Gordon Head Soccer Association

Individual soccer clubs are the building blocks of soccer in British Columbia. They are the source from which all other organizations gain their membership and the majority of their funding. This extends to the district via District Associations then through to the British Columbia Soccer Association and the Canadian Soccer Association.

Clubs may be as small as one team (as is the case with many Men and Women’s teams) or they may be as large as several thousand. In a few districts a single club makes up an entire district.

Many clubs have developed a Constitution and Bylaws that outline the manner in which they chose to govern themselves. All members (the players on adult teams or youth players and their parents on youth teams) each have a constitutional and regulatory right to participate in the club and to make decisions as to how their club shall be governed.

If a club desired to play only "in-house", they could do so at their leisure. No other governing body could exercise any control over how they formed or how they functioned. This is largely how ‘mini soccer" is administered at the present time. It is only when a club desires to place teams in a league outside the confines of their own club, or wish to allow teams to play in other competitions (e.g. tournaments) that they may seek to join a larger organizational unit.

District Associations are formed in order to govern interaction between clubs that seek to place teams in inter-club leagues or who desire to participate in other inter club competitions (e.g. tournaments, exhibition matches, etc.). These affiliating clubs often develop another Constitution and Bylaws to govern operations at the district level. They elect a Board of Directors to act as trustees of the association. As the complexity of the district association grows, it is usually necessary to develop a comprehensive set of rules and regulations to govern inter club activity. It may also become necessary to hire full time or part time help to carry out objectives set within the district.

The significant difference between a club association and a district association is that the district association, with only a few exceptions, does not have any registered players. The membership in a District Association is usually restricted to the clubs making up that district. In the case of the Lower Island the members are the eleven district clubs.

Limitations on a District Association

Joining a district association does not take away the right of a club to govern their own affairs. For the most part they remain independent, autonomous, and self-governing units. Any Constitution, Bylaws, Rules, Regulations or policy developed at the district level should be concerned primarily with subjects relating to the operation of the district as a whole (e.g. team and club interaction). The district has no authority to involve themselves in club affairs except as approved by the membership at large. This concept is necessary for it would stretch district resources far to thin and could potentially cause a great deal of friction with or among the district clubs, if the district board attempted to involve themselves in the day-to-day operations of a club. Situations will of course arise where the boundary between district and club responsibility is blurred.

Once the district governing documents are in place, it is important for clubs to allow the district board to manage the affairs of the district on a day to day basis as well as work toward developing a long term plan and vision. No club, parent or coach, has the right to demand they be allowed to participate in every decision made at the district level. Many districts have a mechanism in place that will allow club boards to express their opinions on matters of concern to the district. In the Lower Island there is a monthly District Representatives meeting provided both in the Bylaws and in the district Standing Orders. Additionally, a club presidents meeting may be called to discuss issues were additional club input is needed. Overall, it is also important that all clubs and club members follow the natural route for making inquiries, providing suggestions or lodging complaints. That route is member (player), team (if a team issue), club, district, provincial, and national.

If a district, at the direction of their member clubs, desired only to play "in-district" leagues and competitions, they could do so at their leisure. No other governing body (e.g. the BCSA or the CSA) would have any right of control over how the district formed or how it functioned. It is only when districts desire to play teams against teams in other districts (e.g. league and cup play) that some form of larger unit is needed. In British Columbia the unit formed by the districts is the BCSA. The provincial unit will continue as long as the districts, as directed by the clubs, continue to support the concept.

The same principles that apply to the formation of a district body apply in total to the BCSA. The BCSA Board of Directors through their officers and directors, and assisted by their employees, act as the governing trustees for the provincial association. The BCSA board is made up five officers and nine directors. In addition the BCSA board operates a full time office with a compliment of seven full-time personal supervised by an Executive Director.

The same principles that apply to the formation of a District and the BCSA apply in total to the CSA. The CSA Board of Directors through their officers and directors, and assisted by their employees, act as the governing trustees for the national association. The CSA board is made up seven officers and fourteen directors. Of the fourteen directors, twelve are the presidents of Provincial Associations. The CSA board also operates a full time office with a compliment of twenty full time personal supervised by an Executive Director. Of the employees, ten are in Ottawa, three in Vancouver and one in Montreal.

The overriding rules that govern every society operating or registered in British Columbia are those contained in the Societies Act. In the final analysis every society, be they a club, district, or provincial organization, are subject to the same rules and regulations and those rules and regulations are clearly defined within the Societies Act. The Act makes it very clear that the directors of every society are only trustees of the organization. They are governed by their membership not by any other organization.