Pembrokeshire Climbing Club - Constitution

1 Name

The name of the club shall be the Pembrokeshire Climbing Club hereinafter referred to as the Club.

 

2 Objectives

2.1 To promote the sport of rock climbing, mountaineering and other related pursuits in all its forms.

2.2 To provide an opportunity for members of the Club to meet and participate in mountain activities together.

2.3 To act on behalf of and in the interests of Club Members.

2.4 To promote awareness of the need to maintain access, conservation and protection of the cliff and mountain environment.

2.5 To take part in the work of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) and any other bodies having a mutual interest and concern with climbing and mountaineering.

 

3 Membership

3.1 Membership of the Club will be open to any interested persons at the discretion of the Committee, and shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs; or of age, sex or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of mountaineering and climbing as particular sports.

3.2 The Committee will only refuse membership for good and sufficient cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute.

3.3 Notwithstanding the above, membership is available only to adults (over the age of 18 years) and the children of members.

3.4 All Adult Members must sign an application form that includes a participation statement. In doing so, individuals shall recognise that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Members shall be aware of and accept these risks and agree to be responsible for their own actions and involvement.

3.5 Family Members under the age of 18 attending any indoor or outdoor meet must be under the direct supervision of their parent, legal guardian or an adult member nominated by them.

3.6 Adult Members acting in loco parentis, supervising children under 18, must first obtain a signed parental consent form.

3.6 Student Membership will be open to any person between the ages of 18 and 25 who is in full time education, subject to the presentation of a valid student card. The membership fee will not be more than 60% of the full Adult Member rate. A Student Member will be subject to the same rules and will have the same benefits as a Full Adult Member.

3.7 Honorary life membership may be awarded to an existing Member in recognition of outstanding contributions to the success of the Club or to climbing or mountaineering in general, or to a long standing member of the Club. To be made an Honorary Life Member an existing Member must be proposed by one Club Member and seconded by another, and must be approved by a majority at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

3.8 By virtue of the Club’s affiliation to the BMC, Members shall acknowledge and agree that they will in turn become ‘Club Members’ of the BMC, and that the Club will pay the appropriate subscription on behalf of each Member included in the return filed by the Club with the BMC. In the event of the BMC being wound up, the Club shall pay the sum of not more than £1 on behalf of each Member included in a return filed by the Club with the BMC at any time within the proceeding period of one year pursuant to the guarantee comprised in Clause 6 of the Memorandum of Understanding of the BMC. Club Members shall further acknowledge and agree that they will each be bound by the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the BMC.

 

4 Management

4.1 The management of the Club will be entrusted to the Club Committee hereinafter referred to as the Committee.

 

5 Officers

5.1 The elected officers of the Club will be the:

Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership Secretary
Safety Officer
Website Administrator
Newsletter Editor
Promotions Officer
Social Secretary

hereinafter referred to as the Officers. The responsibilities of each of these officers are set out in Annex 1 to this Constitution.

5.2 Voting for the election of Officers shall be conducted by all Adult Members present at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

5.3 No Officer will serve for a term longer than one year without offering him/herself for re-election.

5.4 No officer may stand down from their duties until a comprehensive handover of the role, including any transfer of ownership or access procedures, documents and/or data have been completed to the satisfaction of the incoming officer and The Committee.

 

6 Committee

6.1 The Chair will normally preside at and chair all meetings of the Committee.

6.2 The Committee will be composed of the Officers of the Club plus up to two ‘elected’ members (Member Representatives) from the Club membership. The responsibilities of Member Representatives are set out in Annex 1 to this Constitution. As for Officers, no Member Representative will serve for a term longer than one year without offering him/herself for re-election.

6.3 Officers of the Club and elected Member Representatives are entitled to play a full part in discussions and to vote on matters considered by the Committee.

6.4 Voting will normally be by a show of hands. Alternatively at the request of any Committee member the voting shall be by secret ballot.

6.5 A quorum for a meeting of the Committee will be 50% of the elected members. In the event of a tied vote, the Chair will have the casting vote.

6.6 The Committee will have the power to coopt additional, nonvoting members.

6.7 The Committee will aim to meet at intervals of no less than two months throughout the year. 

 

7 Responsibilities of the Committee

The Committee shall be responsible for the general management of the Club.

7.2 The Committee shall have the power to introduce, withdraw or modify Club Rules as they see fit. These rules will be subject to the scrutiny and ratification of the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.

7.3 The Committee shall have the power to set subscription levels on an annual basis. Subscription levels should not act as a significant obstacle to persons wishing to join the Club and should be subject to the scrutiny and ratification of the Annual General Meeting.

7.4 In the event of the resignation of any Officer or Member Representative a temporary officer may be appointed by the Committee, pending their possible election at the AGM or an EGM.

7.5 The Committee shall be responsible for clarifying and/or varying the responsibilities of Officers and Member Representatives as set out in Annex 1.

7.6 The Committee shall be responsible for considering the appropriateness of any suggested charitable donations and the amount to be donated. Any such donations will form part of the Annual Report presented at the AGM, for scrutiny by the membership.

 

8 Subscriptions

8.1 Subscriptions shall be paid yearly, with membership subscriptions running from 1st January until 31st December.

8.2 Members whose subscription is unpaid as at 1st March will forfeit their membership of the Club.

8.3 Any Member joining after 1st July will be entitled to a 50% discount on Membership until 31st December.

8.4 Any Member joining after 1st November will be entitled to a full discount until 31st December.

8.5 Student Members will be required to pay not more than 60% of the full adult membership.

8.6 Family members and couples living as one household will be entitled to a 20% discount against the full adult and/or child fee.

8.7 No fee shall be payable by Honorary Members.

 

9 Amendments to the Constitution

9.1 This Constitution may be amended by a postal and/or e-mail vote of all members where such amendments receive a clear two thirds majority vote or, alternatively, by a similar vote at the AGM or a specially called EGM, where at least 30 days notice has been given.

 

10 Dissolution

10.1 The Club can be dissolved by two thirds majority vote of the Members present at a General Meeting whereupon the Committee will arrange to liquidate all assets, and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Club. Any liabilities at the time of dissolution in excess of the assets of the Club shall be the joint responsibility of all Members. Any balance of funds in excess of liabilities shall be donated to Mountain Rescue or other such organisation/s that promote/s the objectives of the Club.

 

11 Review

This Constitution shall be reviewed at intervals of no more than three years.

See also ourChild Protection Policy