BATH RUGBY SUPPORTERS’ CLUB: CONSTITUTION

Vision:

1.  Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club aims to provide a positive, dynamic focus for all Bath Rugby Supporters to engage with Bath Rugby and each other. It harnesses the views, enthusiasm and abilities of Bath Rugby’s large, dedicated supporter community for the benefit of Bath Rugby and its supporters.

Objectives:

The objectives of the Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club (BRSC) are:

a.  To understand and promote the interests of the supporters

b.  To provide activities and services for the benefit of those who support Bath Rugby. These will include:

·  Provision of coach services for Bath Rugby away matches

·   Organisation and delivery of a range of social events

·   An effective communications strategy including an active, current Website

c.      Fundraising activities in support of Bath Rugby initiatives or other nominated charitable causes to foster a constructive liaison between the supporters and Bath Rugby to develop mutual understanding and provide a recognised means to represent the views of the supporters to Bath Rugby and play a full part in helping the Club to achieve its vision and objectives.

d.     To support the Bath Rugby team, players and other initiatives such as the Community Foundation both on and off the pitch.

e.        To liaise with Bath Rugby to improve facilities and help to deliver the best possible match day experience for all supporters.

Membership

3.  Membership of BRSC shall be open to all and the BRSC Committee shall have a standing objective to work to increase membership.

  1. There shall be a Junior Membership for supporters under 16 years of age as at 30 April; and Full Membership for those 16 years and above as at 30 April.
  1. Every Club member shall receive a membership card on receipt of paid subscription.
  1. A full member has a single vote, which can be exercised on any proposition at an AGM, GM and EGM.
  1. The Committee shall have the power to expel any member whose behaviour is deemed, on a ballot of two-thirds of the Committee, to be contrary to the welfare and well-being of the Club, by informing such member in writing of their decision. The member shall have his/her subscription paid for the current season returned.

Committee

4.  The BRSC Committee will comprise:

  1. Chairman
  2. Secretary
  3. Treasurer
  4. Membership Secretary
  5. Five  ordinary Members
  6. One ex officio representative from Bath Rugby who will be able to speak and act authoritatively on behalf of Bath Rugby.

5.  In alternate years, two of the four named positions, in rotation, shall be open for re-election in order to achieve continuity of the Committee administration. The named positions will be grouped for this purpose as follows:

     a.   Chairman and Membership Secretary

     b.   Secretary and Treasurer

6.  All other Committee members to stand for re-election annually.

7.  Quorum: A quorum shall consist of not less than 5 members of the Committee. Any member of the Committee may appoint a deputy, who must also be a member of the Supporters' Club, to attend a meeting at which he/she is unable to attend and such deputy shall have the power to vote.

8.  The Chairman, providing he or she has the support of a majority of the existing Committee, may co-opt a temporary Committee member (or members) for a specified period to assist the Committee in a specified social or official activity. The co-opted member (or members) shall be able to attend all Committee meetings within the specified period but will have no voting rights within the Committee.

9.  There shall be a minimum of 8 Committee meetings per year. There is an expectation that Committee Members will attend every meeting. On the occasions when this is not possible, Committee Members are requested to advise the Secretary as soon as possible and also to provide a short update on actions in hand to keep the Committee informed.

Annual General Meeting

10.  The date of the Annual General Meeting shall be set by the BRSC Committee. No more than 15 months shall elapse between one Annual General Meeting and the next.

11.  As a minimum, Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be published on the “Allez Bath” website and in the local press not less than 21 days prior to the Meeting.

12.  Any Agenda items for consideration at the Annual General Meeting shall be lodged, in writing, with the Secretary not less than seven days before the date of the meeting.

13.  Nominations, signed by both the Proposer and Seconder, for any office on the Committee must be lodged with the Secretary not less than 14 days before the date of the Meeting.  All nominations should also include a brief pen picture of the individual being nominated.

14.  All Full Members are able to exercise voting rights at the AGM. In the event that they are unable to attend, their vote may be cast by a nominated proxy.

Financial Management

15.  Subscriptions. There will be an annual subscription for Full Membership and a reduced subscription for Junior Membership. The level of subscriptions to be confirmed at the Annual General Meeting. The level of the subscription is to be set at a level commensurate with BRSC administration and operating expenses and shall be endorsed by the AGM Payment shall become due on or before 1st September.

16.  Accounts. The financial year-end for the accounts of the Club shall be 30th April. The completed accounts shall be published on the BRSC Website prior to the Annual General Meeting and limited numbers will be available at the AGM.

General Meetings

17.  The Committee or a minimum of 20 members of the Supporters' Club may, at their discretion, call an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time, giving not less than 14 days' notice using the same means as the AGM and specifying the object to which discussion shall be solely confined.

Dissolution

18.  In the event of the dissolution of the Bath Rugby Supporters' Club, any income or property remaining will be devoted to Clubs or Societies with similar aims and objectives, or to a charitable purpose associated with Bath Rugby as determined by the outgoing committee

Changes to the Constitution

19.  The BRSC Executive Committee may implement changes to the Constitution provided not less that two thirds of the voting Committee Members agree. All changes are to be presented to the next AGM.