The Club and Membership

1. The name of the club is “Bere Regis Sports Club”, registered with the Charity Commission as Charity Number 301100.
2. The objects of the club are to operate as a non-profit making organisation for the support of social, recreational and sporting activities in the village of Bere Regis and the Management of the Bere Regis Recreation Ground and properties entrusted to the Club.

3. 3. Any person using the club’s social facilities on more than three occasions during a twelve month period and/or holding a ‘Sport Section Membership’ will be subject to paying the ‘Social Membership’ fee, unless they are exempted by means of being a ‘Life Member’ or ‘Honorary Life Member’.

‘Social Membership’ is available to any adult (defined as 18 years old and over) on an individual basis. The ‘Social Membership’ fee will be determined by the management committee at their first meeting after an AGM, or at their January meeting, whichever the sooner, with any change being effective from February 1^st. An individual’s ‘Social Membership’ becomes payable on the anniversary of their initial payment.

At the same time as determining the ‘Social Membership’ fee, the management committee will also set a ‘minimum match fee’ which will come into effect at the start of the following season for each section.

‘Sport Section Membership’ is determined annually at a meeting between the charity trustees and representatives of the relevant sports section. That meeting will determine

1. the ‘Sport Section Membership’ fee specific to that section,
2. who is subject to that ‘Sport Section Membership’

• when that fee is due and

1. the amount payable by way of match fees, subject to the minimum match fee set by the management committee.

Anyone subject to paying a ‘Sport Section Membership’ must also have a current ‘Social Membership’. Should that ‘Social Membership’ lapse then the ‘Sport Section Membership’ also becomes invalid.

4. Anyone can become a ‘Social’ club member on payment of the appropriate membership fee but the management committee can refuse membership to any individual who has previously breached club rules or broken the members “Code of Conduct”. Where membership is refused at the meeting immediately following the initial application any fee paid shall be returned.
5. On the recommendation of the Management Committee a full member may be elected an Honorary Life Member at any General Meeting of the club and shall therefore be entitled to all privileges of the club without paying the annual subscription. A two-thirds majority of those present shall be necessary at such an election. There shall be no more than six Honorary Life Members of the club at any one time.
6. Any member wishing to resign shall give notice to the Membership Secretary in writing. Membership shall otherwise cease by lapse of subscription.

 

7. The Membership Secretary shall maintain a membership list and ensure that all personal data is stored and used in line with the club Data Privacy Policy, a copy of which is available on the club website.
8. The Management Committee shall have power to suspend or expel any member who shall offend against the rules of the Club or the club ‘code of conduct’, or whose conduct shall, in the opinion of the Management Committee, render him/her unfit for membership of the club. Before any such member is expelled he or she shall be entitled to be heard before a meeting of the Management Committee and be given seven days notice of complaints made before such a hearing. A decision to expel must require at least two-thirds majority of those Management Committee members present and voting.

9. The management committee will be empowered to elect a defined ‘organised group’ of people as ‘affiliate members’, in return for a ‘group fee’ determined annually by the management committee. The affiliate members group can utilise club facilities in any way, as agreed with the management committee. Members of such an affiliate group shall only be entitled to use the club facilities at an event organised by their own group but, if so desired, may also become a club member, subject to the rule 3.
10. Any member of the club can introduce guests on any occasion provided that no person whose application for membership of the club has been declined or who has been expelled from the club shall be introduced as a guest. A non-member can be introduced as a guest no more than three times in a twelve-month period.

Management

11. There shall be a President of the Club who shall pay an annual subscription and be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

12. The Club shall be managed by a ‘Management Committee’, consisting of an elected Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Field Treasurer, Bar Treasurer, Membership Secretary and additional committee members and two representatives from each of the Sport Sections. The Chair, Field Treasurer and one other committee member shall be the charity trustees, provided that they satisfy the criteria for trustees set out by the Charity Commission.
13. The Management Committee and all sub-committees shall have the power to add to their numbers by co-option and to form any sub-committees that they may consider necessary.
14. The Management Club Chairman and Secretary shall be ex-officio members of all sub-committees.
15. The Management Committee and sub-committees shall have power at any time and from time to time to fill any casual vacancy among the officers and members of the committee. Any officer or member of the committee so appointed shall hold office only until the following Annual General Meeting or Sport Section Annual General Meeting (whichever is applicable) and shall be eligible for re-election.
16. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held every year and fifteen months shall not elapse without a General Meeting. At the Annual General Meeting the following business shall be conducted:
    • Chairman’s Report
    • Trustee’s Report
    • Treasurer’s Report and adoption of accounts
    • Election of Officers as per Rule 12, nominations for which (with seconder) shall have been submitted to the Secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting. Nominations will only be taken at the AGM if none have been previously submitted as above.
    • Appointment of Auditor, if required to do so under the current requirements of the Charity Commission.
    • Any Other Business as shall have been communicated to the Secretary at least fourteen days before the meeting and included in the final notice of the meeting
    • Any other relevant business

17. Initial Notice of the Annual General Meeting, with an invitation to submit nominations for posts, proposed changes to the constitution and any other business shall be circulated at least twenty-eight days prior to the meeting and Final notice shall be circulated fourteen days prior to the meeting stating the time and place.
18. An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of the Club may be convened at any time and shall be convened within 21 days of the requisition signed by ten members. Such requisition must state the purpose for which such a meeting is required.
19. The Quorum for a General Meeting shall be FIFTEEN full members. The Chairman of the Club will normally take the chair at such meetings. Only full members of the Club will be entitled to vote upon every motion provided that in the case of equality the Chairman will have a casting vote.
20. In the event of there being two or more candidates for an office, election shall be by secret ballot of all those full members present at the meeting. If a candidate is unopposed he/she is automatically elected.
21. Each Sport Section shall have its own constitution, be affiliated to the appropriate national governing body for that sport and its committee shall be elected by the members active and affiliated to that section at an Annual General Meeting of that Sport Section.
22. Each Sport Section Committee shall consist of a minimum of a Chairman, Secretary and Cash Officer.
23. (a) Each “Sport” Section shall be responsible for the financial control and day to day running of the respective Sports and will include collection of match fees, and payment of day to day administration, catering and sundry expenses up to an amount determined by the Management Committee. The cash officer shall submit a summary of all income and expenditure to the Field Treasurer on a monthly basis and the full management committee shall review such summaries on a quarterly basis.

(b) The Bere Regis Sports Club will pay all league fees, entrance fees and Insurance Premiums in connection with the competitions entered by each Sport Section.

(c) A Sport Section can apply to the Management Committee for additional financial assistance with the purchase of equipment or sport kit. The Management Committee will use its best endeavors to do so.

(d) No Sport Section Committee shall hold its own bank account. The Bere Regis Sports Club undertakes to provide facilities for Sport to each “Sport” Committee free of charge on the strict understanding that all surplus funds are paid to the Field Treasurer on a regular basis and accounts produced.

24. At least 75% of the Management Committee must be inhabitants of the parish of Bere Regis or adjoining parishes.
25. The Management Committee will meet every month and each of the sub-committees shall report to the Management Committee at every meeting.
26. The Management Committee shall be responsible for the insurance, maintenance and any improvements of the Bere Regis Recreation Ground and all facilities thereon.
27. Any Management Committee member who is absent three consecutive meetings shall automatically cease to be a member of the Management Committee unless that committee resolves that such absence is excusable.
28. The Management Committee shall administer all rents for the use of Club property and all monies raised for the maintenance and improvement of the same.
29. The Management Committee shall be responsible for the fixing of all rents and charges for the use of facilities by full members and other individuals and organisations.
30. The Trustees, or appointed committee members, shall be responsible for any decision on the hiring of the facilities by outside bodies.
31. No money or property of the Club or any gain arising from the carrying on of the Club shall be applied otherwise than for the benefit of the Club as a whole.
32. First call on field facilities will normally be allocated to football from September to March and to cricket from April to August, although the Management Committee, in exceptional circumstances and at the request of a sport section, may sanction home fixtures out of the aforementioned months.

Dissolution

33. The Trustees will call a General Meeting to propose the dissolution of the Sports Club in the event of them being unable to continue financial solvency of the club’s affairs. A two-thirds majority of full members present and voting at the General Meeting shall be required to approve dissolution and in that event the Trustees will relinquish the day to day management of that part of the recreation ground owned by Fields in Trust back to that organisation. The Trustees will seek to find a suitable ‘not for profit’ or charitable organisation to take over the day to day management of any other grounds and property not owned by Fields in Trust, such that the continuance of community sports activity is secured. After settlement of all affairs connected with the dissolution of the Sports Club any remaining assets will be distributed such that they continue to be used for the continuance of community sport within the parish.

Finance and Bar Sales

34. The Club shall maintain two sets of accounts to be kept and administered by separate Treasurers:

One account to cover the Ground, associated property and Sport Administration and to be designated “The Field Account” and administered by the “Field Treasurer”,

The other account to cover the running of the clubhouse and bar and designated “The Bar Account” and administered by the “Bar Treasurer”.

35. The purchase of intoxicating liquor for supply at the club shall be at the absolute discretion of the Bar Committee.
36. The permitted bar opening hours at the clubhouse shall be at the discretion of the Management Committee, comply with the local licensing authority rules and be displayed at the clubhouse.
37. No person shall at any time be entitled to receive at the expense of the Club any commission percentage or similar payment with reference to the purchase of intoxicating liquor by the club nor shall any person directly or indirectly derive any pecuniary benefit of the club to members or guests apart from any benefit accruing to the club as a whole and apart also from any benefit which a person derives indirectly by reason of the supply giving rise to or contributing to a general gain from carrying on of the club.
38. There may be admitted to the club’s premises persons other than members or their guests, and intoxicating liquor may be sold to such persons by or in behalf of the club for consumption on the premises and not elsewhere PROVIDED THAT the provisions of this rule shall apply only to:-

• Sales of intoxicating liquor to the members and supporters of visiting teams
• Sales of intoxicating liquor in connection with social events organised by the club or by approved hire of the club.

39. (a) Junior Members are defined as being under the age of 18 years.

(b) Junior Members and all other persons under the age of 18 years shall not be permitted to purchase or be supplied with, or consume intoxicating liquor on the premises.

40. The purchase of intoxicating liquor for the supply of the club shall be in the absolute discretion of a sub-committee of not less than three members of the elected Management Committee and must include the Bar Treasurer. In the event of any member ceasing to be an elected member of the Management Committee he or she will automatically cease to be a member of the sub-committee and another elected member of the Management Committee shall be appointed in his or her place. This sub-committee shall report each month to the Management Committee and shall conduct its business in accordance with the directions of the Management Committee.

Last updated at the Annual General Meeting held on 22^nd November  2021.