CONSTITUTION OF THE 
MARITIME FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Amended February 10, 2007

                            

ARTICLE I - IDENTITY

Section 1. - The name of the organization shall be the Maritime Football League or by its 
                  abbreviation MFL

Section 2. - For governance purposes only, the MFL shall consist of 2 (two) zones known as 
                  conferences:

• NBFC- New Brunswick Football Conference consisting of teams located in New Brunswick

• EFC- Eastern Football Conference consisting of teams located in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island 

Section 3. - The scope of the MFL is to provide governance of Contact Football in the Maritime
                  Provinces for players in the Community Based Post High School Age Group.

Section 4. - Affiliations with the respective Provincial and National Football Organizations shall be
                   maintained 

Section 5. - The MFL shall have Colours and Logos as decided by the League Council

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

(a)                           To provide an opportunity to play the game of football beyond the high school level.

(b)                           To establish and maintain conditions conducive to the safety and the enjoyment of the participants.

(c)                           To enhance the caliber of the game of football by encouraging the upgrading of players, coaches,
officials, trainers and administrators.

(d)                           To provide an opportunity for the achievement of high standards of moral development and citizenship through participation in amateur football.

(e)                           To provide a route to higher caliber football for those who desire it.

(f)                             To obtain sufficient funds and resources for the successful operation of the league and fulfillment of these objectives.

(g)                           To enhance the image of amateur football and the League and to promote and strengthen football in the Maritimes

(h)             To declare two champions at the end of the playing season. Based on season results there will be a Competitive Tier I Championship Round and a Developmental Tier II Championship Round.  

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. - The MFL League Council shall consist of all current member teams meeting admission
                  requirements, teams that are in good standing and teams that have paid all league fees.

Section 2. - Each member team in good standing shall be entitled to 1 (one) vote on the League  
                  Council.  The Commissioner will only have a vote to break any ties.

Section 3. - A team shall be considered not in good standing if , in the judgment of the League Council, it 
                  has acted in willful violation of the MFL constitution, rules or by-laws.  In the event a team is
                  declared to be "Not in Good Standing", that team will forfeit all remaining games and must
                  reapply for  membership as a New Team the following year.

Section 4. - Admission Requirements for a New Team to be considered are:

• The approval of the applicant team will follow the same procedures as ARTICLE IX Amendment Procedure  Section 1.

• Written submission including Name, Location, Home Field, Equipment Availability and proposed Coaching Staff must be received by the MFL Commissioner 30 days prior to the AGM..  This application must be circulated amongst the League Council within 7 (seven) days of receipt.   This requirement may be waived by the League Council if extenuating circumstances merit it and the applicant representative is present at the AGM.  If the waiver is in effect the approval must follow ARTICLE IX Amendment Procedure  Section 2.

• A financial statement showing current liquidity and evidence of operational stability must also accompany the submission.

• A non-refundable application fee of 50% of League Fees must accompany the submission.  If the applicant is accepted into the MFL, this fee will be applied to their Annual Membership Fee.  The remaining 50% of the League Fees are due once the applicant is accepted and prior to the preparation of the schedule.

• A roster of players must accompany the application to show the viability of the new team.  This roster must contain at least 22 proposed players.

Section 5. - All MFL member teams are expected to adhere to the MFL Code of Ethics.  Each team
                  representative is to make their players aware of the Code and obtain a signature indicating"
                  they have  been made aware of the Code.  Infractions of the Code by any member of a
                  team, including coaches and staff, are grounds for Judicial Review.  The Code of Ethics
                  will be reviewed on a regular basis by the MFL League Council and it will be enforced
                  by the MFL Executive.  This Code of  Ethics is a Policy Matter and does not require
                  Article IX to make changes.  It is governed under  Article IX as regular business. 

ARTICLE IV- EXECUTIVE

Section 1. - The MFL Executive shall consist of a Commissioner, NBFC President (Deputy
                  Commissioner), EFC President (Deputy Commissioner), Secretary-Treasurer
                  and an Officials Liaison .
                  Executive members do not vote at League Council meetings, or at the AGM.
                  The Commissioner will vote in the event of a tie  between  League Council members
                  in attendance.  In an Executive Meeting the Commissioner will only vote  in the event
                  of a tie as well.

Section 2. - The MFL executive shall hold office for a 1 (one) year term or until successors are named. 
                  Elections will be held at the AGM, with the new executive taking over power at the end 
                  of the meeting in which elections are held.   

Section 3. - The Commissioner and Secretary-Treasurer will be elected by the League Council.
                  The NBFC President shall be elected by the NBFC Conference.  The EFC President
                  shall be  elected by the EFC Conference. The Officials Liaison  is appointed by the other
                  members of  the Executive, but it will usually correspond to the existing NBFOA or
                  NSFOA Chairperson . 

Section 4. Duties of Executive Officers

1. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner to:

• Preside over all MFL meetings. The Commissioner can only vote to break ties.

• Have general supervision over the affairs of the MFL.

• Enforce the constitution of the MFL.

1. It shall be the duty of the NBFC President (Deputy Commissioner) to:

• Handle all necessary NBFC  correspondence

• In Even Years Assume the duties of the Commissioner in his absence, incapacity, or resignation.

•   Assist the Commissioner as required.

• Handle the day to day decisions of NBFC as required.

• Promote and market the NBFC.

•   Represent the NBFC at meetings with Football New Brunswick and the Province of  New  Brunswick.

1.    It shall be the duty of the EFC President (Deputy Commissioner) to:

• Handle all necessary EFC  correspondence

• In Odd Years Assume the duties of the Commissioner in his absence, incapacity, or resignation.

•   Assist the Commissioner as required.

• Handle the day to day decisions of EFC as required.

• Promote and market the EFC.

•   Represent the EFC at meetings with Football Nova Scotia, Football P.E.I.  and the Provinces of  Nova Scotia and  Prince Edward Island.

1. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to:

• Keep accurate minutes of all MFL meetings

• Circulate copies of the minutes of each meeting within 2 (two) weeks of the last meeting.

• Maintain complete and accurate records of the MFL income and expenditures.

• Have charge over all MFL finances.

•  Present a current report on the MFL finances at each league meeting. The fiscal year of the
  MFL will be the calendar year.

1. It shall be the duty of the Officials Liaison to:    

•  Assure that sufficient officials are assigned to all MFL games.

• Participate in disciplinary hearings.

• Ensure that all officials are aware of any special rules used by the MFL.

ARTICLE V - LEAGUE COUNCIL

Section 1. - The League Council of the MFL shall consist of 1 (one) voting representative from each 
                  MFL member team in good standing. This League Council shall determine all policies in
                  effect, however amendments and by-laws can only be determined at the AGM. It shall 
                  elect the Executive, which will oversee all MFL business between meetings of the
                  League Council . 

                   It shall  select delegates from the MFL to attend the meetings of any affiliated body and shall 
                  adopt  standards governing the operation of the MFL games and the rules that shall 
                  govern those games. The Commissioner, NBFC President, EFC President or two
                  thirds of league member teams can call meetings of the League Council.

Section 2. - Although executive members may in fact be associated with a specific MFL team, they
                  are not entitled to vote.  Therefore, each team in good standing is entitled to have a
                  representative which is not on the Executive.

Section 3. - Each league member team may have additional members present at any League Council
                  meeting.
                  However, the meeting chair may deem to only recognize the voting representative.  If a
                  meeting is declared "In Camera" all non-voting attendees must leave the meeting.  Any
                  single voting member may request the "In Camera" status to be invoked.  This does not
                  require a vote and must be honoured for the remainder of the issue at hand.

                  "In Camera" discussions are not to be divulged under any circumstances.  If a policy
                   decision is undertaken  only a passed vote will be reflected in the minutes.  Any defeated
                   votes will not be reported.   

ARTICLE VI - JUDICIAL DUTIES

Section 1. - The League Council will settle grievances between teams and rule on any disciplinary action
                  to be administered as per the current constitution, rules or Code of Ethics. Grieving teams or
                 Officials may present such facts or arguments that they deem proper, subject to the control
                 of the League Council  who will conduct the hearing. They will answer all questions put to
                 them by the other members of the League Council, after which the League Council  will
                 retire to reach a decision.                    

                   The majority vote (50% plus 1 of attending members) will dictate the judgment in all
                  discussions .
                  However, in order to declare a team to be "Not in Good Standing" the required vote
                  must be 2/3rds.
                  In the event of a tie, the Commissioner will render judgment himself . In matters of discipline
                  the Officials Liaison will be a voting member of the League Council.

                   The team representatives involved as either complainant or defendant in the Judicial Action
                  will not vote. Nor will they participate in the deliberations other than to present evidence.
                  Any Executive member that is directly involved must also excuse themselves.

Section 2. - In the event of an emergency situation, League Council may act upon the grievance prior to 
                  the receipt of written copy of said grievance.

Section 3. - All MFL  grievances must be submitted within forty eight (48) hours, by accepted measures 
                  (See Article VII Section 3) , to the MFL Commissioner for action by the League Council.  
                  A written copy of the grievance must be filed with the MFL Commissioner within one-week 
                  (7 days) from the time of the alleged infraction.

Section 4. - The League Council may elect to conduct hearings in person or by conference call, or by
                   combination.

Section 5. - Any League Council decision will be immediately released to the MFL membership.

Section 6. - Appeals may be filed using the same measures as Section 3.  However, an appeal will only be
                  entertained if additional evidence is available which was not heard in the original
                  Judicial Meeting.

ARTICLE VII - ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

Section 1. - Meetings of the League Council can be called by the Commissioner, NBFC President
                  EFC President or at the request of two thirds of the MFL member teams.

Section 2. - The first meeting in the calendar year shall be known as the Annual General Meeting of the 
                  MFL League Council. The Annual General Meeting must be held by April 30, each year.
                  The League Council must meet , at least, once per year. Meetings via conference phone
                   call or by e-mail and  facsimile are permitted.

Section 3. - Accepted forms of communication include Phone, Voice Mail, Facsimile, e-Mail, Mail or 
                 Registered Mail.

Section 4. - Notifications for the AGM must be sent to all MFL teams 4 (four) weeks prior to the
                  meeting.  All other meetings require at least 72 hours of notice.

Section 5. -E-Mail meetings shall be conducted as follows: The Commissioner will send an e-mail to the 
                 League Council calling for a meeting on a specific item. Discussion of the matter shall take
                 place for a  reasonable period of time as specified by the Commissioner. Voting will take
                 place by a given deadline set by the Commissioner. Any teams that do not respond by the
                 deadline will be counted as abstaining from the vote.                   

ARTICLE VIII - ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section 1. - The presence of the majority (50% plus 1) of the MFL teams in good standing is 
                  necessary to constitute a quorum  for the transaction of MFL business.

Section 2. - For clarity; no rules may be changed, amended or altered during the season or during
                  playoffs.  
                 All policies  and procedures and By-Laws may be changed. These items may be changed
                 with a simple majority (50% +1) of the valid quorum as a per Section 1.

Section 3. - The agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall contain, as a minimum, the following items:

·        Reports/Minutes

·        Review of League Statistics

·        Election of Officers

·        Admission of New Teams

·        By- Laws

·        Scheduling

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

Section 1. - This constitution may be amended at the MFL Annual Meeting by a two thirds (2/3) vote of 
                  the member teams present and in good standing, provided that written notice of any proposed 
                  change or amendment has been given to the MFL Commissioner no later than four weeks 
                  prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.  The proposed change or amendment must
                  then be circulated within 7 (seven) days following the receipt by the Commissioner.  This is
                  the same requirement for the admittance of a new team that made a written proposal in time
                  to be circulated.

Section 2. - If a proposed amendment was not received OR circulated in the proscribed timeframe, it
                  may be introduced  at the AGM.  However, in order to pass, it must receive Unanimous
                 support of all member teams in good standing.  If a member team is not present for the vote
                 they must be notified of the proposed change  or amendment within 7 (seven) days of the
                 meeting close.  They will then have 2 (two) weeks in order to  respond with a VETO.  If 
                 they do not respond, the change or amendment will be deemed to be accepted Unanimously. 
                 This is the same requirement for the admittance of a new team that had NOT made a 
                 written proposal in time to be circulated.

Section 3. - A Special AGM may be called during the year in order to entertain changes or 
                 amendments that are deemed  to be necessary by 100% of the member teams in good
                 standing.  In other words, a League Council meeting may be called into session and
                 declared an AGM if all the member teams are present and agree.