Avon and Somerset Constabulary Force Club

Club Rules THE RULES OF

THE AVON and SOMERSET CONSTABULARY FORCE CLUB

1 NAME

The Club shall be known as the Avon and Somerset Constabulary Force Club and is herein referred to as “the club”.

2 OBJECTS

The objects of the Club shall be to develop, encourage and provide facilities for athletic, sporting, recreational and social / leisure activities within the Avon and Somerset Constabulary which shall include making grants for such purposes and to make such other grants and donations as shall, in the opinion of the Executive Committee, be in the interests of the club.

3 MEMBERSHIP

a ORDINARY MEMBERS

Ordinary members of the club shall be confined to subscribing members of the Force.

An ordinary member is a person who is an employee of Avon and Somerset Constabulary or in receipt of a police/staff pension or a member of the Special Constabulary of the force

b. HONORARY MEMBERS

i. Honorary membership of the club shall be confined to the: Spouses or partners of ordinary members and are only entitled to benefit from concessions for social / leisure activities. They shall not be

2 entitled to any financial recompense whilst taking part in any other activities.

ii. Honorary members shall not be qualified to be officers of the club or to vote as members of the club at General Meetings, or to claim any share of the property or funds of the club on dissolution or otherwise

c. BENEFICIARY MEMBERS

Member’s children up to the age of 16 years can benefit from concessions for social / leisure activities only.

4 ADMISSION OF MEMBERS

a. All members applying for admission to Ordinary membership shall make written application to the Club.

b. A copy of the Rules of the club shall be found on the force club web site.

c. Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, no person shall be admitted to membership, or to any of the privileges of membership, without an interval of at least two days between nomination of membership and admission.

d. Membership to the club shall be for a minimum of 12 months

e. Membership shall in all cases be subject to the discretion of the Executive Committee, which shall be entitled without being required to give any reason refuse an application for membership.

5 REGISTER OF MEMBERS

3 Register of the full names of all Ordinary members of the club shall be kept by the Force Club Manager.

6 SUBSCRIPTIONS

Ordinary members shall subscribe each month such sum payable in such manner, as the Executive Committee shall from time to time determine.

7 CESSATION/SUSPENSION OF MEMBERSHIP

a. Failure by an Ordinary member to pay the required subscription shall result in termination of membership.

b. At the expiration of the 12 months minimum membership any member may at any time resign from membership by sending notice in writing to the club.

c. The Executive Committee shall have power at any time by written notice to terminate or suspend the membership of any member without being required to give any reason.

8 ELECTED OFFICERS

a. The President of the club shall be the Chief Constable

b. The elected Officers of the club shall consist of the Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer (who shall not be the same as the Secretary) and Assistant Treasurer.

c. Nominations for the Executive Committee shall be notified in writing to the Secretary at least fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting of the Club.

4 9 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

a. The Executive Committee shall be confined to the elected officers of the club and the Force Club Manager.

b. The Chairman of the club shall be the Chairman of the Executive Committee.

c. The Executive Committee shall meet at such times as it thinks fit; will make decisions on any requisition within 28 days of the receipt of such a requisition.

d. Not less than five days notice shall be given of all meetings of the Executive Committee.

e. At all meetings of the Executive Committee each member present shall be entitled to one vote and in the event of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

f. The quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee shall be three members of the committee.

g. The Executive Committee shall be entitled to co-opt any member of the club to be a member of the Executive Committee for such period and for such purpose as the Executive Committee thinks fit but any such co- opted member shall not be entitled to vote.

10 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

a. The Annual General Meeting of the club shall be held in the month of

5 March or April in each year and the Secretary shall call such meeting in consultation with the Chairperson.

b. Not less than 28 days notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given.

c. No business shall be conducted at the Annual General Meeting other than the election of officers, the consideration and approval of accounts and any other matters provided for in these rules, unless not less than 14 days prior written notice of intention to move other business shall have been given to the Secretary.

11 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

a. The Executive Committee may at any time and for any special Purpose call an Extraordinary General Meeting and shall do so forthwith upon the requisition in writing to the Secretary of any 20 members stating the purpose for which the meeting is required.

b. Not less than 28 days notice of any such Extraordinary General Meeting shall be given and the notice convening the meeting shall specify the purpose for which such meeting is convened.

c. No business other than that for which notice has been given shall be brought forward at such Extraordinary General Meeting except amendments to the matter under consideration.

12 NOTICE OF MEETING

a. Notice of all General Meetings of the club shall be circulated to all Ordinary members by way of notification on the official force club web site and in addition shall be included on the Force Intranet. Such notice as aforesaid shall be deemed to be service on every member of the Club.

6 13 PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

a. The Chairperson of the club or in their absence the Secretary shall take the chair at all General Meetings.

b. Each Ordinary member present at a General Meeting of the club shall be entitled to one vote on every motion or question raised.

c. No other member shall be entitled to vote at a General Meeting.

14 INTERPRETATION OF RULES

a. At General Meetings the Chairperson of the meeting shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules and of any regulations made by the Executive Committee and the Chairperson’s decision shall be final.

b. Same as aforesaid the Chairman of the Executive Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules and of any regulations made from time to time by the Executive Committee and the Chairperson’s decision on any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the club and not provided by the rules or regulation shall be final and binding on the members.

15 AMENDMENT TO RULES

a. These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any General Meeting.

7 b. Notice of intention to propose any such resolution shall be given in writing to the Secretary not less than 28 days prior to the meeting at which it is intended to move such resolution.

c. No such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it is carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present and voting at such meetings.

16 DISSOLUTION

a. The club shall be dissolved providing that:

i. A resolution for dissolution is passed by a majority of members present at any General Meeting (First Resolution) and

ii. An Extraordinary General Meeting is called thereafter in accordance with Rule 12 and takes place not less than 28 days after the First Resolution is passed and at which at least 200 or one tenth of the membership is present (whichever is the less) and

iii. The First Resolution is confirmed by a resolution passed by a majority of two thirds of voting members present at that Extraordinary General Meeting (Second Resolution).

b. Should the club be dissolved in accordance with paragraph (a) the Executive Committee shall upon the Second Resolution or at any date specified in that resolution realise the property of the club.

c. The assets of the club after realisation shall be disposed of as follows:

i. Discharge of all liabilities and

8 ii. Division of the remainder equally among all subscribing members entitled to the property of the club or

iii. In accordance with any disposal provided for in the Second Resolution.

d. Any accidental omission or error in posting notices in accordance with Rule 16 of either or both of the meetings referred to in this Rule shall not invalidate any proceedings or resolution.

17 FINANCIAL YEAR

The financial year of the club shall end on the 31st day of December in each year to which day the accounts of the club shall be balanced.

18 AUDITOR

An auditor who must be a chartered or incorporated accountant shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

19 REGULATIONS

a. The Executive Committee may from time to time, make, repeal and amend all such regulations (not inconsistent with these rules) as they shall think expedient for the management and wellbeing of the club. All regulations made by the Executive Committee under this rule shall be binding on the members until repealed by the Executive Committee or set aside by a General Meeting of the club.

b. Copies of any regulation made by the Executive Committee shall be circulated to all members by way of the official web site and circulation

9 by such means shall be deemed to be notice in accordance with these rules.

REGULATIONS

20 SUB-COMMITTEES

a. The Executive Committee shall have power to appoint such sub- committees as in its opinion are necessary and to give directions as to the matters to be dealt with by such sub-committees and the manner in which it shall conduct its business.

b. The sub-committee shall be a standing sub-committee of the club unless cancelled by the majority resolution of the Executive Committee. The task of the sub-Committee shall be to consider matters, which are likely to be regarded as important by the club membership prior to the presentation of those matters to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall identify areas where further research is required and ensure that these are addressed resulting in the saving of time and a more informed decision making process.

c. The Membership of the Executive Committee shall be as follows:

 Chairperson  Secretary and Assistant Secretary  Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer  Club Manager  Member co-opted from time to time for a specific purpose

21 SECTION COMMITTEES

a. The Executive Committee may from time to time approve the formation by members of the club of a section committee for each sport or

10 activity, which in the opinion of the Executive Committee will be engaged in by sufficient members of the club to justify the appointment of such a committee. b. Each section shall hold an Annual Meeting open to all members of the club and shall elect a committee to manage its affairs. c. Each section committee shall be responsible for organising and providing facilities for the particular sport or activity for which they are responsible. d. The Chairman of each such committee shall be elected by the committee. e. Each section committee shall at its first meeting appoint two of its members as Secretary and Treasurer. Each Section Treasurer in conjunction with the Club Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the section and shall hold any monies of the section on behalf of the club. The section Treasurer may hold such sum of money as may be agreed from time to time by the Executive Committee to meet petty cash requirements. All accounts over £50 shall be paid by cheque. f. All such committees shall meet and conduct their business as they may agree but they shall at all times meet and conduct their business and financial affairs in accordance with any directions given by the Executive Committee. g. Each such committee shall be awarded by the Executive Committee such financial grants, as the Executive Committee considers appropriate to enable the section committee to meet its obligations.

11 h. Each section committee shall be entitled to co-opt any member of the club to be a member of that section committee for such period as that committee thinks fit.

22 MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEES

No member of the Executive Committee may represent on that committee more than one District or section. The Secretary and Treasurer shall not represent a District or section.

23 FINANCES

a. The funds of the club shall be banked at such bank, building society or other financial institution, as the Executive Committee shall from time to time select.

b. The Executive Committee shall have the power:

i. to invest and deal with any funds or assets surplus to the immediate requirements of the club

ii. to acquire land or other property by purchase, lease or otherwise

iii. to manage, improve and maintain property acquired by the club

iv. to dispose or otherwise deal with property as the Committee thinks fit

In such a manner and for such purpose as the Executive Committee may from time to time determine as likely to advance or benefit, either directly or indirectly, the members of the club.

c. All cheques shall be required to be signed by any two of the following:

12 i. Treasurer ii. Assistant Treasurer iii. Club Manager iv. Secretary v. Assistant Secretary

24 ACCOUNTS

a. In the month of January the Treasurer will be responsible for the preparation of a Statement of Account for the previous year’s working and this shall be audited by the club auditor.

b. The club auditor shall have the right to examine the club accounts at reasonable times.

c. The Balance Sheet signed by the Treasurer shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting, together with the Auditor’s Report.

d. The Chairperson and Secretary of the club shall have full access at all times to the accounts or monies of the club and any committee functioning under these rules.

FORCE CLUB EXECUTIVE//FORCE CLUB RULES 2010

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