TEXAS HORESHOE PITCHERS ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I – NAME
SECTION 1. The name of this organization shall be the Texas Horseshoe Pitchers Association, hereafter referred to as THPA. In forming the THPA, we, the members do hereby establish the following BY-LAWS for the association.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
SECTION 1. The purpose of this organization shall be to promote the sport of horseshoe pitching and to ensure its continued existence and growth, standardize rules, and authorize and conduct tournaments at a state and local level within the confines of the State of Texas.
ARTICLE III – AFFILIATION
SECTION 1. The THPA shall affiliate itself with the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA) and the rules of the NHPA shall be strictly adhered to in every tournament sponsored by the THPA and sanctioned by the NHPA and all phases of business.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. A person, to be eligible for membership in THPA, shall be subject to the following rules:
A. He must be a legal resident of the State of Texas. Residency for membership will be according to Article III, Section 7 of the NHPA By-Laws.
B. A person not eligible to join the NHPA will be not eligible to join the THPA.
ARTICLE V – DUES
SECTION 1. The dues for the THPA shall be $9.00 for Adults and $2.00 for juniors plus the applicable NHPA dues.
ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS
SECTION 1. The officers of the THPA shall consist of a:
A. President
B. First, second, third, fourth and fifth vice-president.
C. Secretary/Treasurer (October 2007)
ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
SECTION: 1.
A. PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be the Chief Executive Officer
b. Preside at all meetings. In the event of his inability to serve the duties of his office, it shall be performed by the remaining seven officers in the order named in Article VI, Section 1 of the By-Laws.
c. Appoint delegates and alternates to represent the THPA at the National Convention.
d. Work closely with the other officers to ensure that all duties are carried out properly.
e. Shall attend a minimum of two tournaments in each division each year (October 2002).
f. Appoint any committee, standing or special, name the chairperson, fill any vacancies or discharge the committee as it deemed necessary for the good of the THPA.
B. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of New Clubs and Promotion.
b. Assist individuals and/or groups that are interested in establishing new facilities and clubs throughout the state.
c. Assist and promote the sanctioning of clubs and individuals.
C. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of Publicity.
b. Endeavor to publicize horseshoe activities of the THPA throughout the various types of media available.
D. THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of all State Tournaments. (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles.) They shall be responsible for all stats regarding the tournaments and forward the results to the Secretary/Treasurer.
E. FOURTH VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of Youth Programs to introduce our sport and provide means of participation to youth groups for the entire state.
b. Promote NHPA and any other applicable scholarships.
F. FIFTH VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be responsible for publishing and distributing the THPA Newsletter in the most expeditious and economical means available.
b. The Editor shall be paid a maximum of 50 cents per adult paid member in the THPA. (October, 2000)
G. SECRETARY/TREASURER shall:
a. Keep accurate statistical records of all sanctioned tournaments and tournaments sponsored by the THPA. He shall be responsible for recording minutes of all meetings of the THPA.
b. Forward results of all NHPA sanctioned tournaments to the NHPA NatStats Center.
c. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be paid a maximum of 50 cents per adult paid member in the THPA. (October,
2002)
d. Keep all receipt and disbursement records of the THPA
e. Responsible for the transmitting promptly all dues payable to the NHPA from members of the THPA to the
Secretary/Treasurer of NHPA
f. Prepare annual budget for presentation and approval at State Singles Meeting for the following year. (October 2007)
ARTICLE VIII – EXECUTIVE BOARD
SECTION 1. The seven (7) officers of the THPA, comprising the Executive Board shall: (October 2007)
A. Assist the 3rd Vice President in every way possible conducting the State Tournaments.
B. Have the power to appoint any committee they deem necessary among the members of the THPA to assist the 3rd Vice President in the performance of his duties. This shall include any score-keepers, groundkeepers, etc.
C. Pre-approve all expenditures above normal operating cost by a majority vote.
SECTION 2: A quorum shall be one half plus one of the offices being held at any given time. (October 2008)
ARTICLE IX – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
SECTION 1. Voting
A. Officers are elected by a majority vote of all THPA members in good standing.
B. Voting shall be by U.S. postal mail only. All ballots must be postmarked 14 days prior to the State singles Tournament. All ballots will be brought to the tournament unopened where the presiding officer and the members of the Advisory/Rules Committee will open all ballots. Prior to counting, they will verify all ballots by paid membership and check for duplicate ballots. The results will be announced at the General Meeting. Any person running for office will not be able to participate in the handling and/or counting of the votes. (October 2008)
C. Ballots shall be included in the July and/or August issues of the “Ringer”.
SECTION 2. Nominations shall:
A. Be submitted along with brief resume of qualifications to the President and the “Ringer” editor by May first of the year of the election.
B. If there are no candidates nominated for a particular office, the dead-line for that office only will be extended until such time a candidate is announced by the President.
C. The editor shall print the candidates name and resume in the following issue of the “Ringer”. Once the candidates have been announced for each office, no other names will be accepted to be printed on the ballot.
D. Should a member be suspended from THPA and /or NHPA for any reason, they will not be eligible to run for a THPA office at any time upon reinstatement as a THPA member. (October 2007)
E. Members from the same household may not hold office at the same time.
(October 2008)
ARTICLE X – TERM OF OFFICE
SECTION 1. Term of Office
A. Shall be a period of two years beginning January 1 of the following year.
B. The President, Second Vice-President, and Fourth Vice-President shall be elected in odd numbered years. The First Vice-President, Third Vice-President, Fifth Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected in even numbered years. October (2007)
SECTION 2. Removal from Office:
A. Any officer may be removed from office upon failure to perform the duties of that office.
B. An officer may be removed from office for any reason that discredits the THPA.
C. Removal from office shall be by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE XI – MEETINGS/DELEGATES
SECTION 1. There shall be a minimum of two (2) meetings a year. One at the State Doubles Tournament and one at the State Singles Tournament.
SECTION 2. A delegate from each of the chapters shall be appointed. A THPA officer may be the chapter delegate, if the chapter so decides. A delegate shall be appointed by the President to represent the members who are not members of any chapter. (October, 2000)
SECTION 3. There shall be two (2) alternates in the event the primary delegate can not attend.
ARTICLE XII – ORDER OF BUSINESS
SECTION 1. Order of business for the annual meetings shall be:
a. Call to Order
b. Invocation
c. Reading and Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting
d. Treasurer Report
e. Officer Report
f. President Remarks
g. Committee Reports
h. Appointment of Parliamentarian
i. Old Business
j. New Business
k. State Tournament Site Selections
l. Awards
m. Election of New Officers
n. Adjournment
SECTION 2. “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall prevail in any case not provided by the THPA By-Laws.
ARTICLE XIII – STATE SINGLES TOURNAMENT
SECTION 1. All members must have pitched in four (4) Texas sanctioned tournaments since the previous year “cut-off” tournament date in order to be eligible to pitch in the State Singles Tournament. All State Tournaments will count as one of the tournaments for the next year. (October 2006) (October 2008)
SECTION 2. The “cut-off” tournament shall be established each year by the Executive Board, by vote. The cut-off date shall not exceed five (5) weeks prior to the State Tournament. (October 2007).
SECTION 3. “A” class in each category (30’, 40’ and Juniors) will pitch to 40 points in scratch format following the NHPA rules for State Titles. All other classes shall pitch the format determined by the State Tournament Director. The format of the classes and play-off format will be announced prior to the start of each class. (October 2002)
SECTION 4. The minimum number of pitchers in a class will be four. If less than four, follow NHPA By-laws and Rules. (October 2002)
SECTION 5. The site of the State Singles Tournament is to be named at the Annual Meeting conducted at the State Singles Tournament each year. Selection will be a rotation basis, two (2) years in advance.
SECTION 6. The State Singles Tournament location will be on a rotation basis with all eligible clubs. THPA officers will determine eligibility based on the By-Laws. This rotation will begin in 2008 starting with the oldest club to the newest club. Any new clubs formed that meet the requirements will be put in the rotation. If any eligible club decides not to host a State Tournament at their location, it will then be passed to the next eligible club. (October 2006)
Oldest to Newest clubs:
1. Arlington 10. Borger
2. San Antonio 11. Carrolton
3. Houston 12. McKinney
4. East Bernard 13. Bryan
5. Waco 14. Amarillo
6. Littlefield 15. Buffalo
7. Dumas 16. Kilgore
8. Dennison 17. Liberty Hill
9. Snyder 18. Montgomery County
The State Secretary/Treasurer will keep a detailed record of the rotation order and tournaments scheduled and held.
SECTION 7. To be eligible to host the State Singles Tournament, clubs must:
A. Be sanctioned for three (3) years
B. Have a minimum of 20 courts completed and sanctioned at the time of selection. (October 2008)
SECTION 8. The date of the State Singles Tournament will be the third or fourth week-end of September of each year if in the North and West section of the State and the first or second week-end of October of each year if in South and East section of the State.
SECTION 9. Scorekeeper at the State Singles Tournament will be paid fifty cents ($0.50) per game by each pitcher.
ARTICLE XIV – STATE MIXED DOUBLES TOURNAMENTS
SECTION 1. Any THPA member may participate in the State Doubles Tournaments. The class will be determined by the percentage averages of both contestants.
SECTION 2. Mixed Doubles is that any combination of 30’, 40’ and Junior pitchers may pitch together as partners.
There will be two State Double sponsored tournaments per year. The State Championship Tournament format will be bring your own partner and seeded by the combined ringer averages. The second State sponsored Doubles Tournament will be a regular sanctioned tournament, not be a State championship tournament. It will be seeded from all individual entries in a 16 pitcher high/low format. (October 2006)
SECTION 3. The site of the State Mixed Doubles Tournaments will be announced at the annual meeting at the State Singles Tournament each year.
SECTION 4. All State Doubles Tournaments will be in a rotation of eligible clubs from the newest to the oldest club, starting in 2007. Any new clubs formed will be put in the rotation. If any eligible club decides not to host a State Doubles Tournament at their location, then it is passed to the next eligible club. The State Secretary/Treasurer will keep detailed list of rotation. The rotation of newest to oldest club is: (October 2006)
1. Montgomery County 10. Snyder
2. Liberty Hill 11. Dennison
3. Kilgore 12. Dumas
4. Buffalo 13. Littlefield
5. Amarillo 14. Waco
6. Bryan 15. East Bernard
7. McKinney 16. Houston
8. Carrollton 17. San Antonio
9. Borger 18. Arlington
SECTION 5. The host club must have enough courts sanctioned at the time of the drawing to pitch the tournament in two days. Portable courts may be utilized.
SECTION 6. Scorekeeping will be the same as noted in Article Xlll, Section 10.
ARTICLE XV – TRAVEL FUND
SECTION 1. A. The Travel Fund will be utilized by the President up to $100.00 per club for travel throughout the State to attend club tournaments. The officers will utilize the balance of the fund to offset the expense of attending and conducting the State Tournament.
B. One dollar ($1.00) will be added to the entry fee for each sanctioned tournament conducted in the State. All pitchers will pay the $1.00.
C. The total amount for each tournament will be forwarded to the Secretary/Treasurer within two weeks of the completion of the tournament. The Secretary/Treasurer will be responsible for maintaining accurate records and distribution of the funds. (September 2003)
ARTICLE XVI – AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
SECTION 1. The By-Laws may be amended as follows:
A. Proposed amendments must be received by the President and the Editor on or before May 1st of the current year.
October (2007)
B. The proposed amendment shall be printed in the June ringer.
C. All THPA members in good standing will vote on all amendments to
the By-Laws. (October 2000)
D. A majority vote will be needed to pass the amendment.
ARTICLE XVII– NHPA BY-LAW & RULES
SECTION 1. NHPA By-Laws and Rules will prevail on any item not noted in the THPA By-Laws. NHPA By-Laws and Rules will prevail if any items in the THPA By-Laws are contradictory to the NHPA By-Laws and Rules.
ARTICLE XVIII – DISCRIMINATION
SECTION 1. Words of any gender used herein shall be held and construed to include any other gender, and words of singular number shall be held to include the plural, and vice versa, unless the context requires otherwise.
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October, 2000 January, 2002 October, 2002 September, 2003 October, 2004 October 2005 October 2006 October 2007
October 2008
THPA STANDING RULES
Section A: State Tournaments:
1. There shall be no smoking or drinking while on the pitching platform or walking down the courts during State Championship Tournaments. Smoking and drinking will be permitted at the fence area. (October 2002).
2. $150.00 will be given to the host club of the State Singles to assist with providing the Friday evening meal. (October 2005)
3. There shall not be two sanctioned tournaments within 200 miles scheduled for the same date.
Section B: Promotions / Programs
1. $150 will be given to each new club to assist with the cost of trophies for their first sanctioned tournament (October
2002)
2. $200 will be designated for promotion contest each year (February 2006)
3. $1.00 per pitcher participating in each club’s first tournament of the year will be designated to the Junior
Scholarship program.
The money will be forwarded to the Treasurer by the second week after the tournament is conducted.
Section C: Newsletter:
1. The newsletter shall be mailed to members in the most cost effective manner as long as the Ringer is delivered
timely.
2. The newsletter shall be printed 7 times each year. The months shall coincide with the dates the resumes, ballots,
and advertisements for the State Doubles and Singles.
3. Only one (1) newsletter per family shall be mailed.
4. Dues must be paid by April 30th of each year to continue to receive the Ringer without interruption.
5. The Ringer will be mailed no later than the 17th of the months printed.
6. All ads except for the State Tournaments will be paid advertisements. This includes vendors, open tournaments, club tournaments, and articles regarding running for office or any outside information promoting an event or product. The cost of the ads for the Ringer will be $10 for sanctioned tournaments and $20 for all other. If multiple months ads are placed at one time the cost will be $5.00 & $10.00 respectively for the additional months. All ads must be paid prior to being printed. (October 2004 & April 2006)
7. Payment of Ringer ads will be forwarded to the Editor.
Section D: Website:
1. Advertisements to be placed on the web site shall be for a thirty day period.
2. The cost of ads will be the same as noted for the Ringer in Section B, 6.
3. Classified ads for member’s personal items shall be $5.00 for the first four lines and $1.00 for each additional
line.
4. Payment of Web ads will be forwarded to the Sec/Treasurer prior to placement on the website. ( January 2008)
5. Vendors will have a choice of a banner placed on two pages of their choice, excluding the Home page and the News page, and a link on the Links & Supplies navigational bar. (January 2008)
6. Advertisements for tournaments, open and sanctioned, will be placed on News. (Janaury 2008)
Section E: Contestant Agreement:
1. All contestants in any tournament sponsored by the THPA shall agree to abide by the provisions of these By-Laws and NHPA rules and By-Laws. Any contestant may appeal to the Executive Board of the THPA on any ruling in any tournament sponsored by THPA and such decision of the Executive Board shall be final. (See Complaint Procedure/Policy regarding the handling of disciplinary situations for handling of disciplinary complaints)
Section G: Tournament Judges:
1. Judges shall be appointed by the tournament director or the tournament committee at all sanctioned tournaments
2. A badge, ribbon, vest, or such designation must be furnished by the Tournament Director and/or Tournament Committee. They shall be worn at the time they are judging.
Section H: Military members:
1. THPA active members that are serving in active military service will have their THPA dues waived and their NHPA dues paid by THPA. The member must have been participating in tournaments prior to leaving for military service and become active upon their return from military service to qualify.
2. This benefit will discontinue upon their return from active duty.
(January 2008)
TEXAS HORESHOE PITCHERS ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I – NAME
SECTION 1. The name of this organization shall be the Texas Horseshoe Pitchers Association, hereafter referred to as THPA. In forming the THPA, we, the members do hereby establish the following BY-LAWS for the association.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
SECTION 1. The purpose of this organization shall be to promote the sport of horseshoe pitching and to ensure its continued existence and growth, standardize rules, and authorize and conduct tournaments at a state and local level within the confines of the State of Texas.
ARTICLE III – AFFILIATION
SECTION 1. The THPA shall affiliate itself with the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA) and the rules of the NHPA shall be strictly adhered to in every tournament sponsored by the THPA and sanctioned by the NHPA and all phases of business.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. A person, to be eligible for membership in THPA, shall be subject to the following rules:
A. He must be a legal resident of the State of Texas. Residency for membership will be according to Article III, Section 7 of the NHPA By-Laws.
B. A person not eligible to join the NHPA will be not eligible to join the THPA.
ARTICLE V – DUES
SECTION 1. The dues for the THPA shall be $9.00 for Adults and $2.00 for juniors plus the applicable NHPA dues.
ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS
SECTION 1. The officers of the THPA shall consist of a:
A. President
B. First, second, third, fourth and fifth vice-president.
C. Secretary/Treasurer (October 2007)
ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
SECTION: 1.
A. PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be the Chief Executive Officer
b. Preside at all meetings. In the event of his inability to serve the duties of his office, it shall be performed by the remaining seven officers in the order named in Article VI, Section 1 of the By-Laws.
c. Appoint delegates and alternates to represent the THPA at the National Convention.
d. Work closely with the other officers to ensure that all duties are carried out properly.
e. Shall attend a minimum of two tournaments in each division each year (October 2002).
f. Appoint any committee, standing or special, name the chairperson, fill any vacancies or discharge the committee as it deemed necessary for the good of the THPA.
B. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of New Clubs and Promotion.
b. Assist individuals and/or groups that are interested in establishing new facilities and clubs throughout the state.
c. Assist and promote the sanctioning of clubs and individuals.
C. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of Publicity.
b. Endeavor to publicize horseshoe activities of the THPA throughout the various types of media available.
D. THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of all State Tournaments. (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles.) They shall be responsible for all stats regarding the tournaments and forward the results to the Secretary/Treasurer.
E. FOURTH VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be in charge of Youth Programs to introduce our sport and provide means of participation to youth groups for the entire state.
b. Promote NHPA and any other applicable scholarships.
F. FIFTH VICE-PRESIDENT shall:
a. Be responsible for publishing and distributing the THPA Newsletter in the most expeditious and economical means available.
b. The Editor shall be paid a maximum of 50 cents per adult paid member in the THPA. (October, 2000)
G. SECRETARY/TREASURER shall:
a. Keep accurate statistical records of all sanctioned tournaments and tournaments sponsored by the THPA. He shall be responsible for recording minutes of all meetings of the THPA.
b. Forward results of all NHPA sanctioned tournaments to the NHPA NatStats Center.
c. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be paid a maximum of 50 cents per adult paid member in the THPA. (October,
2002)
d. Keep all receipt and disbursement records of the THPA
e. Responsible for the transmitting promptly all dues payable to the NHPA from members of the THPA to the
Secretary/Treasurer of NHPA
f. Prepare annual budget for presentation and approval at State Singles Meeting for the following year. (October 2007)
ARTICLE VIII – EXECUTIVE BOARD
SECTION 1. The seven (7) officers of the THPA, comprising the Executive Board shall: (October 2007)
A. Assist the 3rd Vice President in every way possible conducting the State Tournaments.
B. Have the power to appoint any committee they deem necessary among the members of the THPA to assist the 3rd Vice President in the performance of his duties. This shall include any score-keepers, groundkeepers, etc.
C. Pre-approve all expenditures above normal operating cost by a majority vote.
SECTION 2: A quorum shall be one half plus one of the offices being held at any given time. (October 2008)
ARTICLE IX – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
SECTION 1. Voting
A. Officers are elected by a majority vote of all THPA members in good standing.
B. Voting shall be by U.S. postal mail only. All ballots must be postmarked 14 days prior to the State singles Tournament. All ballots will be brought to the tournament unopened where the presiding officer and the members of the Advisory/Rules Committee will open all ballots. Prior to counting, they will verify all ballots by paid membership and check for duplicate ballots. The results will be announced at the General Meeting. Any person running for office will not be able to participate in the handling and/or counting of the votes. (October 2008)
C. Ballots shall be included in the July and/or August issues of the “Ringer”.
SECTION 2. Nominations shall:
A. Be submitted along with brief resume of qualifications to the President and the “Ringer” editor by May first of the year of the election.
B. If there are no candidates nominated for a particular office, the dead-line for that office only will be extended until such time a candidate is announced by the President.
C. The editor shall print the candidates name and resume in the following issue of the “Ringer”. Once the candidates have been announced for each office, no other names will be accepted to be printed on the ballot.
D. Should a member be suspended from THPA and /or NHPA for any reason, they will not be eligible to run for a THPA office at any time upon reinstatement as a THPA member. (October 2007)
E. Members from the same household may not hold office at the same time.
(October 2008)
ARTICLE X – TERM OF OFFICE
SECTION 1. Term of Office
A. Shall be a period of two years beginning January 1 of the following year.
B. The President, Second Vice-President, and Fourth Vice-President shall be elected in odd numbered years. The First Vice-President, Third Vice-President, Fifth Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected in even numbered years. October (2007)
SECTION 2. Removal from Office:
A. Any officer may be removed from office upon failure to perform the duties of that office.
B. An officer may be removed from office for any reason that discredits the THPA.
C. Removal from office shall be by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE XI – MEETINGS/DELEGATES
SECTION 1. There shall be a minimum of two (2) meetings a year. One at the State Doubles Tournament and one at the State Singles Tournament.
SECTION 2. A delegate from each of the chapters shall be appointed. A THPA officer may be the chapter delegate, if the chapter so decides. A delegate shall be appointed by the President to represent the members who are not members of any chapter. (October, 2000)
SECTION 3. There shall be two (2) alternates in the event the primary delegate can not attend.
ARTICLE XII – ORDER OF BUSINESS
SECTION 1. Order of business for the annual meetings shall be:
a. Call to Order
b. Invocation
c. Reading and Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting
d. Treasurer Report
e. Officer Report
f. President Remarks
g. Committee Reports
h. Appointment of Parliamentarian
i. Old Business
j. New Business
k. State Tournament Site Selections
l. Awards
m. Election of New Officers
n. Adjournment
SECTION 2. “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall prevail in any case not provided by the THPA By-Laws.
ARTICLE XIII – STATE SINGLES TOURNAMENT
SECTION 1. All members must have pitched in four (4) Texas sanctioned tournaments since the previous year “cut-off” tournament date in order to be eligible to pitch in the State Singles Tournament. All State Tournaments will count as one of the tournaments for the next year. (October 2006) (October 2008)
SECTION 2. The “cut-off” tournament shall be established each year by the Executive Board, by vote. The cut-off date shall not exceed five (5) weeks prior to the State Tournament. (October 2007).
SECTION 3. “A” class in each category (30’, 40’ and Juniors) will pitch to 40 points in scratch format following the NHPA rules for State Titles. All other classes shall pitch the format determined by the State Tournament Director. The format of the classes and play-off format will be announced prior to the start of each class. (October 2002)
SECTION 4. The minimum number of pitchers in a class will be four. If less than four, follow NHPA By-laws and Rules. (October 2002)
SECTION 5. The site of the State Singles Tournament is to be named at the Annual Meeting conducted at the State Singles Tournament each year. Selection will be a rotation basis, two (2) years in advance.
SECTION 6. The State Singles Tournament location will be on a rotation basis with all eligible clubs. THPA officers will determine eligibility based on the By-Laws. This rotation will begin in 2008 starting with the oldest club to the newest club. Any new clubs formed that meet the requirements will be put in the rotation. If any eligible club decides not to host a State Tournament at their location, it will then be passed to the next eligible club. (October 2006)
Oldest to Newest clubs:
1. Arlington 10. Borger
2. San Antonio 11. Carrolton
3. Houston 12. McKinney
4. East Bernard 13. Bryan
5. Waco 14. Amarillo
6. Littlefield 15. Buffalo
7. Dumas 16. Kilgore
8. Dennison 17. Liberty Hill
9. Snyder 18. Montgomery County
The State Secretary/Treasurer will keep a detailed record of the rotation order and tournaments scheduled and held.
SECTION 7. To be eligible to host the State Singles Tournament, clubs must:
A. Be sanctioned for three (3) years
B. Have a minimum of 20 courts completed and sanctioned at the time of selection. (October 2008)
SECTION 8. The date of the State Singles Tournament will be the third or fourth week-end of September of each year if in the North and West section of the State and the first or second week-end of October of each year if in South and East section of the State.
SECTION 9. Scorekeeper at the State Singles Tournament will be paid fifty cents ($0.50) per game by each pitcher.
ARTICLE XIV – STATE MIXED DOUBLES TOURNAMENTS
SECTION 1. Any THPA member may participate in the State Doubles Tournaments. The class will be determined by the percentage averages of both contestants.
SECTION 2. Mixed Doubles is that any combination of 30’, 40’ and Junior pitchers may pitch together as partners.
There will be two State Double sponsored tournaments per year. The State Championship Tournament format will be bring your own partner and seeded by the combined ringer averages. The second State sponsored Doubles Tournament will be a regular sanctioned tournament, not be a State championship tournament. It will be seeded from all individual entries in a 16 pitcher high/low format. (October 2006)
SECTION 3. The site of the State Mixed Doubles Tournaments will be announced at the annual meeting at the State Singles Tournament each year.
SECTION 4. All State Doubles Tournaments will be in a rotation of eligible clubs from the newest to the oldest club, starting in 2007. Any new clubs formed will be put in the rotation. If any eligible club decides not to host a State Doubles Tournament at their location, then it is passed to the next eligible club. The State Secretary/Treasurer will keep detailed list of rotation. The rotation of newest to oldest club is: (October 2006)
1. Montgomery County 10. Snyder
2. Liberty Hill 11. Dennison
3. Kilgore 12. Dumas
4. Buffalo 13. Littlefield
5. Amarillo 14. Waco
6. Bryan 15. East Bernard
7. McKinney 16. Houston
8. Carrollton 17. San Antonio
9. Borger 18. Arlington
SECTION 5. The host club must have enough courts sanctioned at the time of the drawing to pitch the tournament in two days. Portable courts may be utilized.
SECTION 6. Scorekeeping will be the same as noted in Article Xlll, Section 10.
ARTICLE XV – TRAVEL FUND
SECTION 1. A. The Travel Fund will be utilized by the President up to $100.00 per club for travel throughout the State to attend club tournaments. The officers will utilize the balance of the fund to offset the expense of attending and conducting the State Tournament.
B. One dollar ($1.00) will be added to the entry fee for each sanctioned tournament conducted in the State. All pitchers will pay the $1.00.
C. The total amount for each tournament will be forwarded to the Secretary/Treasurer within two weeks of the completion of the tournament. The Secretary/Treasurer will be responsible for maintaining accurate records and distribution of the funds. (September 2003)
ARTICLE XVI – AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
SECTION 1. The By-Laws may be amended as follows:
A. Proposed amendments must be received by the President and the Editor on or before May 1st of the current year.
October (2007)
B. The proposed amendment shall be printed in the June ringer.
C. All THPA members in good standing will vote on all amendments to
the By-Laws. (October 2000)
D. A majority vote will be needed to pass the amendment.
ARTICLE XVII– NHPA BY-LAW & RULES
SECTION 1. NHPA By-Laws and Rules will prevail on any item not noted in the THPA By-Laws. NHPA By-Laws and Rules will prevail if any items in the THPA By-Laws are contradictory to the NHPA By-Laws and Rules.
ARTICLE XVIII – DISCRIMINATION
SECTION 1. Words of any gender used herein shall be held and construed to include any other gender, and words of singular number shall be held to include the plural, and vice versa, unless the context requires otherwise.
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October, 2000 January, 2002 October, 2002 September, 2003 October, 2004 October 2005 October 2006 October 2007
October 2008
THPA STANDING RULES
Section A: State Tournaments:
1. There shall be no smoking or drinking while on the pitching platform or walking down the courts during State Championship Tournaments. Smoking and drinking will be permitted at the fence area. (October 2002).
2. $150.00 will be given to the host club of the State Singles to assist with providing the Friday evening meal. (October 2005)
3. There shall not be two sanctioned tournaments within 200 miles scheduled for the same date.
Section B: Promotions / Programs
1. $150 will be given to each new club to assist with the cost of trophies for their first sanctioned tournament (October
2002)
2. $200 will be designated for promotion contest each year (February 2006)
3. $1.00 per pitcher participating in each club’s first tournament of the year will be designated to the Junior
Scholarship program.
The money will be forwarded to the Treasurer by the second week after the tournament is conducted.
Section C: Newsletter:
1. The newsletter shall be mailed to members in the most cost effective manner as long as the Ringer is delivered
timely.
2. The newsletter shall be printed 7 times each year. The months shall coincide with the dates the resumes, ballots,
and advertisements for the State Doubles and Singles.
3. Only one (1) newsletter per family shall be mailed.
4. Dues must be paid by April 30th of each year to continue to receive the Ringer without interruption.
5. The Ringer will be mailed no later than the 17th of the months printed.
6. All ads except for the State Tournaments will be paid advertisements. This includes vendors, open tournaments, club tournaments, and articles regarding running for office or any outside information promoting an event or product. The cost of the ads for the Ringer will be $10 for sanctioned tournaments and $20 for all other. If multiple months ads are placed at one time the cost will be $5.00 & $10.00 respectively for the additional months. All ads must be paid prior to being printed. (October 2004 & April 2006)
7. Payment of Ringer ads will be forwarded to the Editor.
Section D: Website:
1. Advertisements to be placed on the web site shall be for a thirty day period.
2. The cost of ads will be the same as noted for the Ringer in Section B, 6.
3. Classified ads for member’s personal items shall be $5.00 for the first four lines and $1.00 for each additional
line.
4. Payment of Web ads will be forwarded to the Sec/Treasurer prior to placement on the website. ( January 2008)
5. Vendors will have a choice of a banner placed on two pages of their choice, excluding the Home page and the News page, and a link on the Links & Supplies navigational bar. (January 2008)
6. Advertisements for tournaments, open and sanctioned, will be placed on News. (Janaury 2008)
Section E: Contestant Agreement:
1. All contestants in any tournament sponsored by the THPA shall agree to abide by the provisions of these By-Laws and NHPA rules and By-Laws. Any contestant may appeal to the Executive Board of the THPA on any ruling in any tournament sponsored by THPA and such decision of the Executive Board shall be final. (See Complaint Procedure/Policy regarding the handling of disciplinary situations for handling of disciplinary complaints)
Section G: Tournament Judges:
1. Judges shall be appointed by the tournament director or the tournament committee at all sanctioned tournaments
2. A badge, ribbon, vest, or such designation must be furnished by the Tournament Director and/or Tournament Committee. They shall be worn at the time they are judging.
Section H: Military members:
1. THPA active members that are serving in active military service will have their THPA dues waived and their NHPA dues paid by THPA. The member must have been participating in tournaments prior to leaving for military service and become active upon their return from military service to qualify.
2. This benefit will discontinue upon their return from active duty.
(January 2008)