2014 Bylaws Revision

Summary of Changes to the RYHA Bylaws

What’s the same?

1. RYHA will remain a member driven organization. The board will be nominated and elected by the membership.
2. RYHA remains a non-profit 501c3 organization.
3. The board will consist of 5 voting directors.
4. RYHA will maintain paid staff positions to run the day to day operations, including Executive Director, Administrator/Registrar, and Bookkeeper.
5. The Board may form committees to oversee specific areas of operation. For example, the Finance Committee and Hockey Advisory Committee are current standing committees.
6. Directors will be elected on an alternating basis, with 2 directors one year and 3 the next. The current board positions held by President (David Wright) and VP of Fundraising (Andy Thomas) will be up for election this December.

What’s different?

1. Member families will have one vote per each registered child in good standing with the association.
2. The Carolina Hurricanes will maintain a non-voting role on the board and will continue to represent the interests of the Hurricanes and provide guidance to the board. The change from voting to non-voting has been agreed upon and approved by the Carolina Hurricanes. This change was recommended by legal counsel for the protection of both RYHA and the Carolina Hurricanes.
3. The Executive Director position will no longer be a voting board position. This is as it was 2 years ago. This removes any potential conflict of interest since the Executive Director is a paid staff position.
4. Directors shall serve a term of 2 years rather than 3.
5. The current bylaws include term limits for board members. Term limits have been eliminated in the new bylaws.
6. A chairman may be elected by the directors from their numbers.
7. Having served on the board in another capacity is no longer a prerequisite for the office of President or Chairman of the Board.
8. The officers of the association will be President, VP of Finance, Secretary, and other VPs as deemed necessary by the Board. The Board may appoint officers from its own numbers or other volunteers.
9. The formal Associate Director positions have been eliminated. These roles will be incorporated into the Hockey Advisory Committee, which will be comprised of board members, staff, and volunteers.
10. The bylaws now provide appropriate indemnifications for the association directors, officers and staff as allowed by NC State law.

What’s next?

1. The current RYHA Board of Directors, with guidance from legal counsel, has reviewed and approved these new bylaws. A special membership meeting will be held on September 5, 2014 during which the current RYHA membership will be asked to approve the adoption of these new bylaws and to elect 2 new directors to the board. These directors replace the positions vacated by the Hurricanes representative and the Executive Director.
2. Nominations will be opened for the 2 vacant director positions.
3. An informal question and answer session will be held for those interested in becoming board members on August 27 from 6:30-7:30p at Starbucks on Six Forks Road near North Hills mall.

Board of Directors FAQ

This FAQ has been created to answer some common questions regarding the roles and responsibilities of the RYHA Board of Directors.

Q1: For how long does each director serve on the board?

A1: 2 years. Directors can serve multiple terms if they choose to run and are re-elected by the membership.

Q2: How much time does a director or officer spend each week?

A2: The actual time investment will vary depending on the time of year, but on average it is typically no more than 3-5 hours per week. The RYHA staff run the day to day operations and as such the Board of Directors do not have as significant a time commitment as in the past. Serving on specific committees or helping with specific events (e.g. tryouts) may involve additional time commitment.

Q3: Who runs the day to day operations of the Association?

A3: The staff of the Association run the day to day operations. These staff include the Executive Director, Administrator, and Bookkeeper. The Executive Director has primary responsibility for Association operations and also acts as Association Scheduler. The Administrator provides administrative support, responds to general member questions. The Administrator also acts as Association Registrar. Finally, the Bookkeeper deals with all day to day financial tasks including making deposits, paying invoices, writing checks, payroll, and maintenance of association financial records. The Bookkeeper also prepares and presents financial statements to the Finance committee. The Bookkeeper works closely with and reports to the VP of Finance.

Q4: How frequently does the Board meet?

A4: Generally, the board will meet 5-6 times per year. The typical board meeting will last from 2-3 hours depending on the agenda.

Q5: What are the primary responsibilities and time commitment of the President?

A5: The President is responsible for the management of the association Executive Director and Administrator. He/she is also responsible for ensuring the association is run according to the association bylaws, policies and procedures. The staff of the association run the day to day operations. Therefore the average time commitment for the President is typically 3-5 hours per week. This would increase somewhat at times of the year associated with program and budget planning for the next season.

Q6: What are the primary responsibilities of the VP of Finance?

A6: The Vice President of Finance shall have custody of all funds belonging to the Association. He/she shall have general charge of the books and records of the Association. The VP of Finance serves as chair of the Finance Committee and supervises the Association Bookkeeper. The VP of Finance also manages, along with the VP of Fundraising, the financial aid process.

Q7: What are the responsibilities of the office of Secretary?

A7: The Secretary shall keep accurate records of the acts and proceedings of all meetings of directors. He/she shall give all notices required by law and by these Bylaws. He/she shall have general charge of the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors.

Q8: What are the responsibilities of the other directors/officers?

A8: The other officers will attend Board meetings and are responsible for providing guidance on the governance and administration of the association. They will set association policy or consider and vote on recommendations from appointed officers and committees of the association. The Board will review and approve the annual association program plans and budget as put forth from the Finance and Hockey Advisory Committees. Directors/Officers may also serve on committees formed by the Board (e.g. Finance Committee and Hockey Advisory Committee).