Constitution
1. Name
The name of the Association shall be “THE COLLINGHAM AND LINTON SPORTS ASSOCIATION” (hereinafter called “the Association”), which shall consist of the cricket, football, and squash sections (“the constituent sections”). These sections are otherwise known as Collingham and Linton Cricket Club, Collingham Junior Football Club and Collingham and Linton Squash Club respectively.
2. Objects
The objects of the Association shall be to provide playing and participating opportunities for cricket, football, squash and other sporting activities, for the benefit of the inhabitants of Collingham, Linton and the neighbouring areas by associating with local authorities, voluntary organizations and the inhabitants in a common effort.
The Association or any of its constituent sections shall have the power to affiliate to any National Bodies with similar objects.
All surplus income or profits will be reinvested in the Association and no surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or to third parties.
3. Membership
Full members of the Association are those who are members of at least one of the constituent sections or life members of the Association.
Associate members of the Association are either:
Individuals who have paid their Social Membership subscription to the Association
or
Members of one of the affiliated sections that has paid its affiliation fee to the Association to entitle its members to use the facilities of the Association as associate members. A sports club will only become an affiliated section when approved by the Management Committee who will determine the appropriate affiliation fee.
Applications for membership of any constituent section, or for associate membership, shall be open without discrimination to all persons in the area.
4. The Management Committee
The policy and general management of the affairs of the Association shall be directed by a Management Committee which shall normally meet monthly and must meet not less than seven times a year.
The Management Committee shall consist of:
• A President elected by the Annual General Meeting.
• A Chairman, Secretary and Honorary Treasurer elected by the Annual General Meeting (hereinafter referred to as “The Principal Officers”)
• One appointee from each of the constituent sections of cricket, football and squash.
• In addition, up to four further members may be co-opted at the discretion of the Management Committee. One of the co-opted members will represent the interests of the Social Members. If it is necessary to pay an individual, other than the Honorary Treasurer, to undertake the day to day role of the treasury function then this person will also be co-opted on to the committee. These co-opted members shall not be entitled to vote at Management Committee meetings.
If the Association has a bank overdraft facility, as defined in section 11 of this constitution, then the Principal Officers and the appointed members of the Management Committee may be required to guarantee that facility on a 'joint and several' basis.
All members of the Management Committee shall resign annually, but shall be eligible to be elected, appointed or co-opted again.
All decisions made at Management Committee meetings shall require a three-quarters majority of all those attending who are entitled to vote.
Four members entitled to vote shall form a quorum at meetings of the Management Committee.
Minute books shall be maintained by the Secretary who shall enter therein a record of all proceedings and resolutions. The Chairman shall sign each set of minutes as a true and correct record of the meeting.
5. Section Governance
Each constituent section is responsible for electing its own officials, for managing its own affairs and for submitting its budgets annually to the Management Committee for approval.
Each constituent section shall have within its constitution the requirement for an appropriate Child Protection Policy to be in place.
Any changes to the constitutions of the constituent sections shall be approved by the Management Committee to ensure compatibility with the Association’s constitution.
The Principal Officers of the Association shall have the right to be ex officio members of the constituent section committees.
6. Disciplining of Members
Constituent sections are responsible for the discipline and, if considered necessary, for the suspension of their members. Individual members may appeal to the Management Committee if they are dissatisfied with a disciplinary decision made by their constituent section.
In exceptional circumstances, the Management Committee shall have the right to suspend an individual's membership if there are good and logical reasons for so doing. The individual member shall have the right to be heard by the Management Committee before a decision is made. In reaching such a decision in respect of a member of the Management Committee that member shall have no right to vote on the issue.
7. Annual General Meetings
In each calendar year the Management Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting of the Association for the purposes of receiving the Annual Report of the Management Committee and the Annual Audited Statement of Accounts, of electing the President and the Principal Officers of the Association and of appointing a qualified Auditor or Auditors.
All full members shall be entitled to attend.
The Secretary shall give each constituent section 28 days notice of the date of the AGM. Each constituent section shall then give their members at least 14 days notice of the AGM, in writing, by email or via a notice on the Section noticeboard. A notice advising all members of the AGM shall be posted on the Association noticeboard at least 14 days before the date of the AGM.
8. Extraordinary General Meetings
The Chairman or the Secretary may at any time at their discretion call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Association.
In addition, a written request for the holding of an EGM may be made by at least twenty members having the power to vote. Such a request for an EGM must give details of the subject matter to be covered at the meeting. In this case, the Secretary must call a meeting within 21 days of receiving such a request.
All full members shall receive not less than 14 days’ notice of an EGM, stating the business that is to be transacted, and all shall be entitled to attend.
9. Rules and Procedures at General Meetings
All resolutions arising at AGMs and EGMs shall require the approval of a three-quarters majority of those present and entitled to vote thereat.
No member shall be entitled to more than one vote.
Individual proxy votes are allowed which must be in writing and submitted to the Secretary not less than 72 hours before the meeting. These will be exercised in the event of a call for the use of proxies being made at the meeting after a vote by a show of hands.
In order to vote members must be full members, be fully paid up and at least eighteen years old at the date of the meeting. A fully paid up member is defined as one appearing on one of the lists of fully paid up members submitted to the Secretary by the constituent sections not less than 72 hours before the meeting.
20 members eligible to vote shall form a quorum at all General Meetings of the Association.
Minute books shall be maintained by the Secretary who shall enter therein a record of all proceedings and resolutions. These minutes shall be presented to the next Management Committee meeting at which the Chairman shall sign them as a true and correct record of the general meeting.
10. Bye-laws and Rules for the Use of Facilities
The Management Committee shall be responsible for managing the facilities; including the maintenance and insurance of the grounds and building and the operation of the bar.
The Management Committee shall have the power to adopt and issue bye-laws or rules for the use of the facilities. Such bye-laws and rules shall come into operation immediately provided always that they shall be subject to review by the Management Committee and shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution.
11. Finance
The Association shall maintain at least one bank account in the name of Collingham and Linton Sports Association. This bank account may have an overdraft facility of up to £10,000.
The constituent sections shall maintain bank accounts under the overall control of the Honorary Treasurer of the Association at a bank specified by the Association. These section bank accounts shall not have overdraft facilities.
All funds of a constituent sections shall be held in the bank account of the relevant section or in a reserve account clearly identified as belonging to that section within the Association’s accounts.
The Management Committee shall agree annually with each constituent section a contribution towards the Association’s general funds for the management and development of the facilities.
The constituent sections shall provide annual budgets to be approved by the Management Committee. These budgets shall include the proposed timing and financing of any significant capital expenditure.
Constituent sections are expected to perform strictly to their budgets and to provide monthly monitoring information to the Honorary Treasurer, who shall include this information in the management accounts presented monthly to the Management Committee.
The following are the limits to the discretion to commit to expenditure on individual items, whether the money is from the Association or from the constituent section funds:
• Up to £1,000 requires the prior approval of the Honorary Treasurer, unless this item was within the approved budget.
• Above £1,000 but up to £10,000 requires the prior approval of the Management Committee.
• Above £10,000 requires prior approval at a General Meeting of the Association. (In the event of an emergency, this clause will not apply and any expenditure deemed essential shall be made provided that it has the approval of all voting members of the Management Committee).
Cheques from the Association bank account must be signed by any two out of the Principal Officers of the Association.
The constituent sections shall have no authority to borrow from external sources of finance.
The Association shall have the following limits on its authority to borrow money to finance individual items of expenditure:
• Up to £10,000 requires the approval of the Management Committee.
• Above £10,000 requires the approval of a General Meeting of the Association. (In the event of an emergency, this clause will not apply and any borrowing deemed essential shall be made provided that it has the approval of all voting members of the Management Committee).
The Honorary Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Association.
The Accounts shall be audited a least once a year by the appointed Auditor or Auditors.
An Audited Statement of Accounts for the last financial year shall be submitted by the Management Committee to the AGM and a copy sent to each Trustee.
12. Trust Property
The title of all and any real property which may be acquired by or for the purpose of the Association shall be vested in Trustees who shall be appointed by the Management Committee and who shall enter into a Deed of Trust setting forth the purposes and conditions under which they hold the said property in trust for the Association. A copy of this deed shall be held by the Secretary.
The Management Committee shall ensure that the number of Trustees shall be not less than two and not more than four.
13. Dissolution
If the Management Committee by a three-quarters majority decides at any time that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association, it shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting.
In addition such a proposal shall be posted in a conspicuous places in the neighbourhood, advertised in a newspaper that circulates in the area and notified in writing to any Government Departments from which a grant or aid may have been obtained.
If such a proposal should be confirmed at the EGM, the Management Committee should have the power to dispose of the assets held by or in the name of the Association. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be applied for approved sporting or charitable purposes by being transferred to a Community Amateur Sports Club, a registered charity or various Sports’ Governing Body or Bodies.
14. Alterations to the Constitution
Any proposal to alter this constitution must be delivered to the Secretary in writing, giving details of the changes being proposed, not less than 60 days before the date of the General Meeting at which it is first to be considered. An alteration will require the approval of:
a A three-quarters majority of the members of the Management Committee entitled to vote, who shall be given at least 45 days notice of the proposed changes.
b A three-quarters majority of each constituent section’s own Committee, who shall be given at least 45 days notice of the proposed changes.
c If Trustees have been appointed in accordance with Clause 12 above then an alteration shall not be made without the knowledge and consent of the Trustees but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld by them. The Trustees shall be given at least 45 days notice of the proposed changes.
d A three-quarters majority of those present and voting at the General Meeting of the Association called to consider the changes.
15. Record of Changes
This Constitution was adopted as the Constitution of the Collingham and Linton Sports Association at a joint meeting of the existing organizations duly convened at The Memorial Hall, Collingham on 20th February 1973.
It has subsequently been amended:
at the Annual General Meeting held on 10th November 1977.
at the Extraordinary Meeting held on the 13th August 1990.
at the Annual General Meeting held on 27th November 1995.
at the Annual General Meeting held on 24th November 2004.
Signed ………………………………………………………………….(Chairman)
……………………………………………………………….....(Secretary)