CONSTITUTION OF THE NORTHERN COUNTIES CRICKET CLUB 1864
1. The name of the Club shall be “THE NORTHERN COUNTIES CRICKET CLUB” hereinafter referred to as the ‘Club’.
2. The objects of the club shall be to promote and foster senior and junior cricket in Inverness and the Highlands and to provide facilities therefore.
3. The colours of the club shall be Blue and Maroon.
4. All Right and Interest in the Club and Property thereof is vested in the Members; but should anyone cease to be a Member, by death, resignation, or otherwise, neither their representatives or assignees shall have any right, title, claim, or demand upon, or interest in, the property or funds of the Club.
5. Membership is open to all and no application for membership will be refused on other than reasonable grounds. There will be no discrimination on grounds of race, occupation, sex or religious, political or other opinion.
6. A Member shall pay an Annual Subscription, and shall be bound to contribute to the assets of the Club in the event of the same being wound up during the time they are a Member, or within one year afterwards, for payment of the debts and liabilities of the Club contracted before the time at which they cease to be a Member, and of the costs, charges, and expenses of winding up the same.
7. If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the satisfaction of all the Club’s debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall be given or transferred to some other organisation or organisations having objects (that is, aims and activities) similar to the objects of the Club, such organisation or organisations to be determined by members of the Club by Resolution passed at a General meeting at or before the time of the dissolution, and in so far as effect cannot be given to such provision then to some charitable objects.
8. The Club cannot be dissolved except by the consent, in writing, of three quarters of the Members.
9. The Club shall be composed of Members and Patrons. Patrons shall donate an annual sum equivalent to senior membership or such other sum in excess as they desire. Members shall pay a subscription as decreed under Rule 31 and these Members shall be divided into adults, juniors and students. Only paid-up Members may vote at General Meetings. Patrons may attend General Meetings but have no vote.
GOVERNMENT
10. The Government of the Club, and the entire management of its affairs and property, except so far as deputed to its officers by law, shall be vested in Members present at a General Meeting duly constituted as aforementioned, and the acts and votes of such members shall have the same effect as if every Member of the Club was a party assenting thereto. But no General Meeting shall have power to act, elect, vote, or transact business, unless seven Members are present.
11. The Office-Bearers of the Club shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, the Captains of the First and Second Elevens and a Junior representative** and they shall be ex-officio Members of the Management Committee. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined. There shall be an Honorary President and two or more Honorary Vice-Presidents, who shall not be members of committees. **this is a representative of the Junior coaching/Junior Teams not a Junior themselves.
12. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Management Committee (hereinafter called the ‘Committee’) consisting of the Office-Bearers and three other Members of the Club. Five to form a quorum.
13. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in November on a date and at a place to be fixed by the Committee. At this Meeting the Accounts of the Club for the year and the Secretary’s report shall be considered. The Office-Bearers, (other than the President) and the other Members of the Committee, together with the Selection Committee (consisting of Captains and Vice Captains of the first and Second Elevens and one other committee member) shall be elected. The Vice-Captains of the First and Second Elevens, shall be elected at the first Committee meeting after the AGM. The President shall hold office for three years but shall not be eligible for re-election at the AGM immediately succeeding the termination of their period of office. The Office-Bearers and Members of Committee shall hold office for one year but are eligible for re-election. Any vacancy occurring during any year in the list of Office-Bearers or Committee members may be filled by vote of the Committee.
14. The Committee shall have the power of forming such sub-committees as may be desired and of co-opting such Members as they consider necessary. Such sub-committees will always include at least one elected Member of Committee and only such a member can be a chairperson.
15. The Secretary shall undertake the general management of the Club, under the direction of the Committee, and keep all necessary books, and give a statement of work done during the year at the Annual General Meeting.
16. A Special General Meeting of the Club shall either be held by order of the Committee or shall be called by the Secretary within fourteen days on the receipt of a requisition of five Members of the Club. At such a meeting, the only business to be discussed shall be that for which the Meeting was called.
17. Notice of General Meetings shall be given by the Secretary by written notice stating the business to be discussed, such notice to be sent to Members electronically, (“Whatsap”, email, Facebook and/ or website) fourteen days prior to such meetings.
18. The President or one of the Vice-Presidents shall preside at all Meetings of the Club and Committee at which they are present. In the absence of these, the Members shall appoint a Chairperson.
19. All votes at a General or Committee Meeting shall be taken by a show of hands, except where otherwise provided by a special law; but a majority of Members present at any meeting may determine to take any particular vote by ballot.
20. The Chairperson at any Meeting shall have a deliberative as well as a casting vote.
21. Meetings of Committee shall be called by the Secretary when they consider it necessary or at the request of three Members of Committee.
22. The Committee shall have power at any time to frame such By-Laws as they deem necessary for the proper management of the Club, which By-Laws shall be binding on all Members of the Club.
23. All applications for Membership shall be made to the Secretary. The election may be carried through either at the Annual General Meeting or by the Committee at a meeting of the Committee duly called.
24. Should the conduct of any Member be such as appears to the Committee to endanger the character, interests, or good order of the Club, it shall be in the power of the Committee, on a vote by ballot of two-thirds of its Members, to suspend such Member; and in the event of three-fourths of the Members present at the next Special or General Meeting confirming the Committee’s decision, the said Member shall be expelled from the Club. Previous to the date of such Special or General Meeting, the Secretary shall inform the offending Member of the Committee’s decision.
25. All Notices of Resignation must be sent in writing to the Secretary on or before 1st May, after which no Notice of Resignation shall exempt Members from payment of Subscription for the current year.
26. The Rules of the Club shall be placed in a conspicuous part of the Club House.
27. The Club shall not be held responsible for any property left in the Club House.
28. All complaints must be made in writing to the Secretary, in order that they may be submitted to the Committee.
29. The members of the visiting team and the officials of their club shall be Temporary Members of the Club and shall have use of the Club premises during such visit.
30. The Selection Committee shall have an electronic group chat consisting of Captains, one Vice Captain of club teams and 1 non-office bearing committee member who will Chair the group. The purpose of the group is to discuss selection matters during the season.
FINANCE
31. Members shall pay an Annual Subscription of such sum as shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting. Junior and Student membership shall be one half of the Adult membership subscription.
32. All Members whose subscriptions are unpaid by the 31st March shall be notified by the Secretary that payment is overdue. Any member whose subscription remains unpaid by the 1st May shall cease to be entitled to any of the privileges of Membership of the Club unless and until the subscription is paid.
33. The Committee shall have power, should they deem it necessary in the interests of the Club, to impose an Entrance Fee on Members joining the Club.
34. Should it be necessary to raise funds by way of levy on playing Members, such levy will be agreed on at a General Meeting.
35. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse all moneys due to or by the Club, and shall keep correct accounts and books showing the financial affairs and intromissions of the Club, and shall submit an account, independently examined, at the Annual General Meeting.
36. The foregoing Constitution and Rules shall not be altered or amended except at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. (The rule governing Special General Meetings shall apply.) Notice in writing of such proposed alterations or amendments to be in the hands of the Secretary by 30th September for the Annual General Meeting. Amendments to such proposed alterations or amendments must be notified to the Secretary in writing within seven days after the date of notice calling the relative Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, and will be notified in writing to all Members by the Secretary prior to the date of such meeting. Adjustments to the phraseology but not the intent of such proposed alterations or amendments may be approved by such meeting.