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USA Wrestling – Ohio Constitution and Bylaws 

ARTICLE 1 NAME  

1.1 The name of the association shall be USA Wrestling - Ohio, to be abbreviated hereinafter  USAWO. In addition to the formal name specified above, the association may conduct its affairs under  such trade names as may be approved by its Board of Directors.  

ARTICLE 2 PURPOSE  

2.1 The purposes of the association are to have one representative organization, open to any  individual or club, to assist, supervise, standardize, and regulate the development and conduct of  amateur wrestling in the styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling in the state of Ohio;  

2.2 To promote and advance the sport of amateur wrestling in the state of Ohio by setting up a formal  structure to deal with the matters of membership, competition, officiating, and the disbursement of  funds to athletes and members of the association;  

2.3 To improve the standards and appreciation of wrestling in the state of Ohio for all races, colors,  and sexes, regardless of age, by providing training in wrestling skills, organizing meets and  tournaments, offering instruction in officiating, providing equipment, conducting clinics, instructing  parents in selection of proper equipment, and associating with wrestling associations and clubs in and  outside of the state of Ohio; and  

2.4 To maintain and execute any and all rules, regulations, and guidelines established by the National  Governing Body for Wrestling and the state of Ohio and to continue to be recognized as a member of  the National Governing Body for Wrestling.  

ARTICLE 3 MEMBERSHIP  

3.1 Membership Classes USAWO shall have two classes of members clubs and individual.  3.2 Club membership shall be open to any well organized wrestling club in the state of Ohio. 

3.2.1 Registration All clubs must register and pay the appropriate fees to the USAWO office  and the National Governing Body for Wrestling to be recognized as a Chartered Club. 

3.2.2 Voting Rights Each Chartered Club shall have one vote at all open meetings of  USAWO. Any Officer, Director, or Coach from a Chartered Club may represent the club and cast the  club’s vote at these meetings. This person must pay the appropriate current year fees to USAWO and  the National Governing Body for Wrestling to be eligible to vote in these meetings. Individuals may not  represent or cast the vote for more than one club. 

3.3 Individual membership in the association shall be open to any individual engaged in amateur  wrestling as a competitor, coach, or support personnel (e.g., officer, director, at-large member,  mat official, operations official).  

3.3.1 Registration Each individual must register and pay the appropriate fees to the  National Governing Body for Wrestling (USA Wrestling) to be eligible to participate in USAWO  activities and state tournaments.  

3.3.2 Birth Date Certification Each individual registering with the association as a  competitor must provide a document which proves his/her date of birth when called upon to  provide such information 

3.3.3 Voting Rights Individual members shall have no voting rights unless they are elected  to the Board of Directors, represent a Chartered Club, or are a Past Chairperson of USAW-Ohio, Senior Mat Official, a Senior Pairing Official, or a Senior Certified Coach. Senior Mat Officials are  those with a USWOA category of M1C or higher. Senior Operations Officials are those with a  USWOA category of OP1 or higher. Senior Certified Coaches are those who are certified under  the National Coaches Education Program (NCEP) at the Silver Level or higher.  

3.4 Fees The membership fees shall be the amount set by the National Governing Body for  Wrestling and USAWO.  

3.4.1 Payment Membership fees shall be payable as designated by USAWO at the time  the individual or club member joins USAWO on an annual basis. Payment is to be made as noted  above to the National Governing Body for Wrestling (USA Wrestling). 

3.4.2 Non-Payment No member shall be allowed to participate in any USAWO wrestling  activities unless the membership fees are paid in full prior to the activity. 

ARTICLE 4 OFFICERS  

4.1 The Officers of the association shall be Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer,  Membership Chairperson, MVKWA Director, and Coaches’ Council Director.  

4.2 Election of Officers The Officers of the association shall be elected at the Annual Meeting by  a majority vote of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past  Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches  present and voting.  

4.2.1 Chairperson, Secretary and MVKWA Director Elections for these offices shall be  every two (2) years in odd-numbered years beginning in 2017.  

4.2.2 Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, Membership Chairperson, and Coaches’ Council Director Elections for these offices shall be held every two (2) years in even-numbered years  beginning in 2018.  

4.2.3 Officers Holding Multiple Positions No individual elected to one of the seven offices  listed above may hold any of the Director positions listed in Article 5.2 or be an At-Large Board  Member at the same time. If an individual who is currently a Director or At-Large Board Member is elected to one of these offices, he/she must immediately resign as a Director or At-Large Board  Member.  

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4.3 Tenure of Officers The term of office for each Officer of the association shall be two years  beginning on the date of the Annual Meeting in the year in which they are elected and ending on  the date of the Annual Meeting two years later.  

4.4 Duties of Officers The duties of the Officers shall be as follows, but not limited to: 

4.4.1 Chairperson The Chairperson shall preside at all open and special meetings of  USAWO and shall be the principal executive officer of the association. He/she shall oversee the  execution of the regulations (i.e., the Constitution and Bylaws) and shall be responsible for  carrying out the decisions of the USAWO membership and the Board of Directors. The  Chairperson shall also perform such duties that may be assigned by the USAWO membership  and/or the Board of Directors.  

4.4.2 Vice Chairperson The Vice Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson and shall serve  in the absence of the Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall also perform such additional  duties that may be assigned by the USAWO membership and/or the Board of Directors.  

4.4.3 Secretary The Secretary shall record the minutes of all USAWO meetings and shall  report these to every Chartered Club, Officer, Director, and At-Large Board Member of the  USAWO. The Secretary shall assist the Chairperson with the association correspondence and  perform other such duties that may be assigned by the USAWO membership and/or the Board of  Directors.  

4.4.4 Treasurer The Treasurer shall be the principal financial officer of the association and  shall maintain all the financial records of the association. The Treasurer shall provide a financial  statement to the Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, and At-Large Board Members of USAWO  once a year at the Annual Meeting. The Treasurer shall also perform other such duties that may  be assigned by the USAWO membership and/or the Board of Directors.  

4.4.5 Membership Chairperson The Membership Chairperson shall co-ordinate with the  USA Wrestling National Office for the various membership classes, club charter applications, and  event sanction forms, and ensure that the appropriate fees are forwarded to the Treasurer. The  Membership Chairperson shall also be responsible for keeping accurate records of memberships,  clubs, and events.  

4.4.6 MVKWA Director – The MVKWA Director shall serve as liaison between USAW-Ohio  and Miami Valley Kids Wrestling Association (MVKWA), promotes Folkstyle wrestling  development, reports on the accomplishments of MVKWA and ensures that all athletes and  coaches have obtained the appropriate membership levels and that all events are sanctioned. 

4.4.7 Coaches’ Council Director – The Coaches’ Council Director shall serve as the liaison  between USAW-Ohio and the Coaches’ Council (CC), report on the accomplishments and  activities of the CC, promote Folkstyle, Freestyle and Greco wrestling developments throughout  the state and for all age groups, ensures that the age group national team coach and team  selection processes follow the established guidelines.

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4.5 Vacancies If an Officer of the association resigns or is otherwise unable to serve, the  remaining Executive Board shall place the names of the nominees for the vacant officer on a  ballot which shall then be distributed by electronic communication to the Board of Directors. The  Board of Directors will have seven (7) days to return a vote for the proposed officer. 

The vote will be official if 75% of the Board of Directors responds within the seven (7) day period  and one candidate has a majority of the votes. In the event that 75% of the Board of Directors  has not responded or there is a tie after the seventh day, the remaining Board of Directors will be  contacted until the 75% response is achieved or the tie is broken. 

ARTICLE 5 DIRECTORS  

5.1 Purpose USAWO shall establish Directors within itself to provide a better means of operating  quickly and efficiently.  

5.2 Directors The Directors of the association shall be Boys’ 14U/ Kids Director, Girls’ 14U/ Kids  Director, National Teams Director, Open Director, Mat Officials Director, Operations Officials  Director, Greco Director, Freestyle Director, Folkstyle Director, Media / Promotions Director, Fund  Raising Director, International Exchange Director, Women’s Wrestling Director, Safe Sport  Director and Beach/ Sombo/ Grappling Wrestling Director. The Board of Directors may designate  other Directors from time to time as necessary.  

5.3 Election of Directors The Directors of the association shall be elected at the Annual Meeting  by a majority vote of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past  and voting.  

5.3.1 Election of At-Large Board Members The At-Large Board Members shall be elected  at the Annual Meeting by a majority vote of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large  Board Members, and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and  Senior Coaches present and voting.  

5.3.2 Elections for Directors/ At Large Members shall be held every two (2) years. Directors shall be elected as indicated in their respective job description . At Large Members  shall be elected in even-numbers years beginning in 2018.  

5.3.3 Directors Holding Multiple Positions No individual elected to one of the directorships  listed above may hold any of the other Director positions listed in Article 5.2 or be an At-Large  Board Member at the same time. If an individual who is currently a Director or At-Large Board  Member is elected to one of these offices, he/she must immediately resign as a Director or At Large Board Member.  

5.4 Tenure of Directors The term of office for each Director of the association shall be two years  beginning on the date of the Annual Meeting in the year in which they are elected and ending on  the date of the Annual Meeting two years later. 

5.5 Duties of Directors Directors shall supervise all activities which involve their particular  division. Recommendations shall be made to the USAWO membership and the Board of  Directors on matters that pertain to development of programs to meet the needs of the  participants. 

5.6 Programs Each Director shall present to the USAWO membership at the Annual Meeting of  the association each year a proposed program the division will follow during the coming year.  

5.6.1 The program should include a proposed budget, information on division  championships, requests for special funding, ideas on promotion, and the site and date of  regional and national tournaments in which the division will be involved.  

5.6.2 The USAWO membership shall vote on each program proposal with a majority vote  of Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members, and Past Chairpersons of  USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches present and voting at the Annual Meeting needed to pass the item in question.  

5.7 Vacancies If a Director of the association resigns or is otherwise unable to serve, his/her  successor for the remainder of the term of that directorship shall be promptly voted into office by  the Executive Board.  

ARTICLE 6 EMERGENCY FUNDS REQUESTS  

6.1 Funds Requests Requests for additional funds above budgeted funds may be considered  when their use is vital to USAWO.  

6.1.1 Request Procedures Requests must be made to the USAWO Chairperson in writing.  The Chairperson shall in turn send the request to the Secretary who will contact each Board  Member electronically and submit to them the request. Each Board Member shall give their  decision on the request, and the USAWO Secretary will then summarize the votes. This  notification shall serve to inform the Treasurer of the majority decision.  

6.1.2 Tally of Final Votes A copy of the final vote of each Board Member will be sent to  each Board member.  

6.1.3 Funds If the request is approved, the funds will be distributed by the Treasurer.  ARTICLE 7 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

7.1 Composition The Board of Directors shall be composed of the following:  

7.1.1 The USAWO Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership  Chairperson, MVKWA Director and Coaches’ Council Director. 

7.2 Tenure of Board Members The term of office for each member of the Board of Directors shall  coincide with their term as an Officer of the association. 

7.3 Meetings The Board of Directors shall meet upon call of the USAWO Chairperson or upon the  written request of not less than 25% of the Board Members. Meetings shall be held at such  location and at such time as shall be specified in the notice of meeting.  

7.4 Quorum and Voting A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of its  members, but if less than a quorum is present at a meeting, those present may adjourn the  meeting from time to time without further notice. Unless otherwise provided herein, all actions to  be taken by the Board of Directors shall be by a majority vote of those present and voting, a  quorum being present. No voting by proxy shall be permitted. Each Board Member shall be  entitled to one vote. 

ARTICLE 8 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS  

8.1 The Board of Directors shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the association and  carrying out the objectives of USAWO.  

8.2 The Board of Directors shall be responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations of the  National Governing Body for Wrestling and USAWO.  

8.3 The Board shall be empowered to purchase or otherwise acquire necessary equipment and  dispose of or sell property not needed by the association. Expenditures shall be reported to the  USAWO membership at the Annual Meeting.  

8.4 The Board of Directors shall not unduly assume powers generally considered resident in the  Chartered Clubs of USAWO.  

ARTICLE 9 REMOVAL FROM OFFICE  

9.1 Resignation, Removal and Vacancies. 

A Board, Director or At Large member’s position may be declared vacant upon the member’s  resignation, removal, incapacity, 

disability, or death. A member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Executive  Board. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, and unless otherwise  specified, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. 

The Executive Board may remove a Board Member, Director, or At Large member if they breach  their fiduciary duties, are the subject of an ethical infraction, or have performed by deeds or  actions in such manner that is detrimental to USA Wrestling-Ohio . In such circumstances, the  Board Member, Director, At Large member shall be removed upon the affirmative vote of two thirds (2/3) of the voting power of the Executive Board (not including the voting power of the  member in question, if also an Executive Board member).

9.2 Replacement of a removed Officer, Director, or At-Large Board Member shall take place as is  set forth in these Bylaws. 

ARTICLE 10 USAWO MEETINGS  

10.1 Number General meetings of the association shall be held no less than once during a fiscal  year, on call by the USAWO Chairperson or at the request of a majority of the Chartered Clubs of  USAWO.  

10.2 Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting of the association each fiscal year must be held after  September 1st.  

10.3 Election of Officers, Directors, and At-Large Board Members The election of Officers,  Directors, and At-Large Board Members must be held during the Annual Meeting.  

10.4 Notice Meetings shall be held at such time and at such location as specified in the notice of  meeting. Notices of all open meetings (including the Annual Meeting) shall be sent to each  Officer, Director, At-Large Board Member, Chartered Club, and Past Chairperson of USAWO,  Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified Coaches by modern telecommunication  systems at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting. Meeting notices shall also be posted  on the USAWO web site at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting.  

10.5 Quorum A quorum at any general meeting of USAWO, including the Annual Meeting, shall  be established whenever a minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of all current Officers, Directors,  and/or At-Large Board Members and representatives for a minimum of ten (10) percent of the  current Chartered Clubs are present. If a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting,  information may be presented and tournaments may be scheduled, but no official business,  including the election of Officers, Directors, and At-Large Board Members, may be conducted. 

10.6 Minutes Minutes of each open meeting shall be posted on the USAWO web site within forty five (45) days after the meeting.  

10.7 Meeting Chairperson The USAWO Chairperson shall be the Chairperson of all open  meetings of the association. In his/her absence, the Vice Chairperson shall act as the  Chairperson of the meeting. If both the USAWO Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are unable to  attend the meeting, the USAWO Chairperson shall designate one of the other members of the  Board of Directors to chair the meeting.  

ARTICLE 11 CHARTERED CLUBS  

11.1 The association shall conduct its affairs on a district and local basis in the state of Ohio  through recognized local organizations (herein called "Chartered Clubs") that are formed to foster  the purposes and carry out the programs of the National Governing Body for Wrestling. Such  clubs shall be called "The __________ __________ Wrestling Club of USAWO."  

11.2 Any organization or group wishing to be recognized as a Chartered Club of this association  shall be required to pay the appropriate fees and submit to the association any documents 

USAWO may request. The organization or group shall demonstrate an agreement to abide by the  provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of this association and any other such provisions as  may be prescribed by the association through the Board of Directors.  

11.3 Disputes Any disputes with or among clubs shall be resolved by the Board of Directors if  they are requested to by the parties involved.  

ARTICLE 12 DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS  

12.1 Authority to Disburse The USAWO Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the association as  may be ordered by the USAWO membership, the Board of Directors, or the USAWO  Chairperson.  

12.2 Checks All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money, notes, or other  evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the association shall be signed by the Officer or  Officers, agent or agents of the association and in such a manner as shall be determined from  time to time by resolution of USAWO or the Board of Directors.  

ARTICLE 13 INTERNAL DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES 

13.1 Composition The composition of the Disciplinary Committee shall be designated by the  Board of Directors of USAWO and shall consist of five current USAWO members.  

13.2 Allegations Any member of the association may file a written allegation with the Chairperson  or the Secretary of USAWO regarding any matter within the cognizance of the association and  alleging a violation of any provision of the Constitution and Bylaws of the association or serious  misconduct by any person currently holding a USA Wrestling card.  

13.3 Terms All allegations shall be signed and shall state with particularity the nature of the  alleged violation of the Constitution and Bylaws or act(s) of misconduct by reference to specific  sections thereof, stating in concise language how, when, and where the alleged violation or  misconduct occurred.  

13.4 Referral of Grievances The Chairperson or Secretary receiving the allegation shall contact  members of the Disciplinary Committee within seven (7) days after receipt of the aforementioned  allegations and inform them of the particulars.  

13.5 Resolution The Chairperson shall send the entire written allegation via modern  telecommunication systems to each member of the Disciplinary Committee and to the accused  individual as soon as possible. The accused individual shall have seven (7) days to submit to the  Chairperson his/her response to the allegation. The Chairperson shall immediately submit this  response to the members of the Disciplinary Committee. Each member of the Disciplinary  Committee must render a decision to the Chairperson regarding the allegation and a proposed  penalty if appropriate. 

13.5.1 The majority vote of the Disciplinary Committee shall be the decision relayed to the  Chairperson who shall then inform the party involved within twenty-four (24) hours after the  committee has made such a decision.  

13.6 Appeal If the party filing the allegation or the accused individual are not satisfied with the  resolution of the matter reached by the method outlined above, the party shall be entitled to be  heard before the USAWO Board of Directors at their next scheduled meeting. The resolution  provided by the Board of Directors shall be considered final.  

13.7Alternate Disciplinary Procedure If the alleged violation of the Constitution and Bylaws or  acts(s) of misconduct occur during a competition outside of the State of Ohio and it is determined  that it/they must be addressed in a timely manner during the competition, the Team Leader, Head  Coach and /or Age Division Director shall designate a Disciplinary Committee to hear the alleged  violation as soon as possible. The accused individual may be represented at the hearing by a  coach or other individual of his/ her choosing. In this case, the allegations may be verbal, but  they must reference a specific part of the Constitution and Bylaws or established team rules. 

13.8 Notification and Appeal The accused individual shall be notified verbally regarding the  decision of the Disciplinary Committee. Any decision involving restriction or suspension of an  individual’s privilege of wrestling or coaching in USA Wrestling events must be conveyed in  writing to the individual’s parents or legal guardian within fourteen (14) days. All appeals will be  handled as outlined above.  

ARTICLE 14 RULES OF ORDER  

14.1 The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the  association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with  these Bylaws and any special rules of order the association may adopt. In no case shall the rules  of the association conflict with the Articles of this Constitution and Bylaws.  

ARTICLE 15 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS  

15.1 Notice and Voting The Constitution and Bylaws of this association may be amended at the  Annual Meeting of the association, starting with the first reading of the aforementioned document  at the 1990 Annual Meeting and thereafter at any of the Annual Meetings of the association. An  affirmative vote of two-thirds of all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members,  and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified  Coaches present and voting shall be required to amend any portion of the Constitution and  Bylaws, a quorum being present.  

15.2 Distribution The USAWO Secretary shall send a copy of the entire Constitution and Bylaws  including the amendment (s) to all Chartered Clubs, Officers, Directors, At-Large Board Members,  and Past Chairpersons of USAWO, Senior Mat and Operations Officials, and Senior Certified  Coaches by modern telecommunication systems within thirty (30) days after the meeting. The  amended Constitution and Bylaws shall also be posted on the USAWO web site in its entirety  within thirty (30) days after the meeting.


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