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CHARTER

I. NAME: The name of this organization shall be the St. John the Baptist Athletic Ministry Board (the Board).

II. MISSION, VISION, AND POWERS

  1. MISSION: To provide and promote athletic programs and recreational activities that will lead to the development of Christian ideals in the children of our Parish and school.

 

  1. VISION: Strive to act as ministers of Catholic faith, promote sportsmanship, and employ safe, healthy, and enjoyable competition which fosters the sharing of gospel values among athletes, parents, and coaches.

Ministry
Athletic Ministry is one component of St. John the Baptist Catholic Community’s comprehensive youth ministry program, offering the potential for great Christian influence.  Athletic Ministry encourages youth to become active members of our faith community.

Athletic Ministry strives to ignite spiritual development out of the relationship between the youth of SJB and athletics.  God has blessed the youth with many gifts and talents and has called volunteers who realize the importance of nurturing those blessings.

Athletic Ministry enables the partnership of parents, coaches, priests, religious, and adult leaders to manage and support a sports program that allows youth to grow in their relationship with God and come to better understand themselves and the Catholic faith.  Board members and coaches assist Parish leadership in nourishing the emotional, spiritual, social and physical needs of young people.

Board members and coaches are encouraged to act as ministers by facilitating prayer before practice and games and attending Athletic Ministry-hosted Masses.   Most importantly, Board members and coaches are asked to teach values of faith and character development and reflect those values in their own actions.


Sportsmanship

Athletic Ministry must reflect Christian attitudes and values with coaches emphasizing good sportsmanship.  Coaches are expected to set sportsmanship goals with their teams and discuss proper conduct. 

Athletic Ministry allows youth to witness the life of Christian discipleship in their coaches and adult leaders. Sportsmanship includes treating game officials with respect. Athletic Ministry strongly opposes the shouting of criticism or negative or derogatory comments towards officials, coaches, and athletes by anyone present at an SJB athletic event.


Enjoyment

SJB’s Athletics program is not a spectator sport for the benefit of coaches and parents; the games are to be enjoyable for the athletes.  Therefore, coaches must always be positive by praising and instructing their athletes.  Good coaches build self-esteem, not from winning, but from skill development and the social aspects of sport.

The Board encourages parents to support their children without placing undue pressure on them to succeed. Spectators are asked: to cheer in a positive manner at games; to never become involved in negative, profane, or offensive cheers or gestures; and to remember that the participants are children playing a game, not small adults playing for high stakes.

The Board encourages the young people of our Parish and school to appreciate the gifts that they possess, and challenges them to share these gifts with their community.


Safety

SJB Athletics is committed to protecting the children of our Parish and school.  As such, the Board must create and maintain a safe environment including good facilities and equipment.  The Board must also be diligent in ensuring the compliance of all coaches and volunteers with the policies of the Archdiocese of Washington. These policies are in place to investigate the background of the adult volunteers who are providing guidance and leadership to the youth in the athletic program. 

Coaches must use sound judgement when deciding whether to play in inclement weather or unsafe conditions.  Coaches must stop outdoor play at the sight of lightning and refrain from resuming play until 15 minutes after the most recent sight of lighting.  Coaches must refrain from playing in unsafe conditions that increase the likelihood of injury (e.g., extremely muddy fields).  Coaches must also intervene (e.g., speak with the referee) if the playing conditions are hostile or emotionally abusive toward any athlete.

  1. POWERS: The Board shall plan, initiate, develop, coordinate, promote, support, and supervise the execution of all designated youth athletic programs of St. John the Baptist Parish. Subject to the Pastor’s veto, the Board shall be the governing body of all Parish youth athletic programs; exercising such powers as is appropriate to its functions and specified by this charter.

 

III. MEMBERSHIP

  1. REQUIREMENTS: Members of the Board shall include the Director of Youth Ministry and a minimum of 7 appointed members. The appointed members shall be a minimum 18 years of age and standing members of St. John the Baptist Parish or School. Of the appointed members, no more than 3/4 shall be parents of children presently enrolled in the SJB School. Membership on the Board requires attendance at regular and special Board meetings and participation in Board activities in general.

  2. TERM LIMITS: The Director of Athletic Ministry, who is appointed by the Pastor, does not have a term limit.  All other appointed members shall each serve a three-year term. 

  • The appointed members may be reappointed upon a majority vote of the Board and the consent of the Pastor.

  • All appointed Board members (with the exception of the Director of Athletic Ministry) are limited to two consecutive terms of service.  There must be a 1 year hiatus before applying to the Board again.

  • The Board, with the advice and consent of the Pastor, shall appoint new members through a majority vote.  Terms of members shall be staggered so that at least two vacancies on the Board are created each year. 

  • Each year as terms expire for current members, the Board shall post notices in the church bulletin and other Parish or school publications notifying eligible parties of any vacancies on the Board for the following year. 

  • If a member resigns from the Board, the Board shall post notice of the vacancy with the church and school, and, as soon as possible, choose a replacement to serve the remainder of that term.

 

IV. GOVERNMENT

  1. POSITIONS: The term of office for all officers shall be one year (June 1 to May 31). Officers, elected by the Board annually, include the Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

  1. DUTIES

 

The Director of Athletic Ministry:


The Director of Athletic Ministry oversees the Parish’s Athletic Ministry program. Working with the Board, and under the guidance of the Director of Youth Ministry, the Director of Athletic Ministry utilizes the Athletic Ministry mission statement to administer program that allows young people to continue their journey of faith, knowing that they are welcomed and supported by the adults in their faith community.
The Director of Athletic Ministry shall:

 

  1. Meet with the Director of Youth Ministry to ensure that the Pastor’s vision of Athletic Ministry is being met.

  2. Interview, appoint, train as necessary, and supervise all Parish athletic coaches and other volunteers, with compliance to the policies set by the current Board, and the Board’s concurrence.

  3. Schedule parent meetings as necessary in order to communicate program goals and policies.

  4. Attend, or designate a representative to attend, Archdiocesan CYO meetings as needed.

  5. Be a good steward of all resources which fall under the purview of the Athletic Ministry at the Parish.

  6. Draft an annual budget for the Board’s approval.

  7. Provide necessary inputs to the Treasurer to maintain financial accountability of the Parish’s Athletic Ministry program.

  8. Review all team rosters prior to submission to the league.

  9. Stay informed of all Parish and Archdiocesan rules and policies, and make certain that all SJB coaches are kept current on these issues.

  10. Work with the Board to create programming that nourishes the spiritual, social, and physical needs of the youth of the church.

The Chairperson shall: 

  1. Be someone other than the Director of Athletic Ministry

  2. Schedule and provide advance notification to all members of the Board for both special and regular meetings

  3. Appoint all committees and designate the chairperson of each committee.

  4. Preside over all meetings and budget matters of the Board

  5. Designate an officer to conduct meetings in his/her absence.

  6. Meet with the Director of Youth Ministry to ensure that the Pastor’s vision of athletic ministry is being met.

 

The Secretary shall:

 

  1. Keep an accurate account of the minutes for all Board meetings and distribute them to Board members.

  2. Keep a collection of minutes from past meetings and have them available at all meetings

  3. Maintain and keep current the text of the charter and have the charter available at all meetings.

 

The Treasurer shall:

 

  1. Be responsible for the proper receipt, accounting, and disbursement of all Board funds.

  2. Maintain a permanent and accurate set of the Board’s financial records, which shall be open for examination by any Board member, the Pastor, or an individual designated by the Pastor

  3. Submit a monthly financial report to the Board, including, at minimum, a listing of all receipts and disbursements since the last financial report as well as a current balance of the budget

Designated Board members, as assigned, shall:

 

  1. Serve as Registrar, using the Archdiocese of Washington’s designated platform to register children for SJB Athletic teams and collect registration fees.

  2. Promote SJB Athletics and communicate to the Parish and school community, using channels including but not limited to the Parish bulletin, school announcements, newsletters, flyers, bulletin boards, and Web postings.

  3. Coordinate SJB Athletics events (e.g., end of season team recognition nights) and social functions.

  4. Supply all SJB teams with well stocked first aid kits.

  5. Coordinate the ordering, delivery, and distribution of team uniforms and fan apparel.

  6. Provide opportunities for sports equipment recycling.

  7. Coordinate fundraising activities to subsidize team registration fees.

 

V. MEETINGS

  1. REGULAR MEETINGS:  Regular meetings of the Board shall be held monthly, except during the summer school break. The order of business at any regular meeting should include the opportunity to have open discussion with individuals in the Parish or school not on the Board, as time permits. Meetings will be closed during voting periods (or secret ballots used) to maintain voting confidentiality.

 

  1. SPECIAL MEETINGS:  A special Meeting can be called by the Chairperson or a simple majority of the Board. No regular or special meeting of the Board shall be valid unless there is a quorum of the Board (including either the Chairperson or Secretary). Special meetings can be closed at the discretion of the Chairperson.

 

  1. VOTING: A simple majority vote of the members present at a valid meeting is required for passage of any proposal, except for amendments to the charter. Decisions of the Board shall be set forth in the minutes that are approved by the Board.

Each appointed member of the Board has one vote on each proposal.  The Director of Youth Ministry is a non-voting Board member.  In the event of a tie, the Director of Youth Ministry will be the tie-breaker.

At the first meeting of the new school year (June meeting), the Board shall nominate and vote to elect the Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer for the following year.

 

VI. ATHLETICS

  1. DEFINITION:  Athletics are defined as any sport in which the Board elects to participate on a competitive and non-competitive basis.

 

  1. ELIGIBILITY: Children who either attend St. John the Baptist School or who are members of the Parish shall be eligible to participate in the sports programs offered by the SJB Athletic Ministry if they meet the eligibility requirements of the sponsoring organizations. The Board will determine participation in programs other than CYO. Non-parishioners are also permitted to participate in St. John the Baptist’s athletic programs if the child’s local Parish does not offer similar athletic programs and under conditions established by the Board (e.g., an increased registration fee).

 

  1. COACHES:  All coaches must meet the approval of the Board. All coaches must comply with Archdioceses and Parish Certification requirements.   Coaches at St. John the Baptist must have an inherent love for children, which always puts the individual child and his/her welfare above victory or defeat. No coach may be removed except by a ¾ vote by the Board at a regular or special meeting.

 

  1. TEAM SELECTION: The Board shall determine the criteria to be used in team selection. The Board recognizes the importance of each child who participates in St. John the Baptist’s sports programs. The Board is responsible for ensuring that participation is at a level commensurate with each child’s maturity and ability.

 

VII. FINANCES

  1. FUNDRAISING:  The Pastor must approve solicitations and fund raising of any type by the Board. Coaches may not solicit funds for their teams unless they have the approval of the Pastor and the Board.

 

  1. ACCOUNTING: The Treasurer, so as to provide an accurate cost accounting, shall separately maintain expenses appropriate to each individual St. John the Baptist athletic program in addition to the program as a whole.

 

VIII. AMENDMENTS

  1. PROPOSALS: A Board member at any regular or special meeting of the Board may propose amendments to this Charter. However, Board members are required to notify other members in advance of their intent to propose to amend the Charter. Proposed Charter amendments cannot be voted on for at least one month following their formal introduction.

 

  1. VOTING: A two-thirds vote of the full Board voting members  is required for passage of any amendment to the Charter.

 

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