Constitution

Chelmsford Hockey Club Constitution

1. This club shall be called “THE CHELMSFORD HOCKEY CLUB” (hereinafter called “The Club”): it shall be affiliated to the national governing body of hockey in England (hereinafter called “NGB”).

2. The main purposes of the Club are to provide facilities for and to promote participation in the amateur sport of hockey in Chelmsford.

3. Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport of hockey on application, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of hockey. The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating, and will have special rates for those unemployed or suffering financial hardship. The Club committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the club or the sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members acting through a Discipline Committee whose membership shall be appointed by the Management Committee.

4. Membership of the Club shall comprise as follows

a. Playing members

i. Senior membership being persons of the age of 18 or over

ii. Student membership being persons in full-time, further or higher education

iii. Youth membership being persons under the age of 18

iv. Associate playing members being persons of any age who play on an infrequent or occasional basis.

Any person playing for a senior team, who is not already a junior member, shall be elected to membership by the Management Committee.

b. Honorary members who may be of any age and elected by the Management Committee on an annual basis who shall be entitled to enjoy all the rights and privileges of the Club except the right to vote.

c. Social members who shall be entitled to enjoy the social amenities of the Club and who comprise persons who from time to time are elected by the Management Committee as social members and who shall pay such subscriptions as may be determined at the Annual General Meeting. Such members have no right to vote

d. Associate non-playing members who give service to the club and who shall be entitled to enjoy all the amenities of the club and who shall pay such subscriptions as may be determined at the Annual General Meeting

e. The membership of any person may be terminated or have conditions or restrictions placed upon it by the Management Committee if in the opinion of that Committee the member has:

i. Failed to pay his or her annual subscription by 31 October or as provided hereinafter in the event of a player elected later in the year.

ii. Been guilty of conduct unbecoming to the well-being of the general membership

iii. Brought the Club or the game of hockey into disrepute.

f. The Management Committee shall make by-laws for the proper and fair conduct of any proceedings under paragraph 4(e) above. Any person whose membership has been terminated in accordance with these rules and any by-laws made hereunder shall forthwith forfeit all rights to or claim upon the property of the Club.

g. The membership year shall run from 1 September until 31 August the following year. In the case only of a new member applying for senior membership, the Managenment Committee may grant a pro rata discount in the subscription to those who apply for membership part way through the season.

5. General Meetings

a. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in the month of June each year.

b. At the Annual General meeting of the Club the following business (inter alia) shall take place:

i. Election of officials, namely President, Chairman, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Fixture Secretary, Facilities Manager, First Team Managers, Team Captains (if appropriate), Chairs of Selection Committees, Chair of Playing Committee, Chair of Junior Section, League Liaison Officers, Umpires’ Secretary, Social Secretary, Sponsorship Secretary and Chelmsford Sports Club representative

ii. To appoint a Patron of the Club in accordance with the recommendations of the Management Committee.

iii. To receive and adopt accounts for the year end 31 May immediately preceding the AGM.

iv. To determine the annual subscription for members (including any levy or fee required by the Chelmsford Sports Club in accordance with its Rules) and match fees.

v. To receive, discuss and adopt appropriate reports from such Officers or Sections of the Club as may be appropriate.

vi. To appoint auditors.

vii. Any other appropriate business.

c. A Special General meeting shall be convened by the Secretary

i. At the request of the Management Committee, or

ii. Upon receipt of a request therefore, signed by not less than 10% of the membership who are eligible to vote at such meeting.

d. Twenty one days’ notice in writing of such meetings shall be given to each member who is eligible to attend and vote. Despatch of the notice to the last known postal or e mail address of each member, or on the club’s website, shall be sufficient to discharge the obligation to give notice.

6. At any General Meeting of the Club, those entitled to vote shall be the President, playing and associate Members of the Club over the age of 16 and representatives of the Youth Section Committee (not exceeding 8 in number) provided always that no person shall be entitled to more than one vote on any one issue.

7. The Management of the Club shall be vested in the Management Committee:

a. The Management Committee shall comprise the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Chair of Junior Section, Chair of Playing Committee, Fixture Secretary, Sports Club representative, Facilities Manager, and Social Secretary. The President may be invited to attend in an ex officio capacity.

b. The Management Committee shall meet not less than 9 times per year and shall be responsible for:

i. The administration of the Club

ii. Making bye-laws

iii. Election of persons to membership

iv. Determining and implementing the Club’s disciplinary policy and rules as laid down by the NGB

v. Four elected members shall form a quorum. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.

c. The Management Committee shall be allowed to co-opt such members as may from time to time be necessary. In the event of a member of the Committee being unable to attend, she or he may appoint a representative to attend in her or his place and such representative and co-opted members shall not have voting rights.

d. The Management Committee may, from time to time, delegate such duties and responsibilities as may be appropriate to the following Committees (inter alia):

i. Two Selection Committees each comprising Chair of Selection and Team Captains; the Umpire Secretary and Youth Section nominees may be invited to attend from time to time at the discretion of the Selection Committees.

ii. A Playing Committee comprising Chairs of Selection Committees and other members from the Selection Committees, together with Director of Coaching, Fixture Secretary, Facilities Manager, Junior Section Representative and Tournament Organiser (of which four members shall form a quorum) shall be responsible for matters relating to all senior teams which will meet as often as necessary (and not less than three times per year) to deal with inter alia fixtures, the use of the clubhouse and pitches during the hockey season, tournaments held at Chelmer Park, promoting the best use of coaching resources, identifying umpiring needs and encouraging the development of umpires within the Club

iii. A Junior Section Management Committee, chaired by the Chair of Junior Section and whose membership shall be made up of officials as approved by the Management Committee, such Junior Section Management Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Junior Section and all matters relating to the selection and coaching of junior teams, appointing officials as appropriate, as approved by the Management Committee, and making recommendations to the Management Committee of junior membership subscriptions and playing fees. All such activities are subject to the overriding approval of the Management Committee

iv. A Facilities Committee, chaired by the Facilities Manager, to oversee the use, hire, maintenance and development of the club’s facilities. br/>

e. In the event of a casual vacancy on any of the above Committees, that Committee shall have power to fill that vacancy, and any person so appointed shall hold membership of that Committee for the remaining period of the year until the first meeting of the Management Committee following the next AGM.

8. All members selected to play for the Club shall wear green and white shirts, blue shorts or skirts/skorts and green socks, to a design and style approved by the Management Committee from time to time. Comer flags shall be green.

9. The property of the Club, including its interest in the artificial pitches at Chelmer Park, shall be vested in not less than two Trustees who shall be appointed by the Management Committee, and they shall deal with such property or interest in such way as the Management Committee may from time to time direct by resolution (of which an entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence). The Trustees shall be indemnified against risk and expense by the Club. The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation, or until removal from office by the Management Committee. Where, by reason of such death, resignation or removal, a new Trustee or Trustees are required to be appointed, the Management Committee shall nominate the person or persons to be appointed as new Trustee or Trustees, and for the purpose of giving effect to such nomination, the Chairman is hereby nominated as the person to appoint new Trustees of the Club within the meaning of Section 36 of the Trustees Act 1925, and he shall by deed duly appoint the person or persons so nominated by the Management Committee.

10. Any proposal to alter these rules shall be sent in writing with the names of the Proposer, Seconder, and no less than four supporters, (all of whom shall be entitled to vote in accordance with Rule 6) not less than 21 days before the AGM or in accordance with Rule 5d, and the proposed alteration shall be embodied in the notice convening the said meeting. No substantial amendments shall be taken at the said meeting if in the opinion of the chair of the meeting the amendment is so fundamental as to radically change the purpose of the original proposal.

11. All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the Club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.

12. At the discretion of the Management Committee the Club may apply any income or profits from activity connected to hockey coaching, tuition or other related educational activity to whatsoever general purposes the Committee considers most appropriate in accordance with the purposes of the Club.

13. Upon dissolution of the Club any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another registered Community Amateur Sports Club, a registered charity or to hockey’s NGB for use by them in community sports related to hockey.