Constitution | HACO A

The Constitution of the Hertfordshire Association of Cricket Officials

1. TITLE

1. The Association shall be called ‘The Hertfordshire Association of Cricket Officials’ (hereinafter ‘The Association’).

2. The Association shall be a County Association of the England and Wales Cricket Board Association of Cricket Officials (ECB ACO).

2. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association shall be:

to encourage interest in the game of cricket in general, and umpiring and scoring in particular;
to improve the standards of umpiring and scoring by all available means;
to encourage participation in officiating from all of the communities throughout cricket and follow the ECB Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy.
to ensure that all members of the Association comply with the requirements of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s welfare policies and programmes, including the Disclosure and Barring Service’s procedures.

3. ADMINISTRATION

The Officers of the Association shall comprise the President, Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Education Officer, Development Officer, Appointments Officer and Scorer Officer, all of whom shall be honorary.
The conduct of the affairs of the Association shall be vested in a Committee comprising the Officers of the Association and a maximum of six additional elected members. Meetings of this Committee shall be held at least once a quarter.
Five members of the Committee, three of whom shall be Officers, shall form a quorum.
All Officers and members of the Committee shall stand down annually at the Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election at that meeting. No person who is not a member of the Association shall be eligible for election.
Nominations for Officers and members of the Committee, duly proposed and seconded from within the membership of the Association, shall be submitted to the Secretary not less than fourteen days prior to the Annual General Meeting. Any person nominated who cannot attend the Annual General Meeting shall send their written consent to the Secretary before the Annual General Meeting.
The Committee shall make the following appointments:
- a Representative of the Association on the Council of the Hertfordshire County Cricket Association;
- an Association Welfare Officer as required by the ECB ACO;
- a Representative of Hertfordshire cricket officials on the ECB ACO;

All these appointees shall be co-opted automatically onto the Committee.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt any member to perform a specified task and may fill any casual vacancy, which may occur during the year.
All resolutions placed before the Committee shall be decided by voting. A simple majority of the votes cast shall decide each issue. Every member of the Committee shall have one vote. In the event of equality, the Chair shall exercise a second and casting vote.
The Committee shall appoint any Sub-Committee it deems necessary. The Chair and Secretary shall be ex-officio members of all Sub-Committees.
In the event of any emergency, an Executive Committee comprising the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer shall be empowered to act for and on behalf of the Committee.

4. MEMBERSHIP

Application for membership, together with the current year’s membership fee, shall be forwarded to the Secretary. Where less than three months of the year remain, half the requisite fee shall be payable. The Committee shall reserve the power to accept or reject membership and to terminate membership for adequate reasons.
Former Presidents of the Association may be proposed by the Committee for election at the Annual General Meeting as Life Members of the Association. In exceptional circumstances, former Officers may be similarly proposed in recognition of their outstanding performance during their time in office.
In recognition of services to the Association, the Committee may propose individuals for election at an Annual General Meeting as Vice-Presidents of the Association. An individual will remain a Vice-President until they request otherwise, or the Committee terminates the Vice-Presidency for adequate reason.
The membership of the Association shall be from 1st January until 31st December each year. The annual membership fee shall be determined by the Association at its Annual General Meeting and payable to the Treasurer on 1st January. Should a member’s subscription be in arrears on 30 April, they may be considered to have resigned.

5. FINANCE

The funds of the Association shall be lodged in a bank account, as determined from time to time by the committee. All cheques, drafts, etc. drawn on the account shall be signed by two of the following Officers: Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer or any other nominated Committee Member as determined from time to time by the Committee. Online transactions shall be authorised by one of the following Officers: Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary or Treasurer.
The financial year of the Association shall end on 30th September. A statement of accounts that have been verified by an Independent Examiner, up to and including that date, shall be presented to the succeeding Annual General Meeting.

6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting shall be held during the month of November and at least twenty-one days’ notice of the meeting, quoting the date, venue and agenda, shall be given to all members.
The meeting shall be chaired by the President of the Association, or in their absence, the Chair of the Association.
Attendance at the Annual General Meeting shall be open to all interested persons.
Voting shall be limited to members of the Association present at the meeting except that voting on matters which are the exclusive concern of ECB ACO will be restricted to members of ECB ACO. A simple majority of the votes cast shall decide each issue except as provided for in Rule 7.6.
It shall be the duty of the Annual General Meeting to appoint an independent examiner who shall not be either an Officer of the Association or a member of the Committee or of any Sub-Committee.

7. ALTERATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

No addition to, alteration or rescission of this constitution shall be effective unless it is presented to the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, and the following conditions observed:
Notice of the proposed alterations shall be submitted to the Secretary not less than twenty-eight days prior to the Annual General Meeting, or together with the demand for a Special General Meeting.
All proposals must have a proposer and a seconder and must be circulated to members at least twenty-one days in advance of the meeting.
No amendment to the proposal will be accepted unless received by the Secretary at least fourteen days in advance of the meeting. Such amendment shall not be a direct negative of the original proposal.
The Secretary shall circulate to all members, details of any amendment to a proposed alteration to a rule at least seven days in advance of the meeting.
The proposal must receive at least a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

8. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

A Special General Meeting shall be convened within six weeks, on a resolution of the Committee or upon receipt of a request signed by at least twenty members of the Association. No item may be discussed at a Special General Meeting other than that for which it is called.
The request for a Special General Meeting shall be accompanied by the resolution to be presented to the meeting. Where applicable, the rules governing the conduct of the Annual General Meeting and Alteration of Rules shall be observed.

9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Each member of the Committee is authorised to act as agent or trustee (whether acting jointly or severally) on behalf of the members of the Association and to bind the members of the Association (whether contractually or otherwise).
The personal liability of any person so authorised to act as agent or trustee on behalf of the members of the Association shall be limited to such person’s subscription as a member of the Association or £1, whichever is the greater.

10. DISSOLUTION

If the Committee decides that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association, it shall call a Special General Meeting of the Association in accordance with Rule 8, stating the terms of the Resolution to be proposed.
If the proposal is confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, the Committee shall have power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the Association.
Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other associations or organisations having similar Aims and Objectives, as the Committee may determine.

11. COMMITTEE POWERS

The Committee decision on all matters, whether covered by these rules or outside their scope, shall be final.

Approved at the Association’s Annual General Meeting -23rd November 2023