Association of Cricket Officials / Revised Constitution
3rd December 2013
Page 1
CONSTITUTION
1.Title
1.1The Association shall be called the Wiltshire Association of Cricket Officials (WACO) and thereafter referred to as the Association;
1.2The Association will be affiliated to the ECB Association of Cricket Officials (ECB ACO);
1.3The Association will be an active constituent member of Wiltshire Cricket Limited (WCL).
2.Aims & Objectives
2.1To promote the interests of cricket officials (umpires & scorers) in the county of Wiltshire, in co-operation with all recreational cricketing bodies and all other appropriate agencies within Wiltshire and nationally;
2.2To promote and advance the status, role, authority and influence of cricket umpires and scorers individuallyand collectively at all levels throughout the game;
2.3To provide a programme for umpires and scorers to develop, maintain and improve competence;
2.4To appoint members to officiate matches at the appropriate level, as required;
2.5 To facilitate a smooth progression between grading levels;
2.6To try and ensure a minimum number of officials to cover the agreed annual requirements;
2.7To try and provide adequate trainers, assessors and verifiers for all the Association`s activities.
3.Membership
3.1All members of the ECB Association of Cricket Official who have chosen Wiltshire as their countyACO or, by default, their postal address is within the county of Wiltshire.
4.Subscriptions
4.1The ECB ACO will provide, through WCL, a portion of the annual subscription paid by ECB ACO members linked to the county.
5.Management
5.1The affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Officers who shall be elected by a majority of members present and voting at the Annual General Meeting. They will have final authority on the interpretation application and running of the Association;
5.2The Officers shall be:
a)Chairman
b)Honorary Secretary
c)Honorary Treasurer
d)Education Officer – Umpires
e)Education Officer – Scorers
f)Appointments Officer
g)Performance Officer
h)Communications Officer
i)Membership Services Officer
j)There shall be an additional officer representing scorers or umpires as applicable if they are not otherwise represented by an Officer elected to one of the above posts.
The Officers shall stand for election annually but are eligible for re-election. In the event that a quorum is not present at the Annual General Meeting such of the Officers as are willing to remain in office shall do so;
5.3The Committee shall consist of the Officers but shall alsohave powers to co-opt members, or other persons as necessary for such specificpurposes as it may decide. Such co-opted members will be entitled to attend and speak, but not to vote, at meetingsof the Committee;
5.4Sub-Committees shall be formed as necessary. These will be chaired by the appropriate Committee Memberand all Members, co-opted or otherwise, will be entitled to vote;
5.5The Committee shall have powers to nominate members of the Association to serve as delegates toother such appropriate bodies as they deem fit.
6.Meetings
6.1The Committee shall meet as and when required but not less than three times a year;
6.2The Committee shall record and act upon any resolution made and approved;
6.3No business shall be conducted by the Committee unless all Committee members have been given due notice of a meeting and at least two of the Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, and at least two other Officers are present;
6.4A sub-committee will be deemed quorate when half the elected, but not co-opted, members are present;
6.5Votes on issues will be decided by a simple majority of entitled Committee Members present andvoting. Where necessary the Chair of the meeting shall exercise a casting vote.
7.Finance
7.1The Association Treasurer shall be responsible for the accurate maintenance of the Association’sfinances and will report at each Committee Meeting and to general meetings of the Association;
7.2A bank account shall be in the name of the Association at a bank approved by the Committee, intowhich all monies shall be paid by the Treasurer or other Officers responsible. Signatories for the bank accountshall be two of three Officers nominated by the Committee;
7.3The accounts of the Association shall be kept by the Treasurer and shall be audited annually. For thepurpose of such audit the accounts shall be closed on the 30th September each year;
7.4The Auditor appointed at the Annual General Meeting shall not be an Officer of the Association.
8. Annual and ExtraordinaryGeneral Meetings
8.1The Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) of the Association shall be held in the first week of December each year, or as soon thereafter as practicable (but in any case no later than the following 31st January);
8.2Each member as at 1st September preceding the AGM shall receive notice of the AGM to their last known e-mail or postal address no later than 31st October preceding the AGM;
8.3Nominations for Officers, resolutions for consideration at the AGM and proposed amendments to the Constitution must be received in writing or by e-mail by the Secretary no less than 15 days before the AGM;
8.4An agenda including any such nominations, resolutions and proposed amendments shall be distributed to members, as in 8.2 above, no less than 7 days before the AGM;
8.5A quorum for the AGM shall be 20 members;
8.6In the case of an equal number of votes being cast on any motion being considered by the members at the meeting the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second and casting vote;
8.7The business at the Annual General Meeting shall be:
a)To receive apologies for non attendance;
b)To approve the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting;
c)To consider any matters arising from the minutes;
d)To Receive the Officers’ Reports
e)To receive and approve the accounts for the past financial year;
f)To elect Officers and Committee Members;
g)To appoint an Independent Auditor;
h)To transact any other business of which proper notice has been given.
8.8An Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”) may be called by the committee at their option. However they shall call an EGM on receipt of a written request signed by no less than 10 current members. The request must be posted to the Secretary and must specify exactly the business to be conducted at the EGM. In the case of a valid members’ request, notice of the EGM shall be given no later than 2 weeks after receipt of the request;
8.9Notice of the EGM shall be sent to all members as set out in 8.2 above, but based on the latest available WACO membership list received from the ECB ACO. Not less than 7 days notice shall be given, and the notice shall specify the date, time and venue of the EGM, and the business to be transacted;
8.10A quorum for the EGM shall be 20 members and clause 8.6 above shall apply equally to an EGM.
9.Welfare
9.1The Association adopts the ECB Child Protection Policy - `Safe Hands – Welfare of young people inCricket’ and it`s successors.
10.Dissolution of the Association
10.1The Association shall not be dissolved except at an Extraordinary General Meeting speciallyconvened for that purpose and carried by a simple majority of those present;
10.2In the event of the Association being wound-up a final statement of the accounts shall be preparedand audited;
10.3In the event of such dissolution any assets shall be apportioned to some other body concerned withcricket officials.
11.The Constitution
11.1Alterations to the Constitution shall only be made at the AGM or at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose;
11.2Every Member shall be provided with a current copy of the Constitution;
11.3Where not otherwise provided for in this Constitution, the guidance of the ECB ACO shall apply.
THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION WAS ADOPTED BY THE MEMBERS PRESENT ON 1st DECEMBER 2008 AND REVISED ON 1st DECEMBER 2009,9th DECEMBER 2010, 1st December 2011 and 6th December 2012.
THIS REVISED CONSTITUTION WAS ADOPTED BY THE MEMBERS PRESENT ON 3rdDECEMBER 2013.
Signed by the Chair (Mr A P Hemmings)
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
3rdDecember 2013