Constitution of ST Mary's Football Club
1. NAME
The name of the Association is:
St Mary’s Football Club (hereinafter called “the Club”)
2. OBJECTS
2.1 The objects of the Club shall be to achieve greater participation by
youth in sport and healthy recreation in Glengormley and North Belfast and
its environs
(the “area of benefit”) by:
(i) providing quality facilities for junior clubs, local primary and secondary
schools and voluntary and community organisations;
(ii) promoting the development of sporting events, competitions and activities;
(iii) encouraging participation in sports and recreation by youth from all
communities;
(iv) assisting the mental, moral and physical development of its members
through age related practice, coaching and participation in playing football;
(v) providing a safe environment for members to participate in soccer;
(vi) encouraging proper attitudes to the game of football and promoting high
standards of discipline and sportsmanship.
2.2 In furtherance to the above objects, the Club may:
(i) provide, maintain and equip premises and facilities designed to carry
out the objects of the Club;
(ii) encourage and promote an active child protection policy and all other
appropriate policies;
(iii) write, print, publish, distribute and sell books, periodicals, magazines,
pamphlets, posters, sound and visual recordings, films and communications
in any form, as shall further its objects;
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(iv) organise or assist in organising practice classes, coaching, workshops,
training courses, meetings, competitions, events and activities consistent
with the objects of the Club;
(v) recruit, train and employ volunteers with relevant skills to carry out
the work of the Club;
(vi) employ such paid staff (not being members of the Executive Committee)
as may be necessary for the furtherance of the above objects upon such normal
and reasonable terms and conditions as the Club may decide;
(vii) co-operate to such an extent as may be necessary with voluntary and
statutory agencies and the inhabitants of the area of benefit so as to advance
the said
objects;
(viii) raise funds and invite or receive contributions from any person or
persons whatsoever by way of subscription, donation or otherwise;
(ix) purchase, take, lease or exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any property
and any rights and privileges necessary for the attainment of the said objects
and construct maintain and alter any buildings or edifices so necessary as
aforesaid;
(x) support or subscribe to such charities and charitable purposes as may
be recommended by the Management Committee;
(xi) do all such other lawful things as may be necessary to the attainment
of the above objects.
3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1 There shall be two classes of member of the Club:
3.1.1 Full Members, aged eighteen years or over, who are entitled to attend
and vote at Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings and out of whom the
Officers and Committee of the Club shall be elected.
3.1.2 Junior Members, aged under eighteen years, who are eligible to play
Football once they are registered as such by the Committee.
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3.2 Every person nominated for Full Membership shall become a Full Member
if he or she is elected as such by a simple majority vote of the Committee.
3.3 Every person nominated for Junior Membership shall become a Junior Member
if he or she is elected as such by the Committee.
3.4 The Secretary shall keep a register of Members and enter in it the names
and addresses of all persons who become Members.
3.5 The Club shall have the power at Annual General Meetings to fix a weekly,
monthly or annual membership subscription. It shall not however be obligatory
for the Club to fix a membership subscription but if so fixed it shall be
a qualification for membership that such subscription shall be fully paid
up.
3.6 A Member of whatever type shall cease to be a member if:
i) he/she gives to the Secretary written notice of resignation of his/her
Membership;
ii) he/she fails to pay any subscription within one month after the due date
of payment;
iii) the Member having committed some act or being guilty of behaviour inconsistent
with Membership of the Club, the Committee resolves by a majority of three
quarters to remove him/her from Membership.
4. GENERAL MEETINGS
4.1 The Annual General Meeting (A.G.M.) of the Club shall be held in each
year at such a time (not being more than thirteen months after the preceding
A.G.M.)
and place as the Executive Committee shall determine. At least fourteen clear
days' notice of this meeting shall be given in writing by the Secretary to
the Members.
4.2 The business of the A.G.M. shall include:
receiving the Annual Reports of the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer;
receiving the audited or independently examined accounts of the Club, including
the accounts of all Sub-Committees;
appointing an auditor or independent examiner for the accounts;
electing a new Executive Committee;
fixing the rate of membership subscriptions (if any);
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considering proposals to amend the Constitution, if such proposals are presented.
4.3 An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened at anytime upon either
a resolution of the Committee or a requisition setting out the resolution
or resolutions to be proposed at it. The requisition must be signed by which
is
the lesser of five Full Members and (not less than) one tenth of the Full
Members and served on the Secretary by personal delivery or recorded delivery
post.
If the Secretary does not give notice of the meeting pursuant to the requisition
on or before the expiry of fourteen days from service of the requisition,
the requisitionists or any one or more of them on behalf of them may give
notice
of the meeting.
4.4 Only Full Members of the Club shall be entitled to attend, participate
in and vote at the General Meetings.
4.5 The quorum of all General Meetings including the A.G.M. shall be six
Full members
In the event that no quorum is present at a General Meeting of the Association,
the meeting shall stand adjourned and be reconvened fourteen days later,
and those members present at the meeting shall be deemed to form a quorum.
4.6 Subject to clauses 10 and 11, voting at all General Meetings, including
the A.G.M., shall be by simple majority on a show of hands or by ballot as
the meeting may decide. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson
shall have a second and casting vote.
5. THE COMMITTEE
5.1 Subject as hereinafter mentioned, the policy and general management of
the affairs of the Club shall be directed by an Executive Committee (hereinafter
called "the Committee") which shall consist of not less than four
members.
5.2 The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, who shall
be the Officers of the Club, shall be elected by the members at the Annual
General
Meeting.
5.3 Any member of the Committee may retire by giving one week’s prior
notice to the Secretary, and all shall retire at the end of each Annual General
Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election at that meeting.
5.4 Any casual vacancy on the Committee or of any office arising between
Annual General Meetings may be filled by the Committee.
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5.5 Any person who fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee
without giving any reason acceptable to it shall cease automatically to be
a member of the Committee.
5.6 The quorum of the Committee shall be three.
5.7 Decisions at meetings of the Committee are made by a simple majority
and in the event of equality of voting the Chairperson (or the acting Chairperson
of that meeting) shall have a casting vote.
5.8 The Committee may appoint such special or standing committees as may
be deemed necessary by the Committee and shall determine their terms of reference,
powers, duration and composition. All acts and proceedings of such special
or standing committees shall be reported back to the Committee as soon as
possible.
5.9 The Committee shall have the power to publish and administer by-laws
as they deem necessary to govern the activities of the Club.
5.10 The Club shall adopt and actively use a Child Protection Policy which
shall be monitored by two elected Liaison Officers to ensure that the policy
is adhered to.
6. THE CLUB'S YEAR AND AUDIT
The Club's year shall run from 1st July to 30th June. Once at least in every
year the Accounts shall be audited by a competent person appointed by the
Annual General Meeting.
7. FINANCE
The income and property of the Club from wherever it is obtained, shall be
applied solely towards the promotion of the purposes of the Club as set forth
in this Constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred
directly or indirectly in any manner by way of profit to any member of the
Club. Provided
that nothing herein shall prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable
and proper remuneration to any employee of the Club or the repayment of out-of-pocket
expenses incurred in the course of the Club's business by any Officer or
other
member appointed to act on behalf of the Club. The Club, or its Treasurer
on its behalf, shall cause proper books of account to be kept with respect
to
all sums of money received and paid out by the Club and the matters in respect
of which such receipts and expenditure take place.
An account shall be opened in the name of the Club at a Bank to be approved
by the Committee into which monies received on behalf of
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the Club shall be paid by the Treasurer or other responsible official. Cheques
for the payment of all accounts shall be signed by one of two persons appointed
by the Committee and also by the Treasurer as the Committee may decide. Other
bank accounts may be established for special purposes and such accounts shall
be in the name of the Club, and subject to similar regulation and management
by the Committee.
8. TRUSTEES
The Club may appoint and may terminate the appointment of not less than three
persons to act as trustees for the purposes of holding any monies or property
belonging to the Club. The title to all or any such real and/or personal
property which may be required by or for the purposes of the Club shall be
vested in
the Trustees who shall hold such property in trust for the Club. The Trustees
shall act under the consent of the Club as determined by a General Meeting
and the members in General Meeting shall have power to fill vacancies among
the Trustees.
9. INDEMNITY
The Club may indemnify and keep indemnified every Officer, member or employee
of the Club from, and against, all claims, demands, actions and proceedings
(and all costs and expenses in connection therewith or arising therefrom)
made or brought against the Club in connection with its activities, the actions
of its Officers, members and employees, or in connection with its property
and equipment.
The Treasurer may effect a policy of insurance in respect of the indemnity
aforementioned.
10. ALTERATION OF THE CONSTITUTION
Alterations to the Constitution shall receive the assent of not less than
two- thirds majority of the members of the Club present and voting. A resolution
for the alteration of the Constitution shall be received by the Secretary
at
least twenty-one clear days before the Meeting at which the resolution is
to be brought forward. The Secretary shall give members at least fourteen
clear
days' notice in writing of such a Meeting and shall include notice of the
alterations proposed. No amendment may be made which would have the effect
of the Club
ceasing to be a charity at law.
11. DISSOLUTION
The Club may be dissolved at any time by a resolution passed by not less
than two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a general and quorate
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meeting of the Club of which at least twenty-one clear days' notice shall
have been given to all members of the Club.
Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held
by or in the name of the Club, provided that if any property remains after
the
satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, such property shall not be paid
to or distributed among the members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred
to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar
to some or all of the objects of the Club as the Club may determine. Such
distribution shall not take place until three months after the dissolution
of the Club.
This constitution was adopted at a meeting of Members in late 2006
Signed………………………… (Chair/Secretary)