THE BIG TEN CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I
NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Big Ten Athletic Conference.

ARTICLE II
PURPOSE

The purpose of this conference is to promote and stimulate scholarship, sportsmanship, more interest in high school athletics by athletes and spectators, and to establish a system of championship selection for the sports this conference sanctions.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
     
Section 1
   There are eight schools in this conference. They are: Bridgeport, Grafton, Lewis County, Liberty, Lincoln, Nicholas County, Philip Barbour and Robert C. Byrd
     
Section 2
  
Additional schools may be admitted upon a three-fourths vote of all member schools.
     
Section 3
Members of the Conference shall not hold membership in two conferences.
     
ARTICLE IV
 OFFICERS
     
Section 1   The officers of this conference shall be an Executive Secretary and a Director,
     
Section 2   Executive Secretary
A.
  The executive secretary shall be elected from the principals of the member schools and
also shall be the treasurer of the conference.
B.
  The executive secretary shall have the authority to change the articles or by-laws voted on by conference members to be changed or added to.

C.
   The executive secretary shall have the authority after polling the member schools principals to resolve issues between/among member schools and make decisions when necessary to resolve such issues.

D.
   Upon conclusion of the spring meeting, the executive secretary shall make all editorial changes in the conference by-laws from the fall and spring meetings and reprint a new handbook for all member schools by August 1.

E.
   May be granted authority to establish deadlines for the admission of forms and fees to the Big Ten Athletic Conference and the Executive Secretary and a penalty fee of $25.00 for failure to comply.
     
Section 3
   Director
A.
   The Director shall be elected from the athletic directors of the member schools
     
B.
   The director's duties shall include the following:
   
1. Attend the bi-annual and any special meetings of the conference.
2. Communicate with coaches of all sports recognized by the Big Ten and keep accurate records of Big Ten contests.
3. Provide press releases for all Conference teams and Coach of the Year. Distribute and collect all data, ballots, etc. necessary to perform this function. He/she shall not release this information until all member schools have completed their season.
4. Shall keep confidential all information concerning coaches nominations and votes for conference honors,
5. Order all medals, plaques and trophies to be presented to all award winners of Big Ten Conference recognition.
6. Assist in setting the two Big Ten dinner meetings (site, menu, rooms for small meetings) to be held at conference schools.
7. Work closely with local news media to provide the best coverage for the Big Ten Conference.
8. Any other additional duties assigned by the Big Ten Conference.
     
ARTICLE V
 DUES AND FEES
 
1.
 The conference dues shall be $250 per year.
2.
 The conference executive secretary/treasurer shall be paid a stipend of $400 per year.
3.
 The conference director shall be paid a stipend of $300 per year.
4.
 In an effort to defray tournament and award costs, each school shall pay a $ 10 fee for each conference sport for which they field a team
5.
 The minimum fee for radio broadcast of Big Ten contests will be $75.00
6.
 The minimum fee for delayed telecasts of Big Ten contests will be $200.00
 

ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS
     
The Big Ten Athletic Conference will use the following Dinner Meeting Schedule of schools and sites through Spring of 2008.
   
Fall 2005 Lewis County
Spring 2006 Liberty
Fall 2006 Lincoln
Spring 2007 Nicholas County
Fall 2007 Philip Barbour
Spring 2008 Robert C. Byrd
Fall 2008 Bridgeport
Spring 2008 Grafton
 
The fall meeting shall be held on the Sunday after the conclusion of the regular football season.
     
The spring meeting shall be held on the Sunday after the conclusion of the regular boy's basketball season.
     
1.
   All conference meetings shall begin with a prayer.
2.
   All proposals voted on at a conference meeting shall be voted by open ballot (show of hands or voice after school name called). The votes shall be tabulated, announced and recorded immediately.
     
If any school withdraws from the Conference, then the meeting schedule will move to the next school; if any new school is added to the Conference, then their turn will be after the last school has done its turn. (Effective 93-94)
     
MEETING SCHEDULE FOR FALL AND SPRING
     
The conference will use the following schedule for the fell and springs meetings.
     
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM   Principals
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM   Athletic Directors
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM   Sport Specific Committees
4:15 PM - 4:30 PM   Sport Committee Chairpersons/Athletic Directors
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM   Principals/Athletic Directors
5:00 PM -   Dinner
6:00 PM -   Business Meeting
     
SUMMER MEETING - Principals & Athletic Directors
     

ARTICLE II
VOTING
1.
   The affairs of the conference shall be regulated through by-laws passed by a
three-fourths vote of the following:
   
A. One vote per member school by the principal or his/her designated
representative
B. One consolidated vote by the coaches of a specific sport when the item to
be voted on deals with that sport or one consolidated vote from the
Athletic Directors when the item being voted on affects more than one
sport.
     
2.
   Resolutions for changes in the by-laws shall be submitted by a member school principal to the executive secretary prior to the meeting at which they are to be acted upon.
     
3.
   Roberts Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of the conference consistent with the by-laws or special rules of order of this conference.