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THE HAWCS ATHLETICS CLUB CONSTITUTION

Revison 1 - November 2021

1 - Objects

The Club shall be called The HAWCS Athletics Club. Also known as The “HAWCS” and shall have as its objects the advancement of athletics in the locale by the training of athletes, coaches and officials and the participation in all events of athletics, especially those related to Combined Events. The development and maintenance of links with schools in the locality, with a view to promoting all aspects of athletics in those schools, by working with teachers and pupils by providing coaching advice and support, and promoting athletic competitions.
 

2 - Membership

a) Membership of the Club shall be open to everyone aged 10 years and over, to anyone interested in recreational or competitive running and athletics activities where facilities permit, regardless of sex, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, sexual orientation, occupation, religion, political or other beliefs.

b) Applicants are eligible for either first or second claim membership as defined in the rules of British Athletics or its successors.

c) Individuals who wish to become members of the Club must apply using the Membership Application Form approved by the Committee from time to time. Applications must be accompanied by the subscription fee.

d) Every candidate for membership shall be considered by the Committee, which shall admit that person to membership unless to do so would be contrary to the best interests of the sport or the good conduct and interests of the Club. e). By becoming a member of the Club, every member agrees to abide by the Club’s Constitution and Rules; the Rules of Competition and other rules and regulations of UK Athletics Limited; and the rules and regulations of England Athletics Limited.

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3 - Officers

a)  The Officers of the Club shall be the Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Coaching Secretary and a Competition Manager.
b)  These six officers shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

c)  Other posts may from time to time be elected or created and appointment made to them by the Committee as seems appropriate to the Club’s efficient operation.

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4 - Committee

a)  The Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Club and a further four members of the Club elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The Club’s Welfare Officers will be co-opted members of the Club’s Committee.

b)  The quorum of the Committee shall be five Committee members.

c) The Committee has powers to co-opt and co-opted members have full voting powers.

d)  Holders of posts created by the Committee may be co-opted to the Committee where it considers this is in the interests of the Club’s efficient operation.

e)  The day to day running of the Club shall be carried out by the Committee strictly within the rules of British Athletics or its successors.
 

5 - Annual General Meeting

a)  The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall take place each year before the end of March, excepting where UK Government regulations resulting from a declared ‘National Emergency’ prohibit the ‘face to face’ gathering of a sufficiently large number of Club Officers and Club Members to enable the AGM to take place and fulfil the required functions of the meeting, (an example of such regulations are those relating to the ‘Covid’ Lockdowns of 2020 and 2021). In such an eventuality, the AGM may be postponed indefinitely to a date no longer than six weeks following on from the end date of the relevant UK Government regulations.

b)  The business of the AGM shall be as follows:

1) Apologies for absence

2) Minutes of the last meeting

3) Matters arising

4) Report of the Secretary

5) Report of the Treasurer

6) Reports of Team Managers where appointed

7) Election of Officers and Committee Members

8) Alterations to the Constitution

9) Other Items notified for consideration

10) Any Other Business at the discretion of the Chairman

c) Notice of proposed alterations to the Constitution or other items for consideration at the AGM must be received in writing by the Secretary at least 14 days before the meeting.

  • All members of the Club shall be given at least 28 days notice of the AGM and of the business to be transacted.

  • ​Only paid-up members of the Club aged 16 years and over are eligible to vote at the AGM.

  • The quorum of the AGM is 12 paid-up members.

  • Where a change in the Constitution is proposed it may only be passed by at least

    • a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.
       

6 - Extraordinary General Meetings

a)  An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called at the written request by 15 paid-up members to the Secretary, stating the business to be transacted.

b)  The EGM must take place within 28 days of the receipt of the request.All members of the Club shall be given at least 14 days notice of the EGM and of the business to be transacted. No business other than that in the notice may be discussed at the EGM.

c)  Eligibility to vote, quorum, and the majority required to change the Constitution are the same as for the AGM.
 

7 - Finance

a) The Treasurer will carry out financial transactions on behalf of the Club. The Club will maintain a bank account with HSBC or other ban as agreed by the committee from time to time and have three of its officers as signatories.
b) The Treasurer shall produce an Annual Statement of Accounts for

consideration at the AGM.
c) The Club’s Financial Year shall end on 31st March.
d) The Club is not a profit-making body and all funds raised from its activities will

be used in pursuit of its Objectives in paragraph 1. above.
 

8 - Subscriptions

a)  Annual subscriptions are due on 1st March of each year.

b)  Those competing for the Club must be fully paid-up members.

c)  Membership subscriptions are set annually by the Committee.

d)  Training fees will be set annually or adjusted as dictated by cost of hiring the

training facilities.
 

9 - Removal from Membership

a)  Members may be expelled from the Club in accordance with the rules of British Athletics or its successors.

b)  Where members fail to pay the subscription, their names shall be removed from membership on 31st December of the year in which the fees were due and a record kept of non-payment should they seek to rejoin or join a different athletic club.

c)  Members may be expelled from the Club in the event their individual actions or general behaviour, and following on from the completion of the appropriate Club disciplinary proceedings, is found to constitute or amount to:

  • The physical, sexual or emotional abuse of any other Club member, child or an adult.

  • The deliberate and therefore malicious damage to Club equipment and property. - the use of club equipment and facilities for private gain without prior permission from both the relevant Club Officials and Wodson Park Management.

  • An unreported or deliberately concealed ‘conflict of interest’ between the individual’s Club Membership and a personal commercial interest.

  • Bringing the Club into disrepute within the wider Athletics Community or the Club’s host, Wodson Park Management.
     

10 - Merger or Dissolution of the Club

a)  A decision to merge the Club with another athletic club requires a two-thirds majority of votes cast at an AGM or EGM as for other constitutional changes.

b)  A decision to dissolve the Club requires a four-fifths majority of votes cast at an AGM or EGM. In such an event the Club’s assets shall be sold and the proceeds given to an agreed registered charity and/donations made to organisations that would benefit athletics in the locality.
 

11 - Policies and Procedures

The Club has adopted policies and procedures provided by UK Athletics and England Athletics covering:

  • Anti-Bullying Policy;

  • Grievance Procedure;

  • Safeguarding Children’s Welfare;

  • Inclusion Policy;

and to conform with recent changes to the law relating to privacy, there is a HAWCS Privacy Policy. In addition to these, the Club has also adopted Codes of Conduct/Practices covering the Club, Athletes, Parents, Coaches, Officials, Medical Staff, Team Managers and Welfare Officers, and will from time to time adopt other Policies, Procedures and Codes of Practice relevant to the running of the Club and treatment of its members.

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Accepting that all of the Club Officers and Committee Members in post as at 12.00.pm., March 31st to have been appointed by due process, in the event of the future resignation of any Club Officer or Club Committee Member, or in the event of the creation of a new Officer position or additional Committee Member(s), the replacement/appointment procedure outlined below must be undertaken in all cases for a replacement/appointment to be considered as valid.

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a) In the first instance, the full club membership (over the requisite voting age) must be advised of the vacancy.
b) Secondly, nominations to fill the relevant vacancy should be sought from amongst the full club membership over the requisite voting age. (Non-Club Members may apply, on the single condition that the individual concerned is either a principal carer or the parent of an existing Club athlete member under the requisite voting age.)

c) Thirdly, in the event of a single nomination being received that nominee is duly selected.
d) Fourthly, in the event of two nominations being received, the club membership (over the requisite voting age) should be requested to vote on their preference.

e) Fifthly, in the event of more than two nominations being received, a first past the post plurality’ voting system is to be adopted to determine the outcome of the Club members vote, the nominee with the highest numbers of votes cast being declared the winner.

f) Finally, in the event of no nominations being received, the Club Officers and Club Committee Members may take it upon themselves to approach any existing Club Member, or any Non-Club Member fulfilling the conditions stated within paragraph (b) above, of their choosing, in order to fill the relevant vacancy, a process that should be continued to the point of a successful conclusion.”

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In the event of an absolute majority of all Club Officials and Committee Members desiring to alter in any way the existing operational structure of the Club, be it in respect of the general administration of the Club or the organisation of the provision of Athletics training at the Club, the procedure outlined below must be undertaken for the changes to be considered valid.

a) In the first instance, the full club membership (over the requisite voting age) must be advised of the proposed changes.

b) Secondly, the full club membership (over the requisite voting age) must be offered an opportunity to vote to either accept or reject the changes proposed by the Club Officers and Committee.
c) For a proposal to be considered ‘carried’ a simple majority of those members who voted will be considered sufficient, with the single proviso that the total number of votes cast must exceed 50% of those Club members eligible to vote.

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Where possible, and in order to avoid dispute, an ‘independent’ adjudicator should be tasked with the counting of the relevant members votes and with the confirmation or otherwise that the voting numbers meet the level of participation required and as noted within paragraph (c).

With effect from the AGM on 29th November 2019, a Code of Practice covering Conflict of Interests was adopted, in line with the policy of Sports England.

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With effect from 27th September 2020 the Club Committee adopted the UK Athletics diversity and Inclusion Policy.

With effect from 29th November 2019, the Annual General Meeting of the Club adopted a policy recommendation from the Club’s Coaching Committee detailing its policy covering club training sessions and training programmes, used at its training sessions.

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