THE EAST MIDLANDS ORIENTEERING ASSOCIATION - CONSTITUTION
( as amended in October 2003 )
1. TITLE & OBJECTS.
1.1 The association shall be called the East Midlands Orienteering Association. Its objectives shall be to co-ordinate and develop the sport of orienteering, as defined by the British Orienteering Federation, within the East Midlands, and so to further the development of and participation in the sport of orienteering.1.2 Its objectives shall also include representing the interests of members and affiliated clubs and groups on representative bodies and to support their activities within the sport.
2. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
2.1 The affairs of the Association shall be administered by an executive committee composed of the following voting members :2.2. a) the four Principal Officers :
Chairperson
Vice chairperson
Secretary
Treasurer
b) additional officers :
Fixtures secretary
BOF Council representative
BOF committee representatives
Regional newsletter editor
Regional website editor
Mapping adviser
Development officer
c) Club representatives:
Each affiliated club may nominate one representative to the committee. The club secretary shall advise the Secretary of the Association of the person nominated.
2.3 To be eligible for election members must have expressed a willingness to serve and to have been nominated by not less than two other members.
2.4 The principal officers may not stand for election for more than three consecutive years.
2.5 The members at a General Meeting may also elect a President who shall have no voting rights on the Executive Committee.
2.6 No more than three Principal Officers shall be from the same club.
2.7 No more than 50% rounded down, of the other elected members of the Executive Committee should be from the same club unless all voting members of the Committee agree at the first Committee meeting after the AGM.
2.8 The Executive Committee shall meet as necessary but at least once within any given period of three months. All Committee members shall be advised of such meetings at least seven days in advance.
2.9 A minute book shall be kept of all meetings with the minutes circulated to all members of the Executive Committee and the minutes shall be approved at the next meeting and signed to that effect by the Chairperson or Acting Chairperson.
2.10 A quorum shall consist of not less than one third of the total strength of the Executive Committee and at least two members must be Principal Officers.
2.11 In the interests of continuity the immediate past chairperson may be invited to be an additional member of the Executive Committee ( with full voting rights ) for a period of one year following his or her period of office.
2.12 Any member of a constituent club within the Association who is Chair, Vice-Chair or elected member of BOF Council shall be an ex-officio member of the executive committee but shall only have voting rights if otherwise empowered by the constitution.
3. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE POWERS:
The Executive Committee shall be empowered to carry out the following activities :3.1 Appoint additional officials, but if these come from outside the committee they not shall have a vote.
3.2 Constitute sub-committees or working parties as may be deemed necessary.
3.3 At the first committee meeting after the AGM elect from within its members persons to fill any of the other positions not filled at the AGM or will allocate those duties amongst themselves. If any post becomes vacant during the year they may fill it until the next AGM by a member from outside the Committee.
3.4 Purchase, hire, lease or insure any property or equipment for the benefit of the Association or its members.
3.5 Nominate delegates to other bodies who shall exercise any voting rights on behalf of the Association.
3.6 Accept or reject clubs wishing to affiliate to the Association subject to ratification at the next AGM.
4. MEMBERSHIP & VOTING
4.1 The Treasurer shall maintain a register of Affiliated Clubs accepted in accordance with paragraph 3.6 of this constitution.4.2 Members of the Association are defined thus :
a) Individual
i) A member of an affiliated club for whom the club has paid the EMOA membership fee to the Association.
ii) An individual who is a direct member of the Association.
b) Family
Families ( parent(s) and his/her/their children under the age of 19 on 31st December in the year of membership, or partners ) :
i) For whom an affiliated Club has paid an appropriate membership fee to the Association, or
ii) Who are direct members of the Association.
c) Groups
Groups or organisations which cover a number of activities and whose members only take part in orienteering competitions on an occasional basis, ( i.e. no member eligible for M20/W20 or older takes part in more than three open competitions per year ), and which have paid the appropriate membership fee to the Association.
d) Honorary Life Members
Honorary Life Members as approved by the membership at the AGM.
4.3 All members of the Association present at a General Meeting have the right to vote at the meeting provided that they have been a member for at least 28 days as follows :
a) Each individual member shall have one vote.
b) Each family member over the age of 18 at the date of the meeting shall have one vote.
c) Each group shall have one vote.
d) Each Honorary Life Member shall have one vote.
4.4 No proxy votes will be allowed.
4.5 The Chairperson of any meeting shall be allowed only a casting vote.
5. FINANCE
5.1 The financial year of the Association shall run to 30th June. The accounts of the Association will be balanced at 30th June each year and submitted for approval to the following Annual General Meeting after independent examination5.2 The funds of the Association shall be held in a bank, post office or building society account and used in accordance with the objectives of the Association.
5.3 All cheques or other instructions written against the Association funds shall be signed by any officers nominated by, and in such combinations as agreed by, the Executive Committee. 5.4 Expenses may be paid to any member of the Executive Committee and representatives of the region engaged on Association business.
5.5 The Executive Committee shall ensure that an Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet is prepared each year that fairly represents the financial transactions of the Association for the year and the balances held at the Balance Sheet date and that these be seen by an Independent Financial Examiner who should express an opinion in writing as to whether they represent a true and accurate picture.
5.6 The Independent Financial Examiner shall be a person with experience in financial matters and shall not be a member of the Executive Committee of the Association. The Independent Financial Examiner shall not be involved in or associated with any significant financial transactions with the Association or the Treasurer, and should be from a different Club to the Treasurer.
5.7 The Independent Financial Examiner shall, at the AGM each year, be appointed for the coming financial year , and may have been nominated by the Executive Committee. The Independent Financial Examiner may only be removed from office by the members of the Association at a General Meeting although the Executive Committee shall be able to fill any vacancy that arises during the course of the year.
5.8 The Treasurer shall be responsible for retaining the accounting records to meet statutory requirements and those of outside funding sources.
6. GENERAL MEETINGS
6.1 The Association shall hold an AGM within 120 days of the end of the financial year.6.2 The Secretary shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting upon receipt of a written application from 10% of the voting membership of the Association, or if requested to do so by the Executive Committee. The Secretary must call the meeting within 14 days of receipt of the application or request, with the meeting then to be held between 14 and 28 days later. When convening the meeting the Secretary must advise the membership of the number of voting members of the Association at that time.
6.3 Notice of the AGM or an E.G.M. must reach voting members 14 days before the meeting. Included with the notice should be an agenda and any proposed amendments to the constitution. In the case of an AGM, all proposed amendments must be received before August 15th, and notice may only be given after that date. A quorum at a General Meeting shall be 15 voting members.
6.4 At the AGM the Chairperson's report shall give an account of the Association since the AGM was last held and the Accounts shall be voted upon by the members present.
6.5 Members of the Executive Committee as defined by 2.2 a) and 2.2 b) shall be elected at the AGM.
v 6.6 At the AGM, the retiring Treasurer shall produce, as guidance to the members of the Association, a projected budget covering the likely income and expenditure for the following year and any proposals for changes in the levels of subscription, event levies, equipment hire-out fees, and any other funding arrangements.
v 6.7 All these funding arrangements will then be voted upon by the members present who may offer amendments to the suggested figures.
