OPCC Constitution

1. Name  

The club will be called Oakfield Parkonians Cricket Club (formerly Old Parkonians cricket Club) and be affiliated to the England & Wales Cricket Board. The club headquarters will be The Pavilion, Oakfield Playing Fields, Forest Road, Ilford, Essex, IG6 3HD. The club colours shall be maroon and silver.

2. Purpose, aims and objectives

The purposes of the Club are to foster and promote participation in the amateur sport of cricket within the community, providing facilities for playing cricket, opportunities for recreation, coaching and competition.

The aims and objectives of the club and its members will be:

• To ensure that members, playing and non-playing, abide by the ECB Code of Conduct which incorporates the Spirit of Cricket and by the Laws of Cricket.
• To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club by adopting and implementing the ECB Cricket Club Inclusion and diversity Policy and any future versions of the Policy.’

• To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club by adopting and implementing the ECB ‘Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children’ and any future versions of the Policy.

• To ensure that all members, playing and non-playing, abide by the ECB Code of Conduct which incorporates the Spirit of Cricket and by the Laws of Cricket.

A Code of Conduct for Members and Guests must be displayed prominently to ensure that all Club guests and non-member volunteers are aware of the code and the requirement to abide by it. 

All members will be actively encouraged to participate fully in the activities of the club. 
 

3. Membership

Membership of the club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport of cricket on application regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.  However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non discriminatory basis.

Membership shall consist of officers and members of the club. All members will be subject to the rules of the club and by joining the club will be deemed to accept those rules and any codes of conduct that the club has adopted. All officers and members must also be members of the Old Parkonians Association.

All new applications for membership must be by completion of a membership application form and by payment of the relevant subscription/joining fees as determined by the Annual General Meeting of the club. Membership must be formally approved by the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee has the authority to refuse or terminate membership of any person in the event of poor conduct, breach of club rules, or non-payment of subscriptions.

No person shall be eligible to take part in the business of the club or be eligible for selection for any club team unless the appropriate subscription has been paid by the specified date or membership has been agreed by the Committee.

Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories:

* Full Member

* Student Member

* Colt Member

* Non-playing Member

* Honorary life Member

The Club membership Secretary and Club Treasurer will keep a register of members.

A member may resign by written notice to the Club, but the return of any subscription paid is at the discretion of the Club Committee.

Membership is not transferable and shall cease on death.

4. Membership fees

Annual subscriptions and due dates will be set each year at the Annual General Meeting.

The Club will have an equitable pricing policy and will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.

5. Officers of the club

The officers of the club will be:

* Chairman

* Vice-chairmen

* General Secretary

* Treasurer

* Fixture Secretary

* Membership Secretary

* Equipment Secretary

* Welfare Officer

* Chairman of the Cricket Committee

* Captain and Vice-captain of each eleven

* Colts Manager

* Colts Age Group Managers

* Cricket Manager(s)

Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. An Honorary Auditor will also be selected annually at the AGM. All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-appointment.

6. Committees

The club will be managed through the Executive Committee and the Cricket Committee.

The Executive Committee will be responsible for the overall management of the club, including finance, adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation of the club, and dealing with matters not covered in these rules.

The Executive Committee has the power to:

• acquire and provide grounds, equipment, coaching, training and playing facilities, clubhouse, transport, medical and related facilities;
• provide coaching, training, medical treatment, and related social and other facilities;
• take out any insurance for club committee, employees, contractors, players, guests and third parties;
• raise funds by appeals, subscriptions, loans and charges;
• borrow money and give security for the same, and open bank accounts;
• make grants and loans and give guarantees and provide other benefits;
• set aside or apply funds for special purposes or as reserves;
• deposit or invest funds in any lawful manner;
• employ and engage staff and others and provide services;
• co-operate with any organisation, club, sporting body, government or government-related agencies; and
• do all other things reasonably necessary to advance the purpose, aims & objectives consistent with constitution and the general law.

The Executive Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisers or additional members to the Executive Committee as necessary to fulfill its purpose. 

The Executive Committee will be convened by the Secretary of the club and held no less than four times per year. The quorum required for business to be agreed at Executive Committee meetings will be five.

The Executive Committee will consist of:

* Chairman

* Vice-chairmen

* General Secretary

* Treasurer

* Membership Secretary

* Welfare Officer

* Chairman of the Cricket Committee

* Club Captain

* Colts Manager

* A Colts Age Group Manager

The Cricket Committee will meet each week during the season and be responsible for the selection of teams, player availability and eligibility and all matters relating to the day-to-day arrangements for cricket matches, coaching and player development, training and practice arrangements. The Cricket Committee will consist of:

• Chairman of the Cricket Committee
• Captain and Vice-captain of each senior team eleven
• Membership Secretary
• Cricket Manager(s)
• Colts Age Group Managers
• Welfare Officer
• Fixture Secretary
• General Secretary

* Additional members may be co-opted as necessary.

Property, etc.

The property and funds of the Club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of members other than as reasonably allowed by the Rules and all surplus income or profits are to be re-invested in the Club.  No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.

The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, away-match expenses, post match refreshments and other ordinary benefits of Community Amateur Sports Clubs as provided for in the Corporation Tax Act 2010.

The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club:

• sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment;
• employ members (though not for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Committee without the person concerned being present;
• pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting teams and guests; and
• indemnify the Committee and members acting properly in the course of the running of the Club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets).

The Committees will have due regard to the law on disability discrimination and the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

A Committee member ceases to be such if he or she:

ceases to be a member of the Club; or

resigns by written notice to the Club; or

is removed by the Committee in accordance with clause the constitution.

Committee Meetings

Whenever a Committee member has a personal interest in a matter to be discussed he/she must declare it, withdraw from that part of the meeting (unless asked to stay), not be counted in the quorum for that agenda item and withdraw during the vote and have no vote on the matter concerned.

Each Committee may decide its own way of operating.  Unless it otherwise resolves the following rules apply:

• at least 5 Committee members must be present for the meeting to be valid;
• Committee meetings may be held either in person or by telephone, televisual or other electronic or virtual means agreed by the Committee in which all participants may communicate simultaneously with all other participants;
• decisions shall be by simple majority of those voting;
• a resolution in writing signed by every Committee member shall be valid without a meeting; and
• the Chair of the meeting shall have a casting vote.

The Club Welfare Office shall report to relevant Committee meetings and the reports, together with any action taken, must be minuted.

Club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of Oakfield Parkonians Cricket Club. Colts section monies will be banked in an account held in the name of Oakfield Parkonians Cricket Club Colts, but will remain the property of Oakfield Parkonians Cricket Club. The Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club. The financial year of the club will end on the 30th September.

A statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer to the Executive Committee prior to the Annual General Meeting.

Notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be given by the General Secretary. It will be held in the autumn each year. Not less than 21 clear days’ notice will be given to all members.

The quorum for all general meetings is 15 members present.

The AGM will receive a report from the officers of the Executive Committee and a statement of the agreed accounts. Elections of officers are to take place at the AGM.

All members within the following categories of membership shall be entitled to vote at an AGM:

* Full Member

* Student Member

* Non-playing Member

* The President or an Honorary Life Member

provided they are not in debt of the club

9. Discipline and appeals

All complaints regarding the behaviour of members, guests or volunteers must be lodged in writing with the General Secretary.

The Executive Committee shall appoint a Disciplinary sub-committee, consisting of the Chairman or a Vice-chairman plus two other Officers of the club, who will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. Any member requested to attend a Disciplinary sub-committee shall be entitled to be accompanied by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses. The sub-committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action, including the termination of membership. Decisions shall be by majority vote; where necessary, the chairman shall have a casting vote.

9.1 Appeals Procedure

A player shall have the right of appeal to the Appeals Committee against the Disciplinary Sub-Committee’s findings or the sanction imposed or both; and against the Committee’s refusal to admit a new member.

Notice of Appeal setting out the grounds must be given in writing to the General Secretary within seven days of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee, together with a deposit (to be set by the Executive Committee)

If notice of Appeal is given the penalty shall not take effect pending the hearing of the Appeal, which shall take place as soon as is practicable.

The Appeal shall be by way of re-hearing before a different Committee. The composition of the Committee shall be at the discretion of the Chairman of the club or of the Executive Committee and shall consist of not less than three persons, none of whom shall be connected with the player at the time of the alleged breach. The player shall have the same rights of attendance and representation, and to call witness as they had before the Disciplinary Committee.

The Appeals Committee may confirm, vary or reverse the decision of the Disciplinary Sub-Committee and it shall have the power to increase the penalty and award costs of the Appeal hearing. Decisions of the Appeals Committee shall be by majority vote; where necessary, the chairman of the Appeals Committee shall have a casting vote.

10. Dissolution

The members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present and voting support that proposal at a properly convened general meeting.

The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs.

After settling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:

• to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a charity and/or is a registered CASC; and/or

11. Amendments

These Rules may be amended at a general meeting by resolution passed by two-thirds of the votes cast but not (if relevant) so as to jeopardise the Club’s status as a Community Amateur Sports Club as first provided for by the Corporation Tax Act 2010 and not in any event to alter its purposes (unless as below) or winding up provisions.

12. Declaration

Oakfield Parkonians Cricket Club hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

Adopted at a meeting held at ……………………………………………………………………on ……………………