The Slalom Sports Division is a Sports Division of the United States Canoe and Kayak Team ("USCKT"). The administrative group responsible for the operating of the Slalom Sports Division shall be the National Whitewater Slalom Committee ("Committee").
1.To promote, develop and implement programs for the Olympic sport of whitewater slalom racing in the United States in concurrence with the USCKT.
2.To carry out the purposes of the USCKT regarding decked boat whitewater slalom racing, including:
a)To administer the program of selection of members of U.S. National Teams for international whitewater slalom competitions.
b)To promote whitewater slalom races within the United States and to publish a schedule of sanctioned events.
3.To fulfill all other purposes outlined by the USCKT for Sports Divisions.
The administration of the Slalom Sports Division shall be done by the Committee consistent with the Bylaws of the USCKT and the respective duties and definitions of the USCKT offices and committees. Additional policies shall be established by the Committee from time-to-time for necessary functioning. All such policies must have the approval of the USCKT Board of Directors.
Criteria for membership in the Slalom Sports Division, membership fees and other charges for special groups may be adopted from time-to-time by the Slalom Sports Division Committee, consistent with the bylaws and policies of the USCKT.
1.The Committee shall be comprised of twelve (12) elected representatives and four officers.
a)The twelve representatives shall include one regional representative from each of six geographic regions, two representatives to be elected at-large, and four athlete representatives.
b)The terms of office for the Committee representatives and Committee Officers shall commence immediately following the completion of the annual business meeting, except in the case of persons elected or appointed by their geographic regions(s) to fill declared vacancies, in which case the term of office shall commence immediately upon election or appointment and notice to the Committee thereof.
2.Geographic Regions The six geographic regions shall be defined as follows:
a)Northeastern Region: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut.
b)Mid -Atlantic Region: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware.
c)South Atlantic Region: North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida.
d)Mid Continent Region: Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota.
e)Northwestern Region: Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska.
f)Southwestern Region: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii.
3. Regional Representatives.
a)Each of the six geographic regions shall elect a divisional representative to the Committee. Election of regional representatives shall be conducted by mail vote of all Slalom Sports Division members.
b)Slalom Sports Division members shall be eligible to vote only in the region of their primary residence. Each member may designate the region of their primary residence on their annual USCKT membership application. In the absence of such designation, the region of primary residence shall be determined by the mailing address of the member on file with the USCKT national office.
c)The term of the Regional Representatives shall be two years. The Regional Representatives shall be elected in odd numbered years.
4.At Large Representatives
a)The two At-Large Representatives to the Committee shall be elected by a vote of the membership of the Slalom Sports Division.
b)The term of the At-large Representatives shall be two years. Both At-Large Representative shall be elected in even numbered years.
5.Athlete Representatives.
a)Election. Slalom athletes who are voting members of the USCKT, and are qualified athletes under section 1.05 G of the USCKT Bylaws, or have competed at the most recent senior open national whitewater slalom championships or national whitewater slalom team trials shall elect four athlete representatives to the Committee.
b)Eligibility. To be eligible to serve as an athlete representative or as an alternate athlete representative, the person must be a voting member of the Slalom Sports Division, actively engaged in amateur athletic competition as defined in Section 1.05(g) of the USCKT's Bylaws or have represented the United States as a Team member in ICF sanctioned international competitions with the past 10 years.
c)In the event of a vacancy of an athlete representative position, a special election will be held to fill the vacancy. The special election shall be conducted by the Chairperson or the Chairperson's representative. The special election will be conducted by a mail vote by the competitors at the most recent National Championships and the National Team Trials in the appropriate discipline.
d)Term of Office. The term of office for each Athlete Representative shall be two years, with two Athlete Representatives being elected each year.
e)Alternate Athlete Representative. Each athlete representative may designate another person at the time of election (who meets the eligibility criteria for an athlete representative) to serve as his/her alternate athlete representative during his/her term of office. In the event that the elected athlete representative is unable to attend a meeting of the Committee, the designated alternate athlete representative is authorized, upon notice to the Chairperson by the elected athlete representative, to vote on all matters.
6.Elections
a)Elections of regional representatives, at-large representatives, and athlete representatives shall be supervised by the Committee Chairperson or the Chairperson's representative, and shall be held by mail ballot.
b)Schedule Of Elections: Eligible Nominations shall be sent to the Chairperson by August 15 of each year and ballots mailed to all eligible members by September 7, to be returned, postmarked not later than October 5. Results will be tallied not later than October 15, except for extraordinary circumstances, a record of which must be made in the minutes of the Committee.
c)Nominations: To be eligible, a nomination must be forwarded to the Chairperson by a Nominations subcommittee appointed by the Chairperson, or must include the supporting signatures of ten (10) Slalom Sports Division members eligible to vote for the nominee.
d)The validity of each election for representatives must be certified by a majority vote of the voting Committee members at the first meeting of the Committee following the election. The results of an election determined not to be valid shall be nullified, and the elected position shall remain vacant until a new election can be conducted and certified by the Committee.
7.Officers.
a)Any person who is a voting member of the USCKT and a member in good standing of the Slalom Sports Division, is eligible to serve as an officer, provided, that no person may have more than one position on the Committee.
b)A Regional Representative or Athlete Representative elected to an officer position must resign as a Regional Representative or Athlete Representative. Geographic Regions shall elect replacements for Regional Representative and special elections shall be held to replace Athlete Representatives.
c)No officer shall be eligible to serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office, except by a 2/3 vote of the Committee. An officer who has served more than half a term is considered to have served a full term in office.
8.Executive Committee. The Slalom Sports Division shall have an Executive Committee comprised of the Chairperson, two Athlete Representatives, one other member as elected by the Committee at its annual business meeting from the members of the Committee, and one other officer of the Committee, to be elected by the Committee.
1.The Slalom Sports Division Committee shall nominate and elect Directors to the USCKT Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the USCKT's Bylaws. To be eligible to serve as a director to the USCKT Board, the candidate must be a member of the Slalom Sports Division.
1.Duties of Regional Representatives. The primary duty of a Regional Representative is to represent the views of the Slalom Sports Division members within his or her region and to communicate to those members the issues and actions of the Slalom Sports Division. In addition to those duties assigned to them by their regions, Regional Representatives may be assigned additional responsibilities by the Slalom Sports Division in connection with its programs.
2.Duties of Athlete Representatives.
a)The Athlete Representatives shall have such duties and responsibilities that are consistent with the USCKT Bylaws. They shall also represent the active decked boat whitewater slalom competitors. The primary duty of the Athlete Representatives is to represent the views of the athletes in the discussions and decisions of the Slalom Sports Division and to communicate to those athletes the issues and actions by the Slalom Sports Division. They may be assigned responsibilities by the Committee in connection with its programs.
b)Consistent with the bylaws of the USCKT, the Athlete Representatives elected in even numbered years shall serve as the Slalom Sports Division Athlete Representative to the USCKT Board of Directors concurrently with their elected term on the Slalom Sports Division.
3.Duties of the Chairperson. It is the duty of the Chairperson to:
a)Represent and speak for the Committee in matters involving the public or other organizations;
b)Coordinate all activities of the Committee and see that all rules and regulations are properly enforced;
c)Preside at meetings of the Committee and meetings of the Executive Committee;
d)Except as expressly provided otherwise in these Operating Procedures with the concurrence of the Committee, appoint such committees as are necessary to assist in these duties;
e)Perform such other duties as determined by the Committee.
4.Duties of the Vice Chairperson.
a)In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson shall preside over meetings of the Slalom Sports Division and the Executive Committee.
b)Should the Chairperson become incapacitated, or in the event of an extraordinary event where the Chairperson cannot perform the duties of the office, the Vice Chairperson is empowered to act in the Chairperson's stead.
5.Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall:
a)Keep a record of all proceedings of the Slalom Sports Division and shall solicit minutes of meetings of the Slalom Sports Division Executive Committee and the Slalom Sports Division subcommittees;
b)Publish the minutes of Slalom Sports Division meetings promptly, within two weeks of meeting;
c)Provide the appropriate persons with announcements of meetings, agenda for meetings, and minutes of meetings held by the Slalom Sports Division or the Executive Committee.
d)Further be responsible for conducting such correspondence for the Slalom Sports Division as requested by the Chairperson; and e)Perform other duties as may be designated by the Chairperson and/or the Slalom Racing Division.
6.Duties of the Treasurer. In conjunction with the USCKT treasurer:
a)The Treasurer shall oversee the collection and control of all monies of the Slalom Sports Division and the payment of all bills of the Committee which are the result of directives of the Chairperson, the Slalom Sports Division, the Executive Committee, or authorized subcommittee personnel, and should assist in the preparation of the annual budget.
b)The Treasurer shall oversee the recording of all monies received or paid and provide the Committee with an annual report at a time designated by the Committee and provide such interim reports as requested by the Chairperson and/or the Committee.
7.Duties of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the Slalom Sports Division between its meetings within the limits of Slalom Sports Division policies and procedures. Reports on the activities of the Executive Committee shall be sent to the Committee.
8.Duties of the Athlete Directors to USCKT Board of Directors. The primary duty of an Athlete Directors from the Slalom Sports Division on the USCKT Board of Directors shall be to represent the views of the Slalom Sports Division at all USCKT Board of Directors meetings and to communicate to the Slalom Sports Division the issues and actions of the USCKT Board of Directors. Athlete Directors from the Slalom Sports Division are responsible for carrying out all duties and responsibilities as outlined in the USCKT Bylaws.
1.In order to efficiently manage the business of the Slalom Sports Division, there shall be subcommittees of the Slalom Sports Division which shall
a)Be responsible for particular subjects;
b)Take action on those subjects within the limits of Slalom Sports Division policies and procedures;
c)Report to, and make recommendations for action by, the Committee.
2.The term of office of elected subcommittee chairpersons shall be two calendar years. The Slalom Sports Division Committee Chairperson shall be an ex-officio member, with no vote, of all subcommittees. The Chairperson of the Team Support, Development, and Events Subcommittees shall be elected by the Committee. Except as stated in these Bylaws, subcommittee members need not be members of the Committee.
3.Standing Subcommittees. The Committee Chairperson shall appoint, with confirmation of the executive committee, standing subcommittees composed of at least two persons for Rules, Race Sanctioning, Fundraising, Meritorious Service Award, Operating Procedures, Officials, Elections and Nominations, Discipline, and Rankings. Appointed members shall serve one year terms.
4.Ad Hoc Subcommittees. The Committee Chairperson shall appoint such ad hoc subcommittees as are needed to carry out particular tasks delegated by the Committee. No ad hoc subcommittee shall have less than two members. Appointed members shall serve for the duration of the committee unless removed by the Committee Chairperson.
5.Slalom Team Support Subcommittee.
a)The Slalom Team Support Subcommittee shall consist of a Chairperson elected by the Committee, an Athlete Representative, a U.S. National Slalom team member, a National Team Coach, and a minimum of one additional member selected by the subcommittee's chairperson and ratified by the Committee.
b)The purpose of the Slalom Team Support Subcommittee is to develop and monitor and cause the implementation of policies and budgets for the slalom teams.
6.Development Subcommittee.
a)The Development Subcommittee shall consist of a Chairperson elected by the Committee, a national development or junior team coach, and a minimum of two additional subcommittee members selected by the Development Subcommittee Chairperson and ratified by the Committee.
b)The purpose of the Development Subcommittee is to develop and monitor the implementation of programs, policies and budgets designed to help build the sport, to provide support and guidance to developing athletes, and to support the National Junior Team. It is also the responsibility of the Development Subcommittee to review applications for Center of Excellence status and make recommendations to the Slalom Sports Division. It is the Committee's responsibility to designate all Centers of Excellence.
7.Events Subcommittee.
a)The Events Subcommittee shall consist of the Chairperson, and such other persons who are recommended by the subcommittee chairperson and confirmed by the Committee.
b)The purpose of the Events Subcommittee is to attend to managing the events program of the Slalom Sports Division, including developing standards, preparing a yearly schedule, and organizing system for races and other events, soliciting bids for national level events, and presenting bids for national level events to the Committee for approval.
8.Team Selection Committee. The Slalom Sports Division shall have a Team Selection Committee, whose role and composition shall be consistent with the USCKT Bylaws.
1.Regular Business Meetings. Committee shall hold at least two regular business meetings each year, one of which shall be the annual business meeting to be held in the Fall after completion of annual elections for Committee representatives. Regular business meetings shall be face-to-face meetings and shall be scheduled with the members of the Committee with at least 30 days notice so as to assure the greatest possible attendance.
2.Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Committee may be called by the Chairperson or by the written petition of at least 1/3 of the members of the Committee whenever it is deemed necessary.
3.Quorum. A quorum for conducting Committee business shall be 1/2 of the voting membership of the Committee.
4.Deputies and Proxies. The designation of deputies or proxies shall not be accepted. In the absence of either the elected representative or the alternate representative of a Region, a written and signed vote on any agenda item, excluding the elections of officers, may be submitted to the secretary by such divisional representative or alternate representative prior to the meeting.
5.Open Meetings/Executive Session. Meetings of the Committee shall be open unless 2/3 of the members at the meeting vote to close the meeting and meet in executive session. The reason for the executive session must be stated in the motion for executive session.
6.Agenda. Business transacted at all meetings shall be limited to the subjects stated in the notice of the meeting or written agenda and matters germane thereto unless 2/3rds of the voting members of the Committee present waives this requirement for any particular item of business for the meeting in question.
7.Notice of Meetings. Written notice of all meetings shall be sent to every member of the Committee, and a written agenda must be postmarked to each member and officer not later than 21 days prior to the meeting. These requirements may be waived with the consent of 2/3rds of the entire Committee. Such consent may be made in writing or by vote in person before, at, or after a business meeting.
8.Conference Calls. The Committee and/or any of its subcommittees may permit any or all members to participate in a regular or special meeting by, or conduct a meeting through the use of any means of communication by which all members participating may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting. A member participating in a meeting by this means is deemed to be present in person at that meeting.
9.Conflict of Interest and Voting.
a)No member may vote on a question in which he or she has a direct or personal or monetary interest not common to other members of the Slalom Sports Division.
b)Conflicts of interest must be declared prior to discussion of an action item.
c)The Chairperson may rule on whether a Committee member in conflict may participate in any general discussion, or must be recused.
10.Robert's Rule of Order (latest revised edition) shall apply in any circumstances not covered elsewhere in these Bylaws.
11.Manner of Voting.
a)With the exception of the election of Committee officers, all members of the Committee, including officers shall have a vote, with the exception that the Chairman of the Committee shall vote only to break ties.
b)Votes of the Committee shall be either voice or roll call ballots, provided that upon a motion by a voting member of the Committee, any item may be voted on by secret ballot.
1.Any member of the Slalom Sports Division may be removed in accordance with the terms of the USCKT's Bylaws.
2.Any officer of the Committee may be impeached by a 2/3 vote of the entire Committee.
3.Any elected subcommittee chairperson may be impeached by a 2/3 vote of the entire Committee.
4.Any appointed subcommittee chairperson or subcommittee member may be removed by the Chairman of the Committee.
5.Vacancies among Officers and elected Committee Chairs shall be filled by vote of the Committee.
6.If any elected representative to the Committee fails to complete his term of office, the alternate representative shall appointed to complete the term of office. In the event that no alternate representative is available, the Committee chairman shall have discretion to conduct an interim election to complete the term of office, or to leave the position vacant until the next regularly scheduled election.
1.These Operating Procedures may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the entire Committee at a regular or special meeting and approval by the USCKT Board. Written notice of the proposed amendment shall be given to the Committee and the USCKT Board at least 21 days in advance, and shall state the wording of the proposed amendment. Advance notice of the proposed amendment cannot be waived by the Committee. In considering and voting on a proposed amendment, the Committee may modify its wording. An amendment or the Operating Procedures goes into effect immediately upon adoption unless the motion to adopt specifies another time for its becoming effective, or the Committee has set such a time by a previously adopted motion.
1.These Operating Procedures shall be effective upon approval of the USCKT, provided that the Committee may continue to operate pursuant to the prior Bylaws until the election of the new Committee and the transition to operating under these Operating Procedures is complete. This transition shall be complete no later than 12 months from the approval of these Operating Procedures.