The Association shall be called Durham & Cleveland Squash Rackets Associationand shall be affiliated to the Squash Rackets Association Ltd. (herein called the national governing body).
2.Purpose
The Association shall be the central authority in all matters connected with the organisation and playing of the game of squash rackets by men and women in the Counties of Durham and Cleveland, subject to the overall control of the national governing body.
3.Objects
The Association is formed:
(a)To advance the game of squash rackets in the best interests of men and women.
(b)To maintain the Rules of the national governing body.
4.Members
The Association shall consist of the following categories of member:
(a)Clubs and other organisations that are for the time being affiliated to the Association and the national governing body.
(b)Individual members who are for the time being subscribers to the Association.
(c)Vice Presidents elected from among the individual members.
(d)Honorary members.
By joining the Association members agree to abide by the rules of the Association for the time being in force.
5.Affiliation
Application for membership shall be made in writing to the County Secretary. Acceptance or rejection of membership shall be at the discretion of the Committee whose decision shall be final.
6.Withdrawal of Membership
The Committee may, without assigning any reason, require any individual member to withdraw from membership of the Association. An appeal may be made to the Squash Rackets Association Ltd. Against any such decision. When any Club or organisation has withdrawn from membership of the Association, the County Secretary shall give notice in writing to the national governing body.
7.Subscriptions
The annual subscription payable to the Association by individual members shall be decided from time to time by the Committee and shall be payable on such date as the Committee shall determine. The Committee may terminate the membership of any individual member whose subscription is unpaid for one month after it has become due.
8.Management
(i) The Association shall be managed by a Committee which shall consist of the following persons, all of whom shall be individual members of the Association.
(a)President
(b)Chairman
(c)Secretary
(d)Treasurer
(e)League Secretary
(f)Five other persons
The President shall ex-officio be an individual member of the Association and shall be invited annually to hold office. All other members of the Committee shall be elected annually as hereinafter mentioned.
(ii) The Committee shall elect the captains of the mens and womens senior county teams who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee.
(iii) Four persons shall form a quorum for a meeting of the Committee.
(iv) The Chairman shall not hold the office for more than three consecutive years.
9.Powers of the Committee
The Committee shall have full powers:
(a) To determine the policies of the Association
(b) To manage the day to day running of the Association
(c) To act in all matters relating to the Association and to employ the funds of the Association in such a manner as it deems to be in the best interests of the Association
(d) To fill any vacancy in its number and to co-opt other members
(e) To create such sub-committees and subsidiary organisations to deal with particular aspects of the game as it deems necessary and to co-opt members to such committees and organisations
(f) To appoint the persons to represent the Association on the Council of the national governing body
(g) To decide all matters between members which may be sent to the national governing body
(h) To decide upon the award of colours and other distinctions to players who represented the Association in County matches.
10.Annual General Meeting
An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the month of May each year. The business of the meeting shall be:
(a) To approve the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting and any general meetings held since and to consider any matters arising therefrom
(b) To receive the annual report of the Committee and the statement of accounts for the year to the preceding 30th April
(c) To appoint auditors for the ensuing year
(d) To elect the Committee
(e) To transact any other business of which notice in writing has been given to the Secretary not less than five weeks before the day of the meeting and which the Committee considers suitable for inclusion in the agenda or which complies with the conditions for calling an extraordinary general meeting
(f) To transact any other business of which notice in writing has been given to the Secretary not less than two weeks before the day of the meeting and which the Chairman considers suitable for inclusion in the agenda.
11.Elections
(a) Affiliated Clubs and organisations may nominate candidates for the offices of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and League Secretary
(b) Affiliated Clubs and organisations may also nominate one member of their own Club to serve in a capacity other than 11(a) above.
(c) Nominations shall be invited by the Secretary not less than eight weeks before the date of the Annual General Meeting and such nominations must be submitted in writing to the Secretary not less than six weeks before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
12.Extraordinary General Meetings
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee at any time, and shall be called by the Committee within four weeks of receipt by the Secretary of a request in writing signed on behalf of three affiliated Clubs or Organisations, stating the business for which the meeting is to be called.
13.General Meetings
(a) The time and place of all general meetings shall be fixed by the Committee
(b) Twenty members present and entitled to vote shall form a quorum
(c) General meetings shall be conducted by the President of the Association or such other Committee member as the Committee shall decide.
(d) Notice of every general meeting shall be sent to all affiliated Clubs and organisations, members of the Committee, individual members, Vice-Presidents and Honorary Members at least four weeks before the meeting, stating the business to be transacted
(e) An affiliated Club or Organisation may appoint one representative to attend a general meeting
14.Voting Procedures and Powers
(a) Every question shall be decided by a show of hands, unless, before a vote is taken, a ballot is directed by the Chairman of the meeting or demanded by twelve persons present and entitled to vote
(b) Each Vice-President, Honorary Member and Individual Member shall have one vote
(c) Each affiliated Club or organisation shall have ten votes
(d) In the event of equality of voting the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote
15.Open Tournaments and Representative Teams
(a) No affiliated Club or organisation or member thereof shall organise any Open Championship or Open Tournament without the prior approval of the Association
(b) No affiliated Club or organisation or member thereof shall be involved with the organisation or management of any squash rackets team or event which includes the words Durham & Clevelandin its title or which otherwise give the impression that such team or event is organised by or represents the Association.
16.Alterations
No alterations to these rules shall take effect unless sanctioned by three quarters of the persons present and entitled to vote at a general meeting and any such amendment should become operative on such date (not later than the date of the next Annual General Meeting) as the committee shall decide.
17.Dissolution
If at any general meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Association shall be passed by three quarters of the persons present and entitled to vote, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such future date as shall be specified in such a resolution, proceed to realise the property of the Association and after the discharge of all liabilities shall donate the funds to some other voluntary agency or agencies involved in the development of the game of squash rackets.