Constitution of the Northern Virginia Wrestling Officials Association     ARTICLE I   Name and Affiliation   This organization shall be known as the Northern Virginia Wrestling Officials Association.     ARTICLE II   The purpose of this organization shall be to promote and maintain the highest ideals of sportsmanship and to improve the techniques of officiating so as to benefit the sport of wrestling and those participating.     ARTICLE III   Membership   Section 1. Members of this Association shall consist of those duly elected to membership according to the Constitution and shall be classified as follows:   a) Active b) Honorary c) Probationary d) Inactive e) Associate   Section 2. Active members are those in good standing and who have passed all required qualifications for membership as hereinafter listed in the Constitution.   Section 3. Honorary members are those who have contributed outstanding service to wrestling as hereinafter set in the Constitution. They shall have all privileges of the active members except voting.   Section 4. Probationary members are those who have made application for membership in the Association, and who have fulfilled all requirements for probationary members as are hereinafter set down in Article VIII, Section 2 and 3 in the Constitution. The probationary period is two years.   Section 5. Inactive members are those former members who have met all qualifications for membership, and have left the Association in good standing.   Section 6. Associate members are those who transfer from another recognized officials Association with the appropriate credentials from his prior Commissioner that fully detail his qualifications and membership status in that Association. The associate period is one year.       ARTICLE IV   Governing Body and Officers   Section 1. The elective offices of the Executive Board of this Association shall be Commissioner, President (Assistant Commissioner), Treasurer and Secretary. In addition, the Rules Interpreter shall serve as a non-voting member of the Board.   Section 2. The term of office for all executives will be for one year.   Section 3-A. The Commissioner shall report matches worked at each general membership meeting. He shall serve as the Association spokesman to all membership meeting. He shall serve as the Association spokesman to all concerned organizations and schools under contract. With the assistance of the Executive Board, he shall make all match and non-elected-tournament assignments, and notify all officials, schools and concerned organizations of such assignments. Re-assignments are at the prerogative of the Commissioner. He shall assign and monitor attendance of officials at all scrimmage matches. He shall receive all correspondence pertinent to the functioning of the Association, and shall present all correspondence received to the Executive Board as soon as feasible. He shall serve ex officio on any evaluation committee.   Section 3-B. The President shall chair all Association general membership and Executive Board meetings. He shall appoint all committee chairmen and shall serve ex officio on all committees. He shall appoint the Association Rules Interpreter. He shall assume all duties of the Commissioner in his absence, and otherwise assist the Commissioner in relevant Association matters.   Section 3-C. The Treasurer shall receive all dues and monies. He shall pay all bills and expenses of the Association; he shall keep and show an account of all receipts and purposes of funds paid out, and keep vouchers for such items. He shall give a Treasurer's report at each general membership meeting. He shall be subject to audit at the prerogative of the Board.   Section 3-D. The Secretary shall act as recorder for all meetings. He shall send out proper notices of all called meetings and conduct the correspondence of the Association unless otherwise provided for. He shall issue application blanks to new applicants and provide probationary members with all necessary publications of the Association, including the Constitution. At the expiration of his term of office he shall deliver to his successor all records. He shall serve as Parliamentarian.   Section 3-E. The Rules Interpreter shall chair any evaluation committee, and shall conduct clinics annually for probationary members. He shall make recommendations concerning probationary members to the Association.   Section 4-A. All elections will occur at the annual spring meeting.   Section 4-B. The President shall appoint a nominating committee of three members prior to the election meeting. They shall nominate one or more members for each office and shall send the slate to the entire membership at least one week prior to the election meeting.   Section 4-C. Additional nominations can be made from the floor at the election meeting.   Section 4-D. Officers shall be elected separately by written or printed ballot cast in person, by proxy or by absentee ballot at the election meeting.   Section 5. A vacancy in office caused by any reason shall be filled by a special election held at a general membership meeting.       ARTICLE V   Authority on Parliamentary Procedure   Section 1. Robert's Rules of Order shall be used in all parliamentary procedures.     ARTICLE VI   Amendments to the Constitution   Section 1. All proposed amendments to the Constitution must be submitted in writing to the President to be read to the membership at a regular business meeting.   Section 2. Disposition of the proposed amendment will be taken as is deemed appropriate by the membership at the next regular meeting.   Section 3. A two-thirds (2/3) favorable vote of the active members in attendance shall be required in order that the proposed amendment becomes a part of the Constitution.     ARTICLE VII   Election to Membership   Section 1. Candidates for new membership must make written application to the Commissioner accompanied by their initiation fee prior to the annual state interpretation meeting. Amended October 2008.   Section 2. Requirement for a candidate to become a probationary member:   A. Make application as outlined in Section 1.   B. Become certified by the Virginia High School League.   C. Attend all training sessions and clinics.   Section 3. Requirement for candidate to become an active member:   A. A two-thirds (2/3)vote of those present at any regular meeting.   B. Pay an initiation fee of $10.00 and annual dues of $25.00.   C. A candidate accepted as a probationary member must officiate a minimum of 6 (six) matches per year for his first two years assigned by the Commissioner to be approved as an active member.   D. A candidate accepted as an associate member must officiate a minimum of 6 (six) matches his first year assigned by the Commissioner to be approved as an active member.   E. Candidates are to be evaluated and rated by the Association Commissioner or his designated representative.       ARTICLE VIII   Meeting and Quorum   Section 1. There shall be an organizational meeting in October of each year. There shall be at least three (3) regular meetings during the period of November, December, January and February. The time and date of these meetings shall be set by the President and he shall call any other meetings deemed necessary.   Section 2. A quorum shall consist of majority of the active membership of the Association. For quorum purposes, a written proxy vote shall be construed as active attendance.     ARTICLE IX   Fees, Dues and Assessments   Section 1. The membership year begins with the first fall meeting.   Section 2. A member's dues will be deducted from his total match fees by the Treasurer.   Section 3. Ten percent (10%) of each official's (except the Commissioner) total fees earned for Association assigned matches, will be withheld to fund Association's operating expenses. Five percent (5%) of each official's total Association contracted tournament fees will be withheld.   Section 4. The following fines will be levied against each offending member:   A. One-half a varsity match fee for unexcused missed meetings. Excuses must be presented to the Association Secretary in writing.   B. One varsity match fee for missed scrimmages.   C. Five dollars ($5.00) for returning assigned matches without a 24-hour notice to the Commissioner.   D. Total match fee for missing match assignment.   E. Thirty percent (30%) of total fees for bills turned in to the Commissioner after April 1.   F. One hundred percent (100%) of total fees for bills turned in to the Commissioner after May 1.   Section 5. The Commissioner's fee shall be fixed at seven percent (7%) of the total Association assigned dual meet fees and four percent (4%) of the total tournament fees contracted through the Association. The President and Rules Interpreter shall receive a fee of one-half percent (.5%), the Secretary shall receive a fee of three-quarters of one percent (.75%), and the The treasurer shall also receive 20 percent (20%) of the booking fees collected from clients for whom he must issue additional checks to members, guest officials or their associations. (Amended October 2008)       ARTICLE X   Duties of Committees   Section 1. Committees shall be assigned as necessary by the President with duties as he defines.   Section 2. The Executive Board shall investigate all complaints received by the Commissioner and shall recommend appropriate action on same to the Commissioner of the Association.   Section 3. Annually a Rules Interpreter shall be appointed for training probationary members for the Association. He is responsible for attending State Interpretation Clinics and presenting rules interpretations for the Northern Region coaches and officials. If the State Interpreter is a member of the Association, his duties will be on a state-wide basis and he may assist the interpreter in the training.     ARTICLE XI   Duties of Executive Board     Section 1. They shall assist the commissioner in match assignments.   Section 2. They have sole prerogative to discipline members when deemed necessary.       ARTICLE XII   Order of Business     A. Roll Call     B. Reading of Minutes     C. Reports of Commissioner and Committees     D. Unfinished or Old Business     E. New Business     F. Adjournment