Club Constitution

The rules by which the club is run

Manx BMX Racing Club Constitution

1 Name of Club

The club is called MANX BMX RACING (hereinafter will be referred to as The Club), and may also be known as MBR. MANX BMX RACING is affiliated to the governing body BRITISH CYCLING (registration 998608).

2 Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the club are:

To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in BMX Racing
To promote the club and the sport of BMX Racing within the local community
To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club
To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone
To manage equipment & facilities that support BMX Racing

The Aims and Objectives will be reviewed at a minimum annually. The above list is regarded as initial and is expected to be added to over time.

3 Events Scheduling

(a) Competitive club events will be scheduled to avoid clash:

with any World or European Championship for which any club member has qualified except when those club member(s) have confirmed that they are not intending to register for either Championship.
with any North Regional Series or Championship, or, any British National Series or British Championships events in which riders have expressed the intent to enter. Racing members (who hold a BC race licence) will be consulted when North Regional or British National Series event dates have been released

The club respects and supports the endeavours of members competing at these levels of competition.

(iii) Being a BMX club, the event dates of other local sports are not a primary consideration in determining the scheduling of competitive club events.

(iv) Non-competitive club events that do not disadvantage members participating in events listed in a) above may be scheduled.

4 Membership

(a) Membership of the club is open to anyone interested in promoting, coaching, volunteering or participating in BMX Racing, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.

(b) The membership shall consist of the following categories:

Full member (16 & over)
Junior member (Under 16)
Family membership (3 or more people)

The Membership categories will be reviewed annually. The above list is regarded as initial and is expected to be added to over time.

(c) All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that the club has adopted.

(d) Members in each category will pay membership fees, as determined at the Annual General Meeting.

(e) Individuals shall not be eligible to take part in the business of the Club, vote at general meetings or be eligible for selection of any Club team unless the applicable subscription has been paid by the due date and/or membership has been agreed by the Club committee.

5. Sports Equity

(a) This Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so it acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:

Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognizing inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.

(b) The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.

(c) The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.

(d) All club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behavior and promote equality of opportunity.

(e) The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behavior seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.

6 Committee

(f) The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Committee which shall consist of the Chair, Treasurer (to be appointed), and Secretary, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

(g) All committee members must be members of the Club.

(h) If required, the committee shall elect a Vice Chair from among its members.

(i) The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election.

(j) If the post of any officer or ordinary committee member should fall vacant after such an election, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting.

(k) The Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organization of the club.

(l) The Committee will have powers to appoint any advisers to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business.

(m) The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution. The Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.

(n) The committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the Club and be held no less than 6 times per year.

(i) Only the posts listed above will have the right to vote at committee meetings.

(j) The quorum required for business to be agreed at Management Committee meetings will be 2/3rds of the number of elected officers in post.

7 Finances

(a) The club treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club.

(b) The financial year of the club will run from 1st January to 31st December

(d) In the future, club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club. This will be position will be revised at each AGM.

(e) A statement of the Club Finances will be published at each AGM.

(f) In the future, an audited statement of annual accounts will be presented by the treasurer at the Annual General Meeting.

(g) All members of the Club shall be jointly and severally responsible for the financial liabilities of the Club.

8 Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings

(a) General Meetings are the means whereby the members of the Club exercise their democratic rights in conducting the Club’s affairs.

(b) The Club shall hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the month of January to:

Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM.
Receive reports from the Chairman and Secretary.
Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts.
Receive a report from those responsible for certifying the Club’s accounts.
Elect the officers on the committee.
Agree the membership fees for the following year.
Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.
Deal with other relevant business.

(d) Nominations for officers of the committee will be sent to the secretary prior to the AGM.

(e) Proposed changes to the constitution shall be sent to the secretary prior to the AGM, who shall circulate them at least 7 days before an AGM.

(f) All members have the right to vote at the AGM.

(g) The quorum for AGMs will be 25% of the membership.

(h) The Chairman of the Club shall hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at general and committee meetings.

(i) An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary supported by at least 10% of the members of the Club. The committee shall also have the power to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of the committee members. An EGM shall be held on not less than 14 and not more than 21 days’ notice at a place, or by a method, decided upon by the Committee or in default by the Chair. If the Secretary is unable to schedule within the prescribed time, then this action shall be taken by either the Chair or a delegated committee member.

(j) All procedures shall follow those outlined above for AGMs.

9 Amendments to the constitution

(a) The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.

10 Discipline and appeals

(a) All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children and young people will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the club’s child protection policy and procedures.

(b) The Club Welfare Officer will be the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns.

(d) The Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.

(e) The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing.

(f) There will be the right of appeal to the Management Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 7 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal.

11 Dissolution

(a) A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.

(b) In the event of dissolution, all debts should be cleared with any clubs funds. Any assets of the club that remain following this will become the property of another club with similar objectives or distributed amongst the club’s members as determined by the Clubs Committee.