Dated: Friday 21st February 2003
1. THE CLUB
1.1 The aim of Kerry Orienteers, hereinafter referred to as the Club, shall be to organise and promote the sport of orienteering in the County of Kerry.
1.2 The objectives of the Club are to increase the awareness of orienteering in the County generally, encourage more people to participate in orienteering with the Club and encourage our membership to excel in orienteering to their best ability at all levels .
1.3 The Club shall be affiliated to the Irish Orienteering Association (IOA) and the Munster Orienteering Association (MOA). The Club shall be administered in accordance with the IOA Constitution, and any rules, regulations and safety requirements of the Association, and all conditions of the IOA insurance policy.
1.4 The Club shall be administered in accordance with regulations or recommendations published by the Irish Sports Council, in particular the 'Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children's Sport in Ireland'.
2. MEMBERSHIP
2.1 The Club is an open Club as laid dow n in the IOA Constitution, and membership is open to all people resident in Ireland or who hold Irish citizenship or an Irish passport. Membership of the Club is targeted in particular at people living in Kerry or adjacent areas of Munster.
2.2 The Club shall have the following classes of membership - Senior, Junior, Student and Family. A person 21 years or older at the end of the year they join or renew their membership shall be categorised a Senior. A person 20 years or less shall be categorised a Junior. A person 21 years or older in full-time education at a recognised institution shall be categorised a Student. A family may take out a single Family membership (subject to any limits or conditions that may be laid down by the Committee).
2.3 Members shall pay an annual subscription to the Club entitling them to membership of the Club for one calendar year. Existing members' subscriptions shall be due for renewal on the 1st January each year regardless of the date they joined the Club.
2.4 The annual subscription payable by each category of member is entirely at the discretion of the Committee except that the subscription of a Junior must be not more than half that of a Senior and the subscription of a Student must be less than that of a Senior. (Seniors who are unemployed or retired are entitled to the same subscription as a Student.)
2.5 The Club is fully committed to safeguarding the well-being of its members. Every individual in the Club should at all times, show respect and understanding for the rights, safety and welfare of every other individual. Members should conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the IOA, and the guidelines contained in the 'Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children's Sport in Ireland'.
3. COMMITTEE
3.1 The affairs of the club shall be administrated by the Committee, which shall consist of five people. These shall be, in order of seniority:
(i) The Chairperson;
(ii) The Secretary;
(iii) The Treasurer;
(iv) The Public Relations Officer;
(v) The Logistics Officer.
3.2 The Committee shall determine the subscriptions payable by the members of the Club, and have ultimate responsibility for the activities of the Club. The Committee shall have control of the funds and property of the Club, and of its administration.
3.3 The Committee shall be elected at the AGM and hold office for one year, as prescribed in Clause 5. If a vacancy occurs in any Committee position before the next AGM or EGM is called, the remainder of the Committee shall elect a successor. If a vacancy occurs in the position of Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer before the next AGM or EGM is called, the remainder of the Committee may choose to call an EGM to elect a successor. All sitting committee members are eligible for re-election.
3.4 Committee members newly elected at an AGM or EGM shall take office immediately following the AGM or EGM. Committee members newly elected by the Committee shall take office at the next Committee meeting.
3.5 Committee meetings shall be held at least once every two months (excluding June, July & August). Notice shall be given to each Committee member at least five days before a Committee meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be three.
4. DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
4.1 The Chairperson shall:
(i) Ensure Committee members carry out their duties;
(ii) Arrange a venue, organiser, planner and controller for events the Club wishes to organise;
(iii) Organise training events and sessions and inform members of any other training activities of interest taking place;
(iv) Chair Club Committee meetings .
4.2 The Secretary shall:
(i) Give notice of meetings to the members and to the Committee;
(ii) Draw up minutes of those meetings;
(iii) Be responsible for the correspondence of the Club, including all communications with the Irish Orienteering Association (IOA), and distribute all publications or mailings from the IOA to the appropriate Committee members;
(iv) Register events the Club plans to hold with the IOA Fixtures Secretary and ensure that the permission of landowners is obtained;
(v) Inform all members of events the Club plans to attend and enter members for the events they wish to attend;
(vi) Maintain a register of the members of the Clu b (the Club Register);
(vii) As the committee member with special responsibility for children, promote the values, attitudes and structures which make sport enjoyable for children, and act as a resource to members in relation to children's needs.
4.3 The Treasurer shall:
(i) Be responsible for the Club's finances, keeping proper records of the Club's financial transactions in accordance with current accepted accounting rules and practices;
(ii) Develop and implement control procedures to minimise the risk of financial exposure, such as procedures developed under (i);
(iii) Ensure that bills are paid and cash is banked in accordance with the procedures developed under (i);
(iv) Prepare an annual budget for the Club and regularly inform the Committee of progress against that budget;
(v) Submit a report of the accounts at the AGM of the Club after they have first been approved by the Committee and make all records, procedures and accounts available on request to the Committee.
4.4 The Public Relations Officer shall:
(i) Carry out the advertising of events organised by the Club and the activities of the Club generally;
(ii) Attempt to obtain sponsorship for any major events the Club is organising or for members of the Club competing in major events;
(iii) Organise the production of a newsletter and distribute it to all members;
(iv) Act as webmaster of the Club website, maintaining the website regularly;
(v) Maintain electronic mailing lists for all Club members.
4.5 The Logistics Officer shall:
(i) Be responsible for the Club's equipment. Organise the storage of all the equipment and keep an inventory. Bring to the attention of the Committee any missing or damaged equipment and the need for the Club to purchase any equipment;
(ii) Maintain a detailed report of the status of all Club maps and mapping projects and be responsible for the organisation of any surveying or cartography;
(iii) Hold responsibility for Club maps, both electronic and paper stockpiles. Organise any printing runs necessary and the provision of maps to members for the holding of orienteering events, individual training etc.;
(iv) Arrange social events after orienteering events, meetings and at other times, and publicise them to Club members.
5. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
5.1 The Secretary shall convene an Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the direction of the Committee, between the 1st February and the 30th April each year.
5.2 The purposes of the AGM shall be:
(i) Reviewing the Club's activities during the previous year;
(ii) Reading of annual reports by the Chairperson, Secretary and any other Committee member who wishes to present a report;
(iii) Presentation of the Club accounts by the Treasurer;
(iv) Debating and voting on any motions to amend the Club Constitution or motions on other matters;
(v) Electing a new committee as set out in Clause 4;
(vi) Making recommendations for the Club's activities in the forthcoming year.
5.3 Members entitled to vote at an AGM or EGM (eligible members) are those who are over the age of 16 on the day of the meeting and were fully paid up members of good standing the previous calendar year.
5.4 The quorum for an AGM shall be fifteen or one-third the number of eligible members on the Club Register, whichever is the lower. Notice of the meeting must be posted to all members listed in the Club Register at least two weeks before the meeting.
5.5 The AGM shall be chaired by the Chairperson or, in their absence, by the most senior committee officer present (See Clause 4).
5.6 In the elections of Committee members, if there are more than two candidates for any particular post, the election shall be by single transferable vote.
6. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS
6.1 The Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) at any time if directed to do so by the Committee or on receiving a requisition signed by at least ten members of the Club.
6.2 The quorum for an EGM shall be fifteen or one-third the number of eligible members on the Club Register, whichever is the lower. Notice of the meeting must be posted to all members listed in the Club Register at least two weeks before the meeting.
7. AMENDMENTS
7.1 No section of this constitution may be amended without the approval of at least two-thirds of those present at an AGM or EGM of the Club. Any proposed amendment must be given to the Secretary and posted to all members listed in the Club Register at least two weeks before the meeting.
8. GRANTS & SUBSIDIES
8.1 Members who help in the organisation of events or other club activities, or who attend IOA or other relevant meetings, workshops or courses are entitled to grants from the Club to offset costs incurred, e.g. Transportation, accommodation, food etc. The level of grant available shall be entirely at the discretion of the Committee.
8.2 To be eligible for subsidies when competing in an event, individuals must run in the name of Kerry Orienteers for that event.
8.3 Members who act in the capacity of an event organiser or planner at least once in a year are excused from paying the relevant annual subscription due the following year.