Representative Assembly approves four bylaw amendments

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020

Representative Assembly approves four bylaw amendments

For Immediate Release

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. --- The Minnesota State High School League’s Representative Assembly today approved four bylaw amendments and affirmed the recommendation to table another during its meeting held in a virtual format. Prior to voting, delegates had the opportunity to discuss five proposed amendments during sessions with caucus groups. The Representative Assembly meeting originally scheduled for May 12, 2020 was rescheduled by the League’s Board of Directors because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Representative Assembly considered three bylaw amendment proposals that advanced by receiving nine affirmative votes out of the 16 administrative regions. Two other proposals were forwarded to the Representative Assembly by the League’s Board of Directors.

Approved amendments are enacted August 1, 2021.

Here is a summary on the Representative Assembly’s action of the proposed bylaw amendments:

• Bylaw 110 --- Semesters Enrolled: The Representative Assembly approved a proposed bylaw amendment that clarifies the practice and implementation of the bylaw that addresses the application process for additional semesters enrolled. The bylaw clearly identifies that Each student is eligible for participation in League-sponsored athletic activities for 12 consecutive semesters (six consecutive years) beginning with their initial entrance into seventh grade. This semester limitation applies regardless of whether the student participates in athletic activities or not. The amendment adjusts the timeline that determines when a student may apply to the League for additional semesters, now allowing students to do so following a substantial disruption to their educational experience. The bylaw will now identify that an application can occur: When a student has experienced a substantial disruption to their education that is outside of the student’s control and it is apparent that the student will exhaust their semesters of eligibility before graduation.
• Bylaw 403 --- Cooperative Sponsorship of an activity by two or more member schools: The Representative Assembly approved the amendment that clearly states that the geographic location of the sponsorship will be the geographic location of the member school with the largest Minnesota State High School League enrollment. The amendment also clarified the purpose of the bylaw and the timeline for review of existing cooperative sponsorships.
• Bylaw 503 --- Girls Badminton: The Representative Assembly approved a proposed amendment to increase the number of contest dates from 16 to 18. The increase in dates does not increase the number of matches and is designed to assist schools whose facilities may not allow more than two teams to compete at the same location.
• Bylaw 510 --- Girls Gymnastics: The Representative Assembly approved a proposed amendment that allows a conference or division champion to schedule a 17^th event to determine an inter-conference or intra-conference champion. This language is similar to language in a number of MSHSL activities.
• Bylaw 520 --- Boys Volleyball: The authors of this proposed bylaw amendment requested that the decision on adoption be tabled until the Representative Assembly meeting in May 2021. The amendment will be considered at the next regularly scheduled Representative Assembly meeting with the request for implementation to be in the spring of 2022.

“We meet to try to craft better bylaws that serve our member schools and provide opportunities for kids,” said Wayzata activities director Jaime Sherwood, a Region 6AA delegate. “Those are our missions and I think we accomplished that today.”

The League’s Representative Assembly is a 48-member group made up of three delegates elected from each of the 16 geographic regions. The Representative Assembly is the League’s legislative body that makes and changes bylaws. Its function is to consider all bylaw proposals approved through a Region review process or that have been forwarded by the Board of Directors. Seventy-five percent of the total delegation membership is needed for a quorum. All 48 delegates were present for today’s meeting. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present is needed to pass an amendment.

The projected date of the next Representative Assembly meeting is May 11, 2021.