Belhus Cricket Club
Constitution
1 Name
The name of the club shall be Belhus Cricket Club (herinafter referred to as 'the club').
2 Membership
Membership is open to all regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social economic status. In exceptional cases, the management board may refuse or expel from membership only for good and suficient cause, sucha s conduct of character likely teh club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against such a decision may be made to a separate appeal sub-committee, no member of which will have been involved in making the initial decision and decided by a majority vote.
3 Aims
The aims and objectives of the club shall be:
- the playing of cricket
- to provide facilities for and promote participation of the whole community inthe sport of cricket
- the provision of services in a way that is fair to members
- to ensure thata ll present and future members receive fair and equal teatment
4 Headquarters
The headquarters of the club shall be North Stifford Village Cricket Ground.
5 Club Colours
The club’s colours shall be green and gold.
6 Management Board
The management board shall consist of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Club Captain, Facilities Manager, Grounds Superintendant, Youth Section Chairman and Child Welfare Officer. They shall meet on a regular basis, but on at least four occasions per annum, all decisions shall be minuted and such records shall be available, upon request, to any club member. The duties of the management board shall be to manage the affairs of the club and review the operations of the FINANCE, CRICKET, GROUNDS, YOUTH, SECRETARIAT & FACILITIES groups. Members of such groups need not necessarily be members of the management board but must be members of the club. The Chairman and Secretary may, by right, attend any group meeting. The management board has the power to decide upon any matters not contained within the club constitution.
7 Co-opting Rights
The management board has the power to co-opt members of the club onto the management board in cases considered appropriate.
8 Finances
The Treasurer shall be responsible for managing the finances of the club. An audited statement of annual accounts shall be presented by the Treasurer at the annual general meeting. The club assets shall be held at a bank, building society or any other reputable organisation as the management board may decide from time to time. Authorised signatories on all club accounts shall be any two from the Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer or other appointed officers. The income and property of the club shall be applied solely toward promoting the clubs object's as set forth in this constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly to the members of the club.
The management board shall be empowered to borrow for the purposes of the club such sums and at such rates of interest that from time to time and upon such terms and conditions that they shall consider proper. They shall be enabled to enter into such agreements providing security and guarantees to obtain such sums save that the sums borrowed are not to exceed an amount agreed by the annual general meeting of the club.
9 Annual General Meeting
Each year the club shall hold a General Meeting, notice of which shall be given to all members of the club by the Secretary not less than seven days prior to the date of such meeting. The purpose of the Annual General Meeting shall be to approve the fully audited accounts placed before the meeting and to elect a management board, along with the Chairman of Selectors, the Fixture Secretary, the Media Officer and Team Captains. The Annual General Meeting shall also elect an honorary Auditor and may approve nominations for President, Life-Members and Vice-Presidents.
10 Extraordinary General Meeting
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by, either the management board, or by a signed declaration of not less than twelve members of the club. In each case, the items to be discussed shall be placed on an agenda and such agenda, together with the formal notice of such a meeting shall be sent to all club members giving at least seven days notice. In the event of an EGM being called by a signed declaration, it shall be necessary for each of the signatories on the declaration to lodge the sum of ten pounds with the Chairman, General Secretary or Treasurer and the declaration must state which item is to be discussed. In the event of there being more than one item, a separate declaration will be required for each item.
If the decision of the EGM upholds any motion put forward by, or on behalf of, the signatories, such signatories shall be refunded such sums which they lodged prior to the meeting, otherwise all sums shall be retained by the club. The EGM shall not discuss any other business unless directed by the management board or declaration signatories.
11 Voting Rights
All members shall each be entitled to one vote at a General Meeting if a member thereof. The Chairman shall have the casting vote.
12 Quorum
If a General meeting or management board meeting has less than five members present, no business shall be transacted.
13 Annual Subscriptions
Annual subscriptions shall become due on the 1st January each year. Members who have not paid their Annual subscription by 1st June in the same year shall be deemed to have resigned from the club and shall have no rights to selection or any other rights that they otherwise may have had as a club member. Any member deemed to have resigned under this clause shall not, for any subsequent year, be re-selected or re-invited to apply for membership, nor have any membership application accepted without first having paid, in full, any annual subscription considered outstanding. Membership of the club does not guarantee playing or coaching opportunity, nor guarantee any achievement or performance level arising from any such activity.
14 Home Fixtures
The club shall play its home fixtures at North Stifford Village Green. However, the management board has the power to approve other venues as it sees fit.
15 Affiliations
The club shall affiliate by means of payment of Annual General Subscription to the bodies of the Club Cricket Conference and the England and Wales Cricket Board. The club shall also be members of the South Essex District Cricket Board. The management board reserves the right to join other organisations if deemed to be in the club’s best interests.
16 Dissolution
A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership. Any assets of the club shall become the property of a registered charity with similar objectives and constitution. Currently, the transfer of assets in accordance with this article would pass to ‘The Essex Association of Boys Club’ – Registered Charity number 301447.
17 England and Wales Cricket Board Policy
The club shall comply at all times with the ECB’s latest ‘Safe Hands, Welfare of Young People in Cricket’ policy and ensure that a Child Welfare Officer is appointed who shall be a member of the club management board. Unless authorised written consent is given by the club to the contrary, in the case of a member under the age of eighteen years, transport to and from all club events and activities, including away fixtures, shall be the responsibility of the parent or carer.
18 Club Officials and Other Volunteers Code of Conduct
The club adopts the following Club Officials and Other Volunteers Code of Conduct Statement. All club officials and other volunteers must:
· consider the wellbeing and safety of participants before the development of performance
· never condone rule violations, rough play or the use of prohibitive substances
· encourage members to value their performances and not just results.
The club adopts the following equity statements:
· the club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In so doing, it acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:
‘Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society’
· the club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse
· all club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity
· the club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures
· membership of the club does not guarantee playing or coaching opportunity, nor guarantee any achievement or performance level arising from any such activity.
The club also adopts the ECB’s Codes of Conduct for players and coaches, the latest versions of which shall apply. The club also adopts specific Codes of Conduct for Club Officials and Other Volunteers, parents and carers, and members under the age of eighteen years of age. All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the General Secretary, except matters involving the welfare of a member under the age of eighteen years of age, in which case notification shall be made to the club’s Child Welfare Officer in accordance with the latest version of the ECB’s ‘Safe Hands, Welfare of young People in Cricket’ policy.
The management board shall appoint three members as a sub-committee to hear the complaint within 14 days of being lodged. Such sub-committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership. Members have a right of appeal and should such a request be made in writing to the General Secretary, the management board shall appoint three different members to hear the appeal. The appeal sub-committee has the power to revoke, reduce or increase any disciplinary action as it sees fit and whose decision shall be final.
19 Visitors
Each member shall be allowed to introduce visitors to the club, subject to such regulations and by-laws as shall be made from time to time by the management board and every visitor shall be allowed to order and pay for intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises. No person who has been expelled from membership or whose conduct or presence in the clubhouse is considered by the management board to be objectionable or prejudicial to the interests of the club shall be introduced as a visitor.
20 Licensing Regulations
The permitted hours for the sale of alcoholic drinks on each day throughout the year shall be such hours as are permitted from time to time by the local Licensing Justices. The management board shall be empowered to curtail these hours as occasions demand and, on special occasions, to extend the hours subject to the granting by the Justices of any necessary Licensing Extension. Under no circumstances will it be permitted for the club to sell intoxicating liquor to a person or persons under the age of 18 years. Members and visitors shall provide proof of age when required.
21 Unethical Behaviour
It shall be a disciplinary offence for any member to engage in unethical behaviour which may prejudice the good name or interests of the club or cricket.
22 Compliance with Constitution
All members of the club shall be bound by, and subject to, the regulations of this constitution, including any adopted codes of conduct.
23 Amendments to Constitution
This club constitution shall not be amended unless such amendments are approved by an AGM/EGM of the club.
This constitution was last amended by authority of an Annual General Meeting held on 27th November 2009
..............................................................................................................................................
Behus Cricket Club
Constitution
.............................................................................................................................................