All Officers shall be elected for a period of one year, but shall be eligible for re-election to the same office or to another office the following year.

Nominations for Officers to serve in the next season shall be made in one of the following manners:-

i.                    In writing to the Hon. Secretary by the end of October signed by a proposer and seconder.

ii.                  In writing on the list provided for that purpose on the Club Notice Board before the end of October.

iii.                By nomination at the Annual General Meeting provided both proposer and seconder are present and the nominee indicates his or her willingness to stand.

Only those members eligible to vote at a General Meeting are able to propose or second nominations

6. Management Committee

The affairs of the club shall be managed by a General Committee composed of The President and the Executive Officers of the club and up to six other members elected from, and by, the Full Members of the Club. Only these members of the Committee shall be entitled to vote at Committee meetings.

Four Members of the Committee are required to form a Quorum.

The Committee will be convened by the Secretary and shall normally meet on the first Monday of each month, except on a Bank Holiday and as otherwise deemed necessary by the Committee. The Chairman is to take the chair in the absence of the President. Any vacancy occurring among the Officers or in the General Committee may be filled by the General Committee. The Chair shall have an original and also a casting vote in the case of equal voting.

The duties of the Committee shall be:

a) To control the affairs of the club on behalf of the members.

b) To keep accurate accounts of the finances of the club through the Treasurer. These should be available for reasonable inspection by members and should be audited before every Annual General Meeting. The club shall maintain a bank current account and the following Officers shall be authorised to sign club cheques: any two from the Chair, Treasurer and Secretary.

c) To co-opt additional members of the Committee as the Committee feel is necessary. Co-opted members shall not be entitled to a vote on the Committee and shall serve until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

d) To make decisions on the basis of a simple majority vote. In the case of equal votes, the Chair shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.

The Committee shall have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and to co-opt advisers who may be non club members invited to advise on specialist subjects.

An elected Committee member ceases to be such if he or she ceases to be a member of the club, resigns by written notice, or is removed by the Committee for good cause after the member concerned has been given the chance of putting their case to the Committee. Appeal against removal may be made to the Appeals Committee. The Committee shall fairly decide time limits and formalities for these steps.

The Committee has the power to:

 (a) acquire and provide grounds, equipment, coaching, training and playing facilities, clubhouse, transport, medical and related facilities

(b) provide coaching, training, medical treatment, and related social and other facilities

(c) take out any insurance for club, employees, contractors, players, guests and third parties

(d) raise funds by appeals, subscriptions, loans and charges

(e) borrow money and give security for the same, and open bank accounts

(f) buy, lease or licence property and sell, let or otherwise dispose of the same

(g) make grants and loans and give guarantees and provide other benefits

(h) set aside funds for special purposes or as reserves

(i) invest funds in any lawful manner

(j) employ and engage staff and others and provide services

(k) co-operate with or affiliate firstly to any bodies regulating or organising the sport of cricket and secondly any club or body involved with cricket and thirdly with government and related agencies

(l) do all other things reasonably necessary to advance the aims and objectives of the club.

NONE of the above powers may be used other than to advance the aims and objectives in a manner consistent with the Rules and the general law.

7. General Meetings

The Annual General Meeting of the club shall be held not later than the end of November each year. Fourteen days' notice of any General Meeting specifying the business to be transacted, also the day, place and hour of meeting, shall be sent to every member in writing or by e-mail to his or her address as registered with the Club Membership Secretary. All Notices of Motion relating to matters to be discussed at an Annual General Meeting must be sent in writing or by  e-mail to the Honorary Secretary by the last day of October.

The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to:

a) Confirm the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any General Meetings held since the last Annual General Meeting

b) Receive the audited accounts for the year from the Treasurer

c) Receive the annual report of the Committee from the Secretary

d) Elect auditors

e) Elect the Officers of the Club (i.e. President; Vice Presidents, Chair etc.)

f)  Review club subscription and match fee rates and agree them for the forthcoming year

g) Transact such other business received in writing by the Secretary from members fourteen days prior to the meeting and included on the agenda.

An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club may be called at any time by the General Committee, also upon written requisition addressed to the Honorary Secretary and signed by not less than six members, who are eligible to vote at General Meetings, such requisitions to state the matter to be submitted for consideration of such Extraordinary General Meeting which shall be called within one month from the receipt by the Honorary Secretary, of such requisition.

The President may preside at all General Meetings of the club when present or, in their absence, by the Chairman or a deputy appointed by eligible voting Members attending the meeting. Decisions made at a General Meeting shall be by a simple majority vote from those Members eligible to vote attending the meeting. In the event of equal votes, the Chair of the meeting shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.

A quorum for a General Meeting shall be fifteen members entitled to vote (as outlined by the membership section of this Constitution) and Officers of the Club including at least two from the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.

Each eligible Member of the Club shall be entitled to one vote at General Meetings.

8. Alterations to the Constitution

Any proposed alterations to the club Constitution may only be considered at an Annual or Special General Meeting, convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed and seconded by eligible voting Members of the club. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of those eligible Voting Members present at the meeting, assuming that a quorum has been achieved.

9. Finance

All club monies shall be banked in an account in the name of the club.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the finances of the club and for providing a report on the financial position as required by the Committee.

The Treasurer shall ensure that the club maintains adequate and appropriate insurance to cover the activities of the club.

The financial year will end on 30^th September

The Treasurer will present an audited statement of annual accounts at the Annual General Meeting.

Any cheques drawn against club funds should hold the signatures of the Treasurer plus up to two Officers.

10. Property and Funds

 (i) The property and funds of the club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of members other than as reasonably allowed by the Rules and all surplus income or profits shall be reinvested in the club.

(ii) The club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the club:

(a)   sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment

(b)   employ members (though not for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Committee without the person concerned being present

(c)   pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting teams and guests

(d)   indemnify the Committee and members acting properly in the course of the running of the club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the club (but only to the extent of its assets).

(iii) The club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, way match expenses, post match refreshments and other ordinary benefits of amateur sports clubs.

11. Discipline and Appeals

All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be lodged in writing with the Secretary.

The Committee shall appoint a Disciplinary sub-committee who will meet to hear complaints within seven days of a complaint being lodged. Any member requested to attend a Disciplinary sub-committee shall be entitled to be accompanied by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses. The Committee (or its sub-committee) has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action, including the termination of membership.

The outcome of the disciplinary hearing shall be put in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within seven days following the hearing.

There shall be a right of appeal to the Committee against either the finding or the sanction imposed or both following disciplinary action being taken. The Committee shall appoint an Appeals Committee (a maximum of three) which shall not include members involved with the initial disciplinary hearing but may include non members of the club. The Appeals Committee shall consider the appeal within fourteen days of the Secretary receiving the appeal. The individual submitting the appeal shall be entitled to be accompanied by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses. The decision of the Appeals Committee shall be final and binding on all parties.

12. Dissolution

a) If at any General Meeting of the club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the club, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the club to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.

b) If at that Special Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least three quarters of the Full Voting Membership present at the meeting, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the club.

c) The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the club’s affairs.

d) After settling all liabilities of the club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:

e) to another club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity and/or

f) to another club with similar sports purposes which is a registered Community Amateur Sports Club and/or

g) to the club’s governing body for use by them for related community sports.

13. Declaration

Ashford Cricket Club hereby adopts and accepts this Constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of all members.