The Constitution of the Oxted Runners Club
1 Title i. The Club shall be known as the Oxted Runners Club (hereinafter referred to as the Club). 2 Objectives i. The objectives of the Club shall be the practice of, and promotion of road and off-road running in Oxted and the surrounding area. ii. The Club may organise open and club races. iii. The Club may affiliate to such national and regional athletic bodies as the Committee judges appropriate to meet the Club’s objectives. 3 Management i. The management of the Club shall be vested in a Committee. The Committee shall comprise a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary who shall be the Officers of the Club, together with up to 5 additional members. ii. The members of the Committee shall be elected at the AGM, and shall hold office until the following AGM, except that the Chairman shall be elected for a term of 3 years. All Committee members are eligible for re-election when their terms expire. iii. The Chairman may co-opt additional committee members to fill vacancies which arise between AGMs and to carry out new functions. Co-opted members shall not have a Committee vote. iv. Four elected members shall represent a quorum for a meeting of the Committee, providing that two of the three Officers are present. In the absence of the Chairman, the Secretary will chair the meeting. v. All decisions shall be decided by a simple majority of votes of the Committee members present at the meeting. In the event of a tie, the Chairman will have the casting vote. Between meetings, decisions may be taken by email or other written correspondence as long as there is unanimity. Decisions taken by email or correspondence will be recorded in the minutes of the subsequent meeting of the Committee. vi. The Committee will meet at least three times a year. A meeting may be called by the Chairman, or by at least three other members of the Committee. The Secretary will give at least two weeks’ notice of a meeting and will circulate the agenda at the same time. An emergency meeting may be called by the Chairman with only 24 hours’ notice if the Chairman judges it necessary for the management of the Club. vii. The Committee may delegate to individual committee members, or to a sub-committee, such duties as it considers appropriate. 4 Membership i. Membership of the Club shall be open to persons aged 18 years and above, regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. Members must also meet any additional criteria which derive from the Club’s affiliation to national or regional athletics bodies. ii. Members must be able to meet the Club’s running standard to be able to participate in club runs. The standard is decided from time to time by the Committee. iii. Applications for membership should be made on the on-line form, or by other means as the Committee may decide. The appropriate subscription should be made once the application is accepted. Decisions on membership shall be made by the Committee. The Committee must pay due regard to the law on disability discrimination and other relevant legislation. iv. Honorary life membership may be conferred by the AGM in recognition of a member’s particular contribution to the club. v. Members may resign at any time by notifying the Committee. Subscriptions may be partially refunded at the discretion of the Committee. vi. The Committee shall have the power to suspend or exclude any member for contravening this constitution, club rules, or codes of conduct. In exercising this power, the Committee will adhere to the Club’s complaints procedures. Appeal against suspension or exclusion may be made to the club members at an AGM or EGM. 5. Subscriptions i. Annual levels of subscriptions shall be decided at the AGM, based on a proposal of the Committee. Subscriptions will be set at a level which will not represent a significant obstacle to people participating in the Club, and at the lowest level consistent with the sound operation of the Club. ii. Subscriptions are due on 1 January each year. Subscriptions outstanding at 31 January will be liable to a late payment charge. Members not paying subscriptions by the end of February will be considered as having resigned. iii. Subscriptions for new members joining mid year may be reduced at the discretion of the Committee. 6.Annual General Meeting i. The AGM will be held in November. ii. The AGM will: – Receive the annual reports of the Officers of the Club; – Elect the Officers of the Club and other Committee members; – Consider any amendment to the constitution; any proposed amendment must be received by the Secretary at least 14 days before the meeting, and notified to the members by the Secretary as soon as possible to allow for proper consideration by the members; -Transact any other notified business. iii. The Secretary will notify the members at least 21 days before the meeting, giving details of the date, venue, and agenda. iv. All members present at the meeting will have one vote. In the case of a tied vote, the Chairman will have a second, casting vote. Voting will be by a show of hands, unless the Chairman decides that voting shall be by written ballot. 7.Extra-Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) i. An EGM may be called by the Committee to decide business too urgent to await the next AGM. ii. An EGM must be called if 25% of the members request one in writing to the Secretary. iii. 21 days’ notice of an EGM must be given to all members, together with the motion to be decided. No other business shall be taken at the EGM. iv. Decisions shall be taken at the EGM using the same procedures as at an AGM. 8. Finance, Property i. The Club’s financial year shall run from 1 November to 31 October. ii. All funds of the club shall be deposited in accounts with a suitable bank. The bank mandate list (list of people who can sign cheques, make debit card payments, operate online banking on the club’s behalf) will always be approved by the Committee, and recorded in the Committee’s minutes, as will any changes to the list. iii. Prior to the start of each financial year, the Committee will approve a budgeted income and expenditure account for the following year. A report comparing the actual income and expenditure with the budget shall be presented to the Committee at every Committee meeting. The Committee may update the budget during the year. iv. The latest approved budget provides those on the bank mandate list with authority to spend up to the budgeted expenditure, not beyond it. v. The property and funds of the Club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of members. All surplus income shall be reinvested in the Club. vi. The Club may in connection with the sports purposes of the Club: sell and supply food and drink, sports clothing and equipment; pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting guests; 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. vii. The AGM shall appoint an appropriately qualified person to examine the accounts before their presentation to the subsequent AGM. 9. Winding Up i. The members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of members present and voting support the proposal at a properly convened AGM or EGM. ii. The Committee will be responsible for winding up the Club. iii. After settling all the liabilities of the Club, any remaining net assets shall be disposed of to one or more of the following: Another club with similar sporting purposes which is a registered charity, or is a registered CASC or is a similar sporting club, or to the Club’s national governing bodies for use by them for related community sports. 10. Alterations to the Constitution i. The Constitution may be altered, but only on a resolution passed by two thirds of those present and voting at a properly convened AGM or EGM. 11. Revision History i. This Constitution was adopted at the Club AGM on 21 November 2017 and replaces all previous constitutions.
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