Brightlingsea Coastal Rowing Club Constitution


Brightlingsea Coastal Rowing Club Constitution

 

Updated October 2024.

1.       NAME

 The Club shall be known as the Brightlingsea Coastal Rowing Club hereinafter known as ‘The Club’.

 

2.       OBJECTIVES

 The objectives of the Club are to promote rowing for all.

  

3.       MEMBERSHIP

 

a.     The following are eligible for membership

Open Membership Club or,

b.     Classes of membership

                              ·         Full members: over the age of 18 years 

·         Family members: the spouse and/or children under 15 years of a full member

·         Junior members: under the age of 18 years. Those under 15 years will only be admitted         when one or both parents are members. 

·         Associate/social members: do not have access to or use of club boats/members’ training equipment.

 

c.      Election of membership

 

                           i.           Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport of rowing on application in accordance with the Equal Opportunities Policy. However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non-discriminatory basis.

 

                         ii.           The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at a level that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.

 

                        iii.          Applicants for membership and members renewing their membership, will abide by the Rules and Regulations of the Club and the sport of rowing. 

 

                        iv.          If it is considered by the Club committee that the granting or renewal of membership would be detrimental to the aims and objectives of the Club, by virtue of conduct or character likely to bring the Club or the sport of rowing into disrepute or for some other similar good cause, the Club committee shall be entitled to refuse or withdraw such membership. In doing so the committee shall provide full reasons for their decision and grant a right of Appeal to the members’.

  

d.     Restriction

A person who has been expelled from, or refused membership of, British Rowing shall not be eligible for membership.

 

4.       EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

The Club is fully committed to the principles of equality of opportunity and is responsible for ensuring that no member, volunteer, employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, nationality, colour, parental or marital status, pregnancy, religious belief, social status, sexual orientation or political belief.

 

5.       CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES

The Club accepts the policy and procedures relating to Child Protection and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults as set out by British Rowing, and requires all members to accept them as a condition of membership.

  

6.       ENTRANCE FEE

Each applicant for membership shall, if his/her application be accepted, pay an entrance fee, the amount of which shall be determined by the members in General meeting.

 

7.       SUBSCRIPTION

The rates of subscription shall be determined by the members in General meeting and shall be due on election and, thereafter, on or before 1st March in each year.

  

8.       CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

 

a.     Any member may resign giving one month’s clear notice in writing to the Secretary.

 

b.     (i). Any member violating any of the rules or regulations of the Club or being adjudged guilty of unsatisfactory conduct may, by resolution of the Committee, be suspended or expelled. Any member so suspended or expelled may appeal to an independent Hearings Panel if such an appeal is approved by 2 of the 4 Officers of the Club. The panel may be drawn from the membership of the Club of from other clubs in the region. The panel will hear and receive evidence, reach a conclusion, affirm or reject the sanctions imposed as appropriate.

 

(ii) Any hearings panel must give a fair and independent hearing to the appellant within an appropriate timescale. Hearings must not contravene the Human Rights Act 1998 or any other policies of the Club and British Rowing.

   

[Note: See current British Rowing Guidelines on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures in Rowing published in the British Rowing Almanac and downloadable from the British Rowing website www.britishrowing.org.]

 

(iii) A member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Club if, after due notice in writing, they have not paid by April the annual subscription which became due in March. They may, however, rejoin at any time during that year without payment of any entrance fee, subject to the provision of 3.c or 3.d above.

  

9.       GRIEVANCE AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

An individual or member with a complaint about treatment by the Club should set out their grievance, in the first instance, to the Club Chairperson. The Club will seek to deal with complaints in a fair and timely manner, with reference to the British Rowing’s Guidelines on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures in Rowing.

  

10.   DISQUALIFICATION FROM HOLDING OFFICE

 

a.     Only members entitled to vote are eligible to hold office.

 

b.     Any member who is under the age of 18 years, shall not be eligible for election to the Committee of the Club.

 

11.   COMMITTEE

 

a.     The Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Club as a whole and shall consist of a Chairperson, Captain, Secretary, Treasurer, and other Officers as deemed necessary, together with 6 ordinary members. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to 3 further members but co-opted members shall have no right to vote at Committee meetings.

 

b.     Nominations for the position of Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and other Officers shall be put forward in the form of a motion under the terms of Rule 14.d.

 

c.      The Committee may elect a Vice-Chair from among its number.

 

d.     The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election.

 

e.     Chairperson to serve a maximum of 3 consecutive years.

 

12.   THE DUTIES OF COMMITTEE OFFICERS  

 

a.     Chairperson: The Chairman (or Chair) will preside at all General meetings of the Club and at all meetings of the Committee, and shall be responsible for guiding the activities of the Club in accordance with its general policy as expressed by the majority of its members. The Chair shall represent or arrange for representation of the Club as British Rowing regional level and at meetings of other organisations. The Chair shall ex officio be a member of any other committee of the Club.

 

b.     Captain: the Captain will be responsible for training, coaching and representation of the Club in competitions.

 

c.      Secretary: The Secretary will be responsible for the organisation of meetings of the Committee and of the Club, and the recording of minutes relating to such meetings and all correspondence relating to the general business of the Club.

 

d.     Treasurer: The Treasurer will be responsible for the collection and disbursement of all monies belonging to the Club and will keep proper accounting records of all such transactions. He or she will present to the members at the AGM a balance sheet and income and expenditure account showing the Club’s financial position and the results of its transactions for the year. The transactions of the Club will be conducted through a bank account and will require the signatures of any 2 of 3 members of the Committee who have been designated for the purpose. The first signature, whether by cheque or setting up an online transaction, will normally be that of the Treasurer.

 

13.   CLUB COMMITTEE

 

a.     The Committee is responsible for the general conduct of the Club’s business and activities.

 

b.     The Committee shall meet at regular intervals during the year, as required by the business to be transacted.

 

c.      Special meetings of the Committee shall be called by the Secretary on instructions from the Chair, or on not less than 3 committee members.

 

d.     A quorum shall consist of not less than 5 members.

 

e.     In the case of casual vacancy among the Committee, the said Committee shall be entitled to appoint another eligible person to act until the next AGM.

 

14.   GENERAL MEETINGS

 

a.     An Annual General Meeting shall be held in the autumn of each year. There shall be laid before the meeting a statement of accounts made up to the 30th day of the month of September immediately preceding.

 

b.     An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called on the instructions of a simple majority of the Committee, or on a requisition signed by not less than 15 of the members entitled to vote.

 

c.      Not less than 21 days’ clear notice shall be given, specifying to all members the time and business of the General Meeting.

 

d.     At any General Meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the Meeting shall be decided by a show of hands, of those entitled to vote, except when more than one nomination has been received for a position on the Committee, in which case voting will be by secret ballot.

 

e.     At all General Meetings the Chair will preside, or in his/her absence, a Chairman for the meeting will be elected by the voting members present.

 

f.      At all General Meetings not less than 15 members of the Club entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum.

 

g.     Absences of Quorum: If after half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum is not present, the Meeting, if called at the request of members, shall be dissolved. In any other case, the Meeting shall be adjourned until a time and place to be fixed by the Committee. If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for an Adjourned Meeting, the members present shall be a quorum.

 

h.     Accidental Omission: Accidental Omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of, a meeting by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings of a meeting.

 

15.   LIABILITY

The General Committee shall manage the affairs of the Club. Financial or legal liability incurred in the rightful exercise of their office shall not, however, be the personal liability of the Committee, but shall be the responsibility of the Club as a whole. The Committee should ensure that adequate and appropriate public or preferably civil liability insurance is in place to cover all the activities of the Club, its committee and members.

 

16.   VOTING

Only full members, and family members over the age of 18 years are entitled to vote at all meetings.

 

17.   ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION

 

a.     This constitution shall not be altered, amended or rescinded except by a General Meeting of the Club.

 

b.     A resolution to give effect to a change must be passed by at least 75% of the members present at the General Meeting, and voting on this behalf.

 

18.   AUDITOR

Every Annual General Meeting shall appoint an Auditor who shall at the conclusion of the next financial year examine the accounting records of the Club, and report to the members on the income and expenditure accounts and balance sheet that are presented to the next AGM.

  

19.   DISTRIBUTION OF PROFITS

In no circumstances can any profit be distributed to members, but any profits earned shall be used in furthering the objects of the Club.

 

 

 

20.   TERMINATION

The Club shall not terminate except by a resolution of a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose and, in such an event, any surplus assets shall be handed over to a body or bodies with similar objects or to a charity or charities agreed by the meeting which formally terminates the Club.

 

21.   POWER OF DECISION

Any matter not provided for in this constitution, or any question over the interpretation of it shall be dealt with by the Committee whose decision shall be final.

 

22.   SAFETY

The Officers and Committee have primary responsibility for safe practice within the Club and for adopting the minimum standards advised by British Rowing.

  

23.   STANDARDS OF CONDUCT FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS

    All individuals must:

·       Not behave or conduct themselves in any manner which could bring the sport of rowing into disrepute.

·       Not engage in acts of verbal or physical abuse.

·       Not use or encourage others to use illicit drugs whilst participating in rowing or assisting others in rowing.

·       Respect the rights, dignity and worth of other Participants, and not discriminate.

·       Act equitably and not allow any form of discrimination or victimisation to go unchallenged.

·       Not engage in bullying or any other behaviour that could reasonably be viewed as inappropriate.

·       Not carry out any acts for the purpose of cheating or the manipulation of competition.

·       Not post on social media any content which is inappropriate or offensive.

·       Not enter into social media cyber bullying- through posts which are upsetting to people and often inaccurate.

·       Be a positive role model at all times.

·       For incident reporting please refer to Grievance and disciplinary procedures (9)

Failure by members to adhere to the club’s policies could result in disciplinary action, or expulsion from the club.