1897 - 2009

Colchester Hockey Club

More than 100 years of hockey in north Essex

Constitution

1 Title and Objects

(a) The club shall be called Colchester Hockey Club, hereafter referred to as 'The Club'.
(b) The Club shall be affiliated to all hockey associations as deemed necessary by the  Management Committee.
(c) The Club shall provide for its members such amenities as the Management Committee deems desirable and to promote the playing of hockey.

2 Categories of Membership

Membership shall be open to any person who applies to join. The composition of the Club shall be :-

President - elected at AGM by membership.
Life Members - honorary category for members who have made significant contribution to the Club. Does not preclude playing members. Life Members shall only be nominated and approved by the Management Committee and confirmed by the Annual General Meeting.
Full Playing Members - players aged 19 years or more.
Junior Playing Members - players under 19 years of age playing adult league hockey.
Junior Members - under 19 year olds not playing adult league hockey.
Friends of CHC - for non-playing members wishing to contribute financially to the Club.

Age breaks for the above categories are as of 1st September in any given playing season. All applications to join the Club shall be submitted to the Management Committee who may accept or reject the application at their discretion. All members are required to provide the Honorary Secretary with contact details to enable efficient communication.

3 Officers of the Club

a) The Honorary Officers of the Club shall be the Club Captain, Secretary, Treasurer, Fixture Secretary, Umpires Secretary, Social Secretary, League Team Captains, Veterans Team Captains, Chair of Selection (Men), Chair of Selection (Ladies),  Welfare Officer, Junior Manager, Youth Representative (Men), and Youth Representative (Ladies), all of whom shall be members of the Club and be elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

b) The Club Captain shall have the option to be known as 'Club Chairman', or by any other such similar title, until their retirement from that position.

4 Management Committee

The management of the Club shall be vested in a Management Committee that is elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

The Management Committee shall comprise of the following Honorary Officers of the Club - Club Captain, Secretary, Treasurer, Fixture Secretary, Umpires Secretary, Social Secretary, League Team Captains, Veterans Team Captains, Chair of Selection (Men), Chair of Selection (Ladies),  Welfare Officer, Junior Manager, Youth Representative (Men), and Youth Representative (Ladies).

The quorum of a management meeting will be 50% of the Management Committee providing the meeting has been properly called.

5 Retirements from the Management Committee

The membership will be informed 28 days before the Annual General Meeting of any proposed retirements from the Management Committee.

6 Proposal of Members for Management Committee Positions

Members wishing to stand for positions should notify the Management Committee at least 7 days before the Annual General Meeting - without such notice, members proposed by the Management Committee shall be deemed to be unopposed.

In the event of two or more nominations for any one position, this will be decided by ballot. Nominations will only be taken from the floor where no other nominations have been received and the nominee accepts the nomination.

7 Powers of the Management Committee

The Management Committee shall have the following powers

(a) To fill any vacancy that occurs during the year amongst the Club Officers.
(b) To manage and control the funds and affairs of the Club.
(c) To make proposals to alter rules of the Club that shall become binding on all members subject to approval by the membership at a General Meeting.
(d) To accept, at their discretion, less than the full membership fee from members joining the Club.
(e) To vary, at their discretion, the annual membership fee and match fees for any one year.
(f) To decide all questions arising from these rules and to deal with any matter not provided for therein and to determine any disputes between members or with affiliated clubs.
(g) The power to co-opt and to form sub-committees and each sub-committee has the power to co-opt.
(h) The power to demand possession of the funds and property of the Club from any member holding them.

8 Membership Fees

Membership fees shall be payable at such times and of such amounts as the Management Committee may determine and shall be displayed in the fixture card.

9 Membership Fees in Arrears

The Management Committee shall have the power to take such action that they see fit with regard to any member whose subscription is not paid in accordance with the Club’s rules.

10 Club Uniform

Club uniform, as stated in the Club’s fixture card, shall be worn for all games.

11 Annual General Meeting

An Annual General Meeting shall be held in each calendar year and not later than 15 months from the previous Annual General Meeting. At this meeting the Accounts for the preceding year as certified by the Honorary Auditor, reports from Club Officers and any proposed rule change or change to membership fees shall be presented. Notice of the date of the Annual General Meeting will be notified to the membership at least 28 days before the said date. Items that members wish to have included on the Annual General Meeting agenda must be notified to the Management Committee at least 7 days before the meeting.

12 Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club shall be called by the Honorary Secretary at the request of the Management Committee or upon receipt of a requisition signed by at least 15 members of the Club specifying the object for calling the meeting, at which discussion shall be confined to that object only. At least 14 days notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting will be given to the membership.

13 Voting Rights

Life Members, Full Playing Members and Junior Playing Members only shall have full voting rights at General Meetings.

14 Quorum

The quorum for an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be 15 members in addition to any Club Officers present.

15 Discipline

All members of the Club will be expected to abide by the rules of hockey’s governing body and the Club as laid down in the Club's Constitution. If the conduct of any member of the Club is considered by the Management Committee to bring the Club into disrepute then the Management Committee shall be empowered to take such action as deemed necessary, which may include cancellation of membership.

16 Dissolution of the Club

The Club can only be dissolved at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose with the agreement from 90% of members present that are entitled to vote.

17 Alteration of the Rules

The Rules of the Club can only be altered at a General Meeting called, by notice to the members entitled to attend and specifying the proposed alteration(s). Any such proposal shall require a 75% majority of those present and eligible to vote.