The Belfast American Sports Association
Angels - Northstars - Razorbacks - ULSTER BASEBALL
CLUB CONSTITUTION
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Name
The Organisation shall be called The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club
The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall consist of the senior programme (adult teams).
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Affiliation
The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be affiliated to Baseball Ireland, Softball Ulster and the Irish American Football Association.
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Aims and Objectives
The objectives of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be to promote and further the interests of baseball, softball and american football in Belfast and the surrounding area.
The aims and objectives of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club should be consistent with the equal opportunities for all the participants in baseball, softball and american football.
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Membership
The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall consist of the officers and members.
Membership of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be open and, in accordance with The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club Equal Opportunities Statement, not unreasonably restricted on the grounds of sex, race or of political, religious or other opinions to any person in the area who is prepared to accept and support the objectives of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
In accepting membership, a person agrees to abide by the constitution of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club and the rulings of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club Executive Committee.
Members under the age of sixteen shall be considered as junior members.
Junior members shall not have the right to vote at meetings, but their parents or guardians are entitled to vote on their behalf as full members of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
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Membership Fees
Membership fees shall be stipulated by The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club Executive Committee, distinguishing between each group of players as it deems fit.
Annual membership fees shall fall due on 31 March (seniors) of each year and are payable to The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
The Executive Committee may decide upon other charges or subscriptions at its discretion.
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Officers
The officers of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be the Committee, Head Coach, Treasurer and helpers.
These officers shall hold office for a calendar year. Being elected annually at the Annual General Meeting (see paragraph 9). All officers shall retire annually but shall be eligible for reappointment.
The Executive Committee may fill any casual vacancy occurring.
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Executive Committee
The management of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be vested in the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall act for the members. Liabilities incurred shall fall upon the membership provided the Executive Committee acts in accordance with the Constitution, in honesty and good faith.
The Executive Committee shall consist of a General Manager, Head Coach, Development Team Coach, Treasurer and any other positions the Executive Committee deems necessary.
The General Manager shall convene meetings of the Executive Committee and the Committee shall meet once a year.
The quorum for the transaction of business at Executive Committee shall be three. Note this quorum will differ for General Meetings.
Every question at a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be determined by a majority of the vote of the members present, with every voting member having one vote. In the event of an equality of votes, the General Manager shall have the casting vote.
The interpretation of the Constitution of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be vested in the Executive Committee, who shall decide all questions relating to The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club, save those specified in or involving an amendment to the Constitution (see paragraph 14).
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for considering any application for membership and shall decide if the application should be accepted. This decision shall be in accordance with the Equal Opportunities Statement and the non-discriminatory policy specified in 4.2.
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Finance
All monies raised by or on behalf of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be applied to further the objects of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club and for no other purpose.
The Treasurer is responsible for the finances of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
The financial year of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club ends on 31st March.
Proper accounts shall be kept of all sums of money received and paid out by The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
An audited statement of accounts shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
The funds of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be lodged at a bank or building society in an account in the name of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club and all cheques, drafts etc drawn on these accounts shall be signed by any one of the following officers: General Manager, Head Coach, Treasurer.
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Annual General meeting and Other Meetings
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club shall be held in every year during the month of November when the Annual Report for the previous season of the Executive Committee and the Statement of Accounts up to the end of the financial year shall be presented.
Not less than fourteen days notice shall be given to all members by the General Manager.
The AGM shall elect such officers of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club as it may from time to time determine.
The General Manager may receive nominations for officers at any time, including during the AGM. Nominations shall require two votes (nominated and seconded). Nominations can only be accepted from persons eligible to vote at the AGM.
The Executive Committee shall determine the dates of the General Meetings and the Executive Committee meetings. In addition, the General Manager may call a meeting when he/she considers it necessary or desirable, or upon the request of two members of the Executive Committee.
All members shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club and shall have equal voting rights.
The quorum for General Meetings shall be twenty percent of the voting membership present and eligible to vote.
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called if deemed necessary or required by the General Manager.
An ordinary General Meeting shall be called after each season.
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Voting Procedure
Each member shall be entitled to one vote.
A motion shall be carried by a simple majority of those present and voting, except when the motion is a Constitutional amendment which shall require a two-thirds majority (see paragraph 11).
The General Manager shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote.
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Property and Staff
Responsibility for all property owned or leased by The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club and for the employment of paid staff and volunteers rests with the Executive Committee.
Members of the Executive Committee may receive stipends from funds, thus making them staff, should the Executive Committee deem it necessary. Such staff may ontinue to hold voting positions on the Executive Committee, but shall not be eligible to vote on matters relating to their own employment.
Members of staff who do not sit on the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall have the authority to dismiss and discipline staff as it deems fit, within the bounds of the contract with such employee.
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Discipline and Appeals
The Executive Committee shall have the power to take appropriate disciplinary action against any member and shall have authority to terminate the membership of any member guilty of conduct deemed to be to the detriment of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
There shall be the right of appeal to a disciplinary committee that shall be convened when such an appeal arises. Such committee shall include a majority of non-Executive Board members. An appeal should be made with twenty-eight days of the disciplinary action.
The appeal should normally be considered within fourteen days of it being received by the General Manager.
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Dissolution Procedures
In the event of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club ceasing to exist and following the discharge of all debts and liabilities, any assets shall be distributed in accordance with 13.3. No member shall obtain any asset from The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club.
The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club may be wound up on a resolution of the members, passed by a two-thirds majority at a special meeting convened for that purpose upon the request of twenty percent of its active members. At least twenty-eight days notice of the meeting shall have been sent to all members of The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club. Should there not be quorum at such a meeting, it shall be in the power of those present to wind up The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club, requiring a two-thirds majority.
In the event of the passing of the resolution to wind up The Belfast Northstars Baseball and Softball Club, the members shall appoint a representative committee which shall be empowered to distribute assets, including ash and investment in hand, to clubs having similar objectives as their own.
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Review of the Constitution
The Constitution shall be open to review at any time.
Amendments to the Constitution shall only be agreed at the Annual General Meeting of the membership.
Additions to, or alternations of, the Constitution shall be submitted to the General Manager not less than ten days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. No resolution involving an amendment to the Constitution may be proposed or amended from the floor of a meeting.
In the event of a proposal for amending the Constitution being received in writing prior to the General Meeting, the General Manager shall inform the membership of the proposed motions not less than three days before the Annual General Meeting.
Any amendments to the proposed motion duly proposed and seconded in like manner shall be submitted in writing to the General Manager at any time before the General Meeting.
Any alteration to the Constitution shall require a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.
In the event of any question or matter arising that is not provided for in the Constitution, the Executive Committee, whose decision shall be final, shall deal with such question or matter.