Club Constitution Hillingdon Triathletes

1. Name

The club is called Hillingdon Triathletes and is affiliated to Triathlon England, British Cycling and Cycling Time Trials.

2. Vision, Mission and Values

Our Vision - Encourage, support, and guide athletes through their multi-sport journey.
 
Our Mission - Continuously evolve to enable Hillingdon Triathletes to remain a leading UK Triathlon club, encouraging participation and realising the full potential of member athletes, irrespective of their background or ability.
 
Our Values - We are people centred. We are ambitious.  We are inclusive. We do what’s right.

https://www.hillingdontriathletes.co.uk/contents/2142-vision-mission-and-values

3. Membership

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 conduct that the club has adopted. 

Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories:

• Full member
• Honorary
• Student
• Event Membesrhip.
• Affiliate Membership

4. Membership fees

Membership fees will be set annually and agreed by the Executive Committee or determined at the Annual General Meeting. 

Fees will be paid: annually

The Club will maintain a confidential Bursary Fund to help those with a minimum of 2 years membership in times of hardship. 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kb1WOn7x9iMgxJ3arNoFbs07Ufklw0cn/view?usp=drive_link

5. Officers of the club

The officers of the club will include the following Executive Committee Members:

• Chair
• Vice Chair x 2
• General Secretary
• Treasurer
• Welfare Officer
• Webmaster
• Event Organiser
• Head Coach
• Time Trial Organiser
• Special Projects Manager

A person may be appointed to more than one position, but no person may hold more than one of the positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer at the same time. The Executive Committee will be supported by the rest of the committee with a variety of roles, including (but not limited to) Marketing, Administration, Safety, Media, Membership, Timekeeping, and a range of other tasks.

In addition there will be the honorary posts of President and Vice Presidents. All Chairs who have served for a minimum of 5 years will have honorary membership as a Vice President.
 
Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. All those so elected, and those standing for election, should be able to confirm that they are able to pass a “fit and proper person” test. The committee should use its best efforts to ensure that at least 25% of Committee Members are male and at least 25% are female.

The honorary posts of President and any Vice Presidents will be reviewed/renewed three yearly from their first appointment, then on a rolling three year basis, as will any other Honorary Members

All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-election. 
 

6. Committee

The club will be managed through the Executive Committee which will include the posts of: Chair, Vice Chair x 2, General Secretary, Treasurer, Welfare Officer, Webmaster, Time Trial Organiser, Special Projects Officer, Head Coach and Event Organiser. They will be assisted by a wider committee with a variety of roles, including (but not limited to) Marketing, Administration, Safety, Media, Membership, Timekeeping, and a range of other tasks.

All committee members (Executive and Sub Committee) will continue to be invited to attend Committee Meetings and will need to continue to submit their committee reports with sufficient information for the Executive Committee to effectively run Committee Meetings and to manage our club. The Sub Committee members will not, however, be obligated to attend Committee Meetings unless specifically requested to do so by the Chairperson, Vice Chair or General Secretary. They are of course free to attend as many meetings as they may wish. The aim is to reduce the burden, in terms of time, on some Committee Members and to facilitate faster and clearer decision making.

Where issues are being discussed and decided upon by the Executive Committee at the quarterly meetings, the Sub Committee members (who do not have voting rights) will have the opportunity to make recommendations, objections, or proposals in person if attending the meeting, or to the Executive Committee via the Committee Facebook group (or pre-agreed alternative method). This will be ahead of the meetings if it is an agenda item, or post meeting, if it is raised at the meeting outside of the agenda items such as under 'any other business'. This arrangement is in line with the process for the President and Vice President, where they do not hold voting rights but their input, knowledge and opinion are valued.

The Executive Committee will be convened by the Secretary of the club and held no less than 4 times per year.  

The quorum required for business to be agreed at Executive Committee meetings will be: 6 

The Executive Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation of the club. 

The Executive Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Executive Committee as necessary to fulfil its business. 

The Executive Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules/regulations/constitution. The Executive Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings. 
 

7. Finance

All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club; the club address for all banking records to be that of the Treasurer. 

The Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club. The financial year of the club will end on: 31st December.

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

Any payments drawn against club funds should hold the signatures as authorised by the committee in accordance with the bank mandate.

8. Annual General Meetings

Notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be given by the Club Secretary. Not less than 21 clear days’ notice to be given to all members. 

The AGM will receive a report from officers of the Chair, and Treasurer. The Treasurer will have a statement of checked accounts. All other management committee members should be available to give reports if required.

Nominations for officers of the Executive Committee will be sent to the Secretary one week prior to the AGM. Election of officers is to take place at the AGM. 

Proxy votes are permitted, and the instructions can be specific or general in relation to resolutions and votes.

All current adult (over 16 years old under British Triathlon rules) members in good standing have the right to vote at the AGM. 

The quorum for AGMs will be 5% of the current adult membership.

The Executive Committee has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) outside the AGM. Procedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM. An EGM can also be called by order of 10% of the current adult membership. 

9. Discipline and appeals

All complaints about the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Welfare Officer.
The Welfare Officer and one other Executive Committee Member (excluding the Chairperson and Vice Chair) will meet within 7 days of a complaint being lodged.  The purpose of that meeting will be to consider the allegations being made and to gather sufficient information to enable them to reasonably determine whether or not the complaint is founded.  The Welfare Officer, along with the accompanying Executive Committee member, will also consider what sanctions, if any, are to be imposed upon the member against whom the complaint has been made.  They will have the power to take disciplinary action up to and including termination of membership. No disciplinary action will be taken against the individual until the case has been fully investigated.   
The member against whom the complaint has been made will be advised of the nature of that complaint and will be given the opportunity to state their case before any decision is made. The outcome will be communicated in writing as soon as is reasonably practical.
The person who lodged the complaint will be provided appropriate and timely updates on the outcome of their complaint.
There will be a right of appeal following disciplinary action being taken.  Such an appeal must be made in writing to a Vice Chair within 7 days of the original decision being communicated and include the basis upon which the  appeal is being made.  The Vice Chair, together with a member of the Executive Committee who has had no prior involvement in the case, will, where possible, consider the appeal within 7 days of that appeal being lodged. The outcome of which will be communicated in writing to the appealing member as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter. The decision that they reach will be final.
With regard to any disciplinary procedure the club will be mindful of the BTF guidance - british-triathlon-disciplinary-policy.pdf (britishtriathlon.org)

10. Dissolution

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

In the event of dissolution, any assets of the club that remain will become the property of Triathlon England. 

11. Amendments to the constitution

The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM. Proxy votes can be utilised by prior arrangements.

12. Declaration

Hillingdon Triathletes hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members. 

 

Document Name	Club Constitution 2024
Document I.D.	CC1
Version	2.0
Date Last Review	November 2023
Date Next Review	November 2024
Approved By	Club Committee
Date Approved	January 2024