Cobham Rugby & Sports Association - Membership

RULES OF COBHAM RUGBY & SPORTS ASSOCIATION LTD

1. CR&SA Ltd
Cobham Rugby & Sports Association Ltd was incorporated as a company limited by members guarantee on October 3rd 2006. At an EGM held on November 27th 2006 the members of CR&SA Ltd agreed to take over all the activities of the “Old Association” and also accepted the transfer of all the assets, liabilities and beneficial ownership of the freehold land. These Rules must be read in conjunction with the Memorandum and Articles of Association for the company, and in the event of any inconsistency between the two, then the M&A will take precedence. The company is called Cobham Rugby & Sports Association Ltd and it’s registered address shall be: Cobham Rugby & Sports Association Ltd, Memorial Sports Ground, Fairmile Lane, Cobham, Surrey KT11 2TG.(hereinafter also referred to as “The Club” or “CR&SA Ltd”)

2. Object of Club
The Object of the Club is to promote and develop sports in the local community. Currently, these include Rugby, Cricket, Tennis and Lacrosse. The Club is now registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), and as such is now permanently committed to sports participation and development in the local community. The Club’s ground and facilities will be available for use by members and visiting sports players, their families and supporters throughout the year.

3. Structure and Status of Club
• The Management Board has responsibility for the management and strategic development of the Club. The Management Board will be composed of directors of the company appointed members and the chairmen of each of the playing sections.
• The key roles for the CR&SA Management Board will decide strategy; to own the facilities and manage them for the benefit of the members; to generate income from the Bar and sub lettings of the grounds and clubhouse; to recover costs from the respective playing sections and to establish the framework of Club policies and practices, which must be adopted by all the sections.
• The detailed objectives of the Club will be agreed as part of a formal Development Plan. This will be updated annually on a rolling three year time horizon. The Development Plan will include cash flow projections and detail planned capital expenditures. It must be closely coupled with the financial plans of each playing section. This three year plan will be approved annually by the Management Board.
• The income derived by the Club will be applied solely to achieve the objects of the Club. It will be the responsibility of the Management Board to ensure sufficient income generation for both the proper upkeep and maintenance of the facilities, plus securing the funding to meet the investment and development plans.
• As a registered “CASC”, it should be noted that in the event of winding up or dissolution of the company, any remaining assets shall not be paid to the members, but applied to approved community sports purposes.

4. Membership
Membership of the Club and any section is open to all members of the community and will not be denied to anyone on the grounds of disability, ethnic origin or any religious and personal beliefs.There shall be three types of Members: Section Members (1), Life Members(2) and Honorary Vice Presidents(3).


1. Section Members: are defined as paid up members of one of the affiliated sections, currently Cobham Rugby Club, Leatherhead & Cobham Cricket Club, Cobham Tennis Club, the Braemar Club. Membership of a section provides full membership of CSA Ltd on the basis that an individual is 18 (or more) years of age, and where a section “family” membership will only allow a single CR&SA Ltd membership. On this basis, section members shall be regarded as full members of CR&SA Ltd and be entitled to vote at General Meetings, as long as they have paid their section membership fee at the date of the General Meeting. The sections have a responsibility to maintain a complete register of members and provide this to CR&SA Ltd annually on agreed dates.


2. Life Members: are defined as those members who have been awarded life membership. The Management Board shall be responsible for awarding all new life memberships.


3. Honorary Life Vice Presidents: are defined as members who have given outstanding service to the Club over a number of years. They will be nominated by the Management Board for approval at annual general meetings.

5. Suspension of Membership

A member may be suspended from membership for any act or behaviour that damages the assets or reputation of the Club. Section members will be subject to the disciplinary procedures of the relevant section and suspension of membership by a section will constitute suspension by the Club. The Club Management Board also have the right to suspend Club membership and use of Club facilities to an individual guilty of damaging the Club’s assets or reputation. Any member facing disciplinary measures must be notified in writing of the grounds for such action. The disciplined member has the right of appeal within one month of the notification. The suspension will have immediate effect from the time of notification. The Honorary Secretary shall include information about the suspension of any member in his report to the AGM.

6. The Management Board

The affairs and strategy of the Club shall be managed by a Management Board composed of directors, appointed members and chairmen of playing sections. The Management Board shall consist of:
a) Chairman; Treasurer; Secretary and President. These will comprise the executive officers of the Club and incumbents must be elected as Directors of the company. The officers will hold office for one year and be subject to re-election at each annual general meeting.
b) Chairmen of each section (or their nominated representative).
c) Nominated members, who will normally hold positions of specific expertise on the board, and will be appointed as required by the Chairman & limited to a maximum of three members at any one time.
The normal voting procedures of the Management Board will entitle each member a single vote. In the event of an equal number of votes being cast both for and against a proposal the Chairman shall have a casting vote. No decisions shall be made at Management Board meetings unless there is a quorum present of at least four members.

At the request of any Management Board member a specific resolution may be referred to an overriding vote of the company directors only. The Secretary shall be responsible for administering such a vote.

7. General Meetings of the Club

All general meetings of the Club, other than the annual general meeting, shall be called extraordinary general meetings. All general meetings, including the annual general meeting, will require twenty one days notice to members specifying the meeting details and proposed resolutions. The Management Board will call for general meetings as required and be obliged to do so at the specific request of twenty or more members.

The annual general meeting shall be held within six months of the end of the Club year. Each member present will have equal voting rights. Annual general meetings are held to:-
a) Receive the Board’s report on the Club’s performance for the previous year and future plans.
b) Receive the annual accounts and financial report from the Treasurer.
c) Appoint the Club’s auditors, who will be responsible for preparation of annual statutory accounts.
d) Elect the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer & President of the Club.
e) Transact the proposed resolutions and any other business as required.

8. Responsibility of Sections

Each section has specific responsibilities to the Club. These include:
i) To enter into annual agreements with the Club for the use of grounds and facilities as determined by the Board, and ensure that agreed fees are paid on time.
ii) To ensure that a list of paid up members of the section is available at agreed times to the Board.
iii) To ensure a duty of care to the facilities of the Club.
iv) To support and participate in the Club’s strategy and plans as agreed at the Management Board.
v) To provide Section annual financial results and financial plans with the Management Board.
vi) To provide support and backing to all Club dealings with outside agencies and institutions, which have been authorized by the Management Board.

9. Bar and Licensing

The specific bar licensing regulations will be decided by the Board, but will always be in support of the objectives of the 2003 Licensing Act. This will include prevention of crime, disorder and public nuisance; maintaining health and public safety requirements; protection of children. (refer to Club Policies). No member shall allow purchase or consumption of alcohol by under age persons on the Club’s premises

10. Lettings and Use of the Ground and Clubhouse

The Club will be responsible for all lettings of the clubhouse and grounds to outside organizations. A section may enter into such agreements with 3rd parties, but such arrangements will be subject to prior Board approval and payment of a rental fee to the Club.

The management, operations and useage of the clubhouse, bar and kitchen catering facilities will be the responsibility of the Club and Management Board.

11. Club Policies - Health, Safety and Welfare

The Club will be responsible for establishing “top level” health, safety, welfare and child protection policies. Each section will be responsible for translating these requirements into their own section policies, consistent with the hazards and risks involved. Specific guidelines from the respective national sports bodies will need to be included in the section policies.

The sections should nominate representatives to a Club Health, Safety and Welfare Committee, where all the individual arrangements can be agreed and co-ordinated.

12. Insurance

The Club will be responsible for ensuring that the Club’s property and material damage are properly insured. The Club will also be responsible for insurance for any employees of CR&SA Ltd and public liability insurance for general use of the clubhouse and grounds.
The playing sections are responsible for ensuring adequate insurance for other potential liabilities as advised by their national sports bodies. These should include player injury and accident benefits, referee/umpire/coaches liabilities and any other liabilities for player to player incidents. In addition, the sections need to ensure insurance coverage for any section specific sports or social events involving non club members which is outside CR&SA Ltd’s public liability cover for the clubhouse and Memorial Grounds e.g offsite parking and pitches, third party run summer camps, section specific social events including non members.
To avoid the risks of failing to insure (and avoiding paying for double coverage), the Club and sections should nominate individuals responsible for insurance to co-ordinate cover.

13. Loans & Property Transactions

Loans secured on the grounds and facilities may only be made for the future development of the ground and its facilities, not for the purposes of providing funds for ongoing activities.
Any decision concerning the leasing, mortgaging or sale of any freehold land is subject to a specific resolution at a general members meeting and will require a 75% majority vote to be approved.

14. Changes to Rules

These rules shall only be altered at a General Meeting and a two-thirds majority shall be required to make any alteration.

December 2007