CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

ALABAMA HORSESHOE PITCHERS ASSOCIATION

Adopted 1964, Amended 2009, 2011, 2017

CONSTITUTION

Article I
Name

Sec 1  The name of this association shall be The Alabama Horseshoe Pitchers
           Association (AHPA).

Article II
Purpose

Sec 1  The purpose of the AHPA shall to develop, foster, and promote organized horseshoe pitching at local and state level. 

Article III
Membership

Sec 1  Residence: Any legal (ref: NHPA By-Laws Article III, Sec.7), reputable resident of the State of Alabama may become a member of the AHPA by the payment of dues fixed by the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA) and the AHPA.

Sec 2  Fees: The AHPA dues are set for adult members at $8.00 and juniors at $2.00 per year. The NHPA dues are set at $17.00 per year for adults and $5.00 for juniors. A Family Membership is available for $50 that is for 2 adult spouses and their dependent children who would be classified as juniors or cadets. Membership cards will become available for purchase from the Charter Secretary on October 1st (or upon joining the AHPA), and will remain valid through December 31st of the following year. The charter association is authorized to collect national dues and issue cards after payment of dues is made.

Sec 3  Voting: Each current member of the AHPA has voting privileges. A member may vote in person at the State Meeting or use the Absentee Ballot.

                        When a member of the AHPA is unable to attend a State Meeting where there is an election of officers, that member will be allowed to vote by Absentee Ballot. The Sec-Treasurer will:

1. mail via USPS, paper ballot(s) along with the current Newsletter to members who have chosen the USPS option to receive their Newsletter or for any new members.
2. Members may request a paper ballot(s) be mailed to them via USPS for $1.00 per envelope used.
3. Email the ballot along with the current Newsletter to members who have chosen the email option to receive their Newsletter.
4. Make the ballot available for downloading from the AHPA website at the same time as the current Newsletter is available.

                        The Absentee Ballot (paper or digital) must be in the hands of the AHPA Sec-Treasurer no later than one week (7 calendar days) before the State Meeting. The member who casts an Absentee Ballot must include their AHPA/NHPA card number on their ballot.

Sec 4  Suspensions: All competitors, officials and spectators shall conduct themselves in a safe, ethical, polite, and fair manner while on a tournament site. Anyone on a tournament site that indulges in inappropriate behavior may be required to leave the site immediately. Anyone indulging in gross misbehavior will be required to leave the site immediately. Examples of inappropriate behavior include, but is not limited to:

1. Use of abusive language, making obscene or threatening gestures, heckling or other loud disruptive noises.
2. Being drunk or under the influence of drugs. No legal proof is required, only the appearance as determined by the TD or an AHPA official.
3. Willfully violating AHPA/NHPA rules, cheating/fixing/gambling on the games, etc.
4. Repeated unsafe behavior that has been brought to the members’ attention which endangers anyone on the site.

Examples of gross misbehavior includes but is not limited to:

1. Fighting, willful property damage, theft, etc.

Any member removed from a tournament may not have their entry fee returned at the TD’s discretion.

Any member removed from a tournament for inappropriate behavior or gross misbehavior will be reported to the AHPA President for additional disciplinary action up to possible temporary suspension pending further Executive Council action which should occur within 30 days or as soon as possible.

Sec 5  The AHPA Executive Council may suspend membership for up to 1 year after a fair hearing has been held. Said member shall have an opportunity to be heard at the hearing. If said member does not attend the hearing, they may still be suspended

            Any member who is suspended may appeal to the NHPA. Suspended members may apply to the AHPA Executive Council for reinstatement after the end of their suspension. A majority vote of the Executive Council will be required for reinstatement.

            Annual dues may not be returned to a member who has been suspended for the current year.

            Any member under suspension by the AHPA or the NHPA shall not be permitted to pitch, keep score, or otherwise participate in any sanctioned event held or sponsored by the AHPA.

Article IV
Legislative Body

Sec 1  The legislative body of the AHPA shall be made up of the officers of the AHPA. These officers are elected each year at the State Convention, which is held each year at the state tournament site. The Legislative Body shall consist of a President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Third Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer. The President, First Vice-President, and the Third Vice-President shall be elected in odd number years. The Second Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected in even numbered years.  The newly elected Officers shall take office on January 1 of the next year following their election. 

Sec 2  The AHPA will strive to have each Vice-President elected from each one of the North Alabama, Mid Alabama, and South Alabama regions. The Sec-Treasurer will determine the geographical regions for North, Mid, and South Alabama.

Sec 3  The Officers of the AHPA will formulate the policies of the AHPA between conventions and will be subject to the call of the President. It will be the duty of the officers to work at all times for the benefit of the association. The President shall be Ex-officio a member of all committees, either elected or appointed. In the absence of the President, the first Vice President shall serve as President.

Sec 4  The Executive Council will determine which committees are needed and will determine the powers and responsibilities of those committees.

Sec 5  Anyone who is interested in running for an office in the AHPA (President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Third Vice-President, or Secretary-Treasurer), must notify the President and News Letter Editor no later than July 1^st, so that the information can be published in the Mid-Year newsletter and can be placed on a ballot to be voted on at the State Meeting. 

Article V
Local Clubs

Sec 1 It will be the duty of the local club officers to promote and arrange
          tournaments scheduled for their courts. All sanctioned tournaments must be
          played under the Rules of the AHPA and the NHPA.

Article VI
State Meetings

Sec 1  ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER, reading as follows, shall govern the order of conducting the State Meeting.

             1.            Reading of minutes of the last meeting.
             2.            Approval of additions or corrections of the minutes.
             3.            Reading of the financial report.
             4.            Reports of officers and committees.
             5.            Unfinished business.
             6.            New business.
             7.            Election of officers.
             8.            Adjournment.

Sec 2   All officers shall have their books, records and other property belonging to
            the association at the state meeting; or if unable to be present they must
            forward these to the President before the state meeting. All officers shall turn
            over to their successors of office all records and property to the association
            that they may have in their possession.

Sec 3  The Secretary-Treasurer of the AHPA shall be the custodian of all funds of the AHPA. He/she shall receive all monies to the AHPA for membership dues and State Tournaments. At no time, shall bills be paid by any member of the AHPA other than the Secretary-Treasurer.  

Article VII
Charter State Doubles Tournament

Sec 1  The Alabama Charter must hold a State Doubles Tournament, which will be
under the direction of the Secretary-Treasurer.  A player must be a member of the AHPA and the NHPA and have an established Ringer Percentage and have played in a minimum of (1) state tournament during the year between State Doubles Tournaments entry deadlines.

Sec 2  The tournament fee must be in the hands of an AHPA Officer or Tournament Official by the entry deadline for registration, which is two weeks (14 calendar days) before the scheduled tournament. There will be no refunds if a player withdraws after the deadline of registration. 

Article VIII
Charter State Singles Tournament

Sec 1  The Alabama Charter must hold a NHPA Sanctioned Singles Championship yearly unless there is more than one charter, in which case, the State Tournament will be rotated unless otherwise agreed upon by the involved charters.

Sec 2  The State Singles Tournament is under the direction of the Secretary-
           Treasurer (The Secretary-Treasurer is the director of the State Tournament.)

Sec 3  The State Singles Championship Tournament is open to those NHPA members who legally reside in Alabama and meets the regular eligibility requirements imposed by the event, unless one meets the requirements of a Grandfathered Clause set forth by the NHPA. A player must play in a minimum of (4) sanctioned tournaments to compete in the State Singles Championship Tournament (SSCT), (3) of the required (4) must be played in the State of Alabama (with no exceptions) and (1) may be an out of state tournament. These tournaments may be played from the entry deadline of the past SSCT until the entry deadline of the current SSCT. A “rained-out” tournament properly documented (TD notifies State Secretary-Treasurer) may be used as 1 of the required 4 tournaments.

Sec 4  The tournament fee must be in the hands of an AHPA Officer or Tournament Official by the entry deadline for registration, which is two weeks (14 calendar days) before the scheduled tournament. There will be no refunds if a player withdraws after the deadline for registration. 

Article IX
Recommended By-Law Changes

Sec 1  Proposed By-Law changes must be presented to the By-Laws committee
Chairperson prior to January 1^st of each year and must be presented for
publication in the AHPA February newsletter prior to January 15^th to be considered for adoption in the current year. 

            There will be review and comments made on these proposed changes at the
            annual meeting of the Officers/Executive Council. Also, review and comments
            will be made of any By-Laws interpretations that are presented by the By-
            Laws committee. 

            The Executive Council may make recommendations for passage or against
            passage before the proposed changes are published in the February
            Newsletter. 

Article V
Rules

Sec 1  Any rules that are not mentioned in the AHPA will be governed by the NHPA rules.

Sec 2  The requirements to enter any sanctioned open Tournament in Alabama.

            (A)       Players must have a combined NHPA and AHPA card plus
                        entry fee which is set by the State Officers or in special tournaments
                        that are sanctioned by the local charter Example (Winter tournament)
                        Out of State Players must have their NHPA/combined State card plus
                        entry fee.

            (B)       New members who do not have an established percentage must pitch
                       100 shoes to establish a percentage.  The qualifying must be scored
                       and witnessed by two members of the NHPA.

Sec 3  Tournament Directors must, whenever feasible, place 30-foot pitchers in classes to pitch with other 30-foot pitchers. This will include Elders, Women, Juniors, and Handicap pitchers.

Sec 4  Payment to the Scorekeeper-Each contestant will pay the scorekeeper $1.00 per game. If the contestant becomes a scorekeeper, he/she will collect $1.00 per game from the contestants, thereby collecting enough money to offset any expenses incurred by paying the scorekeeper. 

Sec 5  Before Class play begins, the local club Tournament Director shall:

1. Announce the Method of Play
   1. Shoe Count
   2. Point Games
   3. Cancel or Count All
   4. Handicapped or not handicapped
   5. Mixed classes if necessary
   6. Clarify any confusion about the foul rule
   7. Announce how Class Winner ties and Class Game ties will be broken. If the TD chooses not to announce any changes, then the method described below shall be used.

CLASS WINNER TIES

1. Championship Classes / A Class
   1. Play-Off game when time and available courts allow. The TD may pre-determine that play-off games are 20/30/40/50 shoes.
   2. Head-To-Head Results
   3. Highest Ringer Percentage Pitched above entering NatStas average or closest to the entering NatStas average if the ending ringer average is below the entering NatStas average.
   4. Total Points Scored

1. Scratch Classes / Handicapped Classes
   1. Head-To-Head Results
   2. Highest Ringer Percentage Pitched above entering NatStas average or closest to the entering NatStas average if the ending ringer average is below the entering NatStas average.
   3. Total Points Scored

CLASS GAME TIES

1. Scratch classes, when the score is tied at the end, then both players will pitch 4 additional shoes until a winner is determined, using the same method of play that was used to begin the game.
2. Handicapped classes, when the score is tied at the end, then the game is over and both players receive ½ point.

1. Clarify safety issues for all competitors, officials, and spectators.

1. New members and Cadets must be reminded of the proper position of contestants and officials during competition that must be maintained for the safety of everyone.

Sec 6 Contestants who cannot agree on the scoring of a ringer, a single point or
          double points in an inning shall call upon the Tournament Director or the TD’s                  designee to render the decision. The decision of the Tournament Director or             TD’s designee will be final. 

Sec 7     When a shoe(s) lands in an upright/standing/leaning position in the pit, the players are allowed enough time to reach the pit without undue delay, mutually agree to the score and call the score to the scorekeeper. If after the score is called, the shoe(s) falls/moves into a scoring position, the inning will be scored as called. 

Sec 8  When Cadets are playing or mixed with Juniors or other classes, Adult                               supervision will be required (preferably someone with Judging Credentials).