NORWICH CROQUET CLUB
CONSTITUTION
1 TITLE
1.1 The Club shall be called Norwich Croquet Club, hereafter to be referred to as “the Club” and shall be affiliated to the East Anglian Croquet Federation and shall be a Member Club of the Croquet Association.
2 OBJECTS
2.1 To foster and promote the amateur sports of Association Croquet and Golf Croquet at all levels and to provide facilities for and to promote participation in the sports in Norwich and Norfolk, for both recreation and competition.
3 MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, or other beliefs, except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of croquet. The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating. The Club Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the Members.
3.2 Membership of the Club shall be open to any person completing a membership application form and paying the relevant subscription/joining fee as determined by the Annual General Meeting of the Club Members.
3.2 All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to Members or third parties.
3.4 There shall be 3 classes of membership available. These are:
3.4.1 Full Member
3.4.2 Junior Member (Under 18 years of age):
3.4.3 Honorary Life Member
4 OFFICERS
4.1 The Officers of the Club shall be as follows:
Chairperson }
Secretary } – Executive Officers
Treasurer }
5 ELECTION OF OFFICERS
5.1 All Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club, from, and by, the Full Members of the Club.
5.2 All Officers are elected for a period of one year but may be re-elected to the same office or another office the following year, with the proviso that no member may be an Officer of the Club for more than 5 consecutive years.
6 GENERAL COMMITTEE
6.1 The affairs of the Club shall be controlled by a General Committee comprising the Executive Officers of the Club and up to 7 other Members elected from, and by, the Full Members of the Club. The General Committee shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than four times per year. It may appoint sub-committees.
6.2 The duties of the General Committee shall be:
6.2.1 To control the affairs of the Club on behalf of the Members.
6.2.2 To keep accurate accounts of the finances of the Club through the Treasurer. These should be available for reasonable inspection by Members and should be examined before every Annual General Meeting. The Club shall maintain a bank current account and the following Officers shall be authorised to sign Club cheques: two from the Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary.
6.2.3 To co-opt additional members of the Committee as the Committee feels this is necessary. Co-opted members shall not be entitled to a vote on the Committee, unless they have been co-opted to replace a member who has died or has resigned. They shall hold office until the next A.G.M.
6.2.4 To make decisions on the basis of a simple majority vote. In the case of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.
6.3 A quorum for a Committee Meeting shall be 6 Members including 2 from the
Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.
7 GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held not later than the end of January each year. 21 clear days written notice shall be given to Members of the Annual General Meeting by circulating a copy of the notice to every member via email, or by post at their home address, and by posting the notice on the Club notice board. Members must advise the Secretary in writing of any business to be moved at the Annual General Meeting at least 14 days before a meeting. The Secretary shall circulate or give notice of the agenda for the meeting to Members not less than 7 days before the meeting.
7.2 The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to:
7.2.1 Confirm the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any other General Meetings.
7.2.2 Receive the examined accounts.
7.2.3 Receive the annual report of the Secretary.
7.2.4 Elect an examiner, who shall not be a member of the Committee.
7.2.5 Elect the Officers of the Club (i.e. Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, and other General Committee Members).
7.2.6 Fix Club subscription rates. A Member who has not paid his subscription by such default date as the Committee prescribes may, at the discretion of the Committee, be deemed to have resigned.
7.2.7 Transact such other business received in writing by the Secretary from Members 14 days prior to the meeting and included on the agenda.
7.2.8 Such other business, except business for which a Special General Meeting is required (e.g. expulsion, dissolution, or changes to the constitution), as by common consent of the meeting the Chairperson in his/her discretion admits.
7.2.9 The agenda could provide for “Any Other Business”, but Members should be encouraged to refer other items to the General Committee and give the required notice for important Annual General Meeting business.
7.3 Special General Meetings may be convened by the General Committee or on receipt by the Secretary of a request in writing from not less than 5 Full Members of the Club. At least 21 days notice of the meeting shall be given. The business to be considered at the meeting to be specified in the notice convening the meeting.
7.4 Nomination of candidates for election of Officers and Committee Members shall be made in writing to the Secretary at least 14 days in advance of the Annual General Meeting date. Nominations can only be made by Full Members and must be seconded by another Full Member. All nominations shall have the consent of the nominee.
7.5 At all General Meetings the chair will be taken by the Chairperson, or, in their absence, by a deputy appointed by the Club or by Full Members attending the meeting.
7.4 Decisions made at a General Meeting shall be by a simple majority of votes from those Full Members attending the meeting. In the event of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote or alternatively in his/her discretion he/she may direct a written poll.
7.5 A quorum for a General Meeting shall be 20 Full Members including 2 from the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.
7.6 Each Full Member of the Club shall be entitled to one vote on any separate issue at General Meetings.
8 EXPULSION FROM MEMBERSHIP
A member who is found, by vote carried at a Special General Meeting called in accordance with clause 7.3, to have behaved in a manner likely to bring the Club into disrepute or cause substantial prejudice to it may be expelled from the Club. Provided that:-
a) The resolution must be carried by 4/5ths of those attending and voting.
b) This is the only business at the meeting.
c) Before putting the motion to the vote the member shall have a full opportunity to address the meeting.
9 ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
9.1 Any proposed alterations to the Club Constitution may only be considered at an Annual or Special General Meeting, convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed by a Full Member of the Club and seconded by another Full Member. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two thirds of those Full Members present at the meeting and voting, assuming that a quorum has been achieved.
Abstentions shall be recorded but shall not count as a vote.
10 DISSOLUTION
10.1 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 General Meeting of the Club to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
10.2 If at that Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried, by at least two thirds of the Full Members present at the meeting and voting, the General Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club.
Abstentions shall be recorded but shall not count as a vote.
10.3 After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Full Members of the Club but shall be given or transferred to another registered Community Amateur Sports Club, a registered charity, or the sport’s governing body for use by them in related community sports.
Approved at the Annual General Meeting on 29th January 2022.