DEVON COUNTY BADMINTON ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION and RULES 1. NAME The Association shall be called the Devon County Badminton Association (hereinafter called the Association) and be affiliated to Badminton England. 2. OBJECTS The objects of the Association shall be generally to encourage and promote the game of Badminton in Devon. 3. MEMBERSHIP Membership shall be open to all individuals, clubs, schools and sports centres within the county of Devon. All members will be subject to the regulations of the Constitution and by joining the Association will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of conduct that the Association has adopted. Other applications for membership will be considered. 4. FEES The amount of fees to be charged for affiliation, tournaments, squad sessions and matches shall be determined by the Executive Board prior to the start of each season. Fees must be paid by the requested dates. 5. EXECUTIVE BOARD The Executive Board of the Association shall consist of: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretaries (Association, Veterans, Juniors and Tournaments), Treasurers (Association, Veterans, Juniors, Tournaments), Senior Squads Co-ordinator, Veterans Squads Co-ordinator, Junior Squads Co-ordinator, Coaching Coordinator, Publicity Co-ordinator, District Representatives for
Exeter, Torbay, Plymouth and North Devon, Child Protection Officer, B.E. Regional Officer and BE Council Representative. The above officers (other than the last 2 ) shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-election. A new candidate must be proposed in writing by two affiliated members. Retiring members will automatically be eligible for re-election. All such nominations must be in the hands of the Association Secretary at least ten days before the AGM. No person may hold more than two such offices. Each Co-ordinator may appoint an appropriate Working Group as necessary. The Board may co-opt additional members for such specific purposes as the Board shall consider desirable but co-opted members shall have no voting power. The Board will be responsible for all such activities as they deem necessary. 6. MEETINGS: - BOARD At a meeting of the Board: One third of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson or if they shall not be present a member of the Board elected at the Meeting shall preside. Procedure shall be determined by the person presiding. Decisions shall be by simple majority Each member of the Board other than co-opted members shall have one vote on every proposal or election put to the meeting. In the event of equality of votes the person presiding shall have a second or deciding vote. Voting shall be by a show of hands of those present except when the Board (by a show of hands) otherwise resolve.
The Board shall have the power to elect Honorary Life Members who shall be entitled to attend General Meetings in a non-voting capacity. Should a member of the Board fail to attend three consecutive meetings without having given reasons acceptable to the Board, such member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Board - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS (incl.general Meetings + EGMs) The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held before the end of the third week of June each year for the purpose of receiving the Board Reports, passing the Accounts, electing the Board and other general business. The Association Secretary shall give not less than 21 days notice of the AGM to all members. Any proposed amendment or addition to the Constitution must be lodged, in writing, with the Association Secretary no later than the 31 st March and such proposals shall be circulated to all affiliated clubs and members with the Notice of the AGM. All members of affiliated clubs are invited to attend and each club shall be entitled to nominate one representative to vote at the AGM and every General Meeting. In addition to this one representative from the U11, U13, U15, U17 and U21 county squads shall be entitled to vote. Members of the Board shall not be deemed to be representatives of their respective clubs to which they belong, but shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings. Every proposal submitted shall be decided by a majority on a show of hands but a ballot may be demanded by the Chairperson or by the majority at any General Meeting. Such a ballot shall be secret and the Chairperson shall appoint two scrutineers to count the votes and the result of the count shall be final except in the event of an equality of votes, when the Chairperson shall have a vote, both on the show of hands or the poll, in addition to their ordinary vote, at the Chairperson s discretion. The Association Secretary shall give not less than 14 days notice of all General Meetings incorporating an Agenda and a copy of any proposal previously received to the Secretary of
each affiliated Club, each affiliated Association and each Associate Member and to each member of the Board. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be convened at any time by the Board and shall be convened by the Association Secretary upon written receipt signed by any three members of the Board or by representatives of at least six affiliated clubs. Every requisition shall expressly state the object of the proposed meeting. The Association Secretary shall give to secretaries of affiliated clubs at least 7 days notice of such a meeting, specifying the purpose for which it is called and no other business than that specified shall be transacted thereat. Procedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM. No alteration of rules shall be adopted unless two-thirds of those present entitled to vote shall be in favour of such alteration. 7. TRAVEL The Board, at their discretion, subject to sufficient funds being available, shall have the power to authorise the payment of expenses in accordance with the current expenses claim form. Such payments may include a) Players representing their county in matches, travelling more than 100 miles in total from their home. b) The representative of the Association attending meetings of Badminton England or its Committee. c) Board members attending meetings. 8. COUNTY QUALIFICATION The County qualification shall be as provided by the regulations of Badminton England. 9. FINANCE
The financial year of the Association shall end on the 30 th April each year. An Independent Examiner shall be elected annually at the AGM and this person shall report to the Board as and when required. a) The Board shall keep such Bank, Building Society and other accounts in the name of the Association as it shall consider desirable or as specifically directed at a General Meeting. b) All monies received on behalf of the Association except for cash utilised to discharge debts or liabilities of the Association or retained as petty cash shall be paid into the appropriate account. c) Cheques drawn upon and forms of withdrawal from the Association s accounts and also receipts shall be signed by the treasurer(s) and/or such other member or members of the Board as the Board may appoint as signatory or signatories. d) If a vacancy shall arise on the Board in respect of a person authorised to sign cheques and/or withdrawal forms and receipts then in the event of there remaining no signatory or insufficient signatories in respect of the Association s accounts pending the appointment of a successor or successors by the Board the Chairperson or if there be a vacancy in such Office the Secretary may appoint another member or members of the Board as signatory or signatories but neither the Chairperson nor Secretary shall appoint one person as sole signatory. e) The treasurers will be responsible for the finances of the Association. f) Statements of annual accounts will be presented by the treasurers at the AGM having been duly examined by an Independent Examiner. g) Copies of statements of all accounts shall also be forwarded to the Chairperson as well as the Treasurers. 10. NATIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS The Association through its affiliation with Badminton England conforms to its Equity Policy, Child Protection Policy and Disciplinary Procedures as recommended. The Association promotes the safety and well-being of all children at all times. 11. DISCIPLINE AND APPEALS
All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Association Secretary. The Board will meet to hear complaints within 28 days of a complaint being lodged. The Board has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership. The outcome of a disciplinary hearing shall be communicated in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member to whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing. There will be the right of appeal to the Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The appeal must be received in writing within 14 days. The Board should consider the appeal within 14 days of the Association receiving the appeal. 12. DISSOLUTION A resolution to dissolve the Association can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through 2/3rds majority vote of those affiliated members attending + any postal votes. In the event of dissolution, any assets of the Association that remain will be donated to other Associations with similar aims and objectives as our own or some other charitable object. Signed: Date: Name: Association Chairperson Signed: Date: Name: Association Secretary