Club Constitution

1. NAME

The Club is called Highgate And Muswell Hill Jewish Youth Club also to be known as HMH (The Club).

2. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Club shall be to arrange Association Football games/matches along with suitable training sessions and social activities for its members.

3. STATUS OF RULES

This Constitution and the Code of Conduct form a binding agreement between each Member with The Club. Details of the Code of Conduct are listed separately.

4. RULES AND REGULATIONS

(a) The Club shall have the status of an Affiliated Member Club of The Football Association by virtue of its affiliation to membership of the said Association. The Rules and Regulations of The Football Association Limited and any Parent County Football Association along with any League and/or Competition to which the Club is affiliated shall be deemed to be incorporated within the Club Rules.

(b) No alteration to the Club Constitution, or Code of Conduct shall be effective unless made in writing, which The Club may amend from time to time, as it deems necessary.

(c) The Club will abide by The Football Association’s Child Protection Policies and Procedures, Codes of Conduct along with the Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Policies.

5. CLUB MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

(a) The Club Management Committee (the Management Committee) shall consist of the following Club Officers:-

Club Chairman (Chairperson)

Club Treasurer

Club Secretary

Club Welfare Officer

Trustees

All of these will be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

(b) Additional appointments will be made as necessary to ensure the smooth running of The Club which will include but not restricted to, social, fund raising and events coordinator and these individuals along with all of the team managers, Club Secretary and Coaches may also form part of the Management Committee.

(c) Each Club Officer shall hold their office from the date of appointment until at least the next Annual General Meeting unless otherwise resolved at a Special General Meeting. One person may hold no more than two positions as Club Officer at any one time.

(d) An outgoing Club Officer may be re-elected and any vacancy which arises between the Annual General Meetings, shall be filled by a member proposed by one and seconded by another of the remaining Management Committee and approved by a simple voting majority.

(e) The Management Committee shall be responsible for the management of all of the affairs of The Club.

(f) Meetings of the Management Committee shall be chaired by the Chairperson or in their absence an acceptable Committee Member. The quorum for the transaction of business of the Management Committee shall be three.

(g) Decisions of the Management Committee shall be made by a simple majority of those attending each meeting. The Chairperson of the Meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie.

(h) Decisions of the Management Committee at all meetings shall be entered into The Minute Book of The Club to be maintained by The Club Secretary.

(i) Any Member of the Management Committee may call a meeting by giving not less than seven days notice to all members of the Committee.

(j) The Management Committee shall hold not less than two meetings a year.

(k) Save as provided for in the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association and the Parent County Football Association to which the Club is affiliated, the Management Committee shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in respect of any issue concerning the Club Constitution and the Code of Conduct.

6. ANNUAL AND SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

(a) An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held no later than the 30th September in each year to:-

give a report of the activities of The Club over the previous Season

receive a report of The Club’s finances over the previous Season

elect the Officers of The Club for the ensuing year

consider any other business

(b) All Members of The Club shall be entitled to attend the AGM.

(c) Nominations for the election of Club Officers shall be made in writing by the proposer and seconder, all of whom must be existing members (or Parents/Legal Guardians of playing members if below the age of consent) of The Club, to the Club Secretary not less than twenty one days before the meeting. Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given in writing to The Club Secretary also not less than twenty one days before the meeting.

(d) A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called at any time by the Management Committee within twenty one days of the receipt by the Club Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than five members of the Committee stating the purposes for which the meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at an SGM may be any business that may be transacted at an AGM.

(e) The Club Secretary shall send to each member at his or her last known address (E-Mail being considered sufficient), written notice of the date of a General Meeting together with all of the resolutions to be proposed at least fourteen days before the meeting.

(f) The quorum for a General Meeting shall be three.

(g) The Chairperson, or in their absence a member selected by the Management Committee, shall take the chair. In all cases, each member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairperson of the meeting shall have a casting vote.

(h) The Club Secretary, or in their absence a member of the Management Committee, shall enter minutes of General Meetings into The Minute Book of the Club.

(i) Only Members who are over the age of majority may vote and in such an event that they are not entitled, their relevant Parent or Legal Guardian.

7. CLUB TEAMS

The Officers of the Club shall appoint suitable individuals to be responsible for each of The Club’s football teams. The appointed individuals shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team and shall agree to abide by The Club’s Code of Conduct and Constitution.

8. CLUB FINANCES

(a) A Bank Account shall be maintained in the name of The Club (The Club Account). Designated account signatories will consist of the Secretary and the Treasurer. All monies payable to The Club shall be received by the Club Treasurer and deposited in The Club Account as soon as possible.

(b) The income and assets of The Club (the Club Property) shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects of The Club.

(c) The Management Committee shall have the power to authorise the payment of remuneration and/or expenses to any member of the Club and/or to any other person or persons for services rendered to The Club as it feels appropriate.

(d) The Club shall prepare an annual Financial Statement in such form as shall be published by The Football Association from time to time.

(e) The Club Property, other than the Club Account, shall be vested in not less than two and no more than four Trustees, one of whom shall be the Treasurer (The Trustees), who shall deal with the Club Property as directed by decisions of The Management Committee. Entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence of such a decision.

(f) The Trustees shall be appointed by The Club in a General Meeting and shall hold office until death or resignation unless removed by a resolution passed at a General Meeting.

(g) On their removal or resignation, a Trustee shall execute a conveyance in such form as is published by The Football Association from time to time to a newly elected Trustee or the existing Trustee as directed by The Management Committee. On the death of a Trustee, any club property vested in them shall vest automatically in the surviving Trustees. If there is only one surviving Trustee, a Special General Meeting shall be convened as soon as possible to appoint another Trustee.

(h) The Trustees shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the Club Property for all expenses and other liabilities reasonably incurred by them in carrying out their duties.

9. DISSOLUTION

(a) A resolution to dissolve the Club shall only be proposed at a General Meeting and shall be carried by a majority of at least three quarters of the Members present.

(b) The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the Members of the Management Committee shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.

(c) Any surplus assets remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be transferred to the Parent County Football Association who shall determine how the assets shall be utilised for the benefit of the game. Alternatively, such assets may be disposed of in such other manner as the Management Committee may decide and with the consent of the Parent County Football Association.

10. CLUB MEMBERSHIP

(a) The Members of the Club from time to time shall be those persons listed in the register of Members (the Membership Register) which shall be maintained by the Club Secretary which will include the Officers, Team Managers and Coaches.

(b) Any person who wishes to be a playing Member must complete the correct Membership Form and deliver it to the Club. Election to membership shall be at the sole discretion of the Management Committee. Membership shall become effective upon an applicant’s name being entered in the Membership Register.

(d) The Football Association and Parent County Football Association shall be given access to the Membership Register on demand.

11. MEMBERSHIP FEES AND OTHER FEES

(a) A Membership Fee (the Annual Registration Fee) will be payable by each playing Member which shall be determined from time to time by the Management Committee. Any Fee shall be payable on a successful application for membership and annually thereafter by each playing Member. Fees shall not be repayable unless the Management Committee rule that there are exceptional circumstances.

(b) The Management Committee shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from the playing Members as are reasonably necessary to fulfil the objects of The Club.

12. RESIGNATION AND EXPULSION

(a) A playing Member shall cease to be a Member of the Club if, and from the date on which, he or she gives notice to the Management Committee of their resignation. Such a Member whose Annual Registration Fee or further subscription is more than three months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned unless the Management Committee rule otherwise.

(b) The Management Committee shall have the power to expel a Member when, in their opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for them to remain as such.

13. DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDURE

The Management Committee shall have the power to summon any member of the Club or their parent or legal guardian to appear before a Disciplinary Committee consisting of no less than four members of the Management Committee. Written notice of the date of a Disciplinary Hearing will be sent no less than 14 days beforehand.

14. APPEALS PROCEEDURE

Every member (or their parent of legal guardian) has the right of appeal to any decision made by the Disciplinary Committee. Members must submit their grounds for appeal in writing along with an appeal fee of £20.00. This may be forfeited in whole or in part in the event of the member losing their case. Members will receive written notice of the date of appeal no less than 14 days beforehand.

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

The Club ensure that all Club Social Media profiles are locked so that pages are used explicitly for Club and League matters and not used for a place to meet, share personal details or have private conversations.

One Club Official will be monitoring Club Social media profiles regularly and access for anyone behaving inappropriately will have access removed.

The Club Secretary will be responsible for contacting the social media representative and the Club Secretary can be contacted with any queries.

All Club members will be provided with the FA’s best practice guidance on using social media sites through the Club website.

The Club Welfare Officer will be informed should any inappropriate communication be received, with copies made of any offensive material.

ANTI DISCRIMINATION POLICY

HMH JYC is responsible for setting standards and values to apply throughout The Club at every level. Football belongs to and should be enjoyed by everyone, equally. There is a commitment to confront and eliminate discrimination whether by reason of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability.

Equality of opportunity at HMH JYC means that in all our activities the Club will not discriminate or in any way treat anyone less favourably on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability.

This includes:-

The advertisement for Volunteers

The selection of candidates for Volunteers

Training Course attendees

External Coaching and education activities and awards

Football development activities

Selection for Teams

Appointments to honorary positions

HMH JYC will not tolerate sexual or racially based harassment or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal, and will work to ensure that such behaviour is met with appropriate action in whatever context it occurs.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY

HMH JYC is committed to develop a positive and pro-active position in order to best protect all children and young people who play football at our club, enabling them to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment.

The Club ensure that all club Officials have satisfied a Criminal Records Bureau Police check and that all team coaches and managers have attended an FA Safeguarding Children workshop. These are updated every three years.

All children have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious belief or sexual identity.

HMH JYC undertakes to demonstrate the best practice in the area of child protection by promoting ethics and high standards throughout football.

The child’s welfare is paramount and all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

HMH JYC is committed to a policy of equal treatment of all Members and requires everyone at whatever level or authority, to abide and adhere to this general principle and the requirements of the Codes of Practice issued by the Equal Opportunities Commission and Commission for Racial Equality.

All members are expected to abide by the requirements of the Race Relations Act 1976, Sex Discrimination Act 1986 and Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Specifically discrimination is prohibited by:-

Treating any individual on grounds of gender, colour, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability less favourably than others

Expecting an individual solely on the grounds stated above to comply with requirement(s) for any reason whatsoever related to their membership, which are different from the requirements for others

Imposing on individual’s requirements, which are in effect more onerous on that individual than they are on others.

Victimisation of an individual

Harassment of an individual, by virtue of discrimination

Any other act or omission of an act, which has as its effect the disadvantaging of a Member against another, or others, purely on the above grounds. In all The Club’s recruitment, selection, promotion and training processes, as well as disciplinary issues, matters based on merit, experience, skills and temperament are considered as objectively as possible

Any member found guilty of discrimination will be instructed to desist forthwith and any Members offending will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure

The Club commits itself to the disabled person whenever possible and will treat such Members, in aspects of their recruitment and membership, in exactly the same manner as other Members. The difficulties of their disablement permitting assistance will be given, wherever possible to ensure that disabled Members are helped in gaining access. Appropriate training will be made to such Members who request it.

GOALPOST SAFETY GUIDELINES

The Football Association, along with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, The Health and Safety Executive and The British Standards Institution (BSI) draw the Club’s attention to the following guidelines for the safe use of goalposts.

A standard for future purchases (PAS 36:2000), available from BSI has been developed which it is hoped will be progressed into a full British Standard in due course.

Goalposts of any size (including those which are portable and not installed permanently at a pitch or practice field) must always be anchored securely to the ground.

Portable goalposts must be secured by the use of chain anchors or appropriate anchor weights to prevent them from toppling forward.

Under no circumstances should children or adults be allowed to climb, swing on or play with the structures of the goalposts.

Regular inspections should be carried out to check that they are kept properly maintained.

Portable goalposts should not be left in place after use. They should be dismantled and removed to a place of secure storage.

Nets should only be secured by plastic hooks or tape and not by metal cup hooks. Any metal cup hooks should be removed and replaced. New goalposts should not be purchased if they include metal cup hooks, which cannot be replaced.

Goalposts which are ‘home made’ or which have been altered from their original size or construction should not be used.

Follow Manufacturer’s guidelines in assembling goalposts. Before use, adults should:-

ensure each goal is anchored securely in its place

exert a significant downward force on the cross bar

exert a significant backward force on both upright posts

exert a significant forward force on both upright postsThese must be repeated until it is established that the structure is secure. If not, alternative goals/pitches must be used.

CLUB COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

In the event that any Member feels that he or she has suffered discrimination in any way, or that the Club Policies, Club Rules or Code of Conduct have been broken, should follow the procedures below.

They should report the matter to the Club Secretary or another member of the Management Committee. The report should include:-

Details of what, when, and where the occurrence took place

Any witness statement and names

Names of any others who have been treated in a similar way

Details of any former complaints made about the incident, date, when and to whom made

A preference for a solution to the incident

The Management Committee will sit for any hearings that are requested and will have the power to:-

Warn as to future conduct

Suspend from membership

Remove from membership any person found to have broken the Club’s Policies, Club Rules or Codes of Conduct

WHISTLEBLOWING INFORMATION:

Whistle-blowing can be used as an early warning system or when it’s recognised that appropriate actions have not been taken.

This approach or policy is adopted in many different walks of life. It is about revealing and raising concerns over misconduct or malpractice within an organisation or within an independent structure associated with it.

Any adult or young person with concerns about a colleague can also use whistle-blowing by calling 0800 169 1863 and asking for The FA’s safeguarding team, or via email on safeguarding@TheFA.com.

Alternatively you can go directly to the Police or Children’s Social Care and report your concerns there, or to the Child Protection in Sport Unit via cpsu@nspcc.org.uk or the NSPCC Helpline via 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk.

HMH JYC EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

Each team must have an identified FA First Aider prior to kick off

Managers must have a mobile phone on their person

Managers will identify a match day delegate who will help should an incident occur and ensure they are aware of such responsibility

If an incident occurs managers will follow the FA Emergency Aid qualification procedure

In an emergency, managers will dial 999 or 112 and be able to give pitch address and postcode

Managers will know the nearest Hospital and directions to get there

Managers will:

ALL possess an FA Emergency Aid Qualification which is up to date

Always have players contact details, medical information and emergency contact details with them

Ensure that the first aid kit is fully stocked, up to date and with them at all times

Make sure that players who need medical equipment, ie: inhalers & epi pens have them in their possession.

Ensure their mobile phone is accessible and fully charged

Know the postcode for the pitch they are playing at

Check their OWN player registration cards before each game for medical conditions

Ensure the match day environment is safe and appropriate for football

In the case of an incident occurring, complete a club accident form and return it to the Club Welfare Officer on office@hmhjyc.org

NO FIRST AIDER – NO MATCH, NO FIRST AID KIT – NO MATCH,

NO MEDICAL EQUIPMENT – NO PLAY