Club Constitution for Brentwood Cricket Club

1. The name of this section of the Brentwood County Ground Club is “The Brentwood Cricket Club” and all members of this section (hereinafter called the “Club”) shall ipso facto be members of the Brentwood County Ground Club.

The Club is formed as a non-profit making organisation for the enjoyment, use and occupation by members and persons authorised by or on behalf of the members from time to time.

2. The objects of the Club are:-

a. to provide facilities for and the promotion and encouragement of participation in cricket and for such other activities as may be agreed by the Executive Committee for the benefit of the local community;

b. to be organised on an amateur basis;

c. to do all such other acts and things as may be incidental or conducive to the above objects, including the organisation of social and sporting functions and activities.

3. The Club opposes all forms of discrimination in sport and is committed to ensure that membership of the Club is available on an equal basis to the community irrespective of age, race, gender, disability, ethnicity, nationality, religion or other beliefs, except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of cricket.  The Club will endeavour to ensure that opportunities to participate in cricket are provided for all groups at a level appropriate to their needs and aspirations.

The Club ensures a duty of care to all its members by adopting and implementing the ECB “Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children” and any future versions of the Policy, and by adopting and implementing the ECB Anti-Discrimination code and any future versions thereof

4. There shall be three classes of membership, namely Life Vice-Presidents, who shall be elected from time to time at the Annual General Meeting for services rendered to the Club and who shall not be liable to pay any subscription, Playing Members and Social

Members.  The Playing Members shall be divided into Full Members, Lady Members, and Junior Members.

The Junior Members being divided into Full-Time Students and Junior under 18.  Additionally, the membership for Juniors under 18 shall be deemed to include automatically their parent(s) or guardian(s) and that Full Members to include their spouse or partner.

5. Members’ subscriptions and Playing Members’ match fees shall be fixed annually at the   Annual General Meeting and shall be published in the Club’s Fixture Card.  The Club maintains an equitable subscription policy and will endeavour to ensure that subscriptions are kept at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to potential or existing Members.

6. Annual Subscriptions shall be due on 1 January and payable in full by 30 April.  Any Playing Member whose subscription has not been paid by 1 June will be considered to be no longer available for selection and may be expelled from the Club by the Executive Committee.

7. The Officers of the Club shall be the President, Chairman, Club Captain, Secretary, Treasurer and Fixture Secretary.

8. The Management of the affairs of the Club shall be vested in an Executive Committee consisting of the following:

Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Fixture Secretary, Social / Marketing Chairman, House & Ground Chairman, Colts’ Chairman, Cricket Chairman, Finance and Development Chairman, Club Welfare Officer and Administrator.  The President is an ex-officio member who attends Committee Meetings.

9.         Every candidate for membership shall apply in writing to the Secretary, alternatively complete either the online submission or sign and complete a hard copy of the application form.

9.1       No person shall be eligible to take part in the business of the Club, vote at general meetings or be eligible for selection for any Club team unless the applicable subscription has been paid by the due date and/or membership has been agreed by the Committee [Two days must also have passed since the application for membership was submitted before membership can be granted.]

9.2       Although membership applications may be refused or removed at the discretion of the Cricket Sub-committee, such action would only be taken for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or the game of cricket into disrepute.

9.2.1    The Committee may only refuse to admit a new member if a resolution is passed at a meeting where the person in question has been notified in writing in advance and been given 14 days to submit written representations for the Committee to consider at the meeting.  Appeal against a refusal of membership shall be to the Appeal Committee as detailed below. 

10. A Selection Committee consisting of the Cricket Chairman, and Captain of every XI (or his Vice-Captain should the Captain be unavailable) shall be responsible for team selections.  An unavailability board will be displayed in the bar of the Club, and availability will be assumed unless a member has marked the board appropriately.  Any member who fails to denote his or her unavailability and is therefore selected will be liable to disciplinary action should he or she subsequently cry off.

11. The Executive Committee shall have power to impose sanctions on, or to expel, any Member who offends against these Bye-Laws, the rules of the Brentwood County Ground Club or of the Brentwood Cricket, Hockey and Tennis Social Club, or whose conduct shall, in the opinion of the Executive Committee, render him or her unfit for membership.  Before the imposition of any sanctions or expulsion, the Member concerned will receive from the Secretary in writing details of the complaint  and will be requested to attend a Disciplinary Hearing conducted by the Executive Committee within 21 days of the alleged offence or misdemeanour.  The Member concerned shall be entitled to be accompanied to the Disciplinary Hearing by a friend or other representative and to call witnesses.  The outcome of the Disciplinary Hearing shall be put in writing to the Member concerned within 14 days following the Hearing and there shall be a right of appeal within a further 14 days of receipt of the decision. Any such appeal shall be made in writing and will be considered by an Appeals Sub-committee comprising three individuals, who may or not be bona-fide members of the Club but will not include any of the Executive Committee, within 21 days of the appeal. The appeals procedure will follow the procedure used for Disciplinary Hearings, and the decision of the Appeals Sub-committee will be final and binding on all parties. Furthermore, any complaints regarding the behaviour of Members, guests or volunteers should be lodged in writing with the Secretary and will be dealt with in similar fashion to the foregoing.

12. The Executive Committee may from time to time appoint from among their members such sub-committees as they deem necessary or expedient and depute or refer to them such of the powers, including the power to elect Playing Members, and duties as the Executive Committee may determine.

13. Four members of the Executive Committee shall form a quorum.  Minutes shall be taken of all proceedings of the Executive Committee.

14. An Annual General Meeting shall be held every year for the purpose of receiving from the Executive Committee a report, balance sheet and statement of accounts for the preceding year, the election of Officers and other members of the Executive Committee and any other ordinary business.  Only Life Vice-Presidents, Full Members, Officers, Executive Committee Members and Full Time Students shall have voting powers at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.

15. The Executive Committee may at any time, for any special purpose, call a special general meeting, and they shall do so forthwith upon the requisition in writing of not less than twelve members stating the purpose for which the meeting is required.

16. Twenty members, to include at least four Officers of the Club, personally present at any general meeting shall form a quorum.  Minutes shall be taken of all proceedings at general meetings.

17. Every Member shall be bound by these Bye-Laws and by the rules of the Brentwood County Ground Club, and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these Bye-Laws and rules as well as any Club Regulations and any Codes of Conduct that the Club has adopted.  Every Member shall also be a member of the Brentwood Cricket, Hockey and Tennis Social Club and shall be bound similarly by the rules of that club.  A Code of Conduct for Members and guests will be displayed prominently to ensure that all guests and non-member volunteers are aware of the Code and the requirements to abide by it.  The Secretary will maintain a Register of Members.

18. The Club shall have the power, acting through the Executive Committee, to raise or borrow money for the purposes of the Club and to make contributions to third parties (in particular the Brentwood County Ground Club) by way of reimbursement of money raised or borrowed and financing costs incurred by such third parties where such money and financing costs have been raised, borrowed or incurred directly or indirectly for the benefit of the Club.

19. Every member of the Executive Committee, employee or agent of the Club shall be indemnified by the Club and the Executive Committee shall pay all costs, losses and expenses which any such member of the Executive Committee, employee or agent may incur or for which he may become liable by reason of any contract entered into or act or thing done by him in good faith as such member of the Executive Committee, employee or agent in accordance with the instructions of the Executive Committee or of a General Meeting of the Club or otherwise in the discharge of his duties.  The Executive Committee may give to any member of the Committee, employee or agent of the Club who has incurred or may be about to incur any liability at the request of or for the benefit of the Club such security by way of indemnity as may seem expedient.

20. All profit and surplus income or gains will be reinvested in the Club and used to maintain or improve the Club’s facilities.  No profits or surplus or assets will be distributed, in cash or in kind, to members or third parties (other than by way of donation to charities or to clubs that are registered as community amateur sports clubs).

The Club shall be dissolved on the passing of a Resolution to that effect at a General Meeting after due notice, by at least two thirds of those present and voting.  Such a meeting shall appoint a Committee to wind up the affairs of the Club.

On the dissolution of the Club, the net assets shall be applied for such of the following purposes as the members of the Club in a General Meeting shall approve:-

a. the purposes of the governing body of an eligible sport for the purposes of which the Club existed, for use in related community sport;

b. the purposes of a club that is registered as a community sports club;

c. the purposes of a charity.

21. These bye-laws may be added to, repealed, or amended, by resolution at any annual or special general meeting.

The Executive Committee shall determine any questions on the constructions of the bye-laws or anything relative to the Club not provided for by the bye-laws.

March 2022