NVIHOA | BYLAWS

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

ARTICLE 1 - NAME

Section 1 – Organization
The name of this corporation shall be the Nevada Ice Hockey Officials Association, a non–profit corporation of the State of Nevada. The association may conduct business utilizing the business name of Nevada Ice Hockey Officials Association and/or Las Vegas Hockey Officials Association.

Section 2 – Abbreviation

The official abbreviation shall be: NVIHOA and/or LVHOA

ARTICLE 2 – PURPOSES

Section 1 – Objectives

The Nevada Ice Hockey Officials Association shall be to register and train ice hockey officials in the state of Nevada for the purpose of improving the quality of amateur hockey in the state, for ensuring uniformity of rule interpretations, for creating better understanding between officials, coaches, players, and other persons. It will also serve the purpose of developing more proficient officiating and maintaining the highest standards of officiating. Lastly, it will provide a forum for the discussion and dissemination of information on ice hockey rules and interpretations. In order to accomplish these purposes, NVIHOA will critique, offer training seminars covering rules, skating, procedures and will maintain close contact with USA Hockey and its District and State Referees-in-Chief’s.

ARTICLE 3 – AUTHORITY

Section 1 – Non-Profit
NVIHOA is a non-profit corporation and shall be operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the corresponding section of any future Federal tax code. The NVIHOA shall have no capital stock and shall not be conducted for capital or financial gain. No part of any net earnings thereof and shall inure to the benefit of any member or individual. In the event of the dissolution of the NVIHOA, any assets on hand shall be disbursed equally to other non-profit amateur hockey organizations or associations for the furtherance of their goals.

Section 2 – Bylaws
This organization will establish bylaws to govern administrative and procedural matters (such as time and location of meetings, etc.). Bylaws may be adopted, amended, or suspended by a majority vote present at an organization meeting where a quorum is present (advance notice is not required).

Section 3 – Jurisdiction

NVIHOA will cooperate with any recognized organization, authorized to sponsor tournaments, in order to coordinate the methods and manner by which officials of NVIHOA will be selected and assigned to the tournament games. The qualifications of said officials will be determined by the NVIHOA.

ARTICLE 4 – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – Qualifications
Membership shall be limited to those persons who have met the requirements as determined by the Board of Directors. The requirements are as follows: paying annual dues, complete the USA Hockey Officiating certification process. Any member having outstanding fees, fines, levied or impending disciplinary action, shall be considered a member not in good standing.

Section 2 – Expectations
All NVIHOA members are expected to understand and apply the USA Hockey Officiating Code of Conduct, as well as these bylaws, policies, procedures or other approved. In addition, members are expected to understand and apply, to the best of their ability, the policies, procedures, and rulebook for the level game and/or league they are assigned.

Section 3 – Dues
Membership dues for all classifications of officials shall be the amount deemed necessary by the NVIHOA Board of Directors and are subject to change each year.

Section 4 – Amount & Deadline
The amount that shall be paid and deadline for payment will be determined by the NVIHOA Board of Directors. These will be announced during the Annual Meeting. Extensions may be granted by the Board of Directors on a case-by-case basis.

Section 5 – Delinquency
Unless provided an extension or exemption as outlined in Article 7, members who have not paid their dues by the deadline shall be considered as not being in good standing and shall lose all membership privileges, including, but not limited to, voting, loss of game assignments, until the dues are paid.

Section 6 – Exemptions

The NVIHOA Board of Directors shall be exempt from dues while serving on the Board. The Board of Directors may determine other exemptions, such as, but not limited to, visiting officials, first year officials, etc.

Section 7 – Status
All NVIHOA members are considered independent contractors in their officiating capacities and are not employees of the NVIHOA. As independent contractors, members are not required to accept assignments from the NVIHOA. All members of the NVIHOA recognize this status and understand that NVIHOA, nor its officers or directors are employers and therefore, not eligible to receive benefits or protections reserved for employees. This shall include any and all claims to worker's compensation, any and all claims of damage to personal property, and any and all claims to injuries sustained while officiating.

ARTICLE 5 – MEETINGS

Section 1 – Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors of the NVIHOA shall be held September through April. Meeting date, time and location should be announced at least seven (7) days prior to meeting. An agenda shall be prepared for each meeting. All meetings of the Board of Directors shall be open to the general membership.

Section 2 – Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called by the President or a majority of the Board of Directors. Special meetings shall remain closed to the membership, however, at the discretion of the President, a special meeting can be open for the membership to attend.

Section 3 – Annual Meeting
The NVIHOA annual meeting shall be held in the summer of each year for the purpose of electing officers and directors and for the transaction of any other business which may come before the membership at that meeting. Other meetings may be called by the NVIHOA President, when deemed necessary or appropriate.

Section 4 – Electronic Meetings
Any meeting of the NVIHOA may be held virtually in an online meeting room or conference calls.
If a motion requires a vote, the use of email, conference room chat, surveys, or any other online format shall be acceptable.

Section 5 – Quorum
A majority of the NVIHOA Board of Directors shall constitute a Quorum at any meeting.

Section 6 – Voting Rights
Each member is entitled to one vote on any issue requiring the consent of the general membership. Any member not in good standing shall not have the right to vote or make bylaw proposals. Membership shall be required to be renewed by all members each year by November 30th. Members of the NVIHOA, or its Board of Directors, may not be represented by proxy. The President of NVIHOA shall have voting rights at all meetings, including committees, with the exception of Regular Meetings, where he or she will cast a vote only to break a tie.

ARTICLE 6 – OFFICERS

Section 1 - Number
The officers of NVIHOA shall be: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary.

Section 2 – Requirements
A member of NVIHOA, at least 21 years old and in good standing, may hold an officer position. Also, they must have 1 full year of NVIHOA experience prior to holding an officer position.

Section 3 – Term
Each officer shall hold office for two (2) years or until their successor hall be duly elected and qualified.

Section 4 – Vacancy
In the event of a vacancy by resignation or other reason, the President or designee shall appoint a member to fill the unexpired position of the term. In the event there is no interested or qualified individual available, the President or Vice-President will take on the responsibilities of the vacant role. For the purposes of a quorum, any officer that is currently serving in more than one office shall only have one vote. Should a tie-breaking vote be necessary, then the State Referee-in-Chief shall be the deciding vote.

Section 5 – Removal
Any officer elected may be removed from office by a vote of two thirds (2/3) or more of the NVIHOA Board of Directors, when the Board determines that it is in the best interest of NVIHOA.

Section 6 – President
The duties of the president shall include, in general:

Supervise and control all business and affairs of the Association.
Preside at all meetings
Call Special Meetings of the NVIHOA at his/her discretion
Power to preside at any Board of Review dealing with any official protest
Power to determine questions arising from operational emergencies not outlined in this document or USA Hockey guidelines
Power to represent the NVIHOA at other ice hockey meetings or to appoint a delegate in his/her position.

Section 7 – Vice President
The duties of the Vice President shall include, in general:

Assist with oversight and management of the supervision and development of Officials
Shall oversee or appoint another Board Member, other than the President, to govern disciplinary action
In the absence of the President or in the president’s inability or refusal to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President and when so acting shall have all the powers of the President.

Section 8 – Treasurer
The duties of the Treasurer shall include, in general:

Responsible for receiving and disbursing all funds of the NVIHOA
a. Processing Officials Payroll maybe handled by any NVIHOA Officer, with oversight of the Treasurer.
Keep accurate records of all income and expenditures
Keep all funds in a chartered bank
Render a report at the annual meeting to include (but not limited to) a summary of all revenues, payments, expenses, and any other reports when deemed necessary by the President
Responsible to file Federal taxes annually pursuant to obtaining or maintaining 501(C)3 status for NVIHOA
Process any IRS 1099 forms were NVIHOA has processed payments for any officiating fees (or similar payments) on behalf of any outside parties within the prior calendar year.

Section 9 – Secretary
The duties of the Secretary shall include, in general:

Give notice of all regular and special meetings
Secure adequate space for “in-person” meetings
Keep all records of all meetings and distribute meeting minutes in accordance with these bylaws
Solicit membership for Board of Director Nominations.
Render any assistance possible to the President in the performance of his/her duties.

ARTICLE 7 – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1 – General Powers

To study and report to the membership at the annual meeting on any proposals to amend or revise the Constitution, Bylaws, Rules and Regulations of the NVIHOA.
To determine and sanction the games for which NVIHOA shall be responsible to supply officials.
To set fees from which member officials shall be paid.
To fill any vacancy that might occur on the Board of Directors until the next annual meeting.
To conduct the routine business of the NVIHOA.

Section 2 – Number of Members
The number of Directors of the NVIHOA shall be six (6), consisting of four (4) Officers and two (2) Director-At-Large.

Section 3 – Director-at-Large
The duties of the Director At Large will be determined by the NVIHOA Officers. The intent of this position is to give the NVIHOA Board of Directors the flexibility to address the needs of the NVIHOA. Typical responsibilities may consist of Registrar, Officials Development, Coordinating Seminars, etc. While not required, it is recommended that at least one Director-At-Large be from the Las Vegas area/Southern Nevada while the other Director-At-Large be from the Reno area/Northern Nevada.

Section 4 – Ex-Officio Member
The Nevada State Referee-In-Chief, should they not be an elected member of the Board of Directors, shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. They shall have voting rights as long as they are a member in good standing. Ex-officio members are eligible to hold committee positions, as long as the President approves the appointment.

Section 5 – Term
Each elected Director shall hold office for two (2) years. Any member in good standing may hold the position of NVIHOA Board of Directors.

Section 6 – Attendance at Meetings
All elected directors shall attend at least 75% of all board meetings. Exceptions may be made on individual cases having shown good cause. Any Director not able to make a meeting must notify the President and give good cause. When any Director has missed 25% of the meetings, having not shown good cause, the Board of Directors must bring up the matter under new business and take appropriate action. Any Director not meeting these guidelines can be removed by a vote of two thirds or more of the NVIHOA Board of Directors present.

Section 7 – Good Standing
All board members must be NVIHOA members in good standing.

Section 8 – Indemnification
NVIHOA shall indemnify any person made a party to an action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil or criminal, by reason of the fact that said person was an Officer or Director of the NVIHOA, or served in such a capacity upon reasonable cost of settlement of any action, suit or proceeding provided that that the Officer or Director is not liable for gross negligence or willful misconduct in performance of duty of the NVIHOA.

Section 9 – Directors and Officers Insurance
Directors and Officers (D&O) Insurance shall be obtained and maintained by NVIHOA.

ARTICLE 8 – FINANCES

Section 1 – Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the NVIHOA shall end on the 31st day of December each year.

Section 2 – Checks, Drafts and Notes

All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money and all notes or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the NVIHOA shall be signed by either the Treasurer or other Board Officer as designated by resolution of the Board of Directors at any Board meeting. The Board shall ensure that there is a second signer designated at all times. Designation shall be made at the first meeting of the new board following the annual meeting and can be modified at any subsequent meeting.

Section 3 – Contracts and Other Information

Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may authorize any officer or agents to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name and on behalf of the NVIHOA. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances as approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 4 – Compensation
Directors shall not receive any direct compensation from the NVIHOA for their service as Directors. This does not preclude any Director from serving the NVIHOA in any other capacity and receiving compensation in that capacity.

ARTICLE 9 – DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS

Section 1 – Discipline
All members of the NVIHOA are expected to comply with the NVIHOA bylaws, policies, procedures. In addition, members are also expected to understand and apply, to the best of their ability, the policies, procedures, and rulebook for the level game or league they are assigned. Any member that fails to comply with the NVIHOA established authority or regulations, including but not limited to, the bylaws, policies, and procedures or for delinquency in payment of authorized charges, fines, penalties, or assessments, or for any other conduct established to be contrary to the best interests of the NVIHOA, a member may be fined, placed on probation, or suspended from the NVIHOA for not more than one year, or may be expelled.

ARTICLE 10 – STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 1 – General
The NVIHOA may have standing committees to deal with the various components of the officiating program. Nothing in this section shall limit the number of committees, nor their membership, provided that, at a minimum, there shall be the following committees:

Rules and Ethics Committee
Development Committee

Section 2 – Ratification
All Committees and their members are subject to review and approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 3 – Rules and Ethics Committee
All protests regarding a given official, or serious consequences occurring as a result of any official in the performance of his duties are to be forwarded, in writing, to the Chairman of the Rules and Ethics Committee. A copy shall be forwarded to the NVIHOA President.

In the event of a protest concerning an official who is a member of this association, the following are recommendations to be used in evaluating complaints by the by the Rules and Ethics Committee Chairman:

Reject out of hand any protests not written.

Reject out of hand any protests concerning any judgment calls made by an official.
Reject out of hand any protests wherein any conflict of personalities between the protesting Coach and official is detected.
Call for a Board of Review.

The President will appoint a Chairman of the Rules and Ethics Committee. When a review is required, the Chairman will assemble a review Board consisting of: Themself, two (2) other members of the NVIHOA Board of Directors, and two (2) other NVIHOA members who are not members of the Board of Directors.

The Board of Review shall have the power to take whatever action is deemed necessary.

The Chairman of the Rules and Ethics Committee shall notify the person which is a subject of possible discipline by US mail or e-mail of the hearing date and place. The subject shall have a right to discuss the incident and to inquire to specific accusations against them. They also have the right to bring anyone to speak in their behalf. The Committee will then hold a closed session, review the matter, and render a decision. The Committee must notify the subject of discipline, in writing, of their decision by US mail or e-mail within seven (7) days of the hearing date.

The following are action for which this association immediately considers protests to be valid causes:

Drunkenness or consumption of alcoholic beverages and/or illegal substances prior to or during the game so as to be recognizable by the player and other officials, including minor officials.

Continued failure to appear for games.
Continued failure to appear on time for games.
The use of profane, obscene, or abusive language toward anyone while in the performance of his duties, which shall include all of the time the officials are in the area of the ice rink preceding and following a game.
Gross incompetence.
Physical abuse of players extraordinary to the requirements necessary to prevent or breaking up any altercation.
Any action deemed detrimental to ice hockey and/or NVIHOA.

Section 4 – Appeals
Any decision imposed on a member of NVIHOA by the Rules and Ethics Committee can be appealed to the NVIHOA President. The appeal must be delivered via US Mail or email within seven (7) calendar days of the decision date. The appeal must include the grounds for appeal.

ARTICLE 11 – PARLIAMENTARIAN

Section 1 – Procedures
The Secretary of the NVIHOA shall act as Parliamentarian at all meetings and the NVIHOA shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order when conducting meetings.

ARTICLE 12 – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1 – Nomination Process
The Board of Directors shall appoint an Election Secretary who will be responsible for conducting elections under the rules approved by the Board of Directors. This duty should be performed by one of the current Board members that is not up for election, but at the decision of the Board, may be appointed to a NVIHOA Member. Any interested nominees must self-nominate themselves. A Director, currently holding office, shall have the opportunity to again run for office.

Beginning with the 2022 Annual Meeting, the order of expiration of Directors terms shall be as follows:

ELECTIONS (ODD) YEARS ENDING WITH: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Vice President, Treasurer, Director-At-Large

ELECTIONS (EVEN) YEARS ENDING WITH: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8
President, Secretary, Director-At-Large

Section 2 – Election Protocol
All votes must be cast in person, at the annual meeting at the stated date and time. Members of the NVIHOA or NVIHOA Board of Directors may NOT be represented, nominated, or vote by proxy.

Procedure for election of all board of Directors shall be as follows:

A member of NVIHOA, at least 21 years old and in good standing, who desires to run for election to the Board, shall notify the Election Secretary, in writing, at least ten (10) days prior to the annual meeting of NVIHOA.
Notice of the names of all persons seeking election to the Board shall be provided to all members of NVIHOA no later than seven (7) days prior to the annual meeting of NVIHOA.
In the event there are not enough candidates for the Board to fill all the expiring Board seats, a second notice to all members of the NVIHOA shall be provided no later than five (5) days prior to the annual meeting of the NVIHOA, said notice granting an additional 2-day period for any interested candidates to submit their names to the Election Secretary for election. The names of all additional candidates, plus the names of all other candidates having previously filed, shall then be sent to all members of NVIHOA no later than 48 hours prior to the annual meeting. This provision (Section 12.2.3) shall only be applicable if there are not enough candidates to fill vacant positions.
1. If there are still not enough candidates 48 hours prior to the meeting as outlined in Section 12.2.3, then a motion can be made at the Annual Meeting, by a current Board Member, to reduce the number of Board of Directors.
  1. The only option for reducing the number of Board Members under Section 12.2.3(a) shall be to remove the Director-At-Large position(s) from the ballot.
Nominees do not need to be physically present at the Annual Meeting to be elected.
At the Annual Meeting, each candidate for the Board shall be given three (3) minutes to speak to the membership in support of their candidacy if such candidate desires.
Votes will be recorded by the Election Secretary for each candidate during the election; The candidates that receive the most votes during the election in:
In the event there is a tie for a position, an additional ballot will be distributed to all members at the meeting, excluding the 2 or more members requesting that position. A majority vote will determine who will hold the position.

ARTICLE 13 – AMENDMENTS

Section 1 – Procedures
This constitution may be amended or changed at the annual meeting or at any special meeting of the general membership. Each proposed amendment must be submitted to the President. No amendment shall be eligible for presentation at a meeting unless it has been published at least ten (10) days prior to said meeting. Bylaw additions and amendments must be submitted by a member in good standing and may not be submitted anonymously.

Section 2 – Adoption
The proposed amendments shall then be presented, following publishing, at the next annual or special meeting. After discussion, a vote of the majority of the Board of Directors in attendance and voting at the meeting, shall be required to adopt the amendments. Except as required by law to be approved by a vote of the general membership.

*Adopted at the NVIHOA formation meeting on January 15th, 2021

Bylaws Modified:

Accepted on August 25, 2022

ARTICLE 6: Section 2 – Requirements

Current: A member of NVIHOA, at least 18 years old and in good standing, may hold an officer position.

Change: A member of NVIHOA, at least 21 years old and in good standing, may hold an officer position. Also, they must have 1 full year of NVIHOA experience prior to holding an officer position.

ARTICLE 12: Section 2.1 – Election Protocol

Current: A member of NVIHOA, at least 18 years old and in good standing, who desires to run for election to the Board, shall notify the Election Secretary, in writing, at least ten (10) days prior to the annual meeting of NVIHOA.
Change: A member of NVIHOA, at least 21 years old and in good standing, who desires to run for election to the Board, shall notify the Election Secretary, in writing, at least ten (10) days prior to the annual meeting of NVIHOA.