SMOKY MOUNTAIN PICKLEBALL CLUB BYLAWS

(As Amended) February 2020 

ARTICLE I – Name
Smoky Mountain Pickleball Club (Club) 

ARTICLE II – Purpose
To provide a fun, healthy, social pickleball environment for all Club members and guests. 

ARTICLE III – Goals
The goals of the Club are as follows: 
* To further interest and participation in the game of pickleball. 
* To promote pickleball related social activities in East Tennessee. 
* To support pickleball player development and to encourage those members who want to 
engage in competitive play. 
* To cooperate with other clubs or association to sponsor events. 

ARTICLE IV – Membership
Any adult can become a member of the Club by signing a Waiver of Liability and paying 
required dues. Children under 18 may not play without an adult present. Each member is 
entitled to one vote on Club matters. 

ARTICLE V – Executive Committee
The Executive Committee will consist of the following officers: President, Vice President, 
Secretary and Treasurer. Any officer may enlist the assistance of other Club members in the 
execution of their roles. 

ARTICLE VI – Nomination and Election of officers
A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee at least sixty (60) 
days prior to the Fall meeting of the voting year (Executive Committee serves for two years). 
The Nomination Committee shall consist of one Executive Committee member and no more 
than three at large members. This committee will request nominations for each office of the 
Executive Committee: however, only one officer per household shall be permitted. At least 2 
weeks prior to the Fall meeting, absentee ballots, along with voting instructions, will be 
emailed to all members. Actual voting will take place at the scheduled Fall meeting. 
One vote per member. Nominations can be made at the Fall meeting prior to voting. A 
majority of voting members present at the Fall meeting and including absentee ballots, will 
elect officers. Should an unforeseen vacancy occur among the officers prior to an election, an 
interim officer shall be appointed by the remaining members of the Executive Committee to 
serve until the next election year. Members of the Executive Committee will be elected and 
serve for two years. 

ARTICLE VII – Duties
Duties of each office will be as follows: 
President – Has the authority to call, preside and break voting ties on all General Membership, 
Executive Committee, and any other committee meetings. May request an audit at any time. 
Shall be the liaison between the Club and other clubs, and the USA Pickleball Association 
(USAPA). This may include negotiating and maintaining relationships with facilities, adding. 
places to play, publicizing the club and the sport among recreation departments, the press, the 
public and schools. 
Vice President – The Vice President shall assist the Club President in the execution of club 
roles and responsibilities, and assume the duties of the President in the absence of the 
President. 
Secretary – Will notify members of play activities as notified and advise the membership of all 
meetings and will keep accurate minutes of those meetings. With the assistance of the 
Treasurer, will compile a database including the name, address, phone number, and email 
address for each member and make sure that liability waivers are completed. Have new 
members sign and complete necessary forms. In the short-term absence of the Secretary, the 
Treasurer will assume the responsibilities of the Secretary. 
Treasurer – Shall maintain the Club bank account with a Signature Card, including other 
Executive Committee members. The Treasurer may solely sign checks on the Club account for 
payment of playing facility rent or purchasing equipment and supplies. Except for facility rent, 
any check for an amount above $150.00 requires the signature of the Treasurer and one other 
member of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer is responsible for all dues and monies 
collected. The Treasurer shall maintain current and accurate account records, authorize 
payments for all approved bills, and make a detailed, printed financial report to the Club on a 
quarterly basis. The Treasurer shall maintain signed liability waivers for members and guests 
with the assistance of the Secretary. In the short-term absence of the Treasurer, the Secretary 
will assume the responsibilities of the Treasurer. A review of the Treasurer’s records shall be 
performed by the newly elected Executive Committee prior to an annual meeting. The 
Treasurer may enlist assistance from members to purchase and maintain Club supplies and 
equipment. 

ARTICLE VIII – Meetings
At least two (2) General Membership meetings will be called by the Executive Committee each 
year, to be held in the spring and one to be held in the fall. Notice, designating the time and 
place of such meetings, will be given to all members by email or other means at least thirty 
(30) days prior to the meeting. The fall meeting shall be the Annual Meeting of the Club for the 
purpose of installing officers (every two years for a two- year term), needs assessment and 
general planning. Special Meetings of the Membership may be called by the Executive 
Committee as needed. Notice of Special Meeting, designating the time and place of such 
meeting, will be given to all members by email at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting. 

ARTICLE IX – Dues
MEMBERS: Membership dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee and voted on 
by the membership at the fall meeting. Dues for local resident players, new to the club, are not 
required for the first four weeks of play. 
Once dues is paid, there shall be no refund unless specifically approved by the Club 
Executive Committee. 
HOUSE GUEST: Short term house guest of members are welcome to play when accompanied 
by the member. No fee is required. 
OCCASIONAL GUEST: Club members may bring an "occasional guest" to play. No fee is 
required. The Executive Committee will determine the definition of "occasional guest" on a 
case by case basis. Should the "occasional guest" become more than "occasional" they will be 
required to join the club to continue play. 
AREA VISITORS: Short term (up to seven consecutive days) visitors to the area are invited to 
play. No fee is required. 

ARTICLE X – Skill development
The Club encourages the advancement of player skill through three means of play; General play, New 
player court, and Challenge court. 
General play is open play for club members and guests on a first come, first serve basis. Players sign up 
to play on the sign-up board when such board is in use. See below for details on General play sign-up 
board guidelines. 
The New player court is a court reserved to teach new players the basic rules and techniques of the 
game. The New player court is scheduled once a week for the first hour of play. There is no sign-up 
required for this court. If there are no new players the court will return to General play use. All club 
members are encouraged to help new players learn to play the game. 
The Challenge court, when activated, is a court reserved to allow for competitive play and advanced 
skill development. See below for details on Challenge court sign-up board guidelines.

ARTICLE XI – Sign-up board guidelines
General play sign-up board guidelines:
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A General play sign-up board can be used to schedule players for play on Club non-designated courts 
i.e., Lesson court, Challenge court listed below. The following are rules for use of the General play signup board: 
• Players names are entered in the grid boxes on the sign-up board on a first come, first serve 
basis. 
• Players names are organized in groups of four 
• Each group of four will be designated with a group number listed in the upper lei corner of 
group name box 
• The group numbers should increment by 1 when a group takes a court and a new group is 
added 
• A group of four players’ names constitutes two teams 
• The group of four players will determine teams 
• A player’s name can only be added to the sign-up board if they are present and available for 
immediate play 
o If a player’s name is listed while that player is participating in an active game the name 
will be removed 
• A player may write their name on the sign-up board or request their name be listed provided 
they are present and available for immediate play 
• A player’s name cannot be removed from the sign-up board without the approval of the player 
to be removed. 
• When a group of four players take a court, all names and the group number is to be erased by 
one of the four players taking the court. 
• If a foursome desires to play together they may list all four names in the next available signup 
box on the sign-up board and wait unGl all players previously signed up on the board waiting 
play take a court.
o In the event, there is only one available court and there aren’t enough players waiting 
to make a group of four the following protocol should be followed in order: 
1. The waiting players may waive their position on the sign-up board and allow 
the foursome to take the available court. 
• In this situation, the waiting players would be the next group to play. 
2. The waiting players may take the available court and practice. The maximum 
practice time is 15 minutes. 
3. The foursome may take the next available open court after the waiting players 
are playing or the 15-minute practice time has expired. 
4. The foursome may take the next available court when it becomes available 
without waiting on the group still waiting to have four players. 
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! Under no circumstances can the foursome move ahead of waiting players on the signup board without the waiting players’ approval.
New player court: 
One day a week one court will be designated for teaching new players the fundamentals of pickleball. 
This day is normally Wednesday but can be changed by the Club Executive Committee and announced 
in advance of the change taking effect. This session is scheduled the first hour of play after which the 
new players will begin play with the other players. 
Challenge Court: (Indoor play only)
Once a week, when requested, one court will be reserved as a Challenge court. There are two primary 
purposes for this court: 1) to allow club members to practice in preparation for tournaments, 2) allow 
club members to self-select teams to take on challengers. 
There is a separate sign-up board for the Challenge court. Both players’ names must be submitted at 
the same time and must be available for immediate play. Players are not allowed to sign up on more. 
than one sign-up board at the same time. The winners of a Challenge court match may stay on the 
court for one additional challenge game or release the court. The maximum number of back-to-back 
games are two. 

ARTICLE XII – Problem resolution/Grievance Policy
When a diverse group of people come together it is possible to occasionally have 
disagreements. The following guidelines are designed to address these issues in the event they 
occur. 
Areas where conflict may occur include but are not limited to: 
Rules & Regulations: All club members are expected to follow Club and USAPA rules. To avoid 
misunderstanding, all Club rules and by laws are available to all members on the website or in 
written form upon request. USAPA pickleball games rules are available on the USAPA website.
Sportsmanship: Club members are expected to treat each other with respect. Offensive, loud, 
or vulgar behavior is not acceptable during Club play or events.
Language: The use of foul language is prohibited during any Club play or event. Foul language 
includes, but is limited to, cursing, disparaging remarks, ethnic and gender slurs, etc.
Etiquette: Club members are expected to know and abide by the rules of pickleball etiquette. 
Examples of common etiquette include server calls score before each serve, not chasing balls 
into adjoining courts, retrieving and returning balls that land in your court of play. 
We encourage members to address in a professional manner any issue initially with the person 
they feel has behaved inappropriately or violated Club rules. Should a member not be 
comfortable with addressing the issue initially with this person, the next step is to bring the 
behavior to the attention of any member of the Executive Committee member for review. 
After the review, if the member wants to continue with the grievance, the following procedure 
is in place to handle the complaint/grievance.

Problem Resolution/Grievance Process 
In the event of a perceived issue, the following grievance process is in place to ensure that all 
parties are heard and a fair resolution is achieved.
A grievance may be brought by any Club member against another Club member for rules 
violation or inappropriate behavior. Such inappropriate behavior may include, but are not 
limited to: excessive disruptive behavior, physical violence, abusive or obscene language, 
sexual harassment, unauthorized use of club equipment, action in violation of the Bylaws. 
Grievances should be brought in writing to the attention of an Executive Committee officer 
within 14 days of the alleged incident. This officer will immediately apprise the Executive. 
Committee. Grievance details must include the name(s) of the parties involved and a 
complete description of the alleged incident or activity. Time, date, behavior, and witnesses 
are expected elements of the grievance document. 
Within a maximum of 14 days of receipt of a written grievance, the President will consult with 
the Executive Committee to determine a course of action on the grievance. If the grievance 
includes a Club officer, that officer will be excluded from the review. If the Executive 
Committee determines the grievance is without merit, the President, or appointed officer, will 
inform the grievant verbally and in writing of the Executive Committee’s findings and decision. 
If the Executive Committee finds the grievance warrants further investigation, it will, in writing, 
notify the member(s) involved of an informal investigation. Notice will include all pertinent 
details of the allegations. The investigation and final decision is to be completed as soon as 
possible or within a maximum of 30 days of receipt of the written grievance barring 
extenuating circumstances. 
Upon completion of the investigation and final decision, resolutions available to the Executive 
Committee include dismissal of grievance, written and verbal warnings, suspension for a 
limited time or permanent expulsion from the Club. 
Resolutions 

1. Dismissal of the Grievance: The Executive Committee will provide a written decision 
sharing the reason for the decision to dismiss the grievance. The written decision will be given 
to all parties who were involved in the initial filing. 

2. Warning: In the event that a warning is deemed appropriate, the Executive Committee will 
issue a written warning that includes a caution that any future disciplinary issues may result in 
Suspension or Expulsion. If within one year of a written warning, there is no further conduct of 
a similar nature by the member, the written record will be destroyed. 

3. Suspension: If the Executive Committee finds that the circumstances warrant a suspension 
of the member’s club participation, the Executive Committee can recommend suspension for a 
period ranging from one month to a year. During suspension, the member may not participate 
in club functions, have access to dedicated club rooms, or attend club meetings. 

4. Expulsion: If the Executive Committee finds the behavior egregious enough to recommend 
expulsion, the Executive Committee may so recommend and inform all parties in writing of the 
decision. After 2 years, the expelled member may seek to rejoin the Smoky Mountain 
Pickleball Club with the approval of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XIII –Dissolution 
Upon dissolution of the Club, the Executive Committee, after paying or making provision for 
payment of all liabilities of the Club, shall distribute any equipment and/or disburse funds to a 
local charitable or not-for-profit organization(s) which has/have supported the Club. 

ARTICLE XIV – Amendments
Amendments to these Bylaws will be proposed by letter or email to the members prior to a 
General Membership meeting. A majority vote at that meeting will amend the Bylaws.