2.03 – Committee & Sub-Committee Procedure
Effective: 7 May 2024
2.03.01 - Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to establish the minimum guidelines for the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of committees within the Sarnia Hockey Association (SHA) under By-Law#1 Article 8.
2.03.02 - Scope:
a) This policy applies to all committees formed within SHA, regardless of their nature or purpose. It encompasses the formation process, roles and responsibilities of committee members, criteria for committee dissolution, and the principles governing committee operations.
b) Any SHA policy that mandates a committee, additional requirements or specific provisions shall supersede requirements in this policy.
2.03.03 - Definitions:
a) Committee: A group of individuals appointed or elected to address specific tasks, projects, or issues within SHA. Committees may be standing (ongoing) or special/ad-hoc (temporary) in nature as defined under Article 8.1
b) Chairperson (Chair): The individual appointed to lead and facilitate the activities of a committee, responsible for setting agendas, guiding discussions, and ensuring the committee's objectives are met. Vice-Chair(s) can be appointed to committees as required.
c) Committee Members: Individuals appointed or elected to serve on a committee, contributing their expertise, insights, and efforts towards achieving the committee's goals. All members are counted in quorum and have full voting rights with regards to committee business. Committee Members can be defined as:
i) “Member” of SHA as defined under Article 2.1
ii) “Non-Member” defined as a person with ties to SHA but is not a member defined under Article 2.1
iii) “Independent Expert” defined as a person who has been deemed to have expertise, experience and/or knowledge related to their role within a committee and has declared any COI with SHA
iv) “Ex-Officio” a member of the committee who is part of it by virtue of holding another office or position.
d) Board of Directors (BoD): The governing body of the SHA, responsible for overseeing the operations, policies, and strategic direction of the Association.
e) Term: The duration for which committee members are appointed or elected to serve, typically defined by specific timeframes or until the completion of designated tasks.
f) "In Camera": is a term used in proceedings to describe a session or meeting that is conducted privately, without the presence of the public or media. When a parliamentary body goes "in camera," it means that discussions, deliberations, or decisions are held behind closed doors, in a confidential or privileged setting. Results of these discussions can be disclosed for transparency so long as any details of personal or private context are redacted.
g) Conflict of Interest (COI): A financial conflict of interest occurs when an individual or entity involved in decision-making has a personal or business financial interest that could unduly influence their actions or decisions. A personal or family conflict of interest arises when an individual's personal or familial relationships could influence their actions or decisions in a professional or organizational context. These conflicts occur when there is a risk of bias, partiality, or undue influence stemming from familial connections.
2.03.04 – Standing Committees: In accordance with Article 8.1(a), 8.3 and 8.4. SHA should annually announce current directors as members of the following committees for a term of up to 1 year:
a) Executive Committee: To advise the BoD and consisting of:
i) President (Chair)
ii) First Vice President (Vice Chair)
iii) Secretary
iv) Past President
v) Vice President-Administration
vi) Vice President-Representative
vii) Vice President-Recreational; and
viii) Treasurer
b) Nomination Committee: To oversee any SHA elections or BoD appointments and consisting of:
i) President (Chair)
ii) Minimum one (1) member selected by the BoD; and
iii) Minimum (2) Ballot Scrutineers that can:
a) Be appointed by the Chair
b) Be elected by the BoD; or
c) Be filled by Nomination Committee members
c) Recreational Steering Committee (RecSteerCO): To manage HL Select and SHA Recreational Leagues. This committee consists of:
i) Vice President-Recreational (Chair)
ii) Minimum three (3) Directors appointed by the Chair
iii) Officiating Director (Ex-Officio)
iv) Ice Scheduler (Ex-Officio)
v) Registrar (Ex-Officio)
vi) This committee shall hold:
a) Four (4) mandatory meetings (August, September, December, and January)
b) Two (2) optional meetings (November and February)
vii) Any SHA Director can attend any committee meeting but shall not be counted in quorum
viii) Any Recreational Team may send a representative to participate in any committee meeting but shall not be counted in quorum or be permitted to participate in any “In Camera” business
d) Board of Reference Committee: To handle matters of maltreatment, discipline, formal complaint, or grievance and consist of:
i) First Vice President or Past President (Chair)
ii) Minimum two (2) Directors appointed by the SHA President
e) Audit Committee: To review/sign the SHA financial records (monthly) and prove such documents accurately represent the current financial status. It shall consist of:
i) Minimum two (2) Directors selected by the BoD
f) Budget Committee: To establish SHA’s annual budget and consist of:
i) SHA Treasurer (Chair)
ii) President (Vice Chair)
iii) First Vice President
iv) Vice President-Administration
v) Vice President-Representative
vi) Vice President-Recreational; and
vii) Any other Directors appointed by the Chair
g) Quorum: Quorum for all standing committees shall be 50%+1
h) Privacy: Standing Committees can hold meetings and discussions “In Camera”
i) Conflict of Interest: Standing Committee members must disclose any COI in the matters of the respective committee and can recuse themselves as committee business requires
j) Additional Committee Members: It may be deemed necessary for a committee to include additional voting members, relevant ex-officio members or subject matter experts. The President can nominate any person aged 18 years or older to be approved by the BoD for participation in a Standing Committee at any time.
2.03.05 – Special Committees: In accordance with Article 8.1(b) SHA can appoint Ad Hoc committees for purposes as determined by SHA with a resolution or appointed within the scope of another policy as described in 2.03.05(g).
a) Meeting Minutes: Special Committee meetings must record/maintain minutes and should use Robert’s Rules of Order as a guide for procedure.
b) Quorum: Quorum for all special committees shall be 50%+1
c) Privacy: Special Committees can hold meetings and discussions “In Camera”
d) Term: A Special Committee will be terminated upon:
i) Delivery of its report
ii) Completion of its assigned task
iii) A pre-determined amount of time has expired
iv) A change in the membership of the Association by which it is constituted; or
v) A motion to that effect of the Association by which it was constituted
e) Conflict of Interest: Special Committee members must disclose any COI in the matters of the respective committee and can recuse themselves as committee business requires
f) Minimum Number of Members: All Special Committees shall consist of at least 3 committee members
g) Additional Committee Members: It may be deemed necessary for a committee to include additional voting members, relevant ex-officio members or subject matter experts. The President can nominate any person aged 18 years or older to be approved by the BoD for participation in a Special Committee at any time
h) Pre-Approved Special Committees: Due to the nature of their tasks, the following committees do not require a resolution to be formed provided they serve their purpose as detailed in policy:
i) Policy Review Advisory Committee (PRAC) under Policy 2.06
ii) Tryout Exemption Committee (TEXCO) under Policy 3.03
2.03.06– Coach Selection Committees: Coach Selection Committees are special committees formed annually under Article 8.1(b). Their task is to select the best candidate for Head Coaches of Representative, HL Select and Recreational Hockey Teams
a) Procedure: All Coach Selection Committees shall:
i) Announce the initiation and time frame of any coach selection process
ii) Review all applications and pre-screen all candidates
iii) Conduct interviews as required by the committee; and
iv) Provide recommendations or report for ratification as required
b) Observers: Any SHA Director may request to observe selection interviews.
i) Requests must be submitted in writing to the committee minimum 14 days prior to interviews commencing
ii) Observers may only attend and may not participate in the interview to any capacity
iii) Observers shall not be included in committee deliberations or decisions
iv) A maximum of two (2) Directors may be accepted as Observers
v) The committee can set conditions to accept observers; and
vi) Requests may be declined with justification by the committee through the SHA President
c) Exemptions: Coach Selection Committees are not required if:
i) A ratified coach is removed, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties as Head Coach and a suitable, qualified replacement is currently on the approved roster of the team that requires a replacement; or
ii) A Category VP has BoD approval to proceed without a committee
d) Ratification: All Representative and Select Team Head Coaches must be approved by a SHA BoD resolution. All Recreational Coaches should be approved by RecSteerCo
e) Representative Coach Selection Committee shall consist of:
i) Vice President-Representative (Chair)
ii) A/AA Director (Vice Chair)
iii) B/BB Director (Vice Chair)
iv) Between two (2) and three (3) independent experts approved by the BoD and deemed by the chair to:
a) Possess relevant expertise and experience in coaching competitive athletics
b) Possess relevant knowledge in athletic coach and player development principles; and
c) Have disclosed any potential COI that may arise from their affiliations, relationships, or personal interests within SHA
v) This committee shall:
a) Advertise all available positions on the SHA Website
b) Accept applications for a minimum of 14 days
c) Not select an applicant without a valid Criminal Reference Check that does not meet the OHF Screening Requirements
d) Schedule and conduct interviews of any candidates deemed suitable by the committee
e) Shall select one (1) committee member as the lead interviewer
f) Hold all meetings and interviews “In Camera”
g) Provide recommendations to the BoD for final approval; and
h) Can offer any independent expert an honorarium or gift for their contribution to the committee. This honorarium shall be approved by the BoD prior to the independent experts being appointed.
f) HL Select Coach Selection Committee shall consist of:
i) HL Select Convener/Director (Chair)
ii) SHA Skills Director (Vice Chair)
iii) Director of B/BB Teams; and
iii) Between one (1) and three (3) members, non-members or independent experts approved by the BoD and deemed by the chair to:
a) Possess relevant experience in coaching athletics
b) Possess relevant knowledge in athletic development principles; and
c) Have disclosed any potential COI that may arise from their affiliations, relationships, or personal interests within SHA
iv) This committee shall:
a) Advertise all available positions on the SHA Website
b) Accept applications for a minimum of 14 days
c) Not select an applicant without a valid Criminal Reference Check that does not meet the OHF Screening Requirements
d) Schedule and conduct interviews of any candidates deemed suitable by the committee
e) Hold all meetings and interviews “In Camera”
f) Provide recommendations to the BoD for final approval; and
g) Not be permitted to offer honorariums or gifts
g) Recreational Coach Selection Committee shall consist of:
i) Vice President-Recreational (Chair); and
ii) All Recreational League Conveners
iii) This committee shall:
a) Advertise positions on the SHA Website
b) Accept applications submitted through registration, website or other means for minimum 30 days
c) Directors can directly accept applications or canvas participants and families to find suitable candidates
d) Not select an applicant without a valid Criminal Reference Check that does not meet the OHF Screening Requirements
e) Review all applications submitted and attempt to award all suitable applicants a team
f) Not award a single applicant with more than one (1) Recreational League Team without committee resolution
g) Report successful applicants to the BoD as reasonably possible before league play begins
h) Not be permitted to offer honorariums or gifts