Official Agenda of the
Second FHSAA Representative Assembly

Monday & Tuesday, Apr. 19-20, 1999
Best Western Gateway Grand
Gainesville, Florida


The Representative Assembly of the Florida High School Activities Association will meet at the Best Western Gateway, Gainesville, Florida, on April 19 and 20, 1999, beginning at 1 p.m. Monday, April 19.

Session 1, Monday, April 19, 1999

I. Call to Order. Pledge of Allegiance. Chairman Rigby.

II. Completion of Expense Reimbursement Vouchers. Commissioner Hughes.

III. Roll Call of Delegates. Chairman Rigby.

Chairman Rigby will instruct the Clerk of the Assembly to call the roll. Each delegate will answer present when his/her name is called.

IV. Adoption of Agenda. Chairman Rigby.

V. Review of Assembly Operational Guidelines (Enclosed). Commissioner Hughes.

VI. Election of Chairperson. Chairman Rigby.

Chairman Rigby will call for nominations for Chairperson from the floor. Pursuant to FHSAA Bylaws and Robert’s Rules of Order, the Chairperson will be elected for one year and will be eligible for reelection each subsequent year that he/she remains a delegate to the Representative Assembly. The Chairperson will have a vote in all matters coming before the Assembly. A majority of delegates casting votes will elect the Chairperson. Chairman Rigby is eligible for reelection.

VII. Election of Vice Chairperson. Chair.

The Chair will call for nominations for Vice Chairperson from the floor. Pursuant to FHSAA Bylaws and Robert’s Rules of Order, the Vice Chairperson will be elected for one year and will be eligible for reelection each subsequent year that he/she remains a delegate to the Representative Assembly. The Vice Chairperson will serve in the capacity of Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson will have a vote in all matters coming before the Assembly. A majority of delegates casting votes will elect the Vice Chairperson. Vice Chairman David McDonald is eligible for reelection.

VIII. First Reading of Proposals to Amend the Bylaws. Chair.

The Chair will instruct the Clerk of the Assembly to read the summary sentence of each proposal. When a proposal is read, the Chair will then recognize those individuals who have registered at the meeting their desire to speak for or against the proposal. Each individual who addresses the Assembly will be allotted three (3) minutes in which to make his/her comments. Following the individual’s presentation, delegates may direct questions to him/her for a period of time to be determined by the Chair.

Proposal 1. A proposal to establish three separate deadlines for filing of the application for membership by a prospective new member school for that school to be eligible for competition in the three sports seasons during its initial year of membership. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 2. A proposal to create a new level of membership for those schools with an enrollment of less than 100 students which solely desire to engage member schools in regular season competition, but not participate in FHSAA State Series competition. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 3. A proposal to prohibit any two members of the Board of Directors from being from the same county. Sponsored by William Blakemore, Activities Coordinator, Lely High School (Naples).

Proposal 4. Withdrawn by sponsor Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 5. A proposal to require that the Board of Directors meet a minimum of five times annually. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 6. Withdrawn by sponsor Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 7. A proposal to prohibit any two members of a Sectional Appeals Committee from being from the same county. Sponsored by William Blakemore, Activities Coordinator, Lely High School (Naples).

Proposal 8. A proposal to clarify that each Sectional Appeals Committee shall meet only when there is business to come before it on the nine prescribed meeting dates. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 9. Withdrawn by sponsor Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 10. A proposal to eliminate the reference to the FHSAA Bulletin. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 11. A proposal to eliminate the reference to the FHSAA Bulletin. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 12. A proposal to eliminate the reference to the FHSAA Bulletin. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 13. A proposal to empower the Board of Directors to appoint qualified individuals to fill vacant seats on the Representative Assembly until the next regularly scheduled election of the Association. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 14. A proposal to require the Sectional Appeals Committees to elect a Chairperson or Vice Chairperson from among its members when a vacancy in those offices occur. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 15. A proposal to change the deadline for payment of membership dues from November 30 to September 30. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 16. A proposal to require all member schools and those individuals associated with them to adhere to the highest standards of sportsmanship and ethics, and to reinforce the Commissioner’s authority to investigate reports of unsportsmanlike conduct and to invoke penalties against offenders when necessary. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 17. A proposal to reinforce the Association’s ability to punish member schools for the unsportsmanlike conduct of its representatives. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 18. Withdrawn by sponsor Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 19. Withdrawn by sponsor Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 20. A proposal to replace the word “sanctioned” with the word “recognized” as part of a series of proposed changes to clarify the meaning of these words in FHSAA nomenclature. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 21. A proposal to eliminate the “50-percent rule” for the involvement of member school coaches with non-school teams during the off-season. Sponsored by the FHSAA Board of Directors (the Board of Directors will make necessary adjustments to existing policies at its June meeting if this proposal is adopted).

Proposal 22. A proposal to clarify those schools which member schools can engage in interscholastic athletic competition, including a provision which accommodates affiliate members should Proposal 2 be adopted, and a provision that out-of-state schools be members of a state association rather than a state association belonging to the National Federation. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes and Lee Turner, Principal, Pine Crest School (Fort Lauderdale).

Proposal 23. A proposal to establish meanings for the words “recognized” and “sanctioned” when referring to the status of sports which are played by member schools, to require the Board of Directors to establish a policy stating how these designations shall be applied, and to clarify that sports not receiving either of these designations are not under the jurisdiction of the FHSAA. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 24. A proposal to clarify the list of those athletic contests or events which must be approved by the Commissioner, and to eliminate single contests with out-of-state schools from this list. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 25. A proposal to eliminate the “30-percent rule” for establishing a state series competition in a sport, and the “20-percent rule” for maintaining such a state series competition. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 26. A proposal to delete from the bylaws the provisions governing “commitments to participate in state series competition.” Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 27. A proposal to include a summer school conducted by the governing board of a nonpublic school, and to clarify that all courses taken during a summer school must be completed before the first day of the fall semester. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 28. A proposal to define a grading period as one quarter, and to define a quarter as approximately nine weeks or 45 school days. Sponsored by Dr. Patricia E. Lucas, Principal, Manatee High School (Bradenton).

Proposal 29. A proposal to reduce the seven-day waiting period for determine academic eligibility at the conclusion of a semester to three days. Sponsored by Mr. Walter Weller, Assistant Principal, Dixie Hollins High School (St. Petersburg).

Proposal 30. A proposal to clarify that a student must have been enrolled, been in regular attendance, and received grades for all courses taken during the previous two consecutive semesters to be academically eligible during the succeeding semester. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 31. A proposal to reduce the seven-day waiting period for determine academic eligibility at the conclusion of a semester to three days. Sponsored by Mr. Walter Weller, Assistant Principal, Dixie Hollins High School (St. Petersburg).

Proposal 32. A proposal to require students below the ninth grade to maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average to be academically eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics. Sponsored by Keith Summers, Athletic Director, Blountstown Middle School.

Proposal 33. A proposal to clarify that the rules regarding initial enrollment and/or practice apply to any school, not just a member school. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 34. A proposal to reinforce the previous bylaw which states that a student remains eligible in a school so far as residence is concerned as long as he/she remains enrolled in that school. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 35. A proposal to clarify that a student who transfers schools as a result of a move with someone other than the individual(s) with whom he/she has lived continuously during the previous calendar year is ineligible. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 36. A proposal to define what a transfer student is. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 37. A proposal to clarify that a student who transfers from a nonmember school to a member school after the first day of practice in that sport is ineligible for participation in that sport. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 38. A proposal to establish that a student who reaches the age of 18 may transfer schools in conjunction with his/her establishment of their own residence in a different school community. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 39. A proposal to restrict the eligibility of students who transfer schools to follow their coach to that new school. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 40. A proposal to clarify that a student is eligible at the public school to which he/she is assigned to attend by the District School Board. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 41. A proposal to change the age limitation from 19 years, 9 months to 20 years. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 42. A proposal to clarify that a school may request an official eligibility ruling from the Commissioner when it questions a student’s eligibility, that the school must do so at the student’s request, and that all eligibility rulings from the Commissioner must be in writing to be official. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 43. A proposal to ensure that a student is notified of his/her right to due process by his/her school when the student is determined to be ineligible by the school or ruled ineligible by the Commissioner. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 44. A proposal to clarify that a school or student who participates in interscholastic athletic competition in violation of FHSAA rules with the benefit of a court order is subject to penalty if that court order is stayed, reversed or vacated. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 45. A proposal to establish a one-year statute of limitations on rules violations other than those resulting from the eligibility of student. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 46. A proposal to require each Sectional Appeals Committee to provide an explanation and rationale for unfavorable decisions to appellants. Sponsored by Ernie Modugno, Activities Director, Naples High School.

Proposal 47. A proposal to clarify that the burden of proof in any appeal proceeding or undue hardship proceeding is on the student, his/her parent(s) or guardian(s) and the member school filing the appeal on his/her behalf. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

Proposal 48. A proposal to clarify that no judicial body of the FHSAA has the authority to waive any provision of Florida Statutes. Sponsored by Commissioner Robert W. Hughes.

IX. Adjournment until 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 20. Chair.


Session 2, Tuesday, April 20, 1998

X. Call to Order. Pledge of Allegiance. Chair.

XI. Roll Call of Delegates. Chair.

The Chair will instruct the Clerk of the Assembly to call the roll. Each delegate will answer present when his/her name is called.

XII. Second Reading of Proposals to Amend the Bylaws and Balloting. Chair.

The Chair will instruct the Clerk to read the summary sentence of each proposal a second time. Following the second reading of a proposal, the Chair will then open the floor to debate on that proposal. Motions to amend the proposal will be addressed at this time. Debate will be concluded by either a call for the question from the floor or by order of the Chair. The Chair will then instruct delegates to mark and sign their ballots as to their preference with regard to the proposal on the floor. As the ballots on a proposal are collected and counted by staff, the second reading, debate and balloting on the next proposal shall proceed. This procedure shall be followed until the second reading, debate and balloting on all proposals are concluded.

XIII. Announcement of Results of Balloting. Chair.

The Chair will instruct the Clerk to read the results of the balloting on each proposal. It may be necessary for the Chair to declare a brief recess if staff has not yet completed the counting of all ballots. A two-thirds majority vote in the affirmative of the votes cast is needed to adopt a proposal.

XIV. Comments by Delegates to the Representative Assembly.

XV. Closing Comments by Chair and Commissioner.

XVI. Adjournment.