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Constitution and Rules of Aurora Field Archery Club

Name

 

The club is called Aurora Field Archery Club (known as ‘Aurora’) and will be registered with the National Field Archery Society (NFAS).

 

Aims and objectives

 

The aims and objectives of the club will be:

 

  • To foster and promote the sport of field archery for ALL styles, abilities and ages (both amateur and professional, especially within the family).

  • To promote the club within the local community and Archery in general.

  • To manage the Shooting grounds (known as ‘The woods’) within the limits of the permit issued by the Landlord

  • To offer coaching designed to acquaint both archers and non-archers in the safe use of all forms of archery equipment for recreation ONLY.

  • To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club.

  • To foster the spirit of goodwill, fellowship and sportsmanship among archers.

  • To ensure that all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment.

  • Aurora will not support in any way the use of the bow for the purpose of hunting game.  This is illegal in the UK.

 

The Executive Committee

 

  • The club will be managed through an Executive Committee consisting of the following Executive Officers:​

Martin Joy

Chairperson

ken Sparhan

Secretary

Garry Egglestone

Treasurer

Steffan Britton

Field Officer

Spencer Phillips

Marketing Officer

Dave Clarke

Officer

Nadine Eastall

Officer

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  • The Executive Committee shall have a life term of office and cannot be removed from office other than by unanimous impeachment by fellow Executive officers or by voluntary resignation.

  • Every 3 years, commencing Oct ’24, members of the executive Committee will be approached by the Chairman to ascertain if they wish to remain on the Committee.  Should they wish to resign from the Committee they will be free to do so.

  • Election of any member to the Executive committee shall be within the remit of the Executive Committee by unanimous vote.

  • Any officer wishing to resign from the Executive Committee must do so in writing to The Chair giving a minimum of one month Notice.

 

Membership

 

  • Aurora shall be defined as a PRIVATE MEMBERS club.

  • All members of Aurora are required to become members of the NFAS and will be subject to the regulations and the constitutions and rules of both Aurora and of the NFAS that apply to their membership category.

 

Members will be enrolled under of the following categories:

Category
Criteria
Cub
11 years and under as of 1st of April
Junior
12 to 17 years and under as of 1st of April
Intermediate
18 to 25 years and under as of 1st of April
Adult
26 years and over as of 1st of April
Associate
Non-shooting member

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  • HONORARY LIFE MEMBER - Granted at the discretion of the Executive Committee to any deserving person for outstanding contribution to the promotion of Field Archery or Aurora Field Archery Club.   Honorary members have all the rights, privileges and requirements of a Full Member save that they be exempted club membership fees.

 

New Members

 

  • Applications for membership must be made to and be approved by the Executive Committee. All applications require a Proposer and a Seconder at least one of which must be a member of the Executive Committee. 

  • A unanimous vote in favour by the entire Executive Committee is required for a successful application for membership.

  • Aurora reserves the right not to render any information to unsuccessful applicants with regard to the reasons for refusal of membership.

  • Any novice seeking shooting membership of Aurora shall be required to undergo a formal Beginners’ Course and be assessed as competent and safe by an Aurora Coach prior to application. Any practising archer must be assessed as competent and safe by an Aurora Coach prior to application.

 

Membership fees

 

  • All members, other than Honorary Life Members, will pay a Membership fee.

  • Subscription fees are to be paid to the Treasurer annually.  Membership fees will be set annually by the Executive Committee.

  • Fees will be paid: annually by 1st April each year.

  • Any Member who, without reasonable excuse or without a prior arrangement agreed by the Membership Secretary and/or Treasurer, defaults from making prompt payments despite written reminders shall cease to be a member of Aurora.

 

Business of the Executive Committee

 

  • The Executive Committee may meet together for the dispatch of business as they see fit.

  • The quorum required for business to be agreed at Executive Committee meetings will be 4 or 3 if considering matters of executive impeachment.

  • The Executive Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation of the club. It will have power to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business.

  • Any matters arising at any such meeting, will be decided by majority vote, The Chair shall have a casting vote.  Any club member may make a representation to the Executive Committee and The Chair may consider that representation and may convene a meeting of the Executive Committee if he considers it appropriate. All proceedings of Executive meetings will be recorded and these records may be made available to any full member of Aurora upon written request. Application for copies of the records must be made in writing to the General Secretary, who shall decide, having in the first instance consulted at least two of the Executive members, as to whether or not it is within the interests of Aurora that the documents be released.  Meetings of the Executive Committee may or may not be “open”, except where the Executive Committee decides in advance that a meeting or part of a meeting shall be held in camera.

  • All Members of the Executive Committee or their appointed officers shall declare to The Executive Committee, any interest, that could cause the Executive Committee to believe would influence his impartiality and or be to the detriment of Aurora. The Executive Committee reserve the right to insist upon his abstention from voting on any issue they believe would be detrimental and or so influenced.

 

Annual general meetings

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  • There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) called by the Executive Committee annually at a time fixed by the Executive Committee. The AGM will receive a report from all the Officers of the Executive Committee and a statement of the accounts.

  • Notification that an AGM is to take place must be made to all members through an Official Aurora Publication or memorandum 1 week prior to the date of the meeting.

  • All matters for inclusion on the Agenda of the AGM must reach The Chair at least 5 days before the date of the meeting.

  • The AGM Agenda must be published and circulated for the attention of the membership prior to the meeting.

  • Only matters shown on the Agenda and any matters arising from the Executive Committee may be discussed and or voted upon at the AGM. Only fully paid-up and Honorary, Adult, shooting members of Aurora have the right to vote at the AGM.   

                                   

Extra-ordinary General Meetings

 

  • An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting shall be called by The Chair if they feel that the matters to be put are appropriate and within the remit of a General Meeting and or are within the interests of Aurora. This may be “open” or held in camera.

                                                                                                                                       

Discipline and appeals

 

  • All complaints regarding the behaviour of members/officers should be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee.

  • The Executive Committee will meet ‘in camera’ to hear complaints within 30 days of a complaint being lodged.

  • The Executive Committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership, if the complaint is upheld.

  • The outcome of a disciplinary hearing will be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member(s) against whom the complaint was made within 30 days of the hearing.

  • Any breach or non-compliance of the Constitution of Aurora or the NFAS or any actions or activities that in the opinion of the Executive Committee are found to be detrimental to Aurora shall constitute a Disciplinary Offence.

  • Any member who, in the opinion of the Executive Committee, commits any act of serious gross and or criminal misconduct shall be expelled from the club immediately without appeal or return of any paid fees.

  • Any member charged with a non serious Disciplinary Offence shall be so informed in writing as to the nature of the Offence and that, if appropriate, a Disciplinary Board is to be convened and may if he/she so wishes make an initial reply in writing.

  • Wherein The Executive Committee finds that it is appropriate, it may temporarily suspend the accused's membership immediately, pending the attendance of the Disciplinary Board.

  • The Disciplinary Board shall consist of three members of The Executive Committee presided over by The Chair. The Chair shall act as judge and arbitrator ensuring that the fair and due processes of the proceedings and the Constitution are observed. The Board will consider its verdict in private and prior to informing the accused member, render the verdict to The Chair together with any recommendation as to the sanctions to be taken.

  • The Chair will then deliver the verdict of the Board and rule on any sanctions to be taken. Wherein the Board finds an offence to be proven it may act by recommending the expulsion or suspension from Aurora or otherwise censuring the accused in anyway they think would be appropriate. The Board shall be held in camera, unless otherwise requested by the accused and agreed by the Board.

  • If the accused fails to attend the Disciplinary Hearing without reasonable excuse then it can be heard and any appropriate action taken in their absence.

  • The findings of the board and the subsequent sanctions shall be conclusive and there shall be no right of appeal unless it can be shown that the decision of the Board was made in ignorance of evidence not available to them at the time of the Disciplinary Board; or that new credible evidence subsequently comes to light. Any appeal must be lodged within 7 days of disciplinary action being notified.

 

Disqualification and/or Dismissal of Executive Officers

 

An Executive may be dismissed from his position;

 

  • If he becomes permanently medically unfit to carry his duties.

  • If he ceases to be a member of Aurora.

  • If he ceases to be a member of the NFAS.

  • If he is found guilty of a Disciplinary Offence and is subsequently removed from Office or required to resign from Office by a Disciplinary Board and or The Executive Committee.

  • If it is considered to be in the interests of Aurora.

 

Discipline Proceedings and Impeachment of an Executive Officer

 

  • Wherein the accused is a member of Executive Committee then the complaint shall be placed, in writing in the first instance, to The Chair, or any other Executive Committee member wherein the accused shall be the former, who shall convene and preside over an Impeachment Committee consisting of the remaining members of the Executive Committee and any two ordinary members of Aurora chosen by and approved by the remaining members of the Executive Committee..

  • The Committee shall consider the credibility of the charges brought against the accused and having so considered their findings will vote upon whether there is a charge to answer and as to whether Impeachment is the appropriate action; the required vote for any such action being carried by a unanimous verdict.

  • In cases whereby the Committee decides that an offence has been committed and that impeachment would be inappropriate and or not in the interests of Aurora then it may impose any other sanction it sees fit short of impeachment proceedings and or expulsion from Aurora.

  • The Impeachment Committee shall sit in camera with the accused permitted to be present and give account or mitigation related to the matters brought before it.

  • In the case whereby the Committee votes on the Impeachment of an accused and chooses not to act, it may call a General Meeting of all members of Aurora and place before them the evidence both for and against the accused and may call for a General Vote by all members, the majority vote.

 

Finance

 

  • The financial affairs of Aurora shall be administered and supervised by the Treasurer. The Treasurer will carry out his/her duties in accordance with the wishes of the Executive Committee.

  • Aurora is a non profit making Archery Club. All monies funds and or fees by way of gratuities favours donations sponsorship merchandising advertising endorsements that are made in favour of or received by or on behalf of Aurora, shall become and remain the property of Aurora to be reinvested into Aurora and shall be given to the Treasurer; and that no distribution of any such funds shall be made to any member or third party.

  • One bank account shall be maintained in the name of “Aurora FAC”. The Treasurer and one other committee member will be signatories of Aurora FAC cheques money orders drafts transfers or any form of monies or funds transmission from accounts held in the name of and or to the benefit and or to the favour of Aurora.

  • All expenses incurred by Aurora and its Officers must have prior approval by the Executive Committee except wherein the payment is for minor sundries required for the day to day administration Aurora and whereupon the Treasurer may act alone and at his/her discretion.

  • Wherein any cheque or money order made to the debit of the account held by Aurora shall exceed five hundred pounds a short report to the effect must be prepared and passed to the General Secretary for archiving.

  • The Treasurer will prepare and submit a report every six months to the Executive Committee and annually to the AGM indicating the financial position budget requirements and projections of Aurora.

  • The financial year of the club will end on 31st March.

 

Dissolution

 

  • Resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed by the Executive Committee through a unanimous vote of the Executive Officers.

  • In the event that Aurora shall be dissolved, disbanded or cease to be an Archery Club then all it’s monies and assets, save for those to be made in favour of creditors, shall be become the property of the membership and at the AGM/EGM a decision will be made on how the remaining monies and assets will be administered within the membership.

 

Copyright

 

  • The Official Badges Emblems, Club Uniform and Logos of Aurora shall be the sole property and copyright of Aurora. It shall be prohibited for any person to manufacture publish copy or make any facsimile, lend alter deface proffer for use or merchandise or use for the purpose of merchandising and or any advertisement or endorsement any of the Official Badges Emblems and Logos of the Aurora, either current or yet to be, without permission of Executive Committee.

 

Amendments to the constitution

 

  • The Alteration and amendments to this Constitution may only be made by the unanimous vote of the Executive Committee of Aurora, and only if any such alterations and amendments are determined by the Executive Committee to be within the interests of Aurora.

 

  • The Executive Committee may, without giving prior notice, amend, suspend, alter; and or repeal any part of this constitution if it considers it to be within the interests of Aurora.     

 

Declaration

 

Aurora Field Archery Club hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

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