Constitution

last updated 12/06/2020

1. CLUB NAME: Holcombe AFC(hereinafter referred to as ‘the club’)
2. AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND POWERS:

• The Club shall promote the game of Association Football in the Bury area for the
  benefit of its registered players. It may engage in any complimentary social or
  recreational activities including fund-raising activities.
• The Club will at all times support positive mental health for it’s registered players
  and the wider community and raise awareness of the issues surrounding mental
  health with a main focus on Men’s mental health.
• The Club shall be non-profit making.
• The Club shall have the power to affiliate to the Lancashire Football Association
  or its successors and to other such organisations or associations as may further
  the objectives of the Club, and to enter league and other competitions.
• The Club shall have the power to provide, maintain and hire out pitches, grounds,
  buildings and other appropriate facilities to registered clubs and shall have the
  power to purchase, lease, rent or otherwise legally acquire property or land in
  furtherance of its objectives.
• The Club shall have the power to employ such person(s) as it deems necessary
  to manage and maintain its pitches and associated facilities and shall have the
  power to engage the services of a contractor or contractors to provide services
  associated with the management and maintenance of its pitches and associated
  facilities.
• The Club may employ members and remunerate them for providing goods and
  services, on fair terms set by the Committee without the persons concerned
  being present.

1. STATUS OF RULES: These rules (the Club Rules) form a binding agreement
   between each member of the club.
2. RULES AND REGULATIONS:

• The Rules and Regulations of The Football Association Limited and parent
  County Association and any League or Competition to which the Club is affiliated
  for the time being shall be deemed to be incorporated into the Club Rules.
• The Club will abide by The Football Association’s Child Protection Policies and
  Procedures, Codes of Conduct and the Equal Opportunities and AntiDiscrimination Policy.
• The Club will abide by the FA’s RESPECT guidelines.

1. CLUB MEMBERSHIP:

• Membership shall be open to all persons and shall not be refused on the grounds
  of sex, colour, creed, nationality or any other basis determined to be
  discriminatory by national legislation.
• Full Membership shall be open to all persons aged sixteen or over.
• Honorary Membership shall be conferred by the Committee on any person(s) it
  deems to be deserving of such. Honorary Members shall have no voting rights at
  any meetings of the Club.
• The committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any person
  or team whom it considers to have behaved in an offensive manner and/or whose
  behaviour brings the Club into disrepute. Any person or team whose membership
  is terminated shall have the right of appeal to a General Meeting of the Club.
• The members of the Club shall be those persons listed in the register of members
  (the Membership Register) which shall be maintained by the Club Secretary. A
  list of member teams shall also be maintained by the Club Secretary.
• Any person or team who wishes to be a member must apply on the appropriate
  Membership Application Form and deliver it to the Club. Election to membership
  shall be at the sole discretion of the Club Committee. Membership shall become
  effective upon an applicant’s name being entered in the Membership Register.
• In the event of a member’s resignation or expulsion, his or her name or team
  shall be removed from the Membership Register.
• The Football Association and parent County Association shall be given access to
  the Membership Register on demand.

1. SUBSCRIPTIONS:

• The committee shall have the power to levy fees and subscriptions on members.
  The committee shall determine the level of such fees and subscriptions annually.
  Fees shall not be repayable.
• The Club Committee shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from
  the members as are reasonably necessary to fulfil the objectives of the Club.

1. RESIGNATION AND EXPULSION

• A member or member team shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from
  the date on which, he/she gives notice to the Club Committee of their resignation.
  A member or member team whose annual membership fee or further subscription
  is more than 2 months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.
• The Club Committee shall have the power to expel a member when, in their
  opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for them to remain a member.
  There shall be no appeal procedures
• A member or member team who resigns or is expelled shall not be entitled to
  claim any, or a share of any, of the Club Property or Team Property obtained
  using the Club name Holcombe AFC.

1. OFFICERS OF THE CLUB

• The Officers of the Club shall be a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary,
  Treasurer and Club Welfare Officer who shall be elected at the Annual General
  Meeting of the Club. All Officers shall hold office until the next AGM, at which
  they will resign but will be eligible for re-election. The Management Committee
  may create other Officers from time to time as required.

1. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

• The policy and general management of the Club shall be vested in a
  Management Committee (hereinafter called “the Committee”) consisting of the
  Officers of the Club.
• The Committee may establish and update as required a series of rules,
  regulations and guidelines covering all aspects of the day to day running of the
  Club. Nothing in any rule, regulation or guideline established by the Committee
  shall be at variance with the terms of this Constitution.
• The Committee shall meet not less than once every two months at times
  determined by the Committee.
• The Committee shall have the power to set up and dissolve Sub-Committees
  from time to time and to appoint other officials as it deems necessary.
• The Committee shall have the power to invite any member of the Club or
  honorary member, to attend any meeting of the Committee in an advisory, nonvoting capacity. The Committee shall also have the power to invite
  representatives of other organisations to attend meetings of the Committee in a
  non-voting capacity as deemed appropriate.
• The committee will have the power to make decisions outside of a committee
  meeting up until 31/08/2020. Decisions may be passed with a majority vote. If
  decision is tied, then Chairpersons vote will decide.

1. GENERAL MEETINGS

• Annual General Meeting (AGM)
• The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Club shall be held each year between
  15 May and 31 July. The business of the AGM shall include but not be limited to
  the following:
  o Minutes of the previous AGM and any intervening EGM’s
  o Chairman’s report
  o Secretary’s report
  o Treasurers report
  o Consideration of motions of which due notice has been given.
  o Election of Office and committee members
  o AOB
• An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Club shall be convened by the
  Chairman of the Club, by the Secretary on behalf of the Committee, or by the
  Secretary on receipt of a written request to do so signed by at least half the
  members of the Club. Any such request must contain specific motions to be
  discussed.
• Emergency General Meeting (referred to only as Emergency General meeting) of
  the club shall be convened by the committee in exceptional circumstances. Such
  matters include but are not limited to issues that effect the survival of the club,
  unexpected issues that are time sensitive and issues which could be damaging or
  cause harm to the club.

1. NOTICE OF MEETINGS

• GENERAL MEETINGS: At least twenty one days’ notice of a General Meeting
  shall be given. Such notice shall include the date, time and venue of the meeting
  and a copy of the agenda for the meeting including, if appropriate, full details of
  any motion(s) to be considered.
• MANAGEMENT AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS: At least seven days notice of
  such meetings shall be given, unless the need for a meeting of the Management
  Committee is so urgent that a delay of seven days would prevent proper
  consideration of urgent business. In such a case, the Chairman or Secretary shall
  contact as many members of the Committee as possible and advise them of the
  meeting.
• EMERGENCY GENERAL MEETINGS: At least 72 hours notice shall be given.
  Such notice is to include date, time and venue. If appropriate, Agenda and full
  details of any motions shall be given.

1. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS.

• A General Meeting shall not be quorate unless at least 25% of members or 9
  members, whichever is the less, are present.
• A Committee meeting shall not be quorate unless at least 2 members of the
  committee are present.
• Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands, unless a motion to hold a
  secret ballot on a specific issue is carried by a simple majority of those present
  and voting. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairperson shall have a
  second, casting vote.
• Voting on all matters shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and
  voting, with the exception of motions relating to a change to this constitution, in
  which case a two thirds majority is required.
• With the exception of urgent business, matters to be considered at meetings of
  the Club shall be confined to matters of which due notice has been given and
  substantive amendments thereto.
• The Chairman of any meeting shall have the power to expel from the meeting any
  member(s) whose behaviour is, in the opinion of the Chairman, so disruptive as
  to prevent the meeting from conducting its business in an orderly manner.
• The Secretary of the Club, or the relevant Sub Committee Secretary, shall keep
  written records of all business conducted at all meetings of the Club in a Minute
  Book held specifically for that purpose. The minutes of the previous meeting shall
  be submitted to the next following meeting for approval and signing by the
  Chairman as a correct record. In an instance where this is not possible another
  member of the committee shall take minutes.
• In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman shall preside at meetings.

1. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT:

• All income shall be paid into an account held in the name of the Club as soon as
  is reasonably possible after it has been received and in any case within fourteen
  days of receipt.
• The Treasurer shall maintain an accurate and up to date record of the accounts
  of the Club and shall provide a financial report to each meeting of the
  Management Committee. The Treasurer shall also prepare an annual report for
  the Club’s AGM.
• The record of accounts should be suitable for review by an independent auditor.
• No member of the Committee shall receive any payment for any work carried out
  on behalf of the Club. However legitimate expenses incurred while acting on
  behalf of the Club may be reimbursed in full on the submission and approval by
  the Treasurer of an appropriate claim.
• The Treasurer shall allow any member of the Committee to inspect the accounts
  of the Club, within forty eight hours of receiving such a request.

1. ALTERATIONS TO THIS CONSTITUTION.

• Any alterations to this constitution must be approved by a General Meeting of the
  Management Committee and relayed to the members at the following general
  meeting. Any such motion must be approved by a two thirds majority of those
  present and voting.

1. DISSOLUTION.

• If it is decided that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Club, a public
  meeting shall be called of which at least twenty one days notice shall be given. If
  a simple majority of those present and voting decide to dissolve the Club, then
  any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all debts shall be transferred to A
  club, group or charity that the committee at the time of dissolution feel deserves
  it. This shall be based on the work they do in the community and how they benefit
  others.
  This constitution was adopted as the constitution of Holcombe AFC by the committee on the
  12/06/2020.
  Agreed by:
  Dan Lilley-Blackman
  Stuart Christian
  Darren Fazakerley
  Matt Rynn