2. Aims and Objectives.
2.1 The aims of the Club are to provide the teaching and further development of swimming techniques, for both fitness and competition. 

2.2 The Club is committed to treat everyone equally, regardless of sex, ethnic origin, religion, disability or political persuasion.

The Club believes that the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility and shall therefore ensure that the club and its members comply with ASA Laws and the ASA Child Protection Policy.

The Club shall be affiliated to the Doncaster ASA, The Yorkshire ASA and the NEC ASA, and shall conform to the rules of those associations and such other bodies as the Club may determine from time to time.

Membership.
The total membership of the club shall not normally be limited.  If however the Head Coach or Committee considers that there is a good reason to impose any limit from time to time, then the Committee shall put forward appropriate proposals for consideration at a General Meeting of the Club.  The Committee shall have the right to impose or remove from time to time any limits on total membership (or any category of membership) of the Club.

Any person who wishes to become a member of the Club shall submit a signed application form to the Secretary or Registration Officer.  In the case of a junior swimmer, then the form must be signed by the swimmer’s parent or guardian.  Election to membership shall be in the discretion of the Committee or other person(s) authorised by the Committee.  The Committee or such authorised person(s) shall not be required to give reasons for the refusal of any application of membership.

Once a new member has joined the Club, he/she will be assessed by the head Coach who shall then nominate the member to a Squad. 

The Club is divided into four squads.  They are: Reef Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Killer Sharks and finally the Masters Sharks. These are based mainly on the swimmers ability and/or experience, with the exception of the Masters Squad which is exclusively for Masters Swimmers  

Subscription and other fees.
The annual members subscription fees shall be determined from time to time by the Registration Officer. 

The annual subscription of existing members shall be paid on joining the club and thereafter by 31st  January each year. If a new member joins more than six months into the calendar year, then the annual fees may be at a slightly reduced fee.  This will be at the discretion of the Registration Officer.

The Committee and the Registration Officer shall from time to time, have the power to determine annual subscription and other fees.  This shall include the power to make such an increase in the subscription as shall, where the club pays the individual ASA Membership Fees to the ASA on behalf of it’s members be consequential upon an increase in individual ASA membership fees.  Any increase in subscriptions shall be advised to the members in writing with the reasons for any increase to be reported to the members at the next Annual General meeting.

Monthly training fees shall be paid by the end of the first week of each calendar month. 

Resignation
A member wishing to resign membership of the club must give to the Secretary written notice of his resignation.  A member’s resignation shall only take effect when this (Rule 5.1) has been complied with.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 5.1 above, a member whose subscription is more than two months in arrear shall be deemed to have resigned.  Where the membership of a member shall be terminated in this way he shall be informed in writing that he is no longer a member by notice handed to him or sent by post to his last known address.

Expulsion and other Disciplinary Action
The Committee shall have power to expel a member when, in it’s opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for him to remain a member. 

The Club shall adopt and comply with the ASA Guidelines for handling Internal Club Disputes (“the Guidelines”) as the same may be revised from time to time.  The Guidelines are set out as an Appendix to the ASA Judicial Laws and appear in the ASA Handbook.  (Copies of up-to-date Guidelines can be obtained from the ASA Legal Affairs Department.)

A member may not be expelled or (subject to Rule 6.4 below) be made the subject of any other penalty unless the panel hearing of the complaint shall unanimously vote in favour of the expulsion of (or other penalty imposed upon) the member.

The Officers of the Club (or any person to whom the Committee shall delegate this power) may temporarily suspend or exclude a member from Club activities, when, in their opinion, such action is in the interests of the Club.  Where such action takes place, the complaint will thereafter be dealt with in accordance to the Guidelines.

The Committee
The Committee shall comprise of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Welfare Officer,and Head Coach together with such additional Secretaries, Competition Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Education Secretary etc. as required to manage specific activities of the Club.  A total of 15 Committee members shall make up the Committee.  All Committee members must be a minimum of 18 years of age, though the Committee may allow younger member(s) to attend their meetings as representatives of the swimmers as observers, but without the power to vote.

The Committee members shall be proposed, seconded and elected at the Annual General Meeting each year and shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the next Annual General Meeting.  The Committee may fill any vacancy occurring by resignation or otherwise.  Retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.
 
Committee meetings shall be held once a month, excluding August, and the quorum of the meetings shall be 8 (3 Officers and 5 other members.) The Chairman and the Secretary shall have discretion to call further meetings of the Committee if they consider it to be in the interests of the Club.  The Secretary shall give all the members of the Committee not less than two days oral notice of a meeting.  Decisions of the Committee shall be made by a simple majority and in the event of equality of votes, the Chairman (or acting Chairman at that meeting) shall have a casting or additional vote.  The Secretary or Minutes Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings. 

The Committee may from time to time appoint from among their number (plus non-committee members,) such Sub-Committees as they may consider necessary (and to remove in whole or in part, or vary the terms of reference of such Sub-Committees) and may delegate to them such of the powers and duties of the Committee as the Committee may determine.  All Sub-Committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the Committee.

The Committee shall have the right to co-opt additional people for specific purposes,  but a Co-opted person shall not have the power to vote.

The Committee shall retain at the pool, an  “Accident Report” Book, the contents of which shall be submitted to the  ASA on an annual basis.

The members of the Committee shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the assets of the Club for all expenses and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Club.

 A Special General meeting may be called at any time, either by the Committee or by notice in writing from a minimum of 3 Committee members.

Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held between the dates of 1st November and 31st December.  The purpose of the Annual General Meeting is to transact the following business.
 
To receive the Chairman’s Report of the Activities of the club during the previous year.

To receive the Head Coach’s Report of the Club’s achievements over the past year.

To receive the Treasurer’s Report for the last year and to consider the financial position of the Club.

To elect the Officers and other members of the Committee.

To review and discuss and vote on any rule changes to be made at the Club. (Receipt of Proposals and Nominations for Rule Changes must be submitted to the Secretary 21 days prior to the date of the Annual General meeting.)

Procedure at the Annual General Meeting
Notice of the date, time and venue of the Annual General Meeting shall be displayed on the Club Notice Board 1 month prior to the date set for the Meeting.

The Secretary or Minutes Secretary shall be responsible for the handing out or sending to each member at least 7 days before the meeting, written notice of the date, time and venue of the Annual General Meeting, together with copies of the resolutions to be proposed thereat, a copy of the accounts and minutes from the last Annual General Meeting.  The Secretary or Minutes Secretary or in their absence a member of the Committee shall take minutes at the Annual General Meetings.

The quorum for the Annual General Meetings shall be 10 members entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting.

The Chairman, or in his absence a member selected by the Committee, shall take the chair.  Each member shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passes by a simple majority.   In the event of an equality of votes, then the Chairman shall have the casting or additional vote.  Paid up members who have reached their 16th birthday shall be entitled to be heard and vote only on those matters determined by the Chairman as matters concerning juniors.

  Finance
All moneys payable to the club shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in a bank account in the name of the club.  All cheques drawn from that account shall be signed by at least two committee members. (Four members available to sign.) 

The Treasurer shall produce at each Committee Meeting details of  “Income and Expenditure” for each month along with a Bank Balance.

The Committee shall have the power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any officer, member or employee of the Club and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club.

The Club accounts shall be subject to an Independent Examination on an annual basis, and be presented to the Committee at the A.G.M

Records of Minutes and Financial Reports shall be kept for a minimum of six years.

  Property
All property of the club shall be stored at the club premises and shall be accessible to all Committee Members. 

  Dissolution
A resolution to dissolve the club shall only be proposed at a General Meeting and shall be carried by a majority of the members entitled to vote.

The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Committee shall be responsible for the winding-up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.

Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the club shall be given to a charity, (or other non-profit making organisation having objects similar to those of the Club for the furtherance of such objects) nominated by the last Committee.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The members acknowledge that these rules constitute a legally binding contract to regulate the relationship of the members with each other and the Club.

SEPTEMBER 2006