MALLOW TENNIS CLUB
CONSTITUTION AND RULES
- 1. Name & Objectives
The Club shall be known as “Mallow Tennis Club” and shall consist of full golf members and associated tennis members. The club will be under the governance of Mallow Golf Club and will be known internally as “Mallow Golf Club – Tennis Section”. The tennis club will manage the tennis activities of the golf club.
The objects of the Club shall be the promotion of Tennis and other sporting and social activities for the benefit of members.
- 2. Affiliation
The Club shall maintain affiliation to Tennis Ireland and shall adopt and conform to its rules in so far as they apply to tennis matters.
- 3. Management of the club
The management of Mallow Tennis Club and its tennis facilities shall be in the entire control of the Mallow Golf Club Board of Management. The Board of Management will delegate responsibility for tennis matters to the Tennis Club Committee. The Committee shall comprise of the following officers, with roles and responsibilities as defined in Appendix 3;
- Honorary Chairperson
- Honorary Secretary
- Honorary Treasurer
- Captain
- Vice-Captain
In addition, up to five ordinary members will be elected to the committee to cover the following areas;
- Pavilion & Grounds
- Publicity / Social Media
- Children’s Officers (One Male, One Female)
- Golf Club Liaison
All shall be elected for the year at the annual general meeting, except that the committee shall have power to fill by co-option any vacancy that arises during the year. Only paid up members of the club will be eligible for election. A chairperson may not serve for more than five consecutive years in any one term. The Committee shall make and revise Club Regulations and shall have power to decide any matter not provided for by the constitution. They shall meet at least six times in every year and additionally as required. The quorum at a Committee meeting shall be five and in the event of equality, the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Honorary Secretary will chair meetings. Minutes of the proceedings of every meeting shall be recorded by the Hon. Secretary and the minutes shall be signed by the Chairperson at the next meeting. The committee may delegate any part of its duties to one or more sub-committees.
- 4. General Meetings
An annual general meeting shall be held each year between March 1st and April 30th. The committee shall call an extraordinary general meeting at its discretion or within fourteen days of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a requisition signed by fifteen members, stating the business to be transacted. Any member wishing to propose a resolution at the annual general meeting must send a copy thereof to the Honorary Secretary at least seven days before the meeting so that provision may be made on the Agenda. The Honorary Secretary shall give every member (other than Temporary Honorary Members) at least fourteen days’ notice of any general meeting. The business of the annual general meeting shall be the confirmation of the minutes of the previous annual general meeting, the consideration of the Committee’s reports, the Honorary Treasurer’s accounts for the year, the election of officers and Committee for the ensuing year and any items of which notice has been given and details included on the agenda. At the annual general meeting further business may be accepted at the discretion of the Chairman provided that it does not call for an alteration to the Constitution, the borrowing of money or any expenditure not within the immediate financial resources of the club. The business of an extraordinary general meeting shall be in accordance with the requisition under which it was summoned and the agenda issued. Members shall be entitled to be present, to speak at and to vote at General Meetings as defined by the Membership categories below. In the event of equality the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. At any general meeting, the quorum shall be twelve members who are entitled to vote. No proxy votes will be allowed.
All alterations to the Constitution of the Club shall require the approval of 2/3’s of the members attending the AGM or any EGM called for the purpose of altering or amending same.
- 5. Membership:
There shall be the following categories of tennis membership. Only members and guests in good standing are entitled to use the clubhouse, tennis courts or grounds. The rights of any member to the privileges of the Club shall coexist with the period of his or her membership. The club deems that all members, upon election to the club, have given their consent to be bound by the by-laws and rules of the club, including but not limited to the Policy on Conduct and Behaviour, and to any restrictions or penalties that may be imposed.
Adult Membership – full members of Mallow Golf Club. Eligible to attend, speak at and vote at both Tennis Club and Golf Club General Meetings.
Associate members – Racquet members of Mallow Golf Club. Eligible to attend, speak at and vote at Tennis Club General Meetings only.
Student Member – A student is a person who has been accepted as such by the Board of Management. He / She must be under 25 years of age, must be attending a 3rd level University, Institute of Technology or other 3rd level Educational Institute and must not be engaged in full-time gainful employment. He / She may remain as a student Member until the 31st December following his/her 25th Birthday, or his/her entry into full-time gainful employment, whichever occurs first. Eligible to attend, speak at and vote at Tennis Club General Meetings only.
Junior Membership (12-18) - Eligible to attend and speak at Tennis Club General Meetings only and, if aged 16 or over, to vote thereat.
Juvenile Membership (under 12) - Eligible to attend and speak at Tennis Club General Meetings only.
Juvenile and Junior membership shall be based on the age of the child on 01/01 of the appropriate year. Parents of Juvenile or Junior members will be eligible to attend and speak at Tennis Club General Meetings only. They will have one vote per family at Tennis Club General Meetings, regardless of the number of Juvenile or Junior members in their family.
Full Family Membership – members of a single family including two adults and their offspring who satisfy the conditions for Student, Juvenile or Junior Membership. Adults will have the same rights as Associate members; their children the rights of Student, Juvenile or Junior members as appropriate, depending on their age. At Tennis Club General Meetings, Full Family members will be entitled to a maximum of three votes, regardless of the number of children in their family. The subscription fee will include Tennis Ireland subscriptions for the adults and up to three children. Tennis Ireland subscriptions for any additional children will be an additional charge.
Family Membership (one parent) – members of a single family including one adult and his / her offspring who satisfy the conditions for Student, Juvenile or Junior Membership. Adults will have the same rights as Associate members; children the rights of Student, Juvenile or Junior members as appropriate, depending on their age. At Tennis Club General Meetings, Family members (one parent) will be entitled to a maximum of two votes, regardless of the number of children in their family. The subscription fee will include Tennis Ireland subscriptions for the adult and up to three children. Tennis Ireland subscriptions for any additional children will be an additional charge.
Honorary Life Membership – Members may be elected to such membership by the Board of Management of Mallow Golf Club and ratified by the Tennis Club Committee, on account of having rendered long and exceptional service to the game of tennis or having done very praiseworthy work for the Club or those whose distinguished position merits the conferring of such an honour.
Temporary Honorary Membership - Every member of a visiting match team shall be an Honorary Member for the day of the match only and every competitor at an Open Tournament (and in the case of a competitor under 18, his parents or guardians) shall be Honorary Members for the period of the Tournament.
The subscription year runs from January 1st. to December 31st.
The club is fully committed to safeguarding the well-being of its members. Every individual in the club should at all time show respect & understanding for their rights, safety & welfare, and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the club & the guidelines contained in the Code of Ethics & Good Practice for Children’s sport in Ireland. (See Appendix 1 & 2).
Every candidate for admission to membership of the Club must be proposed and seconded by two members, as per Mallow Golf club rules. Applications for membership will be submitted for approval to the Golf Club Management Committee or the Golf Club Juvenile committee in the case of Junior or Juvenile members.
All members are bound by the rules and by-laws of Mallow Golf Club.
No member of the club shall accrue any personal financial or other material gain by virtue of their involvement in the club.
- 6. Annual Subscription & Visitors:
The annual subscriptions for members shall be fixed by simple majority at the Golf Club Annual General Meeting. The annual subscription shall become due on the 1st January in each year. No member whose subscription is unpaid shall be eligible to represent the Club in the Inter-Club Leagues or compete in Club competitions or avail of any of the Club facilities and act as a member of the committee.
Visitors to the club will be allowed to play with a member or on payment of the appropriate court fee. A visitor must sign the Visitor’s book for each and every visit.
- 7. Treasurer:
The Hon. Treasurer shall keep proper records of all receipts and disbursements in connection with the Club and shall discharge all liabilities of the Club, under the direction of the Committee. Prior the Annual General Meeting, the Hon. Treasurer shall prepare a statement of the Income and Expenditure of the Club up to the 31st of December. Cheques will be signed by the Treasurer and 1 other Committee member as will be agreed.
- 8. Complaints, Investigations, Disciplinary & Appeals Procedure:
Any member who believes the conduct of another member is contrary to the Policy on Conduct and Behaviour, the Constitution of the Club or Governing Body regulations, or whose conduct is likely to bring the Club into disrepute, should inform the secretary in writing. On receipt of a complaint, the General committee will appoint a Hearings Committee to administer the disciplinary procedure. The disciplinary procedure is governed by the Tennis Ireland Complaint, Objection & Disciplinary Rules and Procedures for Irish Tennis and the Hearings Committee will operate under these rules and procedures.
- 9. Termination of Membership
The General Committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any individual member where it has been clearly demonstrated that a serious breach of the Club Constitution has taken place. The individual member shall have the right to be heard by the General Committee before the final decision is made. The General Committee shall inform the member in writing of any decision to terminate their membership.
There shall be a right of appeal to the Governing Body, subject to their procedures. Notification of the termination of a membership will be forwarded to the Governing Body.
Dated this………..day of …………..2016
___________________
Chairperson
___________________
Secretary
Revision History
Date No. Reason Name
April ’17 1 New family and student membership categories Leigh Goodman
April ’18 2 Sub-committee rules; Policy on behaviour; Disciplinary Process Leigh Goodman
Appendix 1: Code of Ethics & Good Practice for Children’s Tennis
To ensure that best practice is being followed by this club we shall work closely with our Governing Body in order to promote the best practice in children’s sport, we shall comply with the guidelines of the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in Ireland as set out in Section 2.7 which are:
- Adopt and implement the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in Ireland as an integral part of its policy on children in the Club.
- Have its constitution approved and adopted by clubs members at an AGM or EGM.
- Permit all Senior members over 16 years of age to vote, where possible. One parent/guardian should have one vote for all their children under 16 years of age, where relevant.
- Ensure that the club Management Committee is elected or endorsed by registered club members at such AGM.
- Adopt and consistently apply a safe and clearly defined method of recruiting and selecting Sports Leaders.
- Clearly define the role of the committee members, all Sports Leaders and parents/guardians.
- Appoint at least one children’s officer as outlined in this Code. In the event that a Club caters for both boys and girls, one children’s officer of each gender would ideally be appointed
- Designate the Club Chairperson to act as a liaison with the Statutory Authorities in relation to the reporting of allegations or suspicions of child abuse. Any such reports should be made according to the procedures outlined in this Code/Children First/Out duty to Care.
- Ensure best practice throughout the club by disseminating its code of conduct, including the disciplinary, complaints and appeals procedures in operation within the club to all its members. The club’s code of conduct should also be posted in all facilities used by the club.
- Have in place procedures for dealing with a concern or complaint made to the Statutory Authorities against a Committee Member or Sports Leader or any other members of the club.
- Regulations should stipulate that a Sports Leader who is the subject of an allegation, which has been reported to the Statutory Authorities, should stand aside while the matter is being examined. She/he should be invited to resume full duties immediately if she/he is vindicated.
- Ensure that relevant Sports Leaders report to the Club Management Committee on a regular basis.
- Encourage regular turnover of committee membership while ensuring continuity and experience.
- Develop effective procedures for responding to and recording accidents.
- Ensure that any unusual activity (high rate of drop-outs, transfers, etc) is checked out and reported by the Club chairperson to the Governing Body of Sport.
- Ensure that all club members are given adequate notice of AGMs and other meetings.
- Ensure that all minutes of all meetings (AGMs/EGMs/Committee) are recorded and safely filed.
Appendix 2: Mallow Tennis Club Code of Conduct
THE TENNIS PLAYER WILL
- Play by the rules of the game
- Abide by the rules set down by team managers when travelling to away events.
- Behave in a manner that avoids bringing the game of tennis into disrepute.
- Respect officials and accept their decisions.
- Respect opponents and always shake hands at the end of a match.
- Use his/her best efforts in competitive matches.
- Refrain from the use of audible and visual obscenity.
- Refrain from ball/racquet abuse.
- Refrain from the use of coaching during competition.
- Never use unfair or bullying tactics to gain advantage on or off the court.
- Never use bullying tactics to isolate another player.
- Never pass on gossip about another player or adult.
- Never make false allegations against other players or adults.
- Win with grace and lose with dignity.
YOUNG PLAYERS ARE ENTITLED TO:
- Be treated with dignity and respect.
- Be safe and to feel safe.
- Get help against bullies
- Say NO.
- Be listened to.
- Be believed.
- Protect their own bodies.
- Refuse inappropriate touches.
TENNIS SPECTATORS WILL:
- Be on their best behaviour and lead by example.
- Applaud good play by visiting players as well as their own.
- Remember that young players are not miniature adults.
- Show respect for the opponent of the player that they are supporting.
- Encourage young players to play by the rules of the game.
Appendix 3: Committee Roles and Responsibilities
Honorary Chairperson
The main role of the Club’s Chairperson is to meet the club’s fundamental need for ongoing leadership. Therefore, the chairperson assumes primary responsibility for the club and, in effect, becomes its main driving force. The Chairperson must always have the best interests of the club at heart. Anyone who aspires to be the leader should be thoughtful and willing to work to guide the general purpose and strategic direction of the club. They should also be capable of remaining neutral or uncommitted on issues to allow them to act as a conciliator between opposing parties, or to allow discussions in meetings to take place with a neutral person in the chair.
Responsibilities
• Chairing meetings
• Pursuing decisions made at meetings
• Acting on behalf of the club between meetings
• Representing the club’s view to outside groups like the Local authorities and the Governing Body
Honorary Secretary
The Honorary Secretary is the key to the effective function of a club. As the principal administrative officer and manager, the Secretary's role is to be at the forefront of all of the club’s business ensuring that it is co-ordinated and focused on the purposes and objective of the club. To fulfil the duties of the post it is vital that the Secretary has an understanding of the requirements and processes involved in each of the club's activities. The Secretary must also be informed and up-to-date on any issue which could affect the club. To maximise effectiveness, the Secretary cannot work in isolation. The ability to delegate and co-ordinate the work of staff and volunteers is key to success.
Responsibilities
• Organising the Secretariat, establishing basic administrative procedures and managing staff and volunteers
• Dealing with correspondence
• Maintaining files of annual reports, minutes of meetings, statements of accounts and other important records
• Organising meetings.
• Reporting to meetings
• Co-ordinating regular activities and special projects
• Representing (in co-ordination with the Chairman) the club’s views to outside groups.
Working Relationships with the Committee
A good Secretary is aware of the importance of their personal and working relationships with his or her fellow committee members and in particular, the Chairman of the club. They make every effort to develop these relationships and ensure that everyone is well informed on matters relating to the club.
The Honorary Treasurer
All clubs should keep accurate financial records and have someone ultimately accountable for financial procedures. It is the Treasurer who takes on these duties. The Treasurer, therefore, must be highly responsible and have the ability to handle finances in accordance with the constitution and policy of the club. The person taking on the responsibility should be capable of keeping clear, accurate records and accounts and able and willing to work closely with the other officers of the club.
Responsibilities
• Financial planning including producing an annual budget
• Keeping up-to-date records of all financial transactions
• Collecting all money due to the club and issuing receipts for all money received
• Ensuring that money and cheques received are promptly deposited in the bank
• Paying all bills of the club
• Ensuring that club funds are spent properly
• Presenting financial accounts and reports to appropriate meetings
• Presenting year-end accounts to the Annual General Meeting
• Preparation of any other documents required by law
The Club Captain and Vice-Captain
The Club Captains and Vice Captains work together to ensure the members’ competitive needs are satisfied. This is achieved by organising an Annual Calendar of internal competitions, entering external leagues and setting up a system for selecting members to represent the club.
Pavilion & Grounds
The Pavilion & Grounds Coordinator is an important role to ensure that the tennis facilities are maintained in good condition. The coordinator will be responsible for working with Mallow Golf Club, volunteers and trades-men to achieve this. An annual programme of maintenance should be established.
Responsibilities
Court, lights and pavilion maintenance
Publicity
The publicity officer will be the focal point for contact with local and social media.
Responsibilities
Press releases & advertisements
Web-site Maintenance
Social Media
The Children's Officers
The Children's Officers are responsible in association with the management committee for implementing the guidelines set out in the Code of Ethics & Good Practice for Children’s sport in Ireland. (See Appendix 1 & 2).
Responsibilities
To work in conjunction with the Tennis Club Committee to achieve all of what the code recommends.
Golf Club Liaison
The Golf Club Liaison Officer will be the primary point of contact for managing the relationship between Mallow Golf and Tennis Clubs. This role covers a number of areas, so the person responsible will need to work closely with the secretary, the treasurer and the pavilion & ground coordinator
Responsibilities
Ensure good working relationship between the golf and tennis clubs.
