Constitution

7. GENERAL COMMITTEE

  1. The General Committee shall be the governing body of the Association and shall consist of the following Officers and Representatives.
    1. The President
    2. The Executive Vice-Presidents (“working” or “still active”) ;
    3. The Honorary Secretary of the Association ;
    4. The Honorary Treasurer of the Association ;
    5. The Honorary Secretaries of the Committees listed in Clause 6b) iii), together with the Honorary Assistant Secretary (General) ;
    6. Two representatives nominated by each affiliated Club, University, College and School. The names of the representatives should be declared to the Hon. Secretary by the 1st October each year ;
    7. The General Committee may, at their discretion, appoint not more than three additional Honorary Officers to assist in the general administrative work of the Association. They shall be subject to re-election annually by the General Committee.
    1. President shall be elected at the AGM for a period of two years and, in exceptional circumstances, may, subject to re-election, continue in office for a further period of one year ;
    2. Two Executive Vice-Presidents shall be elected annually at the AGM and, subject to re-election, may continue in office for a period of not exceeding three years ;

      (NOTE: it is anticipated that the immediate past President and the President –elect shall be the Vice-Presidents to provide continuity and undertake special tasks as requested by the Executive Committee.)

    3. The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer of the Association shall be elected annually at the AGM ;
    4. The General Committee shall meet not less than twice a year. Six eligible voting members, two of whom must be officers, shall form a quorum. The General Committee may include audio conferencing ;
    5. Fourteen days’ notice of each meeting, accompanied by an agenda and any relevant reports shall be sent to each officer and affiliated Club ;
    6. If any of the Committee Secretaries or nominated representatives of clubs are unable to attend, an alternative may be nominated by giving notice to the Honorary Secretary of the Association ;
    7. The President shall take the Chair at all meetings of the General Committee, the AGM and Special General Meetings. In his absence an Executive Vice-President or such other person, as the Meeting shall elect, shall so act ;
    8. The General Committee shall concern itself with matters of the general policy of the Association and its affiliated Associations and Clubs. It may delegate any of its powers to other Committees with suitable terms of reference but no changes in the Objects, as defined in Clause 3, or the general policy of the Association may be made without the approval of the General Committee ;
    9. The General Committee shall have power to appoint a suitable person to fill any office which, for any reason, becomes vacant between two AGMs. An officer so elected in this manner shall assume all the powers of his Office until the end of the AGM next after his appointment ;
    10. The General Committee shall have power to settle all disputes, protests etc., which may arise and which are within the Association’s jurisdiction. The General Committee shall have power to call on any evidence it may require from Member Clubs. The General Committee shall have power to penalise, reprimand any Member Club the conduct of which, in its opinion, renders such action desirable. No such action shall take place unless the Honorary Secretary of the Member Club has been advised of the resolution and has been invited, in writing, to state the case of his Club before the Committee ;
    11. A Special General Meeting shall be called to consider and subsequently have the power to suspend or expel any Member Club, the conduct of which, in the Meetings opinion, render such action desirable. A suspended or expelled Club shall forfeit all rights and privileges of Membership of the Association (including voting power) but shall remain liable for its subscription for the current year. The General Committee shall also have power to forbid any other Member Club playing matches against such a suspended or expelled member club ;
    12. Any member of any Club may normally attend a General Committee Meeting but the Chairman and the General Committee shall each have power to forbid the attendance of anyone who is not a member of the General Committees for the whole or part of the meeting.