Ashby Rugby Football Club

Ashby Rugby Football Club (Formerley Old Ashbieans RFC – Founded 1950) Members of The Rugby Football Union and The Leicestershire Rugby Union Clubhouse & Grounds: Nottingham Road Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, LE65 1DQ Tel: 01530 413 992 Web: www.ashbyrfc.com CLUB RULES

These rules shall not be altered, rescinded or added to without the consent of at least two thirds of the members present at the Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting, and providing that due notice of proposed changes have been given.

1 NAME

The name of the club shall be “Ashby Rugby Football Club” (ARFC) with grounds at Nottingham Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

2 OBJECTS

ARFC is keen for its membership to reflect the diversity of the community which it serves. The club is therefore committed to equal opportunities in its membership and positively welcomes members irrespective of gender, race, disability, colour, ethnic or national origin, sexuality, religion and age.

The club shall be affiliated to The Rugby Football Union and the Leicestershire Rugby Football Union and the objects of the club shall be:

2.1 To promote and encourage the game of rugby union football in accordance with the Rules and by-laws of the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

2.2 To promote, encourage and foster the Game at all levels in the area of the Ground and the surrounding areas.

2.3 To provide a Clubhouse with facilities for both sporting and recreation use by members, their guests and members of opposing teams.

2.4 To maintain and develop the Ground at Nottingham Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch or such other location as the Committee may from time to time determine as the headquarters of the Club and as a venue for playing the game and conducting the other activities of the Club so as to provide the best possible facilities for Members and those visiting the ground.

2.5 To strengthen the bond between the club and the local community in the areas surrounding the club.

3 MEMBERSHIP 3.1 The Committee shall have the power to admit to membership any person in accordance with the application procedures and conditions for the time being applicable; however, there shall be an interval of at least 2 days between their nomination / application for membership and their admission.

3.2 The Committee may offer such categories of membership of the Club with such qualifications, application procedures and conditions, duties and privileges, subscriptions and in such numbers as it may from time to time decide but always on the basis that every Member shall have one vote. Details of categories, qualifications, application procedures and conditions, duties and privileges of membership in force from time to time shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary and shall be available for inspection by members at all times, however, people who are admitted to membership without prior nomination / application cannot benefit from the privileges of membership without an interval of at least 2 days between their becoming a member and their admission

3.3 Details of any entrance fee, subscription and match fee shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary. The level of such subscriptions or fees shall be determined at the Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club.

3.4 Each member shall, according to membership category, pay to the Club on 1st September such annual subscription as the Committee may from time to time determine.

3.5 The Committee shall have the power to terminate or suspend for such period as it thinks fit the membership of or reprimand a Member for any infringement of these Rules, any Regulations, the Rules or Regulations of the Union, the Laws of the Game or the IRFB Regulations or for any conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Club or the Game.

3.6 No person may be accepted as a candidate for membership under the age of sixteen years.

3.7 The Committee shall have the power to create a class of persons called Minis/Juniors or such other title as the Committee may decide using such criteria as it shall think fit. Such persons shall not be members within these Rules and they shall have such rights and privileges and obligations as the Committee shall decide. Such a person in this class shall cease to be entitled to such recognition on attaining the age of sixteen years.

4 MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB

4.1 The management of the club shall be undertaken by the Executive Committee who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall consist of:

CHAIRMAN HONORARY TREASURER HONORARY SECRETARY PLAYING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN BAR COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

4.2 General committee positions shall consist of:

ALL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINI AND JUNIOR RUGBY REPRESENTATIVE SOCIAL AND FUND RAISING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN BUILDING MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR LEICESTERSHIRE RFU REPRESENTATIVE CLUB WELFARE OFFICER THREE MEMBERS WITHOUT PORTFOLIO

Committee meetings will take place at the clubhouse (unless agreed otherwise) on the first Monday or Tuesday of each month. No single person shall hold more than one position on the Executive Committee and five committee members will form a quorum on the general committee.

The Bar Committee Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be members of the Bar Committee which shall be concerned with the purchase of intoxicating liquor for club members and all other persons entitled in accordance with the rules of the club to be supplied with intoxicating liquor.

The Playing Committee shall comprise of the Playing Committee Chairman, the captains of the senior teams, the Colts manager, the Mini and Junior rugby representative, the LRU representative, the Fixture Secretary and the Coaching organiser. Selections of the senior teams will be undertaken by the Playing Committee Chairman, the captains and Coaching Organiser. The Playing Committee shall have the power to co-opt advisors.

5 GENERAL MEETING

5.1 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held during May each year.

5.2 Every member shall be entitled to attend and vote at any General Meeting. The procedure for the casting votes shall be determined by the Chairman of the Meeting.

5.3 Notice of the AGM and Agenda shall be given to all members at least 14 days before the date of the meeting.

5.4 The quorum at any General Meeting shall be 20 members.

5.5 The business of the AGM shall include:

5.5.1 To consider and approve (with or without amendment) the minutes of the previous AGM.

5.5.2 To receive and approve a report from the Committee on the affairs of the Club since the previous AGM.

5.5.3 To receive and approve a Financial Statement for the preceding financial year.

5.5.4 To elect the Officers and other Committee members for the coming year.

5.5.5 To confirm any elections for honorary members made by the Committee during the preceding year.

5.5.6 To appoint the Auditors for the ensuing year.

5.5.7 To consider any amendment to these rules.

5.5.8 To consider any other motion or business, notice of which must be given not less than fourteen days in advance of the meeting to the Honorary Secretary who shall notify members of such.

5.6 Committee members shall take office after the AGM and shall hold office until the next AGM when they shall retire but be eligible for re-election. 5.7 Nominations for committee members must be submitted to the Honorary Secretary by the 30th April. Nominations must be signed by the proposer, seconder and nominee. Any member shall have the right to make nominations. With the consent of the candidate, for election to one or more of the offices named or created under the provisions of Rule 4. The election of each Officer shall be determined by a majority of votes recorded. In the event of a tie, the outcome shall be decided by the incoming Chairman.

5.8 The Honorary Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) within 30 days of receiving a written request to that effect stating the object of the meeting either signed by not less than ten members, or one-fifth of the total number of members entitled to vote at such a meeting whichever figure is the smaller or requested to do so by the general committee (provided that at least ten clear days notice of such meeting together with an agenda is given to all club members).

5.9 All resolutions shall be decided by a majority of votes recorded except where these Rules provide for a special resolution which shall require a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes.

6 TRUSTEES

6.1 There shall be four Trustees of the Club who shall be appointed from time to time as necessary by the club either at an AGM or EGM from ordinary members who are willing to be so appointed.

6.2 A Trustee shall hold office during his life or until he shall resign by notice in writing given to the General Committee or until a resolution removing him from his office be passed at either an AGM or an EGM by majority comprising two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote and upon a Trustee’s resignation or removal as are required by the Club to effect his resignation or removal.

6.3 The responsibilities and power of the Trustees are to hold land on behalf of the Club and to execute deeds and documents on behalf of the Club. Such powers shall be executed as directed by the General Committee.

6.4 The Club and each of its Members shall indemnify any Trustee who suffers loss as a result of acting as a Trustee on behalf of the Club so long as such Trustee shall have acted in accordance with directions given by the General Committee.

7 FINANCE

7.1 The Club’s income shall be derived annually from subscriptions of members, from investments and securities, from gate monies and ticket receipts from matches arranged by the Club at the Ground, from sponsorship and from any other available source.

7.2 The profits of the Club shall be applied only in furthering the objects of the Club.

7.3 All cheques drawn on the Club account shall be signed by two of four members duly nominated by the Committee.

7.4 The Honorary Treasurer, in conjunction with the Bar Committee Chairman, shall be responsible for receiving all monies due to the club.

7.5 A receipt shall be obtained for all expenditure of the Club.

7.6 The General Committee shall be empowered to borrow money for the purposes of the Club should a resolution at either an AGM or and EGM empower them to do so. The amount, rate of interest and the manner shall be determined by the Committee and shall be the best available to the Club and Members. All Members of the Club whether voting on such a resolution or not and all persons becoming members of the Club after the passing of said resolution shall be deemed to have assented to the same as if they had voted in favour of said resolution.

7.7 The Honorary Treasurer shall keep such proper books or accounts as will enable him or her to present at the General Meeting, or at any other time required (on reasonable notice given), by the General Committee an accurate report and statement with regard to the finances of the club for the preceding year and the current year as the case may be, and shall present such report and statement accordingly.

7.8 In the event of Audited accounts not being available for the AGM, the Honorary Treasurer shall present audited accounts to the General Committee in September and make them available to all members.

7.9 The Club may participate in a direct debiting scheme as an originator for the purpose of collecting subscriptions for any category of membership and/or any other amounts due to the Club.

8 REGISTER OF MEMBERS

8.1 The Club shall keep a Register of Members and Officers in which shall be entered the following particulars: 8.1.1 The name and address of each Member and the date on which that person became or ceased to become a member.

8.1.2 The names and addresses of each Officer and the date on which they assumed and left office.

9 LICENSING

9.1 Subject to such restrictions as may be imposed from time to time by the Committee in any regulations:

9.1.1 The Ground shall be open during such hours as the Committee may decide and alcohol shall be supplied during such hours as may be fixed by the Committee (having due regard to the permitted hours within the licensing district in which the Ground is situated) and notified to the Police and also to the Licensing Authority as required by law, but the Committee shall have the power to close the Ground or any part thereof and/or to reduce the hours of supply of alcohol from time to time on affixing notice thereof on the Club’s notice board.

9.1.2 Members may introduce and entertain guests (provided the guest is not a person whose application for membership has been rejected or terminated) at the Ground.

9.1.3 Provision is hereby made for the admission to any premises on the Ground in respect of which the Club is registered under the Licensing Act 2003 (or any statutory modification or re- enactment thereof) of persons other than Members or their guests and for the sale of alcohol to them only by or on behalf of the Club for consumption on such premises.

9.1.4 The Committee shall be empowered to hire out the premises described in section 9.1.3 to non members for private functions and for such persons and their guests to be supplied with alcohol for consumption on the premises during permitted hours including any extensions thereto granted from time to time by the said Licensing Authority provided that such occasions shall be limited to 12 in any calendar year and provided that on all such occasions the supply of all alcohol shall be under the control of two Committee members.

9.1.5 The purchase of alcohol for the club, and the supply of alcohol by the club, are managed by a committee whose members are members of the club, have attained the age of 18 years and are elected by the members of the club 9.1.6 No arrangements are made for any person to receive at the expense of the club any commission, percentage or similar payment with reference to purchases of alcohol by the club. Nor are any arrangements made for any person directly or indirectly to derive any pecuniary benefit from the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of the club to members or guests apart from any benefit accruing to the club as a whole

10 LIABILITY

10.1 Neither the club nor its officers accept any liability for any injury or damage sustained or inflicted by members of the club or caused by the condition of the club premises or playing fields, or occurring thereon.

11 DISSOLUTION

11.1 In the event of it becoming necessary to discontinue the Club’s existence any funds or property left after any debts and/or liabilities are settled shall be transferred to another Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), a registered charity or the sports Governing Body in such a manner as the Trustees and Committee consider to be fair and reasonable and in accordance with the Objects of the Club.

12 ALTERATION OF RULES

12.1 These rules, or any ammendations, may be altered by a resolution at a general meeting called for that purpose under Rule 5.