The Constitution of Ossett Cricket & Athletic Club

The Club – Ossett Cricket & Athletic Club

GC – General Committee. Holds ultimate responsibility. All officials elected by the members, each of whom will hold office for 24 months.

Sub-Committees:
DC – Disciplinary. Responsible for Disciplinary matters.
FC – Finance & Legal. Responsible for all financial and legal matters.
VC – Venue. Responsible for growing income.
GPEC – Grounds, Premises & Equipment. Responsible for all building and ground matters across the whole site. Safety is of paramount importance.
SC – Sporting Sections. Responsible for ensuring the Club provides adequate facilities, to allow each section to perform at a reasonable level and encourage a cohesive environment, helping the GC achieve their objectives.
TC – Trustees. Responsible for the property of the Club. Members are indemnified against all risk and expense arising from the property of the Club

GC Structure: See Appendix A

1. The name of the Club shall be Ossett Cricket & Athletic Club and it is a private members club.

2. The sole objective of the Club is to benefit the local community. This will be achieved by:

a. Facilitating Sport
b. Providing a Social Venue
c. Supporting the community

3. Membership

a. Membership shall be open to anyone over the age of 18 regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation or religion.
b. Limitation of membership is governed by the GC on a non-discriminatory basis.
c. The Club may have different levels of membership.
d. All membership applications are to be made to the Secretary, Treasurer or Club Manager.
e. The GC may refuse or remove membership only for good cause such as conduct or character.
f. A person shall become a member of the Club if their application has been approved by the GC and has paid the annual subscription fees.

4. Membership Fees. Any person representing an associated sporting section must be a member of the club.

  1. The annual membership fee shall be proposed by the GC and agreed by members at the Annual General Meeting.
  2. The annual membership fee shall be implemented from 1st January the following year.
  3. Membership fees shall be due every 12 months from the date membership was granted.
  4. Membership fees shall be paid directly by each member to the Club via the Treasurer or Club Manager.
  5. The GC will keep memberships at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people joining but that will recognise the quality of the facilities and assist in their respective funding and improvements.
  6. Existing Lifetime memberships shall remain valid. Any future requests for Lifetime Membership are to be referred to the GC and these must be agreed by the GC

5. The property of the Club (other than cash in hand or any other sum outstanding to the credit of the Club’s bankers) shall be vested in the TC. The TC shall consist of no more than three Trustees who shall be appointed by the GC and who shall respectively hold office by a resolution of the GC.

6. If the organisation is dissolved at any time by resolution and if any property/money remains after satisfaction of all debts or liabilities, any remaining assets may only be transferred to another registered CASC, a registered charity or to the sport’s governing body to ensure the continuation of cricket and other sporting sections as per the original trust document.

7. The General Committee.

The GC consists of:

■ Three officials elected by the members at the AGM for a period of 24 months:

● Chairman
● Treasurer
● Secretary

■ Officials elected by the members at the AGM for a period of 24 months to serve as Chairperson on each sub-committee.

  1. Overall management of the affairs, engagements and concerns of the Club shall be entrusted to the GC. A meeting will take place monthly to facilitate this.
  2. The GC must ensure that within its membership, three of the members are unrelated and non-cohabiting.
  3. One member cannot hold two positions on the GC.
  4. Members seeking appointment to the GC will be asked to complete a short summary of the skills and experience they bring to the Club.
  5. Nominations to the GC must be received and acknowledged by the Secretary at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting.
  6. Only the GC shall have the power to authorise borrowing and charging on the Club’s behalf.
  7. The GC shall have the power to fill any vacancy which may arise in their number during the course of the year and to co-opt such members with consideration to the skills and diversity of the committee. Such members shall seek re-election at the next Annual General Meeting.
  8. The GC shall have the power to delegate all or any duties to a sub-committee except the power of suspending or expelling a member.
  9. A quorum of the GC and any sub-committee for all purposes shall be three committee members present.
  10. The Chairman of the GC may attend all meetings of sub-committees and vote thereat.
  11. The Trustees may attend all meetings of sub-committees – but have no voting role.
  12. At all GC and sub-committee meetings each member has one vote in the exception of a tie when the chairperson of the respective sub-committee will have a second vote.
  13. At every GC and sub committee meeting, the chairperson will ask for any conflicts of interest to be declared and these will be noted in the minutes.
  14. Each sub committee will take minutes in a universal format that will allow for the GC to inspect and review thereafter if necessary.
  15. Any member of the GC shall have the opportunity to inspect all financial information.

8. Annual General Meeting. A general meeting of members of the Club, which is to be called the Annual General Meeting, shall be held on or before the 31st day of March in each year. A statement of the assets and liabilities of the Club for the year shall be prepared by the Treasurer and independently audited on behalf of the FC and submitted to the secretary in advance of the AGM. The election of GC members for the ensuing 24 months will be carried out in this meeting.

a. Notice calling such a meeting, stating the business to be conducted thereat, shall be advertised on social media and posted on the Club notice board at least ten days prior to the meeting.
b. None of these rules shall be altered, added to or deleted and no new rule shall be made except with the sanction of a majority of the members present at the voting at an Annual General meeting or Special General Meeting.
c. Notice in writing of any proposed alteration or addition to these rules shall be sent to the Secretary at least fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting in any year and notice of such alterations shall be given on the circular convening the next Annual General Meeting.
d. The Annual General Meeting may be broadcast securely online to members.
e. None other than fully paid up members over the age of 18 shall be entitled to vote.

9. Special General Meeting. The Secretary shall, upon the written request of at least 15 members setting out their requirements, call a Special General Meeting of the members of The Club.

a. Such a meeting shall be advertised on social media and posted on the Club notice board at least seven days before the date fixed for such meeting.
b. The notice convening a Special General Meeting shall state the business to be transacted thereat.
c. All paid up members entitled to use the Club premises shall be entitled to vote at a Special General Meeting and shall have equal rights thereat.
d. None other than fully paid up members over the age of 18 shall be entitled to vote.

10. Conduct. The conduct of any Member shall be reviewed in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Further, the GC shall have the power to suspend or expel any member who shall offend against the rules of the Club or whose conduct shall, in the opinion of the GC, render them unfit for membership of the Club.

a. Before any such member is suspended or expelled the Secretary shall give them no less than seven days nor more than twenty one day’s written notice to attend a meeting of the DC and shall inform them of the complaints made against them. No member shall be suspended or expelled without first having an opportunity of appearing before the DC and answering complaints made against them nor unless at least a majority of the DC then present vote in favour of their suspension or expulsion. This decision will then be passed to the GC for final ratification.
b. If the GC shall decide upon suspension, the resolution of such shall specify the period for which the suspension shall take effect.
c. If the alleged misconduct of the member shall be deemed of such a serious nature they may, by a majority decision of the GC, be excluded from the Club with immediate effect until the time when he/she is to appear before the DC in accordance with paragraph (a) hereof.
d. Any member on whom disciplinary sanctions have been imposed will have the right to Appeal. This right of Appeal must be notified to the person(s) concerned at the time the decision is made and they have seven days from this notice to state their intention to appeal.
e. Such an Appeal will be heard by an Emergency Disciplinary Committee appointed by the GC ensuring no individuals making the original decision are present. It is normal that the person(s) making the appeal be given the right to be heard in person. The person chairing this panel should decide whether they require to hear any other evidence or rely upon documentation available to them. This panel has the power to increase or decrease any penalty imposed or indeed look afresh at the issue of guilt or innocence.
f. Where a member who has had any sanctions imposed and is also a member of the GC or any sub-committee he/she shall forthwith vacate their seat.

11. The GC may approve the establishment of sporting sections which they deem expedient in the interests of the Club. Each section shall, at the end of their respective financial year, produce to the GC a statement of accounts to be presented to the AGM.

12. The Secretary shall convene, attend and take minutes of all meetings and conduct the correspondence on behalf of the GC.

13. The Treasurer or any member of the FC shall receive all monies belonging to the Club from whatever source derived after which they will be held responsible and shall issue receipts on the official forms.

a. The Treasurer on behalf of the FC shall prepare regular, accurate financial statements for The Club.
b. The funds of the Club shall be kept in a bank approved by the GC and no financial liabilities shall be incurred or payments made except with special or general authorisation of the FC.
c. The bank accounts require two signatories for any payments made.
d. The FC may grant or withdraw discretionary spend limits to other sub-committees for expedience.

14. Annual accounts for the Club, approved by the FC will be subject to external review.

a. All surplus income or profits are only to be reinvested in the Club and associated sporting sections based on their respective contribution to the Club sales measured through the electronic till at the bar.
b. The Club /GC reserves the right to withhold any sectional distribution and spend if, in its opinion, equipment or associated land and premises are not kept in a state of repair deemed appropriate for representation of the Club.
c. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to any individual members or external third parties other than another registered CASC or a registered charity.
d. The GC must sanction all disbursements.

15. The conduct of an employee shall in no case be a matter of personal reprimand by any member other than the Chairperson of the Club or the organising Officials concerned. Any cause of complaint that may arise against the conduct of an employee must be submitted to the appropriate organising Official who shall submit the same to the DC whereby the member shall have full opportunity to state their case. The DC will inform the GC of their decision. The full decision of the GC shall be handed to the member in writing.

16. The GC can at any time create working sub committee for a special purpose that is in the interest of the Club – the committee being elected by the GC and based around specific skill sets needed for the intended project. The GC will decide if any working sub committee has any voting rights.

17. A copy of the Club Constitution shall be displayed on the premises and the club website.

Last ratified AGM March 2023