PANTHER BOWHUNTERS CONSTITUTION
1) Name
a) The name of the Club shall be Panther Bowhunters, (hereinafter abbreviated to Panther).
b) Panther shall be affiliated to the English Field Archery Association, (hereinafter abbreviated to E.F.A.A.).
2) Purpose
a) To foster, expand, promote and perpetuate the practice of Field Archery and any other form of archery the Club may adopt, and to establish uniform rules, regulations, procedures, conditions and method of practising such activities, in accordance with the E.F.A.A. code of practice.
b) To conduct a continuous educational programme, designed to acquaint the public and the archer, with the use of the bow as a recreation.
c) To conduct tournaments to determine Club Champions in all forms of archery adopted by the Club.
d) To foster and perpetuate a spirit of good fellowship and sportsmanship among all archers.
e) To evolve and conduct programmes that will give recognition to archers for proficiency with the bow and arrow, in all recognised competition.
f) To inform regularly all members of major problems and issues affecting the sport of Field Archery, and/or of the actions proposed or taken, in order that the membership may make its will known to its duly elected representatives.
g) The Club does not support the use of the bow and arrow in the pursuit of hunting.
3) Membership
a) There shall be three classes of membership - Honorary, Affiliate and Associate.
i) Honorary Membership, with the exemption from regular fees and dues established by the Club, may be granted for exceptional merit and service upon submission of a recommendation signed by not less than six members to the Committee. Such recommendations must be approved or rejected by the Committee within 60 days of the submission.
ii) Affiliate Membership maybe applied for by anyone, but the application shall be submitted to the Committee for consideration, before the relevant fee is paid.
iii) Associate Membership shall be granted to any supporter of the Club who does not wish to participate in its shooting activities, upon application and payment of the relevant fee. An Associate Member has no voting rights and may not stand for elective positions.
iv) All club members must also become members of the E.F.A.A., at the same time as becoming a member of Panther.
b) All annual subscriptions shall be payable on the first day of January each year.
c) Any member of the Club may resign their membership by giving the Secretary notice in writing to that effect, providing that if notice be given after the first day of January in any year, such member shall be liable to pay their subscription for that year.
d) Membership of the Club shall cease in all or any of the following circumstances: -
i) If the Committee resolve, pursuant to sub-paragraph 'e' below that the member be expelled as from the date of such resolution.
ii) If a member gives notice in writing to the Secretary in accordance with sub-paragraph 'c' above.
iii) If the annual subscription of a member has not been paid on or before the first day of February following the first day of January in each year, after a reminder has been given, unless the Club resolve to extend such period in which event the membership shall expire at the end of the extended period unless the subscription shall then have been paid.
e) If any member shall wilfully refuse or neglect to comply with any of the provisions of the Constitution or shall be guilty of any conduct objectionable to other members of the Club or prejudicial to the interests of the Club they shall be liable to expulsion by Resolution of the Committee, provided that not less than two weeks notice in writing shall be given by the Secretary to any such member of the intended Resolution and the nature of the allegation made against them and the member, at their option, shall be entitled to give an explanation in writing or to attend the meeting of the Committee at which the Resolution is to be considered and to give such explanation or make such defence in person as they may think fit but the Committee shall have absolute and unfettered discretion to accept or reject any such explanation or defence and its decision to expel any member shall be final and conclusive.
f) Any person, on ceasing to be a member of the Club shall forfeit all right to and claim upon the Club, its property and funds.
g) The Club reserves the, right to refuse membership to any person or persons, without disclosure of its reasons.
4) The Executive Committee
a) The Committee shall consist of the Chairman, one Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary (plus six Technical Officers).
b) The position of Treasurer may be held in conjunction or independently with any other office.
c) With the exception mentioned, all offices shall be held independently.
d) The Technical Officers on the Executive Committee shall be Three Range Officers, Tournaments Officer, Public Relations and Classification Officer.
e) Technical Officers shall be responsible to the Executive Committee.
5) Duties Of The Executive Officers
a) The Chairman shall: -
i) Preside at all General Meetings.
ii) Prepare and submit to the Committee and the AGM, an annual report, indicating the activities and position of the Club.
b) The Vice-Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman if the Chairman is unable to act.
c) The Secretary shall: -
i) Conduct the affairs of the Club in accordance with the programmes and policies established by the Committee.
ii) Organise and operate the administrative offices of the Club.
iii) Co-ordinate the activities and programmes of the Club.
iv) Assure the proper publication of official notices, reports and attest documents, and shall keep the archives of the Club.
v) Assure the proper publication of any officially adopted publications of the Club.
d) The Membership Secretary shall: -
i) Supervise the collection of all membership fees and pass the monies thus collected to the Treasurer.
ii) Prepare and maintain up-to-date membership lists.
iii) Issue all membership cards.
e) The Treasurer shall: -
i) Prepare and submit to the Committee and the AGM, an annual report indicating the financial position of the Club.
ii) Supervise the financial affairs of the Club.
iii) Keep adequate books of accounts for the Club.
iv) Have an appointed auditor make an annual survey of the Club accounts at the close of business at each financial year, and shall publish the result at the AGM following.
v) Deposit all monies to the credit of the Club.
vi) Present a statement of account supported by an official bank statement at quarterly Executive Meetings.
6) Duties Of The Technical Officers
a) The Range Officers shall: -
i) Supervise and administer the National Range policy in accordance with the wishes of the National Range Officer.
ii) Report to and advise the members of the Committee on matters concerning the ranges.
b) The Tournaments Officer shall: -
i) Be responsible for deciding the dates of Club Tournaments in conjunction with National and Regional fixtures.
ii) Compile a list of International, National, Regional and Club Tournaments for the information of Club members.
iii) Be the custodian of all Club Challenge Trophies, and shall keep a record of them, the names of the donors where applicable, the condition of the competition governing awards, and the names and addresses of those who win.
iv) Request the return of the trophies from the winners at least three weeks before the next tournament at which they will be awarded. (The archer awarded the temporary custody of the trophies shall be responsible for their return, in good order to the Tournaments Officer upon request.)
c) The Public Relations Officer shall: -
i) Co-ordinate the Public Relations of the Club.
ii) Assure the proper publication of all promotional literature.
iii) Design and administer a programme to acquaint the public with Field Archery.
d) Classification Officer shall: -
i) Supervise and administrate the Classification Day in accordance with the E.F.A.A. Rules and the wishes of the Committee.
ii) Co-operate with the E.F.A.A. officers concerned with Classification.
iii) Report to and advise the Committee on matters concerning Classification.
e) The Coaching Officer shall: -
i) Be acceptable to the Executive Committee.
ii) Supervise and administer the Coaching activities of the Club in accordance with the policies of the National Coaching Organisation.
iii) Co-operate with the Regional Officers concerned with coaching.
ii) Advise the Committee on matters concerning coaching.
f) Glade Officer shall: -
i) Supervise in keeping the Glade tidy and safe to shoot in.
ii) Supervise upkeep of storage huts and caravan.
iii) Supervise the renew of faces on practice butts and repairs on butts.
iv) Advise to the executive any problems arising from the above.
g) Supplies Officer shall: -
i) Obtain and make available to the membership such merchandise as is considered suitable by the Executive at prices set by the Executive.
ii) Collect in moneys for goods sold and remit to the Treasurer.
iii) Report to and advise the Executive on matters concerning supplies.
h) N.F.A.S. Representative shall: -
i) Liase between the N.F.A.S. and those Panther members wishing to join same.
i) Records Officer shall: -
i) Maintain an accurate and up to date record of Panther Club members scores.
ii) Display such scores in the Club publication and or notice board.
j) Social Secretary shall: -
i) Organise any social events that the Club wishes to undertake as directed by the Executive.
k) Panther Post Editor shall: -
i) Edit the journal of Panther known as the 'Panther Post' in accordance with the wishes of the Executive.
ii) Report to and advise the Executive on matters concerning the journal.
iii) Publish and supervise the distribution of the journal at appropriate times.
7) Election/Appointment Of Executive Officers
a) Elected Members of the Executive and the six Technical Officers (Three Range Officers, Tournaments Officer, Public Relations and Classification Officer), shall be elected annually by members of the Club at their AGM. They shall hold office for one year defined as April 1st to March 31st following the AGM, and at the end of that period shall resign, but may stand for re-election.
b) The remaining officers of the club shall be elected by nomination and acceptance by members attending the A.G.M.
8) Conflict Of Interest
a) Any person nominated to an elective position in the Club shall declare at the time of nomination any business or political interest or activity that could influence their impartiality and this information shall be circulate to all those who are entitled to vote. In the event of their election, the Executive reserve the right to insist on their abstention from voting on any issue so influenced.
b) All conflict of issue questions shall be decided by the Executive. Appeals shall be decided by a majority vote of the Executive, excluding the interested party if present.
9) Proceedings Of The Executive
a) The Executive may meet together for the dispatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings, as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority vote, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. A member of the Executive may, and the Secretary on the requisition of a member of the Executive shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Executive. It shall not be necessary to give notice of a meeting to a member of the Executive for the time being absent from the United Kingdom.
b) The quorum necessary for the transaction of business of the Executive to be fixed by the Executive and unless so fixed shall be four.
c) Minutes shall be taken of all proceedings of the Executive and may be inspected by any member of the Club applying to the General Secretary therefore, except where the Executive decide in advance that a meeting or part of a meeting shall be held in camera.
d) The continuing Executive members may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to this Constitution as the necessary quorum the continuing Executive members may act for the purpose of increasing the number of the Executive members to that number or of summoning a general meeting of the Club but for no other purpose.
e) In the event of any vacancy occurring on the Executive it shall have the power to appoint any member of the Club who is properly qualified (if required) to fill such vacancy.
f) The Chairman of meetings of the Executive shall be the Vice-Chairman provided the Chairman is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting. The Executive members present may choose one of their members to be Chairman of the meeting if the Vice-Chairman is not present.
g) The members of the Executive may delegate any of their powers to Standing or Sub-Committees consisting of such members of the Club, as they think fit. Any Standing or Sub-Committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulation that may be impressed on it by the Executive.
h) A Sub-Committee may elect as Chairman of its meetings any one of its members. If no such Chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the Chairman is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding same, the members present may choose one of their members to be Chairman of the meeting.
i) A Sub-Committee may meet and adjourn, as it thinks proper. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes by the members present and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
j) All acts done by any meeting of the Committee or of a Sub-Committee or by a person acting as a Committee member shall notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any such Committee member or person acting as aforesaid or that they or any of them were disqualified, are valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified to be a Committee member.
k) A resolution in writing signed by all the Committee Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of a meeting of the Committee shall be valid as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Committee duly convened and held.
10) Disqualification Of Committee Members
a) Any Committee member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee.
i) If they become unsound of mind.
ii) If they cease to be a member of the Club.
iii) If by notice in writing to the Club they resign their office.
iv) If they are absent from three consecutive meetings of the Committee and the Committee resolve that their office is thereby vacated.
b) In addition the Club may by Extraordinary Resolution remove any member of the Committee before the expiration of their period of office and may be an ordinary Resolution appoint another qualified member in his stead, but any person so appointed shall be subject to retirement at the same time as if they had been appointed from the day on which the person in whose place they have been appointed was last appointed to the office from which they were removed.
c) Technical Officers may be removed by a simple majority vote of the Committee.
d) The Coaching Officer may only be removed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 10 .
11) Annual General Meeting
a) There shall be an Annual General Meeting in March each year.
b) Only matters shown on the agenda and matters arising from the Committee Officers reports may be voted upon at the AGM.
c) All matters for inclusion on the Agenda of the AGM must reach the General Secretary at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting.
d) Proposals to be put to the AGM must be in writing and bear the signature of the proposer and seconder, who must both be members of the Club.
e) Notification that an AGM will take place must be made to all members separately, or through the official publication, at least 28 days prior to the date of the meeting.
f) Matters that may come before the Club for decision at an AGM shall be decided by the vote of the majority of the members present, and shall be binding upon the Club.
g) If the election of Officers is to take place at the AGM all nominations in writing, bearing the signature of the proposer, seconder and nominee who must all be members of the Club must reach the General Secretary at least 7 days prior to the meeting. The Officers standing at the time of the AGM shall continue in office until after the AGM when the newly elected officers shall take over.
12) Extra-Ordinary General Meeting
a) An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting shall be called by the General Secretary upon receipt of a written request, signed by at least 10 members of the Club or at the request of the Committee.
b) Such a request from members shall state the proposition/propositions to be placed on the Agenda of the meeting.
c) Only propositions on the Agenda shall be discussed and voted upon at an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting.
13) The Financial Year
The Financial Year of the Club shall be considered as 1st January to 31 December.
14) Reports Of Officers
a) At the end of each Financial Year the Chairman, General Secretary and Treasurer shall each prepare a written report and submit copies thereof to each member of the Committee, and to the members at the AGM.
b) Any other Officer shall prepare written reports as and when directed by the Committee
15) Alterations And Amendments To This Constitution
Alterations and amendments to this Constitution may be made only by the majority vote of the Club membership present at a General Meeting.
Amended and agreed at E.G.M. 09.11.03.