1 NAME
The Club shall be known as “DOVER CASTLE ARCHERS”.
2 ADDRESS
The Club address shall be that of the Secretary, or whichever address shall be decided upon by the Executive Committee.
3 SHOOTING VENUE
The Club shall have two shooting venues, one for outdoor and one for indoor to be arranged by the Committee and recorded in the Club’s Minute Book.
4 OBJECTS
The object of the Club shall be the promotion and encouragement of target archery in all forms other than bow hunting, in accordance with Archery GB rules in the Dover District area. The Club will encourage and instruct new archers in the use of all forms of bows other than crossbows.
5 MEMBERSHIP
5.1 There shall be the following classes of membership:
5.1.1 Senior (adult) members
5.1.2 Junior members
5.1.3 Honorary members
5.2 Application for membership by any person interested in archery shall be made to the Club Secretary and will be submitted by the Secretary to the Executive Committee for approval.
5.3 The Executive Committee reserves the right to approve, refuse, suspend or terminate membership of any potential or actual Club member. The Executive Committee’s decision on all the foregoing is final. However, in the case of an established member his/her membership cannot be withdrawn without valid reason, the member having been first notified of such reason(s) and given the opportunity to defend him/herself.
5.4 Honorary membership will be granted subsequent to proposal and seconding by a Club member and having been accepted by unanimous vote of the Club at a General or Annual General Meeting.
5.4.1 Honorary members who attend club meetings will be encouraged to participate in such meetings but will not be eligible to vote.
5.4.2 Honorary members attending Club shoots will, whilst not paying Club fees, be expected to be Archery GB affiliated.
5.5 When attending Club meetings, target days, functions and tournaments junior members under sixteen (16) years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or nominated club member with advanced notification and with a signed parental consent form.
5.6 Junior members will be encouraged to participate in Club business but will not be eligible to vote in Club meetings.
6. SUBSCRIPTIONS
6.1 The subscription to the Club shall be as laid down by the decision of the Annual General Meeting and shall be set in conjunction with the requirement for affiliation to Archery GB, SCAS and KAA, and shall become due and payable by September 30th annually or on becoming a member. Any member whose subscription is not paid by October 14th annually shall cease to be a Club member (unless a prior arrangement has been made with the Executive Committee) and will not be allowed to shoot or attend Club functions, or to vote at Club meetings. Such members will be eligible for re-election on payment of the due subscription and approval of the Executive Committee.
6.2 Junior members, in accordance with Archery GB classification, shall be eligible to apply for membership. Junior members’ annual subscriptions shall be half the adult membership subscription.
6.3 Honorary members will not be expected to pay Club fees, however, before being allowed to participate in Club shoots they must have affiliation to Archery GB – see item 5.4.2.
6.4 New members joining after April 1st will not be required to pay the full Club subscription but will pay a pro-rata amount, which will be determined at the Annual General Meeting.
6.5 Affiliation fees are payable in accordance with the Archery GB rules.
6.6 Affiliated members cannot shoot with non-affiliated persons as this is in direct contravention of Archery GB rules and will invalidate the Archery GB public liability insurance.
6.7 Each Club member attending Club shoots and functions and is on the shooting line shall pay a target fee as determined by the Executive Committee.
7. CLUB ACCOUNTS
7.1 The Club accounts shall be audited annually.
7.2 The election / appointment of auditors will be decided upon at the Annual General Meeting.
7.3 Club members shall have access to the Club accounts for scrutiny, by application to the Club Treasurer through the Club Secretary.
7.4 The Club Treasurer shall have the power to operate the Club account.
7.5 Signatories to the account shall be the Treasurer, Chairman, Secretary and Records Officer.
7.6 The address for the account shall be that of the Treasurer.
8. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
8.1 The Executive Committee shall consist of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Records Officer, Club Safeguarding Officer, Equipment Officer, Fixture Secretary, Membership Secretary and Newsletter Editor.
8.2 Election of this Executive Committee shall be made at the Annual General Meeting. Four members of the Executive Committee will have the authority to co-opt further members if necessary.
8.3 Half the elected Executive Committee will sit for a minimum of two years to allow for and ensure continuity of Club business, i.e. only half the Executive Committee will be replaced by re-election at the Annual General Meeting, if required by the Club members.
8.4 Only fully paid up members who are affiliated to Archery GB through Dover Castle Archers may stand for election to the Executive Committee.
9. MEETINGS
9.1 A Special General (Extraordinary) Meeting may be called at the request of not less than four members of the Club or Executive Committee by notifying the Secretary and stating the object for which the meeting has been requested.
9.2 The Chairman of any meeting shall have the casting vote.
9.3 The Secretary shall, with one month’s notice, call the AGM to take place during the month of July each year.
9.4 The Secretary shall call committee meetings on dates and at time to be decided by the Executive Committee. These shall occur no less frequently that every two months.
10. CONSTITUTION
10.1 The Constitution cannot be amended or added to except by the Annual General Meeting, or by an Extraordinary General Meeting.
10.2 Seven days’ notice in writing shall be given to each Club member of any proposed amendment or addition.
10.3 Any full member may propose an amendment or addition to this Constitution for consideration at the Annual General Meeting. Any such proposal shall be notified in writing to the Secretary with the names of the proposer and seconder at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting. Any such proposal accepted by the Annual General Meeting will become part of the Constitution.
11. CLUB TROPHY / AWARDS
11.1 In memory of the founder of Dover Castle Archers there will be a trophy which will be awarded to a Club member at each Annual Club Dinner. The trophy will hereinafter be known as “the Ron Yeomans Cup”. The award of the trophy will be made by the Executive Committee and the following will be considered guidelines for agreeing the recipient each year. “The officers and members of the Committee of Dover Castle Archers will select annually the recipient of the Ron Yeomans Cup; this will be awarded each March to a member who has displayed a commitment to the Club through involvement in all its activities, consideration and attention to the needs of other members coupled with improvement and progression in the sport of archery”.
12. HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE
12.1 All Club members should recognise that whilst archery is a sport it is potentially lethal. Club members should be aware that all Club activities could, at any time, come under the scrutiny of the Health and Safety Executive. Penalties for contravention of guidelines laid down by the above are severe. The Health and Safety Executive are a statutory body and can prosecute Club members and Executive Committee members under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The General statement of policy is available for scrutiny by all Club members.
12.2 A “field captain” shall be appointed to take charge of the shooting. If a field captain has not been appointed previously the Executive Committee may appoint any experience archer to act in this capacity.
12.3 The Club has adopted the Archery GB Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy to ensure peace of mind for both adults and children. The Club believes that when dealing with children and vulnerable adults their welfare should always be of paramount importance. We are committed to providing an environment where young people can learn and participate in the sport free from harassment and abuse.
All those people working with children have a moral responsibility to safeguard and promote a child’s welfare.
12.4 ALL Club members shall accept the jurisdiction of the club and shall conform to such conditions, rules and regulations the Executive Committee may lay down from time to time.
RLB 5.11.95
Amended
AGM 2013
AGM 2014
AGM 2015
AGM 2017
EGM 13.08.2017
AGM 2018
AGM 2019
AGM 2020
EGM 14.10.20