Cardiff Triathletes Constitution

reviewed January 2022

 

1        Name of Club

 

The club will be called Cardiff Triathletes (herein after will be referred to as The Club), and may also be known as Cardiff Tri. Cardiff Triathletes will be affiliated to British Triathlon through Welsh Triathlon.

 

2        Aims and Objectives

 

The aims and objectives of The Club will be:

·        To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in triathlon, duathlon and other multi-sport activities

·        To promote sport of triathlon within Cardiff and the surrounding area 

·        To ensure a duty of care to all members of The Club

·        To provide all its services in a way that is fair and equitable to everyone

·        To encourage participation in swimming, cycling and running

 

3        Membership

           

(a)   Membership of The Club is open to anyone over the age of 18 interested in promoting, coaching, volunteering or participating in triathlon, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.

(b)   The membership shall consist of the following categories:

·        Training member

·        Social member 

(c)   All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining The Club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that The Club has adopted.

(d)   Members in each category will pay membership fees, as determined at the Annual General Meeting. 

(e)   Individuals shall be eligible to take part in the business of The Club, vote at general meetings or be eligible for selection of any Club team unless the applicable subscription has not been paid by the due date and/or membership has been not agreed by the Club Committee.

(f)    Training members are required to join Welsh Triathlon. It is the individual members’ responsibility to ensure this membership is up to date.

(g)   Training members shall marshal at least one Club organised event per year.

(h)   Training members of The Club may not enter Club organised events, with the exception of:

·        Novice training members in their first year of membership may enter Try a Tri. 

·        Training members may enter other Club organised events at the discretion of the Race Director, provided they have marshalled a Club event within the last year and sufficient marshals are available for the event to run safely. 

 

4      Committee

a.              The affairs of The Club shall be conducted by a Committee which shall consist of:

·        Chairperson

·        Treasurer

·        General Secretary

·        Membership Secretary

who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

b.    Each post may be shared by more than one individual, and conversely individuals may hold more than one post.

c.    All Committee members must be members of The Club. 

d.    If required, the Committee shall have the power to co-opt an unlimited number of persons in the capacity of committee members.

e.    The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election.

f.     If the post of any Committee member should fall vacant after such an election, the Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting.

g.    The Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of The Club.

h.   The Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and invite guests or advisers to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business. 

i.     The Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of The Club and be held no less than 4 times per year.

j.     Only the posts listed above or co-opted by them will have the right to vote at Committee meetings.

k.  The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings will be no less than half the number of Committee members.  

 

(l)  Decisions will be made by a simple majority. The Chairperson will have casting vote in case of a split decision. 

 

6        Finances

 

(a) The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of The Club.

(b) The financial year of The Club will run from 1^st January and end on 31^st December

(c) All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of The Club. 

(d) A statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting.

(e) Club funds may only be used for the purposes of the aims and objectives of The Club as listed above. 

(f) Any cheques drawn against club funds should hold the signatures of the Treasurer, Chairperson or Vice Chairperson. 

 

7        Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings

 

a. General Meetings are the means whereby the members of The Club exercise their democratic rights in conducting The Club’s affairs.

b.    The Club shall hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year to:

• Deal with other relevant business.
• Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.
• Agree the membership fees for the following year. 
• Elect the officers on the Committee. 
• Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts. 
• Receive reports from the Committee. 
• Discuss changes, improvements and successes of The Club during the previous year 

c.    Thirty days notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given.

d.    Nominations for officers of the Committee and all items for inclusion in the agenda shall be received by the secretary ten days prior to the meeting.

e.    All members have the right to vote at the AGM.

f.     The quorum for AGMs will be 10% of membership.

g.    An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary supported by at least 10% of the members of The Club.  The Committee shall also have the power to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of the Committee members.

h.   All procedures shall follow those outlined above for AGMs. 

 

8        Amendments to the constitution

 

The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.

9        Social Media and the Internet

 

1. The Club may use its own social media accounts (eg: Facebook, Twitter etc) to positively publicise the Club and, where appropriate, publish results.
2. All Club members may use their own social media accounts to positively publicise the Club and, where appropriate, publish results
3. Social media of any kind must not be used by any member to criticise, attack or undermine any person, club or association. Abuse of these rules may result in disciplinary action being taken against the member.
4. Cyber bullying, including but not limited to the following, will not be accepted:

  

o   Posting abusive messages.

o   Adding offensive comments to a picture a person has uploaded.

o   Posting a video / picture intended to undermine a person’s self-esteem.

o   Encourage others to share abusive, offensive or disparaging content.

o   Sarcasm intended to undermine a person’s self-esteem.

 

10       Discipline and appeals 

 

a.               All members are subject to this disciplinary process. 

 

2. All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Club Secretary, who will notify all members of the Committee upon receipt. 

 

3. The Committee can decide to exclude non-serious offences from the formal process and deal with the complaint on an informal basis. 

 

4. For more serious offences a Disciplinary Committee will then be set up, consisting of the following; a member of the Committee, a qualified Club Coach and a senior Club member (defined as someone who has been a member for a minimum of five years). 

 

5. The Disciplinary Committee will meet to hear the complaint within 21 days of the complaint being lodged. 

 

6. The outcome of the Disciplinary Hearing will be notified to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made, within 14 days of the hearing. 

 

7. There is a right of appeal to the Club Committee following the disciplinary hearing being announced. The Committee should consider the appeal within 21 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal. 

 

8. The Club Committee’s decision is final. 

 

9. The following sanctions are available:
   • No case to answer
   • Informal verbal warning
   • Formal written warning
   • Suspension of membership for a set period
   • Termination of membership 

 

10. The Chairperson can suspend membership pending enquiries 

 

11. The Committee can also decide to forward serious complaints to Welsh Triathlon and or the police. 

 

12. The Chairperson will record any decisions made and give a brief summary at the next AGM.

 

11       Dissolution

 

(a)        A resolution to dissolve the Club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.

 

(b)        In the event of dissolution, all debts should be cleared with any clubs funds. Any assets of The Club that remain following this will become the property of Welsh Triathlon.  

 

12       Declaration

Cardiff Triathletes hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.