BOLTON DISABILITY SPORTS ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION (Amended 2014)

Name:The Association shall be called "Bolton Disability Sports Association” (BDSA)

Government: The Association shall be governed by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Policy: The policy of the Association shall be that agreed upon by representatives at the AGM, and established at committee meetings.

Aims and Objectives:

  1. To promote Disability Sports and Physical Activity
  2. To promote the work of BDSA both within the local community and further afield
  3. To ensure provider organizations uphold a duty of care to all those taking part in activities arranged by BDSA
  4. To ensure BDSA and its provider organizations provide their services in a way that is fair to everyone, and plan activities in an inclusive way
  5. To ensure all present and future participants within BDSA activities receive fair and equal treatment from BDSA and its provider organizations

Officers of BDSA: The elected Officers of BDSA will be Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Website Coordinator, Designated Person for Safeguarding and the Safeguarding Officer (these 2 Safeguarding roles may be undertaken by those already holding existing offices if need be and will require Safeguarding training to be current in order to qualify.)

Management Committee: The Committee shall consist of Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Website Coordinator and other stakeholders, including a representative from Bolton Council, disabled people, service providers and parents/carers. The Committee has the authority to co-opt.

Election of Committee:The committee shall be elected at the AGM. All elected members shall serve for a period of one year. In the event of an elected member leaving the committee, the replacement shall serve for the balance of the year.

Frequency of meetings and Quorum:Meetings shall take place no less than 4 times per year and a committee meeting shall be quorate when a majority of the committee members are present.

Duties of the Management Committee:

a)Consider all matters referred to it and take proper and expedient action, e.g. adopting new policies/codes of conduct/rules that affect BDSA. Also it has powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Management Committee as required to fulfill its business.

b)The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of participants who infringe BDSA’s Constitution/rules/regulations and will take any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.

c) Be responsible for the administration of the Association, for submitting an annual report and account to the AGM, together with further information that may be required.

Duties of the Chairperson:

The Chairperson shall preside at all AGMs of the Association and all meetings of the committee, with powers to summon special meetings of the committee, through the Secretary. In the event of an equality of votes for or against any matter, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

Duties of the Secretary:

(a) The Secretary shall, with the Chairperson, be responsible for calling all AGMs for the Association and meetings of the committee, preparing minutes of all such meetings and for maintaining the records of the Association. The Secretary shall also submit to the committee, all matters of Association business.

(b) Be responsible for all correspondence received and sent.

(c) The Secretary shall be provided with a deputy on request.

Duties of the Treasurer:

(a) The Treasurer shall be responsible for all Association monies.

(b) The Treasurer shall pay all reasonable expenses incurred by the Association.

(c) The Treasurer shall prepare annually, an income and expenditure account made up to 31st October and present this statement at the AGM.

(d) The Treasurer shall submit to the committee meetings, statements of Association funds.

Finance: The funds of the Association shall be controlled by the committee and shall be deposited in a bank/building society, approved by the committee, in the name of the Association. All cheques and drafts on the bankers shall be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by any other authorized signatory.

Should the Association close for whatever reason, the committee shall ensure all the Association’s assets are distributed to another Bolton non-profit organization,who’s objectives are broadly in line with those of the Bolton Disability Sports Association.

Annual General Meetings: Notice of the annual general meeting (AGM) will be given by the Secretary, with no less than 21 days notice.

The AGM will receive a report from Officers of the Management Committee and a statement of the accounts.

Nominations for Officers of the Management Committee will be sent to the Secretary prior to the AGM and elections will take place at the AGM.

All participants have the right to vote at the AGM and the quorum will be a number equivalent to a majority of the members.

The Management Committee has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM’s) outside the AGM. Procedures for EGM’s will be the same as for the AGM.

Standing orders for meetings:

(a) No discussion shall be allowed on the minutes except as to accuracy. No resolutions of the committee shall be rescinded except by a proposal at a subsequent meeting with a two-thirds majority, except for appeals.

(b) All proposals shall be moved and seconded before being debated.

(c) The following proposals may be moved and seconded without notice and the question put:-

1. To suspend the meeting.

2. To adjourn the meeting.

3. To proceed to next business.

4. That the vote be taken.

Such motions require a two thirds majority in favour.

(d) Items for inclusion on the agenda for committee meetings shall be notified to the Secretary 48 hours prior to the meeting.

(e) Only urgent items shall be taken at Any Other Business at committee meetings.

Voting:

(a) Each member shall have one vote, with the exception of the Chairperson who shall only have a casting vote.

(b) Voting shall be on a show of hands.

Membership:

(a) All applications for Association membership shall be subject to acceptance by the committee.

(b) An organisation shall be deemed to be a member of the Association upon acceptance by the committee.

Discipline and appeals:All complaints regarding the behavior of participants should be submitted in writing to the Secretary. The Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 28 days of a complaint being lodged and has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action, including termination of participation in the Association.

The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint has been made within 21 days of the hearing.

Members have a right of appeal against committee decisions. Appeals must reach the Association Secretary within 14 days of notification of a decision, and the Committee will consider the appeal within a further 28 days after that deadline; the appeal will take the form of a personal hearing.

Amendments to the Constitution: The Constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM

Declaration

BDSA hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of participants

SIGNED:DATE:

NAME:

POSITION (CHAIR)

SIGNED:DATE:

NAME:

POSITION (SECRETARY)