The Eastcote Cricket Club Constitution
1. Name and Colours
The name of the Club is The Eastcote Cricket Club, hereafter to be referred to as "the club" and the club shall be affiliated to the England and Wales Cricket Board through the Middlesex Cricket Board. The club colours are Dark Blue and Gold
2. Aims and Objectives
To foster and promote the sport of cricket at all levels within the community and within the sport, providing opportunities for recreation, coaching and competition.
To ensure that all members, playing and non-playing, abide by the ECB Code of Conduct which incorporates the Spirit of Cricket and by the Laws of Cricket.
To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club by adopting and implementing the ECB ‘Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children’ and any future versions of the Policy.
To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club by adopting and implementing the ECB Club Inclusion and Diversity Policy and any future versions of the policy and the ECB Anti-Discrimination Code..
To encourage all members to participate fully in the activities of the club.
3. Officers
The officers of the club shall be:
Executive Officers
Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Two Management Committee members, 1st XI Saturday Captain, Bar Manager, Social Secretary, Ground Manager, Child Welfare Officer, House Manager, Players’ Representative - who shall be a member classified under rule 10 a) or 10 b), Social Members’ Representative, Fixture Secretary, Membership Secretary
Other Officers
President
Saturday and Sunday Captains
All officers being honorary with the exception that at the Management Committee's discretion the position of Bar Manager may be that of a paid employee
Other Officers
President
Saturday and Sunday Captains
All officers being honorary with the exception that at the Management Committee's discretion the position of Bar Manager may be that of a paid employee.
4. Captains, Vice Captains and Selection Committee
A Captain and Vice Captain for each or any of the representative XI's will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The selection committee shall comprise the Captain from each XI or his representative.
5. Election of Officers
All Officers, captains and vice captains shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the club from, and by, the members of the club.
The President shall be elected for a period of three years. All other Officers shall be elected for a period of one year. All shall be eligible for re-election to the same office or to another office the following year.
6. Management Committee
The affairs of the club shall be conducted by a Management Committee (the Committee) comprising the chairman, secretary, treasurer, child welfare officer and two further elected Management Committee members. Only these members shall be entitled to vote at Committee meetings. The members will only be entitled to hold one Management Committee position.
The Committee will be convened by the Secretary and shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than eight times per year.
The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings shall be three.
The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Club, to co-opt advisers who may be non-club members invited to advise on specialist subjects and the election of Vice Presidents and Honorary Members.
The affairs of the club shall be conducted by a Management Committee (the Committee) comprising the chairman, secretary, treasurer, child welfare officer and two further elected Management Committee members. Only these members shall be entitled to vote at Committee meetings. The members will only be entitled to hold one Management Committee position.
The Committee will be convened by the Secretary and shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than eight times per year.
The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings shall be three.
The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Club, to co-opt advisers who may be non-club members invited to advise on specialist subjects and the election of Vice Presidents and Honorary Members.
6b. Sub-committees
Sub-committees will be formed for finance, cricket, house and grounds, bar and social, Clubmark and planning. The chair of each sub-committee will be responsible for appointing other members to the sub-committee.
Members of the sub-committees will include:
The bar manager, social secretary and social members’ representative will be members of the bar and social sub-committee.
The Child Welfare Officer, fixture secretary and 1st XI Saturday Captain will be members of the cricket sub-committee.
Ground and house managers will be members of the house and grounds sub-committee.
Treasurer will be a member of the finance committee.
Membership secretary will be a member of the cricket and bar and social sub-committees.
The chairman and secretary will be entitled to attend any sub-committee meeting with voting rights.
7. Chairman's Casting Vote
The Chairman shall be entitled to vote and have a second or casting vote in the event of an equality of votes, at any Management Committee, sub-committee meeting or any other meeting of the club.
8. Trustees
In accordance with the terms of the lease, the property of the club shall be vested in trustees who will be appointed by the Management Committee. The Management Committee shall also be empowered to enforce the removal or replacement of any trustee.
9. Membership
Membership of the club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport of cricket on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non discriminatory basis.
The club has different classes of membership and subscription which are on a non discriminatory and fair basis.
Application for membership of the club shall be by completion of a membership application form and by payment of the relevant subscription/joining fees as determined by the Annual General Meeting of the club.
The club Committee may refuse membership only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the club or cricket into disrepute. Appeal against refusal may be made to the Committee who shall appoint an Appeals Committee to hear the appeal.
All members will be subject to the regulations of the Constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and any Codes of Conduct that the club has adopted.
10. Classification of Membership
- Playing membership which shall be open to all males who wish to play cricket, other than those that qualify under categories b) or e).
- Student membership which shall be open to full time students aged under 25 as at 1st May, who wish to play cricket.
- Lady playing membership, which shall be open to all females who wish to play cricket, other than those that qualify under category e).
- Family membership, which shall be open to all parents or guardians of existing colt members.
- Colt membership which shall be open only to persons under the age of 17 years at 1st September in the preceding year.
- Colts – Full Membership, which shall be open only to persons under the age of 17 years at 1st September in the preceding year who wish to pay an increased subscription to obtain voting rights.
- Associate membership which will be available for parents or guardians of a colt member of the club. This will entitle the member to use the club facilities during colt’s evenings only.
- Social membership which shall be open to all persons aged 18 years or over at 1st May and partners of bona-fide members or others at the discretion of the Management Committee.
- Life membership which may be conferred on any persons whose exceptional services to the club entitle them in the opinion of the Management Committee to such distinction and subject to a two thirds majority of the members present at the Annual General Meeting.
- Honorary Membership, which may be granted by the Management Committee
- Country membership which may be granted to any person living more than 30 miles from the Club. (This class of membership is not available to players).
- Senior Citizen membership which may be granted to any person aged 65 and over.
- Temporary membership which shall be accorded to any person assisting in any activity specifically or generally approved by the committee.
11. Vice President
The Management Committee shall be empowered to elect as a Vice President any member who, as an officer, player or social member has rendered exceptional services to the Club or to the game of cricket.
12. Voting Powers
Every fully paid member with the exception of those holding Colt or Associate membership present in person, shall be entitled to one vote on every matter at any meeting, except that in the election of Captains, Vice-Captains and selection committee only the votes of the Chairman and members classified under rule 10 a) and 10 b) so present shall count. Similarly in the election of Ladies’ Captains and Vice-Captains only the votes of the Chairman and members classified under rule 10 c) so present shall count. Those members holding Family membership shall be entitled to one vote per family. Results of voting will be on the basis of a majority of the votes cast by the members present who (being entitled to do so), vote.
13. Annual Subscription
All subscription rates shall be decided by the Management Committee and confirmed at the Annual General Meeting. Subscriptions shall become due on 1st April in each year and for members classified under rule 10 a), b), c), d) and e) must be paid on or before 29th May. After this date unless satisfactory arrangements are made with the Treasurer they cannot be made available for selection. The name of any member who, after due notice, fails to pay his / her subscription within two months of the due date may at the discretion of the Management Committee be struck off the membership list and shall be reinstated only after re-application for membership and upon payment of all arrears. The club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.
14. Determination of Membership
The Management Committee shall have the power to expel or suspend any member whose conduct has been in their opinion after due enquiry, injurious or detrimental to the character and interests of the Club or its members. This rule may be applied only by the assenting vote of not less than a two-thirds majority of its members then sitting. Before the Management Committee passes a resolution referred to in this rule, the member concerned shall be given fair and sufficient notice of the proposed action and of the grounds upon which it is proposed to expel or suspend him/her. The member shall be afforded the opportunity of explaining the circumstances to the Management Committee and of defending his/her conduct or action either in writing or in person and either alone or accompanied by a representative of his/her choice, or by sending a representative alone.
Any person whose membership is determined under this rule shall not be allowed to use the ground facilities or club facilities described in Rule 21 until and unless they are reinstated.
There shall be a right of appeal within 14 days of receipt of the decision by the Management Committee to suspend or expel a member. The Management Committee shall appoint an Appeals Committee. The Appeals Committee shall have a maximum of three members which shall not include members involved with the initial disciplinary hearing but may include non-members of the Club. The Appeals Committee shall consider the appeal within 21 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal. The individual who submitted the appeal shall be entitled to be accompanied by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses. The decision of the Appeals Committee shall be final and binding on all parties.
15. Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in each year, within six months of the year end account date, for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, electing the Officers and Management Committee and for the transaction of any other business.
16. Extra-Ordinary General Meeting
The Secretary shall convene an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting within one month of receiving a written application signed by at least 15 members and specifying the object of the meeting. No business other than that for which the meeting was convened shall be discussed.
17. Ordinary General Meeting
An Ordinary General Meeting shall be convened as required at the discretion of the Management Committee. Any topic may be covered including, inter alia, election to office without the restrictions imposed under rules 3 and 19.
18. Notice of Meetings
Every member shall be entitled to fourteen days notice of every meeting, provided, however, that accidental failure to give such notice shall not invalidate any business transacted at such meetings.
19. Nominations
Members offering themselves for election to office shall be eligible provided that a written Nomination duly signed by the Applicant, Proposer and Seconder has been properly completed and delivered to the Secretary at least seven clear days prior to the Annual General Meeting. Provisional members as described in Rule 9 above shall be entitled to propose or second officers of the club, but may not stand for office themselves. Should there be insufficient nominations to fill all vacancies; the Management Committee will have the power to fill them by co-option.
In the absence of a Management Committee quorum, the outgoing committee shall remain as the Management Committee until a resolution can be found.
20. Approval of the Accounts
An accountant to approve the accounts of the club will be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
21. Licensing - Private Members' Club
In pursuance of the Licensing Act the permitted hours for the supply of intoxicants shall be those in force in the licensing district. However the supply of intoxicants will in fact be permitted only during the hours agreed with the local authority and these hours will be displayed in the bar. The Management Committee reserves the right to close the bar from time to time as may be necessary. Members should be in possession of a current membership card, which must be produced on demand. Guests aged 18 years or over introduced by Club members are permitted to purchase any dutiable articles from the bar and must be "signed in" in the visitors' book. Such guests can be introduced on no more than one occasion in any calendar month. Any committee member may “sign in” a visitor whose appearances are sporadic and do not conform to the strict interpretation of this rule. Immediate family members of Club members shall have access to the club and, if over 18, shall be permitted to purchase dutiable items. Members of visiting clubs and their guests providing they are aged 18 years or over shall be entitled to purchase dutiable articles on the day of their visit only.
The Membership Secretary shall keep in the Club premises a list of the names and addresses of the Club Members and a record of the current state of their subscriptions.
Any hire of the club, by members or non-members, will be subject to approval by the Management Committee
22. Alteration to Rules
These Rules shall be subject to alteration, amendment or addition only if such proposed alteration, amendment or addition shall have been notified (a) in writing, by the 1st October, to the Secretary for presentation at the next Annual General Meeting or (b) in accordance with Rules 16 or 17. Such proposals shall be carried by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present who (being entitled to do so), vote.
23. Communications
Any communication intended for the Management or other Committees of the Club shall be notified in writing to the Secretary.
24. Dissolution
- If at any General Meeting of the club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the club, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the club to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
- If at that Special Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds (three quarters) of the Full Voting Membership present at the meeting, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the club and discharge all debts and liabilities of the club.
- The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the club’s affairs.
- After settling all liabilities of the club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:
- to another club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity and/or
- to another club with similar sports purposes which is a registered Community Amateur Sports Club and/or
- to the club’s governing body for use by them for related community sports.
25. Other Matters
Any dispute over the interpretation of these Rules or any other matter not specifically provided for shall be referred to the Committee whose decision shall be final.
Last Updated: December 2022