Values and Discipline Committee

On February 26, 2006 the Board of the Thornhill Baseball Club (the Club) approved the establishment of a permanent Values and Discipline Committee (the Committee) to assist in the promotion and implementation of the Club’s recently adopted House League (HL) Code of Conduct and the adjudication of the Code and the amended HL Rules for 2006, and any other issue the President or the Executive Board deemed necessary. 

The Board believed that, at minimum, such a committee was required because specific penalties for violating the Code of Conduct are not set out in the Code and the Club wants the values implicit in the Code to become the norm of behaviour for everyone involved in the Club’s activities.  As well, the Board felt this action was appropriate because the HL Rules identify certain situations where a Values and Discipline Committee can add additional penalties to those identified in the Rules.  In addition such a committee would allow for consistent decisions. 

The Values and Discipline Committee will consist of a permanent Chair who must be a voting member of the Board and four other permanent members selected by the President from the voting members of the Board. 

Committee hearings will be convened when an issue relating to a violation of the Code of Conduct and/or the House League Rules is reported to the Board by the Vice President, House League and/or the Umpire-in-Chief and it is subsequently decided by the President that the issue should be heard by the Committee. 

Upon deciding that an issue requires a hearing, the President will ensure a Committee meeting is convened as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks from the time of notification.

The permanent members of the Values and Discipline Committee may deal with issues on their own or, if the President is informed by the Chair that a broader spectrum of opinion/expertise is required or is appropriate, then the President may, in such situations, add additional ‘interim’ members to sit on the Committee to assist in the resolution of the specific issue at hand. 

Defendant(s) will be notified of the requirement to attend the hearing and that failure to attend may result in a binding decision being levied against them.

Plaintiff(s) will be notified of the hearing and may attend and state his/her/their case or may have a written submission stand as their complaint.

Witnesses and/or anyone who may bring value to the hearing will be allowed to attend.  The Chair reserves the right to limit participation to a reasonable number of people and to limit debate to a reasonable amount of time as determined solely by the Chair.

After hearing all the evidence and conducting all due diligence, the Committee will render a decision immediately, unless circumstances dictate otherwise, in which case all efforts will be made to render a decision within one week of the time of the hearing.

Decisions will be conveyed verbally to the President, the plaintiff(s) and the defendant(s) and a written summary will be submitted to the Secretary.  The President, VP of House League and the Umpire-in-Chief will ensure that the decision is publicized to all those members who have a need to know.
 
The President, VPs and appropriate convenors and coaches will ensure that those affected by the Committee’s decisions are in full compliance with the decision.  Failure to abide by a decision of the Discipline and Values Committee will be, in itself, reason for suspension or dismissal without further recourse by the defendant(s).

Defendant(s) will have the right to appeal any decision of the Discipline and Values Committee to the President of the TBC, in the form of a “President’s Appeal”.

• A “President’s Appeal” is a submission in writing to the President
• A Presidential Appeal must be made within 48 hours of the Discipline Committee’s decision being rendered.
• The appeal is only valid if it contains new evidence, not previously known to the Committee and such determination shall be made by the Committee
• In the case of a Presidential Appeal, the Discipline and Values Committee’s decision will stand, during the course of the Appeal, pending the outcome of the Appeal

If a conflict of interest arises with any permanent member of the Committee and the issue at hand, that member will be excused and the President may select a replacement from current Board members.