1.   Name of Club

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The club will be called  Pickleball Weymouth - Jurassic Coasters (hereinafter will be referred to as The Club). The Club will be affiliated to National Governing Body in England for Pickleball.

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2.   Aims and Objectives

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The aims and objectives of the club will be:

• To promote, encourage and facilitate the playing of Pickleball in the area of Dorset borders and amongst the community

• To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in Pickleball

• To promote the club within the local community and Pickleball

·       To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club

·       To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone

·       To strengthen the bonds of friendship amongst members and encourage mutual respect in their dealings with each other.

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3. Membership

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(a)    Membership of the club is open to anyone aged 18 and over interested in promoting, coaching, volunteering or participating in Pickleball, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.

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(b)    The membership shall consist of the following categories:

·   Full member

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(c)    All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that the club has adopted.

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(d)    Full members will pay an annual non-refundable membership fee which will be set by the Committee before the end of December for the following year.

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(e)    Individuals shall not be eligible to take part in the business of the Club, vote at general meetings or be eligible for selection of any Club team unless the applicable fee has been paid by the due date and/or membership has been agreed by the Club committee.

 

4 Sports Equity

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(a) The Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so it acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.

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1. The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.

2. The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.

3. All club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.

4. The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.

5. Committee

1. The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Committee which shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary (the Officers) who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

(b)    All committee members must be members of the Club.

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(c)  The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election.

1. Following the AGM the Committee shall decide on the allocation of any unfilled roles on the Committee from the elected ordinary members.

2. If the post of any Officer or ordinary committee member should fall vacant during the year following such an election, the Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy from the Club membership until the succeeding Annual General Meeting.

3.   The Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the club including the setting of Annual Subscriptions and the Club session match fees payable by members.

4. The Committee will have powers to appoint any advisers to the Committee or sub­committees as necessary to fulfil its business.

5. The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution. The Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.

(j)   The Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the Club and be held no less than 4 times per year.

1. Only properly elected Committee members listed above will have the right to vote at committee meetings.

(I) The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings will be no less than 50% of the Committee Members.

(m) Minutes of all meetings including sub-committees shall be kept and formally adopted.

6. Finances

(a)   The Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club.

1. The financial year of the club will run from 1st January and end on the 31st December each year.

(c)    All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club.

(d)   A statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the AGM.

1. The Treasurer shall ensure that there is a minimum of three Committee Officers or members authorised as signatories on the bank mandate. The Committee may authorise the use of debit cards by mandated Committee members subject to a limit on the value of any transaction. Any cheques drawn against club funds shall hold the signatures of the Treasurer plus one other mandated Committee member.

2. Any surplus funds are to be used solely for the promotion of Pickleball and there will be no distribution to members.

3. No member of the Committee, sub-committee or any of the ordinary membership shall receive remuneration from the Committee in money, with the exception of out of pocket expenses.

7. Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM)

1. General Meetings are the means whereby the members of the Club exercise their democratic rights in conducting the Club's affairs.

2. The Club shall hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) no later than the month of February each year to:

• Approve the minutes of the previous year's AGM.

·       Receive reports from the Chairman and Secretary.

·       Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts.

·       Elect the Officers and ordinary members on the committee.

·       Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.

·       Deal with other relevant business.

 

1. The current members of the Committee shall hold office until the conclusion of the AGM.

(d)    Notice will be sent to the secretary not later than seven days prior to the AGM. All nominations for membership of the Committee shall be proposed by a member and seconded by a separate member.

(e)    Proposed changes to the constitution shall be sent to the secretary prior to the AGM, who shall circulate them at least 14 days before an AGM.

(f)     All members have the right to vote at the AGM.

(g)    The quorum for AGMs will be a number equal to 20% of the total membership who are present in person or by valid proxy.

(h)    The Chairman of the Club shall hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at general and committee meetings.

(i)     An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary supported by at least 10% of the members of the Club who are present in person or by valid proxy. The committee shall also have the power to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of the committee members.

(j)     All procedures for EGMs shall follow those outlined above for AGMs.

(k)    of the AGM and a call for nominations for Committee Officers and ordinary members will be given by the Secretary to all members of the club at least 21 days in advance of the AGM.

(l)     Nominations for Officers and ordinary members of the Committee

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(I) Proxy Voting

(a) Any member may appoint another person as a proxy to exercise all or any of that member's rights to attend, speak and vote at an AGM or EGM in lieu of that member. Proxies must be appointed by a notice in writing (a "proxy notice") which:

1. states the name and address of the member appointing the proxy

(ii)          identifies the person appointed to be that member's proxy and the general meeting in relation to which that person is appointed;

1. is signed by or on behalf of the member appointing the proxy, or is authenticated in such manner as the Secretary may determine; and

2. is delivered to the Secretary in accordance with the constitution and any instructions contained in the notice of the general meeting to which they relate

(b) The Secretary may require proxy notices to be delivered in a particular form, and may specify different forms for different purposes.

 

(c) Proxy notices may (but do not have to) specify how the proxy appointed under them is to vote (or that the proxy is to abstain from voting) on one or more resolutions.

(d) Unless a proxy notice indicates otherwise, it must be treated as:

(i)  allowing the person appointed under it as proxy discretion as to how to vote on any ancillary or procedural resolutions put to the meeting; and

(ii)  appointing that person as a proxy in relation to any adjournment of the general meeting to which it relates as well as the meeting itself.

(e) An appointment under a proxy notice may be revoked by delivering to the C10 a notice in writing given by or on behalf of the member by whom or on whose behalf the proxy notice was given.

(f) A notice revoking a proxy appointment only takes effect if it is delivered before the start of the meeting to which it relates.

8. Amendments to the constitution

The constitution will only be changed through agreement by no less than two-thirds of the members present in person or by valid proxy at an AGM or EGM.

9. Discipline and appeals

1. All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the Secretary.

2. The Committee will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.

3. The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing.

4. There will be the right of appeal to the Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 7 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal.

10. Dissolution

1. A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a vote in favour representing in number no less than 25% of the total Club membership who are present in person or by valid proxy.

2. In the event of dissolution, all debts shall be cleared using any Club funds. Any assets of the club that remain following this shall be applied towards charitable bodies within Dorset as determined by the Committee.

 

 

11. Declaration

Pickleball Club hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

Name            David  Bates            Position Chair

( Original signed and witnessed copy held on file , please speak to committee member if you wish to view)

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