Brasenose College Boat Club Constitution (*Proposed Version)
1. This new Constitution shall have effect upon approval from the Captains of Boats and the Senior Member, to take effect after 1st May 2000.
2. Brasenose College Boat Club, hereinafter referred to as "BNCBC" or "the club", shall consist of:
i. Junior and senior members of Brasenose College who have paid a subscription fee to the Club for the current or preceding academic term and who thus form or have formed part of a crew which will represent or has represented BNCBC in an OURC event. Also
ii. Junior and senior members of Brasenose College, still in residence, who have competed for BNCBC at either Eights or Torpids in previous years.
iii. Life members, being former Captains and Presidents of the Club and people otherwise appointed by a majority vote of the club committee.
iv. Honorary members appointed at the discretion (and majority vote) of the club committee and whose membership shall normally last for one year from the date of appointment.
v. All members appointed as above will only be considered eligible to compete for the club at an OURCs event if they fulfil OURCs rules on eligibility.
3. Aims and Colours
i. The aims of the club to be the training or oarsmen and women to compete on behalf of the club in the annual Torpids and Eights regattas, and in other suitable regattas or events that the committee see fit. Also, the club should aim to increase the representation of the college in the boats of OUBC, OUWBC, OULRC, and OUWLRC as defined under OURCs rules.
ii. The racing colours of the club shall be black and gold, except for the menís first VIII which shall race in the colours of the club mascot (the Childe of Hale), namely red, purple and gold.
4. One member of the Governing Body will be appointed as the Club Senior Member (and who will normally be the Treasurer to the Amalgamated Cubs), other members of the Governing body may still be members of the club. This appointment will be by a majority vote of the club committee on a three-year cycle, and the Club Senior Member will have the following duties:
i. To support the BNCBC committee and to give assistance to its members where they deem it necessary, and to liase with the President and Captains over matters involving the Governing Body.
ii. To be ensure the payment of larger items of expense including the Boatmanís salary, and the purchase of non-urgent items such as new equipment.
iii. To have the final say in any disputes between club members and/or committee that have been referred to him/her by the President.
5. The BNCBC committee shall comprise the following elected members (with no member occupying more than one committee post concurrently):
i. A President, of either sex, accepted as detailed in (9) below, whose duties will be:
a. To be a representative of the Club within college and to liase with the governing body.
b. To be responsible for the Club at occasions where the club has an interest, e.g. to be an extra voice at Captains meetings (where accepted under OURCs rules) and liaisons with sponsors
c. To chair the BNCBC committee and General Meetings of the Club, and to give assistance to its members where they deem it necessary.
d. To call meetings of the BNCBC committee and General Meetings as required under (10 and 11) below. The President should not vote unless he/she is to make the casting vote in the event of a tie, and has the right to refer such disputes to the Senior Member.
e. To organise the running of the BNCBC on a day to day basis.
ii. The Captains of Boats ñ one who will be hereafter referred to as the Womenís Captain, and one who will be hereafter referred to as the Menís Captain. Each of these shall be elected by a majority vote of the present committee before the end of Michaelmas term each year to take office after the Annual General Meeting as detailed in (8). Two people may share the position of Menís Captain; likewise with the Womenís Captain.
The Captains will share the following duties:
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a. To be representatives of the Club in College and to the OURCs, including meetings of the Friends of the Boat Club and other relevant bodies.
b. To choose the members of the crews who will represent the 1st boats in Torpids, Eights, and other regattas, in consultation with other senior members of the Club, and to arrange the coaching of these crews. The Captains will have the final say in any dispute over selection of any crew.
c. To oversee the training, recruitment and coaching of novice, junior and senior oarsmen throughout the year in conjunction with the Lower Boats Captain.
d. To nominate their successors on a suitable occasion, usually to be the before the end of Michaelmas term, and after at least one full term of office. These successors must be voted in by a majority of the committee before being ratified. If more than one person is nominated (by other members of the committee), then there will follow an election from which the candidate with most votes will be elected. The term of office of the succeeding Captains is effective from the Annual General Meeting held after Torpids and before the end of Hilary term as outlined in (8) below.
e. To organise the entry of college boats in regattas in Oxford and elsewhere and so far as possible to arrange for transport of boats, and for boat racks at other training locations, for example at Godstow or Radley.
f. To prepare reports for the college magazine (Brazen Nose) each year and the Friends of BNCBC newsletters each term as well as keeping up to date the Captains Log for view by members at their request.
g. To occupy the ëCaptain of Boatsí room in Old Quad of Brasenose College for at least one term of office. There being one room and at least two captains, the room to be occupied in alternate years by (one of) the mens and womens captains.†
iii. A Womenís Lower Boats Captain and a Menís Lower Boats Captain accepted as detailed in (9) below, whose duties will be to:
a. Assist the Captains in the running of the club.
b. To choose the members of the crews who will represent the Lower boats in Torpids, Eights, and other regattas as well as all novice boats in consultation with other senior members of the Club, and to arrange the coaching of these crews. The Captains, however, will have the final say in any dispute over selection of any crew.
iv. A Treasurer, of either sex, accepted as detailed in (9) below, whose duties will be:
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a. To arrange the finances of the club on a day to day basis, to be in receipt of the chequebook as well as being the recipient of correspondence from the bank relating to the club account.
b. To write cheques for smaller BNCBC expenses, for example tank sessions and incidental expenses.
c. To propose subscriptions or other charges/expenses to cover the costs of the club for that term to the club committee - a majority approval of committee is needed before informing members of the agreed subscriptions/charges.
d. To keep accounts of club expenditures on dinners, clothing, and subscriptions etc and to ensure that boat club members have settled their accounts by the end of each term, and by the second week of the next term at the latest.
e. To present the accounts for inspection on an annual basis at the Committeeís discretion.
f. To seek sponsorship deals for the club.
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v. A Secretary, of either sex, accepted as detailed in (9) below, whose duties will be:
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a. To keep accurate minutes of each committee meetings (there being at least two in each term), and to post these minutes electronically or otherwise to the committee members.
b. To solicit agenda items from committee members, and post or distribute these as appropriate before meetings.
c. To post relevant notices on the rowing notice board at the request of members of the committee
d. To keep the records of the club so as they are in good order.
c. To order photographs for and ensure payment thereof by members of the Club.
d. To order and sell clothing for members of the club.
e. To maintain a record of past members, coaches, and other information pertaining to the history of the club as may be of use to them and their committee, and in particular their successors.
f. To liase with the Boatman, employed by the Amalgamated Clubs, and to ensure the general upkeep and maintenance of boats and other BNCBC equipment.
g. To maintain a comprehensive inventory of BNCBC equipment, and to annually renew Environment Agency registration of all such equipment. In addition, they must make recommendations for purchase or sale of such equipment, after consultation with the committee, the Senior Member, and the Friends of the Boatclub.
h. To be responsible for the documentation of insurance of boats owned and used by the club.
i. To keep an accurate and up-to-date copy of the club constitution at all times to be available to members within one week of a written request made to the secretary, and to be familiar with the OURCs constitution and to point members to its location upon request.
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vi. A Social Secretary, of either sex, accepted as detailed in (9) below, whose duties will be:
a. Book and arrange the annual Torpids dinner in Hilary and an Eights dinner in Trinity.
b. To organise at least one Social Event in Michaelmas and any other Social Events as he or she sees fit.
c. To appoint a Regatta representative, if desired, to co-ordinate the running of Torpids and Eights activities at the boat house (e.g. the Bar and the BBQ) in addition to any other regattas the crews wish to enter.
d. To apply to the justices of the peace for the issue of a licence to sell alcohol from the boathouse during Eights week (in agreement with Brasenose College JCR) and at any other time, should the committee decide to do so.
N.B. If no Social Secretary is nominated, the duties will be taken over by the Secretary.
vii. A Captain of Coxes, of either sex, accepted as detailed in (9) below, who will deal with all matters relating to Coxswains, including:
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a. Recruiting and training novices at the beginning of the year, ensuring that the potential novice coxes register for an OURCs coxing permit.
b. Ensuring that electronic coxing equipment is in good working order at all times.
c. Supervision the coxswains of each BNCBC crew and ensuring that they are fully competent regarding river rules, regulations, and general boat safety.
6. Decisions taken by the Committee shall be by a straight vote of the BNCBC Committee members (not including the President) as outlined in section 5 above. In the event of this being inconclusive, the President of the club will have the casting vote.
7. In the event of the resignation of any member of the committee, the committee shall appoint a successor, accepted only by majority vote of the committee.
8. There shall be general meetings of the BNCBC, which all members of the Club may attend. These shall be held:
i. In Hilary term after Torpids and before the Annual Boat Club Dinner.
ii. When called by the committee.
iii. At the written request of ten or more members of the Club sent to the President, stating the proposed business of the meeting. In such an instance, the meeting shall be held at a time and place at the Presidentís discretion but not later than one full week subsequent to receiving the request.
iv. A quorum in meetings will be 15 members including at least 4 committee members.
9. Any member of the Club may propose motions for general meetings. The nominations for the posts of President, Lower Boats Captains, Treasurer, Secretary, Social Secretary, and Captain of Coxes will be announced at the Annual General Meeting held after Torpids and before the Annual Boat Club Dinner. Any member may stand for any post, provided they are nominated and seconded by present members of the club who are not present members of the club committee. At this General Meeting there shall be a vote of those members present by a show of hands to ratify, by a majority, the nomination of candidates for any of the above posts for the following year (for posts with a single candidate standing). If these nominations are by chance not so ratified, then those members in question shall leave the meeting until this business has been concluded.
i. If there is more than one candidate for any post, then all candidates for that post shall leave the meeting, and there shall be a vote of those present, by way of a show of hands.
ii. If any candidate receives a majority of votes, he or she shall be duly elected. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, then the two candidates with most votes shall remain and a new ballot conducted between those two, electing the one with a majority of votes.
iii. In the event of further proposals during this General Meeting, the above process shall be repeated for each proposed candidate for each post vacant. If further proposals are not forthcoming during the meeting, after a proposed candidate has not been ratified, the post shall remain vacant until such time as there is a new candidate proposed.
iv. The committee as in (7) above will fill such vacant posts.
At the end of the meeting, the existing committee shall resign and the duly elected members shall take office.
10. A Committee member of BNCBC may only be removed from office by a motion of no confidence initiated at an Extraordinary General Meeting and supported by two-thirds of those members present and voting.
i. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the President, no sooner than forty-eight hours and no later than seven days after a written request, signed by 10 members, has been received.
ii. A quorum for an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be 50% of those eligible to vote.
iii. In the event of a successful vote of no confidence, the committee member shall be deemed to have resigned, and will be replaced as defined in (7) above.
11. The BNCBC Committee (as described above) is mandated to meet no less than twice a term to discuss matters of concern and interest to the club, with a quorum of at least 4 of the committee. Calling and chairing the meeting is the responsibility of the President.
12. Amendments and additions to this constitution shall be proposed unanimously by the Committee, or by any, member of the club, provided in the latter case that the proposed amendment carries the signatures of at least 15 members of the club. All proposed amendments must be voted upon at a subsequent General Meeting at the earliest opportunity and, if approved (only by a majority decision), take affect immediately after the meeting that they have been passed.