PLYMOUTH ARGYLE SUPPORTERS ASSOCIATION LONDON BRANCH

CONSTITUTION

1.       Name

The name of the Association shall be the “Plymouth Argyle Supporters Association London Branch” (PASALB).

2.       Aims and Objects of the Association

(a)     To promote the interests of Plymouth Argyle and its supporters in the London area and elsewhere.

(b)     To uphold the reputation of the Plymouth Argyle Football Club.

(c)     To promote good relations between members and members of other football supporters’ organisations.

(d)     To arrange suitable travel to as many Plymouth Argyle games as possible.

(e)     To provide for the mutual benefit of members by way of social functions and otherwise.

(f)       To inform members of events and activities by the most appropriate means including through the regular production and distribution of the Association’s newsletter, called “Pasty News” and via the PASALB web site.

(g)     To provide financial support by way of sponsorship or other means to Plymouth Argyle Football Club and any related body, such as the Youth Development Trust.

3.       Membership

(a)     Membership shall be open to all persons who are in agreement with the aims and objects of the Association and are willing to abide by its rules.

(b)     Categories of Membership shall include “Full”, “Family”, ”Junior”, “Senior”, “Honorary” or any other category as may be defined by the committee and notified to the Annual General Meeting. 

(c)     All nominations for Honorary Membership shall receive Committee approval and shall be published in “Pasty News”, and subject to no objections being received by the General Secretary in writing within 21 days of such nomination being published, shall be duly accepted. Any objections shall be considered by a special general meeting, open to all members, to be held at the same time as the next available Committee meeting.

(d)     Any member who, by his or her actions, is adjudged to have brought the Association into disrepute, may have his/her membership revoked, at the discretion of the Committee. Membership to be deemed finished when records for that member have been deleted from the record of membership.

(e)     Before revoking the membership of any member under Rule 3(d) above, the member in question shall be notified in writing of the actions deemed to have brought the Association into disrepute and invited to the committee meeting at which the matter is to be discussed and be given an opportunity to give an account of their actions.

4.       Administration

(a)     The affairs of the Association shall be administered by a General Committee which shall exercise the powers given it by this Constitution.

(b)     (i) The General Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall consist of the Chairman and a maximum of 17 other members from which the posts of Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Newsletter Editor/Press Officer, Travel Secretary, Fund-Raising Promoter, Darts Secretary, Football Secretary, Pool Secretary, Social Events Secretary and Assistant Social Secretary shall be elected.

(ii) If decisions are needed to be taken in-between Committee meetings, an Executive Committee, consisting of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary and Treasurer, shall have the authority to take decisions without reference to the full Committee. All reasonable steps shall be taken to consult with each member of the “Executive Committee” before taking any such decision. The decisions shall be reported back to the next full meeting of the Committee.  

(iii) Subject to termination of office by resignation or at the request of the Committee they shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the next Annual General Meeting. The Committee has discretion to ask any member to resign if they are deemed not to be fulfilling the duties of the post.

(iv) The Vice-Chairman shall deputise for the Chairman in the event of the latter resigning or being otherwise unavailable. In the event that neither the Chairman nor Vice Chairman are available, the longest-serving Committee member present shall deputise until such time as the Chairman or Vice Chairman arrive.

(v) The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur during the year. Any vacancy must be advertised in “Pasty News” before it can be filled. If there is more than one nomination, a secret ballot shall be held within the Committee.

(vi) Committee members are expected to attend all meetings of the Committee after the time of their election. However, if they are unable to attend a meeting, they must tender their apologies to the General Secretary in advance of that meeting and, where appropriate, submit a written report to the meeting.

(vii) Retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.

(viii) The Chairman shall hold no other office on the Committee.

(c)     The Committee shall have the power to appoint such sub-committees as may be deemed to be necessary for the efficient management of the affairs of the Association and it shall have the power to co-opt members to assist with the work of such sub-committees. Such sub-committees shall submit written reports to the General Committee at the next General Committee meeting. Such sub-committees shall be chaired by the Vice-Chairman or another member nominated by the General Committee.

(d)     The Committee shall meet as frequently as they determine necessary at such dates, times and venues that they may decide. The Committee shall meet at least six times per year.

(e)     Such meetings shall be notified in Pasty News and on the web site and shall be open to all members of the Association, but non-Committee members shall have no voting rights.

(f)       In the event of a tie in any vote of the committee, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second, casting, vote.

(g)     Eight members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The quorum for a sub-committee meeting shall be three members.

(h)     The General Secretary shall keep a record of attendance at Committee meetings. This record shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting.

(i)       The General Secretary shall keep minutes of the proceedings of the Committee which shall be made available on request to members. The minute book for the past 12 months shall be open for inspection by any Association member, thirty minutes prior to the Annual General Meeting.

5.       Finance

(a)     The financial year of the Association shall be from 1 April to 31 March.

(b)     The annual subscription rates shall be determined by the Committee and notified to the Annual General Meeting.

(c)     Annual subscriptions shall be renewable on the 1^st of July each year. A reminder will be published in the June edition of “Pasty News”, with a second reminder in the July edition. A reminder will also be placed on the web site. Any member failing to pay his/her annual subscription by the 31^st of July shall cease to be a member of the Association and shall not receive any further issues of Pasty News.

(d)     Members joining after July shall pay a reduced subscription for their first year only at the discretion of the Committee.

(e)     The Treasurer shall maintain a full record of the financial affairs of the Association and shall present a complete and up to date record of these at each Committee meeting. A duly audited copy of the accounts shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting for approval and be published in Pasty News.

(f)       Current members of the Association shall not be eligible to act as auditors of the Association’s accounts.

(g)     The Committee may invest any surplus funds of the Association as it sees fit.

(h)     All cheques issued on behalf of the Association must be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by either the Chairman or General Secretary. 

(i)       All expenses of the officers of the Committee, reasonably incurred on behalf of the Association for stationery, printing, postage and other items of expenditure, on production of a complete statement of expenses incurred, shall be paid by the Association.

(j)       The darts, football, pool, golf, cricket and quiz sections should operate on a self-sufficient financial basis. The committee shall have the authority to grant loans to any of these, or any other members of the Association, if it considers this desirable. If a loan is granted, an agreed repayment schedule shall be established and the Treasurer shall report to the Committee on the repayments made.

6.       Annual General Meeting

(a)     The Annual General Meeting shall be held on such date as determined by the Committee and shall be open to all members of the Association.

(b)     Notification of the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all members of the Association not less than sixty days before the date of the meeting and shall be publicised on the web site.

(c)     Written nominations for officers and members of the Committee duly seconded must be received by the General Secretary before commencement of voting. Such nominations must be signed by the nominee.

(d)     Amendments to the Constitution determined by the Committee or proposed and seconded by the members of the Association, must be received by the General Secretary not less than 42 days in advance of the meeting.

(e)     The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting, including all proposed amendments to the Constitution, shall be published on the website and in “Pasty News”, which shall be sent to all members in advance of the meeting.

(f)       The voting rights shall be confined to current members of the Association only.

(g)     The Annual General Meeting shall be empowered to transact the following business:

I.                     To receive and adopt the statement of the Association’s accounts to the end of the financial year, subject to certification by the auditors.

II.                   To elect the members of the Committee. Where there is more than one nomination for a position, a secret ballot shall be held. Prior to the vote taking place each candidate shall be given the opportunity to address the meeting.

III.                  In the event of a tie in the vote for any position apart from that of Chairman, the Chairman elected at the AGM for the following year shall have a second, casting, vote.

IV.                In the event of a vote for the position of Chairman involving the previous year’s Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall assume the Chair. If the Vice Chairman is also standing for the position of Chairman, the longest-serving committee member in attendance not standing for the post of Chairman shall assume the chair and, in the event of a tied vote, shall have a second casting vote.

V.                  Unfilled positions shall be advertised in the next edition of “Pasty News” for appointment at the next Committee meeting.

VI.                To receive notification of the membership subscription rates for the coming year.

VII.               To appoint two auditors for the current financial year.

VIII.             To deal with all business that shall have been communicated to the General Secretary and included on the Agenda for the meeting.

7.       Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened at any time by the request of one fifth of the current membership of the Association or 25 members, whichever is the lower and must be convened not more than 28 days subsequent to such request being received by the General Secretary. The General Secretary shall notify all members not less than 14 days before the meeting stating the time, date and venue, and the business to be discussed. The quorum for such a meeting shall be one fifth of the current members or 50 members, whichever is the lower.

8.       Winding Up

A decision to wind up the Association can only be reached at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened specifically for that purpose. In that event the decision as to the disposal of all monies, property and other assets, after the settlement of all debts, will be vested in those persons nominated by that meeting.

[as amended June 2001]