1. Name
The name of the Club shall be ‘Crystal Palace Triathletes’.
2. Address
The address of the Club shall be the incumbent Secretary’s home address.
3. Status
The Club shall be a members’ club, shall be affiliated to the governing body and consist of those classes of members as specified in clause 5.
4. Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the Club shall be:
4.1 To support members in the activity of competing in triathlons, duathlons, related sports and multi-discipline events.
4.2 To support members in the activity of competition in the individual elements of triathlon, namely: swimming, cycling and running.
4.3 To provide facilities for and promote participation of the whole community in the
sport of triathlon.
4.4 To promote and administer triathlon and associated sporting events under the banner of Crystal Palace Triathletes.
4.5 To provide all its services in a way that is fair and safe for everyone, in line with British Triathlon’s safeguarding policy.
4.6 To ensure that all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment, in line with British Triathlon’s Equality and Diversity policy.
4.7 To promote a clean sport in line with British Triathlon’s Anti-Doping policy
5 Eligibility and Terms of Membership
5.1 Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs, or of age, sex or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of triathlon as a particular sport.
5.2 The Club may refuse membership or expel from membership only for good and
sufficient cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against such a decision may be made to an appeals committee as under the procedures outlined in clause 10.
5.3 Members shall be enrolled in one of the following categories:
a) Adult Members (who can join the governing body under the name of Crystal Palace Triathletes and have voting rights within the Club). Members then select one of the following training packages:
i. All-inclusive training package
ii. Pay As You Go (PAYG) training package
b) Honorary Members (who shall be granted Adult Members’ rights and will not be charged for membership or training).
i. Any Club member can propose an individual for Honorary Membership. They will outline brief reasons why and get this seconded by another Club member. This proposal will be submitted to the Committee for consideration at the last Committee meeting before the AGM.
ii. The Committee will then vote on all proposed Honorary Members. In order to secure Honorary Member status, the vote must be unanimous amongst the Committee members in attendance.
iii. Anyone approved as an Honorary Member will remain so for one year to be announced at the AGM and taking effect from the following membership year.
c) University Members (who shall be granted Adult Members’ rights and receive discounted membership charges)
d) Junior Members, who may each be represented by no more than one parent or guardian at any General Meeting.
Committee
6.1 The business of the Club shall be directed by the Committee except for matters reserved under those rules for the Club in the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
6.2 The Committee shall consist of the following officials who shall be elected at the AGM for a period of one year:
(a) Chairperson
(b) Treasurer
(c) Secretary
(d) In addition, at the conclusion of the AGM, the total Committee shall have up to 14 members, each member being either an Adult Member or a parent or guardian of a Junior Member, serving with a minimum of five adult members.
(e) Any member wishing to serve on the Committee shall notify such wish to the
Club Secretary, via email, having secured both proposer and seconder for their nomination.
6.3 The Committee shall meet at least quarterly with a majority of the Committee in attendance.
6.4 The Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary may not hold more than one of these posts in any one year.
6.5 All office holders should prepare written reports for the AGM to be published with the agenda to be circulated to the members via the e group at least one week before the AGM.
6.6 The responsibilities of the Committee members shall be as follows:
(a) Chairperson
(i) The Chairperson shall chair all Club meetings but in their absence any member of the Committee may be selected to chair.
(ii) They shall coordinate all the work of the Committee.
(iii) They shall be the spokesperson of the Club.
(iv) They shall be a co-signatory of the Club’s bank accounts.
(b) Treasurer
(i) The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping an up to date record of the accounts of all monies received and paid, by and to, Crystal Palace Triathletes.
(ii) They shall discharge any debts of the Club’s bank accounts, which shall be held in the name of ‘Crystal Palace Triathletes’.
(iii) They shall discharge any debts the Club may incur promptly and expediently.
(iv) They shall be a co-signatory of the Club’s bank accounts. They shall also have access to the Club’s bank accounts via internet banking and as such shall be able to discharge the above responsibilities without a co-signatory.
(v) They shall be responsible for drawing up, and presenting to the Committee, and if approved, detailed financial statements for the Club, running to 30 September annually. Such statements must be prepared and approved by the Committee in advance of the AGM, at which time all members will have the right to inspect the underlying financial records, and to question the Treasurer in relation to the financial performance of the Club for the year ending immediately prior to the AGM.
(c) Secretary
(i) The Secretary shall keep an up to date record of all Club members.
(ii) They shall be the named contact of the Club as published in the governing body’s handbook.
(iii) They shall be responsible for membership enquiries.
(iv) They shall minute all Club meetings. In their absence another member of the Committee should be elected to complete the task. They shall publish all Club minutes.
(v) They shall be co-signatory of the Club’s bank accounts.
(vi) They shall take all reasonable steps to notify all Club members of any General meetings.
(vii) They shall be responsible for handling the Club’s affiliations to relevant governing bodies.
6.7 The Committee shall be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation of the Club.
6.8 The Committee shall have the power to assign tasks of the Chair, Treasurer and Secretary to elected members, to appoint sub-committees and appoint advisers to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business.
6.9 The Committee shall have the powers to appoint a Welfare Officer and a Child Protection Officer; both positions may be carried out by one person.
6.10 The Committee shall be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the Club’s rules/regulations/constitution. The Committee shall be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.
6.11 The Committee reserves the right to approve or deny any undertakings under the name of Crystal Palace Triathletes.
6.12 There is no limit on the number of years, consecutive or otherwise, that a member can be elected to and serve on the Committee.
6.13 Any vacancy within the Committee shall be filled from the ordinary membership or a parent or guardian of a Junior Member and agreed by the Committee.
7. Subscriptions, Income and assets
7.1 The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards promoting the Club’s objectives as set forth in this constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, to the Members of the Club.
7.2 Clause 7.1 will not apply to:
7.2.1 Charitable donations made with the agreement of the Committee where those charities promote the activity of competing in triathlons, duathlons, related sports and multi-discipline events up to a maximum of 10% of the Club’s assets as stated on the previous year’s accounts; or
7.2.2 Expenses incurred as a result of the general operation of the Club which are approved by the Treasurer and at least one of the Chairperson or Secretary.
7.3 The annual subscriptions shall be proposed by the Treasurer and agreed at the AGM.
7.4 A membership fee for new members shall be payable from the date of joining .
7.5 From 2023, any new members will join for one full year from the date their membership starts (e.g., 16th March to 15th March in the subsequent year).
7.6 To become a member and benefit from Club membership, the membership fee shall be paid in full, and a membership form completed / updated for each year for which membership is required, in a format agreed by the Committee.
7.7 Any member selecting the All-inclusive training package whose subscription is renewed within one month of their previous membership year will not be required to pay the membership fee when renewing.
7.8 Members selecting the Pay As You Go (PAYG) training package will pay the membership fee annually and will then be entitled to purchase minimum blocks of 40 tokens in order to attend coached or paid for club sessions.
8. Club Communications
8.1 The Club’s main choice of communication shall be via email using the club’s myclubhouse system and via WhatsApp. Club documentation such as copies of minutes, annual reports etc, shall be made available to members via the club’s myclubhouse system.
9. Club Championships
9.1 The Committee shall select appropriate races as Club Championship races and these will be notified to members.
9.2 Only members whose subscriptions have been fully paid shall be eligible to participate in the Club Championships.
9.3 To be eligible for the Club Championships members must compete in an item of official CPT club kit.
9.4 Prizes shall be awarded at the Committee’s discretion.
10. Discipline and appeals
10.1 All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to a current member of the Committee.
10.2 A sub-committee of three members of the Committee shall meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. The sub-committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.
10.3 The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the members against whom the complaint was made within 14 days of the hearing.
10.4 There shall be the right of appeal to the Committee following disciplinary action being announced. Three Committee members who did not sit on the original hearing shall consider the appeal within 14 days of the Secretary receiving the required notice, and advise the member and complainant of their findings within a period of 14 days.
11. Meetings of the Club
11.1 The AGM shall be held on a suitable date in November or December. Four weeks’ notice must be given to members of the AGM.
11.2 Quorum for AGMs shall be a minimum of 20 members eligible to vote in that meeting.
11.3 Nominations for positions of Officers and Committee members of the Club shall be open until the point at which the Chairperson puts the matter to the vote
11.4 The agenda for the AGM shall be circulated one week prior to the meeting and include:
a) Details of existing Officers and Committee members willing to stand for re-election
b) Notice of any additions or amendments to the Constitution
c) Written reports from the Chairman and Secretary, together with an income and expenditure account and written report from the Treasurer
11.5 An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called if a minimum of 10 Full Members of the Club makes such a request in writing to the Chairperson. The Committee may also call for an EGM. These shall take the form of requesting an EGM and the agenda item(s) to be discussed.
11.6 An EGM shall have all the powers and authority of an AGM. Two weeks’ notice must be given to members of a forthcoming EGM.
11.7 Quorum for EGMs shall be a minimum of 15 members eligible to vote in that meeting.
11.8 Voting at all General Meetings shall be one member, one vote, either by a show of hands or, if requested, a secret ballot.
11.9 Any member unable to attend a General Meeting will be allowed a proxy vote. This must be conveyed to the Secretary in writing prior to the meeting.
11.10 All matters shall be decided on a straight majority. In the event of a tie the Chair will have the right to a casting vote.
12. Changes to the Constitution
The Constitution may be amended or revoked by the members present at a General Meeting, but the changes must have been notified as part of the agenda and not tabled at the meeting.
13. Club Banking
13.1 Two out of the three co-signatories must authorise all expenditures for any of the Club’s accounts.
13.2 Internet/telephone banking facilities will be permitted but 13.1 applies.
14. Dissolution
14.1 The Club shall be dissolved upon a resolution to that effect passed by a quorate General Meeting. Following this resolution, the Secretary, Treasurer and Chairperson shall take appropriate action to convert into money all property of the Club and to discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club.
14.2 In the event of dissolution of the Club, any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to one or more of the following approved sporting or charitable bodies:
a) A registered charitable organisation(s)
b)Another Club which is a registered CASC
c)The sport’s national governing body for use by them for related community sports
15. Exemption from Liability
15.1 Neither Club officials nor members will be liable to any member or guest for injury, loss or damage to self or property occurring through the process of reasonable Club activities.
15.2 Failure by any member to follow the due process of law will negate this clause.
