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Copyright © 1999- 2008 [WHPA]
All rights reserved.
Revised: January 7, 2008.

WHPA Constitution and Bylaws

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Wisconsin Horseshoe Pitchers Association
Adopted September 23, 1967
Revised as of March 20, 2004

PREAMBLE

We, the horseshoe pitchers of the State of Wisconsin, in order to promote, foster and develop the game of Horseshoe Pitching both as a competitive sport and a recreational pastime, provide the proper facilities and insure the continued growth and existence of the game, do hereby establish this Constitution for the Wisconsin Horseshoe Pitchers Association.

ARTICLE I (Name)

The name of this organization shall be the Wisconsin Horseshoe Pitchers Association, Division of the NHPA.

ARTICLE II (Purpose)

The purpose of this State Association shall be to promote an orderly means for it's members and prospective members to participate in and enjoy the game of horseshoe pitching.

ARTICLE III (Affiliation)

This State Association shall affiliate with and cooperate with the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America, NHPA. All pitchers in the Wisconsin State Tournament must be NHPA members.

ARTICLE IV (Membership)

The requirements for membership shall be set out in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE V (Officers)

The officers of this Association shall consist of a President, three (3) Vice-Presidents ( a first Vice-President, a second Vice-President, and a third Vice-President) and a Secretary-Treasurer. These officers are to be elected for a term of two years by a majority vote of all regular members present and entitled to vote at the annual meeting of the Association. They shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualified. The President and second Vice-President election to be held on odd numbered years. The first Vice-President, third Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer on even numbered years. Any member running for such office shall notify the President and Newsletter Editor by July 31, of the current year.

a. The President of this Association shall receive up to, but not to exceed, $100 per year for      expenses.
b. The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive $1.00 per state member and $.25 per adult participant in scheduled tournaments for expenses.
c. All officers shall be furnished their NHPA card, Newsline, and Newsletter.
d. The President and Secretary-Treasurer to receive their expense money at the fall meeting.

ARTICEL VI (Duties of the Officers)

The duties of the President shall be to preside at all meetings, to administer the business of this Association and pass on any obligations the Association may wish to incur. The President shall handle whatever other duties may come to the President's attention in promoting the best interests of the Association.

The Vice President shall have the same duties as the President but will assume them only in the absence of the President. The Vice-President shall also carry out any specific duties assigned by the President.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of the minutes of all meetings, attend to correspondence and any other necessary duties to promote the best interests of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall act as custodian of all funds and properties of the Association, sign all warrants for expenditures and keep accurate financial records of the Association. A financial report shall be published in the Wisconsin Horseshoe Newsletter after the annual fall meeting.

ARTICLE VII (Executive Board)

The elected officers shall constitute the Executive Board and may act on behalf of the Association in all matters. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be held at such times and places as it may decide. A quorum of its members must be present.

ARTICLE VIII (Committees)

The President shall appoint such committees as deemed necessary. These committees may be dissolved and individual members replaced whenever the President deems it necessary.

ARTICLE IX (Bylaws)

The Association may adopt such Bylaws as it deems necessary. Bylaws shall be submitted by or at the Fall Meeting in odd numbered years. Then they will be published in the January issue of the Newsletter. Bylaws shall be adopted when approved by a majority vote of the members in good standing present at the spring meeting held in the even numbered years. A special new Bylaw may be adopted at any regular WHPA Meeting, providing a timely need exists and that fact is verified by a two-thirds majority of members present.

ARTICLE X (Meetings)

An annual meeting for election of officers shall be held each year on the 3rd Saturday of October. A spring meeting shall be held each year on the 3rd Saturday of March. Other meetings may be called by the President or any other officer. The Secretary shall notify all members in good standing of the time, place, and purpose of each meeting at least one week in advance.

ARTICLE XI (Amendments)

This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of all voting members present at a regular or special meeting providing the notice of the meeting contains a brief announcement relative to the proposed amendment.

ARTICLE XII (Removal of an Officer)

Any vacancy on the Executive Board caused by the death, serious illness, or resignation of a member shall be filled by a unanimous vote of the remaining members. The person selected shall serve for the duration of the un-expired term of office. An officer can be removed from office only for criminal conduct or neglect of his duties. This must be accomplished by a two-thirds vote of the members present in a special meeting called for that purpose.

ARTICLE XIII (Order of Business)

Robert's Rule of Order shall be followed in conducting the meetings of this Association. The Rules and Bylaws of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association shall govern all cases not covered by this Constitution and Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIV (No Longer Function)

In the event this organization should take action to no longer function, the assets of the organization shall be awarded to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association to be used for the promotion of Junior Horseshoe Pitching.

Bylaws

ARTICLE I

Section 1B. The Executive Board shall be the Judicial Body to define and interpret the Constitution and Bylaws. Technical points shall be submitted to them for decision and ruling declared official unless members in a meeting rule otherwise by a two-thirds affirmative vote.

ARTICLE II

Section 1B. A member may be suspended for:
a. willfully violating the Constitution, Bylaws, Rules or Regulations;

b. participating in a tournament under an assumed name, being found guilty of fraud, fixing games or other conduct unbecoming a member;

c. directly or indirectly betting on a contestant or self when an entry in the competition;

d. using unsanctioned shoes in a tournament.

For any of the above violations, a member may be suspended for aperiod of one year and the Secretary of the NHPA shall notify all State Associations and State Representatives of said suspension.

ARTICLE III

Section 1B. A State Tournament entrant must be  legal resident of Wisconsin at least six (6) months prior to the State Tournament.

Section 2B. Voting by mail, by all members in good standing, may be used when deemed advisable by the Officers.

Section 3B. Eligible voters at the meetings must be previous year members.

Section 4B. The Wisconsin Horseshoe Newsletter will be the official mailing of the Association.

ARTICLE IV

Section 1B. State Tournament entry deadline is July 31.

Section 2B.
a.
All defending State Champions will be seeded number one providing their current ringer percentage qualifies them for the Championship Class. All other adult entries, except the Elders class, will be placed by using the three (3) high NHPA sanctioned events pitched in the preceding twelve months or the last ten sanctioned events during the same period, whichever occurs first.

b. All adult entries must have competed in at least three approved NHPA sanctioned tournaments, in Wisconsin, from August 1 of the previous year through July 31 of the current year in order to enter the State Tournament. An NHPA sanctioned league may be used in lieu of one tournament. All averages will be taken from Natstats the first Thursday in August.

c. Two NHPA Tournament Sanctioned numbers will be issued for each Wisconsin State Tournament competition. One for regular classes and a separate one for championship classes..

Section 3B. All participants in the State Tournament must have their name on the back of their shirt. A five dollar ($5) fine shall be imposed for failing to comply.

ARTICLE V

Section 1B.
a. Games in all classes, except championship, shall be based on a limited number of shoes and the number of shoes to be determined by the Executive Board. All championship classes to be forty (40) point games.

b. A pacer will be used instead of a bye in all adult classes.

c. All entries will be sent to the WHPA Secretary. Entrants and averages will be then forwarded to the State Tournament director.

Section 2B. All championship class sizes shall be determined by the Executive Board of the WHPA, after matters such as number of entries number of courts and average are considered. All other classes shall be eight pitchers. A six member class may be used to establish classes for all entries.

Note: The WHPA Executive Board shall make every attempt possible to allow for move ups and the same format from year to year.

Section 3B. Trophies to be awarded. Three (3) in the ten and eight person classes, two (2) in the 6 person classes.

Note: Solicited money is accepted for cash awards or trophy enhancements.

Section 4B. Championship Class trophies to be larger than other class trophies with Mens, Womens, Elders, and Junior Championship trophies to be equal in size.

Section 5B.
a.
This Association shall award the Junior Boy and Junior Girl State Champion a $300 scholarship each and the second place finishers a $150 scholarship each.

b. This award must be claimed before their twenty-fifth birthday.

c. This Association to pay for Junior trophies in the State Tournament.

d. These scholarship monies to be awarded upon receipt of school admission (college, votech., etc.)

ARTICLE VI (Ties)

Section 1B. Tie games will be decided by pitching four extra shoes until the tie is broken.

Section 2B.
There will be play-offs, in case of ties, for first place only in all classes. Play-off courts must be a regular court or a regulation court of the same quality as courts played on in the tournament. All other ties will be decided by ringer percentage first, if still tied, by who beat who in the round robin play.

Section 3B.
If more than two are tied, a stepladder play-off will be used. Play-off games will be the same number of points or shoes as the games in the class competition.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1B.
a.
All courts used for State Tournament play must be clay and NHPA sanctioned and approved.

b. Stakes to be painted white and back boards black, if courts have backboards.

Section 2B.
The State Tournament will include classes for Men, Women, Junior Boys, Junior Girls and Elders. The same rules apply to all except the pitching distance.

Section 3B.
Scorekeepers at the State Tournament shall receive a minimum of $1.00 per game from each pitcher. These fees to be part of the entry fee and dispersed by the host club.

Section 4B.
A $3.00 per adult entrant to be added to the entry fee and retained by the tournament host.

ARTICLE VIII

Section 1B. All contestants in the State Tournament must be members in good standing in the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association by July 31, the tournament deadline date.

Section 2B.

a. The annual dues of the Association shall be $5.00 if paid by June 30, an additional $2.00 after June 30.

b.
All Hall of Fame inductees will be lifetime members of this Association.

ARTICLE IX

Section 1B. State approved tournaments.
a. Publish a pre-tournament flyer declaring whether there may be mixed classes and the percent of entry fee remaining in the class.

b. Embrace the word "Open" to include all entrants possible without restriction to age, origin or gender within the published entry limit number.

c. Display a result board and post wins and losses after each game.

d. File results with the Secretary within 14 days and include $.50 per adult pitcher.

e. Cash awards may not be won by Juniors pitching.

f. When a tournament has to be canceled due to weather or other uncontrollable events, the results will be considered final if at least one half of the scheduled games in a class have been completed.

g. Those not abiding by these guidelines may be subject to removal from next year's schedule.

ARTICLE X

Section 1B. State Doubles Tournament.
a. State Doubles Tournament will be sponsored and run by the WHPA.

b. Defending State champions to be seeded number one providing their current ringer percentage qualifies them for the championship class.

c. Mixed distance pitchers will be allowed in all classes and any prize money won by a Junior will be put into the Junior Scholarship Fund.

ARTICLE XI

Section 1B. Awards may be given by the Association where it is deemed appropriate by the Executive Board . Awards may include but are not limited to, Pitcher of the Year, Hall of Fame, State Tournament Team, and the Presidents Achievement Award.

ARTICLE XII

Section 1B. In all other cases, not specified in this Constitution and Bylaws, the official NHPA rules apply.

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