Constitution

Vision

1) To promote the growth, development and standing of the Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club by furthering the interests of its members at every opportunity, and by a continuing programme of proactive engagement with Bath Rugby Management at all levels, whilst retaining its independence.

Objectives

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

a. To identify, understand and promote the interests of the members

b. To provide activities and services for the benefit of those who support Bath Rugby, including

• the organisation and delivery of a range of social events
• an effective communications strategy with an active, current Website and social media presence.
• organising fundraising activities in support of the BRSC nominated charities
• supporting all of the players and teams of Bath Rugby, on and off the pitch
• liaising with Bath Rugby to represent supporters’ views, foster mutual understanding, and act cooperatively to deliver the best possible match day experience
• assisting supporters wishing to travel to away fixtures or special events by publicising information provided to BRSC relating to transport services.
• fostering good relations with rugby supporters throughout the world.

Membership

3) The BRSC Committee shall have a standing objective to work to increase membership.

a. Membership of BRSC shall be open to all supporters of Bath Rugby.

b. Membership categories are Full Membership, and Junior Membership for supporters under 16 years of age on 1st July of the membership year.

c. The Committee can at its discretion appoint Honorary Members in recognition of their particular engagement with the BRSC. Honorary Members have the same rights as Full Members.

d. Every Club member shall receive a membership card on receipt of the paid subscription.

e. A Full Member has a single vote, which can be exercised on any proposition at an AGM and EGM

f. The Committee shall have the power to expel any member whose behaviour is deemed, by a majority of two-thirds of the Committee, to be contrary to the welfare and well-being of the BRSC, by informing such member in writing of their decision. The member shall have his/her subscription for the current season returned.

Committee

4) The BRSC Committee shall comprise:

a. Chairman

b. Secretary

c. Treasurer

d. Membership Secretary

e. Five ordinary members

Roles to be undertaken by the five ordinary members elected will be agreed within the Committee and not from the floor of the AGM.

f. In addition a representative of Bath Rugby shall be invited to attend Committee meetings in order 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 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) The five ordinary member positions on the Committee shall be open for election annually.

7) Quorum: A quorum shall consist of not less than 5 members of the Committee.

8) The Committee may co-opt a temporary Committee member (or members) for a specified period.  The total number of Committee members shall not exceed that described in 4 above.

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

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) Formal notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be issued to Members electronically or in writing not less than 28 days before the meeting. Additionally, Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be published on the “Allez Bath” website, and in the Bath Chronicle not less that 21 days prior to the meeting.

12) Agenda items for consideration at the Annual General Meeting shall be lodged, in writing, with the Secretary not less than ten 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 ten days before the date of the Meeting. . Nominees must have held current Full Membership for at least three months. 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 a member is not able to attend, they may advise the Secretary of a nominated proxy, who will act on their behalf.

15) Any Other Business:  following the completion of the agenda, and at the Chairman’s discretion, members shall be given the opportunity to raise relevant, urgent matters not covered elsewhere in the meeting. There shall be no vote on such matters.

Extraordinary General Meetings

16) 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.

Financial Management

17) Subscriptions. There will be an annual subscription for Full Membership and a reduced subscription for Junior Membership. The level of subscriptions is to be confirmed at the Annual General Meeting and shall be set at a level commensurate with BRSC administration and operating expenses.

18) Accounts. The financial year – end for the accounts of the club shall be 30th April. The completed accounts shall be subject to annual scrutiny by an independent auditor appointed by the Committee. The scrutinised accounts shall be published on the BRSC Website prior to the Annual General Meeting. Copies will be available at the AGM.

Dissolution

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

Changes to the Constitution

20) Any proposed changes to the Constitution shall be presented by the Committee, explained clearly and submitted for approval by the AGM.