Chirk & District Swimming Club
CONSTITUTION

  1. Title

The Club shall be named ‘Chirk and District Swimming Club’ and for competitive purposes the team shall be called ‘Chirk Dragons’ (both hereinafter referred to as ‘The Club’).

  1. Colours

The Clubs colours shall be Black/Red/Green and shall be altered only at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special Meeting called for the purpose of such alteration.

  1. Objectives

The objective of the Club shall be to promote and encourage all aspects of swimming and to arrange and compete in all areas of the sport.

  1. Membership

  1. Membership shall be open to any person when invited to join by the committee and on payment of the club subscription then in force, providing that the individual can swim a minimum of 50m of two recognisable swimming strokes, as assessed by the Head Coach.

  1. All competing members must be amateurs and be eligible as defined by Swim Wales North Region.

  1. The Club shall be an affiliated member of Swim Wales, North Region and to any association the committee feel appropriate. Individual swimmers will be affiliated to Swim Wales where non-membership would preclude them from competition.

  1. General club membership fee as decided by the Management Committee shall be due on the first day of April in each year and shall be paid before 30th April in each year.

  1. Non payment by any member of the membership fee by 30th April shall cause their membership to lapse and such a member shall not be permitted to take part in any club activity whether competitive or not.

  1. The Committee shall be empowered to deal with individual cases of genuine hardship should this be brought to their attention.

  1. Non-attendance at the Club for a period of six consecutive weeks without prior notice provides due cause for the committee to revoke an individuals membership

  1. One month notice of resignation by a swimmer must be put in writing to the Club Committee. The Committee shall then confirm receipt of the said resignation to the swimmer. On receipt of this reply the swimmer shall be deemed free to join another club.

  1. Failure of the swimmer to comply with the above would mean that Chirk and District Swimming Club would continue to hold the registration on that swimmer under Swim Wales laws. Note: Under Swim Wales rules a Club should not withhold a written acknowledgement of resignation without reasonable grounds.

  1. The Annual Membership fee is non-refundable should a swimmer subsequently resign from the club.

  1. Monthly club fees will remain payable for the one month notice period – unless special dispensation is sought and granted by the committee.

  1. Club Committee

The Club Committee shall comprise of the following:

Chairperson Vice Chairperson

Club & Membership Secretary Gala Secretary

Health & Safety Officer Treasurer

Equipment Officer Child Welfare Officer

Team Manager Fundraising Officer

Volunteer Manager Media Officer

And a number of other elected members. Five members of the Committee shall form a quorum.

The Chairperson and any other member of the committee so elected shall be an ex officio member of any so formed club sub-committee. In the same way the Chairperson of any other member of the committee so elected shall become the Clubs’ representative on the committee of any organisation the committee feel appropriate.

  1. Management

  1. The Management of the Club shall be vested in the Committee which shall have full power to arrange and transact all business of the Club and to deal with any matters that may arise which are not provided for herein.

  1. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members or to appoint sub-committees for special purposes.

  1. Any member of the Club, not being a member of the committee, may be invited by the consent of the Chairperson to attend any Committee meeting and shall be eligible to take part in any discussion but will not be entitled to vote thereon.

  1. Committee meetings shall be held as necessary, but not less than four times per year. Adequate notice where possible, shall be given to each member of the dates of such meetings.

  1. The Committee has the right to terminate membership of the Club or to refuse any application for membership without specifying any reasons for doing so.

  1. The Treasurer/s shall receive all subscriptions and other payments due to the Club and shall make such disbursements as shall be necessary on behalf of the committee. They shall be accountable to the Committee at such meetings and shall submit an audited statement of accounts at the Annual General Meeting.

  1. Members of the Club at the Annual General Meeting shall appoint the Auditor.

 

  1. Annual General Meeting

The AGM shall be held at least once each calendar year, normally during the month of May, and in any event not later than 14 months after the date of the last AGM.

Items for inclusion in the published agenda for the AGM shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least 30 days prior to the AGM.

  1. Finance

  1. The financial year shall end on 31st March and an audited statement of account up to and including this data shall be presented at the AGM of the Club.

  1. The club accounts shall be forwarded to Swim Wales, if so requested.

  1. The Funds of the Club shall be lodged at a bank or building society in the name of the Club or any other method of investment approved by the Committee. All cheques, drafts etc.. drawn on these accounts shall be signed by any two of the following:

      1. Chairperson

      2. Vice Chair

      3. Treasurer

      4. Secretary

The assets of the Club shall be vested in the Club Committee as trustees for members of the Club. Neither the Branch Committee, nor any officer or member thereof shall at any time incur nor did permit to be incurring any liability which exceeds the total assets of the Club at that time.

Assets for this purpose are defined as the balance standing to the credit of the Club plus cash in hand, less known payment liabilities.

  1. Discipline

        1. Any complaint shall be made to the Secretary of the club not later than 7 days after the incident given rise to the complaint arises. The secretary must give full details of the complaint to the member against who the complaint is being made as soon as possible after the receipt of the complaint but not less than 7 days.

 

        1. The committee may suspend the member with immediate effect if they feel it is in the best interest of the Club, other members and to maintain discipline whilst the disciplinary process is followed.

 

        1. The committee also holds the right to suspend family members or others from poolside or any other area the Club is attending or utilising if unsuitable behaviour could cause offence or disruption.

 

        1. The Committee shall have the power to set up a Disciplinary Committee of 5 voting members of the club of both gender with at least 1 member from the Committee to hear any complaint against any member of the club for conduct deemed to be detrimental to the club.

 

        1. The Committee shall have the power to:

Fine

Written Warning

Suspend

Expel Subject to ratification by the Committee.

        1. All parties shall be notified not later than 7 days from the date of the hearing in writing of the decision of the Committee.

 

        1. The Disciplinary Committee shall not hear any charge against a member of the club aged 16 or under unless their parent or guardian is present. Such parent or guardian shall be allowed to speak as well as the said member. Any other club member aged 17 or over against which a disciplinary charge has been made shall have the right to have 1 other member of the club present with them at the hearing, such additional members shall have the right to speak.

 

        1. The Disciplinary Committee shall meet as soon as is practicable and not later than 21 days after the complaint is received.

 

        1. The Disciplinary Committee shall have power to hear evidence either orally or by written statement

 

        1. Any evidence produced by way of a written statement, shall be served by the party producing such evidence on the Committee Secretary and other party to the complaint not less than 7 days before the date fixed for the hearing.

  1. Appeals as a Result of Disciplinary Action

        1. Any member found guilty by the Disciplinary Committee shall have the right to appeal to the Committee of the club within 21 days of receiving notice of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee. The Committee shall within 7 days of receiving such notice set up an Appeals Committee which shall consist of 7 members of the club who shall be independent of the Disciplinary Committee and shall be chaired by a representative of the area applicable to the club. Any member whose appeal is not upheld should have a final right of appeal to Swim Wales within 14 days of receiving in writing the decision of the Appeals committee. The club secretary will be required within 14 days of being notified by the Hon Gen Secretary all relevant papers and evidence.

 

        1. Pending the hearing of an appeal the sentence imposed by the Disciplinary Committee shall be suspended, but the committee suspension may be maintained by majority decision.

  1. Insurance

 

        1. The Club and all members affiliated to Swim Wales shall be covered by the Swim Wales insurance scheme, details of which may be obtained from the Club Secretary.

 

        1. The club shall be responsible for ensuring that it is adequately insured for all activities undertaken by the club and all assets held by or on behalf of the club.

 

  1. Responsibilities to Governing Bodies


A copy of the Club Constitution and Rules as adopted or amended by any AGM or SGM shall be lodged as required with Swim Wales (North Region).

Nothing in the Club Constitution and Rules shall be held to over-rule those of the Governing bodies of Swim Wales current at that time.

 

  1. Trophies and Club Equipment

These items shall always remain the property of the Club and must be returned or requested by the Committee. In the case of trophies, these should be returned in good and clean condition.

 

  1. Annual Club Gala

The Club will hold an Annual Gala, timing of this at the discretion of the Committee. The competition is open to all paid-up members of the club who meet the following criteria:

        1. At the time of annual registration with Chirk they were not registered with another Swim Wales club

 

        1. Eligibility of swimmers to participate in the Club Gala, who join throughout the year, is at the discretion of the Committee.

 

        1. They are second registered with Chirk and have had competitive swims for Chirk Dragons in that year

  1. Swimmers Affiliation to other Clubs


1st Club Chirk:

Any swimmer who subsequently joins another club as second registered will be provided with a list of Gala dates at the beginning of each Calendar year where they would be expected to represent Chirk. For these dates it would be considered that Chirk would have first call on these swimmers.

For any individual gala it is expected that swimmers are entered under the name of their first choice club.

If the swimmer does not wish to participate in these events it would be expected that they cease to have Chirk as their first membership club, and will write into the committee as in rule 4.f. above

2nd Club Chirk:

Any swimmer who subsequently decides to make another club their first choice or who joins Chirk as a second choice club is still eligible to compete in team and individual galas if selected by the coaching staff