/ ElyCity Hockey Club /

ElyCity Hockey Club

Constitution

Preliminary

  1. The name of the club shall be ELY CITY HOCKEY CLUB (hereinafter referred to as “the club”).
  2. The Club plays all home fixtures at the Ely Outdoor Sports Association (“EOSA”) at Downham Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire.
  3. The objectives of the club shall be:
  4. To actively encourage, promote and develop hockey amongst all sections of the community it serves and in doing so the Club undertakes to ensure that ‘Sports Equity’ (i.e. “fairness”) is practised in the Club. This includes ensuring that opportunities are provided for young people, black and ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities at a level appropriate to their needs and aspirations.
  5. To promote the game of hockey under the laws of the Hockey Association.
  6. The Club shall be a members club and shall consist of ordinary members, junior members and social members.

Membership

  1. Membership of the Club shall be open to any person completing a membership application form and paying the relevant subscription/joining fee as determined by the Annual General Meeting
  2. The Club will actively encourage membership from:
  3. Junior people between the ages of 5 and 18. The rights and obligations of junior members are dealt with in clause 13 below.
  4. Local black and ethnic minority groups
  5. Local disability organisations and people with disabilities
  6. Election of membership shall be by the committee of the club. No reasons shall be given to any candidate in the event of his/her rejection. Objections by any two committee members shall veto an application.
  7. All members will be issued with their membership card containing the member’s full name and address and the date of issue.
  8. No person shall be admitted to ordinary, junior or social membership until he/she shall have paid to the Treasurer his/her first annual subscriptions. Subscriptions will be agreed by the committee and/or at the Annual General Meeting and shall be due for payment by the 31st October November each year.
  9. The committee reserves the right to suspend or expel any member for any form of misconduct.
  10. If they fail to pay their match fees or annual subscriptions on a regular basis
  11. If they are guilty of unacceptable behaviour
  12. If they behave badly to other members of the Club

Committee and Officers

  1. The affairs of the Club, in all matters not in there rules reserved for the Club in general meeting, shall be managed by the Committee of the Club.
  2. The committee (which shall include all the Officers of the Club) shall consist of not less than six nor more than 17 ordinary members of the Club who shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. They shall all go out of office in every year, but shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations for election shall be made in writing to the secretary not earlier than 10 days and not later than 48 hours before the meeting.
  3. The committee may appoint one or more sub-committees for such purposes as it may deem appropriate. Four members shall constitute a quorum of a committee.
  4. The officers of the Club shall be:
  5. President
  6. Chairman
  7. Vice-Chairman
  8. Secretary
  9. Treasurer
  10. Fixture Secretaries (one male and one female)
  11. Two EOSA Representatives
  12. Youth Co-ordinator
  13. Team Captains
  14. All officers shall be elected from time to time by the club at the Annual General Meeting from among the members of the Club; and such other officers not exceeding two in number of the Club as the Club may at the Annual General Meeting elect.
  15. Every such officer shall act in all matters in accordance with the directions of the committee of the Club. Officers shall hold office until the next Annual General meeting following their respective appointments and shall be eligible for re-election, save that in the case of the position of captains, no individual shall hold any of these positions for more than three consecutive years.
  16. There shall be at least three meetings of the committee in every year but there shall be no maximum limit. Between Annual General Meetings, the committee shall have the power to co-opt members of the Club to the committee to fill any vacancy when it arises or any position that remains unfilled.
  17. The Chairman of any committee meeting shall be the Chairman, or in his/her absence the vice-Chairman, failing which a member of the meeting, elected by the meeting for the purpose. In the event of equality of voting, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

Subscriptions, Finances and Accounts

  1. The annual subscriptions for ordinary, junior and social members shall be such sum as the Club at Annual General Meeting may from time to time determine. At the discretion of the committee:
  2. An ordinary, junior or social member joining after 1st January may be allowed to pay a reduced subscription; and
  3. Subscriptions for persons in full-time education or persons unemployed may be reduced or waived.
  4. Annual Subscriptions shall be payable on election and thereafter without demand by 31st October in every year. Subscriptions shall be increased by the committee for those current members who have not paid their subscriptions by 30th November in any year. The committee may terminate the membership of any member whose annual subscription remains unpaid at the 31st December.
  5. Match fees shall be paid by all players, the amount of such match fees to be fixed by the club at the Annual General Meeting. At the discretion of the committee, the amount payable by any particular member may be reduced or waived.
  6. All subscriptions shall be paid to the Treasurer of the club, and payment is the responsibility of the member. Match fees are payable to the team captain (or designated team player nominated by then captain) and should be paid on the day that the match is played.
  7. The Treasurer shall keep such proper records of accounts as will enable presentation at every Annual General Meeting, or at any other time if required (on reasonable notice to him/her) by the committee, of an accurate report and statement concerning the finances of the Club.
  8. All monies received by the Club shall be paid into the Club’s bank account. The Club’s bank shall be determined from time to time by the committee. Cheques may be drawn on the Club’s bank account by the Treasurer and any other committee member duly nominated to sign cheques by the committee from time to time.

Junior Section

  1. The Club will run a Junior Section for junior members up to the age of 16. The Junior Section will have its own appointed officials and accounts (which will be reviewed annually by the Club Treasurer).
  2. The junior members will:
  3. have no right to vote
  4. have to pay some form of subscription (to be agreed by the Club’s committee)
  5. be subject to the reasonable instructions of senior members

Annual General Meeting

  1. An Annual General Meeting of the club shall be held before the end of June in every year but so that not more than 15 months has elapsed since the previous Annual General Meeting. Notice of the day and time of the Annual General Meeting shall be posted on the Club’s notice board for a period of at least 14 days before such day. The following business at least shall be transacted at each Annual General Meeting:-
  2. To receive and, if approved, adopt the annual report and statement of accounts to the end of the last preceding financial year;
  3. To elect officers and other members of the committee;
  4. Review Club subscription rates and agree them for the forthcoming year
  5. Special General Meetings may be convened by the Committee or on receipt by the Secretary of a request in writing from not less than seven Members of the Club. At least 21 days notice of the meeting shall be given.
  6. At any general meeting of the Club every member of the Club shall be entitled to be present, and every Member shall be entitles to one vote upon every question raised. In the case of equality of voting the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. The Secretary shall take the minutes of the proceedings at all general meetings of the Club. The quorum for a general meeting of the Club shall be seven.

Notices

  1. Each Member shall keep the Secretary informed of that Member’s private address or of some other address to which communications may be addressed. Nevertheless, it shall not be necessary to send any notice intended for members generally to any member. All notices shall be posted by being affixed in a prominent position on the Club’s notice board at the EOSA’s premised; and it shall be the duty of the secretary to ensure that any such notice remains so exhibited throughout any period required in that behalf by or under these rules.

Alteration of Constitution

  1. Any proposed alterations to the Club Constitution may only be considered at an Annual or Special General Meeting, convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed by a member of the Club and seconded by another member. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of those members present at the meeting, assuming that a quorum has been achieved.

Exclusions of Liability

  1. Neither the Club nor any officer thereof shall be liable to any member, guest of a member or any other visitor for any loss of or damage to any property occurring from whatever causes, in or about the Club’s premises; nor for any injury sustained by any member, guest or visitor whilst on or entering or leaving the Club’s premises; and a notice to this effect shall at all times be displayed in a prominent position on the Club’s premises.

Dissolution

  1. If any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Club, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the Club to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
  2. If at the Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the Members present at that meeting, the General Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club.
  3. After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to some voluntary organisation having objectives similar to those of the Club.

End

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