Bush Hill Rangers FC. Constitution

1. Name Bush Hill Rangers F C

The Club shall be called Bush Hill Rangers F.C. (the Club).

2. Objects

The objects of the Club shall be to arrange association football matches and social activities for its members.  The Club is committed to the principle of playing to win consistent with fair play.  The Club rejects the use of violence of any nature by anyone involved in the game. The Club is committed to fairness in its dealings with all involved in the game.  The Club is opposed to discrimination in any form and will promote measures to prevent it, in whatever form, from being expressed. 

3. Annual General Meetings/Additional Meetings

(a) The Club’s AGM is held in the first week of September prior to the start of the season.  A minimum of two month’s notice is given. The quorum for the AGM is listed below at the meeting the Club:

• Welcomes new members to the Club.
• Receives a report of the activities of the Club over the previous year.
• Receives a report of the Club’s finances over the previous year.
• Elects the members of the Club Committee.
• Elect Club Officers.
• Consider any other business

(b) Nominations for election of members as Club Officers or as members of the Club

Committee shall be made in writing to the proposer and seconder, both of whom must be existing members of the Club, to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the AGM.  Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given in writing to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the Meeting.

(c) 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 five members stating the purposes for which the Meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at an SGM may be any business that may be transacted at an AGM.

(d) The Secretary shall send to each member at their last known address written notice of the date of a General Meeting together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 14 days before the Meeting.

(e) The quorum for a General Meeting shall be a minimum of three committee members, and the quorum for an AGM is a minimum of 7-10 members.

(f) The Chairperson, or in their absence a member selected by the Club Committee, shall take the chair.  Each member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairperson of the Meeting shall have a casting vote.

(g) The Club Secretary, or in their absence a member of the Club Committee, shall enter Minutes of General Meetings into the Minute Book of the Club.

4. Status of Rules

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

5. Rules and Regulations

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

b. No alteration to the Club Rules shall be effective without prior written approval by the Club Committee/Parent Association.

c. The Club will also abide by The Football Association’s Child Protection Policies and Procedures, Codes of Conduct and the Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Policy.

6. Anti-Discrimination & Equal Opportunities

The Club is responsible for setting standards and values to apply throughout the Club at every level.  Football belongs to and should be enjoyed by everyone, equally. Our commitment is to confront and eliminate discrimination whether by reason of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability.

The Club in all its activities shall not discriminate or in any way treat anyone less favourably, on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability.  The Club will not tolerate sexual or racially based harassment or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal and will work to ensure that such behaviour is met with appropriate action whatever context it occurs.

The Club is committed to the development of ongoing training and awareness raising events and activities in order to promote the eradication of discrimination within its own organisation and in the wider context, within football as a whole.

The Club is committed to a policy of equal treatment of all members and requires all members of whatever level or authority, to abide and adhere to this general principle and the requirements of the Codes of Practice issued by the Equal Opportunities Commission and Commission for Racial Equality.

Specifically discrimination is prohibited in:

a) Treating any individual on grounds of gender, colour, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientated or disability less favourably than others.

b) Expecting an individual solely on the grounds stated above to comply with requirements for any reason whatsoever related to their membership, which are different to the requirements of others.

c) Imposing on an individual requirements which are in effect more onerous on that individual than they are on others. For example this would include applying a condition (which is not warranted by the requirements of the position) which makes it more difficult for members of a particular race or sex to comply than others not of that race or sex.

d) Victimisation and Harassment of an individual.

The Club commits itself to the immediate investigation of any claims of discrimination.  Any member found guilty of discrimination will be instructed to desist forthwith. Since discrimination in its many forms is against the Club’s policy, any members offending will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.

The Club commits itself to the disabled person whenever possible and will treat its members in exactly the same manner as other members.

7  Club Membership

(a) The members of the Club from time to time shall be those persons listed in the register of members (the Membership Register) which shall be maintained by the Club Secretary.

(b). Any person who wishes to be a member must apply on the Membership Application Form and deliver it to the Club.  Election to membership shall be at the sole discretion of the Club Committee. Membership shall become effective upon an applicant’s name being entered in the Membership Register.

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

b. The Football Association and parent County Association shall be given access to the Membership Register on demand.

 8 Annual Membership Fee

An annual fee payable by each member shall be determined from time to time by the Club Committee.  Any fee shall be payable on a successful application for membership and annually by each member. Fees shall not be repayable.

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.

9  Resignation and Expulsion

A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date on which, he/she gives notice to the Club Committee of their 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 in the interests of the Club for them 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.

10. Club Committee

a) The Club Committee shall consist of the following club officers; Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary and Minutes Secretary plus up to five members elected at our Annual General Meeting.

b) Each Club Officer and Committee Member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the next AGM unless otherwise resolved at a Special General Meeting.  One person may hold no more than two positions of the Club Officer at any time.  The Club Committee shall be responsible for the management for 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. 

c) The Chairperson of the Club Committee Meeting shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie.  Meetings of the Club Committee shall be chaired by the Chairperson/;Vice-Chairperson, in their absence the Secretary.  The quorum for the transaction of business of the Club Committee shall be three. Decisions of the Club Committee of meetings shall be entered into the minute book of the Club to be maintained by the Club Secretary.  

d) Decisions of the Club Committee of meetings shall be entered into the Minute Book of the Club to be maintained by the Club Secretary.

e) 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 four meetings a year.

f) An outgoing member of the Club Committee may be re-elected. Any vacancy on the Club Committee which arises between Annual General Meetings shall be filled by 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.

g) Save as provided for in the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association and the County 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.

11 Volunteers

Any person wishing to help out as a Volunteer should put this in writing and will be put to the Committee at the next meeting. All volunteers are CRB checked, using the FA CRB system.

12 Club Finances

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

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

c. 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.

d. The Club shall prepare an annual Financial Statement in such form as shall be published by The Football Association from time to time.

e. The Club Property, other than the Club Account, shall be vested in not less than two and no more than four custodians, one of whom shall be the 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.

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

g. On their removal or resignation a Custodian shall execute a Conveyance in such form as is published by The Football Association from time to time to a newly elected Custodian or the existing Custodians as directed by the Club Committee.  On the death of a Custodian, any Club Property vested in them shall best automatically in the surviving Custodians.  If there is only one surviving Custodian, a Special General Meeting shall be convened as soon as possible to appoint another Custodian.

h. 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.

13 Insurance

The Club have Public Liability Insurance, a copy of which is available upon request from the Club Secretary.

14 Club Complaints Procedure

In the event that any member feels that he or she has suffered discrimination in any way or that the Club Policies, Rules or Code of Conduct have been broken should follow the procedures listed:-

1 They should report the matter to the Club Secretary or another member of the Committee.  The report should include:

(a) Details of what, when, and where the occurrence took place.

(b) Any witness statement and names.

(c) Names of any others who have been treated in a similar way.

(d) Details of any former complaints made about the incident, date, when and to whom made.

(e) A preference for a solution to the incident.

2 The Club’s Management Committee will sit for any hearings that are requested.

3 The Club’s Management Committee will have the power to:

(a) Warn as to future conduct;

(b) Suspend from membership;

(c) Remove from membership;

any person found to have broken the Club’s Policies or Codes of Conduct.

The Club’s Codes of Conduct are attached separately.

15 Dissolution

(a) 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.

(b) 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 the liabilities of the Club.

(c) Any surplus assets remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be transferred to the parent Association who shall determine how the assets shall be utilised for the benefit of the game. Alternatively, such assets may be disposed of in such other manner as the members of the Club with the consent of the parent Association shall determine.