ByLaws

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BY-LAWS
of the
PACIFIC COAST COLLEGIATE SAILING CONFERENCE

(Revised January 22, 2022)

ARTICLE I - NAME

This Conference shall be known as the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference, hereafter known as the PCCSC.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

The purpose of this Conference shall be to encourage, to advance and to improve sailboat racing and the sailing sport, in all its phases, among the student bodies of the universities, colleges, community colleges and schools of the Pacific Coast Conference of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association of North America.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Foreword: The membership of this Conference shall be limited to recognized universities, colleges, community colleges and schools of the Pacific Coast Conference of the ICSA of NA, where the sport of sailing is recognized by the authorities of their institution. The Executive Committee is empowered to set up standards for admission to membership, which shall be divided into the following classifications:

Section 1: Conference Membership

All members are designated as Cross-Regional, Regional, or Fundamental according to ICSA membership categories for scheduling and billing.

A. REGULAR MEMBERSHIP
Regular Membership entitles the member club, athletic association, or institution to the full privileges, rights, and obligations embodied in the By-Laws of the PCCSC.

B. PROVISIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Provisional Membership entitles the member club, athletic association, or institution to all the privileges of membership except those of holding membership on the Executive Committee and of voting upon the amendments to the By-Laws of the PCCSC. This Provisional Membership shall be the normal second stage and is designed to provide an interim or trial membership period during which a member demonstrates its ability to assume the obligations and responsibilities of Regular Membership.  A team may only be a provisional member of the conference for a period of one year with an option to extend for an additional year by a majority vote at the annual membership meeting.  A team must then either be promoted to regular membership, demoted to Associate member, or have their membership relinquished. 

C. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Associate membership entitles the member club, athletic association, or institution to such privileges, including limited regatta and championship participation, as the Executive Committee may from time to time grant. Associate Members shall not serve on the Executive Committee and shall not vote for amendments to the By-Laws of the PCCSC. Associate Membership shall be the first step toward Regular Membership in the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference and is designed to provide a membership for clubs and colleges where the sport is in its formative period. Associate Members shall be elected for a period set by the Executive Committee, during which period they should prepare for Regular Membership. Application for a change in status, through the regular membership procedure, may be made at any time; and Associate Membership shall be renewable upon application to the Executive Committee for a term of membership determined by that body. Teams falling within this classification will be prohibited from sailing in full-district events or national championship qualifiers without express permission from the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Affiliate Membership
Affiliate Membership entitles the member club, athletic association, or institution to such privileges as the Executive Committee may from time to time grant, including limited regatta and championship participation, except those of holding office on the Executive Committee and of voting for amendments to the By-Laws of the PCCSC.

Section 3: Honorary Membership
Honorary Membership may be conferred by a two-thirds vote of the Conference upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee, on individuals whose services to the PCCSC over a period of years warrant this distinction and honor. With election to Honorary Membership there shall be a citation perpetuated in the records of the Conference.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURE

Foreword: Any university, college, or community college yacht club or athletic association desiring admission to membership in this Conference shall first apply for Associate Membership. Any high school, yacht club or athletic association desiring membership in this Conference shall apply for Affiliate Membership.

Section 1: Election
Applications for Associate Membership and Affiliate Membership, which must be in writing, may be submitted to the Conference Commissioner at any time. The application shall then be forwarded to the membership committee, which shall study the qualifications of the applicant and submit their recommendations to the Executive Committee for action. A three-fourths vote of the Executive Committee shall be required for election. In the case of applications for Provisional Membership or advancement in status from Provisional Membership to Regular Membership, said application, which must be in writing, must be received by the Conference Commissioner at least 30 days before the next annual or general meeting of the Conference. The Conference Commissioner shall forward the application for this type of membership to the membership committee, which shall study the qualifications of the applicant and submit a recommendation to the Executive Committee. If the application is approved by a majority of the Executive Committee, it shall be submitted to the membership for action at the next general or annual meeting. A three-fourths vote of the Regular Members shall be required for election.

Section 2: Reduction in Status
Any member may be reduced in its status or dropped from membership in the Conference for failure to fulfill its obligations to the Conference. Such action shall not relieve such member from the obligation to pay all dues and other indebtedness payable at the time of the action. A unanimous decision of the Executive Committee, excluding the representatives of the member organization for which such action has been proposed, is required for reduction or removal.

ARTICLE V - DUES

The annual dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee and so listed in the Standing Rules of the Conference. In assessing the annual dues, the Executive Committee shall reserve an adequate portion to meet the obligation of annual dues to the ICSA of NA and a reserve to allow for PCCSC expenses in hosting various intersectional events and travel expenses for certain approved Conference representatives to ICSA of NA meetings and events.

ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Foreword: The Executive Committee shall consist of representatives throughout the PCCSC. No two undergraduate officers of the Executive Committee shall be from the same school. The names of these representatives shall be submitted at the annual meeting, and they will serve a term of one year. All members of the Executive Committee shall have one vote in deciding the business of the Conference. It is the purpose of the Executive Committee to administer the general business of the Conference.

Section 1: Officers

The officers of the Conference Executive Committee shall be (A) President (an undergraduate), (B) Vice President (an undergraduate), (C) Secretary (an undergraduate), (D) Public Relations Director (an undergraduate), (E) TIDE Representative (an undergraduate) (F) Conference Commissioner (a graduate), (G) Treasurer (a graduate), (H) Executive Vice-President (a graduate), and (I) Schedule Coordinator (a graduate). The General Membership shall elect the officers of the Executive Committee.  

A. PRESIDENT (an undergraduate) The President of the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference shall be an undergraduate, shall preside at all meetings, shall enforce the laws and regulations of the Conference and shall carry out the will of the Executive Committee. The President shall be responsible to ensure that meetings are announced and agendas are developed and published. The President shall co-represent the Conference as a voting member of the ICSA of NA Executive Committee. 

B. VICE-PRESIDENT (an undergraduate) The Vice-President of the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference shall be an undergraduate, shall assist the President in the discharge of the President's duties and shall preside at meetings of the Conference in the President's absence. The Vice-President is responsible for the management and records of the various perpetual trophies, deeds of gifts, and awards of the Conference. 

C. SECRETARY (an undergraduate) The secretary shall be responsible for taking meeting minutes at executive committee meetings and general membership meetings and making them publicly available to the conference within two weeks of a meeting.  They shall oversee the upkeep of the conference website and assure that the by-laws and standing rules are up to date and accurately published in a timely fashion. 

D. PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR (an undergraduate) The Public Relations Director shall be responsible for publicity and media relations.  The PR Director shall promote upcoming conference events, notable accomplishments by any PCCSC team, and educate the public about the purpose and history of the PCCSC.

E. TIDE REPRESENTATIVE (an undergraduate) The TIDE Representative shall serve as the official representative to the ICSA TIDE (The Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Taskforce) in ensuring TIDE’s values are sustained and enacted at the conference level, and acting as the liaison to the PCCSC Executive Committee. 

F. CONFERENCE COMMISSIONER (a graduate) The Conference Commissioner shall administer the policies of the Conference, subject to ratification of the Executive Committee, shall have charge of keeping the records of the Conference, send out all notices, conduct its correspondence, issue its publications, and submit a report at the annual meeting. The Conference Commissioner may delegate the details of these duties to members of the Executive Committee or other appointed persons. The Conference Commissioner shall co-represent the Conference as a voting member of the ICSA of NA. 

G. TREASURER (a graduate) The Treasurer shall collect the Conference dues and membership reports from each area association, handle all funds, pay all bills approved by the Executive Committee, submit an annual budget and a report of the finances of the Conference.

H. EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT(a graduate)

The Executive Vice-President shall be a graduate and shall review any conduct of participation issues, including individual or team, and submit a report of each incident to the Conference Commissioner and the Executive Committee. In the case of the Conference Commissioner being unable to fulfill his/her duties, the Executive Vice-President shall assume those duties until a replacement is elected.

I. SCHEDULE COORDINATOR (a graduate) The Schedule Coordinator shall be elected by the General Membership on an annual basis. It shall be their duties to create the yearly schedule of events from the events available to PCCSC teams and to match PCCSC teams with these events via procedures approved by the Executive Committee. Once the schedule has been approved at the Annual Meeting, the Scheduler shall continually update it throughout the year, keeping it current to all withdrawals, no-shows, and openings. The Schedule Coordinator shall administer the intersectional selection according to PCCSC Intersectional Selection Procedures and enforce penalties when applicable.The schedule shall then be made available to the PCCSC teams on a regular basis, the intervals to be approved by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES

The Executive Committee, President and Conference Commissioner shall be empowered to appoint committees to implement the activities of the Conference. These shall include standing committees on such matters as membership, schedules and competitions, boats and safety precautions, and rules. Additional standing committees or special committees to cover other phases of the Conference’s activities shall be appointed as the need develops. The chairpersons of such committees may sit with the Executive Committee upon invitation, and all committees shall contain in their membership one member of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS

Section 1: Calling of Meetings

The Executive Committee shall have the power to set the date for the annual meeting and to call all special general meetings. Also, a special general meeting shall be called upon the written petition of five or more Regular Member colleges. 

A. Deadlines For Announcement of Meetings:

         1. The Conference Commissioner must send written notice of the annual meeting, to all members, at least 60 days prior to the meeting date.

         2. The Conference Commissioner must send written notice of special meetings at least 30 days prior to special general meetings. 

B. Format For Meetings:

         1. Meetings may be held in person or via a remote platform.

Section 2: Delegates
Each member club or athletic association shall be represented at all general meetings of the Conference by one voting delegate, which must be a full-time registered undergraduate of the college they represent. The number of non-voting delegates shall be unlimited. All executive committee officers are also voting delegates on all business of the Conference. All delegates shall have the right to speak from the floor, but only authorized voting delegates shall have the power to make motions and to vote.

Section 3: Voting
A majority of the voting delegates and officers present shall constitute a decisive vote on all business except for the election of member institutions and for amendments or additions to the By-Law’s, where a three-fourths vote of the delegates and officers present shall be required.

Section 4: Quorum
The following quorums must be present at meetings to conduct official business of the Conference:

Conference - two-thirds of the regular member institutions, one undergraduate officer and one graduate officer
Executive Committee -  a majority and no less than two undergraduates and one graduate
Other Committees - a majority

Written proxies do not establish a quorum.

Section 5: Agenda
The Conference Commissioner shall announce the agenda for the annual or special general meeting of the Conference 20 days prior to the meeting. The agenda will include any proposals for amendments to the By-Laws and a list of colleges applying for membership requiring a vote of the Regular Member college delegates and Conference officers.

ARTICLE IX - ELIGIBILITY

The verification of eligibility of competitors shall be entrusted to the individual area associations and individual institutions based upon any regulations laid down by the Procedural Rules of the ICSA of NA and the Conference.

ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS

These By-Laws may be amended at the annual meeting or special general meeting of the Conference, provided a 30-day notice of the proposed amendments has been given to the Conference Commissioner, and if three-fourths of the Regular Member college delegates and Conference officers present at the Conference meeting, casting votes by college and office, so vote.

ARTICLE XI - STANDING RULES

The Standing Rules are policies for the year-to-year management of the Conference. They are developed and approved by a three-fourths vote of the Executive Committee. Changes to the Standing Rules may be petitioned by any member college with the signature of five other member college team or club Presidents or by the motion of any member of the Executive Committee. The Standing Rules shall be published and distributed annually to the membership.

ARTICLE XII - BURGEE

The Conference Burgee shall be a white triangular pennant of standard dimensions, divided into three sectors by three dark blue bars, each l/8 of the hoist in width, whose center lines shall meet to form 120 degree angles at a point whose distance from the hoist shall be 3/8 of the hoist. The upper sector adjacent to the hoist shall be inscribed with a red block letter “P” in height 1/4 of the hoist. The lower sector adjacent to the hoist shall be inscribed with a red block letter “C” of the same dimensions. The third sector shall be inscribed horizontally with the red block letters “CSC”, in height 5/8 of the letters “P” and “C”.

Revised January 22, 2022