Amendments

  1. 11-06-1990: Added Travel Division Trophies to Section 10. These trophies are for Most Improved Offensive and Most Improved Defensive players in the fall season.
  2. 11-06-1990: Added Al Strange Memorial Trophy to be awarded to the sponsor of the Senior Boys In-House Division winner.
  3. 02-05-1991: Shorts will no longer be given out by the Association as part of the uniform.
  4. 01-08-1991: The Association will provide a 50% reimbursement to all members who attend and complete a state-sponsored coaching license course.
  5. 03-05-1991: The registration cards that are signed each season by the parents of all participating children in the Association, shall be considered part of the permanent records of the Association and shall be held by the Registration Director.
  6. 06-04-1991: The Association will place all under-10 travel teams in the six-versus-six (not 11-versus-11) division when the league provides one.
  7. 06-11-1991: All In-House Divisions will be six-versus-six. This is a change from the previous wording where the Division director had a choice of 6-versus-6 or 7-versus-7.
  8. 09-05-1991: The Association was granted tax-free status. The Association must renew the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c) registration in three years.
  9. 10-01-1991: Beginning in the spring season of 1992, the Association will no longer include the sponsor's name on the team jerseys. This decision was made as a result of increasing costs and prohibitive logistics.
  10. 10-01-1991: Amendment to Section 7 (Instructional Division) to include 5-year-olds in the program. For the spring season, the child must be five, but not eight, by April 1. For the fall season, the child must be five, but not eight, by August 31.
  11. 11-05-1991: The Association's telephone line shall be located at the residence of the Director- At-Large (previously located at the residence of the Registration Director) as it is an information line.
  12. 11-05-1991: Amendments made to the rules regarding tie-breakers in the In-House Divisions' playoff competition. An effort was made to outline a scheme that would end the game in a reasonable time and with consideration of the emotions of the young participants. A shoot-out on an empty net will be the tie-breaker for preliminary round games that go beyond the extra 10-minute periods. See Section 6.3 for details.
  13. 03-03-1992: The Association will provide a 100% reimbursement to all members who attend and complete the state-sponsored F-license coaching course. All other courses will continue to be reimbursed at the rate of 50%.
  14. 04-07-1992: Registration fees were increased to $25 (was $20) for one child, $50 (was $40) for two children, and $75 (was $50) for three children or more in the same family.
  15. 05-05-1992: The cut-off dates were changed to align all the divisions on the single date of August 1 for both spring (previous calendar year) and fall (current calendar year) seasons. This was meant to simplify the registration process and coordinate with the Boston Area Youth Soccer league. There had been different cut-off dates for the spring (January 1/April 1) and fall (August 31) seasons.
  16. 07-06-1992: The Association will no longer pay any portion of any team's tournament registration. Previously, the Association would pay one third of the team's fee. This financial burden was becoming prohibitive and represented a potential inequality between the divisions in that not all divisions had an equal number of teams participating in tournament play.
  17. 07-06-1992: After lengthy discussion of the pros and cons of forming Travel Division teams by age versus skill, the Board decided to apply a skill criterion for older (under- 14 and older) age brackets, and an age criterion for younger (under-12 and younger) age brackets.
  18. 02-02-1993: In an effort to clarify the intent of the methods used to form teams in the Travel Division, a paragraph of explanation was added to Section 9, "Travel Division."
  19. 03-02-1993: To help encourage early registration of players and discourage late registrations, the Association will assess a late fee of $10 for any registration accepted after the formal and scheduled registration dates.
  20. 04-06-1993: To help limit the amount of money spent each season on soccer balls (often to replace lost or stolen balls), the Association will take responsibility for providing a decent game ball for each team.
  21. 04-06-1993: While attempting to align age brackets in the Association with those stipulated in the school system, the Association recognizes August 31 as its age boundary (instead of August 1) in the Instructional and In-House Divisions. The Travel Division continues to adhere to the August 1 deadline which is dictated by the state soccer organization.
  22. 06-01-1993: The Association changed its reimbursement rate for the MYSA-sponsored F license (8-hour) course from 100% to 50% to be in line with the rate for the E-license (16-hour) course.
  23. 10-05-1993: In trying to encourage students to get involved in the Association, the FYSA will reimburse 100% of clinic fees to any Franklin student (up through high school age) for an E or F license clinic sponsored by MYSA.
  24. 11-02-1993: Clarifying the late registration policy for families with multiple children in the Association, families who register their children beyond the published registration dates will be assessed $10 late fee per child up to a maximum of $30 late fee per family.
  25. 11-02-1993: Roster sizes in the In-House Divisions are limited to thirteen players to help insure that children can play half the game in a 6-versus-6 league.
  26. 11-02-1993: In the interest of equity, the criteria used to break a tie in the In-House Division standings now lists head-to-head results as the first tie-breaker (it had been the third tie-breaker).
  27. 04-05-1994: Updated position summaries to reflect minor re-alignment of duties which had taken place over the previous year. Changes included making each division director responsible for the assignment and scheduling of referees for his/her division, more explicitly stating the tasks of the Director-At-Large, making the secretary responsible for the FYSA telephone line, and updating the responsibilities of the Training Director to recruit and supervise referees and coordinate coaches clinics.
  28. 04-05-1994: Added specific criteria that states that a registration is deemed as "late" when it is received after the posted registration deadline for a season.
  29. 04-05-1994: Defined a procedure for the Registration Director to handle late registrations -- returning all materials to the registrant.
  30. 05-03-1994: Declared that late registration fees should be waived for new residents registering for the first time in the Association.
  31. 08-03-1994: Allowed In-House Division Directors the discretion to have their divisions play up to 7-versus-7 (rather than strictly 6-versus-6) to accommodate variances in the number of registrations received.
  32. 06-02-1995: Modified the selection mechanisms for placing players on teams in the Travel Division from age-based criteria in the under-12 age groups to skill-based for all age groups.
  33. 06-02-1995: Stated that all under-11 teams in the Travel Division be placed in 6-versus- 6 divisions, a new option, within the league. This decision is consistent with the philosophy that small-sided games speed development.
  34. 06-21-1995: After some analysis and at a General Membership meeting changed the definition of the Board of Directors in the Constitution, eliminating the positions of Director-At-Large and Immediate Past President, and combining the responsibilities of the Equipment Manager and Training Director into a single position of Training and Equipment Director.
  35. 11-07-1995: Added a clause allowing up to five players within an age bracket in the Travel Division to "skill up" into an older age bracket when such players would be placed on a team in the highest skill divisions. This prevents players of a high skill level from being placed with players of dissimilar ability and discourages entire teams from moving up into a higher age bracket.
  36. 11-12-1996: At a General Membership meeting reverted the definition of the Board of Directors in the Constitution to separate the position of Training and Equipment Director into the two positions of Equipment Manager and Training Director. Also, separated the position of Travel Division Director into two positions, Boys Travel Division Director and Girls Travel Division Director. Each change was made to spread the amount of work out between two people.
  37. 01-07-1997: Added a "Referee section" and the statement that the Association will reimburse students involved in the association 100% of the course fee when a student takes and passes a USSF referee course.
  38. 02-04-1997: Changed to read that the McClay Scholarship will be funded by the Association instead of by Gordon and Kenneth McClay to be consistent with the events of the past few years in which no donations were received.
  39. 09-02-1997: The BOD agreed to establish a Capital Appreciation Fund as a mechanism to plan for the future. No details were specified as to how the fund would be managed or what projects would be funded.
  40. 10-07-1997: Added a that In-House players would be responsible for the cost of their own uniform (initially $35 for socks, shorts, and shirt) charged at time of registration. Uniforms can be reused for multiple seasons.
  41. 11-04-1997: Changed the upper age limit for the In-House Division to be "not 12" instead of "not 13". This was done due to the difficulty in placing a few older players in divisions where the vast majority were under 12.
  42. 11-04-1997: Added a minimum age of eight (8) for players in the Travel Division to add consistency. Previously, an player younger than eight could not play in the In-House Division, but could play in the Travel Division.
  43. 01-06-1998: Changed the late fee from $10 to $20 to further encourage the timely registration of players.
  44. 06-02-1998: Changed the wording for "skilling up" in the Travel Division to state that players can skill up to the top team in an age bracket, not limited to a Division 1 or 2 team as had been true.
  45. 07-07-1998: Eliminated playoffs for the Fall 1998 season for all In-House divisions and extended the playing season to twelve games as an experiment to reduce the "playoff fever" approach focused primarily on winning.
  46. 07-07-1998: Stated that all head coaches must hold a license prior to the Fall 1999 season as follows: Instructional (FYSA course), Junior In-House ("G" license), Senior In-House ("F" license), and Travel ("E" license).
  47. 08-04-1998: Reinforced commitment to training by adding that FYSA will pay 100% of a coaching course taken to satisfy the coaching requirements of the Association.
  48. 08-04-1998: Added that staff shirts will be purchased annually for coaches and directors. Instructional coaches will continue to get a shirt consistent with the color worn by players on the team being coached.
  49. 01-05-1999: Changed the In-House program to only have playoffs for the senior brackets within the Division.
  50. 02-02-1999: Changed the amounts of each scholarship (McClay and King Memorial Award) awarded by the Association from $500 to $1000 per student.
  51. 11-18-1999: Reduced the Board by eliminating the positions of Registration Director, Equipment Manager, Training Director, Tournament Director, and Ways and Means Committee Chairperson, combining the Boys In-House Division Director and Girls In-House Division Director positions into a single In-House Division Director position, and combining the Boys Travel Division Director and Girls travel Division Director positions into a single Travel Division Director position. Approved the notion of "mandatory", "recommended", and "potential" appointed coordinators. These changes were made to improve the ability of the Board to make decisions, particularly those that involved a long-term view of the Association’s direction. The Board introduced the idea that a Club Administrator may be hired to perform many of the day-to-day tasks of the Association, including registration and equipment management.
  52. 09-05-2000: Introduce the "head coach credit" bonus program. Beginning in Spring, 2001, anyone who was the head coach of a team in a season is eligible for a waiver of one registration fee (e.g. $25 for their child) in the subsequent season.
  53. 11-07-2000: Many "housekeeping" edits were made to (a) adapt the Position Summaries to appropriately describe the changes approved at the last Annual General Membership meeting, (b) alter the selection process for appointing a coach, and (c) more accurately describe some operating procedures that have evolved over the years.
  54. 11-07-2000: Adjusted the rules for overtime play in In-House playoffs in an attempt to shorten the process of getting to a result by removing two ten-minute mandatory overtime periods and prohibiting the use of goalkeepers in the overtime periods.
  55. 05-01-2001: Increased the registration fee from $25 to $30 per player to help insure that registration income covers the minimum expenses. This increase was made after a significant shortfall in 2000 and after analysis of expenses from fall 2000 to spring 2001.
  56. 06-05-2001: Made more explicit the policy of reimbursement for coach license courses. In particular, a D license is reimbursed at 50% as it is not currently required to meet coaching criteria of the Association.
  57. 12-04-2001: Adjusted awards section for all divisions to remove elements that were no longer being applied (e.g. most-improved trophies, league champions).
  58. 10-01-2002: Set roster size limits for all age brackets across the Association: 3v3 (9), 4v4 (11), 5v5 (8), 6v6 (10), 11v11 (17).
  59. 01-07-2003: Introduced the Pee Wee program for four-year-olds. The initial format is one, 60-minute session per week for seven weeks. Teams are formed each week (i.e. "pickup" soccer) and there is no formal instruction. Add Section 7, adjusted numbers 8-12.
  60. 04-01-2003: Stated that players in the Under-12 age bracket within the Travel Division will be placed in the 8v8 competition offered by BAYS. The roster size limit for this competition is set to thirteen.
  61. 05-06-2003: Increased the registration fee from $30 to $40 per player to cover operating expenses and improve the financial position of the organization in advance of future investments.
  62. 07-01-2003: Adjusted the policy for the "head coach credit" stating that the credit only be given to coaches that hold the appropriate license for the given division (In-House and Travel Divisions only) and who attend the preseason meeting for their division.
  63. 08-27-2003: Updated the Laws of the Game for the Association. Most of the changes were housekeeping (e.g. no longer need to refer to Instructional Division), but others were substantative (e.g. direct kicks are introduced, all games are two halves).
  64. 12-02-2003: In recognition of a referee program that has grown significantly within the Association, changed the status of Referee Coordinator from that of a recommended appointment for up to three division directors to a mandatory appointment by the president of one individual responsible for development, recruitment, and assignment of referees.

    65. Many amendments were made in the intervening years. We are trying to get caught up.

  65. 11-17-2011: In Bylaws, added clarity to the chain of responsibility when an appointed position is vacant.
  66. 11-17-2011: In Bylaws, strengthened language of what constitutes a quorom at Board meetings such that Bylaw changes are prevented without full attendance. Added a mechanism for a Board member to consent to votes in his/her absence in some cases. These changes were made so that financial decisions would not stagnate due to excused absences from a Board meeting.
  67. 11-17-2011: Updated Position Summary for the role of Vice President to remove reference to newsletter creation and add communication and fundraising responsibilities. Added potential appointment of Volunteer Coodinator and description.
  68. 11-17-2011: Updated Position Summary for the role of Secretary to add emphasis on communication with membership.
  69. 11-18-2013: Updated Constitution to change name of Board position from In-House to Academy Division Director.
  70. 11-18-2015: Updated Constitution to add a new Board position for Franklin Soccer Club Director. Added Position Summary for FSC Director.
  71. 12-18-2018: Updated Constitution to add a new Board position for Director Emeritus.