Bisham Paddle Sport Club

Constitution

Approved at 28 November 2024 EGM

Name of Club

The Club will be called Bisham Paddle Sport Club (BPSC).

Aims and Objectives

1. To offer sessions in canoeing, kayaking, and SUP.
2. To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in canoeing and kayaking
3. To promote BPSC within the local community and within canoeing and kayaking.
4. To ensure a duty of care to all members of BPSC.
5. To undertake its aims and objectives in a way that is fair to everyone.

BPSC membership

The membership year of BPSC 1st May to 30th April.
Membership expires on 30th April and is subject to renewal.
BPSC reserves the right to refuse renewal.

BPSC membership is open to anyone interested in coaching or participating in canoeing, kayaking, and SUP, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, or religion.

BPSC understands its obligations to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people to become members, and for them and any disabled guests, or visitors to participate in their activity.

Membership categories

The following membership fee categories of BPSC shall be available:

1. Adult
2. Adult in full-time education
3. Junior
4. Family
5. Registered guest

Junior member (aged under 18 on the 1st January of the year prior to membership commencing or renewing).

All members and registered guests will be subject to the regulations, codes of practice, rules and procedures formed by the authority of this constitution and by holding membership or being a registered guest of the club, will be deemed to accept them, in so far as they are applicable to the respective categories. Members and registered guests in each category will pay fees or as determined by club officers, or as amended at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Good Standing

Adult members in good standing shall be eligible to stand for election to any officer post(s) within BPSC to hold any one officer post within the BPSC.

Sports Equity

BPSC is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its operation. In doing so it 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”.

BPSC is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse. All members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity. BPSC will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.

Committee

The affairs and responsibilities of BPSC shall be conducted by BPSC officers. The Officer posts will be:

• Chair
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Welfare & Safety
• Head Coach
• Membership secretary
• Liaison

• Each officer shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and combined will form a committee.
• Where a post is uncontested then an officer will be elected upon a simple ‘for-or-against’ majority vote.
• Where a post is contested then voting will take place of the nominated member with a simple majority resulting in election of that nominee. The nominees may not vote.
• Each officer duly elected must remain in good standing, subject to which may then remain in the post uncontested for the term of the post.
  The term of the post shall be one year but each shall be eligible for reelection in successive years.

- BPSC committee will be responsible for:

• Adopting new policies, codes of practice, regulations and rules that affect the organisation of BPSC.
• Disciplinary hearings of BPSC members who infringe the rules / regulations / constitution taking any action of suspension or termination of membership or discipline following such hearings.
• BPSC committee meetings will be convened by the BPSC secretary and be held no less than four times within the term of the posts.
• Only the officers of the posts listed above will have the right to vote at the committee meetings.
• The quorum required for voting at BPSC meetings shall be four.
  Proposals or motions will be carried at the BPSC meeting upon a simple vote majority.
  If any officer post should fall vacant during a term, then the remaining officers shall, within 7 days of becoming aware of the vacancy, announce the vacancy to the members and propose a member as a replacement for post. Any member objecting to the proposal may call for an EGM within 7 days of the announcement. The matter will be concluded on expiry of 7 days of the announcement, where no EGM has been called, by the appointment of the proposed or by a members vote at the EGM so called.

Finances

The treasurer will be responsible for the management and reporting of the finances of BPSC.
The BPSC financial year will run from 1st May to 30 April. All monies of BPSC will be banked in an account or accounts with a bank or building society which is a UK regulated firm and listed as such by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Any account or accounts is / are to be held in the name of Bisham Paddle Sports Club.
The treasurer will report on the finances of BPSC at each committee meeting.
A statement of annual accounts will be presented by the treasurer at the AGM.
BPSC will set at the AGM the number of officers required to authorise a purchase or expenditure of a maximum value, according to a sliding scale.
Members may not incur, or commit BPSC to incur, any cost or expense that has not been agreed and minuted at a committee meeting. Where such cost or expenses does arise without the prior agreement then the member will be liable for such cost or expense without the right to be reimbursed in full or part.
Members may receive money and payments for, and at BPSC events or events attended by BPSC where agreed in advance. The member will report to the treasurer with details of the transactions and deposit the monies with the treasurer as soon as practical after receiving.

AGM and EGMs

AGMs and EGMs are the means whereby club members may exercise their democratic rights in conducting BPSC affairs.
BPSC shall hold the AGM in the month of March to:
Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM.
Receive reports from the officers.
Approve the annual accounts.
Set the cost and expense spending limits requiring multi officer approval.
Elect the officers for the forthcoming year.
Agree the membership fees for the forthcoming year.
Consider any proposed changes to the constitution.
Deal with any motions or items brought by a member.
Announcement of the AGM will be given by the BPSC secretary with at least 21 days notice to the members.
Nominations for officers shall be sent to the current secretary at least 14 clear days prior to the day of the AGM, who shall circulate the nominations at least seven days before the AGM.
Motions or items to be brought to the AGM by a member are to be sent to the BPSC secretary at least fourteen clear days prior to the day of the AGM, who shall circulate the proposed changes at least seven days before the AGM.
Proposed changes to the Constitution shall be sent to the Secretary at least 14 clear days prior to the day of the AGM, who shall circulate the proposed changes at least seven days before the AGM
All members in good standing, and who are aged sixteen years or above on the day of the AGM have the right to vote at the AGM.
The quorum for AGMs will be 25% of the voting membership. An EGM may be called by an application in writing to the secretary supported by at least 10% of the voting membership, or by a simple majority of the committee.
Announcement of an EGM will be given by the BPSC secretary with at least 7 days’ Notice to the BPSC members.
All members in good standing, and who are aged 16 years or above on the day of the EGM have the right to vote at an EGM.
The quorum for an EGMs will be 25% of the voting membership.
Voting at an AGM or EGM will be through simple majority, by show of hands or, where deemed appropriate, by secret ballot.
Only votes cast in person at an AGM or EGM will be counted.

Discipline and Appeals

All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children and young people will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with BPSC safe guarding policy. The club welfare officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns.
All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the secretary, or if the secretary has a conflict of interest then the Chair.
BPSC committee will meet to consider complaints within fourteen days of a complaint being lodged. An assessment of all the issues will be undertaken with reasonable expedience relative to the complexity of the matter.
BPSC committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the suspension or termination of without refund of fees.
Members will remain in good standing during any investigation (presumption of innocence) but will not be in good standing during any suspension of membership.
The outcome of a disciplinary hearing is to be notified by the secretary in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within seven days of the hearing.
There will be the right of appeal to the BPSC committee following disciplinary action being announced. An appeal is to be made in writing within 7 days to the secretary or if the secretary has a conflict of interest then the chairperson. BPSC committee should consider the appeal within 28 days of receiving the appeal.
Assistance and guidance may be sought from Paddle UK by any party to the matter or the officers.
Where any complaint involves an officer, or an officer has a conflict of interest in the matter then the procedures will take place without the officer present and for the duration of the complaint process the officer will be regarded, for the purposes, as a member without officer status.

Dissolution

A resolution to dissolve the BPSC can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote reaching at least 60% of the voting membership at that date.
In the event of dissolution, all debts should be cleared with remaining funds of BPSC. Where possible assets should be sold to release their value. Where debts exceed the remaining funds plus the value of assets that can be reasonably released in time, and the debts were reasonably incurred by the or arose despite reasonable action by the officers, then liability for the remaining debts will be shared in equal parts between all adult members.
Assets BPSC that remain will be donated to another local and not-for-profit water-sports club chosen by majority vote at the AGM or EGM most recent prior to dissolution. In the absence of a majority vote at the most recent AGM/EGM then said assets will become the property of Paddle UK.

Declaration

BPSC adopted and accepted this constitution as a current operating guide. Signed by (at least two officers).