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AYTON SPORTS ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION

 

CONTENTS

Rule 1             Names & Objects
Rule 2             Powers
Rule 3             Officers
Rule 3b           Trustees
Rule 4             Committee
Rule 5             Conduct of elections
Rule 6             Nominations for membership
Rule 7             Subscriptions
Rule 8             Arrears of subscription
Rule 9             List of members’ addresses
Rule 10           Cessation of membership
Rule 11           Settlement of disputes
Rule 12           Conduct of members
Rule 13           Misconduct of members
Rule 14           Temporary members
Rule 15           Life members
Rule 16           Guests
Rule 17           Hours of opening and closing
Rule 18           Permitted hours of supply of intoxicants
Rule 19           Meetings
Rule 20           Rules
Rule 21           Appointment of auditors
Rule 22           Proxies

 

Rule 1 – Name & Objects

The Society, hereinafter called the Sports Club, shall be called the Ayton Sports Association, and its objects are to carry on the business of Sports Club Proprietors in order to provide and maintain:

  1. The playing of cricket and the promotion of Forge Valley Cricket Club
  2. The playing of association football and the promotion of Ayton Football Club
  3. The playing of such other games and pastimes as are from time to time played on East and West Ayton Playing Fields
  4. Social facilities for the use and benefit of its members and such temporary members as are permitted

 

and in doing so shall remain non-political and non-sectarian.

Rule 2 – Powers

The Sports Club shall have full power to do all things necessary to expedient for the accomplishment of all objects specified in its rules, including the power to purchase, hold, sell, mortgage, rent, lease or sublease, pull down, repair, alter or otherwise deal with any building thereon.

Rule 3 – Officers

The Officers of the Sports Club shall consist of:

  1. President, Vice President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, all of whom shall have been paid-up members of the Sports Club for not less than twelve months. They shall be elected annually and shall remain in office until their successors are appointed.
  2. Secretary and Treasurer each of whom shall have been paid-up members of the Sports Club for not less that twelve months. They shall be elected every two years and shall remain in office until their successors are appointed.

 

Any of the officers shall be removable at any time provided two-thirds of the members present at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose shall vote in favour of such removal. In the event of a vacancy arising amongst the officers by resignation, death or other cause, the General Committee shall have power to elect a member to fill the vacancy until the next General Meeting. Any officer shall vacate his/her office if suspended from membership under Rule 13 or on ceasing membership from any cause. The officers of the Sports Club shall receive such honorarium, if any, as the General Committee or a General Meeting of the members may from time to time determine.

  1. Chairman      The Chairman shall take the Chair at all meetings of the Sports Club and all meetings of the General Committee held under these rules, and have a casting vote only in the event of an equality of voting.
  2. Secretary      The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the General Committee and any Sub-Committee if so directed and take minutes of the proceedings. He shall carry out the directions of the General Committee and, subject to such directions, shall receive monies on account of the Sports Club and pay the same to the Treasurer, keeping such accounts as the General Committee may direct. He shall, in the event of intoxicants being consumed in the Sports Club, keep upon the Sports Club premises a list of the names and addresses of the members of the Sports Club, and subscription book or books in which shall be recorded the payments of such members.
  3. Treasurer        The Treasurer shall pay all monies received by the Sports Club from any source whatever, and without any deduction for any purpose whatever, to the credit of an account opened in the name of the Sports Club at such bank, and in such manner as the General Committee or a General Meeting an account of any monies received and expended by him, and shall annually prepare accounts and balance sheets and submit same to the Auditors.

 

Rule 3b – Trustees

The property of the Sports Club shall be vested in Trustees. The number of Trustees shall not be more than seven or less than two. The Trustees shall be appointed by the General Committee and the property of the Sports Club shall be vested in them to be dealt with by them as the General committee may from time to time direct by resolution (of which an entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence). The Trustees and members of the General Committee shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Sports Club property. The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation or until removal from office by the General Committee. Where by reason of such death, resignation or removal it is necessary that a new Trustee or Trustees be appointed the General Committee shall nominate the person or persons to be appointed the new Trustee or Trustees. For the purpose of giving effect to such nomination the Secretary is now nominated as the person to appoint new Trustees within the meaning of the Trustees Act 1925 Section 36, and shall by deed appoint the person or persons so nominated by the General Committee. The Trustees shall be ex-officio members of the General Committee.

Rule 4 – Committee

  1. Powers of the Committee

 

The General Committee shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman. The General Committee shall comprise the Secretary, the Treasurer and 11 members over 18 years of age being four members elected by the Ayton Football Club, four members elected by the Forge valley Cricket Club and three members (hereinafter called ‘The Residue of the General Committee’) elected as herein after provided by members of the Ayton Sports Association entitled to vote. The members of the General Committee to serve for one year, all to be elected or nominated as hereinafter provided each year.

The General Committee shall control the management of the Sports Club and shall have exclusive power to engage or dismiss servants. It shall have power to purchase such articles and do all such things as it may deem necessary for carrying out the objects of the Sports Club. It shall have due regard to any resolutions or recommendations of any General or Special General Meetings, but shall not be bound to give effect to the same if, in its judgement; such action would be injurious to the best interests of the Sports Club. It shall meet once per month for general business and the Chairman or in his absence the Vice Chairman, or in his absence an elected Chairman shall preside and shall have a casting vote only. Not less than seven members of the total number of the General Committee shall form a quorum. No resolution of the General Committee shall be rescinded unless notice to rescind has been given at the previous meeting of the General Committee. The General Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees, who shall work strictly within the terms of their appointment.

 

 

  1. Retirement or cessation of membership
  1. Any member of the General Committee other than the officers mentioned in Rule 3 Section (a), not attending for three consecutive meetings of the General Committee shall, unless he/she sends an explanation, which the General Committee considers satisfactory, cease to be a member of the General Committee. Any member who is suspended under Rule 13, or who shall cease membership of the Sports Club for any reason, shall vacate his/her seat. Any vacancy so occurring or by any other cause may be filled by the General Committee from the relevant source as hereinafter defined.
  2. The General Committee, or any member or members thereof, may be removed by a majority of two-thirds of the members present at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose, called in accordance with Rule 19 (2) (b) of these rules. In the event of the removal or resignation of the whole or the majority of the General Committee, the Secretary shall obtain propositions, appoint scrutinisers and arrange for holding a ballot, and the result shall be declared to a Special General meeting to be called by the Secretary. The time and notices required by Rule 19 for Special General Meetings shall not apply to this case, but three days shall be allowed for propositions. The ballot shall be held on the succeeding three days and the Special General meeting within three days of the close of the ballot.
  3. Any member or members of the General Committee who ceases or cease to be a member or members thereof either through reason of resignation or removal in accordance with sub clauses (a) and (b) above shall be replaced only by a member or members (as the case may be) from the same source. In the case of such member or members being part of the residue of the General Committee (as hereinbefore defined) they shall be replaced by members elected in accordance with Rule 5.
  4. The General Committee, or any officer authorised by them, shall have the power to give orders for such goods to be supplied, and work to be done, as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of the Sports Club. But noting in this rule shall empower the General Committee to incur expenditure except such as is consistent with the purposes for which the Sports Club is established. No officer of the Sports Club shall, by virtue of his/her appointment, have power to order goods or dispose of the funds of the Sports Club. No goods or labour shall be supplied, nor any contracts entered into for work to be done for the Sports Club by any member of the General or any Sub-Committee who is not a duly appointed officer of the Sports Club authorised by the General Committee as aforesaid nor any office of salary or profit or remuneration to be held by any member of the General Committee.

 

Rule 5 – Conduct of elections

  1. Nominations The election of officers and the residue of the General Committee shall be by ballot. At least three weeks before any ballot a nomination sheet shall be posted in the Sports Club by the Secretary on which the names of any candidates for any office must be entered. No member shall be eligible for nomination until he/she has signified his/her agreement to stand, and until he/she shall have been a member for at least twelve calendar months, and he/she must be proposed and seconded by two paid-up members who must themselves sign the nomination and have been paid-up members for at least twelve calendar months.
  2. Scrutinisers    The ballot shall be under the direction of the General Committee by two Scrutinisers, appointed by the General Committee, who shall not be candidates, officers or members of the General Committee.
  3. Ballots – When held Ballots shall be held during the weeks previous to the Annual General Meeting and the result announced at the meeting.
  4. Ballots – Who may vote      Each paid-up member of the Sports Club, shall have one vote for each vacancy, but no member may give more than one vote to anyone. (Clarification from the General Committee: Each paid-up family member will have one vote for the husband and one vote for the spouse or partner)
  5. Equal voting  Should the ballot result in two or more candidates receiving an equal number of votes, the names of such candidates shall be written on slips of paper which shall be placed so that the names are concealed and the President, or in his absence some person appointed by the Scrutinisers, shall then draw as many slips as there are vacancies to be filled and the names so drawn shall be declared duly elected.
  6. Scrutiny          The Scrutinisers shall, at the conclusion of the ballot, seal up the ballot papers and hand them to the Secretary who shall retain them for seven days. A scrutiny shall take place if a written demand be presented to the Secretary within seven days from the close of the ballot, signed by not less than one-tenth of the members of the Sports Club, and the scrutiny shall be carried out by two fresh Scrutinisers to be named by the General Committee.

 

Rule 6 –Nomination

  1. A candidate for membership must complete an application form. He/she must be proposed and seconded by one paid-up member and one General Committee member who must themselves have been members of the Sports Club for a period of not less than twelve calendar months. Both the proposer and the seconder must be able from personal knowledge to vouch for his/her respectability and fitness to be a member. He/she must sign (if any) such declaration of his/her concurrence with, and adherence to the purpose of the Sports Club as shall be required by the General Committee. The election shall be by the General Committee and no candidate shall be elected who is less than eighteen years of age. The name and address of the candidate with the name of the proposer and seconder shall be posted in the Sports Club for at least two days before the day on which his/her name is submitted for election.
  2. No person shall be admitted to membership, or be admitted as a candidate for membership to any of the privileges of membership, without an interval of at least two days between nomination or application for membership and admission, nor may any person becoming a member without prior nomination or application be admitted to the privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between becoming a member and admission.

 

Rule 7 – Subscriptions

Every member shall  pay to the funds of the Sports Club by way of annual subscription such sum as shall from time to time be set by the General Committee provided that such annual subscription shall not be increased unless and until such increase has been approved by the members of the Sports Club in General Meeting. All annual subscriptions shall be payable within 28 days of the date notified by the Treasurer as being the due date for payment.

Rule 8 – Arrears of subscription

Any member who has not paid his/her subscription within the period specified in Rule 7 shall cease to be a member, and his/her name shall be erased from the list of members.

 

Rule 9 – List of members’ addresses

The General Committee shall, in the event of intoxicants being consumed in the Sports Club, keep thereat a list of the names and addresses of members. Every member shall, within 14 days, give notice to the Secretary of any change of his/her address.

Rule 10 – Cessation of membership

Members shall cease to be members:

  1. By non-payment of subscription
  2. By expulsion, or
  3. By resignation, but any member wishing to resign must send written notice to this effect to the Secretary

 

Rule 11 – Settlement of disputes

All disputes between a member and an officer of the Sports Club, unless the General Committee elect to refer the matter directly to a Special Meeting, shall be settled by the General Committee. The decision of the General Committee shall be final unless any party aggrieved thereby shall within seven days, produce to the Secretary a requisition signed by one-seventh of the members and satisfy other conditions mentioned in Rule 20 section (2), whereupon the decision shall be reviewed by the Special meeting to be accordingly summoned.

Rule 12 – Conduct of members

No gambling, drunkenness, bad language or other misconduct shall be permitted on the Sports Club premises. Any member offending under this rule shall be dealt with by the General Committee under Rule 13. Any member or temporary member who contravenes or attempts to contravene this section shall be excluded from membership of the club. The President or Secretary shall have power to order withdrawal of any member offending under any of the heads specified in this rule from the Sports Club premises, and such member shall have no right of re-entering the Sports Club premises until summoned to meet the Committee as provided in Rule 13. If the next ordinary meeting of the General Committee be within less than three days, such member may claim to appear before them and have his/her case dealt with, waving the length of notice required by the said Rule 13.

Rule 13 – Misconduct of members

The General Committee shall have power to reprimand, suspend or expel any member who shall infringe any rule, or whose conduct, whether within or without the Sports Club shall, in their opinion, render him/her unfit for membership, but no member, unless convicted of an offence by a court of summary jurisdiction or other court, shall be suspended or expelled without being first summoned before the General Committee to explain his/her conduct and an opportunity given to advance a defence, nor unless two-thirds at least of the General Committee then present shall vote for his/her suspension or expulsion. Every member so summoned shall (unless he/she shall elect to waive his/her right to receive notice), receive at least three clear days notice in writing from the Secretary. Such notice shall contain a statement of the charge brought against him/her. A suspended member shall forfeit all his/her rights and privileges under these rules during suspension, but shall remain liable to pay his/her annual subscription.

Rule 14 – Temporary members

Visiting friends or relations of a member may be admitted as temporary members on payment of 50p per week, provided that there is an interval of at least two days between their nomination and admission to membership. Temporary members shall have the same rights and privileges and be subject to the same rules and byelaws as full members, except that they must not vote at any meetings of the Sports Club, be supplied with excisable goods for consumption off the premises, or introduce visitors. The General Committee shall have power to refuse the admission of temporary members in such cases and to limit their admission to such times and parts of the Sports Club premises as they may deem necessary in the interests of the Sports Club. The number of temporary members at any one time shall not exceed ten per cent of the total membership. Temporary membership applies to social/recreation us of the bar facilities only.

Rule 15 Life members

The General Committee shall have the power to appoint life memberships to such persons, as they shall in their absolute discretion think right and proper. Following appointment such life members shall be entitled to all the privileges of membership without paying the annual subscription or any special payment for such life membership but shall otherwise be subject to the rules of the Sports Club.

Rule 16 – Guests

A member may personally introduce friends as his/her guests but no person shall be so introduced more than twice in any one quarter, and no member may introduce more than two friends at any one time. The visitor and the member introducing him/her shall sign their names in a book kept for that purpose. No member shall be entitled to introduce a visitor to the Sports Club during the hours when licensed premises are by law closed in the locality. The following shall not be admitted as visitors:

  1. Former members who have been expelled or
  2. Former members who have ceased to be members under clauses (a) or (b) of Rule 10.

 

Members must accompany guests introduced by them during the period of they stay in the Sports Club.

Associate members may be admitted to the Sports Club and do not need to be signed in as a guest of a member. An associate member is a person or persons who are members of a recognised Private Members Club which itself has been issued with a Club Premises Certificate issued under the Licensing Act 2003.

Rule 17 – Hours of opening and closing

The Sports Club shall be open and closed at such hours as may from time to time be fixed by the General Committee and posted in the Sports Club.

Rule 18 – Permitted hours for supply of intoxicants

As agreed under the Club Premises Certificate issued under the Licensing Act 2003.

Rule 19 – Meetings

  1. General Meetings   A General Meeting of the Sports Club members shall be held in each year, on a date to be fixed by the General Committee, of which at least fourteen days notice with an agenda of the business to be conducted at such meeting shall be posted in the Sports Club. The business of such meeting shall be to receive a statement of accounts and balance sheet and the report of the auditors for the previous twelve months, and such other business as my be submitted by the General Committee. Any member who shall have given due notice of a motion he/she proposes to make, shall submit it, duly seconded and in writing. To the Secretary at least ten days before the date of such meeting. The first Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than twelve months from the commencement of the first full calendar year of business of the Sports Club.
  2. Special General Meetings            A Special General Meeting shall be called by the Secretary in the following cases:
  3. Upon direction of the General Committee and in accordance with such directions
  4. On a requisition, signed by one-seventh of the members. Such meetings shall be held within not less than fourteen, and not more than twenty-one days from the date of receipt by the Secretary of the requisition
  5. As mentioned in Rule 4 section (b).
  6. Notice to be given  Notice of any Special General Meeting, and of the object for which it is called, shall be posted by the Secretary in the Sports Club at least twenty-one days prior to the date of the meeting, except in the case of a Special General Meeting called by the Secretary under the provisions of Rule 4 section (b). Should the Secretary not convene a Special General Meeting in the manner required hereby for seven clear days after a duly signed requisition has been delivered to him/her, any of the requisitionists may call such meeting, given such notice as is provided by this rule.
  7. Business         No other business than that named in the notice shall be brought before a Special General Meeting.
  8. Quorum         A General or Special General Meeting may proceed to business if 20 members are present within one hour after the time fixed for the meeting, otherwise the meeting, if a Special General Meeting convened on requisition of the members, shall be dissolved, but if a meeting or Special General Meeting convened by order of the General Committee, it shall stand adjourned to the week following at the same time, and the meeting so adjourned may proceed to business whatever be the number of members present. No meeting shall become incompetent to transact business from the want of a quorum arising after the Chair has been taken.
  9. Adjournment            Any General or Special General Meeting duly constituted may adjourn to such time as the members present direct, and may continue any such adjournment from time to time. No business shall be brought on at any adjournment meeting, which could not have been transacted at the original meeting.
  10. Rescinding resolutions        No resolution passed by a General or Special General Meeting shall be rescinded unless notice to propose rescission shall have been given at least 14 days prior to a subsequent General or Special General Meeting.

 

 

 

 

Rule 20 – Rules

  1. The Secretary shall be supplied by the General Committee with copies of the rules and shall be bound to deliver a copy to any person on demand on such payment, (not exceeding 50p) as the General Committee may from time to time determine.
  2. The rules may be amended only at a General or Special General Meeting called for that purpose, but notice of any proposed amendment shall be posted in the Sports Club at least 14 days previous to the meeting to which the amendment is to be submitted, and any amendment must be supported by the votes of at least 50% of those members who under these rules may attend and vote at such meeting.

 

Rule 21 – Appointing of Auditors

The Sports Club in Annual General Meeting shall appoint suitable qualified independent Auditors.

Rule 22 – Proxies

Each member shall be given the opportunity of voting at each Annual and or Special General Meeting by appointing a proxy. The Secretary shall be required to notify each member of his/her right thereto when giving notice of the date of the Annual and/or Special general Meeting and any member wishing to appoint a proxy shall notify the Secretary of such appointment not less than 48 hours before the date of such meeting by filing with him/her notice of such appointment in writing.