Articles of Constitution

Incorporating Amendments approved at the Annual General Meetings, July 1994 and July 2000.

Section I Name & Declaration of Intent
Section II Membership
Section III Meetings
Section IV Officers & Committee
Section V Duties of Officers
Section VI Finance
Section VII Club Insignia & Colours
Section VIII Equipment

SECTION I - Name & Declaration of Intent

Article 1 The Club shall be called 'Wimbledon Fencing Club'
Article 2

The aims of the Club shall be:-

  1. to foster the art of Fencing,
  2. to promote contact amongst its members,
  3. to participate in competitive Fencing.
Article 3 The Club shall be non-political and non-sectarian.

SECTION II - Membership

Article 1

The Club shall consist of:-

  1. ordinary members,
  2. associate members,
  3. honorary members.
Article 2 Ordinary members shall participate in Fencing and shall pay annual subscriptions as decided by the ordinary members at a General Meeting.
Article 3 Associate members shall be friends of the Club who wish to support the Club and who pay a subscription approved by the ordinary members at a General Meeting.
Article 4 Honorary membership shall be awarded by the Committee (Section IV, Art. 5) and shall be an acknowledgement of service to the Club. Honorary members shall not be required to pay any subscriptions.
Article 5 Ordinary members under the age of 18 shall be called Junior members. Before joining the Club, junior members must have the written consent of a parent or guardian.
Article 6 There shall be a minimum age limit for junior members of 12 years, but the Committee shall be empowered to waive this in special cases.
Article 7 The maximum number of ordinary and junior members shall be as determined by the Committee.
Article 8 Junior and ordinary members undergoing full-time education shall be entitled to reduced subscriptions as approved by the ordinary members
Article 9

The Committee shall have the power to suspend or refuse the right of the Club to any member who shall:-

  1. fail to abide by the provisions of the Constitution,
  2. or conduct him/herself in such a manner as to:-
    1. endanger the safety of other members,
    2. or cause annoyance to other members.
  3. or fail to wear appropriate clothing for the weapon concerned when engaged in fencing, unless under the personal supervision of an instructor, who shall ensure that reasonable precautions are taken,
  4. or cause damage to, or neglect Club equipment,
  5. or fail to pay annual and/or other subscriptions,
  6. or be guilty of conduct prejudicial to the good name of the Club.
Article 10 The payment of any subscription to the Club shall constitute an acceptance of all articles of this Constitution.

SECTION III - Meetings

Article 1 An Annual General Meeting shall be called at the end of each session for the election of officers (see Section IV, Art. 4) and to conduct such business as is necessary for the organisation of the Club, the date to be chosen by the Committee.
Article 2 An Extra-ordinary General Meeting may be held at the request of the Committee or six ordinary members.
Article 3 At least 14 days written notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be given, an agenda accompanying the notice. At least 7 days written notice of an Extra-ordinary General Meeting shall be given, the reason for the summons accompanying the notice.
Article 4 At a General Meeting, every motion or amendment must be proposed and seconded by the members actually present before any discussion is allowed. When an amendment is moved no further amendments shall be discussed until the first amendment is disposed of.
Article 5 If any amendment is carried it becomes the substantive motion unless further amended. The final substantive motion shall be put to the vote as the main question.
Article 6 Decisions at General Meetings shall be resolved by a majority vote from the ordinary members present and voting. The only exceptions are those outlined in Section III, Articles 11 and 12, and Section IV, Articles 2 and 3.
Article 7 The Chairman may vote as an ordinary member and may also exercise his right to a casting vote in the event of a tie.
Article 8 In the event of an equality of votes, and the Chairman not wishing to exercise his casting vote, a motion shall be considered as not carried.
Article 9 The Chairman's interpretation of the Constitution and any ruling at any meeting will be final, and may only be revoked by a two-thirds majority of the ordinary members present and voting.
Article 10 In the absence of the Chairman, another member of the Committee shall be elected as acting Chairman and exercise all the rights of Chairman for that Meeting, but he will leave the chair on the arrival of the Club Chairman, if he (the Club Chairman) so wishes.
Article 11 The Constitution may be altered by a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the ordinary members present and voting at any General Meeting.
Article 12 The annual subscription may be altered by a resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the ordinary members present and voting at any General Meeting.

SECTION IV - Officers & Committee

Article 1 The Club may have a President and Vice-Presidents who shall be honorary members.
Article 2 A President, who shall hold office until a change is deemed necessary, may be recommended by a unanimous decision of the Committee, and elected by a two thirds majority of the ordinary members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting.
Article 3 Vice-Presidents, who shall hold office until any change is deemed necessary, may be recommended by a unanimous decision of the Committee.
Article 4

The active officers of the Club shall be:-

  1. Chairman
  2. Captain
  3. Honorary Secretary
  4. Honorary Treasurer
  5. Armourer
Article 5 The Committee shall consist of the officers of Section IV, Art. 4 and two other members.
Article 6 No person may hold the office of Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer for a term exceeding three consecutive years.
Article 7 The members of the Committee shall be elected from the members of the Club (as defined in Section II, Art. 1) or any other willing persons by the ordinary members at the Annual General Meeting. The Officers shall retire every year, but shall be eligible for re-election, except as defined in Article 6.
Article 8 The services of any person elected to the Committee who is not an ordinary or honorary member shall be considered as an annual subscription for an associate member.
Article 9 Not more than two junior members may be elected to the Committee.
Article 10 No Club member who is a professional, as defined by the British Fencing Association, may be elected to the Committee.
Article 11 The Committee shall be responsible for the organisation of the Club and shall be empowered to take all decisions necessary for the running of the Club, except those relating to the Constitution and to Annual Subscriptions which must be taken at a General Meeting.
Article 12 Committee Meetings shall be held as is necessary for the efficient running of the Club.
Article 13 Any elected member of the Committee may call a Committee Meeting.
Article 14 Any Committee member failing to attend three consecutive Committee.
Article 15 The Committee may co-opt any person, or persons, to assist in any matter in a non-voting capacity for as long as the Committee sees fit, but for no longer than its tenure of office.
Article 16 Four members of the Committee shall be a quorum.
Article 17 Decisions in the Committee shall be taken on a majority vote of those present at the meeting, each elected member having one vote.
Article 18 The Chairman may vote as a Committee member and may exercise his right to give a casting vote in the event of a tie.
Article 19 In the event of an equality of votes, and the Chairman not wishing to exercise his casting vote, a motion shall be considered as not carried.
Article 20 In the absence of the Chairman, another member of the Committee shall be elected as acting Chairman and exercise all the rights of the Chairman for that Meeting, but he will leave the chair on the arrival of the Club Chairman, if he (the Club Chairman) so wishes.

SECTION V - Duties of Officers

Article 1 The Chairman shall be responsible for the maintenance of good order at all Meetings and shall ensure that all decisions and actions are within the Constitution. The Chairman's interpretation of the Constitution and any ruling at any meeting will be final, and may only be revoked by a two-thirds majority of the ordinary members present and voting at a General Meeting.
Article 2 The Club Captain shall be solely responsible for the selection of teams and team captains, as necessary, and shall be responsible for arranging matches with other clubs. Team members shall submit to the authority of the captain of the team, whether this be the Club Captain or a team member appointed as captain of the team.
Article 3 In the absence of the Club Captain the team shall be chosen by the Secretary.
Article 4 The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the Minutes of all Meetings and shall perform such tasks as directed by the Committee.
Article 5 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of annual subscriptions and maintaining a record of all pecuniary transactions. The Treasurer shall make such payments from the Club account as to cover weekly expenditure and any affiliation fees, but any other payments shall require the approval of the Committee.
Article 6 The Armourer shall be responsible for the sorting and care of Club Equipment.

SECTION VI - Finance

Article 1 The Club shall charge an Annual Subscription as last determined by its ordinary members at a General Meeting.
Article 2 Additional subscriptions for the use of the equipment may be charged at the discretion of the Committee.
Article 3 The Committee shall be authorised to engage in fund-raising activities when it deems this necessary.
Article 4 The Club shall have an account at a Bank and/or Building Society chosen by the Treasurer and ratified by the Committee.
Article 5 In the event of the Club closing, all cash, finances and assets shall pass to the British Fencing Association, unless decided otherwise at the Extra-ordinary General Meeting which shall be held prior to the closure.
Article 6 Cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and one of two nominated members of the Committee.
Article 7 The books shall be audited each year and the auditor appointed for the ensuing year at the Annual General Meeting.
Article 8 The financial year shall be from January 1st to December 31st.
Article 9 The subscription year shall be from January 1st to December 31st.
Article 10 The Treasurer shall have the power to reduce subscriptions for new members joining at the latter end of a subscription year.
Article 11 The Club shall be insured against accidents and the Club's equipment and cups shall also be insured.

SECTION VII - Club Insignia & Colours

Article 1 The Club blazer badge shall be that approved in the year 1956, and may be worn by all members as defined in Section II, Art. 1.
Article 2 The Club emblem worn by members when representing the Club shall be black, white and gold.
Article 3 Club colours shall be awarded for good performances in external matches and competitions. The awards shall be recommended by the Captain and approved by the Committee. Presentation shall be at the Annual General Meeting or at any other time thought fit by the Committee.

SECTION VIII - Equipment

Article 1 The Club will endeavour to provide and maintain sufficient equipment to encourage new members.
Article 2 An inventory of the Club equipment shall be kept, and it shall be checked at least once a year by the Armourer and one other member of the Committee.
Article 3 An equipment loan book shall be kept.
Article 4 No equipment may be removed from the Club without the permission of a Committee Member, who shall be responsible for entering the appropriate particulars in the equipment loan book.
Article 5 The Club may not be held responsible for the loss of or damage to any member's fencing equipment under any circumstances.

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