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OLYMPIAN TRIATHLON
CLUB CONSTITUTION and Child Protection Guide Lines. 0.0 Definitions 0.1 In this constitution: a) OTC means ‘Olympian Triathlon Club’; b) NGB means ‘National Governing Body for Triathlon in Ireland’ (As of 01/10.2002, this is Triathlon Ireland, and thereafter, any renamed or replacement organisation); c) AGM means ‘Annual General Meeting’; d) EGM means ‘Extraordinary General Meeting’; e) Committee means the ‘main OTC governing committee containing all three Principal Officers’; and f) Principal Office Bearers (or Principal Officers) means ‘Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary’. 1.0 Name 1.1 The name of the Club shall be “Olympian Triathlon Club”. 1.2 The Club colours shall be green and blue. 2.0 Aim 2.1 The aim of OTC shall be to actively promote and encourage the development of the sport of triathlon and duathlon. 3.0 Objectives 3.1 The Club shall: (a) operate in collaboration with, and under the auspices of, the current NGB; (b) organise training sessions for OTC members in each of the three disciplines: swimming, cycling and running tailored to performance in triathlon and duathlon; (c) organise and run events that foster fair and friendly competition; (d) support other triathlon clubs by encouraging the participation of OTC members in their events, and by the selection of OTC representative teams where appropriate; (e) support OTC triathletes and duathletes and recognise their athletic achievements in ways deemed appropriate (see Appendix 1); (f) actively endeavour to increase participation in the sport within the bounds of safety and OTC capacity; (g) adhere to a Child Protection Policy (Appendix 2); and (h) do other such things conducive to the attainment of the above Aim and Objectives. 4.0 Membership 4.1 New membership shall be open to those who agree to uphold the aims and objectives of the club, provided that any new membership should not cause the maximal club capacity to be exceeded. 4.2 There shall be three membership categories: 4.2.1 Full membership shall be open to: current, NGB Full or Associate licence holders. 4.2.2 Associate membership shall be open to: current, NGB Full or Associate licence holders. (This is intended for administrators, coaches, helpers who will not be using OTC Facilities.) 4.2.3 Visiting membership shall be open be to: newcomers for a one-off period of three months, after which Visiting Membership shall no longer be available to that person. 4.3 All members shall pay the appropriate membership fees within the specified time. 4.4 All members shall abide by the OTC Constitution, and by any further decisions laid down by the OTC committee in agreement with the OTC Constitution, and by the rules of the NGB. 4.5 All members shall agree to assist in a significant way in the planning and/or administration and/or staging of club-organised events. (Failure to assist with at least one event in any two-year period shall be regarded as a contravention of this clause, except where a reason acceptable to the committee is provided.) 4.6 The club committee shall review the membership fees at least annually, and submit their recommendations for approval to the AGM. 4.7 Coaching and facilities-hire fees shall be determined by the committee. 4.8 Membership shall be deemed to have lapsed if not renewed by 31st January each year. 4.9 OTC is fully committed to safeguarding the well-being of each of its members and to this end, every individual member in OTC should, at all times: a) show respect and understanding for the rights, safety and welfare of each individual encountered in any way through activities associated with the sport of triathlon or duathlon; b) adhere to the guidelines contained in the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport (see Appendix 2). 5.0 Committee 5.1 The affairs of the club shall be managed by a committee elected at the AGM. 5.2 Committee members must be current Full or Associate OTC members whose membership has been valid for not less than ten months. 5.3 The committee shall comprise no less than five current club members, at least four of whom shall hold Full club membership. 5.4.1 The Committee shall comprise the following office bearers: a) Chairman; b) Treasurer; c) Secretary; d) Events Co-ordinator; e) Sponsorship Co-ordinator; f) Coaching Co-ordinator; g) Children’s Officer; and g) other office bearers as deemed appropriate. 5.4.2 Office bearers (a), (b),(c) must be held by three different individuals. 5.5 The role of each office bearer shall be that commonly understood by the appropriate designated title in 5.4 (supra). 5.6 A quorum shall comprise no less than four committee members and include two office bearers, one of whom must be a Principal Office bearer. 5.7 No inquorate decision shall be binding. 5.8 The chairman shall not serve for more than three consecutive years. 5.9 The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions and construct such rules as deemed fit for the proper management of OTC, provided that these decisions fall within the Aim of the club as defined in 2.1 (supra). 5.10 The committee shall meet at such times as the Chairman may determine, but not less than three times annually. 5.11 In the event of vacancy in the Committee arising during the year, the Committee may, at its discretion, appoint a successor. 5.12 The committee shall ensure adequate representation at local and provincial governing body and NGB meetings. 6.0 Annual General Meeting (AGM) 6.1 The AGM shall be held in January each year. 6.2 A minimum of two weeks notice of the AGM shall be: a) mailed to each current club member at the address lodged with the club secretary, if such an address is held by the secretary; b) emailed to each current club member at the email address lodged with the club secretary, if such an address is held by the secretary; c) posted on the current club notice board, if such should exist. 6.3 Notice of the AGM shall be deemed valid if the secretary has recorded a date of post no later than the 14th day prior to the advertised date of the AGM, and it advertises: a) the date and time of the AGM; b) the venue for the AGM; and c) the agenda for the AGM, with proviso 6.4 (infra). 6.4 Such agenda items as are deemed by the committee to be sensitive may be omitted from any publicly advertised agenda and/or notice of the AGM. 6.5 Each Full and Associate OTC member who has been a member for more than 10 months shall be entitled to vote at an AGM. 6.6 Excluding the chairman each and every current, fully paid-up, Full and Associate OTC member who has been a member for more than 10 months shall be entitled to exactly one vote in each voting round at an AGM. 6.7 The AGM shall undertake the following business: a) agreed minutes of the last AGM; b) an Annual Report from the outgoing Chairman; c) a Financial Statement from the outgoing Treasurer; d) any other report which appears on the agenda for the AGM; e) an election of officers; f) any other business indicated on the advertised agenda; and g) any other business withheld from the agenda (6.4) 6.8 At the AGM, following the reading of the Chairman’s Annual Report and the Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report, all committee members, including all office bearers, must stand down. 6.9 Any committee members stood down at an AGM may offer themselves for re-election at that AGM, providing this does not contravene any other rule in this constitution. 6.10 Once the committee has stood down, the outgoing Chairman, or another office bearer if the outgoing Chairman is not in attendance, shall appoint a temporary chairman to conduct the election of the three principal officer bearers, after which the temporary chairmanship shall end, and the incoming chairman shall oversee all subsequent business appearing on the agenda. 6.11 Should any post named in 5.4 (supra) fail to be filled, a temporary appointment should be made until such time that a permanent appointee be elected, and such permanent appointment may be made through a valid vote at any subsequent valid committee meeting. 6.12 Should the post of chairman fail to be filled, a temporary appointment must be made until such times that a permanent appointee be elected. 6.13 In the election of the incoming Chairman, the outgoing Chairman may, in the event of a tie, exercise a single casting vote. 6.14 The newly elected Chairman may, in the event of a tie, exercise a single casting vote in each voting round. 6.15 Save for 9.4 (infra) and 11.1 (infra) all matters shall be decided by a simple majority vote. 7.0 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) 7.1 The committee shall call an EGM following a written request signed by no fewer than 25% of the current, fully paid-up Full and Associate members who have each held continuously valid membership for no less than ten months immediately preceding the request for that EGM. 7.2 Such an EGM shall be held no later than 21 days from the date of the written request. 7.3 Validity of notice of an EGM shall be identical to that for an AGM (supra). 7.4 Eligibility and entitlement to vote at an EGM shall be identical to that required for an AGM (supra). 8.0 Finance 8.1 The financial year shall end on the 31st day of December in each year. 8.2 Any two of the three Principal Office Bearers shall be nominated to act as joint signatories (two signatures required per cheque) to OTC cheques. 9.0 Dissolution 9.1 Dissolution of OTC may occur only at either an AGM or an EGM. 9.2 A minimum of twenty-eight days notice of Proposal for the Dissolution of OTC shall be: a) Mailed to each current club member at the address lodged with the club secretary, if such an address is held by the secretary; b) emailed to each current club member at the email address lodged with the club secretary, if such an address is held by the secretary; c) posted on the current club notice board, if such should exist. 9.3 Notice to individual members of a Proposal for the Dissolution of OTC shall be deemed valid only if it is dispatched by recorded postal delivery no later than the 28th day prior to the advertised date of the AGM or EGM at which the Proposal for the Dissolution of OTC is to be laid, and it advertises: a) the date and time of the AGM or EGM; b) the venue for the AGM or EGM; and c) the Proposal for the Dissolution of OTC. 9.4 Dissolution shall require a vote in favour of dissolution of no less than 75% of those in attendance who are eligible to vote, and in all other ways concur with the voting rules (supra) for an AGM or EGM as appropriate. 9.5 After dissolution the outgoing treasurer shall arrange for the entire surplus monies and material assets to be donated to the NGB. 10.0 Discipline 10.1 The committee shall have the power to terminate or suspend any OTC membership, or to impose such penalty as it deems reasonable, for: a) non-payment of subscription fees; or b) non-compliance with OTC Constitution and/or NGB Regulations; or c) behaviour which in its opinion is considered to be prejudicial to the best interests of the sports of triathlon or duathlon, or is likely to bring their participants and/or NGB and/or OTC into disrepute. 11.0 Amendments to the Constitution 11.1 Amendment to this OTC Constitution may occur only through a valid two-thirds majority vote at either an AGM or an EGM. Appendix 2 Child Protection Policy To ensure that the best practice is followed by this club we shall work closely with the NGB. In order to promote the best practice in children’s sport, we shall comply with the guidelines of the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport; as set out in Section 2.7 which are: • adopt and implement the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in Ireland as an integral part of its policy on children in OTC • have its club constitution approved and adopted OTC’s members at an AGM or EGM • permit all members over 16 years of age to vote, where possible. One parent/guardian should have one vote for all OTC members under 16 years of age, where relevant • ensure that the OTC management committee is elected or endorsed by registered OTC members at each AGM • adopt and consistently apply a safe and clearly defined method of recruiting and selecting Sports Leaders (see 3.5 Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport) • clearly define the role of committee members, all Sports Leaders and parents/guardians • appoint at least one Children’s Officer as outlined at 2.6.1 in the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport. In the event that OTC should cater for both boys and girls, one Children’s Officer of each gender would ideally be appointed • designate the OTC Chairman to act as liaison officer with the Statutory Authorities in relation to the reporting of allegations or suspicions of child abuse (see 5.13.2 Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport). Any such reports should be made according to the procedures outlined in this Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport/Children First/Our Duty to Care • ensure best practice throughout OTC by disseminating to all its members its code of conduct, including the disciplinary, complaints and appeals procedures in operation within the OTC. The OTC code of conduct should also be posted in all facilities used by the club • have in place procedures for dealing with a concern or complaint made to the Statutory Authorities against an OTC member against a committee member or Sports Leader or other members of OTC. Regulations should stipulate that a Sports Leader who is the subject of an allegation, which has been reported to the Statutory Authorities, should stand aside while the matter is being examined. If vindicated, they should be immediately invited to resume their full role within OTC • ensure that relevant Sports Leaders report to the OTC management committee on a regular basis • encourage regular turnover of committee membership while ensuring continuity and experience • develop effective procedures for responding to and recording accidents • ensure that any unusual activity (high rate of drop-out, transfers etc) is checked out and reported by the OTC Chairman to the NGB • ensure that all OTC members are given adequate notice of AGM’s and other meetings • ensure that all of all meetings (AGM/EGM/Committee) are recorded and safely filed Olympian Triathlon Club Child Protection The following is a statement of how OTC will comply with the Child Protection Policy (Appendix 2 of the Club Constitution) which was agreed at the AGM on 27th Jan 2003. (1) OTC Children’s Officers for 2003-2004 are Barry Macaulay and Dorothy Hawthorne, both of whom have undergone the appropriate screening/checks to work with children. Barry is a Qualified Social Worker and Dorothy a Teacher. (2) OTC Children’s Officers and Committee members will attend Child Protection Awareness Courses and Courses on the Implementation of the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport. (3) OTC Children’s Officers will be present to supervise changing facilities during Club events, particularly the Club Aquathon where a significant number of children will be involved. Officers and Committee members should ensure that no child under 16 is left unsupervised at Club events or training. (4) If a Club member witnesses an untoward incident involving a child or if a child discloses/alleges abuse at a Club event or training, the member should immediately inform one of the Children’s Officers or a Committee member. The Officer will then take appropriate action in informing the statutory authorities. Barry Macaulay Dorothy Hawthorne April 2003
BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS |
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| Chairman: Eamon Hill email Eamon Secretary: Trudy Brown email Trudy Treasurer: Sean Morgan email Sean |
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