OPRFC - Club Rules

2. The objective of the club shall be to promote and provide facilities for the amateur sport of Rugby Football in West London, to support other sporting and social activities, and to help strengthen links between St.Benedict's school and the local community

3. The club shall be a member of the Rugby Football Union

4. Membership of the club will be open to both former pupils of St.Benedict's School and members of the public. The club operates an equal opportunities policy (see below). Membership of the club shall be divided into the following classes:-

Playing members
5. A playing member is considered to be a person who plays for and pays a subscription to the club and as such is entitled to vote at General meetings. The partner of a playing member shall enjoy all the privileges of club membership with the exception of voting rights.

Non-playing members
6. A non playing member is a person who has joined and pays a subscription to the club and is entitled to vote at General meetings

7. Every applicant for membership shall complete, sign and deliver to the relevant registration manager an application in writing in such form as may, from time to time, be prescribed by the executive committee. The Executive committee shall have the right to accept or reasonably reject any application only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members.

8. Each member shall pay an annual subscription and playing members shall pay a match fees. The subscriptions shall be set by the executive committee, which shall be renewed annually and a schedule of subscriptions published and presented at the Annual General meeting. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.

9. The annual subscription shall be payable, or a direct debit signed, on or before the 1st October in each year. The subscription of a member accepted after that date but before the end of the playing season shall be payable forthwith. Any member whose subscription is two months in arrears shall be liable to suspension by the executive committee

10 .In addition to an annual subscription match fees may be payable by all playing members, as determined by the executive committee

11. All surplus income or profits are re-invested in the Club. No surplus assets will be distributed to members or third parties.

12. The club shall be managed by the Executive Committee which shall consist of the President, Past Presidents, Club Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Club captain and all Vice Presidents.

13. The executive committee may, whilst retaining overall control delegate certain responsibilities and duties to any officer of the club or sub committee. The Executive Committee may at any time revoke or vary any such powers and duties.

14. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to borrow from appropriate sources funds for major projects related to the development of or improvement of The Club. A quorum for any such purpose shall be four, and at least three quarters of those present shall be required to vote in favour of the proposed borrowing. This shall be subject to a maximum borrowing of £20,000.

15. The executive Committee shall meet once monthly during the season and on such further occasions as may be thought fit.

16. No notice need to be given of any meeting of the Committee if the date, time and place has been fixed at the preceding meeting. The accidental omission to give notice to or the non receipt of notice by any member of the Executive Committee shall not invalidate the proceedings of any meeting for which notice was required.

17. An Annual General Meeting of The Club shall be held each year to consider the Accounts for the year ended 30th April and to transact any other business as may be specified in the Notice convening the Meeting. This shall be held no later than May

18. The officers of the club shall be elected at the Annual General meeting of the club to be held annually in May, and the persons so elected shall assume office from the date of the Annual General meeting for a period of 12 months. No person shall be eligible for election, unless he has been nominated by two members of The club and such nomination has been received by the Hon. Secretary on or before the preceding 17th March

19. The executive committee shall have power provided at least three quarters of the Members present at the meeting vote in favour: i) to fill any vacancy among the officers of The Club (ii) to fill any vacancy in, or appoint additional members to, the Executive Committee

20. An extraordinary general meeting of the club may be called by the executive committee any time and shall be called by the Executive Committee upon receipt by the Hon. Secretary of a demand in writing signed by 20 voting members. Should there not be this number of members then the number of members required shall be the number nearest to but not less than one-fifth of the total number of the members. The written proposals to be presented to the members shall accompany the demand for the EGM

21. Any General meeting of the club shall be called by giving not less than seven days notice in writing (or, where any alteration to the Rules is to be considered, not less than twenty-one days’ notice in writing) to every member. Such notice shall specify the nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting. The accidental omission to give notice or the non-receipt by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings. Any such notice may be given by post or email and published in the clubs website. Any notice so given to any member shall be taken as having been received by him on the day of sending

22. A resolution put to any General meeting shall be decided either on a show of hands or by a poll taken at the meeting and every voting member present at the meeting shall have one vote. In the event of any equality of votes on any resolution the Club Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. In the absence of the Club Chairman the Executive Committee will appoint a representative who will assume the powers of the club chairman.

23. True accounts shall be kept of the monies received and expended by the club and the matters in respect of which such receipts and the expenditure take place and of the assets and the liabilities of the club. The accounts to be presented at the Annual General meeting shall be examined and approved by an external auditor

24. All members when playing for the club, shall unless otherwise requested for some particular match wear the club’s dress i.e green and yellow jersey, black shorts, Black socks.

25. In each season the Club captain may award one first XV Honours cap and the executive committee may award three first XV hours caps. The executive committee may also award dates to any holder of an honours cap

26. The Executive Committee may suspend or expel any member for a breach of the rules or for conduct considered to be detrimental to the clubs welfare

27. Should the club be dissolved any surplus assets after discharge of debts and liabilities shall not be paid or distributed among members but shall be given or transferred to the Rugby Football Union or any club affiliated thereto which is a registered CASC or charity or divided in any proportions among any such bodies or clubs in order to further the provisions of facilities for playing Rugby Football and such application of surplus assets shall be determined by a General Meeting of The Club at or before the time of dissolution or otherwise by the RFU.

28. All playing members of the club are recommended to take out additional insurance, over and above the standard insurance provided by the RFU, in case of injury or disability.

29. The Executive Committee shall have power to deal with anything not provided for in the rules.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY STATEMENT

1.1. Old Priorians RFC is committed to admission and employment policies, procedures and practices which do not discriminate unfairly or unlawfully on the grounds of:

race, colour, ethnic or national origin
gender, marital status or domestic responsibilities
disability
age
sexual orientation
religious or political beliefs
poverty or social exclusion
gender re-assignment

1.2. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for:

determination of this Policy
monitoring of the effectiveness of the Policy and associated initiatives
implementation of initiatives in support of the Policy

1.3. All Club Members have an obligation to avoid discrimination and promote equal opportunities.

The objectives of the Club’s Equal Opportunities Policy are:

to ensure Club’s services are responsive to the community’s needs by ensuring that its membership and employees adequately reflect the community
to ensure that the Club makes best use of all of its facilities and all of its employees and potential employees' skills, talents and abilities in delivering services to the community.
to ensure that the Club fulfils its legal obligations under various equal opportunities legislation and complies with provisions contained in various Codes of Practice.