Constitution

NAME

·         The club shall be called East Bergholt United F.C. Junior Section (the Club)

OBJECTIVES

·         The objectives of the Club shall be to arrange league, cup and friendly football matches and social activities for its members, and provide opportunities for young people

STATUS OF RULES

·         These rules (the Club Rules) form a binding agreement between each member of the Club.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

·         The Club shall have the status of an Affiliated Member Club of the Football Association by virtue of its affiliation to membership of the Suffolk County Football Association. The Rules and Regulations of the Football Association Limited and Football Association or any League or Competition to which the Club is affiliated for the time being shall be deemed to be incorporated into the Club Rules.

·         No alteration to the Club Rules shall be effective without prior written approval to the Parent Association.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP

·         The members of the Club from time to time shall be those persons registered with the Ipswich and Suffolk, and Felixstowe and District leagues, which shall be maintained by the Club Secretary.

·         Any person who wishes to be a member must complete a league registration form. Membership shall become effective upon an applicant's name being entered in the Membership Register.

·         In the event of a member's resignation or expulsion, his or her name shall be removed from the Membership Register.

·         The Association or an Affiliated Association shall be given access to the Membership Register on demand.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE

·         An annual fee shall be payable by each member, determined each year by the Club Committee. Any fee shall be payable on a successful application for membership. Fees shall not be repayable, except in exceptional circumstances.

·         The Club Committee shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from the members as are reasonably necessary to fulfil the objects of the Club.

RESIGNATION AND EXPULSION

·         A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date on which, he gives notice to the Club Committee of his resignation. A member whose annual membership fee or further subscription is more than 2 months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.

·         The Club Committee shall have the power to expel a member when, in their opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for him to remain a member. There shall be no appeal procedures.

·         A member who resigns or is expelled shall not be entitled to claim any, or a share of any, of the Club Property.

CLUB COMMITTEE

·         The Club Officers shall consist of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer

·         The Club Committee shall consist of the Club Officers and team managers.  From time to time other members may be coopted for specific reasons.

·         Each Club Officer and Club Committee Member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the next Annual General Meeting unless otherwise resolved at a Special General Meeting. One person may hold no more than two positions of Club Officer at any time. The Club Committee shall be responsible for the management of all the affairs of the Club. Decisions of the Club Committee shall be made by a simple majority of those attending the Club Committee meeting. The Chair of the Club Committee meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie. The Chair shall chair meetings of the Club Committee or in their absence the Vice Chair. The quorum for the transaction of business of the Club Committee shall be 5.

·         Decisions of the Club Committee of meetings shall be entered into the minute book of the Club to be maintained by the Club Secretary.

·         Any member of the Club Committee may call a meeting of the Club Committee by giving not less than 7 days notice to all members of the Club Committee. The Club Committee shall hold not less than 4 meetings a year.

·         An outgoing member of the Club Committee may be re-elected. A member proposed by one and seconded by another of the remaining Club Committee members and approved by a simple majority of the remaining Club Committee members shall fill any vacancy on the Club Committee, which arises between Annual General Meetings.

·         Save as provided for in Rules and Regulations of the Association and the Affiliated Association, to which the club is affiliated, the Club Committee shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in respect of any issue concerning the Club Rules.

ANNUAL AND SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

·         An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in each year to:

·         Receive a report of the activities of the Club over the previous year

·         Receive a report of the Club's finances over the previous year

·         Elect the members of the Club Committee

·         Consider any other business

·         Nominations for election of members as Club Officers or as members of the Club Committee shall be made verbally by the proposer and seconder, both of whom must be existing members of the Club, to the Club Secretary at the AGM. Any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given verbally to the Club Secretary at the meeting.

·         A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called at any time by the Committee and shall be called within 21 days of the receipt by the Club Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 5 members stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at a SGM may be any business that may be transacted at an AGM.

·         The Secretary shall send to each member at his last known address written notice of the date of a General Meeting at least 14 days before the meeting.

·         The quorum of a General Meeting shall be 10.

·         The Chair, or in their absence a member selected by the Club Committee, shall take the chair. Voting shall be by a show of hands.  By virtue of his/her office, the Chair shall have a casting vote.  Only non-playing members shall be permitted to vote.  A non-playing member is deemed to be a parent or guardian of a registered player, Team Manager, Assistant Manager, Team coach, parents’ representative or officer of the club, having duly completed the membership registration form.  Any member holding more than one position within the club shall be restricted to one vote.

·         The Club Secretary, or in his absence a member of the Club Committee, shall enter minutes of General Meetings into the Minute book of the Club.

CLUB TEAMS

·         At its first meeting following each AGM the Club Committee shall appoint a Club member to be responsible for each of the Club's football teams. The appointed members shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team.

CLUB FINANCES

·         A bank account shall be opened and maintained in the name of the Club (the Club Account). Designated account signatories shall be the Club Chairman, the Club Secretary and the Treasurer. No sum shall be drawn from the Club Account except by cheque signed by two of the three designated signatories. All money payable to the Club shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in the Club Account.

·         The club’s financial year shall end on the 31^st May of each year.  The auditors shall be appointed at the AGM and a duly audited balance sheet and statement of accounts for the preceding year shall be submitted at the AGM.

·         The income and assets of the Club (the Club Property) shall be applied only in furtherance of the objectives of the Club.

·         The Club Committee shall have power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any member of the Club and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club.

·         The Club Property, other than the Club Account, shall be vested in not less than two and no more than four custodians, namely team managers and treasurer, (the Custodians), who shall deal with the Club Property as directed by decisions of the Club Committee and entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence of such a decision.

·         The Custodians shall be appointed by the Club in General Meeting and shall hold office until death or resignation unless removed by a resolution passed at a General Meeting.

·         The Custodians shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the Club Property for all expenses and other liabilities reasonably incurred by them in carrying out their duties.

LEGAL LIABILITIES

§         The club shall hold Public Liability Insurance at all times and make provision for insuring players and officials against serious injury or death whilst playing organised events.

AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION

§         Amendments can only be made at an AGM or at a Special meeting.  Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Club Secretary no later than 14 clear days prior to the meeting.

DISSOLUTION

·         A resolution to dissolve the Club shall only be proposed at a General Meeting and shall be carried by a majority of at least three-quarters of the members present.

·         The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Club Committee shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.