Caerphilly Runners Club Constitution

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1. Name
  • The club will be called Caerphilly Runners and will be affiliated to the Welsh Athletics
 
2. Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the club will be:
  • To offer coaching and competitive “Running” opportunities for its members
  • To provided regular training sessions (catering for all abilities) for its members
  • To promote the club within the local and running community
  • To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club
  • To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone
 
3. Club Equity Statement
This club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so it acknowledges and adopts the following Sport Wales 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 club 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 club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse
  • All club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity. The club 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 the Management Committee and members of the club. Members must be aged 16 or over at the time of enrolment. 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 club has adopted. Any members who are unable to adhere to the principles laid out within the constitution will have their membership revoked.
  • Members will be enrolled in one of the following 2 categories:-
            Full member – Full annual membership has been paid by the member (21 and over(
            Junior member - Full (reduced) annual membership has been paid by member (under 21)
           
           
 
5. Membership Fees
  • Membership fees will be set annually and agreed by the Management Committee or determined at the Annual General Meeting or EGM.
 
6. Officers of the Club
The Officers of The Club will be:
  1. Chairman
  2. Club Secretary
  3. Treasurer
  4. Membership Secretary
  5. Welfare Officer (male)
  6. Welfare Officer (female)
  7. Social Secretary
  8. Social Secretary Assistant
  9. Kit Secretary
  10. Media Coordinator
  11. Volunteer Coordinator
  12. Events Coordinator

  • Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
  •  All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for reappointment at the AGM. 
  • Officers 1 to 6 will serve on the committee
  • Members must have a 1 year qualifying period before standing for the Committee to ensure they understand the culture of our club (this will be 1 full year from their first AGM) 
  • Officers in roles 7 to 12 can be interchanged with the consent of a Committee majority vote. 
  • The office of an elected member of the Committee shall be vacated if he/she:

(a) Resigns at any time by notice in writing to that effect given to the Secretary and such resignation shall take effect immediately.
(b) Ceases to be a member or shall be excluded or suspended from the Club under disciplinary proceedings.
(c) Is suspended from holding office or taking part in any activity relating to the administration or management of a Club by a decision of Welsh Athletic or UK Athletics Limited;
  • The Committee shall have the power to appoint a Member to fill any casual vacancy on the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting. Any Committee Member so appointed shall retire at the next Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for election.
  • If a Committee member resigns later than 1st December then no by-election will be called but the Committee will have the prerogative to co-opt another member to the committee until the AGM.
 
7. Management Committee
The club will be managed through the Management Committee consisting of:
  • Chair – Ruth Hazell
  • Secretary – Michael Griffiths
  • Treasurer – Liam Bryson
  • Membership Secretary - Bianca Hawkins 
  • Welfare Officer (male) – Max Bergmanski
  • Welfare Officer (female) – Helen Howells

In addition there are a number of other roles that support the running of the club and form the sub committee

  • Social Secretary  – Claire Lane
  • Social Secretary Assistant – 
  • Kit Secretary - 
  • Media Coordinator  – 
  • Volunteer Coordinator – Christine Bovington
  • Events Coordinator – 


Voting: Only these posts will have the right to vote at meetings of the Management Committee. All votes will be conducted by a show of hands, a successful agreement must have a show of 51% or more of the total committee members available to vote at the meeting.  
  • The Management Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the club and held no less than 4 times per year.   
  • The quorum required for business to be agreed at Management Committee meetings will be: 6 (this can take place with a minimum of 5 should all members of the Management Committee agree). 
  • The Management Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the club.   
  • The Management Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Management Committee as necessary to fulfil its business. 
  • The Management Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution. The Management Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings 
  • Any member of the Management Committee, with the support of 1 other committee member, can request an emergency meeting of the Committee. 
  
8. Finance 
  • All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club. 
  • The Club Treasurer & Club Secretary will be jointly responsible for the finances of the club. 
  • The Club Treasurer & Club Secretary will keep accurate records of all club financial transactions. 
  • The financial year of the club will end on:  31 March 2020 
  • The accounts shall be independently verified annually by a suitably qualified member. 
  • An up to date statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the AGM.   
  • Cheques drawn / payments made by the Club Secretary or Treasurer on behalf of the club are limited up to a maximum value of £500 per transaction. Payments over £500 must be authorised by the Management Committee 
  • If at the end of the membership year (April to March) the club has accrued a profit over £1,000, then a donation of £500 can be given to a local charity and or club events to benefit our members. 
  
9. Annual General Meetings 
  • Notice of Annual General Meetings (AGM) will be given by the Club Secretary. Not less than 21 clear days’ notice to be given to all members 
  • The AGM will receive a report from officers of the Management Committee and an up to date statement of the clubs’ annual accounts 
  • Nominations for officers of the Management Committee must be sent to the Secretary in writing (in paper or electronic form) at least 21 days prior to the AGM   
  • Only Full Members and Junior Members have a right of vote at AGMs or EGM’s.  Voting may be conducted electronically to enable greater participation. The successful agreement must have 51% or more of the total votes available to vote at the meeting.  
  • The Management Committee has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) outside the AGM. Procedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM.  Voting can be conducted electronically. 
  
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 club’s child protection policy and procedures. The club Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns. 
  • All complaints regarding the behaviour of members (including Management Committee members) should be presented and submitted in writing (in paper or electronic form) to the Secretary, the committee will have the right to suspend the member and complainant from attending club sessions until the complaint is resolved (see Appendix 1) 
  • Any club member or committee member may request a vote of no confidence in a committee meeting if they feel that a member or committee member is not acting in the interest of the wider club (appendix 2). 
  • The Management Committee (a minimum of 5 members must be in attendance) will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership (a majority vote will decide, but should the vote be tied then the casting vote will go to the Chairman) but no member may be expelled unless they have first had an opportunity to appear before the Committee at a Disciplinary Meeting. 
  • At a Disciplinary Meeting the Committee must give the person(s) making the complaint the opportunity of stating their complaint(s) against the others member(s) and to produce such documentary evidence and call such witness evidence as the member(s) wish to in support of the complaint. 
  • At a Disciplinary Meeting the member must be given the opportunity of stating their reply and defence to any complaints made against them and to produce such documentary evidence and call such witness evidence as the member wishes in their defence. 
  • An expelled member forfeits all the privileges of membership and all rights to participate in club activities. 
  • An expelled member is not entitled to any refund of their subscriptions and remains liable for their subscription for the year in which they are expelled if the subscription is unpaid. 
  • The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing (in paper of electronic form) to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing. 
  • There will be the right of appeal to the Management Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 14 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 attending the meeting, should the attendees meet the 20% required to achieve a quorum. 
  • In the event of dissolution, any assets of the club that remain will become the property of a charity nominated at the AGM or EGM. 
  
12. Amendments to the Constitution 
  • The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM should the attendees meet the 20% required to achieve a quorum or online for greater participation. 
  
13. Declaration  
 
Caerphilly Runners hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members. 
  
Signed:                                                                                      Signed: 
Name:                                                                                         Name: 
Position: Club Chairman                                                             Position: Club Secretary 
Date:                                                                                           Date: 
  
  
  
  
Appendix 1 
Disciplinary 
Any member or committee member who feels that another member or committee member has behaved or acted inappropriately, or has demonstrated behaviour that does not fit in with the Club ethos (see appendix 3) then disciplinary action may be requested. 
The following reasons (although not limited to) can trigger disciplinary action: 
  • Sexism 
  • Direct & Indirect Bullying 
  • Misogyny 
  • Abusive behaviour and language 
  • Inappropriate behaviour (sexual) 
  • Homophobia 
  • Bring the Club’s name into disrepute (at the discretion of the Management Committee) 
  • Ageism 
  • Racism 
  • Intolerance of another’s religious beliefs 
  
Appendix 2 
Vote of no confidence 
  • A Member wishing to move a vote of no confidence in a member or committee member shall ask for an appropriate item to be included on the Agenda of the next meeting of the Committee. 
  • During consideration of the motion any Committee Member named shall vacate the post which shall be taken by the next in command. In the absence of that person, another Member shall be elected for this purpose. In the event of the motion of no confidence being carried the Member shall cease to be a committee member forthwith and the person presiding shall remain in the position for the rest of the meeting. 
  
Appendix 3 
Club Ethos 
The ethos of Caerphilly Runners emerged in the years before the club was formally created when a small number of like-minded people wanted to run for fun.  This number grew, runners became friends and the “club” became a social outlet. Each runner who participated in the sessions did so because they wanted to be part of a club whereby runners ran for each other and not against each other. 
As a club we all wanted the best for each other, we wanted running to be fun and most importantly we became a running family. 
When we decided to affiliate to Welsh Athletics it was important that we carried on in the same vein, promoting friendship and fraternity, support and respect, tolerance and understanding and ensuring that no member is treated less-favourably than another. 
This ethos is why people want to run with us and should be the core principle of every Caerphilly Runner.