3. Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the club are:

To provide competitive and recreational badminton for its members

To promote the principles of fair play and good conduct both on and off the court

To enter teams in the leagues of NSBL

To ensure that all club members are treated equitable

4. Membership

Membership of the Club shall be open to any person that is considered to have an acceptable playing standard commensurate with the typical level of average Club players.

In accepting membership, a person agrees to abide by the constitution and rules of the Club, BE and NSBL.

Members under the age of 18 and who are students in full time education shall be considered as “juniors” and entitled to a lower annual membership fee. A parent or guardian must also be a member of the club. A junior member of the club under the age of 18 must always be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Members over the age of 18 who are in full time education shall be considered as ‘students’ and shall also be entitled to the lower annual membership fee.

The Club Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, if there is good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute or there is unacceptable conduct within the Club to other members. All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the Secretary and thereafter, it will be the intention that the complaint will be considered by the Committee within a month and the outcome notified to the appropriate member(s) within two weeks.

The Club playing night will, in principle, be once a week from the beginning of September to the end of July (minus any particular bank holidays subject to the discretion of the Committee). League matches will be arranged to be played on a non-Club playing night.

Members will be required to provide their address, contact telephone number, email address and an emergency contact. This will be entered onto the BE website database as required by BE for their membership and used by the Committee only to contact the individual members as and when necessary for the purposes of Club administration. It shall not be passed on to any other party, body or individual without the agreement of the member(s).

All members are required to comply with the Club’s Health and Safety regulations, which are issued to all members. Where members have concerns about compliance with these regulations, they shall report their concerns immediately to the Committee.

5. Safeguarding Young People

All members are required to have read and understood the BE Safeguarding and Protecting Young People Policy and the Codes of Ethics and Conduct and as such agree to fully recognise and adhere to the principles contained within them. These will be adopted as the club’s child protection policy and procedures.

All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of children or young people, will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the club’s and BE’s child protection policy and procedures. Members should approach a member of the Committee in the event of any child protection concerns.

6. Administration

The Club shall be administered by an elected committee of officials, known as the Committee. It shall comprise of a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. The number of Committee members can be changed if required and agreed at the AGM. Committee meetings shall be called as and when required to administer the Club’s business.

The AGM shall be open to all members of the Club and held towards the end of the playing season at a time and place to be decided by the Committee. All members shall have the right to vote at the AGM and be notified of the meeting details at least 21 days before it is held. All Committee members shall stand down at the AGM and can stand for re-election if they so desire.

The purpose of the AGM shall be to receive the Chairperson and Treasurers’ reports, adopt the accounts, elect the Committee for the following year, set the annual membership, match and visitors fees, agree the number of teams to be entered into NSBL and to decide on any other general business. The AGM shall be considered quorate when attended by at least one-third of the membership. Any changes to the constitution shall be agreed by a majority vote. An auditor for the following year shall be appointed by the AGM.

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called following an application to the Secretary and which has been signed by at least one-third of the Club membership. All members shall be notified of the meeting details at least 21 days before it is held.

A captain will be nominated for each of the teams entered into the NSBL. Nominations are proposed by the Committee from members of the teams.

7. Fees and Accounts

The Club shall be funded by an annual membership fee levied on all members, club night fees, matches fees and visitors’ fees. The level of fees shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and shall be set at a level for the following year, with the intention of not having a predicted overall annual deficit.

All members will be required to pay the annual fees required by BE and NSBL and these will be included within the annual membership fee. Membership fees are to be paid by the end of September. All members are covered by BE’s insurance policy when they have paid their annual membership fees.

The Committee will have the discretion to consider an individual members’ circumstances and agree an appropriate reduced fee below the level of the full annual membership fee. “Juniors” and ‘students' in full time education will pay 50% of the full annual membership fee, club night fees, visitors fees (if a prospective member) and match fees.

For each home and away league match, players will pay a match fee by bank transfer into the Club’s bank account.

Prospective members will pay a visitor’s fee on a per night basis, of which the first night will be free. They will be entitled to attend up to three Club nights, at the discretion of the Committee as a prospective member. The prospective member may join the Club if they agree to adhere to the Constitution of the Club and the Committee agrees that they have a suitable standard of play. If the prospective member is not considered to have a suitable standard of play by the Committee, they will not be entitled to continue attending the Club nights. If the prospective member joins the Club, they will pay an appropriate level of annual membership fee to include the annual fees required by BE and NSBL, a pro-rata percentage of the residual annual membership fees based on the time of joining the Club.

Visitors, who are not prospective members, will be able to attend Club nights on a discretionary basis where agreed by the Committee and pay the visitor’s fee.

All club monies will be banked in an account(s) held in the name of the Club. Any cheque drawn against the Club funds will be signed by two of the following: - Chairperson, Treasurer and one other nominated member.

The Treasurer shall prepare annual accounts for the income and expenditure of the Club. As the AGM is normally before the end of the season, ‘draft’ accounts will be issued at the AGM based on the projected income and expenditure to the end of the season. After the end of the season, the accounts will be audited and the final version, with any auditors’ comments, issued to members early in the following season.

8. Winding Up

The members may vote to wind up the Club at either an AGM or EGM if not less than three-quarters of those present vote to support that proposal. The Committee shall then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs. After settling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining in a manner that will be agreed at the AGM or EGM.