Waterloo 1882 Ltd (Firwood Waterloo FC)

Club Constitution

1Name of Club

The Club will be called Waterloo 1882 Ltd (Hereinafter will be referred to as The Club), and may also be known as Firwood Waterloo FC. The Club will be affiliated to the Rugby Football Union.

2Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the Club will be:

  • To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in rugby union
  • To promote the Club within the local community and rugby union
  • To manage the Club premises
  • To ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club
  • To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone

3Membership

(a)Membership of the Club is open to anyone interested in promoting, coaching, volunteering or participating in rugby union, regardless ofsex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.

(b)The membership shall consist of the following categories:

  • Full member (Voting Member)
  • Joint Member (Voting Member - one vote per couple)
  • Life Member (Voting Member)
  • Player member (Voting Member)
  • Family member (Voting Member - one vote per family)
  • Student/U21 member (Voting Member)
  • Mini & Junior member (Non-Voting Member)

(c)All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that the Club has adopted.

(d)Members in each category will pay membership fees, as determined by the Board and ratified at AGM.

(e)Individuals shall be eligible to take part in the business of the Club, vote at General meetings (Voting Members only) or be eligible for selection of any Club team so long as the applicable subscription has been paid by the due date and/or membership has been agreed by the ClubBoard.

4Sports Equity

(a)This Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so 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.

(b)The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.

(c)The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.

(d)All Club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.

(e)The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to Club disciplinary procedures.

5 Governance

(a)The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Board which shall consist of the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and other Board members as required, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

  1. All Board members must be members of the Club of at least two years standing and must have served at least two years on a Club Committee immediately prior to election except at the Board’s sole discretion.
  1. The term of office shall be for two years, and members shall be eligible for re-election.
  1. If the post of any officer or ordinary Board member should fall vacant after such an election, the Board shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting.
  1. The Board will be responsible for adopting new policies, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the Club.
  1. The Board will have powers to appoint any advisers to the Board as necessary to fulfil its business.
  1. The Board meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the Club and be held no less than 10 times per year.
  1. All members of the Board will have the right to vote at Board meetings.
  1. The quorum required for business to be agreed at Board meetings will bethree.
  1. The Board shall number no more than 10 members at any one time.

(b)The Board will be supported by Club Committees. These Club Committees will each focus on a specific area of responsibility and will be formed and dissolved from time to time as required. Each section of the Club (Men, Women, Junior, Mini) has the right to have at least one representative on each committee. However, if no volunteers are forthcoming from a section that will not preclude the Committee from being formed and conducting its business.

  1. All Club Committee members must be members of the Club.
  1. Club Committee Chairs will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Committee members will be appointed by election by the Committee.
  1. Each Club Committee shall comprise of a Chair, a Secretary and at least one other member.
  1. The term of office of a Club Committee Chair shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election.
  1. If the post of any Club Committee Chair should fall vacant after such an election, the remaining members of that Club Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting.
  1. The Club Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the ClubCommittee and be held no less than sixtimes per year.
  1. All members of the Club Committee will have the right to vote at Club Committeemeetings.
  1. The quorum required for business to be agreed at Club Committee meetings will bethree.
  1. EachClub Committee shall number no more than 10 members at any one time.
  1. Board Members and Club CommitteeChairs will be elected at alternate Annual General Meetings.

(c)The Ladies Section and the Mini & Junior Section shall each have a Section Committee to manage the affairs of those Sections.

  1. All Section Committee members must be members of the Club.
  1. Section Committee Chairs will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Committee members will be elected by the Voting Members of the relevant Section at a Section AGM.
  1. Each Section Committee shall comprise of a Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and other members as required.
  1. The term of office of a Section Committee Chair shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election.
  1. If the post of any Section Committee Chair should fall vacant after such an election, the remaining members of that Section Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Section Annual General Meeting.
  1. The Section Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the SectionCommittee and be held no less than six times per year.
  1. All members of the Section Committee will have the right to vote at Section Committee meetings.
  1. The quorum required for business to be agreed at Section Committee meetings will be three.
  1. Each Section Committee shall number no more than 10 members at any one time.
  1. Board Members and Section Chairs will be elected at alternate Annual General Meetings.

6Finances

(a)The ClubTreasurer will be responsible for the finances of the Club.

(b) The financial year of the Club will run fromMay 1stand end onApril 30th.

(c)All Club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the Club. For the avoidance of doubt, the Mini & Junior and Ladies Section Committees will be responsible for managing their own Section’s finances subject to providing the Club Treasurer with annual accounts and copies of bank statements. Min & Junior and Ladies Sections will appoint their own cheque signatories. Funds held for specific purposes such as tours must be held in a separate account, also in the Club’s name.

(d)Anauditedstatement of annual accounts will be presented at the Annual General Meeting.

(e) Any cheques drawn against Club funds should hold the signatures of one or two authorised members, according to authority limits as approved by the Board.

(f)All members of the Club shall be stand as guarantor in the sum of one pound Sterling in the event of liquidation of the Club.

7Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings

(a)General Meetings are the means whereby the members of the Club exercise their democratic rights in conducting the Club’s affairs.

(b)The Club shall hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the month ofSeptember to:

  1. Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM
  2. Receive the Chair’s report
  3. Receive the Treasurer’s report and approve the AnnualAccounts
  4. Receive a report from those responsible for certifying the Club’saccounts
  5. Elect the officers on the Board and Club Committee in alternative years
  6. Agree the membership fees for the current year
  7. Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution
  8. Deal with other relevant business.

(c)Notice of the AGM will be given by the Club secretary with at least 14 days’ notice to be given to all members.

(d)Nominations for officers of the Boardmust be delivered to the secretary at least three days prior to the AGM.

(e)Proposed changes to the constitution must be delivered to the secretary at least three days prior to the AGM.

(f)All fully paid-up Voting Members as defined in 3(b) above have the right to vote at the AGM.

(g)The quorum for AGMs will be25.

(h)The Chair of the Club shall hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at General and Board meetings.

(i)An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary supported by at least 10% of the Voting Members of the Club. The Board shall also have the power to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of the Board members.

(j)All procedures for EGMs shall follow those outlined above for AGMs.

8Amendments to the constitution

The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.

9Discipline and appeals

(a)All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children and young people will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the Club’s child protection policy and procedures. The ClubSafeguarding Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns.

(b)All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to either of the two permanent members of the Disciplinary Panel and will be dealt with in accordance with the Club’s Disciplinary Procedures and Codes of Conduct.

(c)Appeals will be dealt with in accordance with the Club’s Disciplinary Procedures and Codes of Conduct.

10Dissolution

(a)A resolution to dissolve the Club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.

(b)If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever the same shall be distributed equally between the RFU (for use in community rugby in Merseyside) and the Wooden Spoon charity ((Registered company in England (1847860). Registered Charity in England and Wales (326691) & Scotland (SC039247)) for use in projects on Merseyside).

11Declaration

Waterloo 1882 Ltdhereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

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