DUBLIN FRONT RUNNERS (DFR)

CONSTITUTION

 

  1. Title

The club shall be called Dublin Front Runners A.C. or DFR hereinafter referred to as “the Club”.

    1. Aims and Objects

  1. The aims and objects of the Club shall be to foster an interest in and promote the activity of running among lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people (LGBT) regardless of race religion, sex or physical ability.

  2. To promote these aims and objects, the Club will train regularly.  It may also hold events, runs, races and social events and undertake other activities incidental or conducive to the furtherance of these aims and objects.

  3. The Club is committed to encouraging the highest standards.  All members of the Club should conduct themselves with integrity and accountability and in the best interests of the Club.

    1. Membership

  1. Membership of the Club shall be open to any person aged eighteen years and upwards, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or ability who completes a membership application form and pays the relevant subscription fee determined at the Annual General Meeting.

  2. Membership is open to all and no application for, nor renewal of, membership will be refused on other than reasonable grounds.

  3. All members joining the Club shall be deemed to accept the terms of this Constitution and any bye-laws from time to time adopted by the Club.

  4. Members will pay an annual subscription fee.  This fee will cover a period of twelve months from 1st January, and should ordinarily be paid by 1st December in the preceding year.  Members may join at any stage during the year, however, subscriptions will not be pro-rated for members joining late in the year.

    1. The Committee

  1. The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by the committee (“the Committee).  The Committee shall consist of no more than seven members in total, consisting of three officers, namely Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.  All Committee members must be members of the Club.

  2. The officers of the Club shall be entitled to a personal indemnity out of the funds of the club where they are acting bona fides in their capacity as officers of the Club.

  3. The Committee posts shall be honorary positions.  If the post of a Committee member shall fall vacant after such election the Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy by way of a majority vote.

  4. The Committee shall have the full power to deal with all matters relating to the Club not reserved to a General Meeting in terms of the Constitution including power to make public and enforce such bye-laws as the Committee feel necessary to govern the activities of the Club.

  5. The Chairperson and Committee Members will be elected by a majority of the membership at the AGM.  The ordinary Committee Members shall be elected at the AGM.  In the event of an election being required (i.e. if the number of candidates exceeds six), a ballot paper shall be prepared listing each of the candidates in alphabetical order.  Each paid up member of the Club shall be entitled to indicate six (equal) preferences on his or her ballot paper.  The six candidates with the highest total number of preferences shall be deemed elected.

  6. A separate vote shall be held at the AGM for the election of Chairperson.  The election shall be on the basis of “first past the post” (i.e. each paid-up member of the Club shall have a single, non-transferable vote).  The incoming Chairperson will appoint (i) a Treasurer and (ii) a Secretary from amongst the members of the incoming Committee.  If a vacancy in either these two offices arises during the course of the year, the Chairperson shall appoint a person to fill same from amongst the Committee members.

  7. Committee members including for the avoidance of doubt the officers of the Club, shall serve a term of one year.  The Chairperson and outgoing Committee members may put themselves forward for re-election at the AGM. There is no limit on the number of terms an individual can serve as an Ordinary Committee Member; however, no person shall be entitled to serve as Chairperson for more than two consecutive years.  An outgoing Chairperson who has served two consecutive years as Chairperson shall not be eligible for election to the incoming Committee, whether as Chairperson or as ordinary Committee Member.

  8. The Committee shall meet at times and places agreed by the Committee members to discuss the business of the Club.  The Committee shall meet at least six times a year.  The quorum for Committee meetings shall be four.  No proxy voting will be allowed.

  1. Duties of the Officers

Chairperson

The Chairperson shall

  1. preside at all committee meetings, AGMs and EGMs of the Club;

  2. in the absence of the Chairperson, nominations will be sought from those present at the meeting to preside  over that particular meeting.

  1. Secretary

The Secretary shall

  1. On instructions from the Chairperson convene all meetings of the Club;

  2. Maintain a current register of membership

  3. Be responsible for all correspondence on behalf of the Club and maintain all correspondence in filing system.

  4. Record and retain the minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of the Club.

  5. Prepare an annual report for submission to the AGM

  1. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall

  1. Maintain a clear, detailed and accurate record of all financial transactions of the Club.

  2. Obtain receipts for all expenditure incurred by the Club and maintain all necessary records regarding the spending of monies allocated.

  3. Present a detailed Financial Report including Accounts in standard format to the AGM.

    1. General Meetings and Voting

  1. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place in the month of January / February or as soon as possible thereafter as the Committee can arrange it.

  2. The purposes of the AGM are:

  1. To receive the annual report of the Secretary on the activities of the preceding year.

  2. To receive the Treasurer’s Financial Report and accounts of the preceding year.

  3. To select the officers and Committee members for the ensuing year.

  4. To decide the subscription fee, if any, for the coming year.

  5. To elect a person, independent of the Committee, to certify the following years accounts in accordance with Clause 7.4.

  6. To discuss the programme of the Club for the coming year.

  7. To consider any amendments to the Constitution.

  8. To deal with other relevant business.

  1. At least fourteen days notice shall be given to members of the date, venue and agenda items of the AGM.  Notification of the meeting shall be by email, website, newsletter, advertisement or by post.  Each fully paid up member at the meeting shall have one vote.  No proxy voting shall be allowed.

  2. The quorum at the General Meetings shall be one third of the membership of the Club plus one.

  3. With the exception of changes to the Constitution, decisions put to a vote shall be resolved by simple majority at General Meetings.

  4. The Chairman of the Club shall hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at General and Committee Meetings.

  5. Elections for Chairperson, and membership of the Committee shall be held by secret ballot following a short speech from each candidate.  Any person wishing to put him or herself forward as a candidate must give written notice to the Secretrary at least seven days before the date of the AGM.  The notice should be signed by the candidate and by a proposer and a seconder (both of whom must be members of the Club).

  6. Any change to the Constitution shall require a two third’s majority of those present eligible to vote and voting at a General Meeting.  A proposal to change the Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Secretary who shall circulate the proposal to all members and allow seven days for submission of any amendments before calling a meeting in accordance with Clause 6.3 above.  All proposals for changes to the Constitution shall be signed by five members eligible to vote at a General Meeting.

  7. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called either by notice in writing signed by at least two Committee members or on receipt of a written request to the Secretary of the Committee by five members of the Club.  Notification and voting rules at the Extraordinary General Meetings are as at AGMs.  No other business shall be conducted at such a meeting.

  8. The counting of votes shall be organised by the Secretary save where the outgoing Secretary is running as a candidate for election : in such circumstances, the AGM will designate, by majority open vote, a person who is not running for election to act as invigilator.

    1. Finance and Accounts

  1. The financial year shall run from 1 January to 31 December each year.

  2. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the preparation of the Annual Accounts of the Club.

  3. The Organisation shall maintain a current bank account.  All cheques drawn against the Club’s funds shall be signed by the Treasurer and either the Chairperson or the Secretary of the Club.  New signature cards, which are the responsibility of the Treasurer, must be completed within one month of the AGM if required.

  4. All members of the Club shall be jointly and severally responsible for the financial liabilities of the Club.

  5. The Accounts shall be certified by an appropriate person elected independent of the Committee, elected at the previous year’s AGM.

  6. Any expenditure in excess of €200 shall require the approval of a majority of the Committee.

    1. Affiliation

  1. The Club is a member of International Front Runners and supports communications between Front Runners Clubs.  The Club is a member of the Athletics Association of Ireland.

    1. Resignation and Dissolution

  1. Any member wishing to resign must do so in writing to the Secretary.  The resignation shall be considered by the Committee within on calendar month of receipt and will be held as effective on the date of tendering.  Resignations will not be accepted if the member is in any way financially indebted to the Club.

  2. The Club is a non profit organisation.  All profits and surpluses will be used to maintain or improve the Club and carry out its aims and objects.  No profit or surplus will be distributed other than to another non profit making body on a winding up or dissolution of the Club.

  3. If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall be transferred to some other organisation(s) having objects similar to the objects of the Club, such organisation(s) to be determined by members of the Club at a General Meeting.