East Fife Sports Council Constitution

1.  Name

The name of the organisation shall be East Fife Sports Council ("the Sports Council").

2.  Objectives

The objectives of the Sports Council shall be:

• To promote interest and participation in sport and sport related recreation in East Fife where the boundaries of “East Fife” are those defined by Fife Council for its “East Area.”
• To promote & encourage inter-club co-ordination and networking between the various amateur sports clubs and organisations affiliated to the Sports Council, both generally and in relation to specific projects.
• To examine the available sports and recreation facilities in the East Fife Area against current and anticipated needs and to make recommendations to Fife Council and any other appropriate body, as required.
• To promote or support competitions, championships and social or other events as considered desirable.
• To assist sports clubs, recreational organisations and individuals within the East Fife area by arranging courses for the improving of personal performance and for the training of officials, coaches, referees and judges.
• To assist in the formation of sports clubs and recreational organisations where none exist, or where existing clubs are unable to fulfil current needs.
• To encourage school pupils and school leavers to continue sporting and recreational activity, with the assistance of Fife Council.
• To be representative of local sport and local sports clubs in the East Fife area and advocate on behalf of their needs.
• To publish and distribute, as considered desirable, up-to-date information about sports clubs and recreational organisations, activities and facilities within the East Fife area.
• To proactively link with Fife Council to create sustainable, community based opportunities in sport.
• To identify and attract additional funding to sport in the East Fife area, assist affiliated clubs, organisations and individuals to apply for external grant aid and, where desirable and appropriate, give grant aid directly to affiliated clubs, organisations and individuals in accordance with the Sports Council’s criteria for grant aid in force at the time of application.
• To work with sportscotland recognised national organisations in support of local implementation of their national plans and programmes.
• To promote social inclusion through sport to benefit the community in the East Fife area.

3.  Affililation to the Sports Council 

• All clubs, associations and recreational organisations within the East Fife area directly concerned with amateur sport and affiliated/registered with their sportscotland recognised governing body may apply for affiliation to the Sports Council. Clubs concerned with sports which do not have a sportscotland recognised governing body may affiliate to the Sports Council if deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee, but will not be eligible for Sports Council grant assistance. 

• Copies of a club’s constitution and contact details must be provided with any application for affiliation.   In addition, for clubs whose membership may include children and/or vulnerable adults, confirmation of appropriate access for Disclosure Scotland checks and an operational Child/Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy should be provided.  Updates and amendments to any of these must be provided as appropriate. 

• The Sports Council Executive Committee shall retain the right to reject any application for affiliation or to withdraw affiliation on any grounds which to it appears reasonable. 

• Clubs shall be required to re-affiliate on an annual basis – the affiliation year running from 1st April.  Any club which has not paid the appropriate affiliation fee by 31st May shall be automatically de-affiliated. 

4.  Membership of the Sports Council  

The Members of the Sports Council are responsible for appointing Office Bearers, approving the Treasurer’s Reports and generally setting the strategy for the organisation at Annual General Meetings and at any Extraordinary General Meetings that they may choose to call.  The membership of the Sports Council is: 

• One representative of each club or organisation affiliated to the Sports Council.
• All Office-bearers of the Sports Council.
• Three elected members of Fife Council representing East Fife Area.
• One of the Sports Development Officers from Fife Council.
• The Active Schools Co-Ordinators from the Secondary Schools within the East Fife Area of Fife Council.
• Two representatives from the Primary Schools within the East Fife Area of Fife Council.
• One representative from Elmwood College.
• One representative from the University of St Andrews.
• One representative from Disability Sport Fife.
• One representative from the Tayside & Fife Institute of Sport.
• One representative from Sport Tayside & Fife.
• Such additional individual members as the Sports Council, through the Executive Committee, may decide to accept as Associate Members.
• Honorary Life Members appointed at the Annual General Meeting from members and/or former members of the Sports Council who have rendered valuable services to the Sports Council, such members having no powers of vote.

Membership shall be open regardless of nationality, age, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, disability, political persuasion or religious opinions.

5.  Associate Members

Individuals may apply for Associate Membership of the Sports Council subject to the same terms and conditions set out for clubs and recreational organisations, each Associate Member to enjoy similar rights as Clubs and Recreational organisations, but excluding voting rights.

6.  Office Bearers

The Office Bearers shall consist of the Honorary President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.  When elected, Office Bearers shall relinquish any representative role of membership on behalf of affiliated Clubs or other bodies.

Except for the Honorary President and Secretary, the Office Bearers shall be elected at each AGM and the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy which may occur during the year.

The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint the Secretary (which may be a remunerated position) and shall have the power to dismiss the Secretary, subject to employment laws and regulations in place at the time of appointment or dismissal.

The Chairman shall be elected for a first term of one year and may be re-elected for a further period of one year at a time up to a maximum of three years.  He/she shall not be eligible for re-election after a full three year term until one year has elapsed.

7.  Executive Committee

 The Executive Committee will be responsible for overseeing the day to day work of the Sports Council, including setting affiliation fees, and will comprise:

• The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
• Three elected members of the Fife Council, representing East Fife Area.
• One Sports Development Officer from Fife Council.
• The Active Schools Coordinators from the Secondary Schools within the East Fife Area of Fife Council.
• The representatives of the Primary Schools within the East Fife Area of Fife Council.
• The representative from Disability Sport Fife.
• The representative from the Tayside & Fife Institute of Sport.
• The representative from Sport Tayside & Fife.
• One representative from Elmwood College.
• One representative from the University of St Andrews.
• One elected representatives from each Cognate Group listed at Appendix A.  The Executive Committee shall have the power to amend the list of Cognate Groupings as required.
• The out-going Chairman shall be a member of the Executive Committee, ex-officio, for one year, following their final term of office.

Any member of the Executive Committee, having been duly informed of the time and place of a Committee Meeting and who does not attend on three consecutive occasions, without having rendered a reason for absence, such reason being acceptable to the Committee, and after due warning, will be deemed to have resigned from the Committee.

The representatives from the Cognate Groupings shall retire at the Annual General Meeting of the Sports Council but shall be eligible for re-election.

The Executive Committee shall have power to co-opt persons to fill vacancies therein but always maintaining the foregoing categories.

The Executive Committee shall also have power to co-opt such additional persons as   they in their sole opinion consider appropriate to further the aims and specific   objectives of the Sports Council.

The Executive Committee shall meet at such intervals as they may determine, having   regard to the business to be transacted.

The Executive Committee shall have power to appoint from amongst their number such Sub-Committees and Convenors thereof as they deem necessary, in order to carry out the objects of the Sports Council and to co-opt thereto such additional persons, not being members of the Executive Committee of the Sports Council as they may think desirable in the circumstances of each case.

The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Treasurer of the Sports Council shall be members and the Secretary shall be an ex-officio member of all such Sub-Committees.

8.  Meetings

 The Chairman, failing which the Vice-Chairman, shall preside at all meetings of the Sports Council and of the Executive Committee.  In the absence of both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, those present shall appoint one of their number to preside.

All meetings shall be called by the Secretary with a minimum of twenty-one days notice for Sports Council meetings and fourteen days notice for Executive Committee and sub-Committee meetings. 

Meetings of the Sports Council shall be called by notices addressed to the Secretaries of the affiliated clubs and organisations and individual members as appropriate.  Meetings of the Executive Committee and sub-Committees will be by notices addressed  to individual members thereof.  Notices may be sent either by post or by Email.

The Annual General Meeting of the Council shall be held during the month of September each year, on a date to be decided by the Executive Committee.  The Annual General Meeting shall transact the following business:-

• Consider and approve the minutes of previous AGM
• Consideration of Annual Reports
• Consideration and approval of Audited Accounts
• Election of Office Bearers and Cognate Representatives.  All nominations, whether in writing or made from the floor, should be supported by a proposer and a seconder, both of who should be eligible to vote.
• Appointment of Auditors
• Setting affiliation fees
• Any Other Competent Business

A Special General Meeting of the Sports Council shall be held if requested by the Chairman or any six of the affiliated clubs or organisations by letter addressed to the Secretary and stating the nature of the business proposed to be considered at such meetings.  Any Special General Meeting of the Sports Council shall be called within twenty-one days of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of such request.

All issues at any meeting shall be decided by the majority of those present and entitled to vote. Should a ballot be required, it will be undertaken by a show of hands of those present and entitled to vote.  There shall be no proxy voting.

In the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second, casting vote.

The Quorum for a meeting of the Sports Council shall be fifteen; for a meeting of the Executive Committee, eight; and for a meeting of a Sub-Committee, half the membership of that Sub-Committee plus one.

9.  Finance

 All monies raised by or on behalf of the Sports Council shall be applied to further the objects of the Sports Council and no other purpose. 

Proper books of accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer who shall be responsible for advising the Sports Council on all financial matters affecting its activities.

The Sports Council’s financial year shall run from 1 April to 31 March in each year.

Monies received on behalf of the Sports Council shall be paid into a Bank Account in the name of the East Fife Sports Council at a bank approved by the Executive Committee.

All cheques drawn against the Sports Council’s Account shall be signed by the Treasurer and one other Office Bearer.  Signatories should not be members of the same household.  Where Office Bearers are from the same household, an additional bank signatory must be appointed by the Executive Committee.

10.  Dissolution

 The Sports Council shall not be wound up except by resolution carried by a majority of two-thirds of those present and entitled to vote at a Special General Meeting of the Sports Council called for that purpose.

In the event of the Sports Council being wound up, all the funds of the Sports Council shall be handed to Fife Council for disposal for such sports or recreational purposes as they in their sole discretion may determine.

11.  Alterations to the Constitution

 The Constitution of the Sports Council shall not be altered except by a resolution carried by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote at an Annual General Meeting of the Sports Council or at a Special Meeting of the Sports Council called for that purpose.  The terms of any proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be issued in full along with the notice calling such meeting.

 APPENDIX A - COGNATE GROUPINGS