CLUB CONSTITUTION
1. TITLE
The title of the club shall be MILLWALL RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB to be known as Millwall Rugby Club.
2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of Millwall Rugby Club shall be:
To promote the sport of rugby union within the borough of Tower Hamlets.
To compete in the Essex RFU (or other) Rugby Union League and to seek regular weekly fixtures for our members to participate in.
To encourage participation amongst local people and to strive to increase our membership and playing strength.
To initiate a youth policy on the Isle of Dogs and to develop youth teams.
To work in conjunction with and to support other local sporting clubs.
3. MEMBERSHIP
The membership of the club shall consist of Honorary Members, Life Members, Full Members, Social Members and Youth Members, and is open to anyone who expresses an interest in Millwall Rugby Club and pays the appropriate annual registration fee.
4. ELECTED OFFICERS
The following Club Officers and roles shall be elected annually at the club’s AGM:
Club Chairman
Men's Chair
Ladies Chair
Youth Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Clubhouse Officer
Communications Officer
General Committee Member 1
General Committee Member 2
Social Secretary
Fixture Secretary
Plus, one team manager for each adult men’s and women’s team
Item 6 of this constitution defines the elected officer positions which sit on and vote at the Club’s Management Committee.
4.1 A minimum Club Management Committee, of four people must be elected at the AGM in order that committee meetings can be held with a quorum.
4.2 It is possible for a committee member to stand and be elected for more than one committee role if the electing members believe this to be in the interests of the club
4.3 Every effort shall be made at the AGM to ensure that the positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are filled, and where not possible, the committee must make all reasonable efforts to fill them by cooption at the next committee meeting or by calling another General Meeting if need be for the purpose of doing this.
4.4 If any elected officer positions remain unelected at an AGM, it is acceptable for another elected officer to agree to take on the vacant position if agreed at a meeting of the Club Management Committee.
4.5 Any elected officer positions remaining vacant after a General Meeting, which are not filled in accordance with 4.4 may be filled by cooption of another suitable candidate at the committee’s discretion.
4.6 In the interests of good governance, the positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall not be held by fewer than 3 distinct (different) people.
5. MEETINGS
5.1 An Annual General Meeting of Millwall Rugby Club shall be held between April and August of each year in order to:
i. Receive reports of the work carried out by Millwall Rugby Club and its management committee in the previous year.
ii. Receive a duly prepared financial statement for the preceding financial year.
iii. Elect Honorary officers of Millwall Rugby Club
iv. Elect members to serve on management committee.
v. Review membership and receive a list of members.
5.2 Special General Meetings of Millwall Rugby Club shall be called as required.
5.3 Fourteen (14) days notice of all General Meetings must be given by the Secretary and must include notice of the business proposed. The Secretary is to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the notice reaches all members.
5.4. The quorum of a General Meeting of Millwall Rugby Club shall be 10 or one fifth of the membership, whichever is the lesser (in either case attending in person).
5.5. Where a quorum is present, the Secretary may accept votes cast by proxy according to procedures, previously agreed by the Management Committee, which have been clearly set out and distributed with the notice of the business proposed.
5.6. Where there is only one candidate for election to any post on the Millwall Rugby Club Management Committee, a vote should still be taken in the normal manner. To be elected, the candidate should receive 50% or greater of the votes cast (including proxy and/or email votes where these are allowed). Where the candidate fails to achieve this level of support, the post remains unfilled and should subsequently be filled by another member co-opted at the discretion of the Management Committee and without recourse to a General Meeting, except in exceptional circumstances where the Chairman (or Secretary, where there is no Chairman) decides that the post should be filled by due election at a General Meeting (or AGM)
5.7. The voting for the positions of Team Managers is restricted to people who are eligible to play for the team concerned. To this effect only paid up full (playing) members are permitted to vote for Team Managers and only in the section for which they are eligible to play. No social member is permitted to vote in the election of a Team Manager. No male playing member is permitted to vote for the election of a Women’s team manager position and no female playing member is permitted to vote for the election of a Men’s team manager position.
6. MANAGEMENT
6.1 The management of the Club shall be conducted by the members of the Club Management Committee, which is made of the following elected Club Officers:
Club Chairman
Men's Chair
Ladies Chair
Youth Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Clubhouse Officer
Communications Officer
General Committee Member 1
General Committee Member 2
6.1.a The Club Management Committee may delegate authority to subcommittees.
6.1.b The Club Management Committee has the right to veto or amend the decision made by any subcommittee.
6.1.c Any main Club Management Committee member has the right to attend and vote at any subcommittee meeting. This is intended to prevent CMC meeting time being consumed in overturning decisions made by subcommittees.
6.1.d Any Club Management Committee member or subcommittee member holding more than one position shall only have one vote at committee or subcommittee meetings.
6.2 Where any elected officer fails to attend three (3) consecutive meetings of the Millwall Rugby Club Management Committee, without reasonable excuse (as determined by the Management Committee), the said officer shall be replaced by another representative co-opted at the discretion of the Management Committee and without recourse to a General Meeting.
6.2.a Where any elected officer fails, in the opinion of a majority of the other elected officers present at a duly convened Club Management Committee Meeting, to fulfil the duties of his post to a reasonable standard, or is deemed to be causing unnecessary delay or impediment to the general work of the Committee, the Secretary (or the Chairman if the Secretary is the officer in question) should serve a notice of intent to that person, clearly indicating that a vote to dismiss the official under this rule will be taken, after due discussion, at the following Committee meeting (not less than 21 days from the date of the notice). Where an officer is dismissed after a vote under this rule, the said officer shall be replaced by another representative co-opted at the discretion of the Management Committee and without recourse to a General Meeting. No more than 2 officers may be dismissed under this rule in any period between General Meetings.
6.2b Where any elected officer resigns his/her post on the Millwall Rugby Club Management Committee, the said officer shall be replaced by another representative co-opted at the discretion of the Management Committee and without recourse to a General Meeting, except in exceptional circumstances where the Chairman (or Secretary, where there is no Chairman) decides that the post should be filled by due election at a General Meeting or AGM. No more than 2 officers may be co-opted under this rule in any period between General Meetings.
6.3 The Management Committee shall meet not less than quarterly. It shall conduct the general business of Millwall Rugby Club and shall have power to undertake any proposal it deems fit to benefit and enhance the standing of Millwall Rugby Club.
6.4 A quorum of a meeting of the Management Committee shall be no less than four (4). No business shall be conducted unless a quorum is present.
6.5 The Committee-Elect shall takeover the management of the Club effective 6 weeks after the date the AGM is held, or sooner if agreed at a full committee meeting in the intervening period.
7. FINANCE
7.1 All members (except Life Members or Honorary Members) shall be required to pay an annual membership fee.
7.2 The income and property of Millwall Rugby Club shall be applied solely towards the carrying out of the objectives of Millwall Rugby Club as set out in this constitution.
7.3 The Treasurer shall control the finance of Millwall Rugby Club and present a financial statement at each meeting of the Management Committee and at the Annual General Meeting.
7.4 The financial year shall run from 1st April until 31st March following.
8. DISCIPLINE
8.1 Millwall Rugby Club shall adopt the rules and regulations as set by the Rugby Football Union regarding players’ conduct, which are freely available from the club.
8.2 Any member wishing to be considered as a player shall be deemed to have read and agreed to abide by the said rules.
8.3 All fines, suspensions and punishments will be set according to Rugby Football Union guidelines.
9. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY
9.1. Millwall Rugby Club is committed to equality of opportunity.
9.2 All members are welcomed purely on their interest to become involved with the sport of rugby union and no restriction on membership shall be made on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, sex/age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religion or be disadvantaged by any conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.
10. SERVICE DELIVERY
10.1 Millwall Rugby Club is committed to carrying out its activities in accordance with the principles of its equal opportunities policy and the objectives of this constitution.
10.2 Every attempt will be made to ensure that no-one is excluded, either intentionally or unintentionally, from participating in or benefiting from its activities.
11.ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION
11.1 This constitution may not be altered without a resolution properly proposed, seconded and approved by a vote of a General Meeting of Millwall Rugby Club.
11.2 A resolution to alter the constitution must be received by the General Secretary at least 21 days prior to the meeting at which the resolution is brought forward.
11.3 14 days notice of such a meeting must be given by the Secretary to the members and must include notice of the alterations proposed.
12. DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS BY WAY OF RECONSTRUCTION
A proposal that the Club distribute its assets by way of a scheme of reconstruction to a limited company with similar objectives to the Club and then dissolve, shall be passed if supported by two thirds or more of those members present and voting at an annual general meeting.
Last altered at AGM 2022