CLUB CONSTITUTION

1.            NAME:

            The name of the club shall be HERCULES WIMBLEDON ATHLETIC CLUB.

2.            HEADQUARTERS:

            (a)            For correspondence – the address of the Secretary.

            (b)            Track and Field – Wimbledon Park Track, London SW19.

            (c)            Cross Country and Indoor Training – details from Secretary.

3.            COLOURS:

            Vest: Gold with Scarlet diagonal sash.  Shorts: black.

4.            OBJECT:

            The promotion of Amateur Athletics.

5.            ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT

(a)  The management of the Club shall be vested in the Annual and Special General Meetings, the Management Committee, General Purpose Committee and the Officers of the Club.

(b)   A General Meeting shall be held annually within three months of the end of the Financial Year.

(c)   The Agenda for the AGM shall normally be in the hands of members at least 14 days before the AGM.   Motions and Notices of Amendments to Rules should be forwarded to reach the Secretary not later than 7 days before the AGM.

(d)   The AGM shall consider the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts and shall elect by ballot Officers and Management Committee for the following year.

(e)   Voting at all meetings shall be by the show of hands except where a ballot is demanded by at least 5 members.

(f)   The Officers of the Club shall be:

            President/Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer.

The Officers and such additional members as the Management Committee consider necessary shall form the General Purposes Committee.   Four of this Committee shall form a quorum.

(g)   The Management Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Club, Past Presidents, Life Vice-Presidents,  Assistant Secretary, Men’s Team Managers, Women’s Team Managers, Men’s C-C Captain, Women’s C-C Captain, Social Secretary, Press &

Publicity Secretary, Men and Women’s C-C Secretaries,  Membership Secretary,  Road Running Captain, Masters’ Secretary Summer & Winter,  Fund Raising Secretary, Senior Men’s Track Captain,  Women’s Track Captain, Coaching co-ordinator, Newsletter  Editor,  Officials Secretary,  Home Meetings co-ordinator, Young Athletes Team Managers Summer &  Winter, Welfare Officer, Junior  Athlete Coordinator and three others. Four of these members shall form a quorum.

(h)   The Management Committee shall appoint the General Purposes Committee and any other sub-committee deemed necessary.   It shall have the power to co-opt additional members (without power to vote) and to fill any vacancies that occur during its term of office.

(i)   The Management shall have the power to give rulings on any matter on which the Rules are silent and to expel any member who fails to comply with Club Rules.   Any member so expelled shall have the right of appeal to the Management Committee and may be accompanied by a representative of their choice.   If such an appeal was rejected, the member shall have the right to appeal of the AGM.

(j)    The Management Committee may, in exceptional circumstances, nominate a

member whose services to the Club are considered of special merit to be elected a Life

Vice-president if the AGM thinks fit.

(k)   The Management Committee shall meet at least once every two months and attendance of its members shall be published in the Annual Report.

(l)   At the written request of at least 25 members or on the decision of the Management Committee, The Secretary shall call a special General Meeting giving all members of the club 14 days notice of the date which shall not be more than 28 days after he or she received the written notice of the decision.   Only business detailed of the notice paper convening the General Meeting shall be dealt with at that Special Meeting.

(m) Where financial assistance is given to a specific athlete the beneficiary will be obliged to sign an undertaking that he/she will remain a first claim member of the Club for at least two years from the date of receipt of such support.   In the event of the beneficiary wanting to break that undertaking by joining another Club the total value of any assistance given will have to be repaid in full or the athlete will be considered to be financially indebted to the Club until the debt has been discharged.  The Management Committee, in its absolute discretion, may agree to waive this requirement in special cases.  In the case of an under 16 year old any agreement must be signed by the Parent/Guardian and a Club Officer.

(n) In the event of the dissolution of the Club, any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be transferred to a charitable organisation or organisations, having objectives similar to those of the Club.

6.            MEMBERSHIP:

(a)   Membership of the Club shall be open to both men and women, but shall be restricted to amateurs as defined by the Rules of the UK Athletics.

(b)   The minimum age for active membership shall normally be 10 years.

(c)   Application for membership shall be made on a duly prescribed form, which when signed by the candidate, shall be passed to the Membership Secretary accompanied by the appropriate annual subscription.   **For candidates aged 16 or under, the membership form should also be signed by a parent or guardian. **   The subscription shall be refunded should the candidate not be elected.   All applications for membership shall be considered by the General Purposes Committee or the Management Committee within one month of receipt.   Membership of the Club will commence on the actual date of election.

(d)   Notice of resignation from the Club must be in writing and will be considered by the General Purposes Committee or the Management Committee within one month of its receipt by the Secretary.   Membership shall be deemed to have ceased on the actual date of posting of the notice unless the member is financially indebted to the Club, in which case the acceptance of the resignations will be withheld until the debt has been cleared.   A member not having tendered their resignation by 31^st December shall be liable for the following year’s subscription.

(e)   The Management Committee shall have the power to expel any member whose subscription is 12 months in arrears provided one month’s notice is writing has been sent by Recorded Delivery to his/her last known address informing the member of the proposed action of the Committee.

(f)   A member of another club will be admitted to this Club as a second-claim member subject to the rules applicable to a first-claim member.   These second- claim members shall enjoy the facilities provided by the Club but shall not be eligible for the Club Championship Trophies or to hold club records.

(g)   Honorary Members – The Club shall, at the discretion of the Management Committee, invite in Honorary Membership such persons who do not wish to compete for the Club but have an involvement with the Club in some other capacity.   Such persons shall not be required to complete an application form or pay any subscription and the Honorary Membership will not prejudice their membership of any other club, which is affiliated to UK Athletics.

(h)   Membership of the Club will be open to all, irrespective of their race, colour, religion, gender or sexual orientation.            

(i)    ** That children aged 7 – 10 attending the 7upsnovers group on Sunday mornings become Young Associate Members (YAMS) at an annual subscription fee of £5.  On reaching the age of 11 YAMS will be required to apply for membership at the junior rate applicable at the time.

(j)    An Athlete who is found guilty of using a performance enhancing drug which is banned by UK Athletics will not be eligible for membership of the Club.

7.            FINANCE:

(a)   Except where they have a direction from the AGM the Management Committee shall have direction in administering the funds of the Club.

(b)   The funds of the Club shall be deposited in an account opened in the name of the Club at a Bank approved by the Management Committee.   Cheques drawn on the Club

shall be signed by two of the three nominated signatories, one of whom shall normally be the Treasurer.

c)   The Financial Year of the Club shall end on the 31^st December.

(d)   The accounts of the Club shall be audited at least once a year by a Chartered or Certified Accountant, or by two unqualified persons who shall be appointed at each AGM, and shall not be serving members of the Management Committee.   In the event of the appointed auditors not being able to carry out their duties, the Management Committee may appoint another person or persons.

(e)   Subscriptions shall be paid annually and shall fall due on 1^st January and shall be at such rates as determined by a General Meeting of Members.

8.            AWARDS IN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS:

(a)   All Club Championship trophies are perpetual trophies.   Competition for them shall be annual unless the Management Committee decide otherwise.

(b)   The winner of a trophy shall undertake to return it when requested to do so and shall give written acknowledgement of its receipt.

c)   No member whose subscription is in arrears shall be eligible to receive awards in club championships.

9.            AMENDMENTS TO RULES:

These Rules shall not be altered nor amended except by the vote of two-thirds of the members present and eligible to vote at a General Meeting of the Club.

**  New motions added 2007

March 2007