This constitution can also be downloaded as a pdf document Wanstead & Snaresbrook CC Club Constitution (April 2024).pdf
WANSTEAD AND SNARESBROOK CRICKET CLUB CONSTITUTION
1 Name
The club shall be called ‘Wanstead & Snaresbrook Cricket Club (incorporating Snaresbrook Football Club)” and shall consist of playing and non-playing members.
2 Purpose
The purposes of the club are to promote the facilities and promote the amateur sports of cricket and football in Wanstead and surrounding areas and to promote community participation in the same.
3 Non-Profit Making
The Club shall be non-profit making. Any surplus or gains must be reinvested in the club and no distribution of club assets, in cash or in kind, may be made to members or third parties.
This does not prevent donations to charities or other clubs registered as Community Amateur Sports Clubs.
4 President and Vice-Presidents
There shall be a President and a maximum of twenty Vice-Presidents, who shall be elected annually.
5 Management Committee
The club shall be managed by a Committee (known as the Management Committee), which shall direct the general affairs of the club, have total control over major policy and the finances of the club, and shall consist of the following:
1. Secretary
2. Treasurer
3. Chair of the Bar Sub-Committee
4. Chair of the Social Sub-Committee
5. Cricket Secretary
6. Club Captain
7. Head of Junior Cricket
8. Two other elected members
The Management Committee shall appoint and co-opt the Club Safeguarding Officer.
No person shall be eligible for election to the Management Committee until they have been a member of the club for at least two years.
The Management Committee shall have the power to:
• Make by-laws
• Set up Sub-Committees
• Fill vacancies on the Committee
• Co-opt other members.
The Committee shall elect a Chair from among its members at the first meeting following the Annual General Meeting.
The Chair, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all Sub-Committees.
Five members shall form a quorum.
The Committee shall meet at least once every quarter.
6 Sub-Committees
The Chairs of the Bar and Social Sub-Committees shall invite members to form the Committee. Three members shall form a quorum.
The Sports Sub-Committee shall consist of the following:
1. Cricket Secretary
2. 1st XI Captain
3. Head of Junior Cricket
4. Women's XI Captain
5. Head of Girls’ Cricket
6. Football Secretary
The Cricket Secretary shall be the Chair of the Sports Sub-Committee.
All resolutions passed by a Sub-Committee shall be subject to ratification by the Management Committee.
7 Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the club, of which 14 days’ notice shall be given in writing to the members by the Secretary, shall be held in February or March each year.
The following business shall be conducted at the Meeting:
• The Management Committee’s report for the previous year ended 30th September shall be presented to and accepted by the members.
• The annual accounts for the same period shall be presented to and accepted by the members.
• The election of the President and Vice Presidents
• The following officers shall be elected to the Management Committee:
1. Secretary
2. Treasurer
3. Chair of the Bar Sub-Committee
4. Chair of the Social Sub-Committee
5. Cricket Secretary
6. Club Captain
7. Head of Junior Cricket
8. Two other elected members
• The election of the Honorary Auditor.
• Setting membership categories, subscriptions and match fees.
In the event of there being two or more candidates for an office, election shall be by ballot. All members of the club, except those under the age of 18, shall be eligible to vote.
All those elected shall hold office for one year until the next Annual General Meeting.
No person shall be elected to any office unless they are a member of the club.
The quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall be at least 10 members.
In the event of there being no quorum present, the meeting shall be postponed and reconvened between 21 and 28 days thence. At that reconvened meeting there will be no minimum number required to form a quorum.
8 Special General Meetings
Special General Meetings may be called as follows:
• On a written request signed by 10 members addressed to the Secretary.
• At the request of the Management Committee.
On receipt of such a request, the Secretary shall call the meeting giving at least 14 days’ notice.
Particulars of the matter(s) to be discussed shall be forwarded to members with the notice.
The same voting procedures and quorum will apply as for the Annual General Meeting.
9 Club Accounts
The Treasurer shall keep full and accurate records of all receipts and payments.
He or she shall provide a report of the financial status of the club at every Management Committee meeting and shall produce a balance sheet and income and expenditure account for presentation to members. These annual accounts must be audited by the Honorary Auditor.
All expenditure over £500 must be approved by the Management Committee and all cheques must be signed by at least two members of the Management Committee.
10 Membership
The Club shall adopt and implement both the ECB’s Cricket Unleashed Strategy and the ECB Club Inclusion and Diversity Policy and any future versions of these documents.
Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of cricket.
The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will have an equitable pricing policy and will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.
There shall be playing, practice and social members.
The Management Committee shall determine the detailed categories of membership and determine the relevant subscriptions.
The categories of membership and subscriptions shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting.
Honorary Life membership may be granted to any member whose services to the club have been outstanding. The Management Committee must recommend such person(s) for approval by the members at the Annual General Meeting. Application for membership of the Club shall be by completion of a membership application form.
No person shall be eligible to take part in the business of the Club, vote at general meetings or be eligible for selection for any Club team unless the applicable subscription has been paid by the due date and/or membership has been agreed by the Management Committee [Two days must also have passed since the application for membership was submitted before membership can be granted.]
11 Refusal of Membership
The Management Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, at their discretion but only for good cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or cricket into disrepute and:
The Management Committee may only refuse to admit a new member if a resolution is passed at a meeting where the person in question has been notified in writing in advance and been given 14 days to submit written representations for the Management Committee to consider at the meeting. Appeal against a refusal of membership shall be to the Appeal Committee as detailed below.
The procedure for taking disciplinary action against a member, including removing membership, is dealt with in more detail below.
12 Removal of Membership, Discipline and Appeals
Any complaints regarding the behaviour of members, guests or volunteers should be lodged in writing with the Secretary.
Any person that is the subject of a written complaint or appeal shall be notified of the procedures to be followed by the relevant committee in reasonable time to prepare for any hearing.
The Management Committee shall appoint a disciplinary sub-committee (Disciplinary Sub-Committee) who will meet to hear complaints within [21] days of a complaint being lodged. Any person requested to attend a Disciplinary Sub-Committee shall be entitled to be accompanied by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses. The Disciplinary Sub- Committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action on behalf of the Management Committee, including the termination of membership or exclusion from Club premises.
The outcome of the disciplinary hearing shall be put in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the person against whom the complaint was made within 14 days following the hearing.
There shall be a right of appeal within 14 days of receipt of the disciplinary decision or decision to refuse membership:
• against the Disciplinary Sub-Committee’s findings or the sanction imposed or both; and
• against the Management Committee’s refusal to admit a new member
In either case, the Management Committee shall appoint an appeals committee (“Appeals Committee”). The Appeals Committee shall have a maximum of three members 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 21 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal. The individual who submitted 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.
13 Resignation
Any member wishing to resign shall give notice to the Secretary in writing before 1st May. Otherwise he or she shall be deemed liable for the subscription for the full year.
14 Subscriptions
Subscriptions shall become due on 1st May each year and those of new members at the date of their election.
The Management Committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any member whose annual subscription remains unpaid after six weeks of the due date.
15 Opposing Clubs
Members of opposing clubs and their bona-fide guests shall be Social members for the day.
16 Copies of Rules
Every member shall be given access to a copy of this Constitution.
17 Alcohol
The supply by the club of intoxicating liquor shall be under the control of the Management Committee.
Only members of the club and their bona-fide guests may purchase alcoholic liquor from the bars except when the Management Committee allow club premises to be used, at such time and at such charge as they shall determine, for private functions of a social nature. At such a function intoxicating liquor may be supplied on the premises during the club’s permitted hours to all persons attending such a function, whether or not they are members. No such function shall be held unless the Chief Officer of Police has been given at least 10 working days’ written notice of the intention to hold such a function. In the event of the Chief Officer of Police signifying that she or he objects to a particular function it shall not be held.
Only persons authorised by the Management Committee shall be allowed to serve at the bars.
Members using the bars must produce their fixture cards or other evidence of membership on request.
The club will be open daily from 9 am until 1 am the following day or such earlier closing hours as the Management Committee may decide.
Intoxicating liquor shall be supplied on club premises to members on their order to guests in accordance with the permitted hours and conditions laid down in the Licensing Act 2003 and fixed by the Management Committee under the bye-laws of the club. The hours so fixed shall be posted in the club at all times. When required, written notice of the hours so fixed shall be given by the Secretary to the Redbridge Licensing Authorities and no change in such hours shall be effective until such notice has been given.
Alcoholic liquor may not be taken away for consumption off the premises.
18 Alterations to Rules
No alterations shall be made to these Rules except at a General Meeting of the club. All proposed alterations must be sent, in writing, to the Secretary at least 28 days before a General Meeting together with the name of the proposer and seconder, and such proposed alterations shall be included in the notice convening the meeting.
19 Communication
Any notice exhibited in the clubhouse and at Nutter Lane shall be deemed to have been communicated to the members. Such a notice must be posted for at least 48 hours.
20 Safeguarding
A condition of membership is compliance with the club’s Safeguarding Policy as established by the Management Committee.
The club adopts any Safeguarding Policies or Guidelines that are made mandatory by its various sports’ governing bodies. This includes adoption and implementation of the ECB Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children and any future versions of the policy. In addition, the club will fully adopt the principles of the ECB Anti-Discrimination Code.
21 Disputes
Any dispute arising out of or not covered by these Rules shall be referred to the Management Committee, whose majority decision shall be final.
22 Club Colours
The club colours shall be puce, dark blue, gold and white.
23 Dissolution
A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an Annual or Special General Meeting through a majority vote of the membership.
If the club is dissolved any remaining assets must be applied for approved sporting purposes. The Management Committee shall dispose of the assets to one or more of the following:
• Another Community Amateur Sporting Club
• A Registered Charity
• The Sporting Governing Body.
3rd April 2024