Club Constitution
1. Name
The club will be called Wokingham Hockey Club and will be affiliated to the Berkshire Hockey Association and England Hockey Limited.
2. Aims and objectives
The aims and objectives of the club will be:
- To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in hockey.
- To promote the club within the local community.
- To manage the Wokingham Hockey Club.
- To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club.
- To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone.
- To ensure that all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment.
3. Membership
Membership should consist of officers and members of the club.
All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of conduct that the club has adopted.
Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories:
- Senior
- Junior
- Associate
- Colt
- Umpire
- Life
- Coach
[Appendix A to this constitution gives a more detailed definition of each of these classes of membership.]
All new applications for Senior, Junior or Associate membership shall be proposed and seconded by existing Senior, Junior or Associate members of the Club, and the application form shall be submitted to the Membership Secretary together with the subscription due. Apart from the period at the start of the season before the subscription due date, no membership applicant shall be admitted to the privileges of membership for at least 48 hours after the application is received by the membership Secretary. All applications shall be subject to the approval by the Committee. Life members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
Applications for Colts membership shall be administered through the sub-committee appointed to run the Youth Section.
Membership shall be renewed each year by payment of the annual subscription. No member shall be entitled to vote at any General Meeting unless he/she is a fully paid-up member.
A list of the names and addresses of all members shall be kept on club premises.
4. Membership Fees (Annual Subscriptions and Match Fees)
Membership fees will be set annually and agreed at the Annual General Meeting. However, the Committee may at any time review membership fees without recourse to the General Meeting. In this event details are to be published to all members in advance of the due date and recorded through the Committee minutes.
Subscriptions shall be due on the first day of October each year. A reduced rate may apply if the subscription is paid before this date. Payments shall be made only to the Membership Secretary.
If the subscription for the renewal of membership is not paid by the last day of October then membership shall normally lapse; in this case the person concerned shall be required to re-apply for membership in order to be admitted to any privileges of the Club. In cases of hardship, a member may apply to the Membership Secretary for deferred payment.
Any person applying for membership after the first day of January shall be required to pay a pro-rata subscription for that year.
Match fees must be paid on or by the day of the match to the team captain (or their representative), preferably before the start of the match.
5. Officers of the Club
The officers of the club will be:
- Chair
- Secretary
- Fixture Secretaries
- Membership Secretary
- Press Secretary
- Bar Manager
- Club Steward
- Team Captains
- Deputy Chair
- Treasurer
- Team Secretaries
- Social Secretary
- Newsletter Editor
- Bar Treasurer
- Youth Development Officer
- Plus any member deemed to be necessary by the Committee for the smooth running of the Club.
Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The committee may appoint a member to any vacant post without recourse to a General Meeting.
All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-election.
Committee
The club will be managed through the Committee consisting of all officers listed above. Only these post holders will have the right to vote at Committee meetings.
The Committee will be convened by the Secretary of the club and held no less than 8 times per year. The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings will be one-third of the officers in post.
Any other member of the Club may attend meetings of the Committee.
The Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation of the club, and for overseeing the efficient running of the club.
The Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business.
The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution. The Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.
7. Finance
All club monies will be banked in accounts held in the name of the club.
The Treasurer will be responsible for the general finances of the club. The Bar Treasurer will be responsible for the finances associated with the running of the clubhouse bar.
The financial year of the club will end on 31st May. The Treasurer will present a draft statement of annual accounts at the Annual General Meeting. A fully audited set of accounts will be presented to the Committee by 1st October each year.
Any cheques drawn against club funds should hold the signatures of any two of the following officers: Treasurer, Chair, Secretary, and Bar Treasurer.
8. Annual General Meetings
The Secretary will give notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to all members. At least 21 clear days notice of such meeting shall be given. The AGM shall be held in April or May each year.
The AGM will receive reports from the Secretary, Treasurer, Bar Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Youth Development Officer and Team Captains. A draft statement of accounts will also be presented.
The Secretary prior to the AGM will receive nominations for officers of the Committee.
Election of officers is to take place at the AGM.
All members listed in the Membership section above, with the exception of Colts members, have the right to vote at the AGM. The quorum for AGMs will be 25% of those members entitled to vote at the AGM.
Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) can be called outside the AGM by either (i) the Committee, or (ii) 25% of the membership entitled to vote at an AGM. The voting rights and quorum shall be the same as for an AGM.
All voting at the AGM and at an EGM shall be by a show of hands. A simple majority of those present and eligible to vote at the meeting shall be required to pass a resolution.
When there are more than two nominations received for any Committee post a series of votes shall be taken until one nominee receives more than 50% of the vote; on each occasion, the nominee with the fewest number of votes shall be eliminated from the election.
In the case of a tie, the Chair shall use his/her casting vote.
9. Discipline and Appeals
All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Secretary. The Secretary shall also receive any written notification from the County HA Disciplinary Officer regarding “red card” offences involving club members.
The Committee shall appoint a disciplinary sub-committee. This sub-committee will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. The sub-committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.
The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing.
There will be the right of appeal to the full Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The Committee should consider the appeal within 10 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal. Members of the disciplinary sub-committee shall be excluded from the appeal.
10. Dissolution
A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.
In the event of dissolution, any assets of the club that remain will become the property of the Berkshire Hockey Association.
11. Supply of Intoxicants
No arrangements are, or are intended to be made, for any person to receive at the expense of the club any commission percentage or similar payment on or with reference to purchases of intoxicating liquor by the club.
The sale of intoxicants shall be permitted within the hours stipulated by the local licensing authorities.
Intoxicants may be supplied by the club for consumption on the club premises to:
- Members of the club and/or their spouses
- Bona-fide guests of a member, provided that no member may introduce more than 3 guests on any one occasion. Guests shall be duly signed in a book kept at the club premises for that purpose.
- Members and officials of teams visiting the club premises for the purpose of playing a match.
- Intoxicating liquor may be sold to persons attending the club premises for social and other functions organised or authorised by the club, provided always that the number of such functions shall not exceed 12 in any one year.
Intoxicants may only be supplied for consumption off the premises to a member in person.
There shall be no supply of intoxicants to any person under the age of 18 years.
12. Other Matters
The Committee shall deal with any matters not governed by the foregoing rules, the decision of which body shall be final and binding.
13. Amendments to the Constitution
The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.
14. Declaration
Wokingham Hockey Club hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.
APPENDIX A
Definition of Wokingham Hockey Club Membership Categories
Wokingham Hockey Club has the following categories of membership:
Senior - Adult (over 18) playing members of the Club. Entitled to vote at General Meetings. New members must be proposed and seconded by existing members and approved by the committee.
Junior - For individuals who play regularly in the adult Club sides and who are either under 18 on the 1st September at the start of the season, or who are in full-time education. Entitled to vote at General Meetings. New members must be proposed and seconded by existing members and approved by the committee.
Associate - For individuals who would not normally play hockey for the Club but who wish to enjoy the other privileges of membership. Entitled to vote at General Meetings. New members must be proposed and seconded by existing members and approved by the committee.
Colt - For under 18s who do not play regularly in the adult Club sides. Not entitled to vote at General Meetings. Applications for new membership are administered by the committee running the youth section.
Umpire - For umpires, but who do not play regular hockey for the Club as well. Entitled to vote at General Meetings.
Coach - For WHC coaches, whether they be playing or non-playing. Entitled to vote at General Meetings.
Life - For individuals who have given many years of service to the Club, normally fulfilling considerable committee duties in that time. Life members will not be expected to pay an annual subscription. Entitled to vote at General Meetings. Elected at the Annual General Meeting.