Club constitution and rules
EAST CHESHIRE HARRIERS AND TAMESIDE ATHLETIC CLUB.
CLUB CONSTITUTION AND RULES.
1. The Constitution of the Club.
That this club is called – East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside Athletic Club.
2. Objects of the Club.
Is the promotion of all athletic activities that are governed by U.K. Athletics.
3. Management.
The general affairs of the club to be dealt with by Finance and General Purposes Committee consisting of:-
President.
Honorary Secretary.
Honorary Treasurer.
Road and Country Representative.
Trustee/Life Member.
Coaching Co-ordinator.
Eight General Committee Members.
Two Welfare Officers.
Each holding full voting rights, according to Club rules for voting. All elected officers shall serve for a period of two years and at any Annual General Meeting only half of the officers will be eligible for re-election.
The quorum for the ‘Finance and General Purposes Committee’ shall be a minimum of five of the elected members.
As in the spirit of our present constitution the Trustees and Delegates are considered ex-officio to the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
The athletic side of the club will be managed by a track and field group and a road and country group meeting as required by the elected representative.
4. Subscriptions.
Seniors - £84
Age 65 + - £66
Second claim - £66
Unwaged and disabled - £66
Uni student living at home - £66
Uni student away from home - £20
Family - £120
Age 16-18 School years 12 and 13 - £56
Under 16 - £51
Social - £29
The subscriptions shall be as follows as at 1st January 2024:
All subscriptions are due on 1st January each year and shall be paid before 1st March in the same year. unless you have chosen the option to pay by monthly standing order. Non-payment means the athletes will no longer be considered a member of the club after March 1st and will not be eligible to compete in competitions. The England Athletic fees are collected separatley in April each year.
Any new subscription rates decided at the Annual General Meeting shall apply from the 1st January of each new year.
Students attending full courses at University etc. living at home, provided they are in receipt of no payment other than the statutory Government Grant, will be allowed to become full members on payment of two-thirds of the current subscription. Proof to be produced to the Management Committee at the time of application.
Competitive athletes furthering their education and living around the university, thus using the club facilities during holiday periods only, will pay a set fee of £32 to include England Athletics competition fee.
Family Membership is defined as one or two parenting adults with children under 16 years and over 8 years of age. The children are to be active participants in the club’s activities. Family members school year 6 onwards who intend to compete/race each pay the England Athletics fee (up to school year 5 do not pay the E.A. fee). Children under 10 years of age who join are the responsibility of the parents.
From 1st March to 30th June new members pay three quarters of their relevant membership fee. From 1st July to 31st October there are pro-rata payments starting with half fee. For November and December new members pay the following years fee plus the E.A. fee for the current year and the following year.
Everyone from school year 6 onwards who intends to compete/race must pay the England Athletics fee in addition to club fees. This year it is £19. The committee has the power to increase subscriptions up to the rate of inflation on 1st January each year. For an increase above the inflation rate members to discuss at the A.G.M. one year before the year of implementation. Proposal, duly seconded, to be handed to the Secretary.
Please note if you decide not to continue your membership with the club or will be relocating, university or work commitments or have a long term injury which prevents you competing or training etc. please inform the club in writing or email. Your membership can be suspended until you are ready to rejoin.
5. Election of Members.
Every candidate for membership shall be considered by the Management Committee, which shall admit that candidate to membership of the club, unless to do so would be contrary to the best interests of the sport or the good conduct and interests of the club. The candidate’s usual place of residence to be recorded in the books of the club. No new member shall be entitled to the privileges of the club until he or she has paid one year’s subscription. No Member shall be eligible for election to any office within the club until he or she has been a First Claim member for one year. The elected committee, however, may co-opt any member to assist on the committee irrespective of length of membership.
6. Expulsion of Members.
If any complaint be made to the Secretary that any member has misconducted himself/herself to the annoyance of any other member/s or person/s on Club Premises or on Club activities, the Secretary shall, on being notified thereof in writing, summon the Committee to hear such complaint/s, and the Committee shall have the power to fine or expel such member/s, who, when expelled shall forfeit all claims on the club in respect of any subscriptions he/she may have paid.
7. The Committee.
Any member of the Committee (with the exception of the President) absenting himself/herself from three consecutive meetings, without notice to the Secretary, shall be disqualified, and the Committee may at the next meeting, proceed to fill up the vacancy.
The Committee shall meet together, adjourn and regulate their meeting as they think fit and may fill up any vacancy that may occur during the year. They shall have the sole management of the Ground and Club property and the responsibility for making fixtures and choosing the teams to represent the Club.
They may determine any question that may arise on the interpretation of these rules, or anything relative to the Club not provided in them.
They may also delegate any of their power to any Sub-Committee consisting of such members of their body as they think fit. Any Sub-Committee so formed shall in exercise of their power so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed upon them.
8. List of Members.
A list of officials of the club shall be displayed and where possible, a list of members shall be available at the club headquarters.
9. Annual General Meeting.
The Annual General Meeting shall be held by the end of March each year and the Club Secretary will display a notice in the Club Headquarters and in the local newspaper not less than one month before the date of such meeting; such notice shall state the date, time and place of such meeting.
The Agenda and any alteration of Club Rules will be displayed at Club Headquarters at least fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. That the business of the meeting shall be:-
To receive Reports and Balance Sheet.
Any other business of which due notice of fifteen days has been given to the Secretary.
Every year to elect new Committee members and Officials.
All members over sixteen years have voting rights provided that they are fully paid up members to the end of the previous year
10.Special Meetings.
The Management Committee shall at the request of twelve members of the club, or may, on their own authority, call a Special General Meeting of which fourteen days notice shall be given stating the place, time and object of such meeting. Notice of any alteration of Rules shall be on the notice calling such a meeting.
No resolution shall be carried, except by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting. All members over sixteen years of age have voting rights provided that they are fully paid up members.
11.Regulations.
The Management Committee shall have power to make, alter and amend or rescind such regulations as may from time to time be found necessary for good order, general convenience and comfort of the members and other persons frequenting the club grounds and premises, which shall have an equal force and effect as rules made on that behalf. A list of all such rules should be available and, if possible, displayed at the club headquarters.
Such regulations may, however, be altered or rescinded by a meeting of members of the club to be convened on the request of twelve members made to the Secretary, in writing, specifying the alteration proposed to be made.
12. U.K. Athletics.
That the Laws of U.K. Athletics are considered the criterion of decision in all matters of reference.
13. Alteration of Rules.
These rules may be altered, removed and added to either generally or for the particular occasions at any Special or General Meeting by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting at such meeting.
14. Financial Regulations.
The Rules for the handling of the Club’s financial affairs are contained under a set of rules known as Financial Regulations which are set out as an Appendix to these Rules.
15. Club Costume.
That the club costume shall be gold shorts and green vest for men and women. All members shall compete in club costume in all races and be fully paid-up members otherwise they are liable for disqualification.
16. Second Claim Members.
Second Claim Membership is open to anyone who is a member of a First Claim Club in accordance with U.K. Athletics Laws. All Second Claim Members shall be allowed to run in any handicap, but not club championships.
17. Life Membership.
The number of Life Members shall be restricted to no more than ten. In order to qualify for Life Membership a member must have given exceptional service to the club, either as an active athlete, a coach or an official. To be elected to Life Membership candidates must be proposed and seconded by Senior Members of the club at an A.G.M. and receive a minimum of two-thirds of the votes of those members present and eligible to vote at that A.G.M.
18. Rules relating to Sale of Alcohol.
a. The bar is open for the sale of alcoholic liquor to members and their bona fide guests only.
b. Alcoholic liquor will only be sold during
the current permitted hours for the Club, that is to say:-
Monday to Saturday: 11.30am to 11.00pm.
Sundays: 2.00pm to 11.00pm
Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday: 12noon to2.30pm and 7.00pm to 10.30pm.
c. No alcoholic liquor shall be sold to any person under the age of eighteen years.
Music and dancing every day of the week from 2.00pm to 11.00pm.
19. Visitors, Guests and Social Members.
All members are permitted to introduce two guests to the Club. The names and addresses of such guests together with the introducing members shall be entered into the book provided by the club for that purpose. The introducing member shall be responsible for the conduct of guests whilst in the club and no guest may remain in the club after the introducing member has left the club premises.
The Club may admit as visitors:-
Persons attending the Club for the purpose of participating in any sporting or recreational activity, meeting or competition, promoted and organised by the club, or promoted, organised and approved by the General Committee.
Persons attending a function at the club, promoted by a member and approved by the General Committee, admission to which function is by issue of an invitation rather than by payment. A list of names and addresses of the persons attending should be forwarded to the Secretary of the club by the promoting member, to reach them at least 48 hours prior to the function taking place.
The premises may be used for functions organised by or on behalf of the Club and approved by the Committee provided that the number of such functions shall not exceed twelve in any calendar year.
Persons attending such functions at the Club may purchase intoxicating liquor in accordance with the provisions of Section 49 of the Licensing Act 1964.
All visitors to the club, other than those attending a club function or one arranged by a person hiring the Clubhouse, must be signed in by a fully paid-up member and both the visitor and the member must sign the Visitors Book. The maximum number of occasions on which a person may be signed in as a visitor is six in any one calendar year. After this the person concerned must apply for membership in the normal way. Visitors to the club will normally be subject to the same restrictions asocial Members. However these restrictions will be waived if the visitor is signed in by a Committee Member.
Social members.
A social member will not be entitled to use the following club facilities:
a) The track and associated equipment.
b) The changing rooms.
c) The showers.
d) The indoor fitness room and any associated equipment.
20. Winding Up.
Should the club be wound up the athletic equipment will be donated to local community groups for their use.
21. Policies.
The club adheres to all the National Governing Bodies Policies.
22. Clubmark.
The club welcomes applicants from all members of the community and will ensure all present and potential members receive fair and equal treatment.
23. Conflict of Interest Policy.
All staff, volunteers and management committee members of East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside A.C. will strive to avoid any conflict of interest between the interests of the Organisation on the one hand and personal, professional and business interests on the other. This includes avoiding actual conflicts of interest as well as the perception of conflicts of interest.
The purpose of this policy is to protect the integrity of the Organisation’s decision making process, to enable our stakeholders to have confidence in our integrity, and to protect the integrity and reputation of volunteers, staff and committee members.
Examples of conflicts of interest include:
1. A committee member who is related to a member of staff and there is a decision to be taken on staff pay and/or conditions.
2. A committee member who is also on the committee of another organisation that is competing for the same funding.
3. A committee member who has shares in a business that may be awarded a contract to do work or provide services for the organisation.
Upon appointment each committee member will make a full written disclosure of interests, such as relationships and posts held, that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. This written disclosure will be kept on file and will be updated as appropriate.
In the course of meetings or activities committee members will disclose any interests in a transaction or decision where they may be a conflict between the organisations best interests and the committee member’s best interests or a conflict between the best interests of the two organisations that the committee member is involved with.
After disclosure the person concerned will be asked to leave the room for the discussion and will not be able to take part in the decision. Any such disclosure and the subsequent actions taken will be noted in the minutes.
This policy is meant to supplement good judgement, and staff, volunteers and management committee members should respect its spirit as well as its wording.
FINANCIAL REGULATIONS.
That the Club will appoint a Treasurer.
That two auditors be appointed at the Annual General Meeting, one for a minimum period of two years.
That three Trustees be appointed at the Annual General Meeting for a period of three years one of which should be eligible for re-election each year.
That the Club Funds will be banked in a recognised place of business.
That all cheques in the ordinary course of business will be signed by the Treasurer, and any Trustee or other signing officer.
That the Club Investment Accounts shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer and Trustees of the Club, who will maintain it in the most advantageous manner to the Club. All transfer of any monies to the Club Investment Accounts to be sanctioned by the Management Committee. All withdrawals to be authorised by the Treasurer and at least two Trustees.
That where possible all monies received and all payments out of the Club Funds will be made to and by the Treasurer.
That the books of the Club are available at any time to the Auditors who will complete at least one audit in each year and verify the facts on the Balance Sheet.
That the financial position of the Club be confidential, except that the Treasurer must answer any questions at a Committee Meeting, General Meeting and Special General Meeting.
Any alterations to Financial Regulations are subject to Rule 13 of the Club Constitution and Rules.
As amended March 2022.