Taunton Canoe Club Constitution
as adopted by the Club AGM 2nd October 2012
1) NAME:
The Club shall be known as “TAUNTON CANOE CLUB”
2) OBJECT:
To promote the sport of canoeing in the Taunton Deane area
3) MEMBERSHIP:
a) QUALIFICATION:
Any active canoeist or person wishing to become one, either:
3a.1) 11 and over is eligible for Full Membership
3a.2) Under 11 and over 8 is eligible for Junior Membership
3a.3) Over 8 is eligible for Temporary Membership
b) CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP
3b.1) Full Member – Aged 11 and over is entitled to 1 vote providing the subscription fee has been paid in full by cash or cheque or a standing order mandate has been lodged with the Treasurer before the start of the meeting at which the vote is to take place
3b.2) Family Membership – Any Full Member, with any number of dependant children aged under 18 on the last Tuesday of February, who pay 50% of the subscription fee each, are entitled to 1 vote for each person over 11, providing the subscription fees have been paid in full by cash or cheque or a standing order mandate has been lodged with the Treasurer before the start of the meting at which the vote is to take place
3b.3) Junior Member – aged over 8 and under 11 is not entitled to vote, but the subscription still needs to be paid in full by cash or cheque or a standing order mandate has been lodged with the Treasurer before the start of the meeting at which the vote is to take place
Junior members under the age of 8 years old may be eligible to become members of Taunton Canoe Club provided that they can demonstrate to the Club Committee or nominated Club Coach that they already possess the necessary skills and experience, through demonstration and/or proof of achievement in BCU Paddle Power or BCU Star Awards etc. The parents of a prospective member under the age of 8 years old would be obligated to sign the Taunton Canoe Club disclaimer in the knowledge that kayking is an assumed risk water sport and thus accepting the full responsibility for their child’s activities.
Junior members under the age of 8 years old may also be eligible to become members of Taunton Canoe Club if the prospective member is part of a Family Membership, in which the parent/guardian holding the membership prove to the Taunton Canoe Club committee that they have the required paddling skills and experience and agree to paddle and supervise the child at all times. The parents of such a child would also be required to sign the Taunton Canoe Club disclaimer in the knowledge that kayaking is an assumed risk water sport, and thus accepting full responsibility for their child’s activities at all times.
The acceptance of any membership for children under the age of 8 years will remain totally at the discretion of Taunton Canoe Club Committee.
3b.4) Temporary Member aged 8 or over is not entitled to vote. There will be a charge per week for temporary members at a rate to be fixed by the committee from time to time.
4) ADMISSION
Candidates for election to the club shall make a written application on the form provided, to the Secretary of the club. The power of election shall rest on the Executive Committee, who may refuse any application without giving a reason for so doing.
5) ENTRANCE FEE
Each applicant for membership shall, if his/her application is accepted, pay an entrance fee. The amount of which shall be set by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
6) SUBSCRIPTIONS
The rates of the subscriptions shall be determined by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
Subscriptions are due on the last Tuesday of February each year before the Annual General Meeting.
The subscription rate set by the Annual General Meeting shall then come into effect on a day decided by the Annual General Meeting.
7) CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP
7.1) Any member may resign on giving one months notice in writing to the Secretary
7.2) Any member violating rules or regulations of the Club, or being adjudged of unsatisfactory conduct may, by resolution of the Committee, be suspended or expelled, and any member so suspended or expelled may appeal to a Special General Meeting if such an appeal is sponsored by not less than five individual members.
8) DISQUALIFICATION FROM HOLDING OFFICE
A member who is under 11 years of age, or a member who is carrying on business, which may conflict with the interests of the Club, shall not be eligible for election to the Executive Committee or for the election as a Trustee of the Club.
9) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
9.1) The Executive Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Club as a whole and shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and four other members, additionally the Committee shall have the power to co-opt a maximum of four members who do not necessarily have to be paid up members of the Club.
9.2) Nominations for positions of Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer, together with other officers shall be put forward in the form of a motion under the terms of Rule 11 Section 4.
9.3) The Executive Committee shall elect a Vice Chairman from its number
9.4) The terms of office shall be for 1 year and members shall be eligible for re-election
9.5) The Executive Committee shall meet not less than six times a year at regular intervals, usually every alternative month
9.6) Meetings shall be called by the Secretary on instructions from the Chairman, or not less than 3 Committee members
9.7) A quorum shall consist of not less than 4 elected members
9.8) If a vacancy occurs within the Executive Committee a temporary appointment may be made by the Executive Committee until the next Annual General Meeting
10) DUTIES OF OFFICERS
10.1) Chairman: the Chairman shall preside at all General Meetings of the Club and at all meetings of the Executive Committee. He/she shall be responsible for the guiding of the activities of the Club in accordance with its rules and general policy as expressed by the General Meetings. He/she shall represent the Club at meetings of other organisations and shall be an ex-official member of any other Committee of the Club. In the event of a deadlock the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
10.2) Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for the organising of all meetings of the Club and that of the Executive Committee, the recording of the minutes relating to such meetings and all correspondence relating to the general business of the Club.
10.3) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of all monies and shall keep books of account as required by the Annual General Meeting. He/she shall produce to the Annual General Meeting audited balance sheets showing the financial state of the Club also accompanied by the auditors report.
11) GENERAL MEETINGS
11.1) The Annual General Meeting shall be held on the last Tuesday of February each year, a statement of accounts will be made before the meeting for the previous financial year.
11.2) An Extra Ordinary General Meeting may be called on the instructions of a majority of the Executive Committee, or on a requisition signed by not less than 60% of the paid up membership of the club.
11.3) Not less than 14 days notice shall be given of a General Meeting. Notice shall be given by post or verbally; also the Annual General Meeting shall be advertised in the County Gazette.
11.4) Motions for discussion at the Annual General Meeting, not originating from the Executive Committee shall be lodged with the Secretary not less than 7 days before the meeting.
11.5) At any General Meeting a resolution put to a meeting shall be decided by a show of hands, by fully paid up members with voting rights as per rule 3b.1) and 3b.2).
11.6) At all General Meetings the Chairman or Vice Chairman will preside, or in their absence a Chairman will be elected by the Executive Committee
11.7) At all General Meetings of the Club not less than 10 members of the Club shall constitute a quorum
11.8) Absence of a quorum: If after half an hour from the advertised time of a meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting if called at the request of members shall be dissolved, in any case the meeting shall be adjourned until a time and place to be fixed by the Executive Committee. If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the adjourned meeting, the members present will constitute a quorum.
11.9) Accidental omissions: Failure to give notice of a meeting to, or non- receipt of, a meeting by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings of a meeting.
12) LIABILITY OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Any financial or legal liability incurred by the Executive Committee in the rightful exercise of their office shall not be the personal responsibility of the Committee but shall be the responsibility of the Club as a whole.
13) ALTERATION TO THE RULES
This constitution shall not be altered, amended or repealed except by a General Meeting of the Club.
14) ACCOUNTS/AUDITOR
14.1) All Bank, Building Society and other accounts must be held in the name of TAUNTON CANOE CLUB.
14.2) Accounts held on behalf of TAUNTON CANOE CLUB must have two signatures from Officers or Committee Members of the Club, to effect a withdrawal.
14.3) A petty cash float of £300.00 may be held by the Treasurer, who, wherever possible, must have a deduction from the petty cash supported by a receipt. He/she must provide a balance on the last day of each month, and present a report to the next Committee meeting.
14.4) The financial year of the Club will end at 31st December. Fully audited accounts will be presented to the Club at the Annual General Meeting (see rule 10.3).
14.5) Every Annual General Meeting shall appoint a Honorary Auditor who shall once a year or on the instructions from the Executive Committee, examine the Accounts of the Club and ascertain the correctness of the income and the expenditure accounts of the balance sheet.
14.6) The Treasurer shall maintain at all times a separate account with sufficient funds to pay the next 6 months rent and rates bill for the clubhouse. This money must not be withdrawn without prior consent of all Trustees of the Club.
15) DISTRIBUTION OF PROFITS
Under no circumstances shall any profits be distributed to members of the Club. Any profit earned shall be contributed to a general fund furthering the objectives of the club.
16) TERMINATION
The canoe club shall not terminate, except by resolution of a meeting convened for that purpose and in such an event any surplus assets will be applied for approved sporting charitable purposes. The surplus assets must be given or transferred to another Community Amateur Sports Club Scheme (CASC), a registered charity or the Sports’ Governing Body (British Canoe Union BCU).
17) POWER OF DECISION
Any matter not provided for in this constitution or any question of interpretation of it shall be dealt with by the Executive Committee whose decision shall be final.
18) ELECTION OF TRUSTEES OF PROPERTY
Four Trustees of property of the Club will be elected from the membership of the Club, at an Annual General Meeting. A Trustee will be elected for four years, with one Trustee post becoming due for election every year. A Trustee must have been a Club member for a minimum of two years and not disqualified under rule 8.
19) RIGHTS OF TRUSTEES
Trustees who are not Committee Members in their own right are entitled to:
a) Receive notice of and attend every Committee Meeting of the Club
b) Speak on any matter raised at the Committee Meeting
c) Raise any matter, at the Committee Meeting, that has a bearing on property, rights or responsibilities and obligations of the Club
d) Vote at Committee on any matter, which has a bearing on rights, responsibilities or obligations of Trustees. In particular but not exclusively any matters relating to property or the lease.
e) In any decision that has a direct bearing on the responsibilities or obligations of Trustees, the Trustees will have an automatic right of veto, i.e. a majority decision of Trustees can override a majority decision of the Committee. For this to apply the votes of ALL Trustees must be counted whether they are present at the meeting or not.
We the undersigned hereby certify that the above constitution was approved and adopted by the Annual General Meeting of the Taunton Canoe Club held at the Canoe Club Boathouse, Priory Bridge Road, Taunton, at 7.30pm on 2nd October 2012.
Signed…………………………………………………………………………Chairman
Signed…………………………………………………………………………Secretary
Signed…………………………………………………………………………Vice Chairman
