ARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CODE OF ETHICS
As a member of the ARA Board, I will:
● Listen carefully to my fellow Board members and those served by ARA.
● Respect the opinions of other Board members.
● Respect and support the majority decisions of the Board.
● Recognize that all authority is vested in the Board and not with individual Board members, unless
authorized by the full Board or the ARA Bylaws.
● Keep well-informed of developments that are relevant to issues that may come before the Board.
● Participate actively in Board meetings and actions.
● Call to the attention of the Board any issues that I believe will have an adverse affect on ARA or those
we serve.
● Attempt to interpret the needs of constituents to ARA and interpret the actions of ARA to its
constituents.
● Read and abide by the ARA Bylaws.
● Represent all constituents of ARA and not a particular geographic area or special interest groups.
● Consider myself a “trustee” of ARA and do my best to ensure that ARA is well maintained, financially
secure, growing and always operating in the best interests of constituents.
● Always work to learn more about the Board member’s job and how to do it better.
● Declare any conflict of interests between my personal life and my position on the ARA Board, and avoid
voting on issues that appear to be a conflict of interests.
As a member of the ARA Board, I will not:
● Be critical, in or outside of the Board meeting, of other Board members or their opinions.
● Use ARA or any part of ARA for my personal advantage.
● Discuss the confidential proceedings of the Board outside the Board meeting.
● Promise prior to a meeting how I will vote on any issue in the meeting.
ARKANSAS RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION
BOARD MEMBER CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
Conflicting interest can be financial, personal relationships, status or power.
ARA Board members are prohibited from knowingly disclosing information about ARA to those who do not have a need to know or whose interest may be adverse to ARA, either inside or outside ARA. Nor may Board members in any way use such information to the detriment of ARA.
Since it is not possible to write a policy that covers all potential conflicts, Board members are expected to be alert for and avoid situations, which might be construed as conflicts of interests.
Any possible conflict of interest on the part of any Board member should be disclosed to the other Board members and made a matter of record.
Any Board member having a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest should not vote or use his/her personal influence on the matter. The minutes of the meeting should reflect that a disclosure was made.
These restrictions should not be construed as preventing the Board member from briefly stating his/her position in the matter, nor from answering pertinent questions of other Board members, since his/her knowledge could be of assistance to the deliberations.
All Board members will be required to complete the “Conflict of Interest” statement.
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I have read and am familiar with ARA policy concerning conflict of interest.
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Board member signature Print name
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Date
ARKANSAS RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION
BOARD MEMBER CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
As a member of the ARA Board of Directors, I acknowledge the importance of confidentiality with respect for the affairs of ARA. In light of this acknowledgement, I agree to keep confidential, during and after service on the Board, all confidential information acquired pertaining to ARA and related activities in the course of membership on the Board.
I particularly recognize the sensitivity of information regarding discussion and decisions made during executive sessions of the Board.
I understand that it is the Board president’s responsibility to address infractions of confidentiality by individual Board members and to take action to remedy the problem. I also understand that if infractions of confidentiality by individual Board members continue, it is the expectation that the Board president will ask for the resignation of the individual Board member who has violated this confidentiality agreement.
I agree to resign my Board membership if requested by a majority vote of the Board members for any confidentiality infraction.
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Board member signature Print name
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Date
RULES OF PLAY FOR ARA STATE CHAMPONSHIP TOURNAMENTS
1. State Singles Championship
A. Out-of-State Players – To compete in the ARA state single championship
players must have permanent residence in Arkansas or live in a
neighboring state city and belong to an Arkansas club.
B. Moving Up to the Next Division - Players who win an ARA state singles
championship must play the next season in at least the next division up the
scale in skill level. For example: if a player wins the ARA state singles
championship in the ‘B’’ division, that player must play the next season in the ‘A’
division.
C. Open Division Drop Down – In each ARA State Singles Championship the loser
of the first round of the ‘Open’ division will continue to play in a ‘drop down’
division (single elimination). This ‘drop down’ division may be called Elite, AA,
etc.. All ARA tournaments are encouraged to have an ‘Open’ division drop
down.
D. Combining Divisions – The tournament director may combine divisions when
there are less than three entries in a single division.
E. Open State Singles Champion – The Open State Singles Champion (men
and women) will be offered entry fee to one national tournament during their
year as state champion. There must be a minimum of eight players in the Open
draw to qualify for the offer.
F. Requesting to move down a division – Players who have won an ARA state
singles championship and are having a difficult time in the next division may
request to the ARA Board of Directors that they move down a division for ARA
tournament play.
a. The request cannot be made for a minimum of two years after winning a
state singles title.
b. The ARA Board will consider circumstances such as age, injury, or the
nature of the state singles competition in determining the request.
c. If a player is granted their request to move down a division and if that
player wins a second state title in the same division, then ARA Hall of
Fame points will not apply to the second state title.
NEW ARA (USAR) MEMBER POLICY
This policy pertains to all Arkansas residence who has not been a member of the
Arkansas Racquetball Association. New members to the ARA (USAR) will have one half of
their first annual USAR membership dues paid by ARA.