CONSTITUTION AND RULES of the
NORTH DOWN PÉTANQUE CLUB
Amended (ratified) 13 Feb 2024
1. NAME
The name of the Club shall be “The North Down Pétanque Club”
2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of the Club is to promote the playing of Pétanque. The objectives of the Club are:
a. To pursue its business in a democratic and anti-discriminatory manner;
b. To recruit members for the purpose of playing and promoting the game of Pétanque;
c. To organise activities that permit, encourage and develop the purpose in 2(b), including practice, coaching, competitions, representation and social events;
d. To be proactive in developing good relationships with other clubs and organisations responsible for promoting the game in N. Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
e. To ensure membership is accessible to all irrespective of age, gender, race, sexuality, religion or disability.
f. To seek to ensure that members uphold the general standards of behaviour published in the Club’s Code of Conduct.
3. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone, subject to their adherence to the Club’s Constitution, rules, policies and Code of Conduct.
4. SUBSCRIPTION
a. Subscriptions shall be due and payable on 01 January each year;
b. Subscriptions from those who join the Club on or after 01 October shall be valid for the following year and shall be paid at the rate applicable for that year;
c. The subscriptions are subject to review at each Annual General Meeting of the Club;
d. Family membership shall include up to two persons over the age of 17 years and any household members of 17 years and under; and
e. Junior membership shall include persons of 17 years of age and under.
5. SUBSCRIPTIONS IN ARREARS
a. Anyone who has not paid the subscription within 2 months of the due date, will be considered in arrears and, if not paid within a further month, shall cease to be a member, and shall be notified by the Honorary Secretary to this effect;
b. At the discretion of the Committee, any former member whose subscription is in arrears may be reinstated, and may be required to pay all such arrears; and
c. Attendance at a General Meeting, standing for election and the right to vote are only available to fully paid-up members.
6. MANAGEMENT
The business and affairs of the Club shall be under the management of the Officers and Committee of the Club
7. OFFICERS
The Officers of the Club shall consist of the President, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary.
8. COMMITTEE
The Committee shall consist of the Officers and four members of the Club.
9. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
a. All the Officers and members of the Committee shall be elected for one year by, and from, the members of the Club at the Annual General Meeting;
b. Nominees for election shall be members in good standing, during a period of at least one year;
c. In the case of a vacancy, the Committee Members may co-opt a successor, until the next Annual General Meeting; and
d. The Officers and Committee Members shall retire each year but shall be eligible for re-election.
10. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
The Chair at all Committee Meetings of the Club shall be taken by the President or, in absentia, by a member appointed at each meeting.
11. DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE
a. The Committee shall meet for business in the month after the AGM, and at such other times as it may determine. The quorum for any Committee meeting will be 4 members. The Committee, at their discretion, may adjourn any of their meetings and may draw up its own procedures for the conduct of business.
b. The Committee may draw up such policies, rules and Codes as they may consider necessary, for the well-being of the Club.
c. The Committee may appoint Sub-Committees, which may include persons not necessarily members of the Committee, and delegate to any Sub-Committee any of their powers, except the financial control of the Club and the election or removal of members.
d. The Committee shall have administrative and financial control of the finances of the Club. Where the Committee contemplates expending funds which it considers significant, the views of the membership will be sought before committing such expenditure.
12. COMPLAINTS
Complaints shall be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary, who shall report them to the Committee.
13. EXTRAORDINARY MEETING
The Committee may at any time, or upon the receipt of a request signed by at least ten percent of the membership, stating the business to be brought forward, call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club.
14. ADMISSION OF MEMBERS
a. Requests to join the Club shall be made to the Hon.Treasurer who will notify the Committee. If the Committee finds no reason to reject the request, payment of the required subscription and compliance with any other laid down pre-requisites is sufficient to attain membership. Applicants whose names have been rejected shall be informed, in writing, of the Committee’s decision and cannot re-apply for membership for twelve months, from the date of such rejection.
b. The Honorary Secretary shall direct new and existing members to the various media where the Club’s Constitution and Rules, policies, Codes and rules are published. The Honorary Secretary will provide paper versions, on request.
15. DISCIPLINARY POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
a. The Committee shall have the power to reprimand, suspend or expel any member who wilfully acts contrary to the rules and standards of the Club, or any direction of the Committee, or whose conduct is such as, in the opinion of the Committee, to constitute unfitness for membership
b. A member shall not be dealt with under 15 (a) without being given the opportunity to be heard by the Committee and to advance a defence. The Honorary Secretary shall, at least seven days before the meeting of the Committee which is to consider the matter, send to the member, a statement of alleged misconduct, indicating the time and place of such meeting and the right to be heard there. The failure of the member to appear shall not prevent the meeting dealing with the matter.
c. A member shall not be expelled unless the majority of the Committee shall vote for the expulsion.
16. RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS
Any member wishing to withdraw from the Club shall notify the Honorary Secretary in a fashion of their own choosing.
17. ANNUAL AND OTHER GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held not later than the last day of February in each year. No business can be proceeded with at that meeting, or any other General Meeting, unless at least twenty percent of the members are present. If there is no quorum, the meeting shall stand adjourned until the same day of the following week, at the same time and place.
18. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
At least fourteen days’ notice of every General meeting shall be given to each member, by email *, specifying the time and place and the business to be carried out. The accidental omission to provide any notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of any meeting.
*. or another method, in the absence of email.
19. ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS
a.An Honorary Auditor shall be appointed by the members, at the Annual General Meeting;
b. The financial year shall end on 31 December. The Honorary Treasurer will prepare the annual accounts, for scrutiny by the Committee and the Honorary Auditor. The accounts and the Auditor’s report shall be circulated to members prior to the next Annual General Meeting and will be presented to the Meeting for adoption.
c. Correct minutes shall be kept and, the Officers shall report on the past and future activities of the Club, at the Annual General Meeting.
20. RULES OF DEBATE
At all meetings of the Club, or any Committee, the following rules of debate shall apply (if the Chairperson of the meeting so decides):
a. Any member may make a proposal for consideration at any meeting, providing that proposal has a ‘seconder’. The proposal must be made, in writing (email is acceptable) to the Committee, prior to the meeting, within a timescale determined by the Committee. The Committee will determine if the proposal has merit and, if so, decide to implement the proposal or, take it forward to a meeting of the full membership for consideration.
b.Proposals may be explained to a meeting by the proposer/seconder or an Officer, whichever is the desire of the proposer/seconder. If an amendment to a proposal is proposed and seconded, then that will be explained and discussed first, in the same manner as underlined above. The original proposal will then be explained/discussed and, providing that both proposals remain ‘on the table’, a vote will be taken as to which will be taken forward for a final decision. Should only one proposal remain ‘on the table,’ then that will be voted upon.
c. Control of proceedings rests with the President/Chairperson who will determine if/when (i) proposals have been given sufficient time for explanation/discussion (ii) discussion is digressing from the issue at hand and (iii) individuals have been given sufficient opportunity to speak.
21. VOTING
a.All members over the age of 17 years shall be entitled to vote;
b.Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands, unless the majority of the members present demands a ballot. In the case of an equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed.
22. LIST OF MEMBERS
An alphabetic list of members with their means of contact shall be maintained by the Hon.Secretary.
23. ARTICLES
The Constitution and Rules of the Club shall be known as the Articles of the Club.
24. ALTERATION OF ARTICLES
a.No article of the Club shall be repealed or altered, or new article made, except at a General Meeting. Any such alteration shall be by majority vote. Notice of such change shall be sent to the membership, at least fourteen days prior to the meeting called for its consideration; and
b.Proposed amendment(s) to Articles for consideration at an Annual General Meeting must be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary on or before the 30 November of any year.
25. PLAY
The rules governing the playing of the game at Club events shall be those laid down by the properly constituted body namely, The Federation Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provencal, except where the rules may be varied to suit the smooth running of a competition, in which case the competitors shall be notified.