Birmingham Wheels Roller Speed Club 


CONSTITUTION 


1. NAME 

The name of the club shall be ‘Birmingham Wheels Roller Speed Club’ (hereafter 
called the club).  

2. PURPOSE 

The purposes of the club are to promote community participation in the amateur sport 
of roller speed skating.  The club will provide opportunities to experience alternative 
skating activities in the Birmingham area. 

3. MEMBERSHIP 

a) Membership of the club is open to anyone interested in the sport provided on 
application, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or 
other beliefs. 

b) Any members of the Committee shall by virtue of their membership of the Committee 
be a member of the club. 

c) The club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non- 
discriminatory and fair basis. The club will keep subscriptions at levels, which will not 
pose a significant obstacle to people participating. 

d) The club committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such 
as conduct or character likely to bring the club or sport / activity into disrepute. 
Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to an appointed panel consisting of 
club members.  

4.        OBJECTS 

The objects of the club shall be: 

a) To provide its members to experience recreational and competitative skating 
activities under supervised safe conditions. 

b) To affiliate to the National Governing Body of speed skating, which gives insurance 
cover under supervised safe conditions. 

c) To optimise physical fitness for all ages and in particular develop an active lifestyle 
for children and young people, and improve personal and social development of all 
club members. 

d) To discourage all from engaging in illegal activities. 

e) To increase interest in the activities and membership of the club through promotion of 
facilities / activities provided by the club. 

f) To raise funds for the club, by any lawful means such as appeals, subscriptions, 
charges, grants and loans, which the Committee deem appropriate subject to 
agreement. 

g) To open bank accounts, deposit or invest funds in any lawful manner. 

h) Set aside or apply funds for specific purposes or as reserves. 

i) Employ and engage staff and others and provide services. 

j) To liaise and co-operate firstly with any bodies regulating or organising the sport of 
roller speed skating, secondly with any club or body involved with roller speed 
skating and thirdly with government and related agencies, the remit or interest of 
which includes crime prevention, health, safety or the welfare of children and young 
people. 

k) To hold competitions/events and provide coaching by instructors to increase 
performance / skills, training, medical treatment and related social and other 
opportunities. 

l) Do all other things reasonably necessary to advance the purposes. 

5. THE COMMITTEE 

Subject to the rules as set out below the club, its funds, property and affairs shall be 
controlled and managed by a Committee (‘the Committee’) which shall meet not less 
than 3 times a year, the meetings of which shall be open to all members of the club.  

The Committee shall consist of: 

a) 4 members who shall be over the age of 18 years and who shall be appointed 
annually by the members of the Club in general meeting. 

These officer posts will be Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Child Protection 
Officer.  If the Chairperson is not present within 10 minutes after the appointed time 
for holding a meeting the Committee members present shall choose a member being 
at least 18 years of age to be the Chairperson for the meeting. 

b) The Committee shall have the power to suspend any member of the club who acts in 
any way, which in absolute discretion of the Committee, it considers to be contrary to 
the interests of the club or its members. 

c) The committee may co-opt club members to serve until the end of the next AGM. 

d) Any committee member may be re-elected or co-opted without limit. 

e) A committee member ceases to be such if they cease to be a member of the club, 
resigns by written notice, or is removed by the committee for good cause after the 
member concerned has been given the chance of putting their case to the committee 
with an appeal to club members, or is removed by club members at general meeting. 
The committee shall fairly decide time limits and formalities for these steps. 

f) A resolution signed by every committee member will be valid without a meeting. 

g) The committee may delegate any of its functions to sub committees but must specify 
the scope of its activity and powers; the extent to which it can commit funds of the 
club; its membership; its duty to report back to the committee. The committee may 
wind up any sub committee at any time or change its mandate and operating times. 

h) The committee will have due regard to the law on disability discrimination and child 
protection. 

6.    ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 

a) Once in each year and within 3 months of the end of the previous financial year the 
Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting to which all members of the 
group shall be entitled to attend for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report of the 
Committee and the audited Statement of Accounts; of accepting resignations of 
Committee members; of electing Committee members in accordance with Clause 5 
(a) herein; of receiving the appointment of Committee members in accordance with 
Clause 5(a) herein; of appointing an independent examiner or auditor; of making 
recommendations to the Committee and whenever necessary of voting on proposals 
before the meeting including proposals to amend this Constitution in accordance with 
Clause 9 (b) herein. 

b) Junior members of the club shall be entitled to be accompanied at all general 
meetings by their parent(s) or legal Guardian(s) but only the members of the club 
shall be entitled to vote on any issue. 

c) If for whatever reason the Committee have failed to convene an Annual General 
Meeting at the appropriate time during 2 successive financial years of the club then 
any other member of the club may call a General Meeting. 

7.   SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING 

The Chairperson of the Committee may at any time at their discretion and shall within 
21 days of receiving a written request to do so signed by not less than half those 
having the power to vote on the Committee and giving reasons for the request, call a 
Special General meeting to which all members of the group shall be entitled to attend 
for the purpose of altering the Constitution in accordance with Clause 8 (b) herein 
and of considering any matter which be referred to them by the Committee and for 
any other purpose. 

8.    CALLING AND RECORD OF MEETINGS 

a) Notice of all Committee meetings together with an agenda shall be sent to the 
Committee by the Secretary not less than 14 days before the date of the meeting and 
in the case of a General meeting to all members of the club not less than 21 days 
before the date of the meeting; 

b) The Secretary and / or Shadow Secretary shall keep minutes of the proceedings of 
the Committee in books kept for that purpose. 

c) Ordinary meetings of members will be work–orientated social meetings, which will 
not be minuted.  The Management Committee will undertake the role of encouraging 
ideas from members and allocating tasks. 

d)   Annual club reports and statements of account must be made available for inspection  
by any member and all club records may be inspected by any committee member. 


9. RULES OF PROCEDURE AT ALL COMMITTEE MEETINGS 

a) Voting – all questions other than any alternative to this Constitution arising at any 
meetings shall be decided by a consensus or, upon the matter being formally put and 
seconded, by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote on a show of 
hands and no member shall exercise more than one vote PROVIDED that in the 
case of an equality of votes the Chairperson shall have second or casting vote; 

b) Constitution – no alteration to this constitution shall be approved other than by the 
members of the group in General Meeting where not less than two thirds of the 
members present and voting approve such alteration; 

c) Quorum – there shall be a quorum when at least ¼ of the number of the members for 
the time being, or 3 members whichever is the greater, are present at the meeting; 

d) Debate – a motion shall fall if there is no seconder for it.  Any motion may be subject 
to amendment providing that the amendment is formally put and seconded.  The 
amendment will then be debated and voted upon before the substantive motion is 
put.  If the amendment is lost the motion shall continue to be debated un-amended or 
subject to any other amendment; if the amendment is carried then the motion as 
amended shall become the substantive motion before the meeting.  An amendment 
should seek only to refine or adjust the detail of the substantive motion; if it goes to 
the heart of the motion or created a contrary intent then the Chairperson shall not 
admit it as an amendment for debate. 

e) Whenever a committee member has a personal interest in a matter to be discussed 
they must declare it, withdraw from that part of the meeting (unless asked to stay), 
not be counted in the quorum for that agenda item and withdraw during the vote and 
have no vote on the matter concerned. 

10.    FINANCE 

a) The Committee shall ensure that the finances of the club are properly managed and 
are used only for the purposes of the club. 

b) The Committee shall cause a separate Banking account to be opened in the name of 
the club into which all income shall be paid and out of which all expenditure not met 
from other sources shall be paid. 

c) The Treasurer and the Secretary shall be the authorised signatories to the Banking 
account from which no money shall be capable of being drawn without signatories 
from the Treasurer and Secretary. 

d) The financial year of the club shall be 1 November to 31 October the following year in 
each and every year. 

e) The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the club in books kept 
for that purpose; 

f) At the end of each financial year the Treasurer shall cause the accounts of the club 
to be examined by an independent examiner within the meaning of section 43 (3) of 
the Charities Act 1993; 

g) The funds of the club shall only be applied for the purposes of the club and no 
payment shall be made to any member except by way of reimbursement of expenses 
properly and necessarily incurred on behalf of the club. 

h) The club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, 
coaching courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, away competition expenses, 
post competition refreshments and other ordinary benefits of community amateur 
sports clubs as provided for in the Finance act 2002. 

i) The club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the club: sell and supply 
food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment; employ members (though not 
for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set 
by the committee without the person concerned being present; pay for reasonable 
hospitality for visiting teams and guests; and indemnify the committee and members 
acting properly in the course of running the club against any liability incurred in the 
proper running of the club (but only to the extent of its assets). 

11.    DISSOLUTION 

In the event that the club should cease to operate for whatever reason for any period 
in excess of 12 consecutive months or if at any time it is unable to pay its debts as 
and when they become due then the club shall by the Clause automatically be 
dissolved.   Upon such event any property, money or other assets of the club shall, 
after the payment of all the debts and liabilities of the club, be forthwith applied to 
other organisations with the Area of Benefit for purposes which include in-line speed 
skating, alternative recreational activities and the education and/or welfare of young 
persons.  If no such organisation exists at that time, then the assets of the club shall 
be applied to any organisation meeting these criteria within the administrative area of 
West Midlands or to the national governing body for use for the sport of roller skating. 
In both instances the destination of the assets shall be at the sole discretion of the 
Agencies having taken into account the ownership of any property in the control of 
the club but not owned by the club such property being returned to its rightful owner.