Optimus Template

The name of this organization shall be the Southwest Ohio Soccer Officials Association, hereby referred to as the SWOSOA. The principal office of this Association shall be located in Hamilton County, Ohio.

The SWOSOA shall be affiliated with, but not limited to, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), the Southern Ohio Amateur Soccer Association (SOASA / USSF), the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA), the Ohio South Youth Soccer Association (OSYSA / USYSA / USSF), the Soccer Association for Youth (SAY), and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC). This Association shall provide support for all referees and referee organizations within the Southwest Ohio, Southeast Indiana, and Northern Kentucky areas in and around the Hamilton County, Ohio region.

The purposes of the SWOSOA shall be:

• To provide a service to all soccer officials within the geographic area of the Association.
• To provide properly trained, certified, and capable officials at all levels of soccer.
• To improve and promote the proficiency of all soccer officials.
• To promote and maintain the highest degree of soccer officiating by providing a means for correct and consistent interpretation and administration of the rules and officiating techniques of soccer as defined by the affiliated organizations to be served by the SWOSOA.
• To encourage and enforce high standards of ethics among its members.
• To cooperate with organizations and institutions officially related to the game of soccer, and furthering its interests and ideals.

The management and government of the SWOSOA, as described in the By Laws, shall be vested in the Executive Board of Directors. The Executive Board of Directors shall consist of four (4) elected officers, four (4) elected trustees, the appointed Rules Interpreter, the immediate past President, who will serve as a non-voting advisory member for a period not to exceed two (2) years and one (1) appointed non-voting representative from each affiliated organization. The officers of the SWOSOA shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Elected members of the Executive Board of Directors shall be elected by the general membership at the Annual Meeting, the date and place of which shall be set by the Executive Board of Directors.

Each elected member shall serve a term of two years with their term commencing immediately upon election.  The terms of the President, Secretary and two (2) trustees shall be staggered with the terms of the Vice-President, Treasurer and the other two(2) trustees, so that no more than one-half (1/2) of the Board’s terms shall terminate each year.

Membership in the SWOSOA shall be open to all persons interested in the purpose for which it is organized. All persons accepted as a member in the SWOSOA shall agree to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association. There shall be five (5) categories of membership with this Association. They shall be

Membership requirements and approval shall be in accordance with the By-Laws of the SWOSOA.

The SWOSOA shall meet on dates determined by the Executive Board of Directors in accordance with the requirements of its affiliated organizations and as set forth in the By-Laws of the SWOSOA.

By-Laws shall be adopted for this Association by the Executive Board of Directors. The power to amend or repeal existing By-Laws or to adopt new By-Laws shall be vested in the Executive Board of Directors. The By-Laws shall contain such provisions as are necessary to ensure compliance with this Constitution. The By-Laws may contain any other provisions for the regulation and management of the affairs of this Association which are not inconsistent with this Constitution.

This Constitution may only be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the total votes cast by the eligible voting members present at the Annual Meeting or any other specially designated meeting, provided that a quorum of eligible voting members is present and a written notice of the proposed revision is mailed and/or delivered to each member of the SWOSOA at least twenty-eight (28) days prior to said meeting. The eligibility of voting members and the required size of a quorum shall be as defined in the By-Laws. Voting shall only be by written ballot, and in the event a member abstains from balloting, such abstention shall not be counted as a vote.

This Constitution is an amendment in its entirety of all prior enacted Constitutions of this Association, and upon its adoption all of those prior Constitutions are repealed.  This Constitution shall be effective upon the vote of a least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Executive Board of Directors, present and voting, serving in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of this Association in effect on the date of voting.

This Constitution has been adopted by the SWOSOA Executive Board of Directors on January 15, 2007.  (Last amended on December 3, 1996)

By:  _____________________

Fred Lee Secretary