Glenwalk Hillwalking Club Constitution
1. NAME AND ADDRESS
1.1 The name of the Club shall be “GLENWALK” Hereinafter referred to as “the Club”.
1.2 The address of the Club shall be: enquiries@glenwalk.com and the address of the current club Secretary.
2. OBJECTIVES AND ETHOS OF THE CLUB
2.1 To bring people together through the various club activities of hillwalking, mountaineering and social events. The club’s ethos and guiding principles are kindness, care and respect for the individual.
2.2 To act on behalf of and in the interests of Club members.
2.3 To promote awareness of the need to maintain access, to promote conservation and protection of the mountain environment.
2.4 To support the work and activities of Mountaineering Ireland.
3. MEMBERSHIP OF THE CLUB
3.1 Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons over the age of 18 hereinafter referred to as “the Membership”.
3.2 Admission of new members shall be at the discretion of the Committee. Prospective members may apply, to the Applications Secretary, to be considered for membership at any Committee meeting. A candidate for membership shall be admitted by a simple majority of the Committee. In case of a tie the Chair has the casting vote.
3.3 Membership of the Club shall only be open to individuals who recognise that climbing, hillwalking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Members shall be aware of and accept these risks and agree to be responsible for their own actions and involvement. Members must also accept that notwithstanding the social nature of the Club hillwalking is a sport that requires a certain level of fitness.
3.4 All members must accept and adhere to the Club “Guidelines for Members”.
3.5 All non-members who participate in activities organised by the Club shall be regarded as Temporary Members for the duration of such activities. Such Temporary Members shall not be qualified to be officers or members of the Committee or to vote as members or to claim any share in the property of the Club upon its dissolution.
3.6 The club may elect Lifetime Honorary Members at the AGM. A Lifetime Honorary Member will first have to be nominated by the committee for election at an Annual General Meeting, the committee having been satisfied that the person has rendered outstanding service to the club over a period of at least 5 years. A lifetime Honorary Member will be a full member of the club, but shall not be liable to pay membership subscriptions.
4. MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB
4.1 The Management of the Club shall be entrusted to the Club Committee, hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”, which shall be composed of the Officers of the Club, as detailed below.
4.2 Subcommittees may be appointed, from time to time, where necessary to aid the Committee in the running of the club.
5. OFFICERS OF THE CLUB
5.1 Election of Officers: Nominations, accompanied by proposer and seconder, to be forwarded to club Chairperson at least 14 days before the AGM. The list of candidates shall then be emailed to the members. Voting shall be carried out by secret ballot at the AGM. Members unable to attend may vote by proxy, ie. postal or e mail. The Chairperson shall keep a record of proxies received and ballot papers distributed to members. Proxy votes to be sent to the Chairperson at least 48 hours hours before the AGM. Election shall be by simple majority. If a candidate is unopposed they shall be deemed elected. Up to 7 club members can be elected to the Committee at AGM.
5.2 The Officers of the Club at their first meeting after the AGM shall elect a Chairperson by simple majority. The post of Chairperson may be rotated at any time during the year by agreement of the majority of the Club Officers.
5.3 At the first meeting after the AGM the Club Officers shall, by common agreement, be allocated the various tasks deemed necessary for the efficient management of the Club throughout the year. These posts may alter or rotate at any time during the year.
5.4 The Officers of the Club shall have the power to co-opt additional members onto the Committee with full voting rights. This to be decided by simple majority at a Committee meeting.
5.5 An Officer shall serve until they resign or are replaced by election at the AGM or EGM.
6. COMMITTEE OF THE CLUB
6.1 The Committee shall be composed of the Officers of the Club and any members co-opted by the Committee.
6.2 The Committee shall nominate a representative (or representatives) of the Club to attend Mountaineering Ireland Council meetings and represent the views of the Membership and vote on behalf of the Club.
6.3 All decisions of the Committee shall by made by a simple majority. All the elected members of the Committee shall have one vote on every question and in the case of equality, the Chair or other member presiding at the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
6.4 A quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be at least half of the Committee members.
6.5 In addition to the AGM the Committee shall hold a minimum of four meetings each club year.
7. GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be each year held on any day in the months of January or February the date of which will be agreed by the Committee.
7.2 Notice of every General Meeting shall be given to every member of the Club, by e-mail at least 28 days before the meeting. Items for inclusion in the agenda of the General Meeting must be submitted to the Chairperson not less than 14 days before the meeting. Such items shall then be included in the final General Meeting agenda and made available to Club members.
7.3 The quorum for all General Meetings of members qualified to vote shall be twenty. Should there not be a quorum present within half an hour of the time of the meeting, it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place, and if, at such adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for holding the meeting, the voting members present shall be a quorum for that meeting.
7.4 Every member present shall be entitled to one vote upon every motion and, in the case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
7.5 Voting on all issues at General Meetings, other than the election of Officers, shall be by show of hands or otherwise as the Chairman may direct. Each issue shall be determined by simple majority unless otherwise stated.
7.6 Upon direction of the Committee, or upon a requisition signed by at least 20 members stating distinctly the purpose for which the meeting is desired, the Club Secretary shall call an EGM, to be held in not less than 28 days of receipt of such direction or requisition. Notice shall be given, by e-mail, to all members eligible to attend not less than 21 days before the meeting is to be held. These notice provisions may be relaxed by a majority vote at a General Meeting to whatever notice periods the majority may deem appropriate.
8. CLUB SUBSCRIPTIONS
8.1 The Committee shall have the power to set membership subscription levels for the Club.
8.2 The annual subscription of all members shall be due and payable on the first of November each year.
8.3 Payment of all subscriptions shall be made to the Club by whatever manner the Committee may from time to time direct.
9. RULES OF THE CLUB
9.1 The Committee may from time to time make, repeal and amend Club rules (not inconsistent with this constitution) as they think necessary for the management and the well being of the Club.
9.2 All members shall abide by the Club “Guidelines for Members”.
9.3 When members use club equipment they do so entirely at their own risk.
9.4 It is the responsibility of each member to ensure that the details submitted on their Application Form are correct and that they have a correctly functioning Email address. Where an Email address is unavailable or temporarily out of use it is that member’s responsibility to find alternative means of acquiring club information.
10. CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
10.1 If in the opinion of the Committee, the conduct of any member of the Club shall warrant such a course, it shall have the power to immediately suspend such member, and to request an explanation for such conduct. Should an explanation not be forthcoming within two weeks or should an explanation not prove satisfactory, the Committee may call upon such member to resign and may, if such resignation is not forthcoming, expel such member from the Club.
10.2 The Committee shall demand of any member who shall wilfully or recklessly damage any property of the Club to make good at the member’s own expense any injury or loss occasioned by such member’s action.
11. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CLUB
11.1 This Constitution may be added to, repealed or amended by a resolution at any General Meeting provided such resolution is passed by at least a two thirds majority. Notice of any proposed amendment must be delivered to the Secretary at least 21 days prior to the AGM and 28 days prior to an EGM in order to facilitate communication of the amendment to the members within the requisite notice periods.
12. DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB
12.1 If at any General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Club shall be passed by a majority of the members present and at an EGM held not less than six weeks thereafter (of which not less than four weeks notice shall be given to each member), the Committee shall thereupon, or at such future date as shall be specified, proceed to realise the property of the Club and after discharge of all liabilities shall donate the balance to the Irish Mountain Rescue Association or if this is not possible, then the balance shall be donated to any local Mountain Rescue Team.