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RULES: Revised May 04 |
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1.0 GENERAL CONSTITUTION AND OBJECTIVES 1.1 The name of the Association shall be "Cheshire Hockey Association" and it shall be affiliated to the relevant national and regional hockey governing bodies. 1.2 The aims and objectives of the Association shall be to: a) encourage, promote, develop and administer hockey in Cheshire, and [The territory shall be as specified under the EHA Rules, at present being that obtaining as at 31st May 1997] b) encourage the playing of hockey in schools, colleges and youth organisations in Cheshire, and c) arrange for County and other matches and to select teams to represent the Association, and d) represent the members of the Association. 1.3 These Rules shall remain in force until such time as they are either amended or rescinded at a General Meeting by a resolution of which at least twenty eight days written notice has been given and in favour of which at least two thirds of those present and entitled to vote shall have voted. 1.4 In all general matters these Rules shall be subject to the Rules of the relevant national and regional hockey governing bodies. 2.0 MEMBERSHIP 2.1 Hockey clubs whose principal home grounds are situated in Cheshire and which play hockey under the Rules of the relevant national hockey governing body shall be eligible for membership of the Association. At General Meetings clubs shall ordinarily have one vote each but clubs having both women's and men's teams affiliated to the Association shall have two votes. [Under the relevant national hockey governing body's Rules, a club shall be affiliated to the County HA in which its principal home ground is situated. A club which has no home ground, but plays the majority of its matches in one County, may affiliate to that County. Otherwise a club shall affiliate to the Divisional HA where it plays most of its matches or to a County within that Division as that Division shall determine] 2.2 The Executive may accept or reject applications for membership from clubs but such decision shall require and be subject to ratification at the next General Meeting. Clubs accepted for membership by the Executive (referred to hereinafter as 'affiliated clubs') shall be liable to pay the annual affiliation fee. 2.3 The year of the Association shall be to the 31st of March. An affiliated club wishing to terminate its membership of the Association shall give written notice of its intentions to the Hon. Secretary before the 31st of March. Any affiliated club giving later notice shall remain a member of the Association for the current year and shall be liable for any fees or dues. 2.4 Any individual may be elected an Associate Member of the Association by the Executive and shall be liable to pay the annual subscription for Associate Members as determined annually by the Executive. 2.5 Individuals who have rendered significant service to the Association or to the game may be elected as Vice-Presidents by the passing of a properly constituted resolution at an Annual General Meeting. Vice-Presidents shall continue in office unless or until one or more of the following obtains: a) the death of the Vice-President b) written notice of resignation is received by the Hon. Secretary c) the Vice-President is suspended by the Executive for actions which, in their opinion, have brought into disrepute either the Association or the game of hockey. Any such suspension must be reported to the Annual General Meeting and any person suspended under this clause shall have a right of appeal to a General Meeting whose decision on the matter shall be final. 2.6 Unless otherwise expressly stated in these Rules only those affiliated clubs whose membership of the Association has been ratified by the Association at a General Meeting shall be entitled to appoint delegates to vote at a General Meeting. 2.7 Associate Members and Vice-Presidents shall: a) be eligible for election as Officers of the Association, and b) be entitled to attend but not vote at General Meetings (unless so entitled by any other provision of these Rules), and c) have no right, title, interest or claim in, or to, the assets of the Association, and d) be entitled to free entry to County games in Cheshire. 2.8 All members (i.e. affiliated clubs and their members, Vice-Presidents and Associate Members) shall be bound by these Rules and by applying for and accepting membership, all agree to be bound by these Rules and by any by-laws which may be made by the Executive from time to time. 3.0 MANAGEMENT 3.1 The Officers of the Association shall be:
The Officers of the Association shall be empowered only in exceptional circumstances to act on behalf of the Association without prior reference to the Executive, but such actions shall be agreed by two or more officers, one of whom must be the President or the Chairman. All such actions shall be reported to the next meeting of that Committee. 3.2 The affairs of the Association shall be managed by an Executive, which shall comprise:
All the above offices shall be filled by elections held at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. In addition one representative from each of the following:
3.3 The Executive shall have the power to co-opt any person to serve on the Executive or any other Committee from time to time and each and every such co-option shall be reported by the Hon. Secretary to the Annual General Meeting. Such co-opted committee members shall not have the right to vote at Committee Meetings unless replacing an Officer or an elected committee member of that Committee. 3.4 The President and a Deputy-President of the Association, whose positions shall be non-executive, shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and they shall be ex-officio members of all committees and sub-committees. Both of these officers shall serve for a maximum of two years and neither shall be re-elected to the office that has been vacated. Until the end of season 2004-5 these two positions shall be held by persons of different gender but at the commencement of season 2005-6 this shall cease to be a constitutional requirement and this sub-clause shall be automatically deleted from these rules. 3.5 The Annual General Meeting shall elect annually a Chairman from the membership of the affiliated clubs and the individual membership of the Association. The duties of the Chairman shall be executive, representative and administrative in connection with the Association and its Committees and the Chairman shall be entitled to chair all Committee and Sub-Committee meetings of the Association. No individual may hold the office of Chairman for more than five consecutive years. 3.6 The Executive shall control the financial affairs of the Association, but borrowing is not permitted unless previously approved by a decision taken at a General Meeting. The Hon. Secretary shall take minutes of all resolutions and proceedings of all General and Executive meetings and the Executive shall ensure that minutes are taken of sub-committee meetings. The Hon.Treasurer shall keep and maintain books of account which shall be audited annually prior to the Annual General Meeting. [See also clause 5.5 below.] 3.7 The Executive shall meet at regular intervals through each year and shall publish the dates of these meetings in the handbook(s) of the Association. In addition special meetings of the Executive may be called to deal with business of an urgent nature. At least seven days written notice shall be given of such special meetings of the Executive by the Hon. Secretary, which shall be called:
3.8 The quorum for the Executive shall be nine voting members. 4 GENERAL MEETINGS There shall be two classes of General Meeting:
4.1 The following provisions shall apply to all General Meeting:
4.2 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS 4.2.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held between 1st May and 30th June in each year and prior to the Annual General Meeting of the NHA. 4.2.2 Resolutions from affiliated clubs to be considered at an Annual General Meeting shall be submitted in writing, properly proposed and seconded (namely signed by Officers of the relevant clubs), to the Hon. Secretary by the 31st March preceding such meeting. The Executive shall be empowered to formulate resolutions for consideration at an Annual General Meeting. 4.2.3 The Annual General Meeting shall:
Representatives appointed under e) and f) must be members of hockey clubs affiliated to a hockey association or individual members of a hockey association. The representatives appointed under f) must be members of the Executive. Officers of the Association, members of the Executive and Selection Committees must be members of affiliated clubs or individual members of the Association. The Executive may fill any vacancy which arises and shall report any such action to the next Annual General Meeting. 4.2.4 Nominations for election, properly proposed and seconded, shall be in writing and received by the Hon. Secretary not less then seven days prior to the meeting. The nominees shall first have given their approval to the nomination to the Hon. Secretary and shall be expected to attend the Annual General Meeting. 4.3 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS 4.3.1 The Executive shall call, giving the requisite notice, an Extraordinary General Meeting: a) within fourteen days of receiving a written request from at least five affiliated clubs. b) when any matter arises which it considers is of such importance as to warrant the convening of such a meeting. 5.0 FINANCIAL MATTERS 5.1 The Executive shall recommend the rates of club affiliation fees and any other fees deemed necessary for the following year and shall present these recommendations to the Annual General Meeting. In making these recommendations the Executive shall take account of those clubs entitled to two votes as provided for in clause 2.1 above. 5.2 The Executive shall have the authority to increase fees in any financial year if and when exceptional circumstances arise. The Executive may also, at its discretion, waive part of a club's affiliation fee. 5.3 Fees and subscriptions shall become due and payable on 1st October each year. Any affiliated club or Associate Member in arrears on 30th November in any year may be debarred from all or any of the privileges of membership. Any affiliated club in arrears on that date will also be required to pay an additional penalty fee for late payment. 5.4 The Executive shall be empowered to pay, out of the funds of the Association, the expenses of any member of the Executive Committee properly incurred on behalf of the Association. The Executive shall also be empowered to approve, at its sole discretion, and pay out-of-pocket expenses incurred by players representing the County at any level and by members of the Selection Committees at County hockey matches outside Cheshire. 5.5 The Accounts for the Association shall be audited each year. A Balance Sheet and a Statement of Income and Expenditure, duly audited, shall be prepared for presentation to, and acceptance by, the Annual General Meeting. In exceptional circumstances where audited accounts cannot be made available for consideration as provided for in this clause they shall be submitted for approval by the Executive and presented at the next Annual General Meeting. 5.6 The Executive shall have the power to invest funds of the Association. Such investment shall be made in the names of two Trustees, appointed at the Annual General Meeting. 5.7 Payments out of any funds of the Association shall be made in accordance with procedures agreed by the members at the Annual General Meeting. 6.0 PLAYING MATTERS 6.1 No affiliated club shall, without the consent of the Association, play hockey against any club which is not affiliated to a County, or other officially recognised Hockey Association. 6.2 An affiliated club shall be represented only by players who are bona-fide members of that club. 6.3 The Executive may, at its discretion from time to time, establish procedures to establish and monitor the club membership status of any player. 7.0 REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES 7.1 The Selection Committees shall be responsible for: a) the selection of teams to represent the County at senior level. b) the arrangement, organisation and administration of senior county trials and matches. 7.2 The Selection Committees shall comprise the appropriate Hon. Match Secretary and a maximum of four elected members together with the appropriate County Captain and Team Manager appointed under Rule 7.3 below. 7.3 At the commencement of the playing season, the Selection Committees shall appoint County Captains and Team Managers, each of whom shall sit, from the time of appointment, ex-officio, on the Selection Committees. . 7.4 A player, to be eligible to represent the County at any level, must be qualified by: a) birth in Cheshire, or b) bona-fide residence in Cheshire on 1st September that season, or c) bona-fide playing membership of an affiliated club of the Association. The Cheshire qualification is retained until a player becomes eligible and elects to play for another county or for one of HM forces. 8.1 The relevant national hockey governing body's current Disciplinary Code, as amended from time to time, setting out regulations for the enforcement of discipline and the procedures to be followed by all affiliated associations and clubs for conduct both on and off the field of play shall be observed in full. 8.2 The Disciplinary Administrator shall process all matters reported under the abovementioned Disciplinary Code assisted by two persons nominated by the President, the Deputy-President and the Chairman on an ad hoc basis. A deputy will be nominated by the Executive to act during any period when the Administrator is absent from the County. 8.3 If, during a game controlled by umpires not appointed by a recognised umpiring association, either a player is dismissed for a 'red card offence', or any other person is reported for conduct covered by Regulation 3 of the relevant national hockey governing body's Code of Conduct the club of which that player or person is a member must advise the Hon. Secretary of the Association within seven days. The Association shall have the power to deal with the matter using as guidance the aforementioned Code of Conduct. 8.4 Any affiliated club, player, official or member of an affiliated club, Associate Member or Vice-President of the Association disciplined by the Association shall have the right of appeal to the relevant regional hockey governing body. An appeal, together with the appropriate deposit, must be sent, in writing, to the Secretary of the relevant regional hockey governing body within seven days of the penalty being notified and pending the determination of such appeal any penalty imposed shall be suspended if the aforementioned Code of Conduct so provides. The decision of the relevant regional hockey governing body is binding on both parties. 9.0 DISSOLUTION If, at any General Meeting, a resolution for the dissolution of the Association be passed by a majority of the affiliated clubs present and entitled to vote and confirmed by the votes of at least two-thirds of such members present and entitled to vote thereon at an Extraordinary General Meeting held not less than six weeks thereafter (of which not less than four weeks written notice has been given to each affiliated club, Associate Member and Vice-President) and at which not less than one half of the affiliated clubs of the Association shall have been present, the Executive Committee shall, thereupon, or at such future date as has been specified in such resolution, proceed to realise the property of the Association and, after the discharge of all liabilities, shall divide the same among the affiliated clubs in the manner decided at the Extraordinary General Meeting and, upon the completion of such division, the Association shall be dissolved. 10.0 GENERAL The Executive shall have the power to determine any matter not covered by these Rules and shall report each such transaction and decision to the next General Meeting. Where judged appropriate a resolution to amend these Rules as a result of this extra-ordinary business shall be formulated and submitted by the Executive as provided for in clause 4.2.1 above. Appendix 1 to the constitution of the CHESHIRE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION The external bodies to which the Association shall appoint representatives are as follows:
The number of representatives required to be appointed by the Association should be a minimum of one but will be determined by the external bodies' constitution.
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