CLUB CONSTITUTION

 NAME

1.      The name of the club is The Jamdammers Running Club of Kingston.

OBJECTS

2.      The objects of the Club are to:

·         Promote and provide for the benefit of its members, amenities for the development of long distance running and a healthy life style and generally to foster a spirit of good fellowship amongst the members.

·         Promote and develop within Jamaica an interest in long distance running and a healthy life style,

·         Foster links with, support and co-operate with other persons and organisations with similar aims; and

·         Do all other things that seem to be incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above aims.

MEMBERS

3.1        Any person who supports the aims of the Club may apply for membership by giving or sending to the Club's Secretary a written application signed by him or her and two Members as proposer and seconder respectively.  No member may propose an application unless he or she has been a member of the Club for a period of two years preceding the application. In the event of an application for membership being made on the Club’s Website, the Club’s Secretary shall obtain confirmation from the members named as proposer and seconder.

3.2        The names of all persons nominated for membership shall be circulated to all its members by e-mail before their names are proposed for election to membership.

3.3        Every person nominated for membership shall become a Member if he or she is elected as such by the Membership Committee and pays the subscription for the current year. The Membership Committee may refuse to admit any person as a Member and shall give its reasons for refusal to the proposer and seconder.

3.4        The Secretary shall keep an updated register of members and enter in it names and addresses of all persons who are Members.

3.5        A Member shall cease to be a Member:

·         if he or she gives to the Secretary written notice of resignation of his or her membership;

·         if he or she fails to pay any subscription within one month after the due date of payment; and fails to respond to a past due notice within 10 days.

·         if the Member having committed some act or been guilty of behaviour inconsistent with membership of the Club and, the Membership Committee resolves by a majority of two thirds to remove him or her from membership.

3.6        No Member shall be entitled to a refund of his or her subscription when he or she ceases to be a Member.

3.7        Any person who ceases to be a member and wishes to rejoin the Club shall apply for membership under these provisions.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

4.1        The Club's membership year is from January 1 to December 31.The annual subscription of the Club shall not be less than $2,500.00 and shall be payable in advance on or before February 1 in each year for the current calendar year.

4.2        A person, who is elected to be a Member after September 30 in any year, shall pay half the subscription for that year.

4.3       The annual subscription shall be set at an extraordinary general meeting to be convened on or before November 30th in each year.

4.4       The annual general meeting of the Club shall have power to vary the subscription by ordinary resolution.

4.5       Where a member pays the annual subscription after February 1, he or she will be liable to pay an additional sum being 30% of the annual subscription. A member admitted after February 1 is not liable to pay the additional sum.

OFFICERS

5.1        The officers of the Club shall be a President, a Vice-President a Treasurer and a Secretary and shall be elected at the annual general meeting. The annual general meeting shall have power to create other officers, as it thinks necessary.

5.2        Any officer may retire by giving one week's prior notice to the Secretary, and all shall retire at the end of each annual general meeting but shall be eligible for re-election at that meeting.

5.3        Any officer who has served for 2 consecutive years shall not be eligible for re-election to that office in which he served for the next succeeding year and any officer who has served for 4 consecutive years shall not be eligible for re-election to any office for the next succeeding year.

5.4        No person shall be elected an officer at any general meeting unless seven clear days before the date appointed for the meeting, a notice has been given to the Club of the intention to propose that person for election signed by a member and that perso.

THE EXECUTIVE

6.1        The Executive consists of the officers and not fewer than 2 and not more than 4 other Members appointed by the officers amongst whom so far as is possible there shall be a representative of each Committee of the Club.

6.2        Any vacancy on the Executive or of any office arising between annual general meetings may be filled by the Executive from amongst the Members.

6.3        Any appointed member of the Executive may resign by giving 30 days prior notice to the Secretary, and all shall retire at the end of each annual general meeting.

6.4        Any appointed member of the Executive who fails to attend 3 consecutive meetings of the Executive without giving a reason acceptable to it shall cease automatically to be a member of the Executive.

6.5        The quorum of the Executive shall be 4 unless the number of the executive is 6 or less the number shall be 3.

6.6        The Executive may meet for dispatch of business, adjourn and regulate their meeting as they see fit.

6.7        Decisions at meetings of the Executive made by a simple majority and in the event of equality of voting the President (or chairman of that meeting) shall have a casting vote.

MANAGEMENT

7          The Executive shall manage all the affairs and business of the Club and shall have power to do everything necessary for that purpose.

COMMITTEES

8.1        The members shall elect 3 persons from among its members as the Membership Committee to review and make recommendation to the Executive on any one or more of the following:

·         the admission or non-admission of any person applying for membership,

·         any enquiry into the conduct or general behaviour or repute of any member of the Club,

·         the expulsion from the Club of any member.

8.2        The Executive may appoint other committees as it sees fit to administer aspects of the Club's business.

8.3        Any committee appointed by the Executive shall regulate its own procedure and make recommendations to the Executive.

GENERAL MEETINGS

9          General Meetings shall be held at least once in every month at such times and places as shall be determined by the Executive.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

10.1      An annual general meeting shall be held in February in every year.

10.2      The business of the annual general meeting shall be:

·         to receive the Presidents report of the activities of the  Club during the preceding year;

·         to receive and consider the accounts of the Club for the preceding year and the Auditor's report on the accounts and the Treasurer's report on the financial position of the Club;

·         to elect officers;

·         to  appoint the Auditor; and

·         to fix the subscription for the current year.

·         elect the members to the Membership Committee

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

11.1      An extraordinary general meeting may be convened at any time upon either a resolution of the Executive or a requisition setting out the resolution or resolutions to be proposed at it.  The requisition must be signed by 10 Members and served on the Secretary by personal delivery.  If the Secretary does not give notice of the meeting pursuant to the requisition on or before the expiry of 14 days from service of the requisition, the requisitionists or any one or more of them on behalf of the others may give notice of the meeting.

11.2      The business which may be conducted at an extraordinary general meeting may include any one or more of.

·         removing all or any of the officers, other members of Executive and filling the vacancies caused by such removal;

·         appointing persons to fill any other vacancy in any office or the Executive.

·         considering and if thought fit making a decision on any matter which the Executive by resolution refers to a general meeting;

·         altering these rules; or

·         dissolving the Club.

PROCEEDINGS AT ANNUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

12.1      Not less than 14 days prior notice in writing setting out the resolutions to be proposed at the meeting shall be sent to every Member at his or her last known address or e-mail address.

12.2      Resolutions at annual general meetings shall be passed by a simple majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the Members present at the meeting.

12.3      Resolutions at extraordinary general meetings shall be passed by a majority of three-quarters of the votes entitled to be cast by the Members present at the meeting.

QUORUM

13.1      For all purposes except the adjournment of the meeting the quorum for all meetings of the Club shall not be less than 15 members personally present.

13.2      If at the expiration of half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum of the members is not present the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day on the following week at the same time and place and if at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed any seven members personally present shall be a quorum any may transact business for which the meeting was called.

13.3      No business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum of members is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business.

CHAIRMAN

14.1      The President and in case of his absence or inability to act the Vice-President shall be the Chairman of the Club and shall be entitled to take the chair at every meeting of the Club.

14.2      If at any meeting there be no such Chairman or if at any meeting he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding such meeting the members present shall choose another member of the Executive as Chairman and if none be present or if all of them present decline to take the chair then the members present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman and the Chairman of such meeting shall have a casting vote as well as an original vote.


VOTES

15.1      Each member shall have one vote on every resolution, no proxies shall be allowed.

15.2      In the event of equality in voting at an annual general meeting the President shall have a second or casting vote, but there shall be no second or casting vote on any resolution proposed at an extraordinary general meeting.

15.3      Save and except in relation to election of officers every question shall be decided by a show of hand unless a demand is made for a secret ballot by a Chairman or at least 2 members present.

ACCOUNTS INCOME AND PROPERTY

16.1      The financial year of the Club shall end December 31 in every year, to which day the accounts shall be balanced and drawn.

16.2      As soon as is practicable after the end of every quarter, there shall be prepared a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Club at the end of that quarter and a statement of the income and expenditure during that quarter.

16.3      As soon as is practicable after the end of the financial year, there shall be prepared a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Club at the end of the financial year, and a statement of income and expenditure during that year, which statements shall be audited by the Auditor not less than 14 days before the annual general meeting.

16.4      Copies of the audited statement of accounts shall be sent to every Member with the notice convening the annual general meeting.

16.5      The Auditor may be Member of the Club.  He shall be appointed by each annual general meeting and shall hold office until the end of the next following annual general meeting.

16.6      Any monies received by the Club shall be paid into an account in the name of the Club at bankers appointed by the Executive, and cheques and other instruments drawn on and directions to the bankers shall be signed by not less than two officers. The Executive shall have the prior approval of the membership for expenditure equal to or exceeding $250,000.00.

16.7      No action involving expenditure in the name of or on behalf of the Club shall be taken, and no undertakings which would commit the Club to expenditure or other liability shall be given without the prior authority of a resolution of the Executive.

CODE OF CONDUCT

17         Members shall adhere to a code of conduct approved by the Members.

INDEMNITY

18         Except such loss as arises from their respective willful default, members of the Executive shall not be liable (otherwise than as Members) for any loss suffered by the Club as a result of the discharge of their respective duties on its behalf, and they shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the assets of the Club for all expenses and other liabilities incurred by them in the discharge of their respective duties and reported to the members at the next general meeting.

DISSOLUTION

19.1      The Club may be dissolved:

·         by a resolution passed under Rule 11

·         by a resolution of the Executive if the number of members  is less than five for a period of not less than six months.

19.2      The dissolution shall take effect from the day when the resolution is passed and the Executive shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.

19.3      If any property remains after the discharge of all debts and liabilities of the Club it shall be distributed equally amongst the Members of the Club at the date of dissolution or to such welfare fund or charitable cause as the Members of the Club shall determine.

 

Adopted by Members March 6, 2002

Amended by Members October 3, 2007