CONSTITUTION OF THE WILMSLOW PHOENIX SPORTS CLUB 1. NAME a) The body shall be called the Wilmslow Phoenix Sports Club (heinafter referred to as "the Club") b) The Sections of the Club may adopt titles indicative of the appropriate sport or activity. 2. ORGANISATION The Club shall be governed by a Council - see SECTION 6 of this Constitution - which will manage any affairs of common concern to constituent sections. At present these comprise WILMSLOW HOCKEY CLUB, WILMSLOW LACROSSE CLUB and WILMSLOW WAYFARERS CRICKET CLUB. 3. OBJECTS a) To provide amenities and facilities for the playing by members of cricket, hockey and lacrosse together with such other activities incidental thereto as may from time to time be determined by the Council. b) To encourage an interest in sport in the Wilmslow Area. c) To provide facilities for a full and active Club life. d) To promote co-operation between members for social and sporting purposes. e) The club is non-political and non-secretarian. 4. PROPERTY The property of the Club shall be vested in Trustees appointed by the Club Council. The number of Trustees shall not be more than four nor less than two and each shall hold office until death or resignation, unless removed from office by a resolution passed at an Annual General Meeting. They shall deal with the Property of the Club in accordance with a resolution of the Club Council (of which an entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence) and they shall be indemnified by the Club against all costs and liabilities of every kind arising out of, or in any way incidental to their Trusteeship. 5. MEMBERSHIP A) Club a) Membership shall be open to all subject to the provisions of this Constitution. b) There shall be four classes of membership, namely: 1. Vice Presidents of the Club 2. Honorary Members 3. Ordinary Members 4. Junior Members c) Vice Presidents shall be elected by the Council or by a General Meeting. d) The Council, or a General Meeting, shall have power to elect to Honorary Membership any person who in their opinion has rendered the Club exceptional service. e) Persons wishing to be closely associated with the Club may apply to the Hon.Secretary to become non-playing members. Each applicant for non-playing membership shall be proposed and seconded by existing members of the Club and the application shall be approved by the Council before the applicant is declared elected to Ordinary Membership. Non-Playing Members may associate themselves with a particular section or sections for the purpose of representing the section or sections on the Club Council. f) Junior members must be under the age of 18 on January 1st. B) Sections a) Membership shall be open to all subject to the provisions of this Constitution. b) Membership of a constituent section allows use by the Member of the facilities of the Club during the appropriate season. c) Section subscriptions and conditions relating to their payment shall be decided by the Section Members at the Section Annual General Meeting. 6. MANAGEMENT A) Club a) The officers of the Club shall be: The Chairman The Hon.Treasurer The Vice Chairman The Hon.Bar Secretary The Hon.Secretary The Hon.House Secretary The Hon.Ground Secretary b) The Club shall be managed by the Club Council. The Club Council shall consist of the officers of the Club together with the Chairman of each of the Cricket, Hockey and Lacrosse Sections. c) Subject only to the overriding power of a General Meeting the Council shall be the Executive Committee of the Club, responsible for Discipline, the provision and upkeep of Clubhouse and Playing Pitches, the provision of the Bar, for Finance and for matters of a general nature applying to the Club. d) Club Council meetings will ordinarily be held once every month. Any three Members of the Council may, in writing, to the Hon.Secretary, request a special meeting. Special Meetings so requested must be called within seven days of the written request being received by the Hon.Secretary. e) The Hon.Secretary shall notify Council Members of any Council Meeting not less than seven clear days prior to the date of the meeting, stating the principal items on the agenda. f) At any Council Meeting, properly convened, seven members shall form a quorum. g) Should an officer of the Club resign from office for any reason his position shall be filled by the Council. Should a vacancy arise on the Council for any reason the Council shall be empowered to co-opt a Member or Members to bring its numbers up to full strength. h) The officers of the Club shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall retire annually at the following Annual General Meeting. All shall be eligible for re-election. i) Nominations for the officers of the Club shall be entered on a form provided for such purpose which the Hon.Secretary of the Club shall cause to be exhibited on the Club notice board not later than 21 days before the Annual General Meeting. j) Voting on elections shall be by secret ballot. Where there are three or more candidates for a post there shall be a second ballet between those candidates coming first and second in the first ballot except where a candidate has a clear majority of the votes cast. With only two candidates a simple majority vote will suffice. k) In the event of any Member of the Council being unable to attend a Council Meeting he may appoint a substitute to attend. Provided that, notwithstanding the appointment of a substitute as aforesaid, if any Member of the Council shall be absent from three consecutive Council Meetings he may at the option of the Council be disqualified from attending further meetings. B) Sections a) Each Section of the Club shall appoint officers as follows: Chairman Vice-Chairman Hon.Secretary Hon.Treasurer b) These officers, together with such other officers and members as shall be decided at the Section Annual General Meeting shall be the executive Committee of the Section. The Chairman of the Section Committee shall be a member of the Club Council. c) Each section shall be responsible for its own affairs within the framework and general policy laid down by the Club Council who shall reserve the right to overrule and/or reverse the decision of a Section Committee which in the Club Council's opinion is against the interest of the Club. d) Section delegates to Club Committees shall be nominated by the Section Committee. e) Each Section Committee may make such Bye-Laws as it may consider necessary for the better running of the Section. 7. COMMITTEES A) Club a) The Club Council shall establish annually standing Committees to deal with the following matters in detail and the terms of reference under which each committee shall operate. 1. Bar 2. Finance 3. Clubhouse 4. Ground 5. Social and fund raising In addition further committees may be established by the Club Council on an 'ad hoc' basis from time to time as required. b) The Bar Committee shall consist of the Bar Secretary who shall act as Chairman, one other Member of the Club Council (who shall not be a member of the same section as the Bar Secretary) and two Members from each section. It will be responsible for the stocking, staffing and efficient administration of the bar and in liaison with the Clubhouse committee for the provision of suitable serving and storage facilities. c) The Finance Committee shall consist of the Hon.Treasurer one other Member of the Club Council (who shall not be a Member of the same Section as the Hon-Treasurer), the Hon Treasurer of each Section and one Member from each Section, and shall be responsible for the maintenance or disposal of the Investments or deposit accounts held in the name of the Club, and shall consider the general financial position of the Club and make recommendations to the Club Council. d) The Clubhouse Committee shall consist of the House Secretary who shall act as Chairman, one other Member of the Club Council (who shall not be a Member of the same Section as the House Secretary,) and two Members from each Section and shall be responsible for the upkeep, improvement and general administration of the Clubhouse. e) The Ground Committee shall consist of the Ground Secretary, who shall act as Chairman, one other Member of the Club Council (who shall not be a Member of the same Section as the Ground Secretary,) and two Members from each Section and shall be responsible for the upkeep, improvement and general administration of the playing areas and the surrounding grounds. f) The Social and Fund Raising Committee shall consist of the Social Secretary who shall act as Chairman and one other Member of the Club Council (who shall not be a Member of the same Section as the Social Secretary), together with two Members from each Section. It will be responsible for the organisation of Club Social and Fund Raising events. g) All Club Committees shall report directly to the Club Council who shall reserve the right to direct the actions of such committees and to overrule and/or reverse any decision of any Club Committee. B) Sections A Section Committee may appoint sub-committees as required. 8. GENERAL MEETINGS A) Club a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held during the month of May each year. b) Special General Meetings shall be called at the request of not less than any twenty section Members who shall signify in writing to the Hon.Secretary their desire and their business. Notice of such meetings shall be sent by the Hon Secretary to all Section Members within twenty-one days after a request has been properly served and the meeting shall be held within six weeks from the date of service of the request. c) The Council shall be entitled to call Special General Meetings at such times and for such business as it deems fit. d) Notice of all General Meetings shall be given to all Section Members at least twenty one days prior to the dates of the meetings. At a properly convened General Meeting thirty per cent of the Section Members shall form a quorum. e) The Chairman shall take the chair at all General Meetings or in his absence the Vice Chairman. f) At all General Meetings the Chairman shall be the sole interpreter of the rules and laws and shall determine every point. He shall have a casting vote only. g) The decision of a General Meeting shall be binding on the Council. h) Items to be submitted to an Annual General Meeting shall be given in writing to the Hon Secretary not less than seven days before the Annual General Meeting. i) All Section Members, except junior members, are entitled to vote at a General Meeting. Unless otherwise provided in this Constitution, any resolution, to be carried, must be approved by a majority of the voting Section Members present voting in its favour. B) Sections a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year on a date to be decided by the Section. (9) ALTERATIONS TO THIS CONSTITUTION a) This Constitution may only be amended by a General Meeting of the Club if three- quarters or more of the voting Section Members present vote in favour of the amendment. b) The proposed alteration must be posted on the Club notice board at least twenty-one days before the date of the General Meeting and included in the notice of meeting sent to all Section Members. (10) FINANCE A. Club a) The financial year of the Club shall end on the 30th April. b) The finances of the Club shall be banked in the name of the Club and the signatories to the account shall be the Hon.Treasurer together with any one, of; the Chairman, Vice- Chairman or Hon.Secretary. c) Auditors shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting. The Auditors' report on the previous year's accounts will be submitted to the Annual General Meeting. d) As provided for above, the Club Council acting through the Finance Committee shall be empowered to formulate rules which shall govern the maintenance or disposal of the investments or deposits held in the name of the Club. e) Revenue from the bar, club subscriptions, fund raising events and all other club income shall be used by the Club to meet the liabilities and expenses of the Club. f) At the end of each financial year the Hon.Treasurer, guided by the Finance Committee, shall prepare a budget for the following financial year for consideration and approval by the Annual General Meeting. Such budget shall show the payments required from each of the constituent sections in respect of their use of the Club's facilities. In deciding these payments (if any) the Finance Committee and the Council shall take into account the numerical strength of each section and the use its Members make of the Club facilities. The Council is empowered to retain any proportion of Club revenue before allocating any residue to the Sections. g) A section may withdraw from the Club subject to complying with the requirements contained herein and provided that all liabilities are met the funds of that section shall remain the property of the Members of that section for the time being. B. Sections a) The financial year of the Sections shall end on dates decided by each b) The finances of the section shall be banked in the name adopted by the Section. c) The signatories to the Section account shall be the Section Hon.Treasurer together with one of the officers of the Section. d) Auditors of the accounts shall be appointed annually at the Section Annual General Meeting. The Auditors' report on the previous years accounts will be submitted to the Section Annual General Meeting. The Auditors' report on the previous years accounts will be submitted to the Section Annual General Meeting. e) The Committee shall be empowered to formulate rules which shall govern the maintenance or disposal of the funds investments or deposits held on the name of the Section. 11. DISCIPLINE a) The Club Council may make such Bye-Laws as it may consider necessary for the better running of the Club the administration of the Clubhouse and the conduct of Members both on Club premises and grounds and during home and away matches. Such rules shall be posted in the Clubhouse for twenty-eight days and if no objections are notified to the Hon. Secretary these rules shall pass into operation. Should a member raise an objection to any one or more rules the particular rule or rules objected to shall not pass into operation and shall either be withdrawn by the Council or considered by the next General Meeting. b) The Council shall consider all contravention of Club rules and shall be empowered to expel or suspend the offender or offenders. c) Any Member or Members against whom the Council have taken action may appeal to a General Meeting whose decisions shall be final. For the purpose of convening the General Meeting expulsions or suspensions of Members shall be held in abeyance pending the decision of the General Meeting. d) An up to date copy of the Club rules shall be appended to this Constitution. 12. EXHIBITION OF CONSTITUTION An up to date copy of the Constitution shall be kept in the Clubhouse and shall be available for inspection by any Member of the Club on request. 13. WITHDRAWAL OF SECTION/DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB a) If two successive properly convened Club General Meetings at which a quorum of Members is present shall pass a resolution calling for the Club to be dissolved the funds and assets remaining on the Club records shall be divided among the Sections then in existence in proportion to their Membership at that time. The resolution will succeed if three-quarters or more of the Members present vote in favour of the resolution. b) Any Section may withdraw from the Club provided that the following conditions are observed. 1) A resolution calling for the withdrawal shall be considered at a properly convened Section General Meeting at which a quorum of members is present and shall be passed if three-quarters or more of the Members present vote in favour of the resolution. 2) A copy of the resolution shall be deposited with the Club Hon. Secretary and shall become effective Twelve months after the date of being deposited provided it is not withdrawn in the interim and provided that all financial and other liabilities to the club have been met. A section withdrawing from the Club under the provisions of this paragraph shall be entitled to retain its funds as provided under this Constitution. 14. MEMBERS AND OFFICERS The names of all Club and Section officers and of all Members of Club and Section Committees and Sub-Committees shall be published on the Club notice board. 15. LICENSING a) The Council shall within the provisions of the Licensing Acts for the time being in force decide the permitted hours for the consumption of alcohol on the Club premises. The Council shall cause a notice of such hours to be exhibited in a place where it can conveniently be read by all members. b) The Bar committee shall be responsible for the purchase of intoxicating liquor for supply by the Club. No member shall directly or indirectly derive any pecuniary benefit for the purchase or supply of intoxicating liquor by or on behalf of the Club to members or guests apart from any benefit accruing to the Club as a whole. c) On match days visiting teams, officials and their supporters will be afforded the facilities of the Club Bar. d) Guests of members of the Club shall be afforded the facilities of the Club Bar provided that their name is entered into the Guest Book accompanied by the signature of the introducing member but on no account shall guests purchase intoxicating liquor from the Bar themselves. e) No person will be afforded the facilities of the Bar until they have attained the age of 18 years. Juniors under the age of 14 shall not be allowed in the main Club room during the permitted hours referred to in the By-Laws submitted by the Council. Amended and up-dated at the Annual General Meeting held at the Club on Friday 25th May 1996