1. NAME
The ‘Club’ shall be called the Portsdown Archery Club.
2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The object of the Club is:
- To provide facilities for and promote participation in the sport of archery.
- To promote archery within the local community
- To ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club
- To ensure equality of opportunity within the sport
3. AFFILIATION AND REGISTRATION
The Club shall be affiliated to Archery GB, Southern Counties Archery and the Hampshire Archery Association. The Club shall be registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) and shall comply with the qualifying conditions of registration.
4. MEMBERSHIP
All members will be subject to this Constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to have accepted the regulations and codes of conduct that the Club has adopted.
a) Membership of the Club is at the discretion of the Committee.
b) Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, or beliefs: or of age, sex or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of Archery as a particular sport.
c) Senior members are defined as persons aged 18 years and over. Junior members under 18 years old.
d) Membership types:
Full: Membership with full rights and privileges as set out in the Club Rulebook.
Associate: Members who are affiliated to another club, who do not register their AGB membership through the Club and who do not shoot for the Club in open competitions. Associate members will enjoy the full use of Club facilities but will not be eligible to vote on Club matters or to serve on the Club Committee.
Non shooting: Members who may not shoot or vote, but have access to the clubhouse, grounds and facilities.
Conditions of membership:
i. All members must observe and conform to the AGB Rules of Shooting
ii. All members of the Club shall accept the jurisdiction of the Committee and shall at all times conform to the conditions and rules of the Club.
iii. Associate members shall state their principal club on joining the Club and shall advise if this changes.
iv. The Club requires its members to comply with the Archery GB Terms of Reference for Members, Safeguarding Policy, and the applicable Code(s) of Conduct.
v. If, in the opinion of the Committee, any Member shall have been guilty of conduct that makes it undesirable that such member should remain a member of the Club, then a Committee Meeting shall be called. The Club may then expel such a member, after a hearing, without being called upon to state a reason to any but the member concerned. The Committee’s decision shall be final.
5. CLUB COLOURS/BADGE
The Club colours shall be gold and dark green with black trousers, skirt or shorts. (Archery GB dress of plain white or plain dark green is also acceptable.) The Club badge shall consist of a golden quiver containing three arrows, bearing a golden scroll with the letters PAC thereon.
6. MANAGEMENT
a) The Club shall, at its discretion, invite a long standing or respected Club member to accept the honorary and ceremonial position of President or Vice-President; these shall be decided by Committee or by popular vote.
b) The Management of the Club shall be undertaken by a Committee, which shall consist of a minimum of:
- Chairman
- Club Secretary
- Treasurer
- Field Captain
- Records & Tournaments Officer
- Membership Secretary
- Equipment Officer.
The Committee may co-opt members for a specific purpose or may appoint sub-committees with powers of a specified limit for a specific task.
c) The Committee, elected at the Annual General Meeting, shall go into office forthwith and serve for the following year. They shall meet at least 6 times a year. Three Committee members shall form a quorum.
d) The Committee shall formulate rules for the conduct of shooting as and when necessary; such shooting shall at all times, be governed by the rules set out by Archery GB.
e) The Committee will be responsible for adopting, promoting and ensuring compliance of, new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation and activities of the club.
f) If a Committee member misses two consecutive meetings without explanation or apology, it will be assumed that the post is vacant and it will be re-advertised.
g) 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 such as suspension or discipline following such hearings.
7. GENERAL MEETINGS
a) The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held during November or December on a date to be decided by the Committee. Resolutions may be passed by the majority vote of such full members as are present and form a quorum. One fifth of the membership shall form a quorum. Each member present shall have one vote for each proposed resolution. The Chairman shall have the casting vote.
b) The Club Secretary shall give the members 21 days’ notice of the AGM and distribute an
Agenda.
c) The Constitution of the Club shall be altered only at a General Meeting. Notice of proposed alterations to the Constitution must be furnished in writing to the Secretary at least two weeks before distribution of the Agenda and must appear on the Agenda.
d) A nomination for election to the Committee may be made by a member proposing another member for any position, provided that each proposal of another member shall be accompanied by a statement that the member proposed will be willing to serve if elected.
e) Extraordinary General Meetings shall be called by the Club Secretary when required by the Committee or by one-fifth of the Membership.
8. FINANCE
a) The Club’s financial year shall commence on the first day of October.
b) The Treasurer shall prepare a statement of accounts for the AGM and copies displayed on the Club noticeboard 21 days before the AGM. Members may request an email copy.
c) The Club accounts shall be inspected by a full member of the Club who shall be appointed for one year at the AGM.
d) The funds of the Club shall be deposited in accounts at an established bank in the name of the Club.
e) No member of the Club may commit the Club to an expenditure without the prior approval of the Committee. Where appropriate multiple quotations will be obtained before committing to significant expenditure to ensure value for money.
f) All payments on behalf of the Club shall require authorisation by the Committee and must be supported by appropriate invoices or receipts.
g) The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards promoting the Club’s objects as set forth in this Constitution and no member shall personally make a profit from the activities of the Club.
h) The Committee may not commit the Club to expenditure in excess of the Club’s assets and a level of financial reserves set by the Committee shall be retained in case of unexpected necessary expenditure.
9. MEMBERSHIP FEES
a) The annual Club membership fee for each type of membership shall be decided by the
Committee.
b) The membership fee is payable by the 1st of April annually. The fee for Juniors shall be half that of adults, unless decided otherwise by the Committee.
c) A new member joining in the first 6 months of the financial year will pay the full annual fee. From the 1st of October, the fee will be reduced pro-rata by the number of months remaining in the membership financial year. AGB, HAA and SCA fees will be paid separately.
d) The fee for new members will be payable on acceptance. New members will normally serve a probationary period of one month. If, after this period, membership is not acceptable to the Committee, fees paid will be returned to the applicant less an entrance fee decided by the Committee.
e) Acceptance for membership will be conditional upon the applicant having completed a beginners’ course and/or demonstrating a degree of competence satisfactory to the Committee.
f) Any member whose membership fee becomes overdue by a period to be determined by the Committee, shall cease to be members and must re-apply to join the Club.
10. AFFILIATION FEES
Affiliation fees are payable annually by all Club members and by all new members when joining the Club. These fees are payable to Archery GB, the Southern Counties Archery and the Hampshire Archery Association. Full members shall renew their affiliations through the Club. Associate members may renew through their principal club, or directly. In this case they must provide evidence to the Club that affiliation renewals are in place. Any member whose affiliation fees become overdue shall not be permitted to shoot at any venue administered by the Club.
11. INDOOR SHOOTING FEE
Due to the cost of venue hire, an indoor shooting fee is levied separately. Those members wishing to shoot at the indoor venue must pay on an individual attendance basis.
12. BEGINNERS’ COURSE FEE
A fee set by the Committee shall be levied for beginners’ courses
13. VISITORS’ FEE
Any AGB affiliated visitor wishing to shoot, other than at the Club’s invitation, will be charged a visitors’ fee set by the Committee.
14. CLUBHOUSE KEYS AND GATE ACCESS
A member may make an application to the Committee to hold keys to the Club. A key holding member is required to regularly attend Club shoots as stated in the Club rules. Keys are issued by a nominated Committee member. A refundable deposit for the keys is payable. Keys are not transferable between members and are for personal use only. Junior members may not hold keys.
15. CLUB PROGRAMME/FIXTURE LIST
The Committee is responsible for the formulation of a summer and winter shooting programme which shall be published and made available to the Club members.
16. DISPOSAL OF ASSETS
In the event of the dissolution of the Club, any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to one or more of the following approved sporting or charitable bodies:
- A registered charitable organisation.
- Another club which is a registered CASC.
- A sport’s national governing body to use by for related community sports.