Constitution

A. Name and Business Year:

1) The Club shall be known as the Towers Pétanque Club.
2) The business year is from the 1st November to the 31st October.
The annual General meeting shall take place in November.

B. Aims:

To promote and enjoy the game of Pétanque.

C. Membership:

1) The Club shall be affiliated to the English Pétanque Association.

2) The position of Honorary Vice-President may be offered to a representative of the owners of the premises where Club matches are played. The position is relinquished when that person no longer is actively involved with the Company or Club.

In addition, Honorary membership on an annual basis may be conferred by the Committee on those who have greatly assisted or promoted the Club or who have distinguished themselves in the game of Pétanque.

Honorary members may enjoy all Club activities where membership of the English Pétanque Association is not required..

3) Life membership may be offered to members of long standing who have made an outstanding personal
contribution to the furtherance of the Club.

4) Application for membership must be made through the Committee members. The Committee will decide on the acceptance of new members, and reserve the right to refuse membership without explanation.

5) Annual membership fees may be charged at the discretion of the Committee; the level of fees shall be ratified by the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The fees, as with the E.P.A. subscription, will cover the calendar year. New members joining after the 31st August will pay the Club a suitably reduced, such fee to be calculated by the Committee.

It is a requirement of the Club that all members will be current licence holders of the English Petanque Association.

6) Membership Lapses:

(a) by a letter of resignation to the Committee.
(b) by the exclusion of the member, which is decided, after the person concerned has been heard, by a three-quarters majority of a full Committee.
(c) Rights of members are suspended if their subscriptions are more than three months in arrears.

7) Only fully paid up members, honorary and life members are entitled to vote at the general meetings and can be elected to membership of the Committee. Voting by post is permissible and members who have done so are to be regarded as having attended.
Non-members may be invited to attend meetings of the Club at the discretion of the Committee but may not vote.

D. General Meetings:

1. The Annual General Meeting is to be called once a year in November by the Committee, giving three weeks notice and providing an agenda.
2. Extraordinary meetings of members may be called by the Committee or on request by at least 25% of members eligible to vote, giving three weeks notice.
3. The meetings are responsible for:
(a) alterations to the Constitution.
(b) election of the officers of the Committee, who will assume their duties directly following the meeting.
(c) approval of the financial accounts.
(d) approval of the activities of the Committee.
(e) dissolution of the Club.

4. A quorum exist if all members eligible to vote have been invited and at least 20% of them are present. If fewer than this number are present, then a fresh meeting of members must be called (giving three weeks notice) and this will form a quorum regardless of the number of members present.

5. Resolutions are passed by a simple majority of members present and must be submitted at least 28 days before a meeting.

6. The dissolution of the Club requires the approval of three-quarters of the members.

E. The Committee:

1) The Committee is responsible for:-
(a) the maintenance of the Constitution.
(b) the execution of decisions taken at general meetings.
(c) the organisation of Club activities.
(d) the setting of the levels for membership and for fees.
(e) the financial administration.
(f) the admission and exclusion of members.

2) The Committee shall consist of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and five other members.

3) The officers and members of the Committee are elected annually by the meeting of members from members being
proposed and seconded and agreeing to stand. Nominees for officer posts failing to gain election will still be eligible to be
elected as an ordinary Committee member.

4) The responsibilities of the officers of the Committee are:-

(a) The President takes the Chair at meetings of the Committee and at the AGM. If he is absent an acting Chairman is elected by the Committee members present.

(b) The Secretary will ensure that the Club’s affairs are conducted in accordance with the Constitution; keep members informed of the affairs of the Club; provide Minutes for meetings and issue the agenda and programme. Minutes of the AGM and Committee meetings, when approved will be posted on the Notice Board. Meetings called for disciplinary complaints or expulsion matters will be confidential.

The Secretary will maintain an up-to-date list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of members, details to be confidential to members of the Club.

(c) The Treasurer will manage the financial affairs of the Club, provide annually at the AGM a balance sheet, and submit annually the accounts up to the 31st October for auditing.

5) The Committee may set up sub-Committees for the performance of specific tasks. All members of the Club are liable to
be called upon to serve.

6) The Committee forms a quorum if more than half its members are present. The Chairman shall be entitled to vote, but in
the event of a tied vote he shall have an additional, casting vote. In case or urgency the President may arrange for a postal
vote.

F. Auditor:

The auditor shall be a non-Committee member appointed at an AGM, his/her period of office dependant upon him/herself and the discretion of the membership.

G. Use of the assets and funds:

1. The funds of the Club may be used at the discretion of the Committee:-

(a) to cover all administration costs.
(b) to further the aims of the Club.
(c) to offer hospitality to invited guests.
(d) for donations to worthy causes.
(e) For the benefit of the members of Towers Pétanque Club.

2. Surpluses may only be used for the purposes of the Club. They may not be distributed to members. Members may only receive payments insofar as this takes place within the framework of a statutory use of assets or as reimbursement for their expenses. Any expenditure must be authorised by any two of the Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

3. In the event of the Club being terminated any surplus funds remaining after satisfaction of debts and liabilities will be
used in accordance with the wishes of the Members present at an Extraordinary General Meeting called to oversee the Winding-up of the Club:

a) to be used by the serving Committee in the establishment of the Club at an alternative venue or,
b) to be donated to a Charity agreed upon by the Members present at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

As amended at the 1994 AGM and the EGM of 21.2.1995 the AGM of 30th November 2008 and that of the
29th November 2009, the AGM of 25th November 2012.