CONSTITUTION

 

1. NAME

The name of the Association shall be the Avon County Women's Hockey Umpires' Association (hereinafter called the Association or "A.C.W.H.U.A.")

2. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association shall be:

    1. Encouragement / Coaching
    2. Improvement and maintenance of umpiring standards.
    3. Information by regular meetings, newsletters and socials.

3. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Association shall be open to graded umpires, i.e. A, B, Level 1 or any other accepted standard, and who reside in the County of Avon . These members shall be known as full members. Any graded umpire from any other county may join the Association as an Associate Member. Members and Associate Members must be aged eighteen and over. Associate members shall not have the right to vote at Members' meetings but may elect from amongst themselves one representative to stand for the Committee who shall then have the right to vote as if they were full members.

4. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

The committee shall have the right, for good and sufficient reason, to terminate the membership of a member provided that the member shall have the right to be heard by the Committee before a decision is made.

5. BADGE

The badge of the Association shall be royal blue and white in colour, bearing the wording A.C.W.H.A. UMPIRE.

6. OFFICERS

  1. The Annual General Meeting shall elect a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer together with four members who shall form the Committee. If the Honorary Avon Umpiring Secretary is not elected to the Committee at the AGM then they shall be a member of the Committee ex officio.
  2. No member shall hold office as Chairman for more than five consecutive years.
  3. The Committee is empowered to co-opt additional members as may be necessary, only until the next following Annual General Meeting.

7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Once in each year, in the month of May, or thereafter as soon as possible, the Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting of the Association, which all full members shall be entitled to attend, for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report of the Committee and the Annual Audited Statement of Accounts; of appointing Honorary Officers of the Association; of accepting resignations of members of the Committee; of electing representatives to serve on the Committee; of appointing an Auditor; of making recommendations to the Committee and, whenever necessary, of voting on proposals to amend the Constitution in accordance with Clause 15 hereof.

8. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

The Chairman or the Secretary may, at any time, at their discretion, and shall within twenty one days of receiving a request to do so, signed by not less than ten members having the power to vote and giving reason for the request, call a Special General Meeting of the Association for the purpose of altering the Constitution in accordance with Clause 15 hereof, or of considering any matter that has been referred to the Committee or for any other purpose.

9. RULES OF PROCEDURE AT ALL MEETINGS

  1. Voting - Subject to the provisions of Clause 15, all questions arising at any meeting should be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote thereat. No member shall exercise more than one vote notwithstanding that they may have been appointed to represent two or more interests, but in the event of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second and casting vote.
  2. Quorum - Two-thirds of the committee shall form a quorum at Committee meetings.
  3. Minutes - Minute books shall be kept by the Association and all other committees and the appropriate secretary shall enter therein a record of all proceedings and resolutions. Such minutes shall be signed by the Chairman.

10. FINANCE

  1. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Association.
  2. The accounts shall be audited at least once a year by a qualified auditor, who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
  3. An audited statement of accounts for the last financial year shall be submitted by the Committee to the Annual General Meeting.

11. EXPENSES

Members of the Committee may claim out of pocket expenses for such items as telephone calls, stationery, printing, postal charges, etc. All claims to be approved by the Committee, who may approve a working, float for the Honorary Secretary.

12. FINANCE ACCOUNT

The Honorary Treasurer shall open an account with a bank or building society in the name of the Association, which shall be approved by the Annual General meeting. Cheques/withdrawals to require two signatures from amongst the Chairman, the Treasurer and the Secretary.

13. SUBSCRIPTIONS

  1. Any person admitted to membership shall be liable for subscription, as the Association in General Meetings shall decide.
  2. The Committee may make such by-laws regarding subscriptions by different classes of members as they shall consider fit, not inconsistent with the decision of the Association at the Annual General Meeting.
  3. Members may renew their membership by paying to the Treasurer the annual subscription before the Annual General Meeting.
  4. Any member who has not paid their subscription for the year by 1 st September following the Annual General Meeting shall cease to be a member.

14. DISSOLUTION

If the Committee by a simple majority decides at any time that on the ground of expense or otherwise it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association, it shall call a meeting of all members of the Association. If such decision shall be confirmed by a simple majority of those present and voting at such meeting the Committee shall dispose of any assets in the name of the Association to Avon County Women's Hockey Association which remain after the satisfaction of proper debts and liabilities.

15. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Any proposal to alter this Constitution must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Association not less than 28 days before the date of the meeting at which it is first to be considered. An alteration will require two-thirds majority of full members present and voting at that meeting.

Notice of each such meeting must have been given in accordance with normal procedure but not less than 14 days prior to the meeting in question, and giving the wording of the proposed alteration.

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