Holywell Bay Surf Lifesaving Club Constitution

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1048504

A. Name

The name of the club is Holywell Bay Surf Lifesaving Club (“the club”).

B. Affiliation

The club shall be affiliated to the Surf Life Saving Great Britain.

C. Administration

Subject to the matters set out below, the club and its property shall be administered and managed in accordance with this constitution by the members of the Management Committee, constituted by clause H (management committee) of this constitution (“the Management Committee”)

D. Aims and Objectives of the Club

The objectives of the club is to save life and improve the safety of Holywell Bay Beach through prevention, rescue, training and teaching of surf life saving skills.

In furtherance of the aims but not otherwise, the club may exercise the following powers:

1. Promote the water safety aspect to all beach activities.
2. Develop beach life saving methods in all their respects.
3. Provide coaching and competitive opportunities in the sport of surf life saving.
4. Offer a safe and inclusive environment that promotes healthy lifestyles for the benefit of all.
5. Ensure the aim and objectives of the club are exercised with a duty of care to all members and in a fair and equal way.
6. Comply with the basic patrol, uniform and regulations as issued by Surf Life Saving Great Britain.

E. Powers

In furtherance of the objectives but not otherwise the Management Committee may exercise the following powers:

1. Power to raise funds and to invite and receive contributions provided that in raising funds, the Management Committee shall not undertake any substantial permanent trading activities and shall conform to any relevant requirements of the law;
2. Power subject to any consents required by law to sell, lease or dispose of all or any part of the property of the club;
3. Power subject to any consents required by law to borrow money and to charge all or any part of the property of the club with repayment of the money so borrowed;
4. Power to co-operate with other charities, voluntary bodies and statutory authorities operating in furtherance of the objectives or of similar charitable purposes and to exchange information and advice with them;
5. Power to establish or support any charitable trusts, associations or institutions formed for all or any of the objectives;
6. Power to appoint and constitute such advisory committees as the Management Committee may think fit;
7. Power to do such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the objectives.

F. Membership

To ensure all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment. Membership of the club shall:

Be subject to an annual subscription fee, which is determined and agreed at the Annual General Meeting, payable from 1st January till 31st December, to the secretary;

1. Be subject to the regulations of this constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and the codes of practice that the club has adopted and may adopt in the future;
2. Membership will be enrolled in one of the following categories:
   • Nipper (7-12/13)
   • Junior (13-18)
   • Senior
   • Social Member
   • Life Member

G. Honorary Officer

1. At the Annual General Meeting of the Club the members shall elect the Honorary Officer (President) from amongst themselves.
2. The Officer will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and will hold office from the conclusion of that meeting.
3. The officer will retire each year but will be eligible for re-appointment.

H. Management Committee

1. The club will be run through a Management Committee. The Management Committee shall consist of:
   • Chair-Person
   • Secretary
   • Treasurer
   • Vice-Chair
   • Club Captain
   • Vice-Captain
   • Safeguarding Officer
   • Gear Steward
   • Nipper Captain/Trainer
   • Junior Captain/Trainer
   • Committee Member
   • Committee Member

   Duties of members of the Management Committee:

   President – The President shall be the Chief Executive of the Club. The overall duty of the President shall be to ensure that the objectives of the Club are met. Accordingly, the President shall maintain harmony wherever possible, and encourage, assist and acknowledge members’ contributions to the attainment of the Club’s objectives.

   Chair-person – Is responsible for the effective control of the executive committee and general administration of the club by ensuring that the Club complies with its governing document, charity law regulations. To ensure that the Club pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document. Is responsible for the planning the annual cycle of committee meetings. Is responsible for setting agendas for committee meetings in consultation with the secretary. Chairing and facilitating committee meetings. Is responsible for monitoring that the decisions taken at meetings are implemented. Is responsible for representing the Club at functions and meetings. Acting as a spokesperson as appropriate. The Chair-person shall make a report to each meeting of the Committee. The Chair-person shall assist in preparing the Annual Report of the Club with the Secretary.

   Vice – Chair Person, is responsible for assisting the Chair Person in their role and duties, and is able to stand in as Chair in any of their duties, if the Chair and Vice Chair so decide.

   The Secretary – is responsible for general routine administration of the club, for keeping minutes and conducting the correspondences of the club. Prepare agendas in consultation with the chair. The Secretary shall provide notice of, and maintain the minutes of all Committee and general meetings and receive agenda items from other committee members. Minute the meetings and circulate the draft minutes to all committee members and ensure that the minutes are signed by the chair once they have been approved.
   The Secretary shall keep a register of all members and their addresses; shall exhibit all instructions and notices on the Club noticeboard, Facebook, website or any other social media site and shall be responsible for the custody of all Club documents. The Secretary shall make a report to each meeting of the Committee. The Secretary shall prepare the Annual Report of the Club.

   The Treasurer – shall control all financial aspects of the Club. The Treasurer shall receive all moneys on behalf of the Club; issue receipts; and shall, as soon as practicable, deposit all monies to the credit of the appropriate Club bank account. The Treasurer shall keep books of accounts showing all income and expenditure. The Treasurer shall once in every calendar month, prepare statements showing details of income and expenditure for the month immediately preceeding and present at Committee meetings.
   The Treasurer shall prepare a reconciliation of such statements to the bank statements, together with a summary of accounts payable, bank statements, bank deposit books, receipt books, cheque books and books of account, and present these to each meeting of the Committee. The treasurer shall be required to submit as necessary audited accounts to the charity commission.

   The Treasurer shall be responsible for the purchasing and insurance requirements of the club. Once every year the Treasurer shall prepare a statement of income and expenditure, together with a balance sheet, detailing the position of the club as at the close of the financial year, and shall arrange an audit of the foregoing.
   Club Captain – Is responsible for club discipline and competitions, as well as liasing with the club Surf Life Saving trainers. They shall publish and enforce the club rules.

   Junior Captain/Trainer – Is responsible for the training of all Youth Members, as well as co-ordinating the Youth Surf Life Saving training programme in consultation with the club captain.

   Nipper Captain/Trainer – Is responsible for the training of all Nipper Members, as well as co-ordinating the Nipper Surf Life Saving training programme in consultation with the club captain.

   Safeguarding Officer – Is responsible for the welfare of all members. They shall publish and enforce a Safeguarding Policy. Be the first point of contact for staff, volunteers, parents, children/young people where concerns about children’s welfare, poor practice or abuse are identified. Be the first point of contact with SLSGB’s lead officer for safeguarding children

   Gear & Equipment Steward – Is responsible for the maintenance of club gear, the issue of club gear, purchasing club gear, and provision of first aid equipment. They shall keep inventory records and prepare a report for the AGM.

2. The Management Committee may in addition appoint not more than three co-opted members. One of the co-opted places, can only be appointed to, with a representative from the Junior Team. Each appointment of a co-opted member shall be made at a special meeting of the Management Committee called under clause K (meetings and proceedings of the management committee) and shall take effect from the end of that meeting, unless the appointment is to fill a place which has not then been vacated, in which case the appointment shall run from the date when the post becomes vacant.
3. Members who wish to stand for the committee, must have been a full member for two years. Members who want to stand for Chair or Vice-chair, would have served at least two years on the committee.
4. All members of the Management Committee shall stand down from office at the beginning of the Annual General Meeting a year after the date on which they came into office, but they maybe re-elected or re-appointed.
5. The proceedings of the Management Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among their numbers, or by any failure to appoint, or any defect in the appointment or qualification of a
   member.

I. Determination of Membership of Management Committee

A member of the Management Committee shall cease to hold office if he or she:

• Is disqualified from acting as a member of the Management Committee by virtue of section 45 of the Charities Act 1992 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that provision).
• Is absent, without apologies or notice from all the Management Committee meetings held within a period of six months, and the Management Committee resolve that his or her office be vacated.
• Notifies to the Management Committee a wish to resign.

J. Personal Interest

No member of the Management Committee shall acquire any interest in property belonging to the Club (otherwise than as a trustee for the Club) or receive remuneration or be interested (otherwise than as a member of the Management Committee) in any contract entered into by the Management Committee.

K. Meetings and Proceedings of the Management Committee

1. The Management Committee shall hold at least ten ordinary meetings each year. A special meeting may be called at any time by the Chair or by any two members of the Management Committee upon not less than four days’ notice being given in writing to the other members of the Management Committee of the matters to be discussed, but if the matters include an appointment
   of a co-opted member then not less than twenty one days’ notice must be given.
2. The Chair shall act as Chair at the meetings of the Management Committee. If the Chair is absent from any meeting, the Vice-Chair will Chair the meeting before any other business is transacted.
3. There shall be a quorum when at least one half of the number of members of the Management Committee for the time being or five members of the Management Committee, whichever is greater, are present at the meeting.
4. Every matter shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members of the Management Committee present and voting on the question, but in the case of equality of votes the Chair of
   the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
5. The Management Committee shall keep minutes of the proceedings at the meetings of the Management Committee.
6. The Management Committee may from time to time make and alter rules for the conduct of business, the summoning and conduct of their meetings and the custody of documents. No rule
   can be made which is inconsistent with this constitution.
7. The Management Committee may appoint one or more sub-committees consisting of one or more members of the Management Committee for the purpose of making any enquiry or supervising or performing any function or duty which in the opinion of the Management Committee would be more conveniently undertaken or carried out by a sub-committee: provided that all acts and proceedings of any such sub-committees shall be fully and promptly reported to the Management Committee.
8. The Management Committee may appoint advisers to the Management Committee as necessary to fulfill its business. Advisers, if in attendance at Management Committee meetings, will not have voting rights.
9. The Management Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the club.
10. 1The Management Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club constitution and associated codes of practice.
11. The Management Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.

L. Receipts and Expenditure

1. The funds of the club, including all donations contributions and bequests, shall be paid into an account operated by the Management Committee in the name of the club at such bank as the Management Committee shall from time to time decide. All cheques drawn on the account must be signed by at least two members of the Management Committee. This will normally be the
   Chair and Treasurer or nominated committee member.
2. The funds belonging to the club shall be applied only in furthering the objectives.

M. Holding Trustees

1. The club will appoint at least two Holding Trustees who shall be responsible for the club premises and property therein.
2. Details of the Holding Trustees shall be passed on to the Charities Commission.

N. Accounts

1. The Management Committee shall comply with their obligations under the Charities Act 1992 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that act ) with regard to:
   • The keeping of accounting records for the club.
   • The preparation of annual statements of account for the club.
   • The auditing or independent examination of the statements of account of the club; and
   • The transmission of the statements of account of the club to the Charity Commission.
2. The financial year of the club will end on 31st December

0. Annual Report

The Management Committee shall comply with their obligations under the Charities Act 1992 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that Act) with regard to the preparation of an annual report and its transmission to the Charity Commission.

P. Annual General Meeting

1. There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the club which shall be held in the month of April in each year or as soon as practicable, thereafter.
2. Every Annual General Meeting shall be called by the Management Committee. The Secretary shall give at least 42 days’ notice to all the members of the club.
3. All the members of the club shall be entitled to attend and all those 18+ [at the date of the meeting] vote at the meeting.
4. The Chair of the Annual General Meeting shall be the President of the club, but if he or she is not present, before any other business is transacted, the Chair of the Management Committee shall be the Chair of the annual general meeting. In the absence of all these officers a temporary Chair shall be elected.
5. The Management Committee shall present to each Annual General Meeting the report and accounts of the club for the proceeding year.
6. Nominations for election to the Management Committee must be made by members of the club in writing and must be in the hands of the Secretary of the Management Committee at least 21 days before the Annual General Meeting. Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by ballot at the meeting.
7. A quorum shall be ten members.

Q. Extraordinary General Meeting

The Chair or Secretary must convene an Extraordinary General Meeting upon receipt of a written request signed by not less than eight paid up senior and social members. All members of the club will be given 14 days notice of the Meeting, together with copies of the Agenda giving details of the reason for the request. All paid up senior members present shall be eligible to vote.

R. Winding Up

The club may be dissolved by a Resolution passed by two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose of which 21 days notice shall have been given (to the members). 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 aims similar to some or all of the aims of the club as the club may determine, and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision, then to some other charitable purpose.