MAR Constitution

  1. NAME

The event shall be known as Molesey Amateur Regatta hereinafter referred to as The Regatta.

  1. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of The Regatta are the holding of a Regatta, a Junior Regatta and a Masters Head of the River Race (“The Events”) on the Thames annually, and supporting Molesey Boat Club (“MBC”) and the sport of rowing generally.

The Members of the Regatta shall be the Committee, as agreed at the Annual General Meeting, and the Vice Presidents.

3          AFFILIATION

The Regatta shall be affiliated to British Rowing (“BR”) as Molesey Amateur Regatta (“MAR”), and any other bodies as may be appropriate if races other than those governed by the BR are to be offered. The Junior Regatta shall be affiliated to BR as Molesey Junior Regatta (“MJR”), and the Masters Head as Molesey Veteran Head (“MVH”). All racing shall be held under the Rules and Regulations of the relevant governing body. The BR RowSafe Code is hereby adopted.

COMMITTEE
A.The Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Regatta as a whole and shall consist of a President, Secretary, Race Secretary, Regatta Support Manager and Treasurer (who shall be known as the Officers), with up to 9 other general members.

B. Vice-Presidents shall be entitled to attend Committee meetings, with the power of a vote.

C. Officers and general members shall be appointed or re-appointed within one month of the AGM .

D. Safety. At the first meeting after the AGM the Committee shall appoint a Safety Adviser whose role it will be to ensure that all activities undertaken by the Regatta Committee comply with the guidance set out in the current edition of RowSafe.

E. Race Committee. At the first meeting after the AGM the Committee shall appoint a Chairman of the MAR and MVH Race Committees, and a Chairman of the MJR Race Committee, who shall be responsible for the correct application of the BR Rules of Racing at the next holding of the events.

Members appointed under D & E will present reports to the Committee after the Events.

F. The term of office of all Committee members shall be for one year; officers shall be eligible for re-appointment to the same post for a recommended maximum of 10 years, not counting service in a post before the 2013 AGM.

G. A President of the Regatta, upon the end of his/her term, shall become a Vice-President and hold such post for life.

H  No-one who is under the age of 16 years shall be eligible to serve on the Committee.

I. A member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee if he/she has failed to attend 3 successive Committee meetings or to respond to communications from the Secretary (notice of a meeting is deemed to be a communication from the Secretary).

  1. DUTIES OF COMMITTEE

A .The Committee is responsible for the general conduct of the Regatta’s business and activities including the administration and management for the running of the Regatta proper.

B. President: The President shall preside at all Committee meetings, and shall be responsible for guiding the activities of the Regatta in accordance with its general policy as expressed by the majority of its members. The President shall ex officio be a member of any other committee of the Regatta.

C. Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for the organisation of meetings of the Committee, the recording of minutes relating to such meetings and all correspondence relating to the general business of the Regatta. The Secretary shall in consultation arrange for the representation of the Regatta at BR regional level and at meetings of other organisations.

D. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection and disbursement of all monies belonging to the Regatta and will keep proper accounting records of all such transactions. He or she will present to the members at the AGM a balance sheet and income and expenditure account showing the Regatta’s financial position and the results of its transactions for the year. The transactions of the Regatta shall be conducted through a bank account; signing limits shall be determined by the Committee from time to time.

E. Race Secretary The Race Secretary (or his/her deputy for MJR) shall be responsible for the organisation of all aspects of the rowing activity at all Regattas and Heads held under the aegis of Molesey Amateur Regatta. This includes (but is not limited to) receipt of entries and entry fees, conduct of the draw, staffing of non-umpiring roles and the timely distribution of race results.

F. Regatta Support Manager The Regatta Support Manager (or his/her deputy for MJR) shall be responsible for all non-rowing activity at all Regattas and Heads held under the aegis of Molesey Amateur Regatta. This includes (but is not limited to) arrangements for security and supervision of the tented areas, staffing and catering.

  1. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

A. The Committee shall meet at regular intervals during the year, as required by the business to be transacted.

B. Special meetings of the Committee shall be called by the Secretary on instructions from the President, or no fewer than three Committee members.

C. A quorum shall consist of no fewer than half the members of the Committee, plus one. Failure of a committee meeting to achieve a quorum shall not cause its abandonment if there is purely administrative business to be transacted.

D. In the case of casual vacancy among the Committee, the Committee shall be entitled to appoint another eligible person to act until the next AGM.

E. The Committee shall have the power to appoint such sub-Committees as it thinks fit; each sub-Committee shall report to the full Committee, and shall terminate at each AGM unless its continued existence is confirmed.

  1. GENERAL MEETINGS 

A. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in November of each year. It shall be the business of the AGM to consider the reports of the Treasurer, Secretary, Race Secretary and Regatta Support Manager, and to arrange for the Officers and Committee for the following year. The President of the Regatta shall preside at the AGM and have a casting vote if required.

There shall be laid before the meeting a statement of accounts made up to the 15th day of October of that year .

B. Not less than 21 days clear notice shall be given, specifying to all members of the Regatta the time and business of the Annual General Meeting.

C. At any Annual General Meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the Meeting shall be decided by a show of hands of those entitled to vote or a ballot at the President’s sole discretion.

D. At all Annual General Meetings the President shall preside or, in his/her absence, an acting Chairman for the meeting will be elected by the members present.

E. At the AGM not less than 50% of members entitled to vote + 1 shall constitute a quorum.

F. Vice-Presidents may be appointed for life by resolution at any AGM.

G. Absence of Quorum: If after half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the Meeting, if called at the request of the members, shall be In any other case, the Meeting shall be adjourned until a time and place to be fixed by the Committee.  If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for an Adjourned Meeting, the members present shall be a quorum.

H. Accidental Omission: Accidental Omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by, any member shall not invalidate the proceedings of a meeting.

  1. LIABILITY

Financial or legal liability incurred in the rightful exercise of their office shall not be the personal liability of the Committee members, but shall be the responsibility of the Committee as a whole.

  1. ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION 

A. This constitution shall not be altered, amended or rescinded except at the Annual General Meeting of the Regatta.

B. A resolution to give effect to a change must be passed by at least 75% of those present and entitled to vote at the AGM.

  1. EXAMINER

Every Annual General Meeting shall appoint an Examiner who shall at the conclusion of the  financial year examine the accounting records of the Regatta, and report to the members on the income and expenditure accounts and balance sheet that are presented to the next AGM.

  1. DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS

In no circumstances can any surplus be distributed to Committee members, but any surplus earned shall be used in furthering the objectives of the Regatta.

  1. TERMINATION

The Regatta shall not terminate except by a resolution of an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for the purpose and, in such an event, any surplus assets shall be placed under the control of the Committee of MBC to be passed on to a new Molesey Regatta if one is re-constituted within 5 years. The judgement of the MBC Committee in respect of what constitutes a Molesey Regatta shall be final. If no such regatta is formed, the assets shall be handed over to a body or bodies with similar objectives agreed by the EGM which formally terminates the Regatta.

  1. POWER OF DECISION

Any matter not provided for in this constitution, or any question over the interpretation of it shall be dealt with by the Committee whose decision shall be final.

  1. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

The Regatta will ensure that the talents and resources of all Committee members are utilised to the full and that no member receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, disability, marital status, creed, social class, ethnicity, age or sexual orientation or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be relevant to performance.

  1. CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES

The Regatta hereby adopts the policy and procedures relating to Child Protection as set out by BR. At least one Child Protection Officer with BR-obtained Criminal Records Bureau clearance shall be appointed to be present during the Regattas.

 

 

Approved by the Committee of Molesey Amateur Regatta on 7th November 2013