Constitution
Club Title:
1. Sheffield Triathlon Club (STC).
Club Aim:
2. The aim of the club is to promote and encourage people’s participation in triathlons through organised races and suitable training and other events including social activities.
Membership:
3. Membership is open to people who have either paid the appropriate fee and completed an application form, or who have applied and are exempted from payment. People who are exempt from payment are those who are registered unemployed, or those aged under 18 years (i.e. Juniors) and others as agreed by the Management Committee. An application for membership implies that the applicant agrees to abide by the clubs rules and or constitution including any passed by the clubs Management Committee and noted in the minutes of meetings.
4. Membership commences when the full appropriate fee and application form have been passed onto a club official. The membership period starts each year on the 1 November and ends on 31 October. New members who apply and pay the full fee early i.e. after the 30 September but before the 1 November, their membership fee will cover them for the period up to the 31 October of the year following.
5. Membership can be ended for a specified period by the Management Committee if a majority of the committee agree that a member has brought the club into disrepute. However the member must be given seven days notice of any meeting to be held about such matters and can make or attend and make representations about the circumstances. The committee’s decision will be final unless new evidence is presented which the Management Committee decides is sufficient to warrant further consideration.
6. Membership fees will not be reimbursed if a member resigns or is expelled before the end of the club year.
Club Affiliation:
7. The club will be affiliated to the British Triathlon Association (BTA) and any other clubs or groups as agreed by the Management Committee, AGM or Special or extraordinary General Meeting.
Club Management and Elections:
8. The club will be run and managed by a Management Committee made up of elected posts comprising the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Coach all of whom will be elected at the AGM. These appointments will run for one year from the date of the AGM and can only be held by members of the club. The roles and responsibilities of these posts are described in appendix 1 and will be updated by the Secretary.
9. Should a member of the Management Committee (or official non-voting nominees appointed by the Management Committee) resign before an AGM then the Executive Committee can make an appointment for the remaining term without representation to the membership.
10. Exceptionally if 20% or more of current members, as specified by the membership secretary's records, request a Special or extraordinary General Meeting then these appointments can be opened up for reelection at such a meeting at any time during the year.
Annual General Meeting, Management Committee meetings and decisions:
11a. The AGM will be held on the second Friday in November and notified through the newsletter or other appropriate notice. Changes to this date must be notified by the Secretary through the Newsletter or other appropriate notice at least two weeks beforehand. Motions for the meeting should be sent to the Secretary in writing by 31 October (or 2 weeks before the meeting).
11b. The Management Committee will meet monthly at a time and location agreed and can make decisions about the running of the club only if four or more Management members are present. Management members must be given at least 7 days notice of any meetings or date/location changes to meetings and it will be the responsibility of the Secretary to notify people not present at meetings of the time and location of subsequent meetings. Members can make their concerns and ideas known to management committee members (or nominees) for consideration at a management meeting. The results of which will be fed back to the member.
Club Finances:
12. The Treasurer will make available for each Management meeting a copy of the accounts for the period up to the date of the meeting (or at least seven days beforehand) unless previously agreed with the Chair. Reports will also be published in each edition of the club newsletter and final accounts prepared and presented at the AGM (or SGM if appropriate).
13. Only one account will be held in the clubs name and through which all club finances will be passed, using only authorised withdrawals signed by the Treasurer and another appointed member of the Management Committee.
14. The Treasurer will ensure that the Management Committee is aware of any financial problems, which may cause the clubs account to become overdrawn. An AGM or Extraordinary or special general meeting may dissolve the club. Assets remaining after dissolution of the club will, after paying outstanding debts or liabilities, be used as decided by the meeting for the benefit of all members and advancement of triathlon.
Non voting posts of the Executive Committee:
15. At the AGM members will be appointed to non-voting posts to support the Management Committee in meeting its obligations to the club. These posts will be for Publicity Organiser, Social Event Organiser, Newsletter Editor, Assistant Coach, and Resource Organiser. The roles and responsibilities for these posts are detailed in the attached annex, which will be kept up to date by the Secretary.
Management Committee roles and responsibilities:
16. The Management Committee will be collectively responsible for making decisions about the following areas of the clubs work and organisation. Subscription rates and payment methods (including free or reduced rates), dates, types, locations of events including training and competitive (open or closed) events, newsletter (but not content which is the editors decision), coopting members to help, attendance at BTA or regional Triathlon meetings, honorary appointments, honoraria, meeting proceedings including the AGM or SGM or alterations to the constitution (unless these are different to the procedures followed by the BTA when such changes will have to be put to the full club membership at a properly arranged and advertised meeting such as the AGM or a SGM), prizes for events, affiliation to clubs or bodies including the BTA, provision of coaching and training and development of members to fulfil coaching posts.
Changes to the constitution:
17. These can only be agreed by an AGM, extraordinary or special meeting. Members can call an SGM/EGM if they gain the written agreement of 20% of members and send these and notify this intention to the Secretary in writing six weeks before the meeting is required. This will give the Secretary time to notify all members and arrange the venue.
Appendix – Job Descriptions
- Chairperson
- Vice Chairperson
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Membership Secretary
- Coach
The Management Committee shall meet each month and decide all business of the Club, except where any decision is required from all of the members. In addition members shall be nominated from each Annual General Meeting to serve in the following capacities and attend the Management Committee meetings but without right to vote on business:
- Publicity Organiser
- Social Event Organiser
- Newsletter Editor
- Assistant Coach
- Resource Organiser
A member of the Management Committee is only entitled to hold any one Executive post but may also hold any one or more of the above posts.
The responsibilities of each Executive post are as follows:
Chairperson
Specific duties: to organise and chair the Management Committee meetings and the Annual General Meeting. To be a contact and spokesperson for the club. To ensure that the functions of the Club are carried out and the Executive and non-Executive officers of the Club are carrying out their stated duties.
General duties: to attend Management Committee Meetings and jointly with other members of the Management Committee to be responsible for arranging and delivering the functions of the Club.
Vice Chairperson
Specific duties: to support and deputise for the Chairperson in her/his functions.
General duties: to attend Management Committee Meetings and jointly with other members of the Management Committee to be responsible for arranging and delivering the functions of the Club.
Secretary
Specific duties: to prepare the agenda for the Management Committee Meetings and the Annual General or Extraordinary General Meetings and ensure that the proceedings are recorded. To ensure that notice is given of these meetings to the relevant people entitled to attend.
General duties: to attend Executive Committee Meetings and jointly with other members of the Executive Committee to be responsible for arranging and delivering the functions of the Club.
Treasurer
Specific duties: to be responsible for all financial matters of the Club including making and accepting payments, keeping records of all transactions, holding any surpluses in an appropriate bank account, and producing balance sheets as requested. To advise the Management Committee on financial matters.
General duties: to attend Management Committee Meetings and jointly with other members of the Management Committee to be responsible for arranging and delivering the functions of the Club.
Membership Secretary
Specific duties: to receive all applications for membership and to bring them to the attention of the Management Committee for their consideration. To keep a record of all persons accepted as members of the Club and from time to time, as requested, produce a list of those members. To accept and record all payments of membership fees.
General duties: to attend Management Committee Meetings and jointly with other members of the Management Committee to be responsible for arranging and delivering the functions of the Club.
Coach
(This person will preferably be qualified to a British Triathlon Association Coaching Award Level -2 approved standard or agree to undertake training to that standard as soon as possible after taking up the post.)
Specific duties: to be responsible for ensuring that all training organised by the Club is carried out to guidelines provided by the BTA. To act as a mentor and provide guidance to the assistant coach. To be responsible for organising teams to represent the Club.
General duties: to attend Management Committee Meetings and jointly with other members of the Executive Committee to be responsible for arranging and delivering the functions of the Club.
The responsibilities of each non-Executive post are as follows:
Publicity Organiser
To be responsible to the Management Committee. To publicise the activities of the Club (including encouraging new members) as directed by the Management Committee and to ensure that “the media” is made aware of and encouraged to give coverage of the Club.
Social Event Organiser
To be responsible to the Management Committee. To arrange social activities for members.
Newsletter Editor
To be responsible to the Management Committee. To arrange for the publication of a newsletter at intervals specified by the Management Committee. To encourage members to contribute articles to the newsletter.
Assistant Coach
(The person holding this post should also preferably hold or be encouraged to undertake appropriate B TA Level 1 approved training.)
To be responsible to the Management Committee. To be responsible to the Coach. To encourage and ensure that appropriate training and support is offered to all members.
Resource Organiser
To be responsible to the Management Committee. To be responsible for managing the Club's equipment including purchases of replacements and new acquisitions.