Club Rules

CHAMPION OF THE THAMES (Cambridge) ROWING CLUB
CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE CLUB
OCTOBER 2006
1) Name and Colours
a) The Club shall be known as “Champion of the Thames (Cambridge) Rowing
Club”.
b) The Club colours are black and orange.
2) Objectives
The objectives of the Club are:
a) To provide members with the opportunity to participate in the sport of rowing.
b) By affiliation to the relevant Rowing Associations, to provide the members
with the opportunity to compete in events governed by those Associations.
3) Membership
a) Membership is open to all individuals and groups who have an interest in
rowing and who agree to abide by the rules of the Club.
b) Equal Opportunities Policy – The Club will ensure that the talents and
resources of all members are utilised to the full and that no member receives
less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, handicap, marital status,
creed, social class, colour, ethnic group, age or sexual orientation or is
disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be
relevant to performance.
c) Membership Subscriptions will change from time to time, and are published on the Club web site.
d) Election – Candidates for election to membership shall make written
application to the Membership Secretary of the Club on the form provided.
The power of election shall rest with the Committee, who may refuse to elect
to membership any applicant without assigning a reason for so doing.
e) Restriction – A person who has been expelled from, or refused membership
of, the Amateur Rowing Association, shall not be eligible for membership.
f) Acceptance – The Committee may, at its sole discretion, decline to accept
renewal of membership from any person without disclosing the reason.
g) Suspension – Any member violating any rules or regulations of the Club or
being adjudged guilty of unsatisfactory conduct may, by resolution of the
Committee, be suspended or expelled. Any member so suspended or
expelled may appeal to the Committee of the Club.
h) Child Protection Policy – The Club accepts the policy and procedures
relating to Child Protection, as set out by the ARA, and requires all members
to accept them as a condition of membership.
4) Subscriptions
a) The rate for subscriptions shall be determined, by the members, at the Annual
General Meeting.
b) The annual subscription to the Club shall be payable on 1st January each
year. Members who allow their subscription to lapse will not be eligible to
participate in using equipment until their subscription is paid in full.
c) New members joining the Club during any one year will be required to pay a
pro-rata amount for each full quarter outstanding between the date of joining
and the next 1stJanuary, this sum to be paid in a single amount on joining.
d) No refunds of Club Subscriptions are allowed.
e) All members participating in competition events will pay their own entry fee.
All rowing members participating in such events will either make a single
payment on 1st January each year, or establish a regular Standing Order,
payable to the Club bank account, sufficient to ensure that at all times their
race fee float account maintains a positive balance.
f) All subscriptions and other monies will be credited to the Club bank account.
5) Committee
a) The Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Club as a whole and shall
comprise the following Club Officers: Chairman, Secretary,
Treasurer/Membership Secretary, Safety Advisor, Welfare Officer, Men’s
Captain, Ladies’ Captain, Rowing Development Officer and Junior
Development Officer.
b) Club Officers shall be elected annually at an Annual General Meeting. The
following Officers will be appointed in addition to those Officers serving on the
Committee: Events Secretary, Equipment Officer, Social Secretary, Boat
Organisers (1 Boat Organiser per squad, to be appointed from time to time).
c) The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for reelection
at the Club’s A.G.M.
d) The Committee has plenary powers to do all it deems necessary to promote
the objects and interests of the Club.
e) The Committee has power to fill vacancies in its number during the period of
office, until the next Annual General Meeting, or co-opt members as
necessary.
f) The Committee shall meet at regular intervals during the year, as required by
the business to be transacted. Any Club Officer may attend a Committee
meeting without prior notice. Any fully paid-up Club Member/s may attend a
Committee meeting, subject to providing the Committee 24 hours notice (so
as to ensure that the meeting venue is of an adequate size to accommodate
the number of attendees). Voting at such meetings shall be restricted to the
Committee Members defined in Clause 5a above.
g) All Committee decisions are final and binding.
h) Special meetings of the Committee may be called by the Secretary on
instruction from the Chairman, or from not less than 4 committee members.
i) The Committee will not be able to pass a resolution unless at least 5
members of the Committee are present.
j) In the case of casual vacancy among the Committee, the said Committee
shall be entitled to appoint another eligible person to act until the next AGM.
k) At all meetings the Club Chairman will preside or, in his/her absence, voting
members will elect a Chairman for the meeting.
l) The Committee shall manage the affairs of the Club. Financial or legal liability
incurred in the rightful exercise of their office shall not, however, be the
personal liability of the Committee, but shall be the responsibility of the Club
as a whole.
m) The Committee may nominate persons, with exceptional service to the Club,
to become life members. Election can only take place at an AGM of the Club.
6) Duties of the Committee & Club Officers
a) Chairman – will preside at all General Meetings of the Club and at all
meetings of the Committee and shall be responsible for guiding the activities
of the Club in accordance with its general policy as expressed by the majority
of its members.
b) Secretary – will be responsible for the organisation of meetings of the
Committee and Club, and the recording of minutes relating to each meeting.
The Secretary will also be responsible for correspondence relating to the
general business of the Club.
c) Treasurer/Membership Secretary – will be responsible for the collection of
all monies and shall keep such books of account as required by the General
meeting. The Treasurer shall audit the books annually and shall produce at
the AGM accounts showing the financial state of the Club. The Membership
Secretary will collect Club membership when due, and produce and maintain
the Club membership database.
d) Welfare Officer – will advise the Committee on compliance with the ARA
Good Practice in Rowing procedures and act as a focal point for reporting any
concerns. The Welfare Officer will have primary responsibility to check that
everyone who has significant access to young people within the Club is
suitable for that role and has been vetted by the Criminal Records Bureau.
e) Safety Advisor – will be responsible for implementing the ARA and the Club’s
own Safety Code, and will advise the Committee of any issues relating to
safety.
f) Men’s Captain and Ladies’ Captain – will be responsible for training,
coaching and representation of the Club in competitions.
g) Rowing Development Officer – will be responsible for promoting rowing
development within the club at all levels and across all activities (sculling,
rowing, coxing and coaching).
h) Junior Development Officer – will be responsible for facilitating a robust
induction programme for junior rowers suitable for 11 – 18 year olds and will
co-ordinate coaching and squads for further development according to
participant’s aims.
i) Events Secretary – will be responsible for race entries for the Club, liaising
with the Captains on forthcoming events and any rowing events organised by
the Club.
j) Equipment Officer – will be responsible for the maintenance and repair of
equipment and understand the requirements of the ARA Code of Practice for
Water Safety.
k) Social Secretary – will be responsible for organising Rowing Club functions
and recovery of monies from those events.
l) Boat Organisers – will be responsible for assisting the Captain (Ladies’ or
Men’s as relevant) in his/her duties and will support agreed action plans.
7) General Meetings
a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held annually. There shall be laid before
the meeting a statement of accounts made up to the 31st December of the
immediately preceding financial year.
b) An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called on the instructions of a
simple majority of the Committee, or on a requisition signed by not less than 4
of the Club’s members entitled to vote.
c) Not less than 21 days’ clear notice shall be given, specifying the time and the
business of the General Meeting.
d) Motions for discussion at the General Meeting, not of origin from within the
Committee, shall be lodged with the Hon. Secretary at least 2 days preceding
the AGM.
e) At a General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be
decided by a show of hands of those entitled to vote, except when more than
one nomination has been received for a position on the committee, in which
case voting will be done by ballot.
f) All fully paid-up members of the Club are entitled to vote.
8) Constitution
a) This constitution shall not be altered, amended or rescinded except by a
General Meeting of the Club.
b) A resolution to give effect to a change must be passed by at least 75% of the
members present at the General Meeting.
c) Any matter not provided for in this constitution, or any question over the
interpretation of it, shall be dealt with by the Committee, whose decision will
be final.
d) The Committee may appoint a President to act as a figurehead to the Club.
e) In no circumstances may any profit be distributed to the Club’s members, but
any profits earned shall be used to further the objectives of the Club.
f) The Club shall not terminate except by resolution of a Special General
Meeting convened for the purpose and, in such an event, any surplus assets
shall be handed over to a body or bodies with similar objectives or to a charity
or charities agreed by the meeting which terminates the Club.
g) All withdrawals from the Club bank account shall be signed by any two of the
4 signatories registered with the Bank, such signatories to include the
Treasurer and Secretary, and two others who will be elected by the
Committee.
h) Annual accounts shall be available for Audit in such time to allow fully audited
accounts to be presented at the A.G.M. The Club financial year will start on
the 1st January and finish on the 31st December annually.
i) Each member of the Club shall be provided with a copy of the Rules.