KILCOCK CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB CONSTITUTION

1. Name: The club shall be called Kilcock Celtic Football Club. (the Club).

2. Objects: The objects of the Club shall be to arrange association football matches and social activities for its members.

3. Rules : 

a. The club shall have the status of an affiliated member club of the Kildare & District Football League (KDFL) & Kildare & District Underage League (KDUL). The rules and regulations of the Football Association of Ireland and the KDFL/KDUL and/or any League or Competition to which the Club is affiliated for the time being shall be deemed to be incorporated into the Club rules.

b. No alteration to the Club rules shall be effective unless it is compatible with rule 3.a. of these rules.

c. The club shall abide by the Football Association of Ireland’s Child Protection Policies and Procedures, Codes of Conduct, Ethics and the Equal Opportunities and Anti-discrimination Policy.

4. Club Membership : 

a. The members of the club from time to time shall be those persons listed in the register of members (the Register) which shall be maintained by the Club Secretary. The Register shall be in two parts with one part containing a list of adult members and or family members ("adult members") and the other part containing a list of junior members being members below the age of eighteen years ("junior members")

Only Adult members are entitled to vote at the AGM, EGM or SGM. Family membership will entitle Adult members to “one” vote at an AGM, EGM or SGM

b. Any person who wishes to become a member must apply on the Membership Application Form and deliver it to the Club. Membership shall be effective upon an applicant's name being entered in the Membership Register together with the payment of the annual Membership fee.

c. In the event of a member's resignation or expulsion, his or her name shall be removed from the Membership register.

d. The Football Association of Ireland and KDFL/KDUL shall be given access to the Membership Register on demand.

e. All members shall abide by the Club's Policies and Codes of Conduct as published by the Club Committee from time to time.

5. Annual Membership Fees:

a. An annual registration fee payable by each member shall be determined from time to time by the Club Committee. Said fee shall not be repayable. Membership fees to be payable by September 1st each year.

b. The Club Committee shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from the members as are reasonably necessary to fulfil the objects of the Club.

c. Existing members must pay their registration before playing matches (including friendlies).

d. No player or prospective player can register without paying the appropriate annual fee.

e. Players must pay the appropriate fee and register at least one week before being eligible to play either competitive or friendly matches.  THIS RULE MUST BE ADHERED TO AS IT COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS SITUATION SHOULD AN UNREGISTERED PLAYER BE INJURED.  

6. Resignation and Expulsion:

a. A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date on which he/she gives notice to the Club Committee of their resignation. A member whose annual membership fee or further subscription is more than 2 months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.

b. The Club Committee shall have the power to expel a member when, in their opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for them to remain a member.  There is no right of appeal.  (Refer to Codes of Conduct and Section “11”).

c. A member who resigns or is expelled shall not be entitled to claim any, or a share of any of the Club property.

d. All kit or any other items being the property of the Club in the possession of a person who ceases to be member of the Club shall be returned by that person to the Club Secretary forthwith.

7. Club Committee

a. The Club Committee shall consist of the following Club Officers: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary, Kit Manager and secretary of the junior section and three other committee members.  Team managers may attend any committee meetings by permission of the executive, though they will have no voting rights.  

b. Each Club Officer and Club Committee Member shall hold office from the date of appointment to the next Annual General Meeting unless otherwise resolved at a Special General Meeting. One adult member may hold no more than one position of Club Officer at any time. The Club Committee shall be responsible for the management of all the affairs of the Club. Decisions of the Club Committee shall be made by a simple majority of those attending the Club Committee meeting. The Chairperson of the Club Committee meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie. The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer or Secretary shall chair meetings of the Club Committee.

c. Only adult members (over 18) can be officers of the Club or be entitled to vote

d. The quorum for the transaction of business of the Club Committee shall be five.

e. Decisions of Club Committee Meetings shall be entered into the Minute Book of the Club to be maintained by the Club Secretary.

f. Any member of the Club Committee may call a meeting of the Club Committee by giving not less than seven (7) clear days' notice to all members of the Club Committee. The Club Committee shall hold not less than 8 meetings in each calendar year.  However, it is at the discretion of the incumbent committee to decide on the number and frequency of meetings.

g. An outgoing member of the Club Committee may be re-elected. A member proposed by one and seconded by another of the remaining Club Committee Members and approved by a simple majority of the remaining Club Committee Members shall fill any vacancy on the Club Committee which arises between Annual General Meetings.

Committee members must be registered members of the club.

No member can serve more than five (5) consecutive years in one post.

h. Save as provided for in the Rules and Regulations of the Football Association and the KDUL the Club Committee shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in respect of any issue concerning the Club Rules.

8. Meetings

AGM’s then to be held annually in a period between March and May so as to

             · receive a report on the activities of the Club over the previous year

             · receive a report of the Club's finances over the previous year

             · elect the Members of the Club Committee.

             · Consider any other business.

b. Nominations for election of members as Club Officers or as members of the Club Committee can be made in writing via registered post, by the proposer and seconder, both of whom must be existing adult members of the Club, to the Club Secretary not less than 7 days before the AGM. Nominations by way of proposer and seconder will also be accepted at the meeting.  Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given in writing to the Club Secretary via registered post, not less than seven (7) days before the Meeting.

c. A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called at any time by the Committee and shall be called within 21 days of the receipt by the Club Secretary of a requisition in writing via registered post, signed by not less than 20 adult members stating the purpose for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at a SGM may be business that may be transacted at an AGM.

d. The Secretary shall notify each adult member of the date and venue of a General Meeting / SGM together with the Resolutions (Matters for discussion) to be proposed at least seven (7) days before the meeting.

e. The quorum for a general meeting shall be 15 adult members.

f. The Chairperson of the Club, or in their absence an adult member selected by the Club Committee, shall take the chair. Each adult member present shall have one vote and a simple majority shall pass resolutions. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairperson of the meeting shall have the casting vote.

g. The Club Secretary, or in their absence a member of the Club Committee, shall enter Minutes of General Meetings into the Minute Book of the Club.

h. Notice of the AGM or an SGM shall be given to all adult members by the Secretary no later than 7 clear days before the meeting is scheduled to take place. Notice should be in writing and through any local newspaper, bulletin or the Club website.

9. Club Teams:

At its first meeting following each AGM, the Club Committee shall appoint a Club Member to be responsible for each of the Club's football teams. The appointed members shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team and for team selection. The appointed members shall present to the Club Committee a report on the activities of the team as and when required by the Club Committee.

a. 

The committee can at its discretion appoint Associate Members from whom a fee is required.

9b:

The Committee are empowered, depending on representations made decide on the Rules and Regulations regarding all aspects of team coaching / management.  Where possible this will be done at a meeting of all managers / coaches.

9c:

The Committee with the assistance of all coaches shall endeavour to promote a “COACHING ETHOS” for both senior and junior players

9d:

The Committee / Club will where possible support all coaches through appropriate training courses (all expenses to be met by the Club).

10. Club Finances

a. A bank account(s) shall be opened and maintained in the name of the Club (the Club Account(s)). Designated account signatories shall be the Club Chairperson, the Club Secretary and the Treasurer. No sum shall be drawn from the Club Account except by cheque signed by two of the three designated signatories. All monies payable to the Club shall be deposited in the Club Account(s) as soon as possible or given to the Treasurer to deposit in the Club Account(s).

The committee can at times authorise the opening of specific accounts for projects as appropriate however, the rules concerning the running of such accounts shall be as stated above.

b. All income received by Managers, Coaches, Committee Members or Persons operating on behalf of Kilcock Celtic AFC should be lodged in a Club bank account by the Treasurer

c. The income and assets of the Club (the Club Property) shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects of the Club.

d. The Club Committee shall have power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any member of the Club and to any person for services rendered to the Club.

e. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual Financial Statement and shall present it at the AGM.  At all committee meeting the accounts and books of the club will be available for inspection.

f. The Club Property other than the Club Account, shall be vested in not less than two and no more than four Trustees. The Trustees shall deal with the Club Property as directed by decisions of the Club Committee and entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence of such a decision.

g. The Club Committee shall have power to borrow funds (loans) on behalf of the club whereby either an AGM or SGM has been held and the motion to borrow passed by a 2/3rd’s majority.

h. Trustees (in addition to the Club Committee) shall have the power to borrow on behalf of the club whereby either an AGM or SGM has been held and the motion to borrow passed by a 2/3rd’s majority. The Trustee’s will be empowered to meet with the Treasurer to discuss all financial matters of the club, see statements and books and ensure that they are at all times happy with the running of the Clubs finances.

i. The Trustees shall be appointed by the Club in a General Meeting and shall hold office until death or resignation unless removed by a resolution passed at a General Meeting.

j. On their removal or resignation a Trustee shall execute a Conveyance of Club Property in favour of a newly elected Trustee or the existing Trustees as directed by the Club Committee. On the death of a Trustee any Club Property vested in them shall vest automatically in the surviving Trustees. If there is only one surviving Trustee, a Special General Meeting shall be convened as soon as possible to appoint another Trustee.

k. The Trustees shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the Club Property for all expenses and other liabilities reasonably incurred by them in carrying out their duties.

11. Complaints Procedure:

In the event that any member feels that he or she has suffered discrimination in any way, or that the Club Policies, Rules or Codes of Conduct and Ethics have been broken, should follow the procedures below.

a. They should report the matter to the Club Secretary or another Member of the Club Committee, Managers or Coaches detailing:

             1.        What, where and when the incident occurred

             2.        Witness details

             3.         Names of others with a similar complaint

             4.        A preference for a solution to the incident.

b. The Club Disciplinary Committee will sit for any hearings requested and will be made up of three people appointed by the committee and who have no vested interest in the matter before them.  

c. The Club Disciplinary Committee will have the power to:

             1.        Warn as to future conduct

             2.        Suspend from membership

             3.        Remove from membership.

             4.        Fine.

             5.        Or any other action they deem appropriate

A person found to have broken the Club's Policies or Codes of Conduct.

Notification of the Disciplinary Committee’s decision will in the first instance be verbal to all parties, followed by notification in writing (within 7 days) to the party/parties involved.  A copy of the minutes of the hearing and the basis for the decisions will be forwarded to the Club Secretary.

Right of Appeal

An appeal against any decision of the Disciplinary Committee must be made in writing via resister post, to the Chairperson (or in their absence, any sitting member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Club) within seven days of the initial decision. The Disciplinary Committee may review their decision, but will only do so in circumstances where new evidence or a change in circumstances would deem the original decision to be grossly unfair. The Appeal decision will be binding and be delivered in writing within seven days to the concerned parties.

12. Special Events & Activities:

All “Special Events”, meaning events or activities outside the normal day to day functions of the Club, should be notified to the Club Committee in writing or by presentation to the Executive Committee. All such events must be approved in advance by the Executive Committee. 

Special events will include items such as competitions, tournaments (home or away), fundraising events, training events, player assessments, training courses, trips etc. This list is not exhaustive but is to give an indication of the type of events that must be notified to and approved by the Executive Committee before the planning and conducting of any special events or activities. 

All finances in relation to special events or activities should be transacted in accordance with Rule 10 above.

SUB-COMMITTEES

These can be formed when necessary and by co-option by the committee.  In instances where sub-committees are formed non-members can be elected however, they will have no voting rights should the subject of the Sub-Committee go before an AGM or SGM.  They will however, be allowed the courtesy of presenting the case of the sub-committee.

Coaching

All coaches should meet regularly to discuss;

Their needs and the Clubs needs

Problems, existing and foreseen

Coach and Player Development

Training, Rules of the Game, League, Club

(The term Coaches will be deem to cover all Committee Members, Managers, Assistant Managers, Coaches or any other member or non-member involved in the running of a team or teams within the Club.)