CONSTITUTION OF THE CANTABRIGIAN ROWING CLUB

(Last revised 11th August 2003)

1.  The Club

a)  The object of the Cantabrigian Rowing Club (‘CRC’) shall be to provide and encourage rowing within the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association (‘CRA’) and within the Amateur Rowing Association (‘ARA’).

b)  The CRC shall consist of rowing and non-rowing members. Rowing members shall be entitled to row for the CRC and must be of amateur status as defined by the ARA.

c)  The CRC shall adopt the policy and procedures relating to Child Protection, as set out by the ARA. This policy and procedure shall be displayed on the noticeboard situated in CRC and CRA boathouses.

d)  The CRC colours shall be dark blue and silver. The club shall row in its own colours that shall be worn at all events when representing the CRC competitively.

2.  The General Committee (‘Committee’)

a)  The Committee of the CRC shall consist of: The President, Captain of Boats, Mens’ & Ladies’ & Juniors’ Vice Captains, Secretary, Treasurer, Equipment Officer, Crew Captains/Squad Representatives, plus sundry other officers from time to time thought necessary and whose election has been ratified by a vote at an Annual General Meeting.

b)  The Committee with the exception of the Crew Captains/Squad Representatives shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.  Committee members shall hold office for one year with the exception of the President(see 2e)).  The Captain of Boats shall appoint the Crew Captains/Squad Representatives after consultation with the crew/squad members.

c)  Patrons, Vice Presidents and Honorary Life Members may be elected by the Annual General Meeting. Vice Presidents and Honorary Life Members may attend Committee meetings.

d)  Patrons are elected on payment of the appropriate subscription. Vice Presidents are elected in recognition of their service to the CRC. Honorary Life Members are elected in recognition of their exceptional service to the CRC.

e)  The President shall normally serve for a period of two years but may be re-elected. When a President ceases to hold that office he/she becomes a Past President.

f)  The Committee shall be quorate if five members are present, of whom three must be elected members.

g)  On the resignation of a Member, the Committee shall have the power to co-opt a new Member who will then have the right to vote.

h)  The Committee shall have the authority to co-opt additional Committee Members.  Such Members will normally be co-opted for a specific purpose.  The Committee shall make every effort to appoint: Social/Fund Raising Secretary, Clothing Officer, and Winter Head Secretary.

i)  All present at the Committee Meeting in accordance with the earlier rules specified shall be entitled to vote and a simple show of hands shall decide.  In the event of an equal vote for or against any proposal the President shall have a casting vote.

j)  Committee Meetings shall normally be held on the second Monday in every month.  The Agenda shall be decided by the President in conjunction with the Captain of Boats, the Treasurer and the Secretary. A copy of the Agenda shall be sent to all elected Committee Members and Crew Captains/Squad Representatives.  A copy will also be posted on the CRC Notice Boards in the Boathouses and on the CRC Web Site.

k)  Matters for inclusion on the Agenda shall be notified to the Secretary no later than the Friday lunchtime preceding the next scheduled Committee Meeting. Only matters duly listed on the Agenda shall be considered at any meeting.  Nevertheless, an opportunity shall be given to raise matters of concern under ‘Any Other Business’ which shall be the last item on the Agenda at all Meetings of the Committee. In exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the President an emergency matter may be considered.  Only a member of the Committee or a Crew Captain/Squad Representative shall raise matters for discussion at any Committee Meeting. All CRC Members are encouraged to raise any matter of concern to them via any Committee Member or their Crew Captain/Squad Representative with whom discussion on the subject has taken place.

l)  The decisions of the Committee shall be final and binding on all CRC Members and Officers alike.

m)   The Committee shall manage the affairs of the CRC, Financial or Legal liability incurred in the rightful exercise of their office shall not, however, be the personal liability of the Committee, but shall be the responsibility of the CRC as a whole.

n)  The Committee may appoint Trustees to hold assets on behalf of the CRC.  In such case, the CRC shall give the Trustees a full indemnity in respect of any liabilities attaching or arising in respect of such asset and its use.

A Trustee shall be appointed until he or she attains the age of 65 years, subject to:

- the Trustee’s resignation, or

- removal of a Trustee at the request of the Committee if confirmed by a majority vote at any General Meeting of the CRC.

The Trustees shall be entitled to receive an agenda for all committee and general meetings, to attend and speak at such meetings, but only to vote on financial matters relating to the asset in respect of which they are appointed Trustee. 

In the event of disagreement between the Trustees and the Committee, the Trustees shall have the final decision as to the sale, surrender or retention of an asset subject to their trust. 

3.  The Members.

a)  The CRC shall ensure that the talents and resources of all members are utilised to the full, and that no member receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, handicap, marital status, creed, social class, colour, ethnic group, age or sexual orientation or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be relevant to performance.

b)  Members must declare, in writing, their fitness for the activities they will undertake.

c)  Any member may resign by giving one month’s clear notice in writing to the Secretary.

d)  Any member violating any of the rules or regulations of the CRC or being adjudged guilty of unsatisfactory conduct may, by resolution of the Committee, be suspended or expelled.  Any member so suspended or expelled may appeal to an Extraordinary General Meeting if such an appeal is sponsored by no less than six members.

e)  The definition of a member is someone who has either:

- Paid in full the annual subscription by 1 October

- Or is up to date with his or her monthly standing order subscription payments for the annual subscription that became due on 1 September.

Any member shall otherwise be deemed to have resigned from the CRC if, after due notice in writing, their subscriptions are not brought up to date. 

4.  The Annual General Meeting (‘AGM’)

a)   The AGM shall be held in September of each year.

b)   Notification of the AGM will be published three weeks in advance.  A notice in the local press, or postal or e-mail notification to Vice Presidents, Honorary Life Members and all other members who have completed a membership application form in respect of the CRC year commencing from 1st September of that year shall be deemed sufficient.  The method will be at the discretion of the Committee.

c)   Only members, as previously defined, may attend and vote at the AGM.

d)   The Committee, as defined in rule 2 (a), plus the Old Cantabrigian Society Representative, plus the Auditor, plus the Child Protection Officer, plus the two CRA delegates and the Junior Development Coordinator shall be appointed at the AGM, proposers and seconders for these appointments can only be made by members as previously defined.

5.  Arrangements with Hills Road Sixth Form College

a)  The CRC and the Hills Road Sixth Form College Boat Club (‘HRSFCBC’) are associated clubs.

b)  HRSFCBC may send two representatives to CRC Committee Meetings.

c)  The CRC may provide rowing facilities for HRSFCBC.

d)  The use of CRC’s equipment by HRSFCBC will be strictly under the control of the Captain of Boats of the CRC or the nominated representative.

6.  Arrangements with other Clubs etc.

a)  The CRC may provide rowing facilities to other rowing clubs and organisations subject to the approval of the Committee and under the terms approved by the Committee.

b)  The use of CRC’s equipment by others will be strictly under the control of the Captain of Boats of the CRC or the nominated representative.

7.  Finance

a) The Treasurer shall keep an account of all monies received and expended.  All expenditure is to be previously sanctioned by the Committee.

b)  The CRC’s financial year shall run from September 1st to August 31st.

c)  Annual subscriptions shall be determined by the AGM and shall become due on September 1st each year. Subscriptions may be paid either by a single payment or by monthly standing order.  Only Members who have paid their subscriptions in full or are up to date with their monthly standing order subscription may row and vote at the AGM. The Treasurer, at the Committee’s discretion may levy a fee, for late payment of subscriptions.

d) The CRC’s accounts shall be audited annually by a person or persons approved by the AGM.

e) In no circumstances can any profit be distributed to the members, all profits shall be used in furthering the objects of the CRC.

8.  Extraordinary General Meeting

a)   Any six members shall be entitled to call an Extraordinary General Meeting by giving two week’s notice in writing to the Secretary and stating their reasons for doing so.  The Secretary will organise the meeting in accordance with rules 4 (b) and 4 (c).

9.  Authority to Row.

a)   No Member or crew shall boat without permission of the Captain of Boats or the nominated representative. Each Member or crew captain should take notice of the weather and river conditions before deciding to commence the outing.  It is the personal responsibility of each member of the crew to decide whether conditions are safe for rowing.

10.   Safety.

a)   The Committee shall appoint a member to act as Safety Advisor whose duty it will be to understand the ARA Code of Practice for Water Safety and advise on its prominent display, its observation and its implementation at all times. It is the personal responsibility of all members to observe the Code of Practice and follow the advice given by the Safety Advisor.  

b)   In the interests of safety all Members must be able to swim and all Members must behave responsibly on and off the water.

c)   There shall be no swimming from the boathouses at any time.

11.   Alterations to the Constitution

a)   No alteration shall be made to the constitution of the CRC without the consent of a General Meeting.

12.   Termination

a)   If the Committee decides that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the CRC, it shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting of all members of the CRC, of which not less that 21 days’ notice (stating the terms of the resolution(s) to be proposed) shall be given.  If the proposal is confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, the Committee shall have power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the CRC.  Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other body or bodies with similar objects agreed by the meeting which formally terminates the CRC.  A copy of the statement of accounts, or accountant’s statement for the final accounting period of the CRC must be notified to all members of the club at the date of the resolution to terminate, such notification to be in accordance with paragraph 4(b) of this Constitution.