Constitution
1. The Club is run under the authority of Bideford, Littleham & Westward Ho! A Company Limited by Guarantee which owns all property of the club, and on whose behalf all officers and members act. The word 'company' refers to this company in these rules, and the word 'club' refers to the club for which these rules are provided. For administrative and other purposes, where appropriate, the club may be referred to as 'Bideford Cricket Club'. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have full power to investigate all activities of the club, and all financial matters and all matters relating to the acceptance of members shall be subject to the Company's ratification.
2. The Club is to be affiliated to the Devon Cricket Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board and its home ground shall be The Cricket Field at Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!
3. The Club colours shall be navy blue and gold.
4. Cricket shall be played under the current Laws issued by the Marylebone Cricket Club.
5. The aims and objectives of the Club shall be as follows:
i. To promote good and sporting cricket at all times and to promote social and fund raising activities in connection therewith
ii. To introduce young players into the heart of good club cricket and to provide them with coaching and competitive opportunities and every incentive and facility needed for them to become good club men and women.
iii. To encourage the attitude amongst players that cricket is a team game and is not just for the individual, thereby encouraging a good 'club spirit.'
iv. To ensure all members, playing and non-playing conform to the Laws of the Game and the various Codes of Conduct
v. To provide cricket as an amenity at westward Ho! and to promote the Club within the local community
vi. to manage the Bideford, Littleham and Westward Ho! Cricket Club and ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club by adopting and implementing the ECB 'Safe Hands - Welfare of Young People in Cricket' Policy and any future versions of the Policy. Also ensuring that all it's services are provided in a way which is fair and equitable to everyone.
6. Membership of the Club shall consist of Officers of the Club and members. 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 cricket as a particular sport. Prospective members will also be required to complete a membership application form and pay the relevant subscription/joining fees as determined by the Club. All members will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of conduct that the club has adopted. The constitution shall identify those members eligible to vote at any General Meetings
Classes of membership shall be as follows:-
Full member
Junior Member (under 18 years of age)
Social Member
Honorary/Life Member
Vice President.
7. The Officers of the Club shall be the President (ex Officio), The Chairman and the Treasurer and assistant Treasurer (who shall be ex officio being the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company from year to year and the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer of the Company as elected by the Board of Directors from year to year). The other elected officers shall be the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Welfare Officer, Chairman of the Ground Committee, Bar Manager, Club Captain, Fixture Secretary, Registration Secretary, Subscription Secretary the Colts Officer and three other members as the Club shall elect at Annual General Meeting. All Officers shall hold such office for e period of one year, but may be re-elected from year to year. Notwithstanding the above if any officer shall fail or be unable in the view of the Committee to undertake his elected office in a satisfactory manner, the committee shall be entitled to remove him from such office and to appoint a member of the club to act in that capacity for the remainder of the year when the position shall again be elected at Annual General meeting, always providing that in the interests of fairness the Officer who the Committee is seeking to remove shall have written notice that it is the intention of the committee to take such step and such officer shall have the right to attend and address such committee on his own behalf. The decision of the Committee however shall be final. the Committee shall also have the power to c0-opt any member on to it and to ask any member to act in the event of there being a vacancy in a particular office. In the event that any officer shall fail to pay his club membership fees or subscriptions, or shall resign as a member, he shall forthwith lose such office as he may hold.
The Club may act in times of necessity through an Executive Committee of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. Such committee may suspend the office or membership of any officer or member of the club, but in the event of taking such action the matter shall be put for ratification at the next regular committee meeting.
8. Management: . The Management of the Club cricket affairs shall be vested in the General Committee as above. Only the holders of these posts will have the right to vote at meetings of the General Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall notify all Committee members of the date and venue of all committee meetings by lodging the same on the Club website. Five members shall form a quorum.
9. Voting: At all meetings of the Club including Annual and Special General Meetings each member over the age of 18 shall be entitled to one vote. In the event of an equal vote, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands except where the General Committee or meeting Chairman decides voting shall be by ballot. At all meetings, decisions shall be made by a simple majority, except in relation to a change in the Club Rules.
10. Committees: The Officers and General Committee members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club in addition to which the General Committee shall elect annually, four additional Committees as follows:- 1. Ground Committee 2. Resources and Finance Committee 3. Team Administration Committee 4. Fixtures and Public Relations Committee, and such other sub-committees that may be required.
11. The General Committee shall have power to delegate to Committees who may be given full power to act where such course is considered appropriate and necessary for the well being and proper management of The Club, such power being regarded as delegated to the Officers of the Club for the purposes of dealing with any urgent matters requiring attention and which cannot await a full meeting of the General Committee.
The General Committee is authorised at its absolute discretion to apply for a gaming licence from the appropriate authority should this be required.
The General Committee shall also have power to appoint, pay and dismiss a secretary, a professional coach, bar steward, groundsman and other servants as it deems necessary.
12. All income and Property are the property of the Company and shall be applied by the Company in accordance with its governance and the interests of the club in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company and these rules.
13. At least 21 days notice shall be given of the AGM in writing by ensuring that such notice is prominently displayed on the Club's Web site Accompanied by the Agenda and Papers signifying the business to be transacted which shall include:-
The Minutes of the Previous AGM
Annual report by the Secretary
A statement by the Treasurer of the financial situation of the Company
Election of all officers detailed earlier in these rules
Notified Amendments to these rules
Other business notified to the Secretary.
14. By simple majority of the General Committee or on a requisition signed by at least ten club members a Special (or Extraordinary) General Meeting shall be convened by the Secretary by notice on the club website as above specifying the matter to be discussed.
15. At all meetings of the Club including Annual and Special general Meetings each member over the age of eighteen years shall be entitled to one vote. In the event of an equal vote, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting or second vote . Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands except where the General Committee or meeting Chairman decides voting shall be by ballot. At all meetings, decisions shall be by a simple majority.
16. The Club may, either through its own initiative, or as may be required by the Company appoint such sub-committees as shall appear appropriate. the Chairman of such committees shall be appointed by the Company or the General Committee and shall be ex-officio members of the General Committee.
17 . Honorary Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence, the Notice, Agenda and Minutes of the Annual, Special and General Committee meetings. Minutes of the aforementioned meetings (and any sub-committee meetings) shall be presented for confirmation at the following meeting.
18. Treasurer. The Treasurer of the Club shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to whom he shall be responsible. The Treasurer shall however give an account of the financial situation of the Club at every committee meeting and at the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for the placement and renewal of all insurance policies.
19. Subscriptions shall be fixed annually by the Board of Directors and communicated to the Committee at the earliest possible opportunity and shall be payable by the last day in June in each year and (subject as hereinafter mentioned) any member whose subscription is outstanding after that date shall cease to be a member of the club and must re-apply for membership unless the committee shall upon application formally or informally by such member decide there are particular reasons why such member shall not be expelled.
20. Election of Members. Candidates shall be proposed by any of the club and seconded by any other member and their names and addresses shall be exhibited at The Pavilion, Westward Ho! together with those of the proposer and seconder for a period of two days at the expiration of which period The General Committee shall consider the election of such candidates to membership.
21. Suspension. The general Committee has the right to suspend or terminate the membership of any member for infringement of the Constitution or for any conduct which in their opinion is or might be prejudicial to the welfare or proper conduct of the club. The decision of the general Committee is final.
22. Amendments to these rules may be made either by the the Company who shall at any time notify the General Committee of such rule change following which such rule or rules shall come into force the day after the Committee Meeting following such amendments, or by the Club at the Annual or at a Special General meeting, but in the event of the Club agreeing a proposed revision of the rules, such proposed changes shall not take effect until the Board of Directors shall have approved them.
23. No member shall at any time raise any claim against the club for any injury or damage whatsoever suffered whilst in or about the Club premises which includes its grounds and adjoining premises.
24. In the event of the dissolution of the Club any assets which shall remain after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall belong to the Company, but for the avoidance of doubt no such monies shall belong to the members of the club or company nor shall they paid to any such but shall be distributed to one or more of the following approved sporting or charitable bodies:-
a. A registered Charitable Organisation
b. Another Club which is a registered CASC
c. The sports national governing body for use by them for related community sports.
25. Generally the Bar Steward or the member acting as Bar steward shall have all the rights and powers which may be necessary for the proper conduct of the Clubhouse and due observance of the Club Constitution and Licensing Acts and other statutory provisions.
26 The Secretary is to take all steps to ensure that the Club is registered under the Licensing Acts and that the provisions of the Acts are at all time strictly observed. All members shall give every assistance to the Duty Bar Steward in complying with this rule.
27. Opening Hours. the said premises may be open to members from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
28. Intoxicating liquors shall be supplied only to members and their guests and the following, namely:-
a. members of visiting cricket clubs
b. Members of clubs and teams participating in any competition provided by the Club and organised by the Club on or from the Club premises
c. Persons visiting the Club by invitation or sporting purposes.
d. Officials appointed in connection with such matches
provided that no0one under the age of 18 years shall be supplied with intoxicating liquor.
29. No person whose membership has been terminated or for the time being suspended or whose application for membership has been refused shall at any time be introduced as a guest.
30. In the event of any behaviour by a member which, in the opinion of the Duty Bar Steward is prejudicial to the Club or is likely to infringe the Club Constitution or lead to any offence being committed, the Duty Bar Steward may request the member to leave the Club and, if necessary, may have him/her forcibly ejected without being liable in any way or manner for his/her action.
31. The Club enthusiastically pursues a Youth Policy involving the regular coaching of young players throughout the year under the supervision of qualified coaches. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief Coach to ensure that all Coaches and supervisors are aware of the Code of Practice for Safeguarding the Welfare of Children in Voluntary Organisations in England and Wales published by the Home office in 1993 and the 13 recommendations contained therein. As recommended an Independent person, to whom children can talk, shall be appointed at the AGM each year.
32. In the event that any matter should arise during the course of any year for which the foregoing rules do not provide, then the matter shall be referred to the Chairman of the Board who shall (on his own absolute authority) decide whether that matter should be dealt with by the Company or the Committee. the Chairman's decision as to the referral and the decision of either the Company or committee as to the matter in hand shall be final, but shall be reported to the next meeting of the authorised body.
33. Any written notice that shall be given or required to be given under these rules and regulations (other than a notice to an officer or member indicating the club's intention to remove that officer or member, or correspondence of a private nature) shall be deemed to be properly served and given if exhibited on the Club's website within the requisite notice period. Other information and notices shall be considered duly delivered if sent to the member's or officer's electronic address. In this connection the secretary or any assistant shall keep and update a register of all members' addresses, electronic addresses and current subscription status, provided always that if a member shall inform the secretary from time to time that he is unable to receive electronic correspondence he shall be entitled to receive any such notice in the normal mail, but failure to advise the secretary of that members requirement and the subsequent non-delivery of a notice shall in no way invalidate the service of that notice.
2. The Club is to be affiliated to the Devon Cricket Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board and its home ground shall be The Cricket Field at Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!
3. The Club colours shall be navy blue and gold.
4. Cricket shall be played under the current Laws issued by the Marylebone Cricket Club.
5. The aims and objectives of the Club shall be as follows:
i. To promote good and sporting cricket at all times and to promote social and fund raising activities in connection therewith
ii. To introduce young players into the heart of good club cricket and to provide them with coaching and competitive opportunities and every incentive and facility needed for them to become good club men and women.
iii. To encourage the attitude amongst players that cricket is a team game and is not just for the individual, thereby encouraging a good 'club spirit.'
iv. To ensure all members, playing and non-playing conform to the Laws of the Game and the various Codes of Conduct
v. To provide cricket as an amenity at westward Ho! and to promote the Club within the local community
vi. to manage the Bideford, Littleham and Westward Ho! Cricket Club and ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club by adopting and implementing the ECB 'Safe Hands - Welfare of Young People in Cricket' Policy and any future versions of the Policy. Also ensuring that all it's services are provided in a way which is fair and equitable to everyone.
6. Membership of the Club shall consist of Officers of the Club and members. 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 cricket as a particular sport. Prospective members will also be required to complete a membership application form and pay the relevant subscription/joining fees as determined by the Club. All members will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of conduct that the club has adopted. The constitution shall identify those members eligible to vote at any General Meetings
Classes of membership shall be as follows:-
Full member
Junior Member (under 18 years of age)
Social Member
Honorary/Life Member
Vice President.
7. The Officers of the Club shall be the President (ex Officio), The Chairman and the Treasurer and assistant Treasurer (who shall be ex officio being the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company from year to year and the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer of the Company as elected by the Board of Directors from year to year). The other elected officers shall be the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Welfare Officer, Chairman of the Ground Committee, Bar Manager, Club Captain, Fixture Secretary, Registration Secretary, Subscription Secretary the Colts Officer and three other members as the Club shall elect at Annual General Meeting. All Officers shall hold such office for e period of one year, but may be re-elected from year to year. Notwithstanding the above if any officer shall fail or be unable in the view of the Committee to undertake his elected office in a satisfactory manner, the committee shall be entitled to remove him from such office and to appoint a member of the club to act in that capacity for the remainder of the year when the position shall again be elected at Annual General meeting, always providing that in the interests of fairness the Officer who the Committee is seeking to remove shall have written notice that it is the intention of the committee to take such step and such officer shall have the right to attend and address such committee on his own behalf. The decision of the Committee however shall be final. the Committee shall also have the power to c0-opt any member on to it and to ask any member to act in the event of there being a vacancy in a particular office. In the event that any officer shall fail to pay his club membership fees or subscriptions, or shall resign as a member, he shall forthwith lose such office as he may hold.
The Club may act in times of necessity through an Executive Committee of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. Such committee may suspend the office or membership of any officer or member of the club, but in the event of taking such action the matter shall be put for ratification at the next regular committee meeting.
8. Management: . The Management of the Club cricket affairs shall be vested in the General Committee as above. Only the holders of these posts will have the right to vote at meetings of the General Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall notify all Committee members of the date and venue of all committee meetings by lodging the same on the Club website. Five members shall form a quorum.
9. Voting: At all meetings of the Club including Annual and Special General Meetings each member over the age of 18 shall be entitled to one vote. In the event of an equal vote, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands except where the General Committee or meeting Chairman decides voting shall be by ballot. At all meetings, decisions shall be made by a simple majority, except in relation to a change in the Club Rules.
10. Committees: The Officers and General Committee members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club in addition to which the General Committee shall elect annually, four additional Committees as follows:- 1. Ground Committee 2. Resources and Finance Committee 3. Team Administration Committee 4. Fixtures and Public Relations Committee, and such other sub-committees that may be required.
11. The General Committee shall have power to delegate to Committees who may be given full power to act where such course is considered appropriate and necessary for the well being and proper management of The Club, such power being regarded as delegated to the Officers of the Club for the purposes of dealing with any urgent matters requiring attention and which cannot await a full meeting of the General Committee.
The General Committee is authorised at its absolute discretion to apply for a gaming licence from the appropriate authority should this be required.
The General Committee shall also have power to appoint, pay and dismiss a secretary, a professional coach, bar steward, groundsman and other servants as it deems necessary.
12. All income and Property are the property of the Company and shall be applied by the Company in accordance with its governance and the interests of the club in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company and these rules.
13. At least 21 days notice shall be given of the AGM in writing by ensuring that such notice is prominently displayed on the Club's Web site Accompanied by the Agenda and Papers signifying the business to be transacted which shall include:-
The Minutes of the Previous AGM
Annual report by the Secretary
A statement by the Treasurer of the financial situation of the Company
Election of all officers detailed earlier in these rules
Notified Amendments to these rules
Other business notified to the Secretary.
14. By simple majority of the General Committee or on a requisition signed by at least ten club members a Special (or Extraordinary) General Meeting shall be convened by the Secretary by notice on the club website as above specifying the matter to be discussed.
15. At all meetings of the Club including Annual and Special general Meetings each member over the age of eighteen years shall be entitled to one vote. In the event of an equal vote, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting or second vote . Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands except where the General Committee or meeting Chairman decides voting shall be by ballot. At all meetings, decisions shall be by a simple majority.
16. The Club may, either through its own initiative, or as may be required by the Company appoint such sub-committees as shall appear appropriate. the Chairman of such committees shall be appointed by the Company or the General Committee and shall be ex-officio members of the General Committee.
17 . Honorary Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence, the Notice, Agenda and Minutes of the Annual, Special and General Committee meetings. Minutes of the aforementioned meetings (and any sub-committee meetings) shall be presented for confirmation at the following meeting.
18. Treasurer. The Treasurer of the Club shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to whom he shall be responsible. The Treasurer shall however give an account of the financial situation of the Club at every committee meeting and at the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for the placement and renewal of all insurance policies.
19. Subscriptions shall be fixed annually by the Board of Directors and communicated to the Committee at the earliest possible opportunity and shall be payable by the last day in June in each year and (subject as hereinafter mentioned) any member whose subscription is outstanding after that date shall cease to be a member of the club and must re-apply for membership unless the committee shall upon application formally or informally by such member decide there are particular reasons why such member shall not be expelled.
20. Election of Members. Candidates shall be proposed by any of the club and seconded by any other member and their names and addresses shall be exhibited at The Pavilion, Westward Ho! together with those of the proposer and seconder for a period of two days at the expiration of which period The General Committee shall consider the election of such candidates to membership.
21. Suspension. The general Committee has the right to suspend or terminate the membership of any member for infringement of the Constitution or for any conduct which in their opinion is or might be prejudicial to the welfare or proper conduct of the club. The decision of the general Committee is final.
22. Amendments to these rules may be made either by the the Company who shall at any time notify the General Committee of such rule change following which such rule or rules shall come into force the day after the Committee Meeting following such amendments, or by the Club at the Annual or at a Special General meeting, but in the event of the Club agreeing a proposed revision of the rules, such proposed changes shall not take effect until the Board of Directors shall have approved them.
23. No member shall at any time raise any claim against the club for any injury or damage whatsoever suffered whilst in or about the Club premises which includes its grounds and adjoining premises.
24. In the event of the dissolution of the Club any assets which shall remain after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall belong to the Company, but for the avoidance of doubt no such monies shall belong to the members of the club or company nor shall they paid to any such but shall be distributed to one or more of the following approved sporting or charitable bodies:-
a. A registered Charitable Organisation
b. Another Club which is a registered CASC
c. The sports national governing body for use by them for related community sports.
25. Generally the Bar Steward or the member acting as Bar steward shall have all the rights and powers which may be necessary for the proper conduct of the Clubhouse and due observance of the Club Constitution and Licensing Acts and other statutory provisions.
26 The Secretary is to take all steps to ensure that the Club is registered under the Licensing Acts and that the provisions of the Acts are at all time strictly observed. All members shall give every assistance to the Duty Bar Steward in complying with this rule.
27. Opening Hours. the said premises may be open to members from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
28. Intoxicating liquors shall be supplied only to members and their guests and the following, namely:-
a. members of visiting cricket clubs
b. Members of clubs and teams participating in any competition provided by the Club and organised by the Club on or from the Club premises
c. Persons visiting the Club by invitation or sporting purposes.
d. Officials appointed in connection with such matches
provided that no0one under the age of 18 years shall be supplied with intoxicating liquor.
29. No person whose membership has been terminated or for the time being suspended or whose application for membership has been refused shall at any time be introduced as a guest.
30. In the event of any behaviour by a member which, in the opinion of the Duty Bar Steward is prejudicial to the Club or is likely to infringe the Club Constitution or lead to any offence being committed, the Duty Bar Steward may request the member to leave the Club and, if necessary, may have him/her forcibly ejected without being liable in any way or manner for his/her action.
31. The Club enthusiastically pursues a Youth Policy involving the regular coaching of young players throughout the year under the supervision of qualified coaches. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief Coach to ensure that all Coaches and supervisors are aware of the Code of Practice for Safeguarding the Welfare of Children in Voluntary Organisations in England and Wales published by the Home office in 1993 and the 13 recommendations contained therein. As recommended an Independent person, to whom children can talk, shall be appointed at the AGM each year.
32. In the event that any matter should arise during the course of any year for which the foregoing rules do not provide, then the matter shall be referred to the Chairman of the Board who shall (on his own absolute authority) decide whether that matter should be dealt with by the Company or the Committee. the Chairman's decision as to the referral and the decision of either the Company or committee as to the matter in hand shall be final, but shall be reported to the next meeting of the authorised body.
33. Any written notice that shall be given or required to be given under these rules and regulations (other than a notice to an officer or member indicating the club's intention to remove that officer or member, or correspondence of a private nature) shall be deemed to be properly served and given if exhibited on the Club's website within the requisite notice period. Other information and notices shall be considered duly delivered if sent to the member's or officer's electronic address. In this connection the secretary or any assistant shall keep and update a register of all members' addresses, electronic addresses and current subscription status, provided always that if a member shall inform the secretary from time to time that he is unable to receive electronic correspondence he shall be entitled to receive any such notice in the normal mail, but failure to advise the secretary of that members requirement and the subsequent non-delivery of a notice shall in no way invalidate the service of that notice.
