Athletics Section Constitution

ATHLETICS SECTION CONSTITUTION
PART A – CLUB CONSTITUTION

1. The club will be called Leamington Cycling & Athletics Club.
2. The aims and objectives of the club will be:
   • To promote and foster cycling, running and athletics activities to people of all ability.
   • To enable members to enjoy, participate in, and improve their performance in cycling, running and athletics at recreation, sports and competition levels.
   • To provide for related social activities amongst Club members.
3. The Club will consist of two sections: the Athletics Section and the Cycling Section. The affairs of each section will be managed by the respective Section Management
   Committee. Matters which relate to the whole club will be managed by the club Executive Council.
4. The elected officers of the Club will be;
   • Club President
   • Club Chairman
   • Club Secretary
     • Club officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-appointment
5. The Club will be managed through the Executive Council:
   1. The Executive Council will consist of the officers named above plus additional members appointed by each Section Management Committee so that each Section has five delegates.
   2. Executive Council meetings will be convened by the Club Secretary and will meet as required.
   3. The quorum required for business to be agreed at Executive Council meetings is six.
   4. Voting will be by a majority of Executive Council members present.
6. Annual General Meeting (AGM)
   1. Notice of the Club Annual General meeting will be given by the Club Secretary.
   2. Not less than 21 days clear notice will be given to all members.
   3. The AGM will;
      1. Receive reports on any exceptional activities during the previous year
      2. Elect Club Officers
      3. Consider and agree any whole club matters.iv.
      4. Consider and agree any proposed changes to the whole club rules set-out in Part A of these rules.
   4. All members have the right to vote at AGMs.
   5. The quorum for AGMs will be 10 full members, of which three must be Club or
      Section Officers and of which three members must be from each section.
   6. Resolutions require a simple majority of members present and voting except for changes to Part A of these rules which requires a two thirds majority. Notice of any proposed alteration will be set-out in the meeting agenda.
7. The Executive Council has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings outside the AGM. Procedures for EGMs is the same as for AGMs.

PART B – ATHLETICS SECTION CONSTITUTION

1. Affiliation
   • The Athletics Section will be affiliated to England Athletics.
2. Aims and objectives
   • The Athletics Section will pursue the aims and objectives of the club:
     • To promote and foster cycling, running and athletics activities to people of all
       ability.
     • To enable members to enjoy, participate in, and improve their performance in cycling, running and athletics at recreation, sports and competition levels.
     • To provide for related social activities amongst Club members.
3. Athletics Section Equity Statement
   • The Athletics Section is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so it acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:
     • Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.
     • The Athletics Section respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.
     • The Athletics Section is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.
     • All Athletics Section members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.
     • The Athletics Section will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.
4. Membership
   • To ensure all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment. Membership should consist of officers and members of the club. All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that the Athletics Section has adopted.
     Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories:
     • Standard member
     • Concession member
     • Associate member
     • Life member
5. Membership fees
   • Membership fees will be set annually and agreed by the Section Management Committee made up of a subscription element, track element and affiliation element. The track and affiliation elements should be determined to cover the costs of these to the club. The subscription element should be determined at the Annual Section General Meeting where the proposed increase is greater than RPI in the December prior to the increase.
   • Fees will be paid: annually/termly as deemed by the Membership Secretary.
6. Officers of the club
   • The elected officers of the Athletics Section will be:
     • Chairman
     • Honorary Secretary
     • Treasurer
   • Officers will be elected annually at the Annual Section General Meeting. All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-appointment.
7. Section Management Committee
   • The Athletics Section will be managed through the Section Management Committee consisting of:
     • Officers of the Athletics Section named above, membership secretary, welfare officers, coordinator of coaching, coordinator of officials, coordinator of volunteers, coordinator of team managers. Only these posts will have the right to vote at meetings of the Section Management Committee.
     • The Section Management Committee can only consist of current active members, non-payment of fees due removes voting rights
     • The Section Management Committee meetings will be convened by the Athletics Section Secretary and held no less than 6 times per year.
     • The quorum required for business to be agreed at Section Management Committee meetings will be: the higher of 3 or 60% of the occupied posts.
     • The Section Management Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the club.
     • The Section Management Committee will have powers to appoint subcommittees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Section Management Committee as necessary to fulfil its business.
     • The Section Management Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution.
     • The Section Management Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.
     • All members have the right to attend a Section Management Committee in person.
8. Finance
   • All Athletics Section monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club.
   • The Section Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the Section. A budget should be agreed annually by the treasurer and the management committee, a budgeted surplus or deficit greater than 10% of subscription income should be agreed at a Section General Meeting.
   • The financial year of the Athletics Section will end on 31 March. An independently verified statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Section Treasurer at the Section Annual General Meeting. Where the accounts show a surplus or deficit greater than 10% of subscription income and this is not pre-approved a detailed explanation is required.
   • Any payments drawn against club funds should be approved by the member of the management committee for that area of spend plus the Section Treasurer plus either the Section Chairman or Section Secretary.
9. Annual Section General Meetings
   • Notice of Annual Section General Meetings (ASGM) will be given by the Section Secretary. Not less than 21 clear days notice to be given to all members.
   • The ASGM will receive a report from officers of the Section Management Committee and a statement of the audited accounts.
   • Nominations for officers of the Section Management Committee will be sent to the Section Secretary prior to the ASGM.
   • Elections of Section officers are to take place at the ASGM.
   • All members have the right to vote at the ASGM on non-subscription matters, only Standard and Concession members have the right to vote on subscriptions.
   • The quorum for ASGMs will be 10 members.
   • The Section Management Committee has the right to call Extraordinary Section General Meetings (ESGMs) outside the ASGM. Procedures for ESGMs will be the same as for the ASGM.
10. Discipline and appeals
    • All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children and young people will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the Section’s child protection policy and procedures. The Section Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns.
    • All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the Section Secretary.
    • The Section Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 45 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.
    • The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 14 days of the hearing.
    • There will be the right of appeal to the Section Management Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 45 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal.
11. Dissolution
    • A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.
    • In the event of dissolution, any assets of the club section that remain will become the property of another club with similar objectives nominated and voted upon as part of the resolution or England Athletics.
12. Amendments to the constitution
    • Part B of the Athletics Section constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at a SAGM or SEGM.
13. Declaration
    • The Athletics Section hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.
    • Signed:
    • Date:
    • Name:
    • Position: Club Section Chairman
    • Signed:
    • Name:
    • Position: Club Section Secretary
    • Date: