MCSAA Constitution

Updated April 2026

Table of Contents

Article 1 - Name Of Organization

1.1. The name of the association shall be the "Manitoba Catholic Schools Athletic

Association" hereinafter referred to as the MCSAA.

Article 2 - Objectives

2.1. Philosophical Objectives

2.1.1. We, the MCSAA, believe that the purpose of Athletics is to accentuate our Christian values

and the integral formation of the human person through:

2.1.1.1. The promotion of sportsmanship

2.1.1.2. The development of fitness and physical well being

2.1.1.3. Facilitating participatory activities

2.1.1.4. Supplementing the Physical Education Curriculum

2.1.1.5. Fostering fair and enjoyable athletic interaction

2.1.2. Vision for Fair Play, Growth, and Safety in the MCSAA

As a league rooted in Catholic values, we are committed to fostering an environment where all students, regardless of skill level, have the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop their abilities in a fair, safe, and supportive setting. Guided by the virtues of fairness, integrity, humility, and respect, the MCSAA provides emerging athletes with meaningful game experience, skill-building opportunities, and a positive space to cultivate teamwork, sportsmanship, and a love for the game. To uphold the spirit of the league, we have the expectation that all school needs to commit to:

• Honesty and Integrity – Placing athletes in divisions that align with their skill level and

experience, ensuring fairness and appropriate competition.

• Humility and Growth – Encouraging ethical decision-making that prioritizes development

over winning.

• Respect for All – Upholding the purpose of the MCSAA allowing space for new and

growing athletes to thrive.

• Inclusion and Community – Promoting an atmosphere of encouragement, where all

players have the opportunity to contribute and improve.

• Stewardship and Care – Ensuring player safety by fostering balanced competition,

preventing mismatches that could lead to injury, and prioritizing the well-being of all participants.

• Justice and Equity – Creating balanced lineups that allow all players to participate

meaningfully, ensuring fair distribution of skill levels within teams and providing equal playing time whenever possible to maximize development and competitive equity. By embracing these Catholic values and virtues, we ensure that our league remains a place where every student-athlete has a fair and safe chance to develop, grow in character, and reflect Christ’s love through sportsmanship and teamwork. Coaches and athletic directors in the MCSAA are to use these values to guide them when making decisions about their athletic programs.

2.2. Specific Operational Objectives

2.2.1. The organization and administration of all MCSAA inter-school sporting activities.

2.2.2. The co-ordination of athletic activities under the jurisdiction of MCSAA with respect to:

2.2.2.1. Facilities

2.2.2.2. Time tabling

2.2.2.3. By-laws and regulations

2.2.2.4. Officiating

2.2.2.5. Coaching and supervision

2.2.2.6. Introduction of new activities

Article 3 - Structure Of Organization

3.1. General Structure – Schematic

3.1.1. Manitoba Catholic Schools (MCS) Archdiocese of Winnipeg, Archdiocese of St. Boniface,

Archeparchy of Winnipeg

3.1.2. MCS Superintendent and Principals.

3.1.3. MCSAA Directorship

3.1.4. General Council

3.2. MCSAA Directorship

3.2.1. The Directorship of the MCSAA shall be composed of a committee consisting of:

3.2.1.1. The President of the MCSAA

3.2.1.2. The Vice-President of the MCSAA

3.2.1.3. The Representative of Associate Schools

3.2.1.4. The Secretary-Treasurer of the MCSAA

3.2.1.5. The Superintendent of MCS

3.2.1.6. Two Principals appointed by the MCS Superintendent.

3.2.1.7. The Past President of MCSAA

3.2.1.8 Male representative Member at Large

3.2.1.9 Female representative Member at Large

3.3. MCSAA General Council

3.3.1. The MCSAA General Council shall be composed of the Directorship and one representative

from each MCSAA member school.

Article 4 - Membership

4.1. Membership

4.1.1. Membership shall include all Manitoba Catholic Middle Year Schools who submit the annual

September membership fee. Participation in individual events will be up to an individual school’s discretion.

4.1.2. All other Manitoba Catholic Elementary Schools will be considered special members and

shall be granted the right to participate in activities designed for their age group. No membership fees will be assessed.

4.2. Associate Membership

4.2.1. Associate membership shall also be open to non-Manitoba Catholic member schools

provided that:

4.2.1.1. Associate Schools submit the Associate School Application Form to the MCSAA

Directorship along with evidence of child protection policy and liability insurance to begin the application process.

4.2.1.2. They meet and abide by the conditions listed in this Constitution.

4.2.1.3. Their application is approved by the MCSAA Directorship.

4.2.1.4. Their application is approved by the MCS Principals.

4.2.1.5. They pay the annual September membership fee.

4.2.1.6. The number of Associate Schools must not exceed 40% of the overall teams in the

MCSAA.

4.2.2. Application Review Procedure

4.2.2.1. Upon receipt of an application for associate membership, the Superintendent shall

convene a meeting of the MCSAA Directorship to review the application.

4.2.2.2. Upon receiving the MCSAA approval, the Superintendents shall present the

application to the next regular meeting of the MCS Principals for a final decision.

4.2.3. Associate Membership Renewal

4.2.3.1. Associate Membership shall be automatically renewed annually unless revoked

through the review process.

4.2.4. Associate Membership Review Process

4.2.4.1. Should the continued status of an associate member school be questioned, the

MCSAA Directorship shall:

4.2.4.1.1. Investigate the expressed concerns.

4.2.4.1.2. Attempt to mediate the differences. Should these concerns remain unsolved,

the Directorship is empowered to recommend to the Superintendent and MCS Principals, the non-renewal of an Associate Member’s status.

4.2.4.1.3. The decision regarding renewal shall occur no later than June 1st of a particular

year.

4.2.4.1.4. The associate school shall be informed of the review process and shall be

informed of the MCSAA decision in writing.

4.2.5. Present "Associate" Schools

4.2.5.1. Member schools participating in inter-school athletics with Manitoba Catholic member

schools at the onset of this Constitution shall receive Associate Member status. These schools being Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, Balmoral Hall School and Linden Christian School.

Article 5 - Operating Expenses

5.1. All expenses of operating the Association shall be taken care of by the school annual fees.

School annual fees shall be recommended to principals each year by the Association through the office of the Superintendent.

Article 6 - Organizational Responsibilities And Specific Duties

6.1. MCSAA General Council

6.1.1. Convening of General Council

6.1.1.1. The council shall convene annually in a general meeting no later than April 30th.

6.1.2. Notification of Annual General Meeting

6.1.2.1. The Directorship shall notify member schools of the Annual General

Meeting no later than two weeks prior to the meeting.

6.1.3. Election of Directorship Members:

6.1.3.1. The President, Vice President, Members at Large, and Member of Associate Schools

shall be elected at the MCSAA Annual General Meeting.

6.1.3.2. All Directorship Members will serve for a term of five years, with the possibility for

renewal.

6.1.4. Sports Convenorship

6.1.4.1. Annually at the AGM, the Sports Convenorship shall be reviewed and revised.

6.2. Directorship

6.2.1. Only representatives from Manitoba Catholic Schools may serve on the Directorship.

6.2.2. Responsibilities of elected members:

6.2.2.1. President - It shall be the duty of the President to:

6.2.2.1.1. Preside at Directorship, Sports and Council meetings of the MCSAA.

6.2.2.1.2. Annually, in April, prepare a schedule of dates for specific sports meetings.

6.2.2.1.3. Contact the Sports Convenor at least one month prior to commencement of a

sport in order to establish an agenda for a specific sports meeting.

6.2.2.1.4. Maintain Convenor rotation sheet.

6.2.2.1.5. Ensure the establishment and maintenance of specific sports Convenor files.

6.2.2.1.6. Call and chair all Directorship meetings.

6.2.2.2. Vice-President - It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to:

6.2.2.2.1. Assist the President in fulfilling his/her duties.

6.2.2.2.2. Discharge the president's duties in his/her absence.

6.2.2.2.3. Undertake such responsibilities as are assigned from time to time by the

Directorship.

6.2.2.2.4. Be responsible for all revision and updating of the MCSAA Constitution and By-

laws.

6.2.2.3. Representative of Associate Schools - It shall be the duty of the Representative of

Associate Schools to:

6.2.2.3.1. Liaison between the MCSAA Directorship and the Associate Schools.

6.2.2.4. Secretary-Treasurer - It shall be the duty of the Secretary/Treasurer to:

6.2.2.4.1. Attend all Directorship, Sports and Council meetings.

6.2.2.4.2. Record the minutes of all Directorship, Sports and Council meetings.

6.2.2.4.3. Be the official custodian of all records and minutes.

6.2.2.4.4. Distribute the minutes.

6.2.2.4.5. Keep an accurate record of all moneys.

6.2.2.4.6. Prepare, present and report at each scheduled Directorship meeting a current

financial report, and also, a year-end financial report at the Annual General Meeting.

6.2.2.4.7. Provide a cost budget of all activities from September to June.

6.2.3. Responsibilities of appointed members:

6.2.3.1. Superintendent - It shall be the duty of the Superintendent to:

6.2.3.1.1. Participate fully in the operations of the MCSAA Directorship.

6.2.3.1.2. Provide a ‘system wide’ input into the operation of the MCSAA.

6.2.3.1.3. Represent the Manitoba Catholic Schools on the Directorship.

6.2.3.1.4. Annually appoint two principals as members of the Directorship.

6.2.3.1.5. Appoint a Past President to the Directorship.

6.2.3.1.6. Provide the president and secretary with a list of all the member school Physical

Education representative.

6.2.3.2. Principals - It shall be the duty of the Principals to:

6.2.3.2.1. Provide liaison with Manitoba Catholic School principals.

6.2.3.2.2. Promotion of administrative co-operation in the area of inter-school athletics.

6.2.3.2.3. Provide continuity of Directorship operation.

6.2.3.2.4. Participate fully in all functions and operations of the Directorship.

6.2.3.3. Past President - It shall be the duty of the Past-President to:

6.2.3.3.1. Attend all Directorship meetings as a voting member.

6.2.3.3.2. Provide assistance to the President when required.

6.2.3.3.3. Prepare a slate of candidates for the annual election.

6.2.3.3.4. Keep a record and inventory of trophies for all sports.

6.2.3.4. Members at Large (Male & Female) - It shall be the duty of the Members at Large to:

6.2.3.4.1. Attend all Directorship meetings as a voting member.

6.2.3.4.2. Undertake such responsibilities as are assigned from time to time by the

Directorship.

6.2.4. Convenor Responsibilities:

6.2.4.1. Each Convenor shall have responsibility for a particular school sport, subject to the

Constitution and by-laws adopted by the MCSAA.

6.2.4.2. All Convenorship positions shall be assigned to the member schools and associate

member schools on a rotational basis for a period of two years.

6.2.4.3. Exchanges of Convenor responsibilities outside of the rotation order must be made at

the Annual General Meeting in April and the Directorship notified.

6.2.4.4. The Convenor positions shall be drawn from the MCSAA member schools and

associate member schools.

6.2.4.5. The Convenor(s) of each league shall present to the Directorship a written Annual

Report, including a financial statement where applicable, as soon as possible after the completion of their activity season.

6.2.4.6. A copy of the annual reports shall be distributed at the AGM to all members and

associate members of the MCSAA.

6.2.4.7. The Convenors file shall contain the following information:

6.2.4.7.1. MCSAA Constitution

6.2.4.7.2. By-laws

6.2.4.7.3. List of participating teams.

6.2.4.7.4. Individual team roster with name, grade and age signed by the principal.

6.2.4.7.5. League and tournament schedule.

6.2.4.7.6. Annual report containing:

6.2.4.7.6.1. Order of finish

6.2.4.7.6.2. Trophies awarded

6.2.4.7.6.3. Highlights, successes

6.2.4.7.6.4. Difficulties, failures

6.2.4.7.6.5. Personnel deserving credit

6.2.4.7.6.6. Recommendations for the future

6.2.4.7.6.7. Name of succeeding Convenor

6.2.4.7.7. MCSAA Convenorship Schedule: See By-Laws Appendix A

Article 7 - Procedures

7.1. Annual Meeting of General Council

7.1.1. Frequency and Order of Business

7.1.1.1. An annual meeting shall be held in April of each school year. The annual meeting shall

include:

7.1.1.1.1. Acceptance of minutes of last meeting

7.1.1.1.2. Business arising from the minutes

7.1.1.1.3. A declaration of succeeding Convenors

7.1.1.1.4. Distribution of Convenor files by the President

7.1.1.1.5. Election of Directorship

7.1.1.1.6. Amendments to the By-Laws

7.1.1.1.7. Unfinished business

7.1.1.1.8. New business

7.1.2. Notification of Annual Meeting

7.1.2.1. Notice of meeting including agenda, must be sent out by the President two weeks prior

to scheduled date.

7.1.2.2. Notice of the meeting shall be provided to the principals' committee by t he

superintendent at the March principals' meeting to enable staff members to be free to attend on the day of the AGM.

7.1.2.3. Member and Associate schools shall be required to send one representative to the

AGM. Schools sending more than representative must designate an official spokesperson.

7.1.3. Quorum

7.1.3.1. Two thirds of all member schools shall be required for a quorum.

7.1.4. Voting Procedures

7.1.4.1. A simple majority of all member schools present shall be required to determine a

question unless otherwise governed by the Constitution.

7.1.4.2. Each member school shall be granted one vote on any question.

7.1.5. Special Meeting

7.1.5.1. A special meeting of the MCSAA may be convened by the Directorship.

7.2. Directorship

7.2.1. Frequency of meetings

7.2.1.1. The Directorship shall meet no less than 3 times in a calendar year.

7.2.2. Notification of meetings

7.2.2.1. The President shall be responsible to call all Directorship meetings. A

simple phone contact one week in advance of the meeting shall be required.

7.2.3. Quorum

7.2.3.1.75 % of all Directors will be required for Quorum.

7.2.4. Voting Rights

7.2.4.1. A simple majority vote of those present will be required to pass a motion.

7.3. Specific Sports Meetings

7.3.1. Meeting Dates

7.3.1.1. Dates for sports meeting will be set in April for the upcoming year by the MCSAA

President. These dates will be included in the Superintendent's Calendar of Events.

7.3.2. Notification of Meetings

7.3.2.1. The President shall instruct the sports Convenor to prepare and circulate an agenda

for the sports meeting no later than 2 weeks prior to the meeting date.

7.3.3. Quorum

7.3.3.1. Quorum shall consist of 50% of all the schools present.

7.3.4. Voting Procedure

7.3.4.1. A simple 50% majority will be required to enact a motion, except where the changing

of a specific sports by-law is concerned. This is governed by Article 9.1.5.1.

7.3.5. Participation

7.3.5.1. Schools who choose not to acknowledge a specific sports meeting will be excluded

from that sporting activity for the season.

7.3.6. Distribution of Minutes

7.3.6.1. Minutes of all meetings shall be circulated to all principals and school sports

representatives.

7.3.7. Rules of Order

7.3.7.1. Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the operation of all meetings.

Article 8 - Constitutional Amendments

8.1. Constitutional Amendments

8.1.1. Notification

8.1.1.1. Proposed amendments to the Constitution must be submitted to the Directorship .

Once submitted, amendments would be passed on to the Superintendent, who would take it to the MCS Principals for voting.

8.1.2. Voting Procedure

8.1.2.1. Changes to the Constitution require 75% support of the MCS Principals.

8.1.3.2. Each school is allowed one vote.

8.1.3. Constitutional Updates: The Constitution must be updated within 10 days of any changes

made and published online as well as emailed to all Phys. Ed. Representatives. It is the Presidents’ or the President’s delegate responsibility to update any changes that are put into place.

Article 9 - By-Law Amendments

9.1. The MCSAA By-Laws shall govern all MCSAA inter-school activities.

9.1.1. Proposals for changes to Volleyball By-Laws must be in writing and submitted to the

president (and participating schools) 1 week prior to the Volleyball meeting for inclusion in the agenda.

9.1.2. Proposals for changes to Basketball, Badminton and Track & Field By-Laws must be in

writing and submitted to the President (and participating schools) 2 weeks prior to the sports meeting for inclusion in the agenda.

9.1.3. Proposal for changes to all other By-laws or new By-Laws must be submitted in writing to the

President Directorship 4 weeks prior to the AGM.

9.1.4. The Directorship shall review all proposals outlined in 9.1.1.-9.1.3. Consideration will be

given to the objectives of the organization as outlined in Article 2 of this Constitution as well as MCS policy and guidelines. The Directorship maintains the right to amend or not bring forward By-Law proposals that are contrary to the objectives of MCSAA or MCS policy or guidelines. The Superintendent will be consulted and will have final authority over interpretation of MCS policy and guidelines.

9.1.5. Voting Procedures

9.1.5.1. 75% of all participating schools present will be required to amend MCSAA By -Laws.

9.1.6. By-Law Updates: The By-Laws must be updated within 10 days of any changes made and

published online as well as emailed to all Phys. Ed. Representatives. It is the Presidents’ or the President’s delegate responsibility to update any changes that are put into place .

Approval

This Constitution shall replace all previous Constitutions and be enforced upon approval.

Approved by the Directorship

Date: April 23, 2026

President: Leanne Langstaff

Vice-President: Matt Eichel

Approved by the MCS Superintendent and Principals

Date: April 23, 2026

Superintendent: Robert Praznik

Principal Rep.: Jean Gilbert

Principal Rep.: Gerald Marion

Appendix A - Associate School Application Form

(PDF Fillable Forms Available www.mcsaa.ca)

MCSAA Associate Membership Application

Name of School: ___________________________________________

Size of School: # of Grades 6-8 Girls: ________ # of Grades 6-8 Boys: ________

School within Winnipeg city limits (within 5 km)? Yes No

Facilities to Host Volleyball and Basketball? Yes No

Staffing/Refereeing to be able to run program efficiently? Yes No

Child Protection Policy Yes No

(Must be submitted with application)

Liability Insurance Yes No

(Must be submitted with application)

Reason for Application to join MCSAA:

____________________________ _____________________

Athletic Director Signature Date

____________________________ ______________________

Administration Signature Date

Important Dates & Notes

Understanding of Manitoba Catholic School Policies & Directives.

Associate Schools must submit liability insurance & criminal record checks/child abuse registry to the

MCSAA at September’s Volleyball meeting prior to season play.

All MCSAA schools must follow the MCSAA Constitution in its entirety.

League Fees are due annually in September.

Associate Member Schools may not hold any executive positions on the Directorship.

Game times start between 4:00-4:15 p.m.

Application Review

By competing MCSAA Associate School Application, accepted schools must go through a

mandatory probationary period of one school sports year before application is fully complete.

Disclaimer

Should the continued status of an associate member school be questioned, the MCSAA Directorship shall:

4.2.4.1.1. Investigate the expressed concerns.

4.2.4.1.2. Attempt to mediate the differences. Should these concerns remain unresolved, the Directorship

is empowered to recommend to the Manitoba Catholic Schools Principals, the non–renewal of an Associate

Member's status.

4.2.4.1.3. The decision regarding renewal shall occur no later than June 1st of a particular year.

4.2.4.1.4. The associate school shall be informed of the review process and shall be informed of the

MCSAA decision in writing.

MCSAA approval: Yes No

MCSAA President Signature: _______________________ Date: ____________

MCS Principals’ approval: Yes No

MCS Superintendent’s approval: Yes No

MCS Superintendent’s Signature: ____________________ Date: ____________

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