Beacon Roads Cycling Club

i. Anyone interested in the sport or pastime of cycling may apply to join the club. Applications for membership shall be made on a form consistent with a model approved by the Club Committee, shall be accompanied by the appropriate subscription or subscription documentation, and shall be made to the committee member with responsibility for membership matters. The committee member in question shall at the earliest practicable opportunity bring the application before the Club Committee for consideration. Approval shall not be withheld on the grounds of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, or other belief or lifestyle choice. However, the non-discriminatory limitation of membership by the Club Committee shall be allowable where necessitated by the availability of facilities or organisational capacity. Furthermore, the Club Committee may decline an application on the grounds of previous disreputable or antisocial personal conduct liable to tarnish the club’s good name by association.

ii. In order to promote and facilitate participation in the sport and pastime of cycling, the club may define various classes of membership and may differentiate its subscriptions accordingly. The initial definition of, or any subsequent amendment to, a class of membership or the associated subscription shall require approval by a general meeting of members. No such definition or amendment shall discriminate unfairly on the grounds referred to in clause i of this article.

iii. Initial membership shall ordinarily start on the date that the application is approved by the Club Committee. However, its start may be backdated by the Club Committee to the date of the application’s receipt if there has been a delay in its consideration. The initial period of membership shall continue until the end of the calendar year in question, unless that period is less than three months, in which case initial membership shall continue until the end of the following calendar year.

iv. Renewed membership shall start on 1 January of the year in question and continue until the end of that year, provided that the member’s subscription is paid by 1 April. Otherwise, renewed membership shall start on the date that the subscription is paid and continue until the end of the year in question.

v. A member may be expelled for disreputable or antisocial personal conduct liable to tarnish the club’s good name by association. Expulsion shall require the unanimous approval of a motion at a Club Committee meeting, to which the member has been given reasonable opportunity to account for his/her conduct. An expelled member may appeal for reinstatement to the next scheduled Annual General Meeting or to an Extraordinary General Meeting called at the request of 20 per cent of the club’s members, as provided for in Article 4, clause ii. If an appeal is made, the general meeting shall hear the reasons for the Club Committee’s decision and the appellant’s arguments for reinstatement before reaching a final decision binding on all parties. Pending his/her appeal, an appellant shall not be entitled to represent the club in competition or otherwise. Right to appeal lapses on the closing date for the submission of motions to the next scheduled Annual General Meeting. No subscriptions are refundable in the event of expulsion.

vi. A member may resign before his/her membership expires by writing to the committee member with responsibility for membership matters. No subscriptions are refundable in the event of resignation.

4 General meetings

i. The club shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the first fifteen days of December to conduct the business referred to in this article, clause ix.

ii. The club shall hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) whenever the Club Committee considers it necessary, or whenever at least 20 per cent of the club’s members write to the General Secretary requesting such a meeting. In the latter event, the General Secretary shall call an EGM within twenty-one days of receiving the request.

iii. Any general meeting shall be called by the General Secretary by sending a written notice to every club member at least twenty-one days before the meeting (or, in the case of a meeting reconvened in accordance with clause vi of this article, at least fourteen days before the meeting). The notice shall be sent by post or by another medium that may reasonably be expected to result in safe delivery within two working days.

iv. Any member may propose a motion for consideration at a general meeting. To do so, the member must provide the General Secretary with a written motion for inclusion on the agenda at least fourteen days before the date of the meeting in question.

v. The General Secretary shall make the agenda for a general meeting available to all members at least seven days before the meeting.

vi. A general meeting shall be considered quorate if at least 10 per cent of the club’s members are present, and if at least four Club Committee members are present. If a general meeting is inquorate, those present shall agree a date for a reconvened general meeting between fourteen and twenty-eight days after the inquorate meeting. Details of the reconvened meeting shall be sent to members in accordance with clause iii. Any such reconvened meeting shall be quorate regardless of the numbers present.

vii. Voting at general meetings shall be by a show of hands, except in a contested election for one of the offices referred to in this article, clause ix, under b and c, which shall be decided by means of a written vote. Except in circumstances where this constitution stipulates otherwise, a motion shall be passed or a person elected if approved by a majority votes cast; if voting is tied, the Chairman shall have the casting vote. If an election for one of the offices referred to in this article, clause ix, under b and c, is contested by more than two candidates, the ballot papers shall allow voters to express both a first preference and a second preference. If any one candidate receives a majority of the first-preference votes cast, he or she shall be elected. If no candidate receives a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with fewest first-choice votes shall be eliminated from the election. The votes cast for that candidate shall be re-allocated to the voters’ second-preference candidate(s) and a recount then performed. If necessary, this process will be repeated until one candidate has an outright majority. Votes for an already-eliminated second-preference candidate shall simply be ignored.

viii. A member may vote by proxy on any matter included on the agenda of a general meeting. To this end, a proxy voting form shall accompany the agenda paper made available to each member. A member wishing to vote by proxy must complete the form and return it to the General Secretary (or, if the member believes the General Secretary to have a personal interest in the outcome of the vote, to the President or Chairman), to arrive at least twenty-four hours before the general meeting in question. The General Secretary (or President or Chairman) will then vote at the meeting on the member’s behalf and in accordance with his/her instructions.

ix.            The business of an AGM shall be as follows:
a.       To receive reports and statements of accounts from the officers elected at the previous AGM, or appointed by the Club Committee in accordance with Article 6 (clause ii), for the twelve months ended on 31 October of the year in question.
b.       To elect (from amongst the club’s members) a President, a Chairman, a Treasurer and a General Secretary to perform the duties referred to in Article 5. Each of these officers shall be elected for a period of one year and there shall be no restrictions on re-election. No individual may hold more than one of these offices.
c.       To elect (from amongst the club’s members) people to hold various other offices, with a view to facilitating the club’s activities, advancing the club’s interests and ensuring representation for all groups within the club. These offices are liable to change from time to time, as the club’s activities, interests and membership profile change. The addition of an office to the list of those electable at an AGM, or the removal of an office from that list shall require the approval of a motion at a general meeting. Each of the officers shall be elected for a period of one year and there shall be no restrictions on re-election. An individual may hold more than one of these offices, or may combine one or more of these offices with one of those referred to in this clause, under b.
d.       To elect one or more Vice-Presidents and/or other honorary officers.
e.       To appoint two internal auditors to inspect and verify the club’s financial accounts prior to their presentation to the following year’s AGM.
f.        To consider motions submitted in accordance with this article, clause iv.
g.       To conduct any other business that the meeting sees fit.

5 Duties of elected officers

i. The President shall act as the club’s ceremonial representative. The President shall report to the AGM on the general state of the club.

ii. The Chairman shall chair meetings of the Club Committee and general meetings of the club, and shall oversee the club’s day-to-day business and coordinate the activities of the other elected and appointed officers, in a manner which may be defined by the Club Committee.

iii. The Treasurer shall manage the club’s finances, in a manner which may be defined by the Club Committee. The Treasurer shall report to the AGM on the state of the club’s finances and financial plans.

iv. The General Secretary shall call general meetings and Club Committee meetings, maintain general records and undertake associated administrative tasks, in a manner which may be defined by the Club Committee. The General Secretary shall report to the AGM on the proceedings of the Club Committee.

v. The other officers referred to in Article 4, clause ix, under c, shall facilitate the club’s activities and/or represent the interests of certain groups of members, in a manner approved by a general meeting. Each of these officers shall report to the AGM on his or her specific field of responsibility.

vi. The status of the Vice-Presidents and other honorary officers referred to in Article 4, clause ix, under d, shall be primarily ceremonial.

6 Management of the club

i. The club shall be managed by a Club Committee answerable to the club’s membership, as provided for in Articles 4 and 5. The Club Committee shall consist of the officers referred to in Article 4, clause ix, under b and c, the appointees referred to in this article, clause ii, and the co-opted members referred to in this article, clause iii. The Club Committee shall support the club’s officers in the discharge of the duties referred to in Article 5 and shall generally promote and facilitate the activities referred to in Article 7. The Club Committee shall at all times seek to act in the best interests of the membership as a whole. The Club Committee’s decision on any matter shall be binding, unless reversed at a general meeting.

ii. The Club Committee may appoint a club member to fill any elected position left vacant by an AGM or falling vacant three months or more before the next AGM. The Club Committee may additionally appoint a club member to fulfil any role not covered by the elected officers referred to in Article 4, clause ix, under c. Appointment shall require the approval of a motion by two thirds of the Club Committee members voting at the relevant meeting. Appointees shall be deemed full Club Committee members.

iii. The Club Committee may co-opt unelected members if it sees fit. Co-opted members shall be entitled to participate fully in the Club Committee’s business, but shall not be entitled to vote on formal motions.

iv. Any Club Committee member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings without tendering an apology shall be deemed to have resigned.

v. The Club Committee may define its own procedures, subject to the understanding that such procedures must be consistent with this constitution. The adoption or amendment of procedures by the Club Committee shall require the approval of a motion by two thirds of the Club Committee members voting at the relevant meeting.

7 Activities

The club shall organise competitive and/or non-competitive cycling activities for its own members and/or for the wider cycling community. The club shall also organise social activities for its members and friends. The practical organisation of these events shall be overseen by officers elected in accordance with Article 4, clause ix, under c, or appointed in accordance with Article 6, clause ii, acting in consultation with the Club Committee. Competitive cycling activities and the award of club trophies shall be governed by rules defined by the relevant officer and approved by the Club Committee.

8 Colours

The club’s colours shall be emerald green, scarlet and white. The club’s racing kit shall be of a design prominently featuring all of these colours and approved by a general meeting of the club.

9 Amendment of the constitution

This constitution may be amended only by a resolution approved by two thirds of the club members voting in person or by proxy at a general meeting.

10 Dissolution

i. The club may be dissolved only by a resolution approved by two thirds of the club members voting in person or by proxy at a general meeting.

ii. In the event of dissolution, any property remaining, after the satisfaction of all debts and other liabilities, shall be donated to an organisation whose aims are consistent with those of the club. This organisation shall be named in the dissolution resolution or an associated resolution passed at the same general meeting.

11 Matters not provided for

Any matter not provided for in this constitution shall be dealt with by the Club Committee, whose decision shall be binding in all points and on all parties.