Rules

1 NAME

The League shall be called the Southport and District Badminton League.

2 OBJECTS

The objects of the League shall be:-

(a)   to promote badminton generally in Southport and District.

(b)   to take any action to further the interests of badminton.

(c)   to ensure that affiliated members observe:

(i)    the Laws of Badminton

(ii)   the regulations of the World Federation and of Badminton England

(iii)  the regulations of the Lancashire County Badminton Association

3 CONSTITUTION

The League shall be affiliated to the Lancashire B.A. Members eligible for affiliation to the League at the discretion of the League Management Executive shall be:-

(a)   clubs of which at least one of the objects is badminton and which have their headquarters and courts in Southport and district. The Executive shall determine the effective district boundary.

(b)   Schools and Youth Associations whose member clubs have an age limit of 21 years. Such members clubs need not affiliate themselves directly, but unless so affiliated shall not be entitled to the privileges of affiliation

(c)   Schools and Youth Clubs whose members have an age limit of 21 years.

(d)   Individuals, known as private members, who shall:

(i)    pay an annual subscription

(ii)   receive copies of all league circulars

(iii)  be eligible to attend League Meetings

(iv)  be eligible to vote and hold office

(v)   be eligible to enter the Veterans Tournament only, subject to the rules of that tournament.

(e) Honorary Life Members

Individual members of individual clubs and associations are by the fact itself indirect members of the League.

4 ADMINISTRATION

4A (i) The management of the League shall be vested in a Management Executive consisting of:-

(a)   the officers of the League which shall be the President, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

(b)   six members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting to one of the following functions:- League Match Chairman, Cups and Shields Chairman, Tournaments Chairman, League Registration Officer, Discipline and Courts Chairman and Junior League Officer.

(ii) Six members shall form a quorum at any Management Executive Meeting.

(iii) All retiring members of the League Management Executive shall be eligible for re-election.

(iv) Officers and members of the League Management Executive upon retirement shall be ex- officio of the League Management Executive for one year unless the League Management Executive shall otherwise decide.

(v) The Chairman shall have the casting vote at all meetings of the Executive.

4B (i) The League Management Executive shall have the power to transact the general business of the League.

(ii) The League Management Executive shall have the power to:-

(a)   fill any casual vacancy arising

(b)   elect at any time any number of Vice Presidents of the League, to hold office for such a period as the League  Management Executive may determine.

(c)   take any steps which they consider necessary for the purpose of enforcing any subscription or fines payable or imposed under any rules for the time being of the League

(d)   admit individuals to League membership

(e)   elect Honorary Life Members who may attend meetings of the League Management Executive

(f)    appoint and delegate powers to Committees and also permit each Committee Chairman to appoint annually, co-opted members to their Committee from outside the League Management Executive with the approval of the League Management Executive.      

(iii) The League Management Executive shall meet not less than three times annually. Meetings shall be called at the discretion of the Chairman or at the request in writing of at least six members of the League Management Executive.

5 THE LEAGUE

5A General

(i)    The League for which all officers and League Management Executive members shall hold office, and during which the membership and registration of all clubs and players shall subsist shall be from the 1st day of May in one year to the 30th April the following year.

(ii)   Applications for membership to the League for any year must be delivered to the general Secretary not later than 30th day of April preceding the year concerned. First applications must be accompanied by the prescribed entrance fee and details of the Clubs insurance cover which is compulsory.

(iii)  an annual subscription shall be paid by each member club.

(iv)  where a Club has entered a number of teams in the League and then request permission to withdraw any particular team after the Division has been formed by the League Management Executive such requests may be submitted to the League Management for arbitration. The decision of the League Management Executive based on all relevant facts shall be final. The team registration fee and an administration fee, as determined by the League Management Executive shall be paid.

5B Structure

(i)    The League shall consist of one or more divisions as the League Management Executive shall determine.

(ii)   The League Management Executive shall form divisions at its first meeting when it may reconstitute the divisions.

5C Competition

The regulations for Competitions can be found under Regulations Appendix.

6 GENERAL MEETINGS

The Annual General Meeting of the League shall be held in the month of April on a day and at a place and time appointed by the League Management Executive for the adoption of the report and final accounts, any alteration to rules, the election of Officers and members of the League Management Executive as required under Rule 4A, the election of the Honorary Auditor and such other business as may be transacted in a general meeting.

(a)   All items to be placed on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting, including nominations for the Officers and other members of the League Management Executive, shall be sent to the General Secretary so as to reach him/her not later than 28th February in the same year.

(b)   Not less than 14 days notice of any general meeting shall be given. Written notification to each affiliated club secretary, which shall include the agenda for the meeting shall be deemed to be sufficient notice of the Annual General Meeting.

(c)   An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened upon a resolution of the League Management Executive or at the written request to the General Secretary of not less than 20 members being representative of at least 6 member clubs. Such requests shall state the purpose for which the meeting is required and no other business shall be transacted. The meeting shall be held within one month of such requisition being received by the General Secretary and the notice and agenda shall be circulated to all member club secretaries at least 14 days in advance.

(d)   Accidental omission to give the required notice to any Club Secretary shall not invalidate the proceedings at a general meeting.

(e)   All registered players of the League shall be entitled to attend and vote at any general meetings of the League.

(f)    Voting shall be by a show of hands unless any 6 persons present (who are entitled to vote) demand a ballot.

(g)   No members may vote by proxy.

(h)   No individual may have more than one vote, except the Chairman of a meeting who shall have a casting vote.

(i)    At all General Meetings 20 members entitled to vote shall form a quorum.

(j)    If there is no quorum for:-

(i)    an Extraordinary General Meeting, the motion(s)  on the agenda shall be deemed to have been defeated and the meeting concluded.

(ii)   an Annual General Meeting, it shall be adjourned and another notification shall be circulated without a time restriction. At the adjourned meeting the members present shall form a quorum.

7 FINANCE

(a)   The Financial year of the League shall end on 31st March.

(b)   Annual subscriptions shall be paid by 1st October in each league year. The club subscriptions are:

(i)    League entrance fee (New Clubs only)

(ii)   Club annual subscriptions shall.

(iii)  Team registration fee.

(iv)  Junior team registration fee.

All rates will be advised by the League Treasurer to every Club Treasurer by 31st July of the current season.

(c) No player may participate in any Cup, League, Tournament or Shield event until the players Badminton England fees have been remitted to Badminton England. Additionally, the players LCBA fees should have been remitted to the League Treasurer. All rates will be advised to every Club Treasurer 31st July of the current season.

(d) All monies due to the League shall be deemed to be owing to the League Treasurer.

(e) Any Club whose annual subscriptions, as in “b” above remain unpaid after 1st October each year shall be liable to such a penalty as the League Management Executive may decide.

(f) The League accounts shall be audited within two months of the end of the financial year and shall be available for inspection upon request by any registered league member.

(g) A copy of the final accounts for the year just ended shall be produced at the Annual General Meeting and shall be suitably classed if not audited.

8 APPEALS

(a)   Any club or player shall have the right to appeal to the League Management Executive on any matter. An appeal must be submitted to the League Secretary, who shall acknowledge receipt and liaise with the club/player regarding the date and venue of the appeal being heard. Any such appeal shall be dealt with by an appeals committee and their decision shall be final.

(b)   When an appeal is received, an appeals committee, with a minimum of 3 members, will be made up from Officers/Members of the League Management Executive, or should circumstances demand, co-opted member(s) of Committees, as necessary, of the League Management Executive in accordance with the requirements of C below. The Chair of the appeals committee must always be an Officer/Member of the League Management Executive.

(c)   No member of an appeals committee established in B above can consider an appeal if they have (i) been involved to any degree in the original decision taken by the League Management Executive or by one of its committees which has prompted the appeal or (ii) has any connection with the club(s) or player(s) who has made the appeal.

9 RULES

Any matters not provided for by these rules shall be dealt with by the League Management Executive who shall be the sole authority for the interpretation thereof, provided that any decision given by a general meeting shall be binding. Any addition to, or interpretation of these rules made by League Management Executive shall only be operative until the Annual General Meeting of the League when they shall be reported to such meeting for confirmation or otherwise. No amendment or alteration of these rules shall be made except at a General Meeting.