Club Constitution

Laois Cricket Club Constitution April 2019

Name

The name of this club shall be Laois Cricket Club, hereafter to be referred to as ‘the Club’.

Objectives

The objectives of the Club shall be to:

  1. Foster and promote the sport of cricket at all levels within the Club, the community and within the sport, providing opportunities for recreation, coaching and competition.
  2. Ensure that all members, playing and non-playing, abide by the Cricket Ireland Code of Conduct which incorporates the Code of Ethics and Good Practice.
  3. Ensure that, at all times, the Club exemplifies the Spirit of Cricket as stated in the Preamble to the Laws of Cricket issued by the Marylebone Cricket Club.
  4. Encourage all members to participate fully in the activities of the Club.

Affiliation

The Club shall be affiliated to the Leinster Cricket Union and thereby to the National Governing Body for cricket in Ireland, Cricket Ireland.

Membership

  1. Membership shall be open to anyone and shall not be unreasonably refused nor should an application be declined on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or age.
  2. Limitation on the number of members may be allowable, on a non-discriminatory basis, where the available facilities require such a limitation.
  3. A record shall be kept of all members.
  4. Junior members shall be deemed to be individual members of the Club. The Parent/Guardian of Junior members shall be given automatic, non-voting, membership status of the Club as part of that Junior membership. A record shall be kept of parents/guardians of junior members.
  5. Junior members (under the age of 15 years) shall not be entitled to vote at a General Meeting.
  6. The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory and fair basis.
  7. The Club shall keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.

The Club will have the following classes of membership:

  • Adult playing members
  • Social playing members
  • Tape ball members
  • Junior members

Safeguarding of Members

The Club is fully committed to safeguarding the well-being of its members. Every individual involved in the Club should, at all times, show respect and understanding for their rights of safety and welfare and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the Club and the guidelines contained in the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in Ireland. The Safeguarding of Children Policy Document on the Clubs website sets out the Club's policies regarding junior members. It is intended to help provide guidelines for stakeholders to ensure that all underage players can enjoy the Club's activities in a safe and fulfilling environment.

Committee

  1. The Club shall be managed by an Executive Committee consisting at a minimum of a Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer, who hereinafter shall collectively be known as ‘the Officers of the Club’, together with the captains of each of the adult cricket teams.
  2. The Executive Committee shall consist of not less than 3 members.
  3. The Officers of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year and, subject to termination of office by resignation or otherwise, shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the next Annual General Meeting.
  4. The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy amongst the officers of the Club that may occur.
  5. The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members who must be members of the Club provided that the number of co-opted members does not exceed 3.
  6. All members of the Executive Committee shall retire annually but shall be eligible to be appointed or co-opted again.
  7. A member of the Executive Committee shall cease to hold office if he or she:
    1. becomes incapable by reason of mental disorder, illness or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs;
    2. is absent without the permission of the Executive Committee from all of their meetings held within a period of six months and the Executive Committee resolves that his or her office be vacated;
    3. notifies the Executive Committee of a request to resign (but only if at least 3 members of the Executive Committee will remain in office when the notice of resignation will take effect).
  8. The Designated Liaison Person shall not be a member of the Committee

Executive Committee members and trustees not to be personally interested

  1. The Designated Liaison Person shall not be a member of the Committee Subject to the provisions of sub clause (b) of this clause, no member of the Executive Committee or Holding Trustee of the Club shall acquire any interest in property belonging to the Club (otherwise than as a trustee for the Club) or receive remuneration or be interested (otherwise than as a member of the Executive Committee or as a trustee) in any contract entered into by the Executive Committee.
  2. Any member of the Executive Committee for the time being who is a solicitor, accountant or other person engaged in a profession or trade may charge and be paid any professional fees or charges for business or work done by him or her or his or her firm when instructed by the other members of the Executive Committee to act in a professional capacity on behalf of the club: Provided that at no time shall a majority of the members of the Executive Committee benefit under this provision and that a member of the Executive Committee shall withdraw from any meeting at which his or her own instruction or remuneration, or that of his or her firm, is under discussion.

Rules of the Club

  1. The Executive Committee shall have power to make and amend rules for regulating the conduct and affairs of the Club providing the same are not inconsistent with this constitution. The rules of the club will be published on the Clubs website.
  2. Such rules shall be appropriately circulated to and shall be binding on all of the membership. All members will be subject to the Rules of the Club and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these Rules, Club Regulations, Code of Conduct, disciplinary measures and any other such rules/codes/policies adopted by the club.

Powers

In furtherance of the objects, but not otherwise, the Executive Committee may exercise the following powers:

  1. to raise funds and invite and receive contributions provided that in raising funds the committee shall not undertake any substantial permanent trading activity and shall conform to any relevant requirements of the law.
  2. to buy, take on lease or exchange any property necessary for the achievement of the objects and to maintain and equip it for use.
  3. to sell, lease or dispose of all or part of the property of the Club, subject to any consents required by law.
  4. to borrow money and to charge all or part of the property of the Club with repayment of the money so borrowed, subject to any consents required by law.
  5. to co-operate with charities, voluntary bodies and statutory authorities operating in furtherance of the objects or of similar charitable purposes and to exchange information and advice with them.
  6. to establish or support any charitable trusts, Clubs or institutions formed for all or any of the objects.
  7. to appoint and constitute such advisory committees as the Executive Committee think fit.
  8. to do all such lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the objects.

Meetings and proceedings of the Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee shall hold at least 4 ordinary meetings each year. A special meeting may be called at any time by the Chairman or by any two members of the Executive Committee upon not less than 14 days notice being given to the other members of the Executive Committee of the matters to be discussed. However, if the matters include an appointment of a co-opted member then at least 21 days notice must be given.
  2. The Chairman shall act as chairman at meetings of the Executive Committee. If the Chairman is not available at any meeting then the members of the Executive Committee shall choose one of their number to be Chairman before any other business is transacted. There shall be a quorum when at least one-third of the number of members of the Executive Committee for the time being or three members of the Executive Committee, whichever is the greater, are present at the meeting. Every matter shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members of the Executive Committee present. In the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
  3. The Executive Committee shall keep minutes of the proceedings at meetings of the Executive Committee and any sub-committee.
  4. The Executive Committee shall, from time to time, make and alter rules for the conduct of their business, the summoning and conduct of their meetings and the custody of documents. No rule may be made which is inconsistent with this constitution.
  5. The Executive Committee may appoint one or more sub-committees consisting of three or more members who may also Executive Committee members for the purpose of making any inquiry or supervising or performing any function or duty which in the opinion of the Executive Committee would be more conveniently undertaken or carried out by a sub-committee. All acts and proceedings of any such sub-committees shall be fully and promptly reported in writing to the Executive Committee.

Annual General Meeting

  1. A General Meeting of the Club shall be held not later than the first quarter in every year of the reporting year to transact the following business:-
    1. to receive the Chairman’s report;
    2. to receive and, if approved, to adopt a statement of the Club’s accounts to the end of the previous financial year;
    3. to appoint the officers of the Executive Committee and, if practicable, the team captains;
    4. to consider any matter which the Executive Committee desires to bring before the Club’s members;
    5. to consider any matter which any member desires to be considered provided that the matter is put in writing and received by the Secretary at least 7 days before the date of the meeting.

Special General Meeting

  1. A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Executive Committee and shall be convened within 21 days from the receipt of a requisition in writing signed by not less than five Club members specifying the object of the meeting for any of the following purposes:
    1. to consider, and if approved, sanction any duly-made alteration of the rules;
    2. to deal with any special matter which the Executive Committee may desire to place before the members;
    3. to receive the resignation of the Executive Committee, to remove any member or members thereof from office and to fill any vacancy or vacancies caused thereby;
    4. to deal with any special matter which the members requiring the meeting may desire to place before the Club.
Notice convening a Special General Meeting shall be given as hereinafter provided and shall specify the matters to be dealt with.

Quorum

  1. At Executive Committee Meetings, 3 or one third of those entitled to vote, whichever is the higher, shall form a quorum.
  2. At General Meetings there shall be a quorum when at least 9 members of the Club for the time being are present.

Voting

  1. Every matter shall be determined by the majority of the members present and voting on the question (except as provided in clause 19 hereof). Voting shall be by show of hands unless otherwise requested by a majority of members present.
  2. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed.

Notice of Meeting

Notice of every Annual General Meeting and Special General Meeting shall be given at least 14 days before the date thereof by notifying the members in writing. Such notice shall specify the matters to be dealt with.

Finance

  1. All monies raised by or on behalf of the Club shall be applied to further the objects of the Club.
  2. The Treasurer shall keep proper records of the finances of the Club.
  3. The financial year of the Club shall end on December 31st.
  4. The funds of the Club shall be paid into an account operated by the Executive Committee in the name of the Club at the Allied Irish Bank or such other bank as the Executive Committee shall from time to time decide.
  5. All cheques drawn on the account shall be signed by at least two members of the Executive Committee.

Trust Property

  1. The title of all and any real property which may be acquired by or for the purposes of the Club shall be vested in two or more Trustees who shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and who shall enter into a Deed of Trust setting out the purposes and conditions under which they hold the said property in trust for the Club.
  2. The Trustees shall deal with such property as directed by the Executive Committee.
  3. The Executive Committee shall have the power to remove any of the Trustees and all vacancies occurring by removal, resignation or death shall be filled by the Executive Committee.
  4. The appointment of Trustees or any amendments to the Trustees shall be notified to the members of the Club at the Annual General Meeting.

Control of fields and premises

The use of all fields, grounds and premises belonging to or operated by the Club shall be under the control of the Executive Committee who shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of such grounds and fields, the provision of car parks thereon and the other property of the Club.

Dissolution

  1. If the Executive Committee decides at any time on the grounds of expense or otherwise that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Club it shall call a Meeting of all members of the Club who have the power to vote.
  2. 14 days notice of such Meeting shall be given in writing to each member of the Club.
  3. If such decision to dissolve shall be confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at such meeting, the members shall dispose of any assets remaining held by or in the name of the Club, after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities, by giving or transferring them to such other charitable organisation having objects similar to the objects of the Club or failing that for some other charitable purpose.

Alterations to the Club Constitution

  1. Subject to the following provisions of this clause the Constitution may be altered by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting at a general meeting.
  2. The notice of the general meeting must include notice of the resolution, setting out the terms of the alteration proposed.