Club Constitution

Published: Sun 23 Jul 2023

This was last amended in May 2010.

You can also download the constitution as a PDF.

SAXONS ORIENTEERING CLUB CONSTITUTION

(Amended May 2010)

1. Title

The title of the Club shall be SAXONS ORIENTEERING CLUB.

2. Objects and Standards

2.1 The objective of the Club is to provide facilities for, promote participation in and foster the amateur sport of orienteering for all ages and abilities and to encourage individual, inter club and national competition.

2.2 The Club welcomes new members from all areas of the community. Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.

2.3 The Club is intent that all participants including children and vulnerable adults will find orienteering a safe environment in which to have fun, learn and develop. It will do this by adopting and promoting the British Orienteering Federation (BOF) policy on protecting young and vulnerable people and will have due regard to the law on disability discrimination and child protection.

2.4 References to the male gender in this Constitution shall include the female gender

3. Membership
3.1 The Club shall be an affiliated member of BOF and the South East Orienteering Association (SEOA).

3.2 Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons and groups on payment of the annual subscription and provided they comply with the constitution of the Club.

3.3 Any person who joins the Club will automatically become a member of BOF as either a National British Member or a Local British Member (as defined by BOF). Subscriptions shall be paid to BOF. (BOF will transfer the Saxons’ element of the subscription to the Club).

3.4 Classes of membership shall be Senior, Junior and Family in accordance with BOF definitions. Hereafter references to “junior member” include those who are junior members in their own right and those members of families who meet the BOF definition of junior. A group membership class shall be available to schools, and, at the discretion of the Committee, to other organisations. In addition Honorary Life Membership may be awarded by the Club at an AGM to a member who has made an outstanding contribution to the Club.

4. Management
4.1 The Club shall have a president, who is a member of the Club. The President shall preside over the election of Chairman and Committee at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Club.

4.2 The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Management Committee (the Committee) consisting of members of the Club and appointed at the AGM.

4.3 The Committee shall consist of a total of 11 members who between them shall fill the following offices. (Up to two appointments may be held by one person)
1) Chairman who will preside at meetings of the Committee and at general meetings of the Club.
2) Secretary
3) Treasurer
4) Fixtures Secretary
5) Mapping Secretary
6) Development Officer
7) Coaching Officer
8) Land Access Officer

In the event of the Chairman being unable to attend a Committee meeting, the Committee shall elect a Temporary Chairman for the purposes of that meeting. In the event of the Chairman permanently leaving the club, the Committee shall elect, from the voting members of the Committee, an acting Chairman until the next AGM.

4.4 The Committee may delegate responsibilities as it sees fit to ordinary members of the Club. In particular the following posts will normally need to be filled by ordinary or Committee members of the Club.
1) Junior Co-ordinator who must hold a valid CRB check
2) Editor of the Newsletter
3) Equipment Officer
4) Team Captain
5) Social Secretary
6) Statistician
7) Auditor
8) Web Master
9) Series’ co-ordinators as necessary
10) Kent Night Cup co-ordinator
11) Representative to the SEOA
12) SI Equipment Officer
13) Publicity officer
The Committee shall be able to co-opt additional members for any specific purpose

4.5.1 If the Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer wish to stand down from their posts they should inform the Committee at least 28 days in advance of the AGM

4.5.2 Committee members may serve for one year at a time and, if they wish
to continue to serve on the Committee, they should declare themselves available for re-election at the AGM.

4.6 Committee meetings will be held as deemed necessary by the Committee but no less than five times per annum. Non Committee members may attend these. They may join in the discussion at the discretion of the Chairman, but may not vote. In addition, closed Committee meetings may be held as required. Minutes of Committee meetings shall be taken and circulated to all members of the Committee as soon as possible after the meeting. A quorum for a Committee meeting shall be five members of the Committee.

4.7 The Chairman shall ensure that each member of the Committee has a brief written job description, agreed by the Committee.

4.8 The Chairman shall convene a Club Meeting to decide any matter
which the Committee feels unable to decide. A quorum at a Club Meeting shall be as for an Extraordinary General Meeting.

4.9 The Committee shall arrange that a Club newsletter is circulated to members and shall appoint the editor(s) who shall determine its contents, except that the Committee shall, by means of the Club newsletter, inform members of topics it has under discussion and or major decisions taken.

4.10 The Junior Co-ordinator shall convene a Junior Committee consisting
of the Junior Co-ordinator, Training Officer, at least one member of the Committee and at least one Junior Representative. Junior Representatives must be junior members of the Club. The Junior Committee shall manage the affairs of the Club concerned with juniors, subject to the approval of the Club Committee. The Junior Committee shall meet at least 3 times per annum, with a quorum of three to include at least one adult and at least one junior member.

5.1 Finance
5.1.1 The financial year shall commence on 1st July.

5.1.2 The funds of the Club may be used at the discretion of the Committee
in furthering the objective of the Club.

5.1.3 Authority to sign cheques or spend Club funds for purposes authorised by the Committee shall be vested in the Treasurer and any other Committee Members authorised by the Committee up to a maximum amount authorised by the Committee from time to time. Cheques in excess of the authorised amount will require the signatures of 2 authorised officers.

5.1.4 The property and funds of the Club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of members other than as reasonably allowed by the Constitution and all surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the Club. 5.1.5 The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, away-event expenses, post event refreshments and other ordinary benefits of Community Amateur Sports Clubs as provided by the Finance Act 2002.

5.1.6 The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club: 5.1.6.1 sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment

5.1.6.2 employ members (though not for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Committee without the person concerned being present

5.1.6.3 pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting competitors

5.1.6.4 indemnify the Committee and members acting properly in the course of running the club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets)

5.1.7 Interpretation of the Constitution must be consistent with the statutory requirements for CASCs (which means Community Amateur Sports Clubs as first provided for by the Finance Act 2002).

5.2 Subscriptions

5.2.1 The subscription for Club membership shall be agreed at a Committee meeting. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating. This subscription covers membership for the following year starting on 1st January, when it shall become due. Part annual subscriptions are not available but any person joining after 1st October in any year will obtain the benefit of membership until 31st December in the following year.

5.2.2 Members who have not renewed their subscriptions by 31st March of the year covered by the subscription shall be deemed to have resigned from the Club. The Club will pay the required SEOA affiliation fee and any SEOA levy at the level set by SEOA in order for the Club and its members to be affiliated to SEOA.

5.2.3 The Treasurer shall prepare annually an account of the Club's income and expenditure as at 30th June and arrange for it to be audited and available before the AGM. The Honorary Auditor shall be appointed by the AGM and shall not be a member of the Committee.

6. General Meetings

6.1 There shall be an Annual General Meeting held between 1st October
and 31st December in each year. A quorum for the meeting shall be at least 20% of the Club's membership or 15 members, whichever is less. At least half this minimum quorum shall not be Committee members during the year leading up to the AGM. Notice of the AGM shall be given by the Secretary at least 14 days before the AGM. The agenda, audited accounts, and minutes of the previous AGM will be available before the meeting.
The following business shall be conducted at the AGM.
1. Approval of the minutes of the previous AGM
2. A report of the year's activities.
3 Presentation of audited accounts.
4. Proposed amendments to the rules and adoption, if agreed
5. Election of Chairman (and in the event that a Chairman is not elected then the President will act as temporary Chairman until the Committee has appointed a Chairman at its next meeting following the AGM)
6. Election of Committee.
7. Election of Honorary Auditor
8. Any other business

6.2 A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee or by at
least 10 members of the Club. A quorum for the meeting shall be as for the AGM. When not called by the Committee, the petitioning members shall notify the Secretary in writing of the reasons. The Secretary shall convene the meeting by notifying all members at least 14 days in advance of the date of the meeting and stating the purpose of the meeting. The meeting is to be held within 2 months of the decision being made by the Committee or of the receipt of the request from the petitioning members. Only business directly related to the subject of the Special General Meeting shall be discussed at the meeting 6.3 For the purposes of voting and attendance at the Annual General
Meeting or a Special General Meeting, each member (including each of those within a Family membership) who will be aged 18 or older on 31st December (of the year in question), shall have one vote. A Group membership will only have one vote.

7. Election of the Committee

7.1 The Committee shall be elected annually at the AGM.

7.2 Existing members of the Committee may stand for re-election subject to rule 4.

7.3 The Chairman will canvass existing members of the Committee as to their wish to stand for re-election at least 14 days in advance of the AGM. 7.4 Nominations, duly seconded, for the Committee shall be submitted to the Secretary before the AGM. The agreement of the nominee must be obtained prior to nomination.

7.5 Members shall be elected to the Committee by a simple majority of those attending the AGM. The President of the Club shall have the casting vote.

8. Interpretation of and Amendment to the Constitution

8.1 The Committee is the sole authority for interpreting the Constitution and its decision on any points relating to it shall be final.

8.2 The Constitution may be amended at the AGM or at a Special General Meeting.

8.3 Proposals for amendment must be submitted by 1st September for consideration at the AGM, or as laid down in rule 6.2 for consideration at a Special General Meeting. The proposed amendments are to be notified in the notice calling the meeting.

8.4 A majority of two thirds of the members present at the meeting shall be required to amend the Constitution, the Chairman having the casting vote.

9. Expulsion

9.1 The Committee may expel any member or refuse membership to any person who offends against the Constitution, the rules, policies or guidelines of the Club or whose conduct, in the opinion of the Committee, renders him unfit for membership of the Club or whose conduct or character are likely to bring the Club or the sport of orienteering into disrepute.

9.2 Before any such member is expelled, the Secretary must give him
seven days’ written notice to attend a meeting of the Committee and must inform him, in writing, of the complaints made against him.

9.3 No member may be expelled unless he has first had an opportunity to appear before the Committee and answer the complaints made against him and at least two-thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of his expulsion. Appeal against expulsion may be made to the members.

10. Club Copyright

10.1 Any document such as (but not limited to) maps, guides and information leaflets produced by a member or members of the Club at the Club’s expense shall become the sole copyright of the Club

10.2 Articles submitted to the Club newsletter or the Club website shall remain the copyright of their authors

11. Disbandment of the Club

In the event of the dissolution of the Club, any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to one or more of the following approved sporting or charitable bodies:

  1. 11.1 A registered charitable organisation(s).
  2. 11.2 Another club which is a registered CASC
  3. 11.3 The sport’s governing body for use by them for related community sports.