Definitions
- "Club" means the Goslings Sports Club.
- "Committee" means the organising committee of the Club.
- "Annual member" means a person who has paid a year’s membership fee or part year membership fee ending 31 March at the rate current at the time of application.
- "Day member" means a person who has paid to participate in the Club’s activities on one particular day only.
- "Others" in the context of participation in the Club’s activities mean persons who are positive in their attitude towards lesbians and gay men.
- "Concessionary groups" means groups of people designated by the committee to participate in the Club’s activities at fees lower than the current annual or day membership fees.
- "One third or two thirds" when referring to the numbers required for a quorum or a vote means the total divided by three or multiplied by two and divided by three respectively, rounded up to the next whole number.
Purpose of the club
The purpose of the Club is to organise sports for lesbians and gay men and to encourage their participation at whatever level of achievement.
Organisation of the club
1. The Club is open to all lesbians and gay men and others who are positive in their attitude towards lesbians and gay men. Powers of the organising committee and permanent subcommittees.
2. The normal business of the Club will be carried out by a committee or permanent subcommittees elected by the members of the Club.
3. The committee shall remain directly responsible for at least the following, although it may delegate them to one or more of the permanent subcommittees:
- the organisation of Club-wide social activities;
- the overall financial affairs of the club;
- the Club’s external relations and membership of other bodies;
- the organising of tournaments;
- the calling of and arrangements for annual general meetings and extraordinary general meetings ;
- the addition or deletion of sports from the Club’s activities;
- waiver of annual or day membership fees for those who make a significant contribution to the Club;
4. There will be at least one permanent subcommittee for each individual sport organised by the Club. These subcommittees will carry out the day to day running of the Club’s individual sport activities (for example, the hiring of venues, the setting of fees, the admission of annual or day members or others), and may make decisions concerning such activities. The permanent subcommittees will remain responsible to the committee for their actions, which must be consistent with the constitution and rules of the Club and which must not unfairly disadvantage other sections of the Club.
Structure of the organising committee and permanent subcommittees
5. The committee will consist of three persons chosen from the permanent subcommittee for each individual sport respectively. The committee will choose a chair, secretary and treasurer from amongst its members.
6. Each permanent subcommittee will consist of three members elected annually by annual members of the respective individual sports.
7. A member may sit on only one permanent subcommittee.
8. In default of nominations for election, or in case of resignation or death, the committee and permanent subcommittees shall have the power to co-opt further members to complete their minimum number of members.
9. There is no limit on the length of service on the committee or permanent subcommittees, nor on the length of service in any particular post.
10. The committee and permanent subcommittees will meet as often as they consider necessary but at least once per year.
Election of members of the permanent subcommittees
11. The three members of each subcommittee will be elected at the annual general meeting by the annual members of the respective individual sports, and will take up membership from 1 September.
12. Nominations for election must be received by the current chair at least one week before the annual general meeting. Nominations for each subcommittee must be from current annual members of the respective individual sport and be in writing. Nominations must be seconded in writing by a current annual member from the respective individual sport.
13. In default of the respective quota at the election of members of the permanent subcommittees, the election will take place by postal ballot of all current annual members of the respective individual sport. Where there is a tied vote, which would affect which nominees were elected, the affected nominees will be subject to a postal ballot of all eligible annual members.
Membership
14. Any lesbian or gay man or others may apply to become an annual member of the Club and will be accepted subject to the payment of the appropriate annual membership fee.
15. The annual membership year will run from 1 April to 31 March. Annual memberships will be available from 1 April at the latest.
16. Annual members shall have the right to participate in the annual general meeting and in any extraordinary general meeting that may be called.
17. Any lesbian or gay man or others may participate in any of the sports organised by the Club on payment of a day membership fee, subject to there being sufficient capacity.
18. Annual members annually and day members on each occasion that they attend must sign a disclaimer that the Club, members of the committee, members of the permanent subcommittees, other members, or those organising or owning the venues of the Club’s activities are not responsible for any injury or loss sustained unless negligence is proven.
19. Annual members and day members shall observe the required standards of behaviour and rules of any venues where the Club’s activities take place.
Fees
20. The respective annual membership fees, and any other fees to be paid by annual members, shall be such sums as determined from time to time by the respective permanent subcommittees. Different annual membership fees, and different other fees payable by annual members, may be determined for the different sports that the Club organises. The permanent subcommittees may set lower annual membership fees, or any other fees to be paid by annual members, for concessionary groups.
21. The respective day membership fees shall be such sums as determined from time to time by the respective permanent subcommittees. Different day membership fees may be determined for the different sports that the Club organises. The permanent subcommittees may set lower day membership fees for concessionary groups.
22. Membership fees and any other fees will be set at a level calculated to cover the foreseeable costs of the Club. The committee or permanent subcommittees may levy a surcharge on annual or day members if it deems this necessary to meet the Club’s financial commitments.
Financial arrangements
23. The committee shall have the responsibility for organising the overall financial affairs of the Club and will accountable to the annual members for such affairs.
24. All money collected from members or from other sources will belong to the Club and will be maintained in a banking account in the Club’s name. At least two signatures will be needed to withdraw money from the Club’s funds.
25. The Club treasurer or, in default of the treasurer, another member of the committee, will maintain an income and expenditure account and produce accounts annually as soon as possible after the end of the Club’s financial year ending on 31 March and by 1 May at the latest.
26. Accounts will be presented annually to the Club’s annual general meeting. Copies will be made available to all current annual members.
Annual General Meeting
27. The committee must maintain sufficient reserves at all time to cover the cost of at least 6 months total operating expenses (venue hire, shuttlecocks etc) of the club. The figure is to be agreed upon by the committee at the start of each financial year.
28. At the annual general meeting annual members may:
(a) approve the Club’s annual accounts; and
(b) present notified topics for discussion and, where appropriate, present notified motions to be voted on.
29. Topics for discussion and motions to be voted on must be notified to the committee at least one week before the annual general meeting. Such motions must be notified in writing and signed; and must be seconded in writing and signed by another annual member.
30. All current annual members of the Club may vote on motions, which affect all members of the club. Motions, which affect only one particular sport section of the Club, shall be voted on only by current annual members of that sports section. The chair of the meeting shall determine any dispute whether a motion affects all members of the Club or only those of one particular sports section.
31. The quorum for any vote taken at the annual general meeting will be one third of current annual members, not including member of the committee or at least one permanent subcommittee. The quorum for any vote concerning only one particular sport will be one third of current annual members of that sport, not including members of the relevant permanent subcommittee.
32. Motions where a vote is taken require a simple majority to be passed except that motions, which seek to change the constitution or rules of the Club, require a two-thirds majority. Motions on which there is a tied vote shall be regarded as defeated.
Extraordinary general meetings
33. An extraordinary general meeting will be called at the request of at least 10 annual members, or may be called by the committee At least three weeks notice of such a meeting will be given. All annual members of the Club are entitled to attend such a meeting.
34. Paras 27 (not the first sentence), 28(b) and 29 to 32 of this document will apply to the conduct of any extraordinary general meeting with the substitution of the words" extraordinary general meeting" for the words "annual general meeting".
Dissolution of the Club
35. The Club may dissolved by a motion for dissolution being passed by at least two thirds of those attending an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting.
36. If such a motion were passed any funds belonging to the Club will be divided equally between all current annual members after all debts have been paid.