Chesterton Rowing Club: Constitution and Rules

[This is a web-ified version of the latest “Newby” version of the club constitution, provided for convenience. The definitive version in Word format is available on request. A copy of the previous “Mike” constitution is archived here; and prior to that the “Wood” constitution is archived here.]

CHESTERTON ROWING CLUB

CONSTITUTION AND RULES

1. NAME

1.1. The club shall be known as Chesterton Rowing Club (“the Club”)

1.2. The Club is a not-for-profit organisation

1.3. The Club is affiliated to British Rowing (“BR”) and to the Cambridgeshire Rowing

Association (“CRA”).

2. OBJECTIVES

2.1. The objectives of the Club are to promote a wider participation and interest in the

sport of rowing in the Cambridge area.

3. MEMBERSHIP

3.1. The following statements apply to Club membership:

(a) Membership is open to any person and actively advertised on the club

website.

(b) If the Club accepts a membership application from a minor (being a person

under 18 years of age) the committee shall immediately review its structure

and procedures to comply with recommendations set out in the “Child

Protection Procedures in Rowing” as published from time to time by BR.

 Rowing members

 Temporary members*

 Social, coaching and coxing members

NB: *Temporary Members may be designated as such by any committee

member, or by those members responsible for organising an outing, for

the purposes of competition, training or recreation. Temporary

membership will be limited to the duration of such outing.

3.2. Election:

(a) Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport of

rowing, on application to the Membership Secretary, in accordance with the

Equal Opportunities Policy (paragraph 4). However, limitation of

membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non-

discriminatory basis.

(b) The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a

non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels

which will not pose a significant obstacle to participation.

memberships, will abide by the rules and regulations of the Club as adopted

by the Club from time to time and by the sport of rowing.

(d) If it is considered by the Club committee that the granting or renewal of

membership would be detrimental to the aims and objectives of the Club, the

conduct or character likely to bring the Club or the sport of rowing into

disrepute or for some other similar good cause, the Club committee shall be

entitled to refuse or withdraw such membership. In doing so the committee

shall provide full reasons for their decision and grant a right of appeal to the

member.

3.3 Restriction:

Any person who has been expelled from, or refused membership of, British

Rowing shall not be eligible for membership.

4. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

The Club is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity and is responsible for

ensuring that no member, volunteer, employee or contractor receives less favourable

treatment on the grounds of gender, disability, parental or marital status, pregnancy,

race, creed, social class, colour, ethnic group, age, sexual orientation or political belief.

5. ENTRANCE FEE

There is no entrance (joining) fee. New members shall be charged the applicable

subscription rate, adjusted pro-rata for the remainder of the membership year.

6. SUBSCRIPTION

The rates of subscription shall be determined by a simple majority of the committee

and shall be due on election, and thereafter on or before 1 April in every year.

7. CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

7.1. (a) Any member may resign giving one months’ clear notice in writing to the

Membership Secretary

(b) Any member violating any of the 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 an independent hearings panel if such an appeal is

approved by the Club Captain and Honorary Secretary. The panel may be

drawn from the membership of the Club or from other clubs in the region.

The panel will hear and receive evidence to reach a conclusion and affirm or

reject the sanctions imposed as appropriate.

within an appropriate timescale. Hearings must not contravene the Human

Rights Act 1998 or any other policies of the Club or of British Rowing

7.2 A member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Club if, after due notice, he

or shall has not paid the annual subscription by the renewal date. He or she

may, however, re-join at any time during the year by paying the full annual

membership fee, subject to the provisions of 3.2 and 3.3 above.

8. SPONSORSHIP

8.1 Race kit is to be worn for all races on or off Cam if it has been issued to a

member by the Kit Secretary (see Paragraph 10). Race kit is as described on the

club website.

8.2 The Club expects its members to behave responsibly at all times. Members shall

not bring the Club or its sponsors into disrepute whilst involved in Club outings

and races on or off the Cam.

9. COMMITTEE

9.1 Only members entitled to vote are eligible to hold office. Only paid-up members

are entitled to vote at meetings.

9.2 The committee shall conduct the affairs of the Club as a whole and shall consist

of at least three members sharing the following offices:

(a) Club Captain

(b) Men’s Captain

(d) Men’s Vice-Captain

(e) Women’s Vice-Captain

(f) Honorary Secretary

(g) Treasurer

(h) Membership Secretary

(i) Race Secretary

(j) Head Coach

(k) Water Safety Advisor

(l) Equipment Officer

(m) Webmaster

(n) Kit Secretary

(o) Funding Secretary

(p) Social Secretary

(q) Crew Captain(s) (non-voting members)

9.3 Any committee member holding more than one office shall have one vote. The

committee shall have the power to co-opt further members and co-opted

members shall have the right to vote at committee meetings.

9.4 Nominations for the positions of Captains, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and

other Officers shall be put forward in the form of a motion under the terms of Rule

11.5

9.5 The term of office for elected officers shall be for one year, and members shall be

eligible for re-election.

9.6 The committee may at any time request an independent examination of the Club

accounts.

10. DUTIES OF COMMITTEE

Club Captain:

The Club Captain shall:

 be responsible for guiding the activities of the Club in accordance with its

general policy as expressed by the majority of its members.

 represent or arrange for the representation of the Club at BR regional level,

CRA delegates’ meeting, and at meetings of other organisations.

 ex officio be a member of any other committee of the Club.

 have the ultimate responsibility for deciding which individuals shall row in

each crew and for which crews are formed.

Men’s Captain:

The Men’s Captain shall:

 be responsible for formation and development of the men’s crews in

consultation with the Head Coach.

 help with, and promote, the selection of men’s crew captains.

Women’s Captain:

The Women’s Captain shall:

 be responsible for formation and development of the women’s crews in

consultation with the Head Coach.

 help with, and promote, the selection of women’s crew captains.

Men’s Vice-Captain:

 The Men’s Vice-Captain shall assist the Men’s Captain in his or her duties

and deputise in his or her absence.

Women’s Vice-Captain:

 The Women’s Vice-Captain shall assist the Women’s Captain in his or her

duties and deputise in his or her absence.

Honorary Secretary:

The Honorary Secretary shall

 be responsible for the organisation of meetings of the committee and of the

Club, and the recording of minutes relating to such meetings and all

correspondence relating to the general business of the Club.

 provide a point of contact for general BR correspondence.

Treasurer:

The Treasurer shall

 keep such books of account as required by the members in General Meeting.

 prepare the books annually and shall produce at the Annual General Meeting

accounts showing the financial state of the Club.

Membership Secretary

The Membership Secretary shall

 be responsible for processing membership applications and renewals

 ensure that membership forms are correctly filled in

 provide membership figures for the BR membership declaration.

 be responsible for the collection of all membership subscriptions

Race Secretary:

The Race Secretary shall

 process all racing entries from Crew Captains and scullers, so that the Club

can submit race entries in a co-ordinated way. While a single Race

Secretary is preferred, no more than two Race Secretaries may co-operate

to perform these duties.

 At the Race Secretary’s discretion, and in consultation with the Treasurer,

the Club’s bank account may be used to pay all crew entries together for any

event, in which case the Race Secretary is responsible for ensuring that the

Crew Captains recover entry fees from the rowers and reimburse the Club. A

levy may be applied to any race fees paid via the Club’s bank account to

cover interest and risk of default, as agreed by the committee.

Head Coach:

 The Head Coach shall advise on coaching related matters.

Water Safety Advisor:

 The Water Safety Advisor is responsible for keeping the Club up to date with

BR guidelines and regulations on water safety and for ensuring that this

information is disseminated within the Club. The Water Safety Advisor shall

keep such safety records as are required by BR.

Equipment Officer:

The Equipment Officer shall be responsible for

 maintaining equipment in a safe and serviceable condition.

 all contractual arrangements between the Club and other parties, particularly

but not exclusively hire of rack space, equipment and the hiring out of the

Club’s equipment.

 insuring the Club’s equipment and ensuring that the Club is covered for

public liability.

The Webmaster:

 The Webmaster shall be responsible for ensuring that the Club’s website and

other electronic services such as mailing lists, online boat booking forms etc.

are kept up to date.

Kit Secretary:

 The Kit Secretary shall be responsible for the design and procurement of

racing kit for the Club and for the issue of T-shirts showing the name of the

sponsor to all new Club members.

Funding Secretary:

 The Funding Secretary shall be responsible for finding the means to increase

the Club’s income. These may include sponsorship, fund-raising events,

sports events etc. as approved by the committee.

Social Secretary:

 The Social Secretary shall be responsible for identifying social events which

should encourage socialising between crews and groups within the Club and

between Clubs.

Crew Captains:

 Any number of Crew Captains may be co-opted onto the committee. Crew

Captains shall organise crew outings and provide the Race Secretary with

accurate details of crews, preferred entry status and preferred division times.

Crew Captains shall recover race fees from rowers in their crews, on behalf

of the Race Secretary.

11. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

11.1 The committee is responsible for the general conduct of the Club’s business and

activities.

11.2 The committee shall meet during the year, as required by the business to be

transacted and no fewer than four times per year.

11.3 General meetings of the committee shall be called by the Honorary Secretary on

instructions from the Club Captain, or no fewer than three committee members.

11.4 A quorum shall consist of not less than three officers who have been elected at a

General Meeting.

11.5 In the case of a casual vacancy among the committee, the said committee shall

be entitled to appoint another eligible person to act until the next Annual General

Meeting.

11.6 No fewer than seven clear days’ notice shall be given of a committee meeting,

such notice being sent to all current committee members.

12. GENERAL MEETING

12.1 Fully paid up members of any category shall be entitled to vote at General

Meetings. Non-members, and former members whose subscription has lapsed,

shall not be entitled to vote.

12.2 An Annual General Meeting shall be held in the autumn of each year. There

shall be laid before the meeting a statement of accounts made up to the

immediately preceding 31 August.

12.3 Any General Meeting shall be called on the instructions of a simple majority of

the committee or on a requisition signed by no fewer than three members of the

Club entitled to vote.

12.4 No fewer than 21 clear days’ notice shall be given, specifying to all members

the time and business of the General Meeting.

12.5 At any 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 by secret ballot. In the event of a tie, the result shall be

decided by postal ballot of all paid-up members.

12.6 At all General Meetings, the Club Captain shall preside or in his or her absence,

a Chairman for the meeting will be elected from the committee by the voting

members present.

12.7 At all General Meetings no fewer than five members of the Club entitled to vote

shall constitute a quorum.

12.8 Absences of quorum: If after half an hour from the time appointed for the

meeting, a quorum is not present, the Meeting, if called at the request of the

members, shall be dissolved. In any other case, the meeting shall be adjourned

until a time and place to be fixed by the committee. If a quorum is not present

within half an hour from the time appointed for any adjourned meeting, those

members present shall be deemed to make the meeting quorate.

12.9 Accidental Omission: Accidental Omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the

non-receipt of notice of a meeting by any members shall not invalidate the

proceedings of a meeting.

12.10 Election of men’s and women’s captains: only men shall be entitled to vote for

the men’s captain and only women shall be entitled to vote for the women’s

captain.

12.11 Where one member holds more than one committee post, that member shall

only be entitled to one vote.

13. LIABILITY

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.

14. ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION

14.1 This constitution shall not be altered amended or rescinded except by a General

Meeting of the Club.

14.2 A resolution to give effect to a change must be passed by at least 75% of the

members present and voting at the General Meeting.

15. DISTRIBUTION

In no circumstances may any profit be distributed to members. All profits generated

must be used in furthering the objectives of the Club.

16. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

16.1 All committee members must declare any conflicts of interest at the time of their

election, and thereafter any newly arising conflicts of interest at the next

committee meeting. Conflicts of interest may be financial and/or personal.

Such a committee member shall absent himself or herself from any discussion

where it is possible that a conflict of interest shall arise.

16.2 Any committee member absenting himself or herself from any discussions in

accordance with this clause must not vote or be counted as part of the quorum

in any decision of the committee on the matter.

16.3 A record of all declared conflicts of interest shall be kept by the Secretary.

17. TERMINATION

The Club shall not terminate except by a resolution of a 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

formally terminates the Club.

18. POWER OF DECISION

Any matter not provided for in this constitution or any question over its interpretation

shall be dealt with by the committee whose decision shall be final.

19. SAFETY

The committee shall appoint a member to act as Water Safety Advisor whose duty it

will be to understand the requirements of the BR Code of Practice for Water Safety and

advise on their prominent display, observation and implementation at all times.

20. DECLARATION

All members shall be required to sign a membership form which shall include a

declaration of any applicable health problems, and which shall be kept by the

Membership Secretary. Any relevant health problems may be communicated with

officers of the Club and to coaches as necessary to ensure the safety of rowers.

21. VALIDITY

This constitution replaces any previous version of the constitution and is the only

document applicable to the Club.

Approved at the General Meeting on 11 December 2018.

Signed by Club Captain, Rachel Newby _____________________