BELLEVILLE BADMINTON CLUB CONSTITUTION (Draft from the Executive Meeting of March 4, 2002, modified.)

Article 1: Name

The name of the Club shall be the Belleville Badminton Club, hereinafter referred to as the “Club”.

Article 2: Object

The object of the Club shall be:

(a) to unite in one local organization those persons who are interested in and wish to engage actively in the sport of badminton,

(b) to join with all similar clubs in the Bay of Quinte area in promoting the sport,

(c)  to assist the Central Ontario Badminton Association (COBA), the Ontario Badminton Association (OBA), and the Canadian Badminton Association (CBA) in the promotion of badminton, and

(d)  to encourage and assist all persons interested in this sport, with the object of creating greater interest therein.

Article 3: Membership

All members shall be 18 years of age or older.  Junior members may join upon approval by the Executive.

Members shall be defined as all those whose applications have been approved and who have paid their annualor semi-annual fees.  Occasional players who pay per diem guest fees do not  hold voting rights.

All complaints must be made in writing to the Secretary and be signed by the member submitting the complaint.  Such complaints shall be dealt with by the Club’s Executive, and their decision shall be final.

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP: All nominations for Honorary Membership, when approved by the Executive, shall be lifelong.

Article 4: Executive

The affairs of the Club shall be managed by an Executive elected by the members at an Annual General Meeting.

The Executive shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Directors not fewer than 5 in number.

Under normal circumstances, the President shall manage the day-to-day operation of the Club and preside at all meetings.  In the case of an equality of votes at any meeting, s/he shall have a casting vote.  S/he or a designated Club member shall represent the Club at all COBA meetings.

The Vice-President shall discharge all the duties of the President when the President is absent.

The Treasurer shall conduct the financial business of the Club.  S/he shall keep an accurate ledger of accounts, and provide a current financial report at each Executive meeting.  At the end of each badminton season the Treasurer will present a current report to the Executive.  These accounts will be reviewed by an independent source who will report the findings of the review to the Executive.  The independent reviewer is appointed by the Executive annually.

The Secretary shall keep and maintain the Minutes of all meetings, and provide a copy of those Minutes to all Executive members within 10 days of the meeting.  S/he shall be the custodian of all documents and correspondence.  S/he shall keep lists of all members -- regular and Honorary.

The Directors shall act in an advisory capacity or otherwise assist in the management of the Club as requested by the President in regards to internal and external communications, promotions, socials, tournaments, coaching, COBA, and other special activities.

TERMS OF OFFICE: The Executive shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting of the Club, held prior to the end of the badminton season,  and shall hold office from September 1st to August 31st of the following year.  The president and Vice-President shall serve two-year terms, each leaving on alternate years.

Any Executive member may be replaced mid term if necessary, by a majority vote of a quorum of the Executive, or by a majority vote of the Club membership, at a meeting called for that purpose. Any Executive member who is unable to fulfill his/her term may be so replaced.  Any Executive member who misses three consecutive meetings may be replaced mid-term by the current Executive, provided said member has been issued a written warning after the second consecutive meeting has been missed.

Article 5: Meetings

The Executive shall meet as often as deemed necessary. A minimum of 5 Executive members shall constitute a quorum at Executive meetings.  An Executive meeting can be called at any time by the President, with 7 days prior notice.

The President must call for a special meeting if requested in writing by any 10 Club members to do so. Special meetings can be called by the President at any time with 7 days prior notice.

Meetings will normally be chaired by either the President or the Vice President. In the absence of both, the Executive may appoint another member to the chair. The chairperson does not vote except in event of a tie occurring.

A minimum of 5 Executive members shall constitute a quorum for voting purposes at Executive meetings. A motion is approved if endorsed by at least a simple majority vote of the quorum.

Prior to the Annual General Meeting, the Executive shall appoint a nominating committee, which will return a slate of nominees to be presented at the meeting.  In addition, nominations shall be accepted from the floor at the meeting.

ORDER OF MEETINGS:
Call to order
Reading of Minutes of past general, special, or Executive meeting
Business arising from the Minutes
Adoption of Minutes
Reading and adoption of financial report
Correspondence and reports from any Executive committees
Business arising from old minutes
New business
Open discussion
Date, time, and place of next meeting
Adjournment

Article 6: Finance

The annual membership fee shall be decided upon by the Executive prior to the beginning of each season’s play.

The Club will maintain a “reserve fund” to ensure its protection against unforeseen economic hardship.  This reserve fund is to be retained from Club membership fees and shall not exceed 50% of the former year’s operating expenses.  Any surplus beyond this reserve amount is to be used for a reduction of membership fees or for some other worthwhile promotion of our Club’s objectives.

CHEQUES AND ALLOWANCES: All cheques shall be signed by at least two people: The President or Vice-President, and the Treasurer.

All expenditures over $200 shall require executive approval.

The President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary may be allowed to spend up to $200 without prior approval.

ACCOUNT: All funds of the Club shall be placed in a Trust or Bank account under the name of the Belleville badminton Club.  The signature card shall be signed by the President, Vice-President, and Treasurer.

The Club account shall be reviewed once a year immediately following completion of the regular season.

The Auditor shall be decided upon by the Executive.

The Executive shall appoint annually an independent reviewer of the Club’s financial status.  The reviewer may be a non-Executive member of the Club or any member of the community.
 

 Article 7: Amendments

The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any time during regular meetings, general meetings, or special meetings called for that purpose.  A copy of such amendments must be filed with the Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting, and posted on the notice board.  The amendment has to have at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes of members present in order to pass.