Constitution

Membership of Boat Club
Committee
Election of Officers
General or Extraordinary Meetings
Finance
Constitution

1. A resident member of Churchill College who is active in rowing at the college is entitled to be a member of the Boat Club. The Committee will interpret this guideline in a reasonable broad manner when deciding eligibility of members.

2. The Club will be run by a committee consisting of the following officers: Overall Captain; Men's Captain; Ladies' Captain; Men's Vice Captain; Ladies' Vice Captain; Men's Lower Boats Captain; Secretary; Junior Treasurer; Equipment and Safety Officer; Website and Communications Manager and Social Secretary.

   The responsibilities of each post are:

   1. Overall Captain
      • overall responsibility for the whole Boat Club;
      • Chairman of the Committee;
      • represents the Boat Club members at CUCBC, and any other external, meetings;
      • accountable for the use of all Boat Club property;
      • the discretionary award of colours, oars, or any other prize to a deserving member of the Boat Club;
      • responsible for all matters associated with the Alumni Society;
      • to obtain sponsorship in the form of equipment or money for the equal benefit of the Men's and Ladies' Boat Clubs;
      • maintain contact with existing sponsors;
      • organise training camps;
      • maintain the boatclub's development and spending plan;
      • organise marshals for early mornings, races, etc.
   2. Men's Captain
      • overall responsibility for the Men's Boat Club;
      • the selection, organisation and training of the senior crews in Michaelmas term and the Men's 1st Boat in Lent and May terms.
   3. Ladies' Captain
      • overall responsibility for the Ladies' Boat Club;
      • the selection, organisation and training of the senior crews in Michaelmas term and the Ladies' 1st Boat in Lent and May terms.
   4. Men's Vice Captain
      • the selection, organisation and training of the novice crews in Michaelmas term (shared with the Men's Lower Boats Captain);
      • the selection, organisation and training of Men's 2nd Boat in Lent and May terms.
   5. Ladies' Vice Captain
      • the selection, organisation and training of the novice crews in Michaelmas term;
      • the selection, organisation and training of all ladies' crews, except Ladies' 1st Boat, in Lent and May terms.
   6. Men's Lower Boats Captain
      • the selection, organisation and training of the novice crews in Michaelmas term (shared with the Men's Vice Captain);
      • the selection, organisation and training of all men's crews, except Men's 1st and 2nd Boats in Lent and May terms.
   7. Secretary
      • the order and supply of official Boat Club clothing kit;
      • race entries;
      • ARA memberships;
      • the organisation and publicity of all GMs.
   8. Junior Treasurer
      • the organisation of any Boat Club Dinner, which must be kept separate from:
      • the control of the Boat Club Petty Cash Account.
   9. Equipment and Safety Officer
      • the maintenance and renewal of all Boat Club equipment, and that used by the Club; except the boats, oars and boathouse;
      • all safety aspects of the Club.
   10. Website and Communications Officer
       • the maintenance of the Boat Club website;
       • the boatclub noticeboard;
       • promoting significant events (e.g. Bumps) to the rest of college;
       • photography of Boat Club events and races;
       • writing articles for the college magazine.
   11. Social Secretary
       • the organisation of Boat Club social events such as cocktails, but not Boat Club dinners;
       • the organisation of formal hall exchanges for all crews.
         
         
3. There shall be a set of guidelines as to the procedures which may be followed by the Committee, but these are not binding.

4. In every academic year an Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held to elect the Officers of the Boat Club for the following academic year.

5. The Officers will be elected in the following order:
   1. Overall Captain;
   2. Men's Captain;
   3. Ladies' Captain;
   4. Men's Vice Captain;
   5. Ladies' Vice Captain;
   6. Men's Lower Boats Captain;
   7. Secretary;
   8. Junior Treasurer;
   9. Equipment and Safety Officer;
   10. Website and Communications Manager;
   11. Social Secretary.
       
       

6. The following procedure shall be followed for the election of an Officer of the Boat Club at a General Meeting (GM):
   1. Candidates will announce themselves as standing for office. (Candidates must inform the Secretary of their intention to stand for office, in writing, at least 48 hours before the General Meeting (GM) so that the list of candidates may be published in the Boat Club noticeboard.)
   2. Candidates will be permitted to post a brief manifesto on the Boat Club noticeboard.
   3. Stamped ballot papers will then be issued to all current members of the Boat Club. Boat Club members unable to attend the GM may vote by proxy, but their vote will no longer be anonymous. In this case, completed ballot papers must be signed and submitted to the Secretary before the start of the GM. Only in these circumstances will due notice be taken of their vote.
   4. At the GM, candidates will be given an opportunity to speak.
      
   5. After the GM, a secret ballot will be held. Completed ballot papers will be collected in a sealed box.
      
      

   The election procedure will take place by a Single Transferable Vote. Members will be required to indicate their chosen candidates for each post in order of preference on the ballot forms. Members need not vote for all the candidates listed. The first choice votes are then counted. If one candidate receives more than half of the total votes cast, then that person is elected. If no one person receives a majority, the person receiving the least number of votes is excluded. The ballot papers having this person as first choice are re-inspected, and the second choice votes on these papers are added to the existing totals of votes for the remaining candidates. This process is continued as necessary, each time excluding the person with the least number of votes, until one candidate has an outright majority, i.e. over half the total number of votes under consideration.

7. The procedure set out in paragraph 6 will be used even if there is only one candidate. This will ensure that no Officer is elected unless (s)he has the support of at least half those present and eligible to vote.

8. Men shall not vote in elections for Ladies' Captain or Ladies' Vice Captain; Ladies shall not vote for Men's Captain, Men's Vice Captain or Men's Lower Boats Captain. (The Committee may allow people who are members of crews of the opposite sex, e.g. coxes, to vote for Officers of the opposite sex.)

9. The Overall Captain is not eligible to vote in any election; but, in the event of a tie, (s)he will have the casting vote.

10. Persons who are not members of the Boat Club are not entitled to vote in any election.

11. If the Office of Overall Captain, Men's Captain or Ladies' Captain can not be filled at a GM, the Secretary will call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) at a later date, for purposes of holding an election for the unfilled Office. If a GM fails to fill any other Office then the new Committee may co-opt a member to that Office at a later date; this intention must be displayed on the noticeboard.

12. Any five members may table a vote of no confidence in an Officer of the Committee. The secretary will then call an EGM to discuss the matter. If the motion of no confidence is carried the Officer will resign.

13. In the event of the resignation of the Overall Captain, Men's Captain or Ladies' Captain, the Secretary will then call an EGM to elect a Captain to serve for the remainder of that academic year. The Officer who has resigned may stand for re-election. In the event of any other Officer resigning, the Committee may co-opt a new Officer who shall hold office for the remainder of that academic year.

14. In the event of any Captain of the Boat Club being temporarily absent or incapacitated, (s)he may nominate another member of the Committee to hold his/her Office during the duration of that absence.

15. Seven days notice will be given of any GM; the notice will set out details of any business to be discussed. The GM will be chaired by the Overall Captain. The GM must have a quorum of fifteen members of the relevant Club (Men's or Ladies') for any business to be transacted.

16. An EGM may be called at the request of one Committee member, or five members. At least seven days notice of a Meeting must be given, together with a statement of the matter to be discussed. Any Committee member may call a meeting of the Committee.

17. Any motion for a GM must have two named proposers and must be presented, in writing, at least seven days before the GM.

18. The accounts of the Club shall be kept by the Senior Treasurer, who may delegate the operation of a Captains' Account for routine running expenses to the Overall, Men's or Ladies' Captain, or the Junior Treasurer.

19. Payments from the Depreciation Account can not be made withough the approval of the Boat Club Committee and the Senior Treasurer. Monies received for equipment sold should be paid into the Depreciation Account.

     

20. This Constitution may be changed by a simple majority vote at a GM attended by at least 25 members. Any motion to amend the Constitution will be published on the Boat Club noticeboard at least seven days before the meeting.

21. If any question arises in regard of this Constitution, it shall be decided by the Senior Treasurer.

22. A copy of the Constitution shall be published on the Boat Club noticeboard at least 14 days before any GM. Copies will also be held by the Secretary and the Senior Treasurer, and will be available to members of the Boat Club at all times.