Name
The name of the Club is Cambridge NCI Cricket Club, hereafter to be referred to as ‘the Club’. This is a federal name, which incorporates all teams, and the Club shall be affiliated to the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Cambridgeshire Cricket Board.
The Club is, and shall remain an associate club of the NCI Centre, Holland Street, Cambridge, CB4 3BL.
Aims and Objectives
To foster and promote the sport of cricket at all levels within the community and within the sport, providing opportunities for recreation, coaching and competition.
Membership
The members of the Club shall be those who are eligible and apply for membership of the Club and who are admitted to and maintained in membership by the committee.
Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport of cricket on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non-discriminatory basis.
The Club may have different classes of membership and subscriptions in a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.
Meetings of the members
There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for all the members of the Club in each year, this meeting should be convened by the Club Secretary. Written notice of the AGM, of 21 days shall be given to members by broadcasting a copy of the notice to every member. The secretary shall circulate or give notice of the agenda for the meeting to members not less than 7 days before the meeting.
Decisions made at any general meeting shall be by a simple majority vote from those full members attending the meeting. In the event of equal votes, the chair of the meeting shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.
A quorum for any general meeting shall be 10 full members including at least one from the secretary or Treasurer. Each full member of the Club shall be entitled to one vote at general meetings.
The annual general meeting will
- Confirm the minutes of the previous annual general meeting and any general meetings held since the last annual general meeting.
- Receive the audited accounts for the year from the treasurer.
- Receive the annual report of the committee from the secretary.
- Elect the officers of the Club (i.e. President; Vice Presidents, Chair etc.)
- Review and agree the Club prices for the forthcoming year.
- Transact such other business included on the agenda.
- Extraordinary general meetings
An extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called at any time by and officeton not less than 7 days notice or on a written requisition by 7 or more members stating the reasons for which the meeting is to be called and delivered to the secretary not less than 14 days before the date of the meeting.
The committee
The affairs of the Club shall be administered by a committee (‘the committee’) consisting of not more than 16 persons and not less than 4, which have ultimate responsibility for the activities of the Club.
The committee shall be made up of a secretary, a treasurer, all team captains and any other ex-officio member elected at the AGM. Each shall be a member of the Cricket Club.
The committee is elected by members of the Club annually, and shall be eligible for re-election. Elections are usually held at an AGM.
If during the period between the annual elections to offices any vacancies occur amongst members of the committee, the committee shall have the power of filling the vacancy or vacancies up to the next AGM by co-option.
Each Office holder must, on relinquishing his or her appointment, promptly hand to their successor, or to another member of the Club nominated by the committee, all official documents and records belonging to the Club, together with any other property of the Club which may be in his or her possession and must complete any requirements to transfer authority relating to control of the Club’s bank accounts, building society accounts or other financial affairs.
The secretary shall:
- Give notice of meetings of the members and the committee.
- Draw up the minutes of those meetings.
- Inform the NCI Centre if the Club ceases to operate, or is to be dissolved, and in doing so present a final statement of account.
- Inform the committee members of meetings of affiliate bodies, such as the CCA, the CCB, Cambridge Business Houses League, ECB ACO, Cambs & Hunts leagues.
- Develop and implement control procedures to minimise risk of financial exposure, such procedures to be reviewed regularly by the committee.
The treasurer shall:
- Maintain a register of the members of the Club, which shall be available for inspection by the members.
- Keep proper records of the Club’s financial transactions in accordance with current accepted accounting rules and practices.
- Ensure that bills are promptly paid.
- Prepare an annual budget for the Club and regularly inform the committee of progress against that budget.
- Ensure that all statutory returns are made including VAT, income tax and corporation tax if appropriate.
- Provide the committee with full details of any insurance cover purchased from or through a national governing body pursuant to paragraph 2(b) above.
- Develop and maintain a manual of written procedures for all aspects of the treasurer’s responsibility.
- Make all records, procedures and accounts available on request to the committee members.
- Ensure all cheques issued by the Club shall be signed by two of the nominated signatories.
- Ensure all purchases or financial transactions made on behalf of the Club shall be authorised by at least 2 members of the committee prior to expenditure.
The committee shall:
- Maintain control of the funds and property of the Club and of its’ administration.
- Have responsibility for fixtures and pitch bookings.
- Hear appeals concerning removal from membership.
- Ensure that adequate advice and assistance is available to the secretary and the treasurer in the performance of their responsibilities.
- Be available to represent and speak for the Club in the public forum, and before the courts.
- Without derogating from its primary responsibility, the committee may delegate its functions to finance and general purpose and other sub committees that are made up exclusively of members of the Club and include at least 2 members of the committee.
- The committee shall have the power to make regulations and by-laws, in accordance with this constitution, and to settle any disputed points not otherwise provided for in this constitution. Any alterations to this constitution shall require the approving vote of two-thirds of those present in by proxy at a general meeting.
- No member of the committee shall be removed from Office except by the approving votes of two-thirds of those present in by proxy at a general meeting.
Compliance
The club will:
- Agree to and abide by the rules and regulations of all leagues and governing bodies it is affiliated to.
- Ensure that all members, playing and non-playing, abide by the ECB Code of Conduct which incorporates the Spirit of Cricket and by the Laws of Cricket.
- Ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club by adopting and implementing the ECB ‘Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding’ and any future versions of the policy.
- Ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club by adopting and implementing the ECB’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) policy and any future versions of the Policy.
- The Club shall ensure that all paid Club administrative and coaching appointments are ratified by the committee; that all coaches are registered with any relevant national governing body; and that all paid coaches are accredited by such body.
- Ensure all money made by the Club is used solely for the provision or development of cricket by the Club.
Indemnity
So far as may be permitted by law, every member of the committee and every officer of the Club shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Club against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her in the execution or discharge of his or her duties or the exercise of his or her powers, or otherwise properly in relation to or in connection with his or her duties. This indemnity extends to any liability incurred by him or her in defending any proceedings, civil or criminal, which relate to anything done or omitted or alleged to have been done or omitted by him or her as a member of the committee or officer of the Club and in which judgement is given in his or her favour (or the proceedings are otherwise disposed of without any findings or admission of any material breach of duty on his or her part), or in which he or she is acquitted, or in connection with any application under statute for relief from liability in respect of any such act or omission in relief is granted to him or her by the court.
So far as may be permitted by law, the Club may purchase and maintain for any member of the committee or officer of the Club insurance cover against any liability which by virtue of any rule of law may attach to him or her in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which he or she may be guilty in relation to the Club and against all costs, charges, losses and expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her for which he or she is entitled to be indemnified by the Club.
Alterations to the constitution
Any proposed alterations to the Club constitution may only be considered at an AGM or EGM convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed by a full member of the Club and seconded by another full member. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of those full members present at the meeting, assuming that a quorum has been achieved.
Discipline and appeals
All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be lodged in writing with the secretary.
The committee shall appoint a disciplinary subcommittee who will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. Any member requested to attend a disciplinary subcommittee shall be entitled to be accompanied by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses. The committee (or its subcommittee) has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action, including the termination of membership.
The outcome of the disciplinary hearing shall be put in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 14 days following the hearing.
There shall be a right of appeal to the committee against either the finding or the sanction imposed or both following disciplinary action being taken.
The committee shall appoint an appeals committee (a maximum of three) which shall not include members involved with the initial disciplinary hearing but may include non members of the Club. The appeals committee shall consider the appeal within 14 days of the secretary receiving the appeal.
The individual submitting the appeal shall be entitled to be accompanied by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses. The decision of the appeals committee shall be final and binding on all parties.
Dissolution
The Club may be dissolved at any time by the approving votes of two-thirds of those present in person or by proxy at a general meeting.
In the event of the Club being dissolved its assets shall not be distributed amongst the members, but shall be paid to the NCI Centre, Holland Street, Cambridge.
Interpretation
Any question about the interpretation of this constitution shall be settled by the committee.