Wellesbourne Sword Club
CONSTITUTION
Approved 12/12/02 (AGM)
1. Definitions
1.1. The Club shall be known as Wellesbourne Sword Club, hereinafter known as the ”Club”.
2. Aims of the Club
2.1. The Club shall be concerned with competitive and recreational fencing in the High Wycombe local area.
2.2. The Club is affiliated to the British Fencing Association however the Club remains an independent organisation able to conduct its own affairs.
2.3. To publicise and promote fencing at all levels and with all three recognized weapons.
2.4. To org anise an annual closed competition for Club Members and such open competitions as the Club shall determine.
2.5. To encourage and support other fencing competitions especially local events and team matches.
3. Membership
3.1. Membership shall be available in the following types: Ordinary Member, hereinafter known as ‘Member’, Visitor and Honorary Member.
3.2. Members are those members who have paid their joining fees and membership fees as described below.
3.3. Visitors will sign the club indemnity form and pay the appropriate visitor nightly fees before fencing.
3.4. Honorary Members may be elected by the Committee for a period determined by the committee, these may be any persons distinguished for their political, sporting and administrative capacities, or who have been distinguished in fencing, the cause of fencing in general or of the Club in particular. Honorary Membership will be free.
3.5. Any person 13 years of age or over who is interested in fencing, shall, subject to the discretion of the Committee, be admitted as a Member of the Club upon completing the current membership application form and paying the appropriate membership fees.
3.6. Amateurs and professionals (as defined by the BFA) are equally eligible to be Members, though the Club recognizes that the rules of certain competitions in which Club takes part may preclude the participation of professionals.
3.7. Membership of the Club shall continue only for the period covered by the current membership fees, Members shall be able to continue their Membership at the rate set at the AGM unless there is an objection made by the Committee.
3.8. No Member who is in default of their membership fees shall be entitled to any of the privileges of membership until their membership fees are brought up to date.
3.9. The Committee reserve the right of refusing or canceling membership without giving a reason.
3.10. All Members shall be bound by this Constitution and any Club policy documents, and also by any modification thereof made in conformity with the Constitution and also to accept as final and binding the decision of the Committee in the interpretation of the Constitution and Club policy documents.
4. Committee
4.1. The affairs of the Club will be administered by a Committee whose Members shall normally be elected at the Annual General Meeting and at the time of their election must have been Members of the Club for at least 6 months, They shall serve for one year and then be eligible for re-election.
4.2. The Committee shall consist of the following Officers: Chairman; Honorary Secretary; Honorary Treasurer and at least one of the following:- Team Captains (ladies and men's), Youth Representative, Coach, Armourer, Membership Secretary and at least one but no more than four elected members.
4.3. The Committee shall have the power to combine any of these offices except the office of Chairman, if circumstances dictate this. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt individuals onto the Committee on a temporary basis, and to fill vacancies which arise between one AGM and another.
4.4. Any Member of the Committee who shall, without sufficient reason, absent themselves from three consecutive Committee Meetings may be called upon to resign their position upon the Committee at the discretion of the Committee and after discussion and vote by the Committee.
4.5. Members of the Committee may resign in person at a Committee meeting or in writing, said written resignation shall be sent to the Chairman or Secretary of the Club and will take effect from the date on such a written resignation, or if no date is affixed it will take effect from the date it is received.
4.6. Members of the Club are entitled to attend any Committee meeting and may address the meeting at the discretion of the Chairman or the chair of the meeting. Members may also submit written presentations, which will be read to Committee.
4.7. The Committee has the power to set up sub-committees to discuss specific issues, as laid down by the full Committee, the sub-committee will then report back to the full Committee at the next full Committee meeting with a final or interim report, said report can then be accepted, modified or rejected by the full Committee.
4.8. All moneys of the Club shall be banked by the Treasurer in the name of the Club except that used as a cash float for normal Club disbursements, and no disbursements shall be made there from except in accordance with the form or forms authorized by the Committee. The Club shall hold a Bank and/or Building Society or appropriate account(s) which will be administered by the Treasurer. Payments out of the Account will be sanctioned by one signature for payments up to £500 and two for payments over this amount from among the following Members of the Committee who are authorized to do so: Chairman, Secretary , Treasurer.
4.9. Payments over £500 shall be approved at a committee meeting.
4.10.The Club's financial year will run from 1st December to 3oth November.
4.11.The committee shall keep proper administrative records including minutes of committee and Annual General Meetings.
4.12. The Committee shall meet as often as necessary, as decided by the Committee but not less than three times in each financial year. No meeting of the Committee can take a decision unless a quorum of four voting members is present. In the absence of the Chairman of the Club an acting chairman will be chosen from those voting members present. Each voting member of the Committee shall be entitled to exercise one vote on any matter. On equality of votes the Chairman or acting chairman shall have a casting vote.
5. Duties of the officers
5.1. Chairman - is responsible to the members for the overall running of the Club, ensuring it meets its objectives, its financial affairs, conducting meetings and ensuring the other officers and committee members carry out the duties delegated to them.
5.2. Hon Treasurer - is responsible for running the club account, collecting subscriptions, paying bills and receiving monies, keeping proper records, paying the coaches, booking and paying for the club venue and for presenting accounts to the AGM. The Treasurer shall propose membership fees annually for adoption at the Annual General Meeting.
5.3. Hon Secretary - is responsible for liaison with BFA and other fencing bodies including the BB&O and Southern Section committees, for meeting minutes and agendas and dealing with general correspondence. In the absence of a membership secretary the Honorary Secretary will maintain database of members taking into account the needs of the club, privacy law and data protection issues.
5.4. Armourer - is responsible for the club owned equipment and for regularly carrying out health and safety checks to ensure it meets the BFA guidelines as well as regular maintenance.
6. General Meetings (Annual and Extraordinary)
6.1. An Annual General Meeting (“AGM”)of the Club shall be convened each year in the month of December. Twenty-one days' notice of such a meeting, with agenda, shall be made available to all Members of the Club by the Secretary.
6.2. An un-audited copy of the accounts for the previous financial year will be presented by the Treasurer for approval by the AGM.
6.3. At the Committee meeting prior to the AGM, names of any prospective Committee Members will be sought and recorded. A Member may also put forward their name in writing to the Secretary fourteen days prior to the AGM. At the AGM this list will be announced and votes taken.
6.4. A quorum for a AGM shall be four members of the committee and at least three other members of the club who also may be committee members.
6.5. A quorum of the Committee, or not less than ten individual Club Members, shall be entitled to call an Extraordinary General Meeting to discuss and vote upon any matter. A written agenda shall be circulated by the Secretary no less than twenty-one days before such a meeting is to be convened. No business other than that on the agenda will be discussed at an EGM.
6.6. No one can take part in an AGM unless they have been duly elected as a Member of the Club, and have paid their subscription according to the conditions of the Club.
6.7. A Member may appoint another Member as their proxy to vote at any AGM in their place. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing, under the hand of the appointer, including their name & address and shall be deposited with the Secretary of the Club not less than one hour before the appointed time for holding the meeting. No instrument appointing a proxy shall be valid after the meeting at which it is executed.
6.8. The Committee shall have the power to offer financial assistance to any individual or team representing the Club in a competition, or to a cause which it considers would be of benefit to the Club.
6.9. All property, financial and other assets of the Club shall be vested in the Committee who shall acquire or dispose of it in the best interests of the Club's Members.
6.10. No alteration(s) or addition(s) may be made to the Constitution except at an AGM or EGM. Such alteration(s) or addition(s) must be approved by two thirds of the Members present and voting. Notice of such alteration(s) or addition(s) must be made in writing and received by the Secretary at least twenty-eight days before the meeting at which the resolution is to be brought and must include notice of the alteration(s) or addition(s) proposed.
7. Dissolution of the Club
7.1. If at any General Meeting of the Club a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the Club the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special Meeting of the Club to be held not less than 28 days thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
7.2. If at this Special Meeting the resolution is approved by at least two thirds of the full Members present at the meeting the Hon Treasurer shall thereupon or at such date as has been specified in the resolution proceed to release the assets of the Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club.
7.3. After discharging all the debts and liabilities of the Club the remaining assets shall not be paid out or distributed amongst the full Members of the Club but shall be given or transferred to the BFA.
8. Use of Club Name, Address, Property or Badge
8.1. The name, address, property or badge of the Club shall not be used by a Member for trade advertising, business purposes or in connection with any legal proceeding without the express and written consent of the Committee.
8.2. The Club reserves the right to take suitable action where the Club’s name, address, property or badge is used without authority.