baseball Umpires Association – Great Britain

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

Revised: 21 November 2006

CONSTITUTION

Articles and aims

1) The Association shall be known as the Amateur Baseball Umpires Association – Great Britain (abbreviated to ABUA-GB).

2) The ABUA-GB shall be an associate member of the Amateur Baseball Umpires Association (ABUA), based in the US, and shall at all times act within the spirit of the ABUA mission statement:

“Our mission is to improve the overall quality of officiating throughout amateur baseball, and to provide a national organisation under which local associations and individual umpires can promote professionalism, integrity and a love for the game of baseball.”

3) The aims of the Association shall be:

a) To promote baseball umpiring and its umpires.

b) To work with appropriate leagues that accept the terms set out herein.

c) To recruit working umpires in Great Britain as its members.

d) To recruit new members.

e) To improve umpire training at all levels through a clinic structure available to all interested parties.

f) To create a Great Britain “Levels of Certification” programme and training schedule.

g) To administer its affairs in accordance with the wishes of its members.

h) To maintain and improve the standards of baseball umpiring.

Membership

4) Membership shall be open to any working/prospective baseball umpire interested in the furtherance of umpiring and the game of baseball.

Membership categories:

a) Full Member: Any working/prospective baseball umpire may register, and an annual fee set each year at the AGM shall apply. This membership shall carry one vote per person.

b) Junior Member: Open to those working/prospective baseball umpires under the age of 21 or in full-time education. An annual fee not exceeding two thirds of the full membership fee set annually as above. This membership shall carry one vote per person.

c) Life Member: The executive may from time to time elect such persons as they deem to be suitable, based on the individuals’ achievements in the furtherance of the Association’s goals, for life membership of the Association. This will be free of charge and shall last for the remainder of the life of each such member. This membership shall carry one vote per person.

Executive

5) An executive shall be formed of the following Officers:

a) Umpire Commissioner: To act as representative of the Association.

b) Secretary: To administer the day-to-day business and registration of ABUA-GB members.

c) Treasurer: To keep full records of the financial transactions of the Association.

d) Northern Umpire Supervisor: Responsible for assigning umpires to leagues in the North of England and Scotland.

e) Southern Umpire Supervisor: Responsible for assigning umpires to leagues in the South of England.

f) Umpire Training Supervisor: To oversee the organisation of all umpire training clinics and draw up and implement the “Levels of Certification” programme.

6) Once elected, the executive shall be empowered to make all decisions in the day-to-day running of the ABUA-GB.

7) Members of the executive may be appointed to sit as liaison with leagues for which ABUA-GB members umpire.

8) The executive may co-opt members to fill any casual vacancies that may arise; such appointments shall be subject to ratification at the following AGM.

9) In addition, the membership may elect any of the following non-executive officers:

a) Technical Director: Responsible for umpire development on and off the field.

b) Recruitment Officer: Responsible for recruiting new members.

10) Each officer shall stand down annually at the AGM, but may seek to be re-elected, if proposed and seconded. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority vote of those present at an AGM. There will be no postal or proxy voting.

Meetings

11) The ABUA-GB shall hold an Annual General Meeting no later than 31 January each year. Ordinary and Extraordinary Meetings may be called at the discretion of the executive or at the request of five (5) members in writing to the secretary.

12) Five (5) members present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum.

13) Amendments and proposals for consideration at the Annual General Meeting should be made in writing no later than 28 days before the date of the meeting. Such amendments or proposals shall be proposed in writing by one member and seconded by another. Such amendments or proposals shall be circulated as an agenda item for the Annual General Meeting. Late proposals may be considered following a simple majority vote for its inclusion of those present at the meeting.

14) Annual General Meeting notices should be despatched no later than 21 days before the proposed date of the meeting.

15) All votes shall be carried by a majority of those present at the meeting. There will be no postal or proxy voting.

16) All members shall receive game fees for umpiring, and the executive shall set these before each playing season.

17) All members shall be entitled to receive mileage fees for travelling to and from games in order to umpire. The executive will also set these before each playing season.

18) All officers shall be entitled to claim reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their duties, including all telephone and administrative costs and travel expenses.

19) The executive, and in particular the treasurer, shall seek funding from any source considered by them to be in the best interests of the Association.

20) The Association may be dissolved upon a majority vote to that effect at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary Meeting. Any funds remaining after the settlement of all outstanding debts shall be distributed equally among the members registered at the time of winding up.

21) The executive shall be empowered to act on any matter not specifically covered by this constitution or the attached bylaw.

BYLAWS

22) All umpires shall act at all times in a manner befitting their role as arbiters of the game of baseball.

Uniform

23) All umpires taking the field of play shall conform to the dress code of ABUA-GB, set out below:

a) MANDATORY:

Navy cap (preferably fitted)

Navy polo shirt with red/white/blue trim and ABUA-GB patch on left breast pocket. No other patches should be displayed on shirts.

Grey slacks

Black belt

Black socks

Black shoes

b) OPTIONAL:

Powder blue polo shirt with grey/white/blue trim and ABUA-GB patch on left breast pocket. Red polo shirt with white/red/navy trim and ABUA-GB patch on left breast pocket. Black polo shirt with white/black trim and ABUA-GB patch on left breast pocket. No other patches should be displayed on shirts.

Navy, black or red T-shirt

Navy plate coat

Navy pullover windbreaker jacket

Navy or black polo neck jumper

Each qualified National League umpire will be assigned a one or two-digit uniform number to consist of a red 4” high number on a white background and worn on the right sleeve of the navy polo shirt, windbreaker and plate coat. For powder blue and red shirts, the number(s) shall be navy on white on red. For black shirts, the number(s) shall be white on black on white.

The crew chief will decide on the day which colour shirt is to be worn, but ALL umpires on the field must wear the same colour shirt.

Sunglasses are allowed

24) Any member not conforming to the above may be subject to disciplinary action.

CRB checks

25) All members shall undergo a check by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). This is standard league welfare policy for all coaches, managers, umpires and anyone else dealing with youth. It is a directive from Sport England.

The CRB check is a free-of-charge, one-off procedure for new members. Existing CRB checks carried by new members from previous employers/organisations are not normally valid.

26) Any member failing a CRB test or refusing to conform to the above may be subject to disciplinary action and could be dismissed from the Association.

Game reports

27) All members are required to submit Game Day reports for every game they umpire. The reports are to be submitted to the relevant supervisor.

28) Any incidents during games must be reported by members on an Incident Report form. This must be submitted to the umpire commissioner as soon as possible for very serious incidents, and in any case no later than 72 hours of the incident.

29) Any member not conforming to the above may be subject to disciplinary action.

Disciplinary procedures

30) Should any member face a charge of bringing umpiring into disrepute, the executive shall appoint a committee of three (3) to investigate. This committee shall be empowered to fine, suspend or remove from membership any member found guilty. This committee shall have the power to call any persons to give evidence, and as with all deliberations this may be done in person, in writing or by telephone.

31) While any charge is being investigated, the member under investigation may be suspended, but such suspension shall not suggest any guilt on the part of the suspended person. Any penalties imposed should take into account any suspension so far served.

32) Any member shall be allowed an appeal, which shall be instigated within 21 days of any decision; such appeal shall be made to the whole of the executive. In such cases the executive shall be empowered to reverse, uphold or increase any previous decision. Following an appeal to the executive, any member having a ban imposed that exceeds one season shall have recourse to appeal to the membership as a whole.

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Constitution and bylaws adopted at the AGM, 20 January 2002.

Constitution (executive officers) and bylaws (uniforms) amended at the AGM, 15 January 2005.

Bylaws (CRB and game reports) amended at the AGM, 22 January 2006.