Constitution

1. Name of Club

The club is called CROYDON ACTIVE PADDLERS (Hereinafter will be referred to as The

Club), and may also be known as CAP.

CROYDON ACTIVE PADDLERS is affiliated to British Canoeing.

2.  Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the club are:

· To offer Kayaking and Canoeing opportunities to the local community

· To offer training and development opportunities to the local community

· To organise day trips and weekend trips on a year round basis

· To organise social events for the benefit of all members

· To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club

· To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone

3. Membership

a) Membership of the club is open to anyone interested in promoting, coaching, volunteering or participating in Kayaking and Canoeing, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. For safety reasons, children under 12 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all club events and the parent or guardian must ensure they have equipment which is suitable for them.

b) The membership shall consist of the following categories:

  - Full member

  - Family member

  - 13 – 17 year olds not part of a family membership

c) All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of practice that the club has adopted.

d) Members in each category will pay membership fees, as determined at the Annual General Meeting.

(e) Individuals shall be eligible to take part in the business of the Club, vote at general meetings or be eligible for selection to participate in any suitable Club events provided the applicable subscription has been paid by the due date and/or membership has been agreed by the Club committee.

4. Sports Equity

a) This Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. 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.  

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 incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.  

5. Committee

 a) The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Committee which shall consist of:

 b) Chairperson Treasurer Secretary Webmaster Welfare Officer Quartermaster Pool Manager Membership Secretary Social Secretary PLUS up to 2 General members of the Club ………… who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.  In addition, all of the Club’s active Coaches and Trip Leaders will automatically be invited to Committee Meetings and will also hold full voting rights.

 (c) All committee members, coaches and trip leaders must be members of the Club.

 (d) The Committee MAY choose to elect a Vice Chair from among its number. 

(e) The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election. If “extraordinary” circumstances exist then the one year period may be extended.

 (f) The Chairperson can only hold One position. 

(g) The Treasurer can only hold One position but this can be combined with the role of Membership Secretary. 

(h) All other Committee members can hold up to TWO positions.

 (i) If the post of any officer or ordinary committee member should fall vacant after such an election, the Chairperson or the Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting.

 (j) The Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the club.

 (k) The Chairperson and the Committee will have powers to appoint any advisers to the Committee and also to form any specialist Sub Committees as necessary to fulfil its business.

 (l) The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution. The Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings. According to the nature of such hearings these will normally be led by the Chairperson and the Club Welfare Officer but with other Committee members or representatives from the Coaching team taking part as applicable. 

(m) The committee meetings will be convened by the Chairperson or Secretary and will generally comprise of two or three meetings per year or consideration could be given to more frequent but shorter meetings. If for any reason such meetings cannot not be held in person then consideration will be given to holding “online meetings”. 

(n) Only the posts listed above will have the right to vote at committee meetings. 

(o) The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings will be FOUR plus at least one coach/leader representative. 

6. Finances 

 (a) The club treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club.

 (b) The financial year of the club will run from 01st April until 31st March each year.

 (c) All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club.

 (d) A statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting.

 (e) Any cheques drawn against club funds should hold the signatures of two of the appointed club signatories. These will be the Club Chairperson, Treasurer and one other member of the Committee or Coaching team. All expenditure must be agreed in advance with the Treasurer.  

7. Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings 

 (a) General Meetings are the means whereby the members of the Club exercise their democratic rights in conducting the Club’s affairs.

 (b) The Club will normally hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the month of April to: 

 - Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM. 

- Receive reports from the Chairperson and Secretary. 

- Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts. 

- Elect the officers on the committee.

 - Agree the membership fees for the following year. 

- Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.

 - Deal with other relevant business. 

(c) Notice of the AGM will be given by the club secretary with at least 14 – 28 days’ notice to be given to all members.

(d) Nominations for officers of the committee will be sent to the secretary or Chairperson, as advised, prior to the AGM. 

(e) Proposed changes to the constitution shall be sent to the secretary or Chairperson, as advised, prior to the AGM, who shall circulate at least 7 days before an AGM.

 (f) All Club members have the right to vote at the AGM. 

(g) The quorum for AGMs will be 25% of the Club’s paid up members. 

(h) The Chairperson of the Club shall hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at general and committee meetings. 

(i) An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary or Chairperson, as advised, supported by at least 25% of the members of the Club. The committee shall also have the power to call an EGM by decision of a simple majority of the committee members. 

(j) All procedures shall follow those outlined above for AGMs.

8. Amendments to the constitution 

The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.

9. Discipline and appeals 

(a) All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable persons will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the club’s child protection policy and procedures. The Club Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any child protection concerns. 

(b) All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the Chairperson.

 (c) The Management Committee or nominated sub-committee will make the relevant party/s aware of the complaint against them on a confidential basis. They have the right to submit their account of the dispute to the Chairperson or Secretary, as advised, within 7 days.

 (d) The Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership. 

(e) The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing.

 (f) There will be the right of appeal to the Management Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 14 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal. 

10 Dissolution

 (a) A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.

 (b) In the event of dissolution, all debts should be cleared with any club funds. Any assets of the club that remain following this will become the property of either another local Canoe and Kayak Club or be handed over to British Canoeing.

 11 Declaration 

CROYDON ACTIVE PADDLERS hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members. Name Position Chair Sign Date Name Position Sign Date