Rules of Berry Hill Junior Section Rugby Football Club

1.The Club shall be called “Berry Hill Rugby Football Club’

2.The object of the Club is to organise and encourage the playing of Rugby Football, in accordance with the Laws and Regulations of the Rugby Football Union, and those of its constituent bodies to which the Club is affiliated.

3.Membership shall be open to any player or supporter of Rugby Football. The categories of membership shall be as follows:

(a) Full Playing Membership: which shall include all Players over the age of 21 as of the first match of the current season;

(b)Youth Playing Membership: which shall include all Players under the age of 21 as of the first match of the current season;

(c)Non-Playing Membership: which shall include all members who are not active playing members, and are not Honorary members as defined below; and

(d)Honorary Membership: which shall include all Vice Presidents, and Life Vice Presidents.

New members shall apply with the endorsement of a Proposer and Seconder from the current membership. All members shall also become members of the Old Surbitonians Association.

4.Membership may be withdrawn or suspended by the decision of the Committee at any time, without prior notice, for conduct considered unworthy of membership, either on or off the field of play.

5.All Members, except for Honorary members, shall pay an annual subscription. The annual subscription shall:

(a)be as determined by the Committee; and

(b)be payable on 1st October of each year, or at such later date as a new member joins.

6.The Committee may in its absolute discretion accept a reduced subscription in special cases.

7.The Committee may publicise in a prominent place within the Clubhouse the names of members who fail to pay their subscription within eight weeks of its becoming due; and may suspend any member who has not paid his subscription within a further four weeks from such a notice being posted.

8.A match fee shall be determined by the Committee from time to time and shall be payable by each player on each occasion he takes part in a match for the Club.

9.The Management of the Club shall be carried out by a Committee, elected for that purpose at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall consist of the following Principal Officers: Chairman, Hon. Secretary, and Hon. Treasurer; and a minimum of seven other such elected Officers, including the Club Captain. The offices and duties of such other Committee members shall be as deemed necessary by the Committee for the management of the Club.

10.The Committee shall meet as frequently as necessary to manage effectively the affairs of the Club, and it may decide to form sub-committees or co-opt members for this purpose. The necessary quorum for a Committee meeting shall be two of the three Principal Officers, plus any two other elected officers. The date for a subsequent meeting shall be agreed at the close of each meeting. If for whatever reason the Hon. Secretary, by agreement with the Chairman, is forced to change this date, a minimum of 7 days’ notice shall be given to all other Committee members of the revised date.

11.The Hon. Secretary shall keep minutes of Committee meetings, which shall be circulated in advance of the subsequent meeting to all elected Committee members. In the absence of the Hon. Secretary, minutes shall be taken by another elected Committee member on his behalf, and circulated in the same manner. In the absence of the Chairman, the Chair may be taken by another elected member, if that is the unanimous wish of the committee members present. Should the Committee members fail to agree on an acting Chairman, the Hon. Secretary shall immediately postpone the meeting and re-schedule it for another date, giving the appropriate notice to all Committee members.

12.The Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) shall be held at the end of each season, principally to receive Accounts for that season, and to elect Officers and Team Captains and to appoint an Auditor or Auditors for the coming season. The President shall also be elected at the AGM. For the purposes of the Accounts, the season shall be deemed to run from the 1st June of the previous year, to the 31st May of the year in which the Accounts are to be presented. Before they are presented the Accounts shall first be audited by the Club’s Auditor or Auditors.

13.Not less than 21 days’ notice of the date of the AGM shall be given, and Committee nominations and motions for consideration at the AGM shall be publicised in that notice. Any member of the Club may write to the Hon. Secretary of the Club with notice of a motion for discussion at the AGM, so long as the Secretary receives it seven days before the date of the AGM.

14.The notice of the AGM shall also provide for additional or alternative nominations to those proposed by the outgoing Committee for all Offices; such nominations must be proposed and seconded and the Nominee shall have indicated in writing willingness to stand. Nominations may also be made at the AGM, provided that the Nominee is present, or has previously indicated in writing his willingness to stand.

15.An Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”) may be called at any time at the discretion of the Committee. Alternatively, at the signed request (in the form of a motion) of 15 Club members, the Committee shall be obliged, without delay, to arrange an EGM. 21 days’ notice of the date of the EGM shall be given, together with the terms of the motion to be considered.

16.The Committee shall offer the honour of becoming or remaining a Vice President of the Club to such people as it sees fit. A Vice President shall not be required to pay the Annual Subscription, but shall be expected to make a monetary donation to the Club.

17.The Committee shall recommend to the membership at an AGM the position of Life Vice President; to past Presidents and such people whose past service on behalf of the Club, over a number of seasons, the Committee considers merits recognition in that manner. Life Vice Presidents shall be elected by the membership at an AGM in perpetuity, shall not be required to pay the Annual Subscription, nor be expected to make a monetary donation to the Club.

18.Amendment, addition or deletion of any of the foregoing rules shall require the approval of two-thirds of the members present at an AGM, or at an EGM convened to consider such submission. Proposed amendments, additions or deletions shall first be submitted in writing to the Hon. Secretary, or be advised by the Committee to the membership on the required notice of an AGM or EGM.

19.(a)The Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects and every team of the Club. In doing so, the Club acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:

“Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.”

(b)The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.

(c) The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.

(d)All Club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.

(e)The Club will deal with any incidents of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to the Club’s disciplinary procedures.

June 2003.

Berry Hill RFC

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