We are Ottawa’s longest standing supporters club. Filled with passion, commitment and loyalty, we have been proudly supporting football in Ottawa since 2011. We sing with one voice. Bring The Noise.
ARTICLE 1 - IDENTIFICATION
The group shall be called the Bytown Boys Supporters Club (BBSC) or Bytown Boys, and will hereinafter be called the ‘Supporters Club’.
ARTICLE 2 – MISSION
The primary mission of the Bytown Boys will be to support the highest level of professional soccer in Ottawa to which it is an officially recognized supporters group through singing, drumming, banner or tifo displays, and any other method of support. The Supporters Club will have a secondary mission of supporting all advanced level amateur and professional football in the city of Ottawa. The Bytown Boys will encourage membership into the Supporters Club, participation in its events, and the development of soccer in Canada.
ARTICLE 3 – ORGANIZATION
The Supporters Club shall be composed of a community of members and an executive council, hereinafter set forth. The executive council will lead the Bytown Boys through day-to-day business, and is subject to the democratic approval of the Paid Membership (see Article 4). The Supporters Club will follow all applicable laws and regulations at events where it is present.
ARTICLE 4 – MEMBERSHIP
The Bytown Boys shall be composed of two membership tiers, Social and Paid Memberships.
Social Member – Refers to any individual who attends and/or contributes to the activities and events of the Supporters Club, but is not a Paid Member. Social Members are permitted to act on behalf of the Bytown Boys with the permission of the executive council, but are subjected to fewer rights relative to Paid Members.
Paid Member – Refers to individuals who pay an annual membership fee. Paid Members are granted extended rights within the Supporters Club, including rights to vote on club issues, run for positions on the executive council, participate in the exclusive paid members Bytown Boys Facebook page, first access to Supporters Club privileges, and so forth. The Paid Membership period shall begin at the end of the AGM (Annual General Meeting) and is valid for one year, through the following year’s Annual General Meeting. Individuals are permitted to pay membership dues at any time during the year. The membership shall be valid for the year in which the due is paid, irrespective of the payment date.
Paid Memberships may be terminated at the request of the member, the discretion of the executive council, or actions which deem the membership in poor standing. Paid memberships are non-refundable.
ARTICLE 5 – EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The Executive Council shall be made up of elected paid members in good standing with the club and holding no conflicts of interest. The Council consists of five positions:
President
Treasurer
Sergeant-at-arms
Media Officer
Corteo Officer
The president shall manage the overall affairs of the Bytown Boys, and is responsible for tasks including the maintenance of adequate organization within the executive council, receiving Supporters Club notifications from any affiliated external organizations, and so forth. The president is permitted to approve immediate decision-making for the Supporters Club in situations where, in his/her judgment, it is deemed necessary for the Bytown Boys to take action before an upcoming monthly meeting (see Article 6).
The treasurer shall maintain an accurate record of all Supporters Club finances, and is responsible for reporting these figures to the executive council upon request. He/she is further tasked with ensuring the Bytown Boys current funds are well-managed, and is permitted to approve club expenditures pending a president backed council majority. The treasurer shall maintain an accurate list of paid members, which will be the reference document should situations arise where the paid membership must be identified.
The sergeant-at-arms is responsible for the safety and up-keeping of club equipment, during both Supporters Club activities and the time intervals between. He/she shall also act as the Bytown Boys captain on match days. As Supporters Club captain, the duties of the sergeant-at-arms include organizing the group’s section and the supporters within it, ensuring banner and tifo displays are securely placed before kick-off and subsequently removed after match completion, and acting as the Bytown Boys’ communication representative with in-stadium security.
The Media Officer is responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and implementing a cross-platform media presence to represent and communicate the Supporters Club’s ideas and presence.
The Corteo Officer is responsible for designing, planning, and organizing the preparation of all forms of visual and audio support, including but not limited to chanting, drumming, flag work, tifo, and marches.
Executive council members are expected to serve for the whole year in which they are elected. Should a councillor withdraw for any reason, the Council will appoint a replacement.
ARTICLE 6 – MONTHLY MEETINGS
Situation permitting, the Bytown Boys shall host twelve monthly meetings per year, taking place on the first Sunday of every calendar month or on a more appropriate date. Details regarding the date, time, and location of the meetings will be confirmed by the executive council at least two (2) weeks in advance. Supporters Club members will be notified of these details through announcements on the Bytown Boys website and on Facebook.
The president shall oversee the meeting, as outlined in the executive council’s agenda. The treasurer shall provide an update with respect to the Supporters Club’s monthly financial standing.
ARTICLE 7 – ELECTIONS
Executive council shall be voted upon at every AGM by all paid members present at the meeting. Only paid members are permitted to run for executive positions and vote in Bytown Boys elections. Council members shall be nominated and then voted for through secret ballots in the order listed in Article 5. The paid membership is permitted to nominate fellow paid-members for positions. Self-nomination is not permitted. Paid members who accept a nomination for a given position will be entered to run in its election process.
The election process will begin with the candidates clearly identified before voting takes place. Candidates may address the paid membership if they so choose, and are permitted no more than two minutes for campaigning. The voting process will begin with the clear identification of paid members who are present. A neutral election official, who may be either a paid or social member, will be appointed for the purpose of tallying votes. Once voting commences, the official is responsible for accurately tallying votes, and, subsequently, declaring the winner. The winner will be the candidate who has received the greatest number of votes. Once the winner is declared, the election is closed and may not be revisited.
ARTICLE 8 – DISCIPLINE
All matters of discipline within the Supporters Club will be under the control of the executive council. Both Social and Paid members are expected to abide by all applicable laws and regulations at Bytown Boys events. Events include, but are not limited to, Supporters Club marches and in-stadium presence, pub nights, away trips, and viewing parties. During match day, the sergeant-at-arms will be the Bytown Boys point-of-contact with stadium security.
Any individual who, in the opinion of the executive council, acts in an unruly manner or causes excessive disruption at any Supporters Club event is not acting on behalf of the Bytown Boys. The council is permitted to enact discipline in any manner which it sees fit, including formal warnings, the termination of a paid membership, the potential banning of individuals from group activities, and so forth.
ARTICLE 9 – AMENDMENTS
Charter amendment proposals must be brought forth during a monthly meeting. Proposals must be supported by at least one (1) paid member. A vote will be held to determine the Supporters Club’s decision, as outlined in Article 6. For an amendment motion to successfully pass, a two-thirds (2/3) majority of paid members, as well as a three-fifths (3/5) majority of the executive council, must support the proposal.