HANNA AND DISTRICT MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

Transcription

1 HANNA AND DISTRICT MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION Policy and Procedures Handbook June 13, 2016 Version 5 HMHA April 30,

2 Handbook Table of Contents Handbook Table of Contents ASSOCIATION GOVERNANCE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT (FOIPPA) DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE HMHA RESIGNATION OF AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER REMOVAL OF AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER HMHA BOUNDARIES HMHA CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS HMHA CONFLICT OF INTEREST HMHA FINANCES HMHA PURCHASING (HMHA Equipment, Uniforms, Consumable Supplies, etc.) HMHA ICE ALLOCATION AND RENTAL HMHA REGISTRATION PROCESS HMHA REGISTRATION REFUND POLICY HMHA INSURANCE POLICY HMHA PLAYER EXTERNAL MOVEMENT POLICY HMHA PLAYER INTERNAL MOVEMENT POLICY HMHA PLAYER SELECTION POLICY HMHA COACH SELECTION POLICY LOGO, EQUIPMENT, COLOURS AND INSIGNIA PLAYER DRESS CODE PLAYER TRANSPORTATION POLICY ASSOCIATION FUNDRAISING TEAM FUNDRASING AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS ADDITIONAL TEAM OPERATION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES TEAM PARTICIPATION IN HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIALS TEAM VOLUNTEER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY EXAMPLE OF TEAM RULES PROTESTS AND APPEALS MEMBER SENTIMENTAL REQUESTS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS OF INTEREST Document History

3 1.0 ASSOCIATION GOVERNANCE The Hanna and District Minor Hockey Association (also referred to as the HMHA in this document) is incorporated under the Societies Act of Alberta and operates under the governance of its Objects and By-Law document registered with the Province of Alberta Registries and this Policy and Procedures Handbook in conjunction with any League affiliated Memberships, Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada guiding requirements. As stated in the HMHA approved by-laws, the by-laws of the Association may be rescinded, amended, altered, or added to by a majority vote of the members present at any annual meeting or a special general meeting called for that purpose. All new by-laws must be presented in writing to the Executive prior to the Spring General Meeting for discussion and voted on at the Fall General Meeting. Voting must be in person and proxy voting representation will not be allowed. In the event a player is over the age of majority he/she will have the voting power of their membership, but only they or their parents/guardians may exercise that voting power at any one time. As the Executive Members are nominated / elected from and by the Members of the HMHA the decisions of the Executive Committee are considered as though they are speaking for the whole association and will be supported by all members. Any member(s) who do not agree with the decisions have the option to Appeal the decision in writing to the executive, recommend a solution and have it brought forward at the next Executive meeting for discussion and review. If no reasonable solution is provided or able to be easily found, the executive may refer the matter to the next general meeting or special meeting called for the Association Membership. This HMHA Policies and Procedures Handbook will be reviewed by the President and Two other Association members at a minimum every year with any changes / updates communicated to the membership by mail, or , or posted announcement (Arena during the season or Newspaper during the off season) or other normal communications methods. Should there be discrepancies between this handbook and the official associations minutes, the contents of this book will be superseded by the official minutes of the HMHA. In the event of any discrepancies between this Handbook and the Associations Bylaws, the Bylaws will supersede the contents of this handbook. Members can recommend changes or additions in writing to the HMHA Executive Committee at any time but the discretion to complete the policy update and forward to the association for review and approval lies with the Executive Committee. It is expected that no sections of this document will be reviewed and changed at any critical times during the association s processes. For example, a request to change the Registration procedure would not be considered for review until after Registrations have been completed unless brought forward at a time that allows the process to be completed and approved before the registration process begins. The Association Membership will have 30 days to review and comment on the changes to the Policy and Procedures Handbook. At the end of the notice period the executive will approve the change if no one objects. All objections must be expressed in writing to the President and will be reviewed by the executive. If valid objections occur - the Executive will review the changes requested and may choose to send a revised item out to the association membership for review after additional changes or address the concerns and manage the changes at a next general meeting. All association documentation will be stored for 3 years or as required for reporting purposes either in an electronically or paper formats. This includes but is not limited to, meeting minutes, historical documents, letter of complaints, results of any disciplinary actions, liability sensitive incidents. 3

4 2.0 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT (FOIPPA) The FOIPPA of Alberta identifies that all personal information from all members will not be shared for any other reason than purposes required for the HMHA organization. When a Parent or Guardian signs the Registration form the player is registered with the HMHA and parental or guardian permission is granted to the HMHA to allow organizational and promotional activities associated with HMHA activities. All personal information shared by a member with team volunteers will be managed as per the separate Information Management Policy mandated by Hockey Alberta. This policy will be posted on the Association Website for all members to access. Any comments, questions or concerns will be forwarded directly to the Association President. They will be ultimately responsible for all aspects of Privacy Policies. The President may delegate this role to a volunteer Privacy Officer but they will be the designate as required by the separate Association Policy. 3.0 DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE HMHA The Association shall be managed by a committee of members who shall be known as the Executive and shall consist of the following officers and directors: Past President, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Directors as necessary to manage the ice scheduling, equipment, public relations, Ways and Means, Referee in Chief, Coach Coordinator and Registrar. In addition, the Executive shall have not less than three (3) Directors and not more than ten (10) Directors. One member may hold the combined office of Secretary/Treasurer. The officers and directors shall be elected annually at one of the Two Annual General Meeting of the Association. Any officer or director who absents themselves without cause from three consecutive Executive meetings shall ipso facto vacate his office. The Executive Committee may fill any casual vacancies occurring in the Executive. No officer, director, or member, shall receive any remuneration for his service, except that an officer, director, or ordinary member may be paid for special and specific duties. If the payment is approved by a majority of the members voting at any Annual General Meeting, or at a special meeting, held prior to the performance of service. All Organization Volunteers shall train, orient and mentor their successor PRESIDENT: The President is responsible for supervising the organization, planning, administration and management of the club, provide leadership and oversee the smooth operation of the Association. Acts as the chairperson for all club meetings. Establishes committees and appoints chairpersons as necessary. He/She must also liaise regularly with the chairpersons to monitor their activities. Liaise with the League, Provincial and National Associations Ensures the smooth flow of information from members to the board and vice versa. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President is to assist the President as required, and be capable of fully assuming his/her duties in the event of the President s absence. 4

5 5

6 SECRETARY: It shall be the duty of the Secretary, or Secretary/Treasurer, to attend all meetings of the association and of the Executive, and to keep accurate minutes of the same. He/She has the charge of the seal of the Association, which seal when ever used shall be authenticated by the signature of the Secretary or Secretary/Treasurer and the President, or in the absent of either, by the remaining one, and the Vice President. In case of the absence of the Secretary, his/her duty shall be discharged by such member of the Executive as may be appointed by the Executive. The Secretary shall also keep a record of all members of the Association, their addresses and send all notices of the various meetings as required. TREASURER: ICE SCHEDULER: The Treasurer or Secretary Treasurer shall receive all monies paid to the Association and shall be responsible for the deposit of same in such recognized financial institution as the Executive may order. He/She shall properly account for all the funds of the Association and keep such books as may be directed. He/She shall present a full detailed account of the receipts and disbursements of the Association to the Executive whenever requested, and shall prepare for submission to the annual meeting a statement duly audited as hereinafter set forth of the financial position of the society, and submit a copy of the same to the Secretary for the records of the Association. It shall be the duty of the Ice Scheduler to attend all meetings of the association and of the executive and to schedule all game and practice times for HMHA teams. He/She shall follow up on ice use by teams and ensure full utilization, as well as distribute extra available ice fairly among minor hockey teams. The Ice Scheduler shall follow up on complaints by ice users and reports to the President. WAYS AND MEANS DIRECTOR: The Ways and Means Director shall co-ordinate all fund raising functions for HMHA (raffles, casinos, provincial tournaments). He/She shall also arrange for temporary volunteers to assist with HMHA projects. He/She shall arrange for HMHA team photos, assist with grant applications, co-ordinate concession support staff and reports on concession issues. Reports to the President. PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR: The Public Relations Director shall ensure hockey constantly remains in the public eye. He/She shall create a website and/or maintain the content of the HMHA website. In addition he/she shall co-ordinate all advertising for HMHA which may include: registration, annual general meetings, special meetings and special events. He/She shall also post relevant articles on the website and arena bulletin board and encourages the teams to post current statistics. Reports to the President. REFEREE IN CHEIF: The Referee-In-Chief shall ensure proper accreditation of HMHA referees, perform routine assessments on Hanna referees and provides constructive feedback. He/She shall arrange referee clinics, investigate referee incidents and complaints and assign referees for all HMHA games. The Referee-In-Chief may recruit and assign additional assignors to help with the scheduling of games. Reports to the President. 6

7 COACH COORDINATOR: The Coach Co-coordinator shall set up and organize team tryouts which will include recruiting of player evaluators, working with the ice scheduler to setup a schedule and working with the coaches to determine their player change if required. He/she shall be a member of the coach selection committee and will also be the report to for parent liaisons. Any issues reported by the Parent Liaison process will be forwarded to the President and detail actions that will be taken. The coach co-coordinator shall participate in the coach/manager meeting at the beginning of the season. Reports to the President. REGISTRAR: The Registrar shall keep a record of all members of the Association and their addresses. Shall collect and receive the annual membership fees levied by the Association, such moneys to be promptly turned over to the Treasurer or Secretary/Treasurer of the Association for deposit in a recognized financial institution as hereinafter required. Shall maintain an updated registration list during the fall registration period. This list must be sorted by division and made available by to the President and Coaching Coordinator as it changes. Shall coordinate the registration of all teams with Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada. Shall be responsible for all data entry into the Central Alberta Hockey League registration web by the league deadlines. Shall be responsible for requesting travel permits, tournament sanctions and all Special Event Permits from Hockey Alberta. EQUIPMENT MANAGER: The Equipment Manager is responsible for all equipment matters of the HMHA. They: Shall monitor the HMHA equipment inventory providing feedback to the President for planning and budgeting replacement inventory as needed. Shall coordinate all equipment related purchasing for the HMHA. Shall identify equipment that needs to be repaired and manage the repair process. Shall work with equipment suppliers to ensure that any equipment that has been ordered is delivered as requested and on time. Shall manage the security processes of the storage facilities for the HMHA and will assign lockers and locks to each Team as required. Shall distribute, maintain and collect all equipment; water bottles, pucks, puck bags, cones, first aid kits, etc. to and from assigned Coaches or Managers only for all HMHA activities. Shall maintain a record of equipment distributed to all teams. BOOTH CO-ORDINATOR: The Booth Co-coordinator (1 or more) shall be in charge of the ordering and pricing of food and drink in the concession. He/She shall review monthly income statements to ensure profits to the association. Reports to the Ways and Means Director. 7

8 CENTRAL ALBERTA HOCKEY LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVE: A volunteer position within HMHA who attends all CAHL meetings on behalf of the President and association, and represents the interests of the association. This position is on an as needed basis. Travel expenses would be covered by the association (in lieu of the President). PARENT LIAISONS: The Parent Liaisons will be selected at each coach/parent meeting at the beginning of the season. The Parent Liaisons will attend the executive meetings to give oral reports on their team. It is the responsibility of the parent liaison to deal with team issues at the team level. He/She shall forward concerns from a parent/player/team official to the appropriate personnel. Parent Liaisons shall be non-carded members of the team. If resolutions cannot be resolved at the team level it is the responsibility of the Parent Liaison to report to the Coaching Co-coordinator. 4.0 RESIGNATION OF AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER Members of the Executive can resign their position by providing the President and Secretary with written notice of their resignation. The effective date of the resignation shall be 30 days after the President receives the resignation, so that the Executive will have an opportunity to elect or appoint a replacement. 5.0 REMOVAL OF AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER A member of the Executive Committee shall be relieved of their duties and removed as a member of the Executive Committee upon a 75% of majority vote of the Executive on the basis that the Executive member is doing an unacceptable job that can not be corrected, or bringing HMHA into disrepute. The individual will be given the opportunity to resign prior to this vote being completed as per section HMHA BOUNDARIES The boundaries of the HMHA are established through negotiation with all adjacent Associations, all affiliated leagues and approved by Hockey Alberta. The currently approved boundaries will be posted on the Association Website in the Operations Handbook (see following page). The executive of the HMHA will manage and interact with these entities as required to secure a place for all registered players to play. Negotiation of multiple association combined teams will be considered as a solution to low team registration numbers for the HMHA. 8

9 1

10 7.0 HMHA CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS All members and participants, involved in any and all HMHA activities and events, shall conduct themselves in accordance with standards of behavior set out in the HMHA Code of Conduct and Ethics and as mandated by Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada. The Executive reserves the right to reject membership in such cases where a previous record of behaviour unbecoming a member of the Association has been evident. Membership in the HMHA is a privilege not a right and may be revoked at any time to any individual who has been deemed by the Executive to be in contravention of any of the code of conduct policies or any abusive verbal or physical behaviour towards another member of the HMHA. Such action shall be initiated at the President s discretion or as a result of recommendations of the Executive Committee after a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Any suspended Member can ask the Executive Committee in writing to be reinstated after 120 days from the start of the suspension. The HMHA will have a Zero Tolerance position towards harassment, initiation rites or hazing and bullying as per the Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada Policies. The HMHA Members, Players and Team Volunteers will act immediately upon witnessing this activity or receiving a complaint. Once confirmed, any Player, Team or Association Volunteer having been party to shall be automatically suspended. The suspended individuals will not be allowed to participate in any hockey activities until the suspension is dealt with at the next Minor Hockey Executive Meeting. The HMHA will have a Zero Tolerance position towards the use of drugs or alcohol during any of its activities. Therefore the HMHA does not consent to the use of drugs or alcohol before, during or after any activity by any player. As ambassadors for the Town of Hanna and the Hanna Minor Hockey Association good behaviour is expected whether at home or on the road. The HMHA and Team Volunteers will act immediately upon receiving a complaint of incompliance. Any player that has consumed drugs or alcohol will be suspended immediately and will not be allowed to enter any dressing room, players bench, or penalty bench, and may be asked to leave the arena altogether. If the parents are at the event, the player will be turned over to their care or they will be contacted to arrange for supervised care of the player. The suspended player will not be allowed to participate in any hockey activities until the suspension is dealt with at the next Minor Hockey Executive Meeting. Any team fundraising or other team function that requires the purchase of a liquor licence, must exclude any and all players as mandated by Hockey Alberta policy. All participants will ensure that any electronic devices or portions of a device that are capable of taking digital or photographic still pictures, sound or video recordings (I-pods, cameras, cell phones, etc.) are not used in the dressing rooms at any time. Any abuse of this policy will result in a review by the Executive Committee for further actions / suspensions and possibly turn over the complaint to the RCMP for further review. In order to participate in Hockey Alberta and League activities the HMHA Membership agrees to honour and support any governing body policies, procedures or suspensions that apply to any members of the HMHA. The HMHA Executive will review any reported incident(s) involving its members; but will not take any permanent action against any member until such a time as all governing bodies have ruled. This includes any Hockey Alberta, Associated Leagues rulings or police agency investigations. The HMHA Executive Committee reserves the right to review and temporarily suspend any member under review and after the review to apply additional penalty or suspension for any incident during a sanctioned event. 9

11 10

12 Any parent having a complaint about the coaching and or treatment that a child is receiving shall report this to the Parent Liaison of their team and try to resolve the issue. If this cannot be resolved within the Parent Liaison s abilities refer to section #28; Protests and Appeals for proper routing of problems. No member of the HMHA will publicly, in a direct or indirect manner, criticize players, Coaches, Officials, Volunteers and Parents in any setting print publication or electronic media avenue (blogs, social media sites, etc.). Doing so may result in suspension of membership rights until it is addressed at the next Executive Meeting. Parents and Guardians will communicate promptly and completely with the Team Manager and Head Coach regarding diagnosis by registered medical practitioners treatment and management of the athlete s medical and psychological problems. Consider the athletes future health and well being foremost when making decisions regarding a time frame for return to playing or training. Parents and Guardians will let the Team Volunteers manage their child s team on and off ice activities. Organized League hockey is competitive and exciting. Coaches must have the latitude to make decisions for the best interest of the team without fear of reprisals from parents. The HMHA Executive supports each Coach s Philosophy and presented team rules. The Coach has the responsibility of running his or her game strategies and managing the overall individual and team development for the season. If concern or problem develops the HMHA Executive allows parents to respectfully address their concerns with the Parent Liaison and the Team Volunteers. Follow the 24hr rule and if the Parent does not get a satisfactory response they have the option of putting it in writing and deliver it to the Parent Liaison. No problems will be addressed further under unless they are received in writing first. If resolutions cannot be resolved at the team level it is the responsibility of the Parent Liaison to report to the Coaching Co-coordinator and then the President and Vice President. When female and male players are playing on the same teams then there will be a process to manage pregame, game and post game dressing and hygiene needs of the team players in accordance with Hockey Canada s recommendations. Whenever possible all female players will dress and shower in their own designated areas. If this is not possible, there will be a planned process for respectfully managing the changing and showering needs of the team s players. If at any time a female player will use the shower facility in the common dressing room, then there will be a woman, preferably from the player s immediate family to supervise this process. Other alternatives can be considered as long as one gender is not supervised during team activities by an opposite gender team volunteer. This process will be clarified, addressed and/or managed in each team s rules documents. 11

13 8.0 HMHA CONFLICT OF INTEREST Any Executive Member and all other Members of the Association are required to declare a conflict of interest in matters where their vote could potentially result in their own personal benefit - financially or otherwise. Any possible conflict of interest will suspend the voting rights of the effected member for that item of business in such instances. The Executive shall make a ruling where the question of a conflict of interest has been declared or arises. 9.0 HMHA FINANCES The HMHA shall maintain a bank account(s) and an electronic accounting ledger. The following is the intent of the association management of expenses: Whenever possible all expenditures shall be paid by cheque directly to the invoicing supplier or reimbursed by cheque to the individual who completed the purchase with the submission of an acceptable record of purchase and the completion of the HMHA expense form. The approved form is included on the following page of this document. The President or their designated representative of the HMHA will be reimbursed for travel and actual costs of additional expenses associated with meetings or training sessions that are mandatory for the operation of the association. These will be approved in advance by the President. These events will include but not be limited to all mandatory League, Hockey Alberta, Hockey Canada sessions and other sessions deemed by the President as vital to the operation of the HMHA (examples - meetings with adjacent associations, Executive / Team Volunteer Training and On Ice Officials Training Sessions). All expense claims must be submitted with acceptable receipts where applicable and with complete detailed descriptions on the HMHA Expense form and submitted to the Treasurer for reimbursement. It is expected that usual signing authority for the HMHA Financial account(s) shall reside with the President and Treasurer. All executive committee members can be authorized to have signing authority as the executive committee chooses. In any case any two of the above mentioned can authorize issuance of a payment. The HMHA Treasurer and the Ways and Means Director shall manage the Arena Concession income and outstanding invoices with the assistance of the Booth Coordinator and members at large as they require. They will report to the President regularly with ongoing status updates. The financial accounts and records of the Treasurer shall be examined at least once each year by 2 members of the association with adequate accounting knowledge to complete an assessment. A complete and proper statement of the standing of the books for the current year shall be submitted at the Fall General Meeting of the HMHA. All financial records will be stored by the Association for 7 years or as required for all reporting requirements. 12

14 13

15 10.0 HMHA PURCHASING (HMHA Equipment, Uniforms, Consumable Supplies, etc.) The objective of the HMHA is that all purchases are preapproved at an executive committee meeting or by the President and one other Executive Committee Member prior to any order approval is provided to a supplier. The intent with respect to the purchasing activity is to obtain goods and services required at the lowest possible cost consistent with quality and delivery requirements of sound business practices. Factors to be considered in determining source of products and services will include but not be limited to: Purchase Costs; Firmness of price (e.g. fixed or otherwise); Terms of payment; Length of warranty or period of free maintenance; Operating costs (e.g. spares, consumable items, fuel, water, electricity);and, The likely resale or disposal value of purchase. The benefits of utilizing the local suppliers With respect to payment, HMHA policy is that no payment shall be made in advance of receiving the goods or services being purchased without specific executive committee approval in advance of the order being placed with the supplier. Notwithstanding above, in recognition of the support extended to HMHA by businesses in its community, HMHA shall support, to the extent of financially practical, those businesses operating within its boundaries (local supplier). However, the competitive bid or price solicitation process shall not be solely limited to such businesses. In any process it is expected that the local prices may be greater than other quotes. That will not solely affect the benefits of purchasing locally. Additional considerations: Competitive quotations/prices must, be obtained for all purchases having an estimated expenditure of $1, or greater whenever practical. Competitive quotations should be obtained for purchases less than $1, to the extent practical. Quotations/tenders must be kept for at least thirteen (13) months after the end of the financial year of purchase and the action taken (with reasons) must be documented by the person undertaking the procurement. Any individual transaction having an estimated expenditure in excess of $3, shall involve a motion at one of the two yearly general members meetings or special general meeting called for that purpose. If required, additional technical expertise specific to the purchase may be consulted, prior to any quotation or bid being solicited as deemed necessary by the executive committee. The HMHA will not undertake to accept liability for the payment of any invoice where the provisions of the procedures described in this policy have not been fully followed. In such instances, individuals ordering the goods and/or services may be responsible for the payment of the goods and/or services in question. All organizational purchases will be managed as identified in this section of this document unless otherwise approved by the membership at any general meeting. 14

16 11.0 HMHA ICE ALLOCATION AND RENTAL The HMHA Ice Scheduler will manage and schedule ice access for all members of the HMHA. The HMHA will, whenever possible, coordinate the ice schedule with the Town and Hanna and its other users by the end of the current season for planning of the following season. Ice Scheduling meetings need to happen prior to April 15 th and September 15 th each year to allow effective and coordinated management of the ice scheduling planning and budgeting process. He / She will ensure that each of the teams receives an equal opportunity for ice time for practices and coordinate game times with the league schedulers as requested. Weekly practice schedules will be established at the beginning of the year in cooperation with the Town of Hanna and other ice users. Once confirmed it is expected that the schedule will be in effect unless impacted by other users identified in advance by the Town of Hanna or calendar / school holidays as communicated by the teams to the Ice Scheduler. All planned activities for each weekend must be confirmed by each weekly deadline, usually no later than Wednesday Mornings at 10:00. This deadline as set out by the Town of Hanna Recreation Department is Tuesday of the previous week. The Town also requests a copy of the regular season schedule by December 1. This is necessary to allow the Ice Scheduler time to provide confirmed schedules to the Town of Hanna Recreation Department. Any cancellations to the submitted schedule after that time may result in the HMHA being charged for that ice anyway. Teams who cancel ice bookings or do not utilize their assigned ice after it has been submitted will be responsible to reimburse the HMHA for the costs that result from the cancellation at the discretion of the Executive Committee. It is expected that one Member of each HMHA Team is responsible for arranging home ice activities in coordination with the HMHA Ice Scheduler. Therefore only Team Managers of HMHA Teams are able to arrange additional practice ice or game times with the HMHA Ice Scheduler. The HMHA Ice Scheduler will hold a planned Game but it must be confirmed within three days or by the weekly deadlines that apply. In order to book the game slot the expected team opponent must be identified at the time of booking. To Be Announced teams will not be accepted to hold game slots. Practice times may be cancelled or rescheduled in the event of tournaments, League Playoffs and Provincial Playoffs at the discretion of the President and the Ice Scheduler. One tournament for each division will be hosted yearly for Pee Wee, Atoms, Novice and Mite divisions. The dates for the various annual tournaments will be identified as early as possible in the season. Bantam and Midget teams may request dates for possible tournaments from ice remaining after the league schedule is completed. Renting of out of town ice for members of the association will be permitted for the following: HMHA Executive Committee Members or as delegated will arrange and pay for up to three conditioning/evaluation ice sessions as available in adjacent communities for 3 weekends in the 3 4 weeks prior to the ice being available in our local arena. When requested by team volunteers, ice sessions will also be considered for 1 week after ice is no longer available if the team is scheduled into further games or tournaments. Out of town Ice for practices and / or games may also be considered if there is no ice available locally and timelines do not allow delaying of the game. It would require approval from the President prior to this being acted upon and would be considered if Referees were available for the games. Any team volunteer or member booking ice directly with the Town of Hanna or any other facility will be responsible for the costs associated with that booking. This may be waived at the discretion of the HMHA Executive Committee. 15

17 12.0 HMHA REGISTRATION PROCESS Subject to registration numbers, the following levels of player divisions will be operated by the Association: Age as of Levels December 31st Initiation Program(Mites) Novice Atom Pee Wee Bantam Midget 4, 5 & 6 years of age 7 & 8 years of age and under 9 & 10 years of age 11 & 12 years of age 13 & 14 years of age 15, 16 & 17 years of age The 8 and under program will be known as the Initiation Program and the players and teams at this age level shall participate in the program as outlined by Hockey Canada. The Mites level will be divided at the discretion of the President and Vice President. The preference is to divide the players into 2 equal teams and participate in a town house league if feasible. If sufficient 6 year old players are registered, then the recommendation of separate groups (4 and 5 yr olds in one group and the 6 yr olds in the other) will be followed. The children at this level will play a minimal amount of games (maximum of 10-12) in any season and there will be 3-4 practices to each game scheduled. The emphasis at this level is fun and learning skills. In an effort to encourage local Initiation Level Hockey, the Mites Division may request that the fees for the Ice costs for one day home tournament be considered by the Executive Committee. It may be approved at the discretion of the Executive Committee based on the financial status of the association when the request is submitted. The novice age players will play a maximum of games per year. They will practice 2-4 times for every game, and the emphasis for the year again will be to have fun and learn skills. The HMHA reserves the right to manage player numbers to maintain effective team sizes and the safety of the players with in the recommended boundaries allowed by affiliated league and Hockey Alberta policies / approvals. Parental or Guardian requests for player movement will be considered but may not be able to be honoured based on safety or player numbers impacts to the teams of the HMHA. Registration fees shall be set by the current HMHA Executive and approved by majority vote at the spring meeting of the association for the following season. In the event that an alternate Registration Period is approved by the membership, the HMHA Executive will recommend the future fees for approval at a General Meeting immediately before the new Registration Period. It is intended that Registration fees and fundraising efforts shall cover the costs of associations operation in the current year and increases in yearly registration fees shall reflect the changes operating costs and reductions in the fundraising amounts for the previous year. The following process will be followed for player registration: The time and place of registration and other necessary information will be advertised at least one (1) week prior to registration in local media and regular communication routes used by the HMHA. 16

18 The deadline for player registration is September 10 or as otherwise announced by or published by the HMHA Executive Members. Payment in full must be made at the time of registration. Arrangement for post dated payments may be made that are acceptable to the Treasurer and President as long as full payment is completed by no later than December 31. Any registrations made after September 10 or the announced deadlines will not be accepted unless approved by the executive. Players that have a history of registering late risk not being accepted. There will be a non-refundable $ late fee added to all registrations after September 10 th and any late registrations must be paid in full with NO post dated cheques allowed. All KidSport Registrations will be exempt from this late fee Policy. Any mid season or late registrations, due to players moving into the Hanna Minor Hockey area, will be looked at on an individual basis for approval by the executive, which may also waive the late fee if they choose to. If a cheque for registration fees is returned for Not Sufficient Funds, the parents have five (5) Business days from notification to pay in full or make other payment arrangements or the child may not be allowed on the ice until the fees are paid. A $25.00 fee will be added to cover the banks charges for the NSF process. If payments on an NSF cheque and/or outstanding balance are not made and the money is not received in full before the season end (March 31) of the previous season, the family will not be allowed to register for the next season until full payment is made. Registration for the following season will be CASH only, in full, at the time of registration. No child will be denied the opportunity to play hockey because of an inability to pay. The Town Of Hanna and the HMHA shall supply and honour Kidsport applications. KidSport shall consider all requests for fee assistance and guarantee confidentiality. In the event that an alternate Registration Period is approved by the membership the HMHA Executive will identify: The time and place of registration and other necessary information will be advertised at least one (1) week prior to registration in local media and / or regular communication routes used by the HMHA. The deadline for player registration will be announced by or published by the HMHA Executive Members. Any registrations made after the Registration deadlines will not be accepted unless approved by the executive. Players that have a history of registering late risk not being accepted. There will be a non-refundable $ late fee added to all registrations after the Registration deadline must be paid in full with NO post dated cheques allowed. All KidSport Registrations will be exempt from this late fee Policy. Any mid season or late registrations, due to players moving into the Hanna Minor Hockey area, will be looked at on an individual basis for approval by the executive, which may also waive the late fee if they so choose. 17

19 13.0 HMHA REGISTRATION REFUND POLICY The HMHA Executive will consider refunds as per the following policy Any player choosing to quit must do so in writing and is acceptable. Any player quitting before the first day of tryouts will receive a refund of their registration fee, excluding late fees and any fees paid by HMHA on the player s behalf. Any player quitting between the start of tryouts and December 31 will receive a refund of fifty percent of their registration fee, excluding late fees and any fees paid by HMHA on the player s behalf. Any player quitting after December 31 will receive no refund of their registration fee. Players who are suspended are not eligible for refunds HMHA INSURANCE POLICY It is not acceptable for the HMHA Executive, its Team Volunteers or its members to assume liability risks during our activities so the following rules will be followed by all members and guests. All team volunteers, players and Guests must be registered with the HMHA so they will have insurance under the Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta program. Anyone who is not listed as a team volunteer or a player will not be allowed to be involved in any on ice activity with the exception of On / Off Ice Officials or guests that have completed the Guest Registration form and paid the suggested donation that is identified on the following page. Sanctions will be requested by the individual team managers from the HMHA Registrar for any travel outside of the league or Hockey Alberta Zone area. Sanction numbers will be obtained for all tournaments, special events or non league approved games. An exception to this is for a parent / player game; sanctions will not be granted for this event and all participants must accept that they have no liability or additional medical/dental insurance during these events. No forms are required for a Parent / Player Game. Players wishing to try out for elite stream teams or attend conditioning camps will need permission to do so as per Hockey Alberta policy to insure all insurance requirements are met. Players who are not playing with there team due to injury may take part in Players Bench activities during games as long as they are in full equipment. No Exceptions will be allowed. 18

20 GUEST REGISTRATION FORM for the HANNA MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (HMHA) This form is for any Player currently registered with Hockey Alberta / Hockey Canada that wishes to practice with a Hanna Minor Hockey Association Team during a practice session. The following form must be completed and approved by the Head Coach in charge of the practice session. The team officials may also ask for a medical information form to be completed as per Hockey Canada Safety Program recommendations at their discretion. We ask that a one time per season donation of $25.00 towards the ice costs be made for/by this participant. This donation is payable to Hanna Minor Hockey Association with the completion of this form. If a Guest attends more than 4 Practice sessions further fees will apply. Any further questions please contact the Association President. PARENTS OR GUARDIAN S NAME Mailing Address TELEPHONE AND CELL PHONE NUMBER ADDRESS / PLAYER S NAME AGE BIRTH DATE Day/Month/Year Players Current Registered Team/Association Players Coach Assumption of Risk Waiver & Release of Liability Requirements In consideration of being allowed to participate with Hanna Minor Hockey Association team activities the Participant and/or their Parent/Guardian acknowledges, appreciates, and agrees that: The Guest Participant is registered in an Association Program that is recognized and approved by Hockey Alberta / Hockey Canada and has been identified with and assigned a unique Participant Number in the Hockey Canada Registration System. The Guest Participant and their Parent / Guardian hereby certify that the participant is not recovering from or has no known injuries and/or medical condition(s) which would prohibit them from participating in the sport of ice hockey. The risk of injury from the activities involved in this sport is significant, including the potential for permanent paralysis and death, and while particular rules, equipment, and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of serious injury does exist. I willingly agree to comply with all rules and requirements of Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta during these activities and all customary terms and conditions required for participation. I knowingly and freely assume all risks both known and unknown, even if arising from negligence of others and assume full responsibility for my participation in these activities. I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs, assigns, personal representative and next of kin, hereby release and hold harmless the Hanna and District Minor Hockey Association, their officers, officials, agents and/or other participants, with respect to any and all injuries, disabilities, death, loss of income caused by injury, or loss or damage to person or property, whether caused by my participation or the negligence of others. I have read these Waiver and Release from Liability / Assumption of Risk statements. I fully agree, fully understand the terms of my participation and understand that I give up substantial rights by signing this form. I sign this form freely, voluntarily and without any inducement. 18

21 X Participant s Guardian s Signature (unless over 18 years of age) X Date Signed: HMHA Team Coaches Signature Completed form and payment is to be returned to the Association President prior to taking part 19

22 15.0 HMHA PLAYER EXTERNAL MOVEMENT POLICY The HMHA President will, when requested by the parent or guardian of an eligible player, provide an approved permission to try-out form for all interested parties. In addition to this an approved player release form will be provided to players eligible to play in the Elite hockey stream, as identified by Hockey Alberta. (Currently the elite stream does not include the AA hockey level). Therefore when the player numbers locally would be affected by a player departure to any AA program the executive can exercise the right not to release the player. Any member of HMHA requesting a release to any level of play not identified as the Elite hockey stream will only be considered by written application stating the reasons to the President and will only be granted upon a favorable vote (51% or more) of the Executive of HMHA. It will not be granted if the Division of play (Pee Wee, etc) the player wishes to move to is available within the HMHA and if granting of the request or release to the player leaves HMHA with insufficient numbers at the player s age division. At the end of each season, the HMHA Registrar will take part in the recall process for all residents playing out of town within the Hockey Canada Registration system. This is mandated by Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada HMHA PLAYER INTERNAL MOVEMENT POLICY Parents or guardians of players registered in a division may apply in writing to the HMHA to play as overage players in a lower division in accordance with the Hockey Alberta Policy for Overage Players. They may also apply in writing to the Association to play in a higher division. The letter or will detail the reasons for the move request and must be received by the President not later than September 24 th to allow the HMHA Registrar time to meet the deadlines required by any associate league, Hockey Alberta or Hockey Canada. Any correspondence received after that time will be considered but may not be possible after the deadline. The HMHA Executive Committee shall make the final decision on any players assigned to any team other than their registered division and may utilize information from the players previous play and recognized abilities to make their decision AFFILIATION HMHA will follow Hockey Canada s model (Section E) when it comes to Affiliation. This also means affiliation will be between Head Coach to Head Coach. When a higher level or division wants to affiliate player(s) from a lower level or division the Head Coach must directly speak with the lower level Head Coach. Communication will be between Head Coaches only. Parents or players will not be contacted by the higher level Head Coach, unless permission is granted by the lower level Head Coach. The decision to affiliate or not will be made by the lower level Head Coach and the players parent(s) after a discussion between the concerned parties. The final decision will be communicated by the lower level Head Coach to the higher level Head Coach. The higher level Head Coach should contact the lower level Head Coach regarding affiliating a player up by the Tuesday before the next scheduled game. This allows time for the coach and parents to make informed decisions. This will also allow the CAHL to ensure players are added to rosters. 20

23 17.0 HMHA PLAYER SELECTION POLICY When more players are registered in a division than are allowed on one team, then the selection of players shall be done on an unbiased basis (e.g. numbers on sweaters, pinnies, etc.). The players will be chosen by a selection committee appointed by the Coaching Coordinator based on Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta recommendations. Once the selection process has been completed the recommendations will then be reviewed and approved by the President, Vice- President and Coaching Coordinator. The placement of players will be based upon Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta recommendations for skating skills, stick handling, overall performance, and all around knowledge and attitude towards the game. When there is more than 1 team in a division, the higher level selected Coach(s) of the division may request the following: When a parent coach is selected to coach a team they may utilize one player change per team after the tryouts have been finalized or; When a non-parent Coach has been selected to coach a team, the non-parent coach may utilize 2 player changes per team after the tryouts have been finalized. After tryout selection, approval and the Coaches allowed move(s) has been used or waived; the players will be called at their home residence and informed of what team he/she will be playing on by the coach or team manager assigned to that team. No information will be shared directly or indirectly during notification calls about any other player s status as it is confidential until all notifications have been completed. 21

24 18.0 HMHA COACH SELECTION POLICY A committee of 5 persons consisting of the President, Vice President, Coach Coordinator, and 2 members at large (Volunteers or Elected nominees) shall be formed at the each Fall General Meeting for action following players selection assignment to teams. This committee will meet and select head coaches for each team from applications prior to the start of the season. Head Coaches will choose Assistant Coaches, Trainers, Team Managers and Parent Liaisons as required. If possible the Coach Selection Committee may be formed at the Spring General Meeting to allow for Coach Assignments to be made sooner and in this situation a Coach Application Deadline would be announced accordingly LOGO, EQUIPMENT, COLOURS AND INSIGNIA The HMHA has branded the association teams as the Colts and high quality logo s are available from the association website for print and publication use. Uniforms for each team are provided by HMHA, and remain the property of the association under the direction of the Equipment Manager and Team Volunteers. Team Volunteers are responsible for the management and washing of the uniforms. When getting assistance from Team Parents please ensure they understand proper washing and drying requirements for the uniforms. The HMHA Uniforms are to be used for all league, playoff and exhibition games. These are not to be used as practice equipment and they are not allowed to go home with the players. Members are responsible for supplying the socks for the uniforms. They will be made available for purchase at the Arena Concession. All team uniform jerseys will consist of 1 set of white with gold and black trim and 1 set of black with gold and white trim for use as listed above. Home and Away uniform statuses will be managed by Tournament Directors and Affiliate Leagues. Team First Aid Kits, water bottle holders, pucks and goalie equipment will be assigned to each Team in accordance with established procedures. The Coach/Manager is responsible for inseason care and return at season s end. Any needs or concerns regarding equipment/uniforms are to be brought to the attention of the Equipment Manager as soon as possible. All players are required to provide and wear full hockey equipment that will meet or exceed current CSA, Affiliate League, Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada approvals. All Association Members and Volunteers must advise players or their parents of improper fitting or illegal equipment. It is expected that on ice volunteers identify any player not suitably outfitted and they will not be allowed on the ice until the deficiency is corrected. Goalies providing their own equipment will be entitled to reimbursement of the costs of two Goal Sticks to a maximum of $ per season. The receipts can be forwarded in the HMHA expense process as identified in this manual for reimbursement PLAYER DRESS CODE All players will endeavour to dress appropriately for all team activities as per the team rules provided at the beginning of the year from the Team Volunteers or the HMHA game dress code that will consist of a collared shirt, tie, dark pants, and dark shoes. For practices players should come prepared for dry land training in tracksuit, t-shirt and runners if required as part of their team program or casual, inclement weather appropriate clothing may impact this dress code. 22