Suffolk County Cricket Board

1. NAME
 The organisation shall be called the Suffolk Cricket Board Grounds Association.

The Association shall exist under the aegis of the SCBGA and will function and operate with the authority of the Suffolk Cricket Board.

2. AIMS
 The Association will be a not-for-profit organisation with the following aims and objectives:
• To work in partnership with appropriate individuals, suppliers and agencies to develop both Groundsmen and playing surfaces for all clubs and facilities affiliated to the Suffolk Cricket Board.
• The Association will, so far as resources shall permit, assume responsibility within the county of Suffolk for:
a)  Grounds / facility preparation education.
b)  Groundsmanship development activities and programmes.
c)  Any other related matters in compliance with the initiatives, aims and objectives of the           ECB and the Suffolk Cricket Board, provided always that they are in the best interests of the Association and to the benefits of its members and the preparation of pitches and cricket facilities for the playing and practicing of the game of cricket in general.

3. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Association will be specified in a yearly development plan incorporated in the Suffolk Cricket Board Development Plan and will include the requirements and initiatives of the ECB Development Plans. 

4. MEMBERSHIP
Membership will include Club Groundsmen, whether volunteers or professionals and or other representatives of the Suffolk Cricket Board, schools and Local Authorities.

Membership will be open to all Suffolk based groundmen from affiliated clubs and other agencies provided they have paid the appropriate level of membership fee to the Suffolk Cricket Board.

There will be a category of Suffolk Grounds Association membership fee, which will reflect entitlement to membership of the Association.  This will be set each year and will be based upon the benefits that arise from membership.

5. MANAGEMENT
 The business of the Association shall be vested in a General Committee consisting of:
• Chairman
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• 5 Committee members

All officers and committee members will be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

In addition to the powers of authority vested in this Constitution, the committee may undertake acts in the furtherance of aims for which this Association is established and are not hereby directly expressed.

The General Committee shall meet as required and at least seven days notice of a meeting will be given.

6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association shall be held on a date to be determined by the General Committee, but will normally be held in FEBRUARY of each year.

At least twenty one days notice shall be given of the AGM in writing to all members, accompanied by the Agenda and any papers signifying the specific business to be discussed, which shall include:
• Confirmation of the minutes of the previous AGM and any business arising there from.
• Annual Reports
• Audited Balance Sheet and Treasurer’s Report
• Election of Executive Officers
• Notified amendments to the Constitution
• Annual Membership Fee.
• Any item duly notified in writing to the Secretary by a member 28 days prior to the meeting.

7. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
By simple majority of the General Committee, or at least three members, an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be convened by the Secretary.  At least seven days notice in writing shall be given to all members together with details of the issue to be discussed.

8. VOTING
At all meetings a member shall be entitled to one vote.  In the event of an equal vote, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.  Voting at all meetings shall be a show of hands except where the General Committee or meeting Chairman decides that the voting shall be by a ballot.  At all meetings, decisions shall be by a simple majority.

9. QUORUM
 The quorum at all meetings shall consist of a minimum of four members.

10. FINANCE
The Associations financial year shall be 1 January – 31 December.  The Treasurer shall ensure that two of the following officers sign cheques – Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer.

11. SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions to the Association will be set by the Suffolk Cricket Board as part of the annual process of assessing categories of membership.  The level of this subscription will be advised by the Association following discussions at the Associations AGM.

12. SUSPENSION
The General Committee shall have the power to suspend, exclude or take other appropriate action against any member for contravention of the Constitution.

13. MONIES
No member may incur any expenditure on behalf of the Association that has not been previously approved by the General Committee.  Receipts must be obtained for all expenditure or arrangements made for an invoice to be submitted directly to the Treasurer.  The Treasurer will be given delegated financial authority for expenditure up to a figure set at the AGM.

14. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Amendment(s) to this Constitution shall only be made at the AGM / EGM with the specified notice in writing of the meeting together with the proposed amendment(s).

15. DISSOLUTION
If at any General Meeting of the Association a resolution is passed for the dissolution of the Association, a Special General Meeting shall be called not less than one month thereafter and such a resolution must then be endorsed by a majority of two thirds of members of the Association being present.  At such a date as shall have been specified in the resolution, the Committee shall proceed to release the assets of the Association and discharge all liabilities as specified in the resolution at the Special Meeting.

After discharging all debts and liabilities, the remaining assets shall be distributed for the furtherance of cricket development as nominated by the Suffolk Cricket Board.  Members will not benefit directly from the distribution of these assets.

Adopted (date)……………………………………………………

Chairman…………………………………………………………

Secretary…………………………………………………………