Maldon Croquet Club Constitution and Procedures
- Name: The Club is The Maldon Croquet Club.
- Aims: The main purposes of the Club are to provide facilities for and to promote participation in the amateur sport of croquet in Maldon. Any activity or expense not in direct pursuit of these aims requires authorisation, duly recorded, by the Committee or a General Meeting of the members.
- Administration: Management and control of the Club is vested in three Officers, namely the Chairman, Secretary and the Treasurer, who are unrelated and reside in separate addresses, and seven Committee members (the Committee), further members may be co-opted at the discretion of the elected Committee. The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold office for a period of one year. Members shall be eligible for re-election.
Vacancies arising between Annual General Meetings shall be filled by a majority vote of the Committee. Members thus elected or co-opted shall retire at the following Annual General Meeting and be eligible for re-election.
- Committee Powers and Responsibilities: The Committee meets at its own discretion and maintains a record of its decisions and actions. By agreement, other members of the Club may be appointed by the Committee to organise specific events or activities.
All communication with outside bodies is through the Secretary, except that the Treasurer deals with the bank and the auditor, and those nominated by the Committee organise league and friendly matches directly with other clubs.
The Committee may invite a Club member to fill an Officer vacancy, may seek to resolve any dispute between members, and may suspend the membership of anyone causing disruption or bringing the Club into disrepute. These decisions are effective until confirmed or otherwise by the following AGM, or by an EGM (see clause 7) called for that purpose.
In the event of a tied vote in committee, the Chairman has an additional vote to decide the issue.
- Membership: Any person becomes a member upon acceptance of the donation agreed at the AGM and effective from 1st April of that year. Membership benefits are subject to suspension by the Committee under clause 4 above, with no refund of donation.
A prospective member may play up to three Club sessions against payment of a visitor donation. The Committee may set a date beyond which the donation is reduced, or new membership is valid until the end of the following year, subject to any donation change.
- Non Discrimination: Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of croquet.
The Club may have different classes of membership and donations on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep donations at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to peoples’ participation.
The Club committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for a good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeals against refusal or removal may be made to the members.
- Meetings: The playing season, and the dates and times of all meetings, whether during or outside the playing season, are as determined by the Committee.
An Annual General Meeting (AGM), open to all members, is held in March. All members are advised by the Secretary of the date and venue of the AGM at least two weeks in advance. The quorum is one-third of the membership.
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), open to all members, is called by the Secretary upon written request by at least one-third of the membership, or at the discretion of the Committee, to discuss and decide upon a specific topic. Notice of an EGM is distributed within two weeks of receipt of the request by the Secretary, or of the Committee decision, and the EGM takes place within one month of being called. Only the topic for which it was called may be raised or discussed at an EGM. The quorum is one-third of the membership.
- Election: The Officers and the Committee, as set out in clause 3 above, are elected by the AGM by ballot or should the nominations correspond to the vacancies, by simple show of hands.
Nominations must have an identified proposer and seconder, both being members, and have the assent of the nominee. Nominations are accepted prior to the meeting.
The Committee elected takes over after the close of the AGM.
The AGM also appoints an examiner for the financial records of the Club for the current year and authorises any gratuity for the examiner.
- Voting: Each fully paid-up member present has one vote on any motion put before an AGM or EGM, save for the additional casting vote of the Chairman in the event of a tie. Proxy voting is not permitted. All motions, other than for amendment of this document or for the dissolution of the Club, are decided by simple majority on a show of hands.
- Finances: The Club’s financial year begins on 1st
The Treasurer keeps full and accurate records of all income and expenditure and maintains a register of non-consumable assets of the Club. The records are examined after the end of the financial year but before the AGM. The Treasurer presents a summary of the examined accounts to the AGM for adoption by the meeting. The Treasurer also proposes a donation level for the coming playing season, to come into effect from 1st April following the AGM subject to the approval of the members. All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the Club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.
- Safety and Damage: The Club purchases Civil Liability Insurance for personal injury or damage to property caused directly by the Club’s activities. Members are individually responsible for their own safe conduct and for that of any guest they introduce.
Any significant personal injury or property damage is referred at once to an Officer or Committee member, who will proceed in accordance with the policy requirements.
At the discretion of the Committee, damage to the Club equipment due to unreasonable conduct by a member or their guest may be charged to that member.
- Security: Access to the secure equipment stores is restricted to Club members. The last Club member to leave is responsible for ensuring that all equipment is correctly stored and secured.
The three Officers are the only authorised signatories to the Club bank account. Cheques or instructions to the bank require two authorised signatures.
- Dissolution: The Club can be dissolved only by a motion passed by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at an EGM called for that specific purpose.
Upon dissolution of the Club any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another registered CASC, a registered charity or to the sports’ governing body for use by them in in relation to community sports.
- Amendment: This document may only be amended at the AGM or at an EGM called for that purpose, in either case subject to members being advised of the proposed amendment in the notification of the meeting. To be considered at an AGM, any amendment proposal must be received in writing by the Secretary, duly seconded, at least four weeks before the date set for the AGM. Amendment requires a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.
- Distribution: A copy of this document is given to each member upon joining the Club.
Following substantial amendment (i.e. excluding typographical or grammatical corrections), each member is given an amended copy.
Addendum to Maldon Croquet Club Constitution and Procedures
Club Etiquette
General:
Our Club ethos is to have fun even whilst being competitive but always friendly.
Never walk across the lawns unless you are playing a match. Never shout out to players from the side-lines.
Never stand in the sight line of a player taking their shot. Stand still and remain quiet whilst your fellow competitors take their shots.
Always treat other players with respect.
It is normal for play to end with a handshake (unless circumstances dictate otherwise) and a friendly word of congratulation.
If an individual member believes that they have been adversely affected by the conduct of another member, which is in breach of Club etiquette, they should first attempt to resolve the matter informally; failing which they may lay a complaint before the Committee.
The Committee has the right to suspend any member who brings the Club into disrepute, and may not allow that member to re-join.
Specific to ‘Roll-up’ sessions:
If you arrive during a session please wait until the start of the next one, unless invited to make up a four.
In order to maximise the number of members who can play at any one time at roll-up sessions, primary and secondary matches on individual courts are employed. The Club encourages diverting if it is found that a game is in line with another game going for the same hoop. Divert to the next hoop in the game. Good sense should be used to agree which hoop to aim for. Repositioning of the balls is allowable where diverting creates a disadvantage.
Slow play is to the detriment of all. Players should move steadily between shots without getting in the line of fire of your fellow competitors or other matches. Players should be ready to play a shot in turn. Social chit-chat is fine but shouldn’t be allowed to delay play. Players should ask permission when playing across or through another match on the same lawn.