NAME AND FUNCTION:
The Body shall be called the “West District of the Scottish Hockey Union” (herein after referred to as the “District”) and shall be the controlling body of male hockey played within The District. The District shall also organise open competitions and events for youth players up until the age of 14, and male youth players until the age of 18.
MEMBERSHIP:
a) The District shall be composed of those Clubs affiliated to Scottish Hockey, whose grounds are located in the Regions which, following the passage of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, constituted Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire.
b) Clubs from other Regions may be considered by the Executive Committee for membership however any decision to allow entrance to the District would have to be passed by a majority of affiliated clubs.
c) Each affiliated Club shall be bound by the Constitution of The District, by the Constitution of the Scottish Hockey Union Limited, the West District Competition Byelaws and by the authoritative International Hockey Federation (FIH) Rules of the Game of Hockey.
d) Applications for membership must be accompanied by a copy of the Constitution of the applying Club, a plan of the structure of the applying club, a plan relating to how the applicant club intends to promote youth hockey and a strategic view of the club’s potential finances and viability over a five-year This information should be delivered in electronic format to the President of The District, prior to the 15th of March in any year.
e) It is the responsibility of all member clubs to ensure their contact details are correct with at least three current points of contact.
DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
a) Members: The affairs of the District shall be governed by an Executive Committee, comprised of the following:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, League Convener, Indoor Convener, Youth Convener, and Discipline Officer, all of whom may be elected at each Annual General Meeting or co-opted at a later date if that is not possible. The Executive Committee may also include ex officio positions: Honorary President, Immediate Past President, representative from the West District Umpires Association, Social Media and Communications Officer, Marketing Officer, Club Representative, and Parahockey Development Officer. Representatives from Scottish Hockey may also be invited to attend Executive Committee meetings.
b) Meetings: A District Executive Committee Meeting may be called at any time, either by the President or Vice-President at their discretion, or by other three members of the Committee.
c) Quorum and Voting: Four members shall constitute a Quorum, and each member shall have one vote; in the event of a tie, the Chair of that meeting shall have a second, or casting, vote.
d) Chair: The Chair of the Executive Committee shall be the President or, in their absence, the Vice-President, or after that any other person the Committee see fit to appoint.
e) Sub-Committees: The Executive Committee may delegate any of its powers, for any particular purpose, to one or more Sub-Committees. The members of such Sub-Committees, with the exception of the Convener, need not necessarily be members of the District Executive Committee.
f) Any Executive Committee member absenting themself from three consecutive meetings without a due reason will be deemed to have resigned.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
a) The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the District may be attended by up to three members of each Affiliated Club and shall be held no later than the 30th May of each year unless exceptional circumstances prevail. In calling the meeting, all Affiliated Clubs shall be given at least Fourteen days written notice of the date and location of the meeting and shall be provided with a copy of the Agenda for the meeting, along with a copy of the minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting.
b) The Chair of the Annual General Meeting shall be the President or, in their absence, the Vice-President, or after that any other person the Executive Committee see fit to appoint.
c) The business of the Annual General Meeting shall include:
d) Quorum: Six Affiliated Clubs shall form a quorum.
e) Voting: Voting shall be confined to affiliated clubs only, subject to Rule 8 of this Constitution. Each club shall have one vote which shall be exercised by their nominated representative. In the event of a tie, the Chair shall have the casting vote.
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING:
a) An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by the order of the District Executive Committee, or on receipt of a requisition signed by the official representatives (President, Secretary, Treasurer or equivalent) of not less than three affiliated Clubs.
b) The meeting shall take place within Twenty-One days of the receipt of said requisition.
c) In calling an Extraordinary General Meeting, at least Fourteen days written notice shall be given to all affiliated Clubs, who should also receive a copy of the resolutions to be proposed at the meeting.
d) No business other than that intimated in the notice calling the meeting, or incidental thereto, shall be discussed at the meeting.
e) The rules regarding Chair, Quorum and Voting shall be as in Rule 4.
FINANCE:
a) The Financial Year of the District shall run from 1st September to 31st August of the following year.
b) The accounts, which shall be kept by the Treasurer, shall be audited by an Auditor appointed for the purpose at the Annual General Meeting.
c) The Balance Sheet, with the Auditors doquet thereon, shall be submitted to the Annual General Meeting immediately following the closure of the accounts.
d) Copies of the Certified Accounts shall be sent to the members of the Executive Committee and to each affiliated Club at least Seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
DISTRICT FUNDS:
The Funds of the District shall be lodged in a Bank in the name of West District of the Scottish Hockey Union. Funds may be drawn on the authority of any of the following:
AFFILIATION FEES:
a) Each affiliated Club shall pay to the District an Annual Subscription, the amount of which shall be fixed annually.
b) Subscription payments will be requested by the Treasurer in two parts, normally in November and March each year.
c) Any new club will be liable to pay their annual subscription in full no later than fourteen days after receipt of request.
d) Any Club whose due subscription fee has not been paid in full prior to the AGM or an EGM shall be liable to removal from the District.
MINUTES:
a) Minutes shall be made containing details of resolutions and the proceedings of all meetings of the District.
b) Such minutes shall either at the meeting or at some subsequent meeting, be approved by the Chairperson and shall be conclusive evidence of the correctness of the entry.
c) If deemed appropriate, extracts of meetings may be circulated to affiliated clubs.
SCOTTISH HOCKEY UNION OFFICE BEARERS AND STAFF:
a) Any of the Office Bearers or Staff of Scottish Hockey Union Limited shall be entitled to attend any meeting of the District after first notifying the President or Vice-President.
b)With the exception of those persons who are also members of an affiliated District club, these individuals shall not speak at such a meeting unless invited to do so. Neither shall such person or persons exercise a vote at the meeting.
LEAGUE HOCKEY:
League Hockey shall be played under the Governing Authority of West District, and in accordance with the rules and conditions formulated by the District in the Competition Byelaws.
DISCIPLINE:
a) The administration and control of the game shall be in accordance with the powers delegated to the District through the Constitution of the Scottish Hockey Union. The District shall be empowered to take action against affiliated clubs and/or members of said clubs who are deemed to have broken the rules or spirit of the game.
b) Any decision reached in the first instance by the Discipline Officer or by a group set up by the District to investigate a matter may be appealed.
c) The fee for any appeal will be £150.
ALTERATION OF THE CONSTITUTION:
a) Any proposed alteration to the District Constitution or Competition Byelaws shall be proposed and seconded by at least two affiliated clubs, or by the Executive Committee. A notice of such suggested alterations shall normally be placed upon the agenda of an AGM or EGM called in accordance with Rule 5 of the Constitution of the District.
b) Alternatively, to ensure the District Executive are not restricted to making alterations only at an AGM or EGM any proposed changes may also be done by voting electronically i.e. by email.
c) Failure of an affiliated club to respond to an electronic vote shall be deemed as support for the suggested alterations.
d) No alteration to the Constitution shall be accepted unless supported by at least a two-thirds majority of affiliated clubs.
DISSOLUTION OF THE DISTRICT:
a) The District may only be dissolved by at least a two-thirds majority of affiliated clubs members casting their votes at an EGM, the notice of which specified the proposal to dissolve the group.
b) Any funds or assets remaining after the proper payment of all debts and liabilities shall be given to another recognised organisation that has similar aims to those of the District.
c) In the event that effect cannot be given to this provision any remaining assets shall be applied to some other charitable aim or aims, as the membership shall decide.
