Rules of Sefton Ruby Union Football Club as amended at 2016 AGM
THE RULES OF
SEFTON RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB (“THE CLUB”)
A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE AFFILIATED TO THE RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION.
These rules of the Club are made pursuant to Article 17 and Article 47 of the Club’s Articles of Association. The terms used shall have the same meaning as in the Articles of Association. Where there is any inconsistency between these Rules and the Articles of Association, the provisions of the Articles of Association shall prevail.
Article 47 provides that rules setting out the categories of membership; the criteria for admission to each category; and the rights, privileges and obligations associated with each category may be made, varied or revoked by the Voting Members in general meeting. Article 17 indicates the scope for the Board to make, vary and revoke other rules and regulations.
PART A: Rules made, varied or revoked by the Voting Members in general meeting.
1. Membership
1.1 The Club consists of Voting Members and Non-Voting Members.
1.2 Admission to membership shall be confirmed at the next Board meeting after an application is received unless that would be contrary to the best interests of the sport or the good conduct and interests of the Club (see Article 28.3 for full wording regarding non-discrimination and equal access).
1.3 A person shall not be entitled to any privileges of the Club until two days have passed since his application for membership was submitted (Article 28.5).
1.4 All members shall be subject to the Rules and shall respect the laws of the game of rugby union as laid down by the IRB (Article 29.1).
1.5 The Secretary or nominated Membership Secretary shall keep a record of the names, addresses, categories of membership, and subscription status of all members. A list of members shall be available for inspection.
2. Voting Members
The Voting Members shall be all full members of the Club and each shall have equal voting rights. There shall be the following categories of Voting Members:
(i) Senior Playing Member: a person who participates in playing rugby union (whether competitively or not) for or at the Club and who is over 18 years old;
(ii) Student/Unwaged Playing Member: a person who participates in playing rugby union (whether competitively or not) for or at the Club who is over 18 years old and who is granted a concessionary subscription rate at the discretion of the Board in recognition of lower income;
(iii) Honorary Life Member: a person who has been granted membership rights free of subscription by the Voting Membership in recognition of outstanding contribution or long service to the Club (Article 31.2.5);
(iv) Former Playing Member: a person who has been a paid-up Playing Member of the Club in previous seasons;
(v) Ordinary Member: a person granted membership by the Board in recognition of active commitment to the Club in a non-playing capacity.
3. Non-Voting Members
There shall be the following categories of Non-Voting Members:
(i) Junior Playing Member: a junior player who participates in playing rugby union (whether competitively or not) for or at the Club;
(ii) Family Member: one family membership is available to an adult associated with a Junior Playing Member [JPM] by virtue of that connection and by default will be allocated to the adult who takes responsibility for paying that JPM’s subscription;
(iii) Associate Member: a person who is a supporter of the Club in a non-playing capacity and who is admitted to the Club by the Board on application in accordance with the Articles.
4. Rights and Privileges of Members
4.1 Voting Members are entitled (under the Articles of Association) to receive notice of, attend and vote at general meetings of the Club (either in person or through proxy appointed according to arrangements made by the Board); propose and second candidates for election; receive all Club publications; and to such other membership rights as the Club in general meeting shall from time to time determine.
4.2 Members holding 10% of the voting rights of the company may by law (the Companies Act 2006) requisition a general meeting. The voting members in general meeting may set the number less that 10% and currently it is the lesser number of 10% of or 20 voting members.
4.3 Twenty Voting Members or one-tenth of the voting membership of the Club (whichever is the greater number) present in person shall be a quorum (Article 33.2).
4.4 Fourteen clear days notice shall be given to Voting Members of every General Meeting including its date, time, place and agenda, but failure to receive such notice on the part of any Member shall not invalidate proceedings. Details of all proposed resolutions shall be given in the notice.
4.5 Voting Members wishing to propose a resolution at a General Meeting shall give notice in writing to the Secretary at least 21 days before the meeting. No matter, other than those contained in the agenda, circulated in accordance with the Rules, shall be considered at any General Meeting.
4.6 Voting Members wishing to make a nomination for the election of a Director or other elected club official must give notice in writing to the Secretary at least 48 hours prior to the meeting at which the election will take place, or on the nominations list posted in the Club. The nomination must be seconded and contain the nominee’s consent. In the absence of written nominations, nominations may be accepted at the meeting provided they are seconded and the nominee’s consent obtained.
4.7 Non-Voting Members are entitled to receive all Club publications and such other membership rights as the Club in general meeting shall from time to time determine. They are not entitled to receive notice of, attend and vote at general meetings of the Club or propose and second candidates for election.
PART B: Rules made, varied or revoked by the Board.
5. Subscriptions
(a) The annual subscription payable by members of the Club, subject to alteration as provided later in this rule, shall be set by the Board from time to time in accordance with the Articles (see 28.6).
(b) The subscription year shall be from 1 September to 31 August inclusive in each year. Any change in subscription made by the Board will be notified to members by being included in any notice, newsletter, or similar document posted to the member’s last known address, or by posting this information prominently on the Website, on or before 31 July next following after the decision to make the change and will take effect on the 1 September following such notification.
(c) Any member whose subscription fee is more than three months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned from membership (Article 29.2).
(d) Members who are first admitted at any time after the start of a subscription year shall pay such proportion of the annual subscription as apportioned to represent the number of full months remaining in the subscription year.
(e) In the event that a membership is terminated for any reason, no refund of a subscription or entrance fee shall be payable unless the Board decides otherwise.
6. Expulsion of Members
The Board has power under the Articles to expel a member (see Article 30).
7. Elected Officials
7.1 The Board is responsible for the management of the Club's business (Article 5.1).
7.2 Within the limits specified in Article 18 the Board shall determine the number of directorships to be filled at each annual election.
7.3 The Board shall determine from time to time which posts shall be necessary for the effective operation of the Club and which areas of responsibility must be undertaken by Elected Directors. The Board shall arrange annual elections to coincide with the Club AGM to fill posts at Director and non-director post-holder level (but see also rule 7.7).
7.4 In addition to the roles associated with the defined Board positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, areas of responsibility for posts to be filled by Elected Directors or non-director post-holders may include:
· Senior Rugby
· Junior Rugby
· Property (Buildings)
· Property (Grounds)
· Assistant Secretary
· Assistant Treasurer
· Child Protection
· Fixtures
· Membership
· Bar
· Selection
· Social
· Club Captain
· Other Team Captains
· County Liaison
· Referees Liaison
· Press Officer
· Sponsorship
· Fund-raising / Ways and Means
7.5 The President shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting on the nomination of the Board for a term of two years. The role of President is conferred as an honour: it is non-executive and the President is not a Board Member by virtue of this office.
7.6 Vice-Presidents may be elected at the Annual General Meeting on the nomination of the Board.
7.7 The team captains may, notwithstanding Rule 7.3, be elected annually at a members’ meeting convened by the Board for that purpose at the end of the season, prior to the Annual General Meeting. Notice of the date, time and place of such meeting shall be posted in the clubhouse 21 days before the meeting, and voting eligibility shall be identical to that for a General Meeting.
8. Additional Rules concerning General Meetings
8.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held between June 1st and July 31st each year. The date shall be fixed by the Board, and notice of which shall be posted in the clubhouse 28 days before the meeting.
8.2 In the absence of the Club Chairman the first item of business shall be to elect a member to chair the Meeting (for detail of procedure see Article 34).
9. The provision of alcohol on the Club Premises
9.1 Purchase for the Club and supply by the Club of intoxicating liquor must be in the absolute discretion of the elected members of the Board over the age of 18.
9.2 The Board must not in any way be restricted in freedom of purchase.
9.3 No one may at any time receive at the expense of the Club or any Member any commission, percentage or similar payment on or with reference to purchases of intoxicating liquor by the Club.
9.4 No one may directly or indirectly derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of intoxicating liquor by or on behalf of the Club to Members or guests apart from any benefit accruing to the Club as a whole and apart also from any benefit which a person derives indirectly by reason of the supply giving rise to or contributing to a general gain from the carrying on of the Club.
9.5 The permitted hours for the supply of intoxicating liquor and provision of regulated entertainment shall be as permitted by the Club's Club Premises Certificate. Currently these are:
Sundays and Good Friday: 12.00 noon. to 10.30 p.m. (12.00 hrs. to 22.30 hrs.)
Monday to Saturday: 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. (11.00 hrs. to 23.00 hrs.)
10. The provision of alcohol to Visitors
10.1 Members of another Club, society, or organisation having objects similar to this Club in visiting this Club at its invitation shall be admitted to the Club premises and they and their guests shall be allowed to purchase intoxicating liquor in accordance with the licensing Laws in force at that time that are relevant to the Club for consumption on the premises subject to regulations laid down from time to time by the Board.
10.2 Any member shall be entitled to introduce guests. The member introducing the guest or guests shall be responsible for their conduct while in the Club.
10.3 No persons shall be permitted to bring their own alcoholic drinks onto the Club premises.
10.4 Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules intoxicating liquor may be supplied during the hours specified in Rule 9.5 or in accordance with the hours permitted by any special order of exemption to members and non-members 18 years of age or over, attending at the Club premises for a function authorised by the Board provided that:
(i) Such function is a function of the Club, or
(ii) Such function is promoted by a member of the Club who is present at such function, or
(iii) Such other functions not mentioned in (i) (ii) above.
11. Interpretation of the Rules
The interpretation of the rules shall be the prerogative of the Board.
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