Club Constitution

Name

The name of the association shall be the Piranha Triathlon Club (hereinafter referred to as ‘PTC’)

Registration

PTC will be registered with Triathlon Ireland Ltd., the governing body of triathlon in Ireland.

Registered Office

The registered office of PTC shall be determined by the PTC’s committee at annually at the General Meeting.

Objectives

Promote, organise, develop, manage and administer the sport of triathlon.

Encourage and foster all level of triathlete within the club.

Prescribe, maintain and uphold the rules and regulations as set by Triathlon Ireland Ltd.

Affiliate with Triathlon Ireland Ltd. and any other organisations, as may be determined from time to time by the committee.

Generally do all things whatsoever for the benefit of triathlon which may be deemed expedient or which may be directly or indirectly incidental or ancillary to the other objects of PTC.

Membership

The committee may at its discretion accept affiliation from individual athletes or grouping of individual athletes forming teams of any type within PTC in circumstances defined in advance by the committee.

Application for membership shall be made in writing to PTC. Applicants shall supply such information as requested by the committee. All applications shall be considered by the committee which may, at its discretion, accept or refuse any such application (successful applicants shall hereinafter be referred to as “members”). A register of and members shall be maintained.

All members under the age of 18 but over the age of 15 must have a guardian sign their application to PTC. All applications coming for applicants under the age of 16 must be reviewed by the committee at the next committee meeting. Before any under 16 applicants can be accepted the club must first adopt the Triathlon Ireland Ltd. Code of ethics and ensure that the proper structures are in place.

Obligations and Misconduct

All members shall comply with the provisions of these rules and with any rules or regulations lawfully made under the authority of these rules, and with any direction lawfully given by PTC or by the committee.

In all cases of alleged misconduct by a “member” an inquiry shall be held by the committee which may impose such penalties as it may deem fit. In the interim the alleged member’s membership shall be suspended until the inquiry is held.

In all cases of proven doping infractions the committee shall impose such penalties as it may deem fit pursuant to the procedures contained in the Triathlon Ireland Ltd. Rule book.

Cessation of Membership

Any member shall cease to be a member of PTC:

By tendering his/her cessation to the committee in writing, but shall remain liable to PTC for all money owing and unpaid at the date of cessation.

Where the committee resolves it is satisfied that the member is unable to comply with the committee’s or Annual General Meeting’s requirements and notifies the member of that resolution.

Appeal Procedures

Except for breaches of the PTC sports drugs policy where the decision of the committee shall be final, there shall be a right of appeal against the decisions of the committee. Such appeal shall be made in writing within 28 days of the decision. All appeals shall be heard by a referee or tribunal, who shall be agreed between the parties concerned. In the event of the parties concerned not being able to agree on a referee or tribunal, within 10 days of the lodging of an appeal, such referee or tribunal shall be appointed by the PTC Chairman or PTC Treasurer in that order.

Life Membership

Where any person has rendered special service to PTC or to the sport of triathlon in Ireland, they may, on the nomination of the committee, be elected a life member of PTC at a General Meeting.

Meetings

General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held at such place and at such time as may be determined by the committee.

Not later than 30 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting, every member, shall be notified of the time, date and place of the meeting.

It is acceptable that a posting on the PTC website and a distributed email is acceptable for any notification.

Exceptional General Meeting shall be convened, at the request of the committee or within 60 days of the receipt of written requisition from not less than 25% of members. Such requisition shall set forth the purpose of such meeting. In the event of the committee not convening such meeting the requisitioners shall be entitled to convene the meeting themselves.

Not later than 30 days before the date of the Exceptional General Meeting, every, member, life member, and management committee member shall be notified by the Secretary of the time, date, place and purpose of the meeting.

Only committee and sub-committee members, members and life members shall be entitled to be heard and vote at General Meetings or Exceptional Meetings.

Business of the Annual General Meeting

The business of the Annual General Meeting shall include:

• Receipt and adoption of the Annual Report.
• Receipt and adoption of the Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure accounts.
• Election of Officers and Management Committee
• Appointment of an auditor.
• Election of life members (if any).
• Consideration of resolutions of which notice has been given.
• Transaction of any general business.

Members shall give notice in writing of any business to be discussed or resolutions to be considered at the Annual General Meeting no later than 28 days before the date of such meeting.

Not later than 14 days before the date of the Annual General meeting, member, committee member and life member shall be sent:

Copy of the Annual Report, Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Accounts for the previous year.

A schedule of Business in accordance with (a) and (b) above.

Quorum

At any General Meeting of PTC, delegates present and representing not less than 20% of the members shall constitute a quorum.

Chairperson

At all General Meetings the chairperson of the committee shall be entitled to take the chair. If the committee chairperson is absent, then another member of the committee shall take the chair. Any member disobeying the ruling of the Chair may be suspended for the period of the meeting by ordinary resolution of the meeting.

Voting

Except for that provided for in the Alteration to Rules section the business of PTC shall be decided by a simple majority of votes cast.

Each committee member shall have one vote.

Each individual member athlete affiliated under the rules of membership outlined in the Membership section shall have one vote.

Each life member shall have one vote. Provided that if any person is both a committee member and/or a life member and/or a member, they shall be entitled to only one vote.

A resolution put to the vote shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is demanded, before or on the declaration of the result.

Any poll called for shall be carried out as the chairperson shall direct.

The chairperson shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote.

Except where alternative arrangements for payment have been agreed to by the committee no member shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless all sums presently payable by that member in respect of subscriptions, fees, and other amounts due to PTC have been paid.

Officers

The following Officers of PTC shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting:

• Chairperson
• Treasurer
• Training Officer
• Events Officer
• Marketing Officer

The committee shall have power to fill vacancies arising during the year and to reinvent the list of required positions to be filled.

Committee

The committee shall consist of a maximum of eight members.

Fifty (50) percent (rounded down to whole numbers) of committee members shall form a quorum at meetings of the committee.

The Chairperson shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote.

Any committee member who fails to attend two (2) consecutive meetings of the committee without leave of absence shall forfeit their seat on the committee.

The committee may appoint a replacement committee member in the event of the death, resignation, or forfeiture of position of a committee member. Such replacement shall hold office for the remainder of the term of the member who was replaced.

Method of meeting: A meeting of the committee may be held either:

Physical Meeting: by a number of the committee members who constitute a quorum being assembled together at the place, date and time appointed for the meeting; or

Other Means: by means of audio, or audio and visual, communication by which all committee members participating and constituting a quorum can simultaneously hear each other throughout the meeting.

Functions and Powers of the Committee

The committee shall be responsible for carrying out the aims and objects of PTC, and shall have the following functions and powers in addition to those provided for elsewhere in these rules:

To formulate, adopt and monitor a strategic plan, which shall be presented at each Annual General Meeting.

To adopt and monitor an annual plan and financial budget.

To enter into an employment contract on such terms and conditions as the committee shall think fit and to adopt clearly defined delegations of authority from the committee.

To appoint any sub-committees and to delegate such powers and responsibilities as the committee deems appropriate to such sub-committees.

To impose any penalty upon any Member, who is found guilty of breaching any of the rules, by-laws, regulations of PTC or of refusing to give effect to any resolution passed by any General meeting or by the committee, or by actions that bring the club into disrepute.

To determine the process to apply in respect of the appointment of:

• Selectors
• Managers, Coaches and Captains of Teams
• Other positions as required.

To determine the fees payable by members each year.

To enter into contracts of insurance, sponsorship and other types of contracts as deemed appropriate to carry out the objects of PTC.

Such other powers as may be necessary or desirable to further the objects of PTC.

Finance and Annual Report

The financial year of PTC shall close on the 31st day of October in each year.

All monies received shall be paid to the credit of PTC at a bank or banks as determined by the committee.

All accounts shall be paid by cheque signed by any two of the persons authorised to do so by the committee.

The Annual Accounts shall be audited by an auditor, appointed at the Annual General Meeting, and who shall not hold any other office in PTC.

A report of the year’s activities together with the audited Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Account shall be prepared by the committee for presentation at the Annual General Meeting.

Alteration of the Rules

These rules may be amended, repealed, or replaced by a resolution passed by a majority of not less than 60 percent of the votes cast at a General Meeting. Notice of the proposed alteration shall be given to the committee at least 28 days prior to the date of the General Meeting at which it is intended to propose the alteration. Notice shall be given of the proposed resolution in accordance with rules for General Meetings.

No addition to or alteration of the Payments to Members clause or the Winding – Up clause shall be approved without the approval of Inland Revenue.

Indemnity

Every committee member of PTC who does any act in pursuance or intended pursuance of any provision of these rules or any rules or regulations made thereunder in general meeting or of the committee shall be indemnified by PTC against all losses and expenses incurred by them in connection with the discharge of their duties, unless the act was done in bad faith or without reasonable care.

Payments to Members

No member or person associated with PTC shall derive any income, benefit or advantage from PTC where they can materially influence the payment of the income, benefit or advantage, except where that income, benefit or advantage is derived from:

Professional services to PTC rendered in the course of business, charged at no greater rate than current market rates; or

Interest on money lent at no greater rate than the current market rates.

Winding Up

PTC may be liquidated by a resolution carried by a simple majority (half plus 1) of the votes cast at a General Meeting held in accordance with these rules.

If upon the liquidation of PTC there remains surplus funds after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of PTC but shall be given or transferred to some other charitable organisation or body having purposes similar to the objects of PTC, or for some charitable purpose, within Ireland.

Interpretation

In the event of any dispute over the interpretation of these rules or any question arising in connection with the administration of the club not provided for in these rules, that question shall be decided by the committee.

Any such decision shall be recorded in the minutes of the committee and shall remain in force until it is amended or revoked by the committee or by a resolution passed at a General Meeting.