Ewhurst Cricket Club – Rules of the Club
1. Name
The club shall be called the "Ewhurst Cricket Club".
2. Club purpose
The purpose of the Club is to promote the amateur sport of cricket at all levels in Ewhurst, and community participation in the same.
3. Membership
3.1 Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in cricket on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non-discriminatory basis.
3.2 The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non- discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.
3.3 The Club Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members.
4. Club Committee
a) Composition
4.1 The officers of the Club shall consist of a Hon. President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Fixture Secretary, and the Captains of each eleven; the officers shall retire at each Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election.
4.2 The management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Club Committee, which shall consist of the Officers named in Rule 4.1, together with a Pavilion Manager, Bar Secretary, Vice Captains and up to two other members, all of whom shall retire at each Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election. The Club Committee shall have power to co-opt other members in excess of their number if required; and where posts are left vacant at the Annual General Meeting, to make appointments
4.3 In case a vacancy shall occur in any office or on the Club Committee during the course of a year, such vacancy shall be filled by an appointment made by the Club Committee and any person so chosen shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.
b) Delegation
4.4 The Committee may delegate any of their functions to sub-committees but must specify the scope of each sub-committee’s activities and powers, including reporting back. The Committee may wind up any sub-committee at any time.
4.5 The selection of teams shall be in the hands of a Players’ Sub-Committee, which shall consist of the Captains, Vice Captains and up to four other members to be agreed by the Club Committee. This sub-committee will be responsible for notifying players of their selection. This sub-committee shall be responsible also on a weekly basis for operational matters relating to matches played during the season, including liaison with the groundsman, and for ensuring fixtures are fulfilled.
c) Powers
4.6 The Club Committee is responsible for the management of the club, its activities, its funds, property and affairs, and shall do all things necessary to advance the purposes of the club in any lawful manner, so long as they are not in conflict with the Rules of the Club. It will keep accurate accounts of the finances of the club through the Treasurer, and the accounts shall be available for reasonable inspection by members.
4.7 The Club Committee will decide its own way of operating and will meet at agreed intervals. A quorum at a Club Committee Meeting shall be five. Decisions will be on the basis of a simple majority vote, with the chair having a casting vote.
4.8 The Club Committee shall have the power to make Bye Laws, Regulations and Orders for the good management, control, and conduct of the Club, provided that the same shall not conflict with these Rules.
4.9 The Club Committee has the power to raise funds, including to borrow money, to support the purposes of the club; to open bank accounts; to set aside funds as reserves or for special purposes; and to spend club monies in support of club purposes.
4.10 The Club Committee is responsible for ensuring that effective financial controls are in place.
d) Property & funds
4.11 In matters relating to the property and funds of the club:
(i) The property and funds of the Club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of its members other than as reasonably allowed by the Rules, and all surplus income or profits are re-invested in the club.
(ii) The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, club sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, reasonable away-match expenses, post match refreshments and other ordinary benefits of Community Amateur Sports Clubs as provided for in the Finance Act 2002.
(iii) The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club:
(a) sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment;
(b) employ members (though not for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Committee without the person concerned being present;
(c) pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting teams and guests;
(d) indemnify the Committee and members acting properly in the course of the running of the Club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets).
(iv) The Club Committee will have due regard to the law on disability discrimination and child protection.
5. Subscriptions
5.1 The annual subscription for vice presidents, adult playing members, colts and non-playing members falls due on the 1st April each year. Such subscriptions and, if appropriate, the penalty for late payment after the 31 May, shall be fixed at the preceding AGM and displayed in the Club and printed in the fixture card.
5.2 Colts and adult playing members in full-time education or non-waged shall pay a reduced subscription determined at the AGM.
5.3 Any player not paying his/her full subscription by 30 June each year shall not be selected, subject to consideration of the individual’s circumstances by the Club Committee.
5.4 Honorary Life Members may be elected at the AGM in recognition of services to the Club.
5.5 New playing members joining the Club late in the playing season will pay a reduced subscription determined by the Club Committee.
6. General Meetings
a) Annual General Meeting
6.1 An Annual General Meeting shall be held in each year, after the end of the playing season and not later than the last week of December. At such a meeting the minutes of the previous General Meeting shall be approved; a report of the club’s activities since the last AGM shall be presented; the Accounts for the year to the preceding 30 September shall be presented; the subscriptions for the coming year shall be agreed; the officers and Committee shall be elected from the members of the club to serve up to the next AGM; and the umpire(s) shall be elected.
6.2 Twenty-one days notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be given to members and shall specify the matters to be dealt with. At least seven days notice shall be given by members, in writing to the Secretary, of any other business that it is proposed to discuss at the meeting.
b) Extraordinary General Meeting
6.3 An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at any time by the Club Committee, subject to 14 days notice; and shall also be called within 21 days on the written requisition of ten members, delivered to the Honorary Secretary, stating in full the object for which the meeting is required.
c) Quorum
6.4 A quorum at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be ten members.
d) Decisions
6.5 Only paid up members over the age of 16 shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings, and each member shall be entitled to one vote.
6.6 Decisions at General Meetings will be by a simple majority vote, with the chair having a casting vote. The exception is a winding up vote, which will be according to Rule 9.
7. Umpires
If the Club has elected more than one Umpire then those umpiring duties available shall be shared, and such sharing will be decided by the Club Committee at the first Committee Meeting following the Annual General Meeting.
8. Bar sales
Intoxicating liquor shall only be supplied during such hours as required by the Licensing Authority and authorised only by the elected members of the Club Committee, and the hours displayed in the bar.
9. Winding Up
(a) The members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present and voting support that proposal at a properly convened general meeting.
(b) The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs.
(c) Following the necessary discharge of outstanding liabilities, to be undertaken by the Committee, the formal winding up of the club shall not take effect before 5 years from the date of the General Meeting, subject to a) nominated representatives being appointed to take responsibility for maintaining the club’s properties and assets during the 5-year cooling off period and b) sufficient funds being available to maintain the club’s properties and assets during that time. If the club is resurrected within this 5-year period it must adopt the current club rules and continue as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC).
(d) After the 5-year cooling off period and settling all liabilities of the Club, and if the club is not resurrected, the nominated representatives shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:
(i) to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a charity and/or
(ii) to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered CASC and/or
(iii) to the Club’s national governing body (including local County Cricket Board) for use by them for related community sports.
10. Priority
Where there is any conflict between Rules 2, 3, 4.11, and 9 (“key Rules”) and any other rule or rules, the key Rule(s) will take priority. Interpretation of all the Rules must be consistent with the statutory requirements for CASCs (which means Community Amateur Sports Clubs as first provided for by the Finance Act 2002.)
11. Amendment of Rules
Any addition or alteration to these rules shall only be made at a General Meeting, and a copy of any proposed alteration will be sent in advance to members who have advised the Secretary of their intention to attend the meeting or to any member not attending who requests a copy. The key Rules (and Rule 10) can only be amended in such a way as to remain consistent with the statutory requirements for CASCs. Decisions will be by a simple majority vote, with the chair having a casting vote. The exception is the amendment of Rule 9, which will require a three-quarters majority vote.
These amended rules were adopted at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 30 March 2004 in the Pavilion.
Signed……………………………………………………Chair (Mr Nailesh Patel)
Date: 30 March 2004
Signed……………………………………………………Treasurer (Mr David Allen)
Date: 30 March 2004