Friday, August 1, 2008

ACHILLES AMATEUR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION AUGUST 2008.

1. NAME

The Club shall be called Achilles Amateur Athletic Association.
In this constitution where the word club is used it shall mean the
Achilles Amateur Athletic Association.

2. OBJECTS

The objects shall be to encourage and foster athletics in general and
to look after the interests of the club members.

3. AMATEURS

Membership of the club is restricted to amateurs.

4. EPA RULES

The club shall be affiliated to the Eastern Province Athletics and
shall be subject to the rules of the EPA.

5. ASA RULES

The club shall operate under the rules and regulations of
Athletics South Africa, to which the EPA is in turn affiliated.

6. MEMBERSHIP

Members shall fall in the categories; life, active, non-active or honorary.
Active and non-active members shall, provided their subscriptions are paid,
always enjoy a personal single vote at all General Meetings.
Life members shall also always enjoy a single vote at all General Meetings.

7. LIST OF MEMBERS

The Honorary Secretary shall keep an up-to-date list of members.
This list shall be available at all Annual and Special General Meetings.
Members shall be responsible for advising the Honorary Secretary of any
change of postal address.

8. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

Application for membership shall be made on a club membership form which
shall be passed to the Honorary Secretary. Club membership forms shall always
include a declaration which shall indicate that the applicant is an amateur in
terms of the rules of the International Amateur Athletic Federation and ASA.
9. CLUB FEES

The fees shall be determined by the committee at the start of the financial year.
At their discretion, the committee shall have the right to remit any members
membership fees. Club fees do not include any fees for levies which might be
imposed by any National, Provincial Association or Union.

10. CLUB COLOURS

The Club Colours shall be;
Ultra Marine Blue, Red, Yellow and Green. Vests shall be White with a
diagonal Ultra Marine Blue sash across the chest with the club badge in the
centre, in the centre of the sash. The sash must be worn from the right shoulder
to the left waist. Running shorts to be Ultra Marine Blue.
The design and colour of the vest, sash and badge and Ultra Marine Blue shorts
comply with the registered colours of the Achilles Association of the United
Kingdom. The club colours may not be altered except to comply with any
change the United Kingdom Association may make.

11. SPECIAL AWARDS

(a) Honours Badge

The committee shall arrange for the presentation of an honours badge to
any club member who gains Springbok colours or wins a South African
title or is selected for any representative team which the committee deems
merits the presentation of the above award.

(b) Honours for Service

The committee on a two thirds majority vote shall be permitted to grant an
“Honours for Service” award to any member or person whom they deem
worthy of the above award.

(c) Merit Scrolls

The committee shall award “Merit” scrolls to members whom they deem
worthy of the above award.







12. HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP

Persons may have honorary life membership of the club conferred on them
only at an Annual General Meeting. Such a proposal shall be submitted in the
name of the committee. The committee shall take their decision at a committee
meeting at which a two-thirds majority vote of those present must be obtained
before the committee shall submit their proposal to an Annual or
Special General Meeting. An honorary life member shall always enjoy a single
personal vote at all General Meetings.

13. HONORARY MEMBERS

Honorary members can be elected by a simple majority vote of the committee
at any committee meeting.

14. HONORARY MEMBERS (Voting rights)

Honorary members, while listed on the list of members as being an honorary
member, shall not be eligible to accept any office in the club as set out in
Rule 26(a). They shall be permitted to attend any Special or Annual General
Meeting where they can speak but shall not have a vote.

15. NON-ACTIVE MEMBERS

Any club member wishing to change from being an “active” to a “non-active”
member may be granted “non-active membership on application to the
committee. Provided his subscriptions are paid, a non-active member shall
continue to enjoy normal voting powers.

16. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

This meeting should, if possible, be held during September.

17. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

These meetings shall be called on receipt of a requisition signed by at least
ten paid up members. The requisition shall clearly state the reasons for calling
the meeting and what shall be discussed at the meeting. The committee shall
have the power to call a Special General Meeting at any time.

18. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

Ten days notice of all General Meetings shall be given to members in writing.
The notice shall clearly state the reason for calling the meeting.

19. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Five days notice, in writing, should be given of all committee meetings. Only
committee members shall have the right to attend committee meetings, but the
chairman, at his discretion and with a two thirds vote of consent from the
committee members present shall be permitted to invite persons other than
committee members to attend a committee meeting for a specific purpose.
The prescribed period of notice may be varied by the committee.

20. FREQUENCY OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The committee shall endeavour to meet at least once a month.

21. QUORUM AT COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Five members of the committee shall form a quorum at a committee meeting.

22. ATTENDANCE AT COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committee members unable to attend a committee meeting should notify
the Honorary Secretary. A committee member who is absent from three
consecutive meetings and is unable to give a satisfactory explanation can be
removed from his position by the committee.

23. QUORUM AT GENERAL MEETINGS

At General Meetings 12 paid up members shall form a quorum provided
at least five members of the committee are included in the quorum. If more
than 12 members are present and there are not at least five members of the
committee present then a quorum shall be two thirds of the fully paid up
members as appearing on the clubs membership list. If there is still no quorum
the meeting shall be postponed for between 14 and 21 days and all members
shall be advised in writing of the new date of the meeting and at this meeting
any 12 members shall constitute a quorum.

24. CHAIRMAN OF MEETINGS

The President shall preside at the Annual General Meeting. If he is absent the
Chairman shall preside. The Chairman shall preside at all committee meetings.
If the Chairman is unable to take the chair at a committee meeting the
Secretary or the Treasurer shall call for the nomination of a Chairman from
among those members present. If the Chairman and the President are unable
to attend an Annual General Meeting the Secretary or the Treasurer shall act
as Chairman until the meeting is properly constituted and a Chairman duly
elected.
25. CASTING VOTE

The person in the chair at committee meetings and Annual or Special General
Meetings shall always have a casting as well as a deliberate vote.

26. OFFICE BEARERS

All nominations for office in para. 26(a) to be proposed and seconded in writing
to reach the Secretary before the 31st August.

(a) Committee Members

At each Annual General Meeting the following office bearers shall be
elected.

President
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Honorary Secretary
Honorary Treasurer
Editor of Achillean
Road Running Captain
Cross Country Captain
Ladies Captain
Social Convener
Equipment and Assets Controller
Historian
One Committee Member

These officials shall constitute the club committee.

(b) Delegates to EPARR Council Meetings, EPATF, EPACC Meetings

Delegates and Alternates to be elected from the committee by the
committee.

(c) Honorary Vice Presidents

Honorary Vice Presidents shall be elected only at the Annual General
Meetings. All such appointments shall be for one year but such persons
shall be eligible for re-election.




(d) Additional Club Officials

To assist with the general running of the club the following officials shall
also be elected by the committee.

Honorary Assistant Secretary
Honorary Assistant Treasurer
Junior Captain
Statician
Honorary Club Coaches and all other Vice-Captains as required.

27. VACANCIES

Should any club office fall vacant during the year the committee shall have
the right to fill the position if deemed necessary.

28. CO-OPTED MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE

The committee shall have the power to co-opt members. Any such co-opted
members shall not have a vote at committee meetings.

29. FINANCES

The committee in addition to any other powers which may be granted to
them shall undertake the following specific acts in connection with the
club finances.

(a) Invest any funds which are regarded as being surplus to the immediate
needs of the club.
(b) Operate a current account at a Commercial Bank.

30. FINANCIAL YEAR

The financial year of the Association shall be from 1st September to
31st August.

31. BYE LAWS

The committee shall have the right to frame bye-laws to ensure the smooth
running of the club. These bye-laws shall not in any way conflict with any rule
of the club.




32. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

No alterations or additions to the constitution shall be made except at a Special
or Annual General Meeting. The constitutional change must be clearly specified
as a notice of motion on the agenda for the General Meeting. The constitutional
change shall be accepted only if two-thirds of those present and entitled to
participate in the General Meeting vote in favour of the proposal.

33. UNPAID SUBSCRIPTIONS

The committee shall have the right to cancel membership of any member
whose subscriptions fees are not paid by the 28th February of each year.
Persons whose membership has been cancelled because of non payment of
subscriptions shall be eligible to rejoin the club only when proof is produced
that subscription for the current year and all other outstanding arrears have
been paid.

34. RESIGNATIONS

Members wishing to resign shall do so in writing. The letter shall be submitted
to the Honorary Secretary. Resignations shall be in the hands of the Secretary
before the start of the Annual General Meeting otherwise the person shall
be liable for a subscription fee to cover the current year which starts from
the Annual General Meeting.

35. EXPULSIONS

Any member whom it is deemed has been guilty of breaking the laws and rules
of the club, or of any other unbecoming conduct shall be liable to expulsion.
The decision to expel a member shall be taken by the committee after a full
investigation. A member shall be expelled only when two-thirds of those present
at a duly constituted committee meeting vote in favour of the expulsion.

36. CONFIDENTIAL OBJECTIONS

Any club member who wishes on valid grounds to object to the continued
membership of any other member shall submit his objections in detail in
writing to the Honorary Secretary. This letter shall be marked “Strictly
confidential”. All such objections shall be dealt with strictly in committee
at the first committee meeting after receipt of the said objection.





37. APPEAL AGAINST EXPULSION

An expelled person shall have the right to have his case re-examined at a
Special or Annual General Meeting. The committees decision can be
overruled only if two-thirds of those present at the Special or Annual General
Meeting vote against the committees expulsion decision. An expulsion decision
shall only be re-examined at a Special or Annual General Meeting if the
member concerned submits his application within one calender month from
the date of the expulsion letter, which shall be addressed to the members last
recorded address in the clubs membership list.