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Constitution & Bylaws

Our organizational documents are below:

Constitution of the
Correspondence Chess League of America
Revised August 2021; Effective January 1, 2022

Article I

NAME: The name of this organization is the Correspondence Chess League of America, hereafter referred to as CCLA, or the League.

Article II

PURPOSE: CCLA is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote and develop correspondence chess and conduct chess competitions.

Article III

MEMBERSHIP: Any chess player residing in the United States or its possessions, shall be eligible for full membership in this organization, subject to such regulations as may be provided by this Constitution or the Bylaws of the League. Chess players residing elsewhere may be eligible for limited Associate membership rights if so provided by the Bylaws of the League.

Article IV

ORGANIZATION: All executive and administrative functions of the League shall be vested in a Board of five (5) Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board, to be composed of the League's elected Officers and Directors at large. The Board shall consist of three (3) Officers and two (2) at large Board Members. All Board members must remain CCLA members in good standing during their terms of office, or relinquish their Board positions. No Board member may be an officer, employee, or have any investment in a competing correspondence chess organization, except the U. S. Chess Federation, the International Correspondence Chess Federation, or any association of which CCLA is a member.

At its discretion, the Board may delegate any of its managerial powers and it may withdraw any delegation of such powers.

Article V

ELECTIONS: The two (2) at large Directors shall be elected by the membership for a term of four calendar years and their terms of office shall be so divided that no more than one Directors is elected in any two-calendar year election cycle.

The three (3) Officers of the League shall be President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer. They shall be elected by the membership at large for a term of two calendar years. The Officers may be selected from current members of the Board, or from the membership at large. Directors who are elected Officers and who have an unexpired term remaining as Director shall resign their role as Director at large, and have their unexpired term filled as per the terms below.

Any vacancy on the Board, due to death, illness, disability, resignation, or removal from office, shall be filled by a majority of the votes cast by the remaining Board members in a special election.

Biennial elections will be administered by a Nominating Committee. This Committee's appointment and structure, as well as the election process, will be conducted in a manner prescribed in the CCLA Bylaws.

Article VI

AMENDMENT: Amendment of this Constitution shall require an affirmative vote by the membership at large, as provided under Article VIII of this Constitution. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the membership by the League President, upon direction of two-thirds of the Board, or upon petition signed by at least twenty-five (25) League members in good standing, including a majority of the Board.

Article VII

BYLAWS: Certain Bylaws will be established, in addition to this Constitution, which will explain in more detail the operation of the League. Changes in the Bylaws can be made either by a two-thirds affirmative vote of all Board members, or by an affirmative vote by the membership at large upon petition signed by at least twenty-five (25) League members in good standing, including a majority of the Board.

Article VIII

VOTING: All votes taken, whether by the membership at large or the Board, will be decided by a majority of the votes cast, unless specifically stated otherwise in the Constitution or Bylaws.

Article IX

RATIFICATION: This Constitution shall become effective upon affirmation by the League members in good standing as attested by the signatures hereto of the League Officers.

Bylaws of the
Correspondence Chess League of America
Revised August 2021; Effective January 1, 2022

  1. Powers and Duties of Officers
    1. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the Chairman and preside at all meetings of the Board and shall submit properly presented motions to the Board for its deliberation and determination. He (she) shall perform such duties as may properly be assigned to the executive officer of the League. He shall appoint a General Manager, Chairman and members of the Nominating Committee, Membership Director, League representative(s) for its affiliation with the International Correspondence Chess Federation, Tournament Director(s), Magazine Editor, Website Manager, and any other appointments as may be required for the smooth operation of the League. All such appointments shall be subject to affirmation by the Board. The President may also terminate the services of any such appointee, at his discretion, subject to the same affirmation by the Board, upon notification in writing to the appointee of his intention to do so.

      The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees with the exception of the Nominating Committee. He shall present all matters of League policy and business to the Board and, using his discretion, shall present inquiries and suggestions of League members to the Board for its advice and consent.
    2. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President shall act as administrative assistant to the President. He (she) shall temporarily assume the duties of the President in the event of his absence or disability for a period not exceeding 90 days. If the President resigns or does not properly perform his duties for a period longer than 90 days, the Board is empowered to take appropriate action to elect a replacement.
    3. SECRETARY-TREASURER: The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep full and correct minutes of all meetings of the Board, shall receive and record the votes of the members of the Board on any measure presented to it for voting, and shall announce the results of such voting to each Board member, specifying the manner in which each voted. The Secretary shall maintain a book (either in written and/or electronic format) of such minutes, proposals and votes. By mutual agreement between the Vice President and the Secretary-Treasurer, with the approval of the President, the Vice President may assume the responsibilities of the Secretary as mutually agreed upon.
    4. The SECRETARY-TREASURER shall pay all bills and other obligations authorized by these Bylaws contained in the annual budget, or otherwise by the Board, when validated by the President or General Manager. With the cooperation of the General Manager, he shall keep accurate records of all receipts and disbursements and shall prepare such financial statements as the President or the Board may direct. He (she) shall have custody of all books, papers, money, and property of the League, except those in custody of the General Manager and his staff. All properties of the League shall, however, be submitted to the President or his designated representative at whatever time and place the Board may specify. With the approval of the Board, he may delegate some or all of these duties to the General Manager, subject to such restrictions or procedures as the Board may direct.
    5. BOARD MEMBERS: All Board members, with the exception of the President, will be assigned membership in one or more standing committees, as prescribed by Board action, and active participation on at least one committee will be a condition of their holding positions on the Board. Board members will be expected to vote on ballots submitted for their review and failure to exercise this franchise and maintain an active presence on the Board can lead to dismissal from the Board. Such dismissal would require a two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire Board.
    6. POWERS OF THE BOARD: The Board as a whole shall have the following powers vested in it:
      1. annually review and approve a financial statement prepared by the Treasurer;
      2. annually review and approve a proposed budget prepared and presented by the Treasurer and/or President;
      3. review and approve any rule changes presented;
      4. review and approve any change in amount of annual membership dues;
      5. review and approve any change in tournament structures and prize amounts;
      6. approval of candidates for vacancy in Officer or Board members to serve the remaining term of the vacancy; and,
      7. approval of any contract or terms of renumeration for the General Manager or other individuals hired/contracted to perform one or more functions for the League.

        All such proposals shall be submitted to the Board, for a second and a vote. All such motions shall be approved upon a majority of votes cast by members of the Board. All powers not specially listed above or elsewhere in the Constitution or Bylaws shall be vested in the powers of the President.

  2. Headquarters Staff

    The Headquarters Staff shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the League and shall be under the jurisdiction of the General Manager and shall include the Tournament Director(s), Games Recorder, Ratings Statistician, Time Control officer, Editor of the League magazine, and office personnel. The tenure of the General Manager shall be continuous until vacated by death, resignation, or disposition by vote of the Board. The tenure of the members of the Headquarters Staff shall be at the pleasure of the General Manager.

    In the absence for whatever reason of a General Manager, the President at his sole discretion, may appoint one or more individuals to assume the various roles and responsibilities normally assumed by the General Manager, until such time as a General Manager is recruited and trained for this position.

    The General Manager may assume all duties and titles of the Headquarters Staff or may appoint assistants in one or all of the various departments. He shall maintain a correct and current roll of all League members. He shall collect all dues and fees. He shall transmit all monies received, accompanied by appropriate financial advice, to the Secretary-Treasurer as directed by the latter, unless other procedures have been approved by the Board. He shall keep an accurate record of each member’s account and keep the member informed of his status. He shall be responsible for custody of all tournament records, the announcement of all events and the results of past events, the awarding of prizes, and any other item of ordinary League business that may properly be assigned to him. He shall make assignments to and administer all tournaments in accordance with approved rules of play, and will hear and decide any controversy regarding a member’s tournament standing, rating, or the playing rules of any League event.

    Financial remuneration for the General Manager will be set by the Board, determined by the General Manager’s contract, which will be approved by the Board.

  3. Nominating Committee

    The Nominating Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, will consist of a Chairman and two members. They shall be appointed by the President, subject to approval by the Board. No member of the Committee shall be an Officer, Director, employee of CCLA, or a candidate for office. The Committee shall be appointed prior to February 1 of every even numbered year for two-year terms, which may be renewed by the President, at his discretion, subject to Board approval.

    The Committee is responsible biennially for nominating candidates for any Director position(s) up for election in that cycle, as well as candidates for the biennial Officer positions, and shall keep the President informed of its progress throughout its deliberation. It shall, by February 1 of the following odd-numbered year, send the members of the Board a list of candidates under consideration, along with any campaign statements written by the candidates that may be included with their election ballots, including the names of any candidates-by-petition and campaign statements made by them. If a minimum of three Board members wish to make comments on any candidate and/or his (or her) statement, these Board members may join together and submit comments for inclusion with the rest of the election material, providing such comments are received by the Committee prior to May 1 and are subject to the same criteria as is imposed by the Committee on each candidate’s own statements, and are signed by the Board members in question.

    League members in good standing may obtain the nomination of any candidate who is a member in good standing by presenting to the Committee Chairman, prior to January 1 of the election (odd-numbered) year, a petition signed by at least 25 members, along with any campaign statement made by that candidate that may accompany his name on the ballot. Candidates gaining the ballot by petition will not be subject to approval by the Committee or the Board, and will be listed on the ballot as being nominated by petition.

    The Committee will have its final slate prepared by July 1 of each election (odd-numbered) year and notify the prospective candidates of their position on the ballot.

    Ballots shall be sent to all qualified members in the August issue of The Chess Correspondent and the polls will close November 1 (postmark). Votes may be cast for any CCLA member, whether listed on the ballot or not. The Committee shall count the ballots and report the results to all official candidates, the Board, General Manager and the Editor no later than November 20. The membership will be advised of the results not later than the January issue of the League’s magazine.

  4. League Magazine

    The official magazine of the League will be The Chess Correspondent, which will be published at the discretion of the Board, but not less than four times per year.

  5. International Chess

    CCLA shall support organized international correspondence chess through its affiliation with the International Correspondence Chess Federation or in association with other chess organizations in the United States as approved by the Board.

  6. Dues and Fees

    All CCLA membership dues and tournament fees shall be payable in advance and shall be determined by the Board. All dues and fees are subject to change at any time. All classes and types of memberships will be established and approved by the Board and are subject to change.

    No person shall be allowed to develop a debit balance with CCLA.

    Upon termination of membership for any cause, a notice shall be sent to the terminated member at his last known address informing him of any credit balance with CCLA, and any balance remaining unclaimed one year after the mailing of such notice shall be forfeited to CCLA.

  7. Membership Requirements

    At the discretion of the Board, membership in CCLA is required of all persons participating in CCLA sponsored tournaments and matches and such membership must be maintained during the period play is in progress. Failure to renew a membership within 90 days of its renewal date shall be grounds for termination of membership within the meaning of this Bylaw. A player may be barred from membership in CCLA or from participating in any tournaments or matches if his or her conduct is deemed a detriment to CCLA and its members, upon recommendation by the General Manager, ratified by a two-thirds majority of the Board.

    Chess players not eligible for full membership in CCLA may become Associate members. Associate members are not eligible to vote or to become Officers or Directors, and may be limited to certain types of tournaments.

  8. Board Procedure

    The President shall set a deadline for voting on any measure, except those set by the Constitution or Bylaws. The President shall interpret the Bylaws and the Constitution in their application to League affairs, subject to appeal by any Board member to the Board as a whole, whose decision shall be final.

    The President can amend a duly seconded resolution, provided he obtains the second of another Board member, but both the original and the amended resolutions must be presented simultaneously to the Board for vote as alternative choices.

    The procedure for submitting matters for Board action shall be established by the Board and such rules of order shall have the same force and effect as though they were incorporated herein.

    A Board member, whose resolution has been seconded by another Board member, but not submitted to the Board for a vote within 90 days of the date of the second, shall have the right to distribute a ballot to the entire Board for such a vote.

    No vote by the Board shall be valid unless a quorum of at least half of the Board members shall have voted. Measures having more than two alternatives may be voted upon using preferential voting, under which voters cast first, second, third, etc. preferences and the less popular alternatives are eliminated using procedures established by the Board.