Aireys Inlet Eels Football Club inc.
Established 2006
CONSTITUTION & RULES
1. NAME
The club shall be called the "Aireys Inlet Eels Football club.” (the “club”) and shall be known as “The Aireys Inlet Eels.”
2. OBJECTS
(a) To enable its members to participate in the playing of Australian Rules Football ('Football'), and to engage in any ancillary activities;
(b) To arrange, manage, control and field teams to compete in matches and competitions with other clubs and/or organisations;
(c) To secure and maintain the interest, assistance and participation of the parents and friends of players who are members of the club;
(d) To encourage the playing of junior football;
(e) To regulate, manage and control the conducts of the players, officials, officers, servants and agents of/or representing the club and the conduct of its members generally in relation to matters affecting the club;
(f) To support the club:
(i) by encouraging those interested in its perpetuation and development;
(ii) by taking any steps which will further its perpetuation and development; and
(iii) by raising and distributing such funds as may be available to further the carrying on, development and participation of the club in these objects;
(g) To do such acts as may promote the welfare of the club and its members, and
(h) generally to do all such acts in support of or ancillary to these objects.
3. ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP
(a) The membership of the club shall consist of:
(i) Parent and guardian members;
(ii) Sponsor members
(iii) Honorary life members.
(iv) Junior members consisting of all players registered as being members of The Aireys Inlet Eels Football Club in the particular League or Association in which they are playing. Junior members shall not have any voting rights.
(b) Parent and guardian members shall be admitted to membership of the club upon payment of the membership fees of the junior members of their family.
(c) Sponsor memberships will be an entitlement of any official sponsor of the club. Sponsor members shall not have any voting rights.
4. REGISTER OF MEMBERS
The Secretary shall keep and maintain a register of members in which shall be entered the full name, address and date of entry of the name of each member and the register shall be available for inspection by any member upon 48 hours notice to the Registrar at a place deemed convenient by the Registrar.
5. OFFICE BEARERS
(a) The office bearers of the club must be current members of the club and shall hold the following positions:
(i). a President;
(ii). a Vice President;
(iii). a Treasurer;
(iv). a Secretary; and
(v). Up to 4 general committee members.
(b) The General Committee may from time to time appoint other members to other such positions as it deems appropriate.
(c) The officers referred to in this clause shall collectively be referred to as the “Office Bearers”.
(d) The Committee shall use best endeavours to ensure each position held on the committee is a 2 year position and that the roles of President & Secretary and similarly Vice President and Treasurer do not fall within the same year.
(e) The Committee shall only be made up of those members who are a parent or guardian of a registered player for that season.
(f) The coach of a team should not make himself available to join the general committee. This is deemed as a conflict of interest. Any exception to this shall be voted on by the general committee.
6. GENERAL COMMITTEE
(a) The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a General Committee of not less than six nor more than eight members including the Office Bearers.
(b) The General Committee shall have power to authorise or delegate such persons as it may see fit to represent it in any way that it deems necessary.
(c) The Secretary may at any time, or shall at the request of three committee members convene a meeting of the General Committee.
(d) The General Committee may appoint sub-committees for such purposes and upon such terms as it may see fit.
(e) The General Committee shall have power to take disciplinary action against any members as it may see fit including the suspension or expulsion of such member. Any member so suspended or expelled shall, within sixty days of such action, have the right of appeal to a general meeting of the club where such suspension or expulsion shall be subject to the confirmation of a majority of the members present, a quorum for which shall not be less than twenty five members.
7. MEMBERSHIP OF GENERAL COMMITTEE
(a) All members of the general committee shall be elected and/or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting or at a general committee meeting where a vacancy has been realised.
(b) Any member may nominate for or be nominated for a position on the General Committee.
(c) If the number of nominations for positions on the General Committee exceeds the number to be elected then a ballot shall be taken.
(d) The General Committee shall have the power to fill any casual vacancies which may arise on the General Committee from time to time at its discretion.
8. MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE
(a) The General Committee shall meet at least four times per year to transact the business of the club.
(b) The Secretary shall take all reasonable steps to send notice of such meetings to every member of the General Committee at least six days before the date of the meeting.
(c) The date of meetings, wherever possible, shall be decided upon at the previous meeting.
(d) No business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum, being 50% of the members of the General Committee plus one, is present.
(e) An Office Bearer or member of the General Committee absent from three consecutive General Committee meetings without satisfactory explanation shall be considered to have vacated the office and the General Committee shall have the right to appoint another member to fill the office.
(f) Special General Committee meetings may be called by the President or the Secretary at his or her volition or at the request of at least three members of the General Committee.
9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
(a) The Annual General Meeting shall he held as soon as possible after the completion of the football season and not later than the end of February the following year.
(b) The Secretary shall take all reasonable steps to give notice to members at least twenty-one days prior to the date of such meeting.
(c) Notices of the meeting shall state the date, time and location of the meeting and shall request nominations for the membership of the General Committee.
(d) Nominations in writing should be delivered to the Secretary prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting, however the President shall have the power to accept nominations from the floor at the meeting for all positions.
(e) The General Committee shall prepare an ‘Annual Report’ or ‘Yearbook’ setting out club activities for the past year and shall present it to the Annual General Meeting together with Statements of Income & Expenditure and Assets & Liabilities - current to 30th September of the preceding year in compliance with The Act.
10. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
(a) The Secretary shall call an ‘extraordinary general meeting’ of the club on receiving a requisition in writing, signed by twelve members of the club, specifying the purpose for which the meeting is required, or the General Committee may call an extraordinary general meeting on its own resolution.
(b) Only the special business for which the meeting has been called shall be considered at an extraordinary general meeting.
(c) Notice of such meeting stating the purpose for which it is called and the date, time and location of the meeting shall be sent to every member at least twenty-one days before the date of the meeting, which shall be held within thirty days of receipt of the requisition by the Secretary or the resolution of the General Committee.
11. QUORUM FOR EXTRAORINARY AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
No business shall be transacted at an extraordinary or Annual General Meeting unless a quorum, being at least ten members is present.
12. CHAIRPERSON
(a) The President shall take the chair at all meetings of the club and General Committee.
(b) In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall be the chairperson. In the absence of the Vice President the meeting shall elect a Chairperson.
13. VOTING
(a) Except as provided in clause 7(d), the voting at all meetings shall be show of hands, and each member present shall have one vote.
(b) The Chairman shall have a deliberative and also a casting vote.
(c) At the request of any three members, a vote shall be taken by ballot.
AMENDMENTS
14. RESOLUTIONS
All resolutions passed at any meeting of the club shall be conclusive and binding on all members, whether or not they have been present at such meeting provided that such, meeting shall have been held in conformity with the Rules of the club.
15. SECRETARY'S DUTIES
(a) The Secretary shall:
(i) Conduct the correspondence of the club and attend all meetings of the club and General Committee and see that minutes of their proceedings are taken and accurately recorded;
(ii) Issue notices of all meetings of the club and of the General Committee, and
(iii) Have the custody of all the correspondence, books (except account books), papers and relevant documents of the club.
(b) In the event of the Secretary being absent from any said meeting, the Chairman shall appoint a Deputy Secretary for the purposes of that meeting.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in these rules, the Secretary shall keep in custody or under control, all books and securities of the club and affiliated organisations as applicable.
16. TREASURER’S DUTIES
(a) The Treasurer shall:
(i) Keep books and accounts as may be necessary to conduct the financial affairs of the club;
(ii) Present a financial report to each meeting of the General Committee, and
(iii) Do all such acts as may be necessary to comply with the directions of the General Committee in relation to any monies in the hands of the club or any relevant financial matters.
(b) The accounts and books referred to in sub-clause (a) shall be available for inspection by any member upon 48 hours notice to the Treasurer and the General Committee at a mutually convenient time and location.
17. FINANCE
(a) The funds of the club shall be derived from entrance fees, player registration fees, donations and such other sources as the General Committee determine.
(b) Any moneys for the time being in the hands of the club may be invested or otherwise dealt with by the General Committee in the name of the club.
(c) All cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other negotiable instruments shall be signed by two Office Bearers.
18. REGISTERED PLAYERS
(a) All eligible persons desirous of playing football as a Member of the club may apply to become a registered player of the club.
(b) An eligible person is defined as one meeting age and other requirements as stated by ‘Football Geelong’, or any other League or Association with whom the club be affiliated at the time.
(c) Any person so applying to become a registered player of the club shall become a registered player at the discretion of the General Committee or if so authorised, other appropriate officer and upon payment of the annual player registration fees.
(d) The General Committee shall determine the annual player registration fees from time to time.
(e) The Registrar or other appropriate officer shall keep a Register of the names of the Registered Players of the club.
(f) The names of all registered players shall be entered in the register together with other particulars including players’ dates of birth, number of games played, parents’/guardians’ names and addresses; any medical conditions and any other such details as may be deemed necessary.
19. CLEARANCE AND TRANSFER OF PLAYING MEMBERS
The General Committee will not withhold a clearance to any player wishing to transfer to another club subject to compliance with the rules and regulations of ‘Football Geelong’, or any other organisation the club may be associated with at the time.
20. HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP
(a) The Club will award Honorary Life Membership in recognition of outstanding service rendered by members of the club in the following circumstances:
(i) The completion of five years service with the club as a player, or
(ii) The completion of five years service to the club as a member of the General Committee or as a Team Coach, a Team Manager or a combination of these positions.
(b) When considering a member’s service as a member of the General Committee, Team Coach or Team Manager, only one position per year is to be counted towards the total required.
(c) The Club may from time to time also award Honorary Life Membership to any person whom it considers has given the Club outstanding service in one way or another.
21. TEAM COACHES
(a) All teams shall be provided with a Team Coach who shall conduct training sessions and have control of his or her group during matches.
(b) All Team Coaches shall be appointed by the General Committee at its discretion.
(c) All coaching appointments shall comply with any requirements of ‘Football Geelong’, the or any other organisation that the club may be affiliated with.
(d) Coaching appointments shall be restricted to a maximum period of two years with any one team or group although the General Committee shall have the power to extend the maximum period should prevailing circumstances make such extension necessary or desirable.
22. PLAYER AWARDS
The club will make various awards available in recognition of individual player’s achievements including the following:
(a) Yearly awards – To be awarded in each team.
(i) Best & Fairest: The player adjudged to be the Best & Fairest in each team, decided on votes awarded in each game played.
(ii) Runner up Best & Fairest: Awarded to the player who accumulates the second highest total votes.
(iii) Third Best & Fairest: Awarded to the player who accumulates the third highest total votes.
(iv) Coaches award: Awarded to the player whose Team Coach considers has made the most outstanding contribution to the team.
(v) Most Improved Player award: Awarded to the player whose Team Coach considers has shown the greatest improvement as player throughout the year.
(vi) Leading Goal kicker award: Awarded to the player who kicks the most goals for ther season in each individual team.
(vi) Parent of the Year Award: Awarded to the parent or guardian who the committee considers has shown the greatest contribution to the club throughout the year. Committee members, coaches and team managers shall be excluded from nomination.
(b) Achievement awards.
(i) 50 Games: A commemorative plaque should be awarded to a player on playing his 50th game with the club.
(i). 100 Games: A commemorative plaque should be awarded to a player on playing his 100th game with the club.
(iii). 100 Goals: A commemorative plaque should be awarded to a player on kicking 100 or more goals for the club.
23. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
(a) Should a dispute arise between the club and a member, or between a member and any other member, then such dispute shall be referred to the General Committee for resolution as it deems fit.
(b) Any decision made by the General Committee in relation to any dispute shall be binding on the club and the parties to the dispute.
24. WINDING UP
In the event of the winding up or the cancellation of the incorporation of the club, the assets of the club remaining after satisfaction of the debts and liabilities of the club and the costs and charges associated with the winding up of the club must not be distributed to members or former members of the club and must be distributed to:
(a) a club or association with objectives similar to those of the club which operates in the same or a neighbouring municipality as the club did; or failing that being possible
(b) a well known, long established community or charitable organisation which carries out activities in the same area as the club’s location.
25. EELS MONIKER
The official moniker of the Aireys Inlet Eels Football Club is the Eel. The club and all teams playing for the club should be known as the Eels where possible. Any changes to this moniker will need to be recommended by the committee and voted for at an Annual General Meeting.
26. EELS UNIFORM
The official uniform of the Aireys Inlet Eels Football Club is the Eels jumper made up of a royal blue Guernsey with a white vee, white numbers and eel logo on the front. Shorts should be white with royal blue socks. The club and all teams playing for the club should always wear this uniform where possible. Any changes to this uniform will need to be recommended by the committee and voted for at an Annual General Meeting.
27. EELS SONG
The official club song of the Aireys Inlet Eels Football Club is the song known as “The Aireys Inlet Eels” written by Greg Day. This song should be sung in part of full at all official eels functions and after a winning game of football. Any changes to this song will need to be recommended by the committee and voted for at an Annual General Meeting.
28. UNFORESEEN MATTERS
Should any matter arise for which provision has not been made in these rules, the General Committee shall take such action as it deems necessary to protect the interests of the club.
29. ALTERATIONS FOR STATEMENTS OF PURPOSES AND RULE
These rules and the statement of purposes of the Association shall not be altered except in accordance with The Act.
30. THE ACT
Throughout this document, where reference is made to ‘The Act’ it shall mean ‘The Associations Incorporation Act 1981’ including all or any subsequent amendments.
31. TEAM NUMBERS
(a) Each week 24 players will be chosen and each player will get 3 quarters of game time on the day.
(b) A roster system will apply where the top age (last season in the respective team) will play each week and the lower ages be part of a rotating bye.
(c) This system is to apply to both u12s & u10s.
