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NBAABO CONSTITUTION (Originally
Revised and Adopted October 2000) (Revised
and Adopted, October 2006) (Revised
and Adopted, October 2007) (Revised
and Adopted, October 2008) (Revised
and Adopted, October 2009) (Revised
and Adopted, October 2010) Article 1 - Name The name
of the organization is the Association of Approved Basketball Officials
Incorporated (AABO Inc.). The
organization may informally be known as the New Brunswick Association of
Approved Basketball Officials (NBAABO). Article 2 - Head Office The head
office of the AABO Inc. is the place of residence of the President. Article 3 - Fiscal Year The
fiscal year of the NBAABO shall be September 1 to August 31 Article 4 - Objectives The
objectives of this organization are: 1.
To promote a high standard of
basketball officiating in the province. 2.
To help develop, among
officials and others, a thorough understanding of the rules. 3.
To encourage officials to
enforce all the rules of the game, both in letter and spirit. 4.
To provide qualified
officials, when requested by teams, leagues and tournament organizers. 5.
To maintain a roster of
qualified officials to meet the expected demand for their services. 6.
To recruit, train and qualify
new members to replace retiring officials. 7.
To work closely with other
provincial and national organizations for the good of sport in general and
basketball in particular. Article 5
- Board of Directors/Executive 1.
A Board of Directors governs
the AABO Inc. The Board is comprised
of the immediate past president, president, vice-president, interpreter,
secretary-treasurer, all regional representatives, the BNB nominee to AABO,
the NBIAA nominee to AABO, and committee chairs. 2. The
executive committee of the association shall be the immediate past president,
the president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer, and the interpreter. Article 6
- Honorary Officers and Members 1.
In addition to the officers
listed heretofore, the AABO may, from time to time, elect a President
Emeritus, who shall hold office for
life, and any number of honorary life members. 2.
A nominee for President
Emeritus or honorary life member shall be proposed by the executive committee
and shall be voted on at the next annual general meeting. In considering a nominee for the position
of President Emeritus or honorary life member, the executive committee is to
be guided by the principles that the honor is intended to recognize
outstanding and long-standing contributions, within New Brunswick, to the
AABO, its members and basketball. 3.
In order to be elected
President Emeritus or an honorary life member, an individual must receive a
simple majority from those in attendance and eligible to vote at the annual
meeting. 4.
An honorary life member, who
wishes to maintain membership in either the Canadian or International
associations of basketball officials, may do so provided that individual pays
any membership fees levied by those organizations. Article 7
- Duties of Board Members and Executive 1.
The President is the chief
executive officer of this association.
The President shall preside at all meetings, be responsible for the
affairs of the association and, with the assistance of the Board, execute and
administer the policies established by the members and carry out all other
duties normally associated with this position. The President or the
President's designate from the executive committee shall represent the AABO
at the CABO supervisor’s annual meeting.
The president is an ex-officio member of all committees. The president has the authority to act on
any matter not specifically covered by the constitution or operational
procedures. The president shall report
all such matters, in writing, to the executive. 2.
The vice-president will, in
the absence of the president, perform the duties of that office, will chair
the fees and expenses committee, and will be the AABO liaison with both the
NBIAA and BNB. 3.
The immediate past president
will chair the nominating committee. 4.
The secretary-treasurer is
the corporate secretary and the chief financial officer of the AABO. The secretary-treasurer is responsible for
all written and financial records of the AABO. The secretary-treasurer is responsible for
all monies of the AABO, preparing an annual financial statement, keeping
up-to-date record of names and addresses of all AABO members, recording and
distributing the minutes of all meetings, and performing other duties
assigned by the president. 5.
The interpreter shall chair
the education and interpretations committee and is responsible for ensuring
that all duties assigned to the committee are carried out. The interpreter is
the AABO representative to CABO in respect to interpretations. 6.
Each regional representative
is responsible for carrying out the work of the AABO in a specified region,
representing the views of members, chairing regional meetings, and having
general responsibility for recruiting, clinics and training programs,
interpretations, and administration. Article 8
- Elections 1.
Executive: a) The
President, Vice-President, Interpreter and Secretary-Treasurer shall be
elected for a term of two years. They
may re-offer. b) The
election of officers shall be at the annual general meeting of the
association with: 1)
The President and Vice
President being elected in odd numbered years; 2)
The Secretary/Treasurer and
Interpreter being elected in even numbered years. c) Active
members who are in good standing and have paid their membership dues and all
assigning fees are eligible to stand for election for an Executive position. d) Should
a member of the Executive wish to have their name stand for election for an
alternate position, they must step down from their current position,
effective the next Annual General Meeting. e) All
candidates for Executive positions must be made known to the Nominating
Committee 35 days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting of each
election year. This information is to
be transmitted to the Secretary-Treasurer for inclusion in the Annual Meeting
notice sent to all members. Nominations
for Executive positions will not be accepted from the floor at the Annual
General Meeting. f) To
be elected, a candidate must secure a majority of the votes cast (50 % + 1). g) If
an elected position becomes vacant, the Executive shall be empowered to fill
it on an interim basis until the next Annual General Meeting when either a)
an election will be held to fill the position for the remainder of the term
or b) the next regularly scheduled elections will take place. 2.
Regional Representative and Assignor a) Each
Regional Representative and Assignor shall be elected annually at a regional
general meeting. b) Members
resident in the region, who are in good standing and have paid their
memberships dues and all assigning fees, shall be entitled to vote and stand
for election as either Regional Representative or Assignor. c) To
be elected, a candidate must secure a majority of the votes cast (50 % + 1). d) There
will be separate elections for each position; however, one person may fill
both positions. e) If
a Regional Representative or Assignor position becomes vacant, a replacement
shall be elected at a Regional General Meeting to be convened as soon as
possible after the vacancy occurs. The
elected replacement official shall hold office until the next regularly
scheduled elections. Article 9
- Standing Committees 1.
The standing committees of this association shall be: a) Executive b) Board
of Directors c) education
and interpretations d) evaluations
and assignments e) college
board f) honors
and awards g) nominating h) game
fees and expenses i) audit
and budget j) discipline 2.
With the exception of the Executive, Board of Directors and the discipline
committees, the chair and members of each committee shall be appointed
biennially by the Executive. The term of each committee chair and members
will terminate with each biennial election.
The Executive, on an as required basis, will appoint the chair and
members of the discipline committee. 3.
Duties of the standing committees: a) The
executive committee is responsible for the day to day governance of
the AABO. The executive is empowered
to approve non-budgeted expenditures in excess of $150 during the course of
the year, but must report on these expenditures to the Board and the next
annual general meeting. b) The
Board of Directors is responsible for the overall governance of the
AABO and for oversight authority of the executive. c) The
education and interpretations committee oversees rules and
interpretation clinics within each region. Chaired by the Interpreter, they
work with CABO and other officials' organizations in holding inter-provincial
clinics, provide common rule interpretations and mechanics, and train
regional clinicians. d) The
evaluations and assignments committee establishes rating and upgrading
procedures, conducts evaluations, makes recommendations regarding
non-regional assignments, establishes on-going evaluation procedures, ensures
the training of a sufficient number of evaluators, and is responsible for the
inter-regional exchanges. e) The
college board committee is responsible for appointing officials to the
college board, making assignments and evaluating officials. f) The
honors and awards committee recommends to the executive persons to be honored
by the association. It recommends for recognition to the AABO, BNB and CABO
those who have demonstrated a long-term dedication to basketball and have
brought distinction to the AABO and basketball in general. The committee is responsible for the AABO
service awards. g) The
nominating committee chaired by the Past President, recommends to the annual
meeting the names of persons to be considered for election to the executive. Should the Immediate Past-President not be
a member in good standing of the Association, the nominating committee shall
be chaired by a past member of the Executive as appointed by the President. h) The
game fees and expenses committee, chaired by the Vice President, recommends
to the Board of Directors, changes to the game fees and expenses to be
charged. i) The
audit and budget committee, chaired by the Secretary/Treasurer, in
conjunction with the executive, prepares and submits the annual budget for
the AABO, and conducts an independent internal audit of the previous year's
financial transactions. j) The
discipline committee hears matters relating to alleged violations of
the Constitution or the operating procedures by a member. Article 10
- Membership / Voting 1.
There shall be four classes
of membership in this association - active, provisional, associate and honourary life. 2.
An active member is one who
is actively engaged in officiating or is qualified to do so. A provisional member is one who has passed
the written test. An associate member
is one who is interested in the promotion of basketball but is not active in
officiating. An honorary life member
is not active in officiating. 3.
Only active members, who are
in good standing and have paid their membership dues and all assigning fees,
are entitled to vote at association meetings. 4.
Non-payment of membership
dues or assigning fees will result in automatic termination of membership in
the AABO. Article 11
- Game Fees and Expenses Game fees
and expenses to be charged by members of the association shall be set at an
annual or special meeting called for that purpose. A meeting shall accept or reject a report
of the game fees and expenses committee, which has been approved by the Board
of Directors. The amounts approved
shall apply to the following season.
(See also Section 14 of the Operating Procedures). Article 12 - Meetings 1.
The annual meeting of the
AABO Inc. shall be the held on a date set by the Executive with every effort
given to hold the meeting between September 15 and November 1, on the best
available Sunday in that period.
Should there be no satisfactory date in that timeframe, the Executive
is empowered to find the next best date. 2.
The AABO Board shall meet at
least twice annually. It is the
responsibility of board members to attend these meetings. The secretary-treasurer shall notify the
membership at the annual general meeting of attendance at these meetings. 3.
Board or special meetings may
be called at any time by the president or by a majority of the Board of
Directors. 4.
Executive meetings shall be
held as required at the call of the President or a majority vote of the
Executive. Article 13 - Regions For
purposes of the AABO, the province is divided into the following six regions: 1.
Zone 1: 2.
Zone 2: 3.
Zone 3: St. Stephen 4.
Zone 4: 5.
Zone 5: 6.
Zone 6: Article 14 - Quorum 1.
For Executive meetings, three
members in good standing constitute a quorum. 2.
For Board meetings, six
members in good standing constitute a quorum. 3.
For annual or special general
meetings, ten members in good standing constitute a quorum. Article 15 - Emblem The Board
of Directors may, from time to time, adopt any mark, design, device or
symbol, or emblem for use of the AABO. Article 16 - Discipline 1.
Any
member, who violates the provisions of this constitution, operating
procedures, or who commits an act contrary to the good of basketball or this
Association, may face disciplinary action.
This disciplinary action may include written reprimand, loss of
assignments, and suspension, or removal from any elected position(s). 2.
Any
complaint about an official must be in writing and filed with the appropriate
Regional Representative. 3.
Action
will only be taken by the NAABO on written and signed documents. 4.
In
matters involving unethical behavior by officials, a)
It
is the responsibility of the Regional Representative (or Assignor in the
event the complaint involves the Regional Representative) to make a
preliminary investigation and determine if further action is required. b)
The
Regional Representative (or Assignor as the case may be) shall keep the
President advised of all developments by copies of all correspondence. c)
If
disciplinary action is felt to be necessary, the Regional Representative (or
Assignor as the case may be) shall, without issuing a disciplinary decision,
refer the matter to the Executive Committee for review. 5.
If
discipline is deemed to be necessary, the Executive Committee shall appoint a
discipline committee. a) Once
the decision to appoint a discipline committee is undertaken, the member
shall not receive any officiating assignments until such time that the
committee’s decision has been rendered. b) The
member shall be notified, in writing, by the executive of the alleged
violation. c) The
discipline committee shall comprise one nominee of the executive, one nominee
of the member, and an independent chair chosen by the two nominees. d) The
decision of the discipline committee must be rendered within seven days of
the decision to appoint a committee. e) The
member shall be given an opportunity to present a defense before the
discipline committee. 6.
Should
the member wish to appeal the decision of the discipline committee, a)
The
member shall notify the Executive Committee within two days of the discipline
committee’s decision being rendered. b)
The
appeal shall be handled by the Board of Directors, whose decision shall be
final. c)
Both
the member and the discipline committee shall present written reports to the
Board within five days of the notice of appeal. d)
The
Board shall render their decision within three days of all documents being
received. Article 17 - Rules of Order Robert’s
Rules of Order shall apply to resolve disputes at all meetings. Article 18 - Affiliations The AABO
Inc. is affiliated with the CABO, IAABO, NBIAA, Basketball New Brunswick
(BNB), AUS and ACAA. It works
co-operatively with those organizations in accordance with mutually agreed to
terms and conditions. These agreements
are subject to review by the Executive from time to time. Any changes to agreements are subject to
ratification at an annual general meeting. Article 19 - Amendments 1.
This constitution may be
amended by a two-thirds majority vote of those members, in good standing,
present at an annual or special meeting held for that purpose, provided that
30 days notice of the meeting has been given to the members. 2.
A notice of motion to amend
the constitution must be sent to the secretary-treasurer, in writing or
electronically, at least 30 days prior to an Annual General Meeting. The secretary-treasurer will send copies of
the notice to the members at least fifteen (15) days prior to the Annual
General Meeting. OPERATING PROCEDURES Section 1 - Working Conditions 1.
No official shall work a game
alone except for “An Act of God”. 2.
No official shall work a
game, assigned under the aegis of the AABO, with a non-member unless the
non-member has filed a current application for membership. 3.
Where a regional assigning
system is established, no official may officiate a game that has not been
assigned by the assigning officer, or their designate. Section 2 - Dress All
association members are required to wear the approved dress of the AABO: (a)
effective the 2002-03 season, a black and white striped shirt with a v-neck,
(b) black trousers, (c) black shoes, and (d) black socks. Officials qualified under IAABO may wear
that association’s proper dress provided both officials are dressed the same. Section 3 - Code of Conduct - Complaints 1. Code of
Conduct It is the
responsibility of an official to: a)
maintain the highest
standards of honesty and integrity, b)
make decisions without
deference to team, score, spectators or home facility, c)
maintain consistency while
interpreting and enforcing the rules of basketball, d)
exhibit concern for players
welfare by correcting situations which involve actions detrimental to the
welfare of all participants, e)
maintain a friendly and communicative
attitude toward players, coaches and spectators on and off the court, f)
maintain a sense of composure
at all times, g)
always wear the proper
uniform and be neatly and appropriately attired, h)
consistently strive to
improve ones own ability through regular attendance
at rules clinics, i)
honor all obligations and
commitments, j)
be fully prepared both
physically and mentally for each game, k)
promote and support the sport
at all times, l)
treat other officials with
professional dignity and courtesy and refrain from criticizing other
officials, m)
refrain from the use of
alcohol and misuse of drugs, on the day of the game (prior to the game), n)
avoid inappropriate physical
contact with players, coaches or spectators, and o)
be in facilities only for
purposes of officiating a game or other legitimate activity. Section 4
- New Members Any
person may become a member of this association by: 1.
filing an application with
the secretary-treasurer; 2.
paying an application fee,
set by the executive; 3.
passing the written
examination and paying insurance fees to qualify as a provisional
member; 4.
passing the practical
examination; 5.
paying the balance of his
first year’s dues within 30 days of receiving a notice to do so; 6.
the new candidate fee is
applicable for the first year of officiating only, which is deemed to be the
year in which a candidate has successfully passed the written examination and
the practical examination; 7.
new candidates will pay a
five ($5) dollar non-refundable fee to be applied toward their new officials
membership fee after successfully passing the written and practical
examinations; and 8.
New members shall pay first
year membership dues. Section 5 - Membership Renewals 1.
Members shall pay annual
membership dues; 2.
Any changes to the annual
membership amount shall be approved by a majority vote (50 % + 1) of those
eligible to vote at an annual or special meeting; 3.
members are not eligible for
assignments until the annual dues are paid; 4.
payments received prior to
April 30th are eligible for a fee reduction of ten dollars; 5.
membership dues must be
received by the secretary-treasurer on or before November 30 of each year; 6.
membership and registration
is for a period of one year, from September 1st to August 31st,
and is renewable annually. Section 6 - Written Examinations 1.
All qualified and prospective
officials in 2.
The pass mark for the CABO
exam is 86%. Failure to achieve this
mark on two consecutive exams will result in a certification reduction in
rating from Level 3 to Level 2. The
pass mark for a Level 2 rating is 76%.
Failure of a Level 2 official to achieve this mark on two consecutive
exams shall result in forfeiture of active membership. 3.
When such a test exists, Officials
wishing to officiate at the AUS (University Men’s) level shall write the
annual CIS examination. Its' pass mark is 86%. Section 7 - Floor Tests 1.
Based on marks attained on
the annual exam(s) and/or floor tests, all officials shall be rated as Level
1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5. 2.
In order for a prospective
official to become eligible for a floor test, a mark of at least 76% must be
attained on the written examination. Should a prospective official achieve an exam mark of less than 76%,
they may, at the regional representative’s and assigning officer’s
discretion, be granted a Level 1 certification. a)
Level 1 officials
are to be assigned to games of an appropriate level for officiating
developmental purposes. b)
Membership
application for the following year shall be treated as a new member
application. c)
An individual is
permitted to hold a Level 1 certification for a maximum of 2 consecutive
years. d)
Should an
individual fail to attain 76% on both the written exam and the local zone’s
floor test that begins the third year, then the person shall not be eligible
to officiate at any level for a period of one year. 3.
Floor tests will be conducted
at the local level. The pass mark on
the floor test is 76%. If a
prospective official passes the floor test, the individual will immediately
receive a Level 2 certification. 4.
An official must hold a Level
2 certification for at least one season before trying to attain a Level 3
certification. 5.
An official wishing to be
upgraded to a Level 3 certification, must first make a mark of 86% on the
annual CABO examination, receive the recommendation of the regional
representative, and advise the secretary-treasurer of a wish to be
upgraded. 6.
The evaluation and
assignments committee shall, whenever possible, conduct these evaluations at
an annual central upgrading clinic to be held in conjunction with an
appropriate tournament of high school age or above. A panel of at least three AABO members
shall evaluate each candidate for a Level 3 certification. The pass mark for this floor test shall be
86%. 7.
A Level 4
certification can only be achieved by officiating at a National tournament in
which CABO has assigned National Assignor/Evaluators who have as one of their
responsibilities the task of assigning Level 4 status to those who are shown
to be deserving based upon CABO’s criteria. 8.
A Level 5 certification
can only be granted at International tournaments by FIBA itself. 9.
To be eligible for national
and international assignments, an AABO member in good standing must meet the
criteria outlined in the CABO constitution. Section 8 - Assignments 1.
It shall be the duty of each
regional representative to see that an assigning officer is elected. 2.
Each assigning officer shall
assign officials to games within each region.
3.
Each assigning officer must
assess and collect 8% of the game fees for the officials assigned. 4.
Should an assigning officer
not be available to perform their duties for a period of more than 24 hours,
they shall appoint a designate to act in their place 5.
No official shall accept a
game that has not been assigned to them by an assigning officer, or their
designate. 6.
All assignments within a
region shall be the responsibility of the regional assigning officer with the
exception of the following: (a) College Board, (b) NBIAA Championship
Tournaments, (c) National or International assignments. Section 9 - Assignments - NBIAA Championships 1.
General a) Only
Level 3, 4, or 5 officials, in good standing, are eligible for Provincial
Sectional and Final 8 tournament assignments. b) An
official who wishes to be considered for a tournament assignment shall submit
their name to the Evaluations and Assignments committee at least 10 days
prior to the commencement of the Provincial Sectional tournaments c) From
this list, the evaluation and assignments committee will make the
appointments to the Provincial Sectional and Final 8 tournaments. d) The
evaluation and assignments committee shall cause all selected officials to be
notified indicating the tournament assignment, the date and the approximate
starting times. e) If
any official rejects a tournament assignment or tournament game (unless prior
notification was given of a specific request) without sufficient cause, after
having indicated that the individual was available, that official shall not
be eligible for a tournament assignment for the following two years. f) The
AABO Executive may negotiate with NBIAA re fees for referees for NBIAA
tournaments. 2.
Provincial Sectionals a) Where
feasible, no more than two officials from one region shall be assigned to any
Provincial Sectional tournament. b) The
evaluations and assignments committee will name a referee-in-chief for all
tournaments and the appointed crew chief will make all of the
assignments. c) Each
referee-in-chief shall assign officials to subsequent games, provide
constructive criticism aimed at approving the abilities of the officials
involved, and liaise with the tournament manager about officiating matters. 3.
Final 8 a) Each
zone is guaranteed at least one appointment to the Final 8 provided that the
zone has a minimum of 4 work in Provincial Sectionals. A zone, which does not have 4 officials
work in a Provincial Sectional tournament, is not excluded from getting one
or more Final 8 assignments. It is
only excluded from being guaranteed an assignment. b) An
official must sit out one year after going to the Final 8 for two consecutive
years c) Only
those officials who work Provincial Sectional games shall be eligible to
receive a Final 8 assignment. Section 10 - Assignments - College Board 1.
Only Level 3,4, or 5
officials, in good standing, are eligible for selection to the College Board
and for assignment to inter-university games.
When no College Board official is available, the College Board
assignor has the authority to assign a non-college board official. 2.
The size of the College Board
shall be determined annually by the College Board committee. 3.
The College Board committee
shall make selection to the College Board.
The committee will consist of the chairperson, top two officials and
any two others. 4.
On or before the 15th
of September, each regional representative shall submit to the Evaluations
and Assignments committee the names of those members in good standing, who
are eligible for nomination to the College Board. 5.
Selection to the College
Board is subject to: a) consideration
will only be given to eligible officials whose names appear on a regional
list; and, b) an
official is in good standing. 6.
Where no official is selected
from a zone, the College Board committee will arrange, upon request, to have
the top ranked official from that region (provided they are eligible)
officiate a university-level game for the purposes of ranking that official
relative to the officials selected to the College Board. 7.
All members of the College
Board shall be determined before October 15th of each year and all
nominees will be advised. Section 11 - Evaluations 1.
Each association member has a
duty to assist fellow officials in improving by constructively and positively
evaluating their performances and discussing these matters privately. 2.
Regional representatives may
establish appropriate procedures to assist in the evaluation of officials
within a region. 3.
The AABO may establish a
system of on-going evaluations of ``B`` officials and provide them an
opportunity to participate in the process. 4.
The AABO may establish a system
of on-going annual evaluations of A officials at the zone level and will seek
to promote the use of new evaluation techniques. 5.
The AABO will forward copies
of regional evaluations to the designated member of the evaluations and
assignments committee. 6.
The AABO will forward copies
of provincial evaluations to the secretary-treasurer and the official. 7.
The AABO will consider
evaluation reports in determining other assignments. 8.
The College Board committee
will evaluate each College Board official during the season. Section 12 - Honors and Awards 1.
The AABO currently has service
awards that recognize 25 years of service.
For 40 years of service and at 5 year increments thereafter a special
award shall be presented. 2.
The AABO also nominates its
members for awards from other organizations that recognize officials. 3.
Recommendations to the honors
and awards committee for awards may be made by anyone. Section 13 - Recruiting 1.
Each member is responsible
for actively recruiting new members. 2.
Regional representatives
shall annually conduct publicity campaigns to recruit new members. Section 14 - Game Fees and Expenses 1.
Game fees and expenses are
established as follows: a) The
vice-president chairs the committee, which after review and consultations
with user groups such as Basketball New b) If
the Board approves the recommended changes, the report is referred to the
next meeting of the AABO for acceptance or rejection. 2.
The approved game fees and
expenses are binding on all members. 3. Travel
Expenses a)
Mileage
will be paid to the driver only b)
It
is the responsibility of each region to document and publish regional travel
charts prior to the season commencing. c)
The
assignor must make every effort to assign officials so only one travel is
charged d)
Should
an official have to officiate two games at different venues in the same
geographical area, travel fee will be divided between the two user groups
proportionately. It will be the assignor’s responsibility to notify both
groups. Section
15 - Board Members Expenses
At the
determination of the annual general meeting, AABO board and executive members
shall be paid out-of-pocket expenses for their meetings, with the exception
of the annual general meeting or any special general meeting. Section 16 - Amendments
a) The
Secretary/Treasurer, with Executive Committee approval, shall amend these
operating procedures so the tournament names remain consistent with the names
chosen by NBIAA b) The
AABO membership shall be notified of these updates at the next Annual General
Meeting. |