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Scunthorpe and District Athletic Club Constitution
As amended on 7th November 2010 after the conclusion of the 2010 AGM
The name of the club shall be the Scunthorpe and District Athletic Club, hereafter referred to as 'The Club'. The title of the Club shall be used by all members. When completing event entry forms the title may be truncated to 'Scunthorpe and District AC'.
Aims and objectives
a). to encourage participation in, and the development of, all forms of athletics, through the provision of training and competitive opportunities.
b). to provide suitably qualified coaches and officials to enable such training and competition to take place.
c). to ensure that the Club operates within the rules of the national governing body for athletics, and any relevant statutory legal requirements.
d). to maintain funds for such purpose
e). The Club is a non-profit making organisation. All profits and surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the services offered to its members. No profit or surplus will be distributed other than to another non-profit making body, or to members of the Club on winding up or dissolution of the Club.
In pursuance of such objectives the club may associate or affiliate with such bodies as may, from time to time, appear necessary or desirable to the main Executive Committee of the Club.
Headquarters
The Club shall nominate an address for use as a correspondence address. In the absence of another extant address, it will be taken as the home or otherwise notified, address of the Club Secretary. A record of such official Club addresses will be maintained
Management of the club
The overall management of the Club shall be vested in an Athletic Club Executive Committee elected annually. All elected Committee members are unpaid volunteers and have an honorary status.
The Committee shall comprise:
President (Discretionary - To be filled only by a person who will bring exceptional qualities or greatly enhance the Club's reputation e.g. an Olympian resident within the area.
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Club Development Auditors
Club Captain (the link between the 2 sections of Road and Track & Field)
2 x Coach Representatives (1 x Road and 1 x T&F)
4 x Member representatives (2 x Road and 2 x T&F)
Web Officer
Communications, Press and Publicity Officer
CRB and Licences Officer
Coach Development Officer
The Club shall operate a Track and Field Section, and a Road and Endurance Running Section. Separate administrative and financial arrangements will be operated by each section, each to be overseen by an elected management committee. Such management committees shall elect annually, those officers necessary to oversee the effective provision of training and competition within their areas of Athletics; to accept membership applications; to manage funds for these purposes; to elect representatives to the main Executive committee, as detailed above. Such section committees to meet at least four times annually and to hold an Annual General Meeting where elections shall be held and reports from the Section Officers considered.
Honorary Vice-Presidents
It is accepted Club etiquette that any Chairman, President or main Officer would be proposed for this honour to mark exceptional contributions including long service. It should not be an automatic entitlement.
Athletic Club Committee
The Committee shall meet as requested but at least three times annually, the Secretary to give seven days written notice of meetings accompanied by an agenda. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman, or acting chairman, shall have the casting vote.
Decisions made by the Executive Committee would be expected to be adhered to by the two Sections, but are not binding. Where a Section disputes a decision made the matter shall be resolved by a vote taken at a Special General Meeting or the Annual General Meeting.
Membership
Membership shall be open to any person who is aged at least eight years. The Club shall maintain a record of all paid up members, including second claim status, and any matters relevant to the health or safety of a member. Such records to be accessible by a nominated and approved person at all training sessions and at all Club home and away athletics meetings. At all other times such information is to be held in a secure manner and not made available to other parties accept on application and as approved by section management committees.
Application for membership shall be made on the approved form, which shall include a declaration of amateur status; a verifiable address; notification of any existing health conditions or impairments.
Applications by persons under sixteen years of age must also be signed by a parent or legal guardian. All applications are subject to consideration by a member of a Section Management Committee. Any objection from a paid up club member to any membership application shall be referred to the Section Management Committee. Where substantive doubts are confirmed, the matter shall be considered by the Club Executive Committee who may accept, decline or accept provisionally such applications. All membership applications that are declined shall be notified in writing to the applicant, within fourteen days of the decision made. Full reasons should be given, unless this would significantly injure the interests of an existing member(s).
Membership shall not become effective until the full subscription, applicable for that financial year, has been paid or, in particular cases, an arrangement for payment, approved by a Section Management Committee, has been put in place.
Applications for Second Claim membership, as currently defined by the national governing body for Athletics, will be accepted. Additionally, non-competitive and training members will be accepted. Qualified coaches, Honorary Vice Presidents/Life Members, and management committee members, will also be accepted, automatically on application.
Honorary Vice Presidents/Life Members and Committee Members are exempt from payment of the annual membership fee. Committee Members who participate in athletics training or competition are required to pay the UK Athletics and Club training fees.
Membership renewal subscriptions shall fall due on 1st April each year. A period of thirty days grace will be granted to allow for holidays, business absences, illness etc.
With effect from 1st May all overdue membership renewals will be changed to 'social status' effectively barring those members from competing on behalf of the Club. Management of ‘social status’ shall be the responsibility of Section Managers.
Membership of the club shall cease when:
a) a renewal subscription is overdue by a period of two months i.e., 31st May. No notification will be made to the defaulting members. Should any person wish to rejoin the Club during the membership year (April - March) in which their membership has lapsed, then the full rate of membership subscription shall apply. Membership will not automatically be accepted if there is a waiting list for membership in their age group/discipline.
b). a member tenders a written notice of resignation to the Club Secretary. The effective date of cessation shall be the date of so tendering.
c). the Executive Committee adjudges the behaviour of a member to be prejudicial to the health, safety or reputation of the Club or its members. The Club Secretary shall notify the member appropriately.
Section heads are responsible for ensuring that all members are made aware of these rules by provision of a notice in Rule books or Welcome Packs.
Discipline
These matters shall be the responsibility, in the first instance, of the Section Management Committees who will put in place suitable arrangements to ensure the health, safety or reputation of the Club and its members are maintained. A suitable record shall be kept of any incidents where a member is disciplined.
Individual coaches, Team Managers, or Section Officers, may take such action as is deemed appropriate at the time of any incident, including immediate suspension of the member. All such matters must be recorded as soon as possible. In the case of violence or theft the police must be notified unless exceptional circumstances render such action as unreasonable. The Section committee should review all incidents at the earliest available time, and shall confirm, alter or cancel the action taken.
Any member has the right to appeal against disciplinary action taken within their Section. The Management Appeals Committee hears any appeal within seven days of receiving the appeal. Both sides involved in the action will be asked to attend the appeal and put their case in person. (The Management Committee will decide on the membership of the Appeals Committee).
Grievances
Any grievances must be forwarded to the Section Secretary who will raise the matter at the appropriate section committee meeting and if necessary will refer the complaint to the Club Executive Committee. No member shall take a grievance directly to the Executive Committee. When considering grievances by members the full committee shall hear both sides. Members with a personal interest shall then leave the meeting and take no part in reaching a decision. The method of voting on such matters shall be decided by the majority of members present at the meeting.
Where a member has not received satisfaction, final resolution may be sought from the full membership at a Special General or the Annual General Meeting.
Annual General Meeting
The secretary must give twenty eight days notice of the Annual General Meeting to be held in November of each year to:-
- receive written reports from Chairperson, Treasurer, Section chairmen, and Coaches representatives.
- confirm or alter club constitution
- elect officers as defined in the constitution
- Any motion to alter rule or rules or any other business for discussion must be received by the secretary fourteen days before the meeting. The secretary will supply copies to each Section, and arrange to publish it on the Club Website.
All members, having attained an age of sixteen years, shall be eligible to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting, and any Special General Meeting. Any member under this age will have their vote vested in a parent/guardian. In the case of the parent/guardian also being a member, he/she will have voting rights both in their own right and for each of the members for whom they are responsible.
Finance
The section committees shall be responsible for setting appropriate subscription levels, these being approved at the section annual general meeting. Sections shall also be responsible for the collection and timely banking of such monies, and shall elect Treasurers to oversee all receipts and expense payments, and to draw up Income and Expenditure accounts
Cheques shall be authorised by any two of four members approved by the Section Management or Athletic Club Committee. No two members from the same family shall be appointed to sign cheques.
All accounts shall be opened at recognised banks in the name of Scunthorpe and District Athletic Club.
Special General Meetings
The Secretary must call a Special General Meeting within ten days of receiving a request signed by at least six fully paid up members stating the business to be brought before the meeting. Seven days notice must be given to all fully paid up members stating the business to be dealt with, and this must be the sole business of the Special Meeting.
Club Dress
The club colours shall be blue centre panel and black side panels, divided by narrow white vertical stripes.
All members of the Club must wear the correct kit when competing in championship or inter-club competitions. They will also be encouraged to wear club kit at all open meetings.
Amendment of Rules
These rules shall not be altered or amended except by a majority of two thirds of those present at an Annual General Meeting of the Club or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
Caveat
In any matter where these rules are silent, the Executive Committee shall have total discretion as to actions to be taken. Copies of these rules will be supplied on application to the Club secretary.
This is an amended Constitution which was unanimously agreed by the Club Committee on 21st January 2009 and ratified at a Special General Meeting held on 4th March 2009. The Constitution to take effect from 7.15 p.m. Wednesday, 4th March 2009, the time and date of the conclusion of the Special General Meeting.
Further amendments:
2009 AGM:
Club Development Officer changed to Club Development Auditors
CRB and Licences Officer and Coach Development Officer added.
2010 AGM:
Club Colours Officer and Treasurer Positions were removed at the 2010 AGM
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