ARTICLE I: NAME

I.1 The name of the organization shall be the Southern California Aquatic Association (hereinafter referred to as SCAA).

ARTICLE II: ORGANIZATION AND PURPOSE

II.1 SCAA is a non-profit coalition of swimming clubs, teams, and similar organizations who are joined together for the purposes of promoting amateur aquatic sports, encouraging the development of local aquatic skill, providing an opportunity for inter-club competition, and supporting the objectives and aims of United States Swimming (USS).

II.2 SCAA shall maintain a current USS Charter.

ARTICLE III: ADDRESS

III.1 The principal address of SCAA shall be the home of the president or another address recommended by the president and approved by the board of directors.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

Section IV.1: Group Members

IV.1.1 Group membership in SCAA shall be open to all clubs, teams, and other organizations, public or private, and to all government or municipal agencies sponsoring an active swimming group that will participate in SCAA activities.

IV.1.2 All group members of SCAA shall maintain a charter with United States Swimming (USS) through registration with Southern California Swimming.

IV.1.3 Organizations applying for group membership must send a representative to a regularly scheduled or special meeting of the board of directors. At this meeting a formal request for admission to SCAA may be made. Notification of the request shall be communicated to all group members not in attendance at the meeting, and a vote on the request shall be taken at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

IV.1.4 Organizations applying for group membership will be accepted into SCAA by a simple majority of the voting members of the board of directors as defined in Article V.1.3.

IV.1.5 For the purpose of voting on a request for membership, absentee ballots will be permitted.

IV.1.6 Upon approval of the board of directors, payment of all fees required by SCAA, and completion of other such requirements as stipulated by these bylaws or by the board of directors, the requesting organization shall be granted group membership.

Section IV.2: Individual Members

IV.2.1 Any individual with bona fide membership in a group member of SCAA shall be considered an individual member of SCAA.

Section IV.3: Representation

IV.3.1 Each group member shall be represented on the SCAA board of directors by one authorized delegate. The authorized delegates shall represent the interests of their respective organizations.

IV.3.2 Group members may name as many alternate delegates to the board of directors as they so desire. The alternate delegates shall be designated as to their respective rank (i.e., first alternate, second alternate, and so on).

IV.3.3 Group members shall designate their authorized delegates and alternates on a seasonal basis by written communication to the league secretary. Such designations shall include the address and telephone number(s) of all delegates and alternates.

Section IV.4: Privileges

IV.4.1 Any individual member of SCAA may attend any or all meetings of SCAA. Any member may voice an opinion, sign a petition, serve on committees, serve as the chair of a committee, and serve as an officer on the board of directors.

IV.4.2 Each group member shall be entitled to one voting delegate on the SCAA board of directors. Votes shall be cast in person by the authorized delegate from each group member or, in the delegate's absence, by an authorized alternate. Proxies are not permitted.

Section IV.5: Duties of Member Organizations

IV.5.1 Each group member is responsible for being represented at all meetings by an authorized or alternate delegate.

IV.5.2 SCAA shall have the authority to assess group members as necessary to cover SCAA costs. Fees shall be assessed on the basis of swimmer participation as defined in the SCAA Rules of Competition.

IV.5.3 It is the responsibility of each group member to have on file with SCAA the names and telephone number(s) of their delegate, alternates, and other individuals who should be contacted regarding SCAA business.

ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section V.1: Board Members

V.1.1 The board of directors shall be comprised of the authorized delegate of each group member, the elected officers of the board of directors, and the chair of each standing committee.

V.1.2 The board of directors shall elect the following officers: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

V.1.3 The voting members of the board of directors shall consist of the authorized delegates from each group member.

V.1.4 The elected officers of the board of directors and committee chairs shall not be voting members of the board, unless they are authorized or alternate delegates of their group members.

Section V.2: Powers

V.2.1 Subject to any limitation provided by the organization's constitution and bylaws, by the rules and regulations of United States Swimming and Southern California Swimming, or by the laws of the State of California, the board of directors shall have the powers specified in the following paragraphs of this section.

V.2.2 The board is empowered to conduct, manage, and control the affairs and business of SCAA and to make such rules and regulations as are deemed necessary, not inconsistent with laws of the State of California, the rules and regulations of United States Swimming and Southern California Swimming, or the constitution and bylaws of the organization.

V.2.3 The board is empowered to appoint any committee deemed necessary for the benefit or operation of SCAA.

V.2.4 The board is empowered to declare vacant the seat of any officer or committee chair who is absent from two successive meetings of the board of directors without good cause.

ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS

Section VI.1 Election of Officers

VI.1.1 At or before the regularly scheduled January meeting of each year the president shall appoint one member

of the board of directors as chair of the nominating committee, who shall in turn appoint at least two additional members of SCAA as members of the nominating committee.

VI.1.2 Members of the nominating committee shall not belong to the same group member.

VI.1.3 At the next regularly scheduled meeting, the nominees for each office shall be presented and additional nominations shall be solicited from the floor. Such nominees, if seconded by at least one other delegate, shall be included on the list of candidates. The candidate must have given consent to serve before being nominated.

VI.1.4 Within fifteen days after the meeting specified in Article VI.1.3, the secretary shall provide each authorized delegate a complete list of candidates for election in ballot form.

VI.1.5 The officers of SCAA shall be elected by majority vote of the board of directors at the regularly scheduled meeting in March.

VI.1.6 The officers shall be installed at the regularly scheduled meeting in April.

Section VI.2: Term of Office

VI.2.1 The term of office for each officer shall be one year from the date of installation. Each officer shall serve until a successor has been elected.

Section VI.3: Vacancies

VI.3.1 A vacancy or vacancies shall be deemed to exist in the event of death, resignation, or removal of any officer.

VI.3.2 A vacancy in any office except the president shall be filled by a majority vote of the delegates attending any regular or special meeting.

VI.3.3 A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the vice president, and the office of vice president shall filled in accordance with Article VI.3.2

VI.3.4 Member organizations shall be responsible to change, revise, or fill any vacancy of authorized delegates which may exist.

Section VI.4: Fees and Compensations

VI.4.1 No member of the board of directors shall receive any fee or salary for services performed as a member of the board other than the direct compensation of accrued bills authorized by a majority of the voting delegates.

Section VI.5: Affiliation of Officers

VI.5.1 All officers of the SCAA board of directors shall be registered as individual members of United States Swimming through registration with Southern California Swimming. All necessary fees for such registration shall be paid by SCAA.

ARTICLE VII: RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICERS

Section VII.1: President

VII.1.1 The president shall have general supervision of SCAA as provided for by the organization's constitution and bylaws.

VII.1.2 The president shall preside over all meetings of the board of directors unless unavoidably absent and shall have such powers as may be provided for in these bylaws.

VII.1.3 The president shall make such appointments as are necessary for the successful operation of SCAA.

VII.1.4 The president shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

VII.1.5 The president shall serve as the SCAA designated representative to Southern California Swimming/United States Swimming.

Section VII.2: Vice President

VII.2.1 The vice president shall carry out such duties as may be determined by the president.

VII.2.2 The vice president shall serve as presiding officer in the absence of the president.

VII.2.3 The vice president shall act as meet manager for all SCAA sponsored competitions.

VII.2.4 The vice president shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

VII.2.5 The vice president shall serve as the first alternate representative to Southern California Swimming/United States Swimming.

Section VII.3: Secretary

VII.3.1 The secretary shall maintain at all times a complete and accurate record of the minutes of the board of directors meetings, and shall provide a copy of the minutes to all board members following each meeting.

VII.3.2 The secretary shall maintain an up-to-date roster of all SCAA group members, their authorized delegates and alternates, and all members of the SCAA board of directors.

Section VII.4: Treasurer

VII.4.1 The treasurer shall keep an accurate account of SCAA funds and shall have the accounts available for inspection at all times.

VII.4.2 The treasurer shall receive all monies, giving receipt for same, and shall deposit them in such banks as approved by the board of directors.

VII.4.3 The treasurer shall pay all bills approved by the board of directors, maintaining an accurate record of all SCAA financial transactions.

VII.4.4 The treasurer shall issue checks or warrants as instructed by the board of directors. All checks or warrants issued shall be countersigned by the SCAA president or vice president.

ARTICLE VIII: STANDING COMMITTEES

Responsibilities of the chairs of each standing committee shall be as follows:

Section VIII.1: Information and Publicity

VIII.1.1 The information and publicity chair shall be responsible for the dissemination of information to all news media. Members should assist by apprising the chair of items of possible value.

Section VIII.2: Awards

VIII.2.1 The awards chair shall be responsible for determining the quantity and quality of all awards, including ribbons, medals, trophies, patches, emblems, etc., as designated by the board of directors.

VIII.2.2 The awards chair shall make all arrangements for purchase of awards, and shall supervise their presentation at SCAA sponsored meets.

Section VIII.3: Records

VIII.3.1 The records chair shall maintain a complete, up-to-date record of performance for each swimmer. These records shall be available to the league.

Section VIII.4: Rules

VIII.4.1 The rules chair shall be responsible for definition and interpretation of SCAA rules and other such rules and regulations as affect SCAA members.

VIII.4.2 The rules chair shall represent SCAA as the second alternate representative to Southern California Swimming/United States Swimming.

Section VIII.5: Selection of Committee Chairs

VIII.5.1 At the regularly scheduled meeting of the board of directors in March, the president shall nominate a member of SCAA to serve as chair of each of the standing committees.

VIII.5.2 Nominees for committee chairs will be confirmed by a majority vote of all voting members of the board of directors present at the regularly scheduled March meeting.

ARTICLE IX: MEETINGS

Section IX.1: Meetings of the Board of Directors

IX.1.1 Whenever possible, meetings of the SCAA board of directors shall be held regularly each month at a designated time and place.

IX.1.2 The board of directors may authorize additional meetings on either an individual or regularly scheduled basis. Notice of such meetings shall be given to each member of the board by mail or phone.

IX.1.3 The order of business at regularly scheduled meetings of the board of directors shall be as follows:

Call to Order
Approval of the Minutes
Officers' Reports
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Approval of the Treasurer's Report
Report of Committees
Records
Information and Publicity
Awards
Rules
Old Business
New Business
Adjournment

Section IX.2: Special Meetings

IX.2.1 Special meetings of the board of directors for any purpose may be called at any time and place by the president or, if he is absent, unable, or refuses to act, by any two directors (voting or non-voting) not representing the same group member.

IX.2.2 Notice of the time and place of a special meeting shall be provided to all authorized delegates, committee chairs, and elected officers not less than 24 hours prior to the meeting by telephone or telegraph.

IX.2.3 In the event a regular or special meeting cannot be held to conduct emergency business, the president may attempt to poll the authorized delegates and elected officers by telephone, and may take such action as seems most beneficial to the organization and its members.

Section IX.3: Quorum

IX.3.1 A simple majority of the member clubs shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business except adjournment.

IX.3.2 Except as provided by these bylaws all acts of the board of directors approved by a majority of the voting members shall be considered an act of the entire board.

Section IX.4: Adjournment

IX.4.1 A quorum of the voting delegates may adjourn any meeting of the board of directors to meet again at a stated day and hour. In the case of lack of a quorum it shall be sufficient for those members present to adjourn to a specified date and time, provided special notice is furnished to all members of the board.

Section IX.5: Absentee Ballots

IX.5.1 Absentee ballots are permitted only in the instances specified in these bylaws.

IX.5.2 Where the outcome of a vote could be affected by the casting of absentee ballots, the board of directors shall not announce the tally of votes cast in person and shall not consider the ballots cast as official until votes cast by absentee ballot have been verified.

ARTICLE X: COMPETITION

Section X.1: Seasonal Competition

X.1.1 SCAA shall conduct a winter and summer season.

X.1.2 Each season will include dual meets, a league championship meet, and other SCAA sponsored meets as determined by the board of directors.

Section X.2: Rules of Competition

X.2.1 The SCAA Rules of Competition shall govern all meets sponsored and approved by SCAA.

X.2.2 The SCAA Rules of Competition may be amended or changed by a simple majority of the voting members of the board of directors as defined in Article V.1.3.

X.2.3 For the purpose of voting on amendments or changes to the SCAA Rules of Competition, absentee ballots will be permitted.

Section X.3: Use of Charter

X.3.1 No individual club may hold a meet using the SCAA charter.

ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS

Section XI.1.1 These bylaws may be amended, altered, changed, or repealed in whole or in part, and new bylaws adopted in lieu of all or part thereof, from time to time as herein provided.

XI.1.2 Any group member may propose an amendment to these bylaws.

XI.1.3 A special meeting may be called by the board of directors for the purpose of altering, changing, repealing, or adopting bylaws.

XI.1.4 A proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be adopted by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all group members.

XI.1.5 In calculating the number of votes required for adoption of an amendment to the bylaws, the nearest whole number will be used.

XI.1.6 For the purpose of voting on amendments or changes to the bylaws, absentee ballots will be permitted.