Club Constitution (Proposed June 2014)
General (1-5)
1. The Club shall be called the Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Football and Social Club and hereinafter shall be called the "Club".
2. The Club exists to provide facilities for its members to play rugby football. The club shall play in accordance with the rules of the Rugby Football Union, and to affiliate with the Rugby Football Union and the Dorset and Wilts County Rugby Football Union.
3. The selection of the club’s senior sides shall take precedence over selection of any other club team.
4. The colours of the Club shall be Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Black Socks with White Tops. The colours of the Club apply to all playing sides, i.e. Seniors and the minis and youth sections.
5. The club is to be a non-profit making organisation and any surplus made in the financial year is to be reinvested into the club.
Management of the Club (6-12)
6. The entire management of the property and affairs of the Club shall be vested exclusively in the Committee as constituted, and the Committee may make all such bye-laws and regulations as may be deemed necessary for that purpose, and shall be known as the Executive Committee.
7. The Executive Committee shall consist of the following members (please see membership section 13 for details of eligibility to stand for election), elected annually at the AGM:
· Chairman
· Vice-Chairman
· Mini and Junior Section Chairman
· Buildings and Facilities Manager
· Clubhouse, Bar and Catering Manager
Plus the following members who shall be appointed by the elected members of the Executive Committee Board:
· President
· Director of Rugby
· Treasurer
· Secretary
· Any other member(s) as the Executive Committee may co-opt.
Please note that all nominations for Executive positions must be made in writing to the Secretary, proposed
and seconded by fully paid up voting members, at least 14 days before the date of the AGM.
Please also note that the Executive Committee is responsible for appointing the Trustees (between 2 and 4) of the Club. The
Trustees of the Club have a clearly defined role as described in section 9.4 of this document. Trustees are not members of the
Executive Committee.
8. Executive Committee structure and general points
- 8.1 The Executive Committee will consist of the President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Director of Rugby, Treasurer, Mini and Junior Section Chairman, Buildings and Facilities Manager and Clubhouse Bar and Catering Manager.
- 8.2 The Executive Committee will set the strategic direction of the Club and manage all financial matters, setting budgets and monitoring expenditure and will oversee the effective management and running of the Club on a day to day basis.
- 8.3 The Executive Committee shall meet monthly and at such other times as summoned by the Secretary as and when business is required, or at the request of any two members of this Committee.
- 8.4 Five members shall form a quorum of the Executive Committee. Decisions of this Group are based on a straight majority, the Chairman having the casting vote in the event of a tie.
- 8.5 The Executive Committee members are required to create teams (see structure charts in appendix), where appropriate, from the membership population of the Club in order to ensure member involvement and effective management of their function. Club officers are encouraged to go about their business by working closely with their colleagues and the membership in general. Any vacancy occurring on a Committee may be filled by that Committee.
- 8.6 Every member of a Committee has the right to vote on that Committee.
- 8.7 The President, Chairman, Secretary and the Treasurer are ex-officio members of all other Club Committees.
- 8.8 The Executive Committee may co-opt any other Club member(s) to support specific requirements.
9. Executive Committee procedures relating to appointed members
- 9.1 The Trustees, President, Director of Rugby, Treasurer and Secretary must be appointed by the Executive Committee based on nominations from the main body of the Executive Committee. An entry in the minute book recording the election of the Trustees, President, Director of Rugby, Treasurer or Secretary shall be conclusive evidence of the fact so stated.
- 9.2 The Trustees, President, Director of Rugby, Treasurer and Secretary shall hold office until death or resignation or until removed from office by a resolution of the Executive Committee, which may for any reason seem sufficient to a majority of the members of the Executive Committee present and voting at any meeting.
- 9.3 The number of Trustees shall be no more than four nor less than two.
- 9.4 The property of the Club must be vested in the Trustees except for cash, which must be under the control of the Treasurer and the Trustees must deal with the property of the Club as directed by resolution of the Executive Committee and an entry in the minute book is conclusive evidence of a resolution.
- 9.5 The Trustees will be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Club property.
- 9.6 Whereby reason of the death, resignation or removal of a Trustee, a new Trustee needs to be appointed, or if the Executive Committee deems it expedient to appoint an additional Trustee or additional Trustees, the Executive Committee may, by resolution, nominate the person or persons to be appointed as the new Trustee or Trustees. To give effect to such a nomination, the Chairman is nominated as the person to appoint new Trustees of the Club within the meaning of the Trustee Act 1925 Section 36, and the Chairman must, by deed, appoint the person or persons nominated by the Executive Committee as the new Trustee or Trustees of the Club, and the provisions of the Trustee Act 1925 apply to any appointment. Any statement of fact in a deed of appointment of new Trustees, in favour of a person dealing bona fide and for value with the Club or the Executive Committee, is conclusive evidence of the fact so stated.
10. Executive Committee and the Club’s Bank accounts and powers to borrow
- 10.1 The banking accounts of the Club shall be kept at an appropriate bank or building society selected by the Executive Committee. All cheques drawn on the accounts shall be signed by any two of the following four officers of the Club: Chairman, Treasurer, Vice Chairman, or Secretary.
- 10.2 The Club’s financial year shall end on the 31st March each year.
- 10.2 If at any time the club, in general meeting, passes a resolution authorising the Executive Committee to borrow money: the Executive Committee may borrow, for the purposes of the club, the amount of money (either at one time or from time to time) and at the rate of interest, in the form and manner and upon the security specified in the resolution, and the trustees must, at the direction of the Executive Committee, make any disposition of the club property or any part of it and enter into any agreement in relation to the club property, as the Executive Committee thinks proper, to give security for the loan and interest.
- 10.3 Every member of the club, whether they vote on a resolution authorising the borrowing or not, and everyone becoming a member of the club after the passing of such a resolution, is deemed to have assented to the resolution as if they had voted in favour of it.
- 10.4 Until a resolution is passed that supersedes this power, the Executive Committee may borrow up to the sum of £50,000.
11. Executive Committee and any potential dissolution of the Royal Wootton Bassett RFC
- 11.1 If the club is dissolved for any reason any surplus assets which arise on dissolution shall be distributed only for any approved sporting or charitable purposes within the town of Royal Wootton Bassett.
- 11.2 The work of Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Football Club shall not be for the benefit of landfill site operators who may contribute to Wootton Bassett Rugby Football Club and claim credit under the Land Fill Tax Credit Scheme. Nor shall it be for the benefit of contributing third parties as defined in the landfill tax regulations.
- 11.3 In the event of Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Football Club being disbanded any remaining Landfill Tax Credit Scheme money shall be transferred to any enrolled Environmental Body and not to an organisation of similar objectives and status.
12. Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings
- 12.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each year on such a date as the Executive Committee shall direct. A minimum of twenty one days notice of the AGM shall be given to each member, stating the time and place of the meeting, with a notice to be displayed in the Clubhouse to that effect. All resolutions for AGM consideration must be made in writing to the Secretary, at least 14 days before the date of the AGM. A copy will be displayed on the Notice Board.
- 12.2 Auditors shall be appointed annually at the AGM and shall audit the accounts to be produced at the next AGM. The Treasurer shall prepare a summary of the audited accounts and present same to the AGM. This summary shall be circulated to all persons who attend the AGM.
- 12.3 The Executive Committee at any time on its own authority may, and on receipt of a requisition in accordance with this rule signed by not less than ten voting members, forthwith call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). A minimum of seven days notice shall be given to each member stating objective, time and place of such a meeting, with a notice to be displayed in the Clubhouse to that effect. Any such requisition shall specify the resolution to be proposed at the EGM.
- 12.4 No rule of the Club shall be rescinded or altered except by the resolution of a general meeting (AGM or EGM) passed by two-thirds of the members present and voting, with a minimum of 21 members attending. For the avoidance of doubt an abstension is not classed as a vote.
Membership (13-14)
13. Membership Classes of the Club and their associated eligibilities are displayed in the following table:
Membership Class / Key eligibilities of membership classesStand for election as an Executive Officer of the Club / Act as a Non-Executive Officer of the Club / Vote at a General Meeting / Sign in Guests to the Club / Use the Club’s Gymnasium facilities (* under qualified supervision)
Senior Playing Member / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes
Concession Senior Playing Member (Students, Veterans and Social Players) / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes
Concession Senior Playing ‘Away Student’ Member / No / No / No / No / Yes
Student Player (over 17 years and in full time education) / No / No / No / No / Yes
Colt Player / No / No / No / No / Yes
Junior Player (under-13 to under-16) / No / No / No / No / Yes *
Mini Player (under-7 to under-12) / No / No / No / No / No
Mini Player under 6 / No / No / No / No / No
Coach/Team Manager / No / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes
Rugby Supporter / No / Yes / Yes / Yes / No
Vice-President / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / No
Honorary Life Member / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / No
Associate Member / No / No / No / No / No
Temporary Honorary Member / No / No / No / No / No
Guest / No / No / No / No / No
14. Membership Subscriptions, Fees and Donations
- 14.1 All membership subscriptions are due on 1 September each year or within one calendar month of election to membership. Rates of membership subscriptions for each membership class shall be agreed at the AGM for the ensuing year.
- 14.2 All playing members are required to become fully paid up members of the Club, in the appropriate class, prior to representing the Club. Please note the following:
o The “Concession Senior Playing ‘Away Student’ Member” category must be authorised by the Director of Rugby and is only available to full-Time students who have previously been playing members and are now studying and living out of the area and only likely to play a few games in any one season.
o The “Concession Senior Playing Member (Students, Veterans and Social Players)” is only available to fulltime students, players over 35 years of age and ‘Social Players’ playing a handful of games per season.
- 14.3 All under-18 members must have a minimum of one parent or guardian as a fully paid up member of the Club.
- 14.4 The Club takes out a policy of insurance to cover any playing member who suffers death or permanent disability due to injury received on the field of play.
- 14.5 All people using the Club facilities are required to become fully paid up members of the Club, in the appropriate class.
- 14.6 The benefits of Club membership for all playing classes of membership are described and listed in the Club’s membership publication available through the Club office. The summary is also published on our web-site.
- 14.7 Temporary Honorary Membership of the Club is granted to the following:
o Spouses and partners of members on attendance with their spouse or partner.
o Parents and guardians of the Junior/Mini sections on match and training days, when accompanying their children.