SYDNEY FRONTRUNNERS CONSTITUTION
1 CLUB
This constitution sets out the rules of the Sydney Frontrunners club (‘Frontrunners”).
2 PRELIMINARY
In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) The singular includes the plural and vice versa.
(b) “Committee” means the committee of Frontrunners.
(c) “Member” means a person recorded as such in the Register, and includes an Honorary Life Member.
(d) “Register” means the Register of Members maintained under rule 5.2.
(f) “Frontrunner Activities” include distance running, triathlon, track and field events and power and race walking.
(e) “month” means calendar month.
(f) “year” means Frontrunners’ 1 April – 31 March financial year.
3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aims and objectives of Frontrunners are:
3.1 Encourage Frontrunner Activities
To encourage, foster and develop interest and participation in Frontrunner Activities both competitive and social.
3.2 Affiliate Widely
In pursuit of this aim, to liaise, deal or affiliate with other bodies, both in the lesbian and gay community and the wider community within New South Wales, throughout Australia and internationally. In particular, to participate in the activities of International Frontrunners.
3.3 Encourage Gender Parity
To develop the activities, organisation and structure of the club to achieve gender parity.
4 ELIGIBILITY AND MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
Any individual interested in joining or taking part in Frontrunner Activities may be accepted as a Member, or an Honorary Life Member. The status of Honorary Life Member may be conveyed by the membership in general meeting upon the nomination of the Committee in consideration of special or outstanding service to Frontrunners.
5 JOINING FRONTRUNNERS
5.1 Applications for Membership
The Committee may require applications for membership to be in a particular form. If this is done, unless the Committee determines otherwise, this form of application will be required before any person may become a member.
5.2 Consideration of Applications
As soon as practicable after receiving an application the Secretary must place it before the Committee for determination. Where the Committee votes to accept an application, the applicant’s name will be entered in the Register. The Secretary shall so inform the Member. An applicant becomes a Member only after acceptance by the Committee and its receipt of application moneys (if then required). A dishonoured payment for application moneys voids acceptance of the relevant application.
5.3 Rejected Applications
Where the Committee votes to reject an application, the Secretary must inform the applicant.
6 CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP
6.1 Cessation
A Member ceases to be a Member of Frontrunners when that Member dies, resigns or is expelled from membership. Any money owed but not paid by a Member ceasing to be a Member remains a debt which Frontrunners may seek to recover as the Committee sees fit. The Treasurer shall cause it be so noted in the Register.
6.2 Resignation
A Member may resign from membership by giving notice in writing to the Secretary. The resignation shall take effect on the day it is received by the Secretary. A resigning Member must tender with the resignation letter any outstanding subscriptions and/or other money owing to Frontrunners.
7 LIABILITY OF MEMBERS
The liability of a Member of Frontrunners to contribute towards the payment of the debts and liabilities of Frontrunners or the cost, charges and expenses of the winding up of Frontrunners is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid by the member in respect of joining fees, annual subscriptions and any other money properly due and payable by the Member in return for goods and/or services purchased from Frontrunners.
8 FEES
8.1 Amounts Payable
The annual subscription payable by a Member will be set by the Committee annually at the initial meeting of each year referred to in Clause 13.1. Differential subscriptions may be offered to any person identified by the Committee.
8.2 Annual Subscriptions
The Treasurer shall notify all Members (other than Honorary Life Members) on the Register within 1 month of the meeting referred to in Clause 8.1. Annual subscriptions shall be due and payable 7 days after the issuing of these invoices.
8.3 Unpaid Subscriptions
The Treasurer must notify in writing all Members whose annual subscription remains unpaid on 1 July. Any Member whose subscription remains unpaid at 1 October will be deemed to have resigned and the Secretary shall so note in the Register. Frontrunners shall not attempt further to recover the unpaid amount. Frontrunners will have no obligation in respect of any claim on any insurance policy organised through Frontrunners (if so) in respect of a Member who at the date the claim arose was not yet paid up for that financial year.
9 COMMITTEE
9.1 Affairs and Management
The affairs and management of Frontrunners shall be under the control of the Committee which shall consist of a maximum of 10, unless at an Annual General Meeting it is determined that it should be of a different size.
9.2 Term
Committee Members will hold office for a period of approximately 1 year, taking office at an Annual General Meeting, and serving until the next Annual General Meeting.
9.3 Eligibility and Nomination
To be eligible for election at the Annual General Meeting, a person must either submit a nomination form stating that the candidate is a Member of Frontrunners, and wishes to be considered for election to the Committee, or be present at the Annual General Meeting and place his or her name in nomination at the annual general meeting. All candidates must be paid-up Members of Frontrunners.
9.4 Election
At the Annual General Meeting, if there are not more nominees than Committee places to be filled, the chair may entertain a motion to declare the nominees elected. In any other case, the Committee vacancies must be filled from among the nominees by secret ballot, and on a first past the post basis. Any nominee present in person may briefly address the meeting and answer questions. Prior to any secret ballot the meeting should be reminded of the objective of Clause 3.3.
9.5 Resignation
Any Committee Member may resign in writing to the Secretary, and any Committee Member who ceases for any reason to be a Member shall be taken to have resigned as a Committee Member.
9.6 Casual Vacancies
The Committee may fill any casual vacancy (including any position unfilled at an Annual General Meeting) in its membership with any willing Member. Any person so appointed will hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. In all cases when appointing persons under this rule the Committee must give strong consideration to the importance of equal representation on the Committee of males and females.
10 POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE
The committee shall have the power and responsibility to administer Frontrunners and advance its purposes.
11 OFFICERS
11.1 Officers
The officers of Frontrunners shall be President, the Treasurer and the Secretary. The officers shall be elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting, however the Committee may fill casual vacancies as they arise. It is possible for an office holder to be a Running Coordinator and also hold another office.
11.2 President
The President shall normally preside at all General and Committee Meetings and perform other duties as conferred by the Committee.
11.3 Secretary
The Secretary shall be the principal executive officer of Frontrunners in whose name, unless in any particular instance the Committee directs otherwise, Frontrunners’ correspondence shall be carried on. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all General and Committee Meetings.
11.4 Treasurer
The Treasurer shall maintain the Register, listing the name, address, telephone number and other relevant information in respect of all Members. The Treasurer shall ensure that proper accounts and books are kept showing the true financial position of Frontrunners and the particulars usually shown in such books and will attend to all deposits in Frontrunners accounts. The Treasurer shall so arrange Frontrunners’ bank accounts such that the President, Secretary and the Treasurer are signatories, and the accounts can be operated on any two of the signatures.
11.5 Running Coordinator
Unless the Committee directs otherwise the Running Coordinator shall have responsibility for managing sporting events and activities of Frontrunners. The Committee may appoint one or more Running Coordinators who may be assigned tasks relating to the organisation or management of particular Frontrunner Activities.
12 GENERAL MEETINGS
12.1 Annual General Meeting
Frontrunners’ Annual General Meeting shall be held during April, however the Committee may delay the meeting to no later than 30 June any year. The business of the meeting shall be to present the report of the Committee and accounts, to elect Officers and balance of a Committee for the following year, to elect Honorary Life Members (if any) and such other business as may be specified in the notice of the meeting.
12.2 Special General Meetings
Any meeting of Members other than the Annual General Meeting is a Special General Meeting. A Special General Meeting may be called by a resolution of the Committee, which must so resolve to call a meeting upon receipt of a requisition of not less than 4 Members. The notice of meeting shall state the proposed business of the meeting and no business other than that given in the notice shall be transacted.
12.3 Chair
The President shall preside at all general meetings. In the absence of the President, the Members present shall elect one of their number to preside as chairperson at the meeting.
12.4 Notice and Quorum
The Secretary shall give at least 21 days’ notice in writing to all Members of any meeting. The quorum for any meeting shall be 20% of membership. Members may be present in person or by proxy. If at any general meeting a quorum is not present within 15 minutes after the time set for the meeting, it shall be deferred until such date, time and place as the chair of the meeting shall determine and at the deferred meeting those Members present shall constitute a quorum.
12.5 Other Attendees
The auditor, solicitor and any other professional adviser of Frontrunners or of any Committee Member may attend any general meeting of Members. The chair may permit other parties to attend, and grant rights of audience to non-Members fairly but otherwise as it sees fit.
12.6 Votes
Each Member (unless disqualified from participating in any given vote) shall have a single vote on any poll or show of hands. Unless a greater majority is required in any case under these rules, all matters at any meeting shall be resolved by a simple majority and in the event of an equality of votes the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.
12.7 Proxy
A member may appoint a proxy to vote on her or his behalf at a meeting. Any appointment must be in writing and signed by the person making the appointment and the proxy.
13 COMMITTEE MEETINGS
13.1 Initial Meeting, Minimum Meetings
The new Committee will first convene within 4 weeks of the Annual General Meeting. Meetings of the Committee must be held at least 4 times each year.
13.2 Convening and Notice
Any Committee Member may require the Secretary to convene a meeting of the Committee. Notice of Committee meetings must be given verbally or in writing to all Committee Member not less than 2 days before the date set for the meeting and the quorum shall be not less than 3 Committee Members.
13.3 Attendance and Voting
Each Committee Member present at a meeting of the Committee has 1 vote on any given matter. In the event of a tie, the chair will have an additional casting vote. A Committee Member may attend a meeting by telephone or video means, but may not attend by alternate or by proxy. The Committee may give rights of audience at its meetings as it sees fit.
14 NOTICES
Where in these rules notices are required to be sent to Members, they shall be deemed to be duly served if delivered by hand, electronically or sent by pre-paid post to the Member’s address shown in the Register. The date of receipt shall be deemed to be when it would be delivered in the ordinary course of post if sent by pre-paid post. It shall be entirely the responsibility of Members to inform the Secretary of any change to the mailing or electronic addresses shown in the Register. In the case of notices of meetings required by these rules, the accidental omission to provide a notice to any Member, or the non-receipt of such notice, shall not prejudice or invalidate the proceedings or decisions of such meetings.
15 AMENDMENTS TO THESE RULES
Any of these rules may be modified, altered or added to by a resolution of Members. Frontrunners shall provide to all Members not less than 3 weeks before the General Meeting a notice of the meeting and a copy of the resolution intended to be put. Upon the passing of the resolution the rules will be deemed to have been amended accordingly and all Members shall be bound by the amended rules. As soon as practicable Frontrunners shall at its expense provide to each Member a copy of the resolution so passed.
16 INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS
The Secretary shall ensure that all of Frontrunners’ minute books and the Register, and the Treasurer shall ensure that Frontrunners’ books of accounts are available for inspection by any Member, upon reasonable notice and at a reasonable time and place. No Member may disseminate any information gained through inspection of Frontrunners records without the written consent of the Committee. The Committee must comply with any written request of a member that his or her personal details not be disseminated.
17 DISPUTES
Any dispute between Members in their capacity as such may be referred to the Committee for a determination. If the Committee is unable to settle the dispute to the satisfaction of all parties, any one of them may refer the matter to a vote at the next general meeting of Members.