New Approved Constitution Following EGM & AGM Changes in 2023
CONSTITUTION Of BIRR TOWN ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL CLUB
Title and Objects
1. The Club shall be called "Birr Town Association Football Club".
2. The objectives of the club are to promote, foster and develop the game of Association Football in Birr and its environs.
3. The registered address of the club shall be: WOODFIELD, BIRR, CO. OFFALY.
Membership
4. The club may consist of Honorary, Junior, Ordinary and Associate Members. Junior Members & Associate Members SHALL NOT be entitled to vote at any meeting or to engage in the management or control of the Club.
5. Honorary membership shall be open to all persons who have rendered exceptional services to the club or to the game. They may be elected for life or any defined period, and they shall NOT be obliged to pay any membership/subscription. Honorary Members shall have all the privileges of Full Members.
6. Junior membership shall be open to all persons under eighteen years of age
7. Associate Members is open to persons over 18 years of age and is intended for those who wish to use the club facilities. Their membership shall run on a yearly basis expiring at the end of July each year.
8. Ordinary Members of the Club shall be for a period of NOT more than one year and shall be open to all members eighteen years of age and over.
9. Members who have joined less than 6 months from the date of the AGM, shall NOT be entitled to a VOTE at the AGM. They are open to attending the meeting.
10. The club reserves the right to refuse Membership for any class of Membership. If membership has been applied for, or registered online with or without payment, will be deemed accepted if NO communication of Refusal is provided within 14 days of receipt of the application. Decisions to refuse membership must be taken by a majority vote of the Executive committee.
11. The Executive Committee shall have the power to expel or suspend from the Club activities any member of the Club whose actions are, in the opinion of the Committee, prejudicial to the interests of the Club.
Subscriptions
12. The Annual Subscription of Members other than Honorary Members shall be decided by the member's at the AGM. Change in subscription shall only be made by Notice of Motion as per Rule 29
13. Any member other than an Honorary Member whose annual subscription is NOT paid prior to the 30th April in any calendar year shall cease to be a member on that date and shall NOT be eligible to participate in any of the privileges attached to members of the club.
Executive Committee.
13a.The business and affairs of the Club shall be under the management of an Executive Committee and it shall be the controlling body of the Club.
14. The Executive Committee and their respective position on the committee shall be elected by the members present, entitled to vote and voting at the Annual General Meeting and nominations to serve on the Executive Committee shall be made by any two Ordinary Members and served on the secretary in writing at least fourteen days before the meeting using the prescribed nomination form.
15. The Nomination Form shall include the following positions which candidates can be nominated for:
• Chairman
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Public Relations Officer
• Underage League Co-Ordinator
• Child Welfare Officer
• Ordinary Member (6 Positions)
16. The Executive Committee shall consist of at least SEVEN members and not more than TWELVE. At least SEVEN members and shall be elected as per the procedure set out in Rules 14, 15 above. During their term of office, the Executive Committee may co-opt extra members onto the Executive Committee but this committee may not exceed TWELVE members in all.
17. No elected Committee Member shall serve more than 3 years without offering himself for election as per the following rotation schedule. On the year of approval of the following article, the rotation schedule for members elected at the AGM of that year shall be as follows:
Subsequent years then repeat this rotation.
The sequence of the ordinary member posts' rotation shall be determined at the first committee following the introduction of this rotation schedule
18. The Chairman of the Club shall preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee and over all General Meetings. In his absence the Vic- Chairman shall preside over all Executive and General Meetings.
19. The Executive Committee shall have sole rights to appoint Sub - Committees as required. It shall define the duties of such Sub - Committees and retain control in all matters and activities which it considers of importance of the general welfare of the club including the disposal of funds in the hands of such Sub - Committees.
20. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once per month and SEVEN Members shall constitute a quorum at a meeting.
21. The Executive Committee shall administer the business and the affairs of the Club and the property under its control in accordance with the aims and objects specified in these Rules and shall have such administrative powers as may be necessary for properly carrying out the aims and objects of the Club. A minuted decision made by the committee may NOT be rescinded without a two-thirds majority of the members present.
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22. The Chairman at every meeting shall have a deliberative as well as a casting vote.
23. Any Member of the Executive Committee who shall have absented himself from three consecutive meetings without reasonable explanation shall be deemed to have resigned from the Executive Committee.
24. Should any Member of the Executive Committee resign or his position otherwise lapse, the remaining Members of the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy by co - opting from the body of the Ordinary Membership. Such co- options shall lapse at the following AGM.
25. Each Member of the club shall have the right to be heard by the executive committee upon complaint or representation send by him in writing to the Secretary.
26. The Executive Committee shall have all powers of general management and the power to make by - laws and regulations as they may consider necessary for the good government and order of the Club and the power to reprimand, suspend and expel any Member who in their opinion shall be sufficient reason found unfit to continue membership. However no member shall be so reprimanded, suspended or expelled until he has been advised in writing and given a suitable opportunity of hearing any complaint made against him and explaining his conduct in defence.
Voting.
27. All Ordinary Members whose subscriptions at the prescribed rate are NOT in arrears and who are not excluded by rule 9, shall be eligible to vote at any General Meeting of the Club and voting shall be (unless otherwise agreed) by secret ballot. Where there is any dispute as to the voting procedure adapted, the Chairman of the Meeting shall be the sole arbitrator.
General Meeting.
28. The annual General Meeting of the Club shall be prior to the 30th June in each and notice of the meeting shall be published in the Local press at least Twenty - one days prior to the meeting. Notice of the meeting shall also be communicated on social media channels as well and to existing Managers/Coaches
29. In the case of the Annual General Meeting all motions must be in the hands of the secretary NOT less than fourteen days before the date of the meeting.
30. The following business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting:
30.A Special General Meeting of the Club shall be called by the Honorary Secretary within twenty-one days if directed by the Executive Committee or demanded in writing by NOT less than FIFTEEN Ordinary Members who in their requisition.shall state the object of such a meeting. No other business shall be transacted at that Special Meeting and notice thereof shall be published in the local press at least seven days prior to the holding of the meeting.
31.Twenty Members entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a General or Special Meeting of the Club. [See Amendment at END]
Assets and Trustees.
32 .The Club shall have the power to acquire and hold and to sell, lease, mortgage, or charge real and personal property.
33 .The property of the Club shall be vested in Trustees and the number of such Trustees shall not be more than TEN or less than FIVE. Any Trustee may be removed from office, if he does anything inimical to the interest and well being of the Club, by a majority of those attending and entitled to vote at the AGM or a SGM called in accordance with Rule No 30. No Trustee shall be removed until he has been advised in writing and given a suitable opportunity of hearing any complaint made against him and explaining his conduct in defence.
34. The Trustees, with the sanction of a Resolution of the Executive Committee duly passed, may act on behalf of and bind the Club and any deed, document, matter and thing signed, executed or done by the Trustees on behalf of the Club shall be binding on the Club if authorised or confirmed by a Resolution of the Executive Committee. Provided always that the Trustees may only do all or any of the following acts or things that is to say :-
Invest the funds of the Club and vary or transpose investments or acquire by purchase or otherwise lands or premises of the Club or sell, exchange, partition, lease, let, mortgage ,charge or otherwise dispose of or deal with any property of the club (whether the same be real or personal) for the time being vested in the trustees, with the Authority of a Resolution of the Executive Committee passed by at least three - fourths of those entitled to vote, whether present or not, voting in favour thereof.
35. The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation unless removed from office or unless they cease to be members of the Club. In the case of a vacancy in the Office of Trustee: the AGM shall have
power to act notwithstanding any casual vacancy in number of Trustees.
36. Insofar as the assets of the club may be deficient, the Trustees and members of the Executive Committee of the Club shall be indemnified against liability and expenses incurred by them by reason of their position as Trustees or Members of the Club for the time being.
37. The Club shall indemnify and save harmless a Trustee or any member of the Executive Committee in respect of any loss or out-of-pocket expenses bona - fide incurred by him in or about the execution of his trust or powers.
Miscellaneous
38. The secretary shall convene all Executive and General Meetings, keep record of such Meetings in the Minute Book of the Club and submit an Annual Report. He shall keep a list of the names and addresses of Members and shall on request furnish to each member on his election a copy of the Rules of the Club.
39. The Treasurer will keep correct Accounts and Books showing the financial affairs and receipts and disbursements of the Club and shall furnish the Executive Committee with particulars of same from time to time as may be required. He shall submit Annual Accounts once per year.
40. The Agenda of the Annual General Meeting and any Special Meeting shall be published in the local press at least seven days before the Meeting and shall include details of any Notices of Motion. Notice of any such meetings shall also be communicated on social media channels as well and to existing Managers/Coaches
41. The members and supporters of a visiting Club shall, for the day of the match only, be Honorary Members of the Club as shall the Referee of any match between the club and any visiting team played on the Club's grounds.
Alteration of Rules
42. Alteration and additions to these Club Rules may be made at any General Meeting provided that the resolution proposing same is carried by a vote of two - thirds of the members present and voting.
43. Members wishing to propose alterations or additions to these Rules must send notice of the proposed alterations or additions in writing to the Secretary not later than fourteen days before General Meeting.
Interpretation of Club Rules
44. The Executive Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these Club Rules and of any bye-laws and regulations made there under and the decision of the Executive Committee upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the club and not provided for by these Rules or by any bye-laws and regulations made there under shall be final and binding on the members subject to appeal to a General Meeting and shall not under any circumstances be subject to appeal to any Court of Law.
45. All members of the club shall be bound by the Rules of the Club and by any by-laws and regulations made there under. No member shall be absolved from the effect of these Rules or any bye-laws or regulations made there under on the grounds that he was not supplied with a copy of the Rules or a copy of the said bye - laws or regulations or bad no notice of the same.
AMENDMENTS
Article 31 – Amended by the members of the AGM in 2014 now reads:
“That a Quorum of the Committee (as stated in Rule 19) along with the number of members present on the date of the AGM or special meeting entitled to vote will now constitute a quorum at such meetings”
