Constitution

Club Title:

1. Sheffield Triathlon Club (STC).

Club Aim

2. The aim of the club is to promote and encourage people’s participation in triathlons through organised races and suitable training and other events including social activities.

Membership

3. Membership is open to people who have either paid the appropriate fee and completed an application form, or who have applied and are exempted from payment.  People who are exempt from payment are those who are registered unemployed, or those aged under 18 years (i.e. Juniors) and others as agreed by the Management Committee.  An application for membership implies that the applicant agrees to abide by the clubs rules and or constitution including any passed by the clubs Management Committee and noted in the minutes of meetings.

4. Membership commences when the full appropriate fee and application form have been passed onto a club official.  The membership period starts each year on the 1 November and ends on 31 October.  New members who apply and pay the full fee early i.e. after the 30 September but before the 1 November, their membership fee will cover them for the period up to the 31 October of the year following.

5. Membership can be ended for a specified period by the Management Committee if a majority of the committee agree that a member has brought the club into disrepute.  However the member must be given seven days notice of any meeting to be held about such matters and can make or attend and make representations about the circumstances.  The committee’s decision will be final unless new evidence is presented which the Management Committee decides is sufficient to warrant further consideration.

6. Membership fees will not be reimbursed if a member resigns or is expelled before the end of the club year.

Club Affiliation

7. The club will be affiliated to the British Triathlon Association (BTA) and any other clubs or groups as agreed by the Management Committee, AGM or Special or extraordinary General Meeting.

Club management and elections

8. The club will be run and managed by a Management Committee made up of elected posts comprising the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Coach all of whom will be elected at the AGM.  These appointments will run for one year from the date of the AGM and can only be held by members of the club.  The roles and responsibilities of these posts are described in appendix 1 and will be updated by the Secretary.

9. Should a member of the Management Committee (or official non-voting nominees appointed by the Management Committee) resign before an AGM then the Executive Committee can make an appointment for the remaining term without representation to the membership.

10. Exceptionally if 20% or more of current members, as specified by the membership secretary’s records, request a Special or extraordinary General Meeting then these appointments can be opened up for reelection at such a meeting at any time during the year.

Annual General Meeting, Management Committee meetings and decisions

11a. The AGM will be held on the second Friday in November and notified through the newsletter or other appropriate notice.  Changes to this date must be notified by the Secretary through the Newsletter or other appropriate notice at least two weeks beforehand.  Motions for the meeting should be sent to the Secretary in writing by 31 October (or 2 weeks before the meeting).

11b. The Management Committee will meet monthly at a time and location agreed and can make decisions about the running of the club only if four or more Management members are present.  Management members must be given at least 7 days notice of any meetings or date/location changes to meetings and it will be the responsibility of the Secretary to notify people not present at meetings of the time and location of subsequent meetings.  Members can make their concerns and ideas known to management committee members (or nominees) for consideration at a management meeting.  The results of which will be fed back to the member.

Club Finances

12. The Treasurer will make available for each Management meeting a copy of the accounts for the period up to the date of the meeting (or at least seven days beforehand) unless previously agreed with the Chair.  Reports will also be published in each edition of the club newsletter and final accounts prepared and presented at the AGM (or SGM if appropriate).

13. Only one account will be held in the clubs name and through which all club finances will be passed, using only authorised withdrawals signed by the Treasurer and another appointed member of the Management Committee.

14. The Treasurer will ensure that the Management Committee is aware of any financial problems, which may cause the clubs account to become overdrawn.  An AGM or Extraordinary or special general meeting may dissolve the club.  Assets remaining after dissolution of the club will, after paying outstanding debts or liabilities, be used as decided by the meeting for the benefit of all members and advancement of triathlon.

 

Non voting posts of the Executive Committee

15. At the AGM members will be appointed to non-voting posts to support the Management Committee in meeting its obligations to the club. These posts will be for Publicity Organiser, Social Event Organiser, Newsletter Editor, Assistant Coach, and Resource Organiser.  The roles and responsibilities for these posts are detailed in the attached annex, which will be kept up to date by the Secretary.

Management Committee roles and responsibilities

16. The Management Committee will be collectively responsible for making decisions about the following areas of the clubs work and organisation.  Subscription rates and payment methods (including free or reduced rates), dates, types, locations of events including training and competitive (open or closed) events, newsletter (but not content which is the editors decision), coopting members to help, attendance at BTA or regional Triathlon meetings, honorary appointments, honoraria, meeting proceedings including the AGM or SGM or alterations to the constitution (unless these are different to the procedures followed by the BTA when such changes will have to be put to the full club membership at a properly arranged and advertised meeting such as the AGM or a SGM), prizes for events, affiliation to clubs or bodies including the BTA, provision of coaching and training and development of members to fulfil coaching posts.

Changes to the constitution

17. These can only be agreed by an AGM, extraordinary or special meeting.  Members can call an SGM/EGM if they gain the written agreement of 20% of members and send these and notify this intention to the Secretary in writing six weeks before the meeting is required.  This will give the Secretary time to notify all members and arrange the venue.