CONSTITUTION

Foreword

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Rules contained wi= thin this publication in italics and= underlined are Rules that have been introduced or amended since the previous AGM/EGM at which this constitution was ratified.

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This Document

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This is the Constitution of the Oxfordshire County Pool OCPF (herein “= ;OCPF”). This Constitution shall gover= n the organisation and members of the OCPF.= Any points of interpretation arising out of this Constitution s= hall be decided by a majority vote of the OCPF Committee at a Committee Meeting. Alterations to = this Constitution may only take place by majority vote at an AGM/EGM, howev= er any matter not dealt with herein may be decided by the Committee of the OC= PF = (herein “The Committee”).

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Objects of the OCPF=

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The objects of the OCPF are to:

·         To promote, foster and safeguard the game of pool for the players in Oxfordshi= re (see annex).

·         To adopt, and enforce the Laws of the game as laid down by the European Blackb= all Association

·         To promote, organise and superintend various competitions among the members.

·         To interpret, when called upon by affiliated leagues or members thereof, quest= ions of law or practice and arbitrate in all disputes referred to the OCPF, betw= een and among the affiliated leagues or members thereof.

·         Co-ordinate the advancement of the Sport, including but not limited to:

o      =     Management of a County Structure

o      =     Organisation of local, regional, and national team and individ= ual events

o      =     Co-ordination of sponsorship and promotion of the Sport in Oxfordshire

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It will be the pol= icy of the OCPF and all parts of its substructure to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that its policy decisions achieve the above purposes.

Membership

Membership of the OCPF sh= all be open to all persons in the County of Oxfordshire= .

Application for membership shall be addressed to the Secretary of the OCPF and shall be accompani= ed by the name and address of the applicant and yearly membership fee of £5. All current County Players will be automatic members as long as their subscriptions are fully paid up.

Associate membership of t= he OCPF shall be open to leagues in the County of Oxfordshire= . Application for associate membership shall be addressed to the Secretary of the OCPF and shall be accompanied by the name and address of the league, the names of Office Bearers and a copy of the Rules of the League. The Committee shall consider = all applications for membership. The Secretary shall notify leagues admitted to membership. An associated member shall be entitled to send two of its members to the County Annual General Meeting who shall have the power to vote. Associate members shall pay an annual sum equivalent to £5 per league team or such sum as may be fixed at the Annual General Meeting of the OCPF.

To comply with the provis= ions of the Data Protection Act 1984 for exemption of registration, the OCP= F is permitted to maintain records on Computer File to include names, addresses, telephone numbers and for the under 30 years of age members, their dates of birth and such details it may disclose in the following circumstances;

§         Publication of a list of the OCPF members, together with their names addresses and telephone numbers.

§         Disclosure to other affiliations or associations

Administration

The affairs of the OCPF s= hall be conducted at the Annual or any General Meeting and by the Committee= at a committee meeting.

The Committee shall meet = in the month of February/March of each year and at any other time if necessary. Five members = shall form a quorum

The Committee shall have = full authority, to make any decision that, in their opinion, is deemed necessary or beneficial to the OCPF.

Individual members of the= OCPF shall be entitled to attend, speak and vote at the Annual or any Speci= al General Meeting meetings. The Chairman shall have a casting vote, if required.

The Structure with= in the OCPF

OCPF Committee<= /i>

The highest decision making body of the OCPF will be the OCPF Committee. T= he Committee will also be the highest level of appeal against any decision made within the OCPF organisation.

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The Committee has the authority to make any decision that, in the= ir opinion, is deemed necessary to achieve the purposes of, or bene= ficial to, the OCPF. All decisions made by the Com= mittee shall be made, unless otherwise indicated, by a simple majority of Committee members.

Committee Members will be elected for a two year term of office.

Each member shall continue to carry out their duties until the AGM at the = end of their second year in office at which point the election for that position can take place. Incumbent committee members will= be automatically nominated unless they notify the Secretary of their wis= h to withdraw from the election.

Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the OCPF.=

Should any position be vacated for any reason during the normal two year term of office that position will be filled either by appointment by the Committee or by Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The person who t= akes the position will hold office until the following AGM where a full election will be conducted.

In any contested vote for a committee position, if any mem= ber with a right to vote in that election (including the candidates) requests a secret ballot then that vote shall be carried out by secret ballot.

Each member shall also be entitled to 1 vote with regards to Committee Elections = with the exception of the positions; Ladies' Team Manager & Ladies' Te= am Captain, for which only OCPF female members can vote=

People unable to attend an AGM/EGM may contact the secretary who w= ill arrange for them to cast their vote prior to the meeting. Alternative= ly, non attending members may use a proxy voter. However, proxy voting wi= ll only be allowed if the unavailable member notifies the secretary at l= east 24 hours, less in exception circumstances, before the AGM date a= nd has a valid reason for using a proxy.=

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The Committee will consist of = the following members:

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Chairman

Secretary

Treasurer

Men’s Team Manager* (x2)

Ladies Team Manager*

Youth Team Manager*

Ladies Team Captain*

Players’ Representative*

Social Events Coordinator*

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*In relation to th= ese posts only, an elected official may hold one of these posts in addition to another Committee position. Anyone so elected may, however, only cast one v= ote in any matter.

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members as it deems necessary= .

The duties and responsibilities of the members of the OCPF Committee are as follows:*

Chairman

&m= iddot;      =    Chair meetings, or appoint a chair for meetings

&m= iddot;      =    Oversee the general running of the OCPF

&m= iddot;      =    Provide a chairman’s report at all general meetings=

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Secretary

&m= iddot;      =    Minute all OCPF committee meetings and distribute those minute= s to the OCPF Committee members.

&m= iddot;      =    Minute all general meetings and distribute those minutes to OC= PF Committee members and County Managers (whose responsibility it is to pass on the information to their members)

&m= iddot;      =    Provide a secretary’s report at all general meetings

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Treasurer

&m= iddot;      =    Keep clear, proper and accurate accounts of the OCPF

&m= iddot;      =    Make those accounts available

&m= iddot;      =    Provide a treasurer’s report at all general meetings

&m= iddot;      =    To liaise with Team Managers to ensure all players are provided with a County Shirt

&m= iddot;      =    Arrange payments and procurement for all OCPF business

Team Manager/Assistant Manager

&m= iddot;      =    To collate personal information; names, addresses etc regarding players within their squads and forwarding said information to the Secretary and Treasurer of the OCPF

&m= iddot;      =    To select and organise the various teams to participate in Inter-County Championship matches, contacting p= layers where necessary.

&m= iddot;      =    To confer with other managers in the arrangement of transport = to away matches

&m= iddot;      =    To assist in the running of County Trials

&m= iddot;      =    Represent their squad players’ views at meetings

&m= iddot;      =    Act in an unbiased manner in respect of all his/her responsibilities

B2 Manager

&m= iddot;      =    To select, organise and administer B2 team in conjunction with= the duties of the other managers

&m= iddot;      =    To be a link to and active director of Youth development along= side the Youth Team Manager

Team Captains

&m= iddot;      =    To assist the Team managers in all their duties and responsibilities.

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Players’ Representative

&m= iddot;      =    Be available to address players’ grievances

&m= iddot;      =    Address those grievances in accordance with this Constitution<= o:p>

&m= iddot;      =    Represent the players’ views at meetings

&m= iddot;      =    Act fairly in respect of all his/her responsibilities

Social Events Coordinator

&m= iddot;      =    Organise social and fund raise events to be held for the benef= it of the OCPF members

*This is not an exhaustive list of the members’ duties and responsibilities.

Discipline<= /p>

Any complaints concerning the behaviour of any member (or group of members= ) of the OCPF shall be made, in writing, to the Committee. Complaints can be made against members under the following headings (this list is not exhaustive):

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§      =    Unsportsmanlike behaviour

§      =    Behaving outside the spirit of the Game

§      =    Behaving in an inappropriate manner whilst in Uniform or whils= t at an OPCF organised / affiliated event

§      =    Behaving in a way detrimental to the Game / Organisation<= /o:p>

§      =    Behaving in a way likely to bring the Game / Organisation into disrepute

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The Committee shall decide, by majority vote, whether the complaint disclo= ses an allegation serious enough to require a Disciplinary Hearing.

The Committee’s decision as to the necessity of a hearing shall be subject to appeal only on the basis of new evidence relating to the alleged incident which was not before the Committee at the time it fir= st considered the complaint.

For a Committee hearing, the Committee shall select 3 Committee members who will sit as the Disciplinary Committee for the Disciplinary Hearing. The member against whom an allegation is made shall receive a written invitation to the Disciplin= ary Hearing once the Committee has decided that such a Disciplinary Hearin= g is necessary.

The member against whom the allegation has been made shall be given every opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations made. Should that member so choose,= he or she shall be entitled to have another person or a member of the Commit= tee to represent them at the Disciplinary Hearing.

At the Disciplinary Hearing the Disciplinary Committee must consider the complaint made and the representations made by the member against whom= the complaint is made. If all 3 members of the Disciplinary Committee cann= ot agree then a majority decision will suffice.

The Disciplinary Committee has the right to impose any reasonable penalty = upon any member against whom a complaint is made. Such penalties may include, b= ut are not limited to:

§      =    acquittal

§      =    warning

§      =    reprimand

§      =    fine

§      =    suspension

§      =    expulsion

On notification of the result of the Disciplinary Hearing the member agai= nst whom the allegation has been made will have 7 days to notify the Secre= tary that they wish to appeal to the OCPF Committee. The Committee shall select 3 different Committee members who will sit as the Disciplinary Appeals Committee for the Disciplinary Appeal Hearing. The Appeals Committee decision will be final.

The Committee will notify those involved in the Disciplinary Hearing, and = any other party it deems necessary, of the result of the Hearing. Any member whose membership is suspended, or who is expelled from the OCPF shall forfeit any fees paid and all other rights and entitlements accorded to them by the OCPF.

Finance=

The Treasurer will be responsible to the Committee for the finances of the= OCPF

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The Treasurer will check all income and expenditure of the account for payments, and observe proper banking procedures. The Treasurer shall also keep accurate accounts. The expenses are to be vetted by the Committee and the annual statement of= the accounts and balance sheet shall be drawn up at the end of each year a= nd presented to the AGM by the Treasurer.

In the event of disbandment of the OCPF, all available as= sets shall, after the discharge of all liabilities, be distributed equally among the current members. The income of the OPCF may be obtained by means of an annual membership fe= e, sponsorship, match fees, entrance fees, ticket receipts and profits of= OCPF tournaments.=

The responsibility for the various costs involved, as far= as the OCPF is concerned, is the responsibility of each player. Until such time as OCPF can generate revenue to facilitate the funding of each pl= ayer, then the fees will be passed on to the player’s themselves.

Subscriptions

An annual subscription fee of = £10 shall be paid by all County players for the forthcoming season to the Treasurer of the OCPF by the 1st March of each year or a date set by t= he Committee. Players failing to pay the subscription by the due date sha= ll forfeit all rights and privileges of membership for as long as the subscription remains unpaid

New players will also be required to pay £10 towards the cost of the= ir County Shirt.

All players will also be charged a £3 match fee in each match in whi= ch they participate

General Meetings

One Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) will be held each year. Not more than 15 months should elapse between each AGM.

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Extraordinary General Meetings (“EGM”) can be called by the Committee wh= en necessary. 25% of the cu= rrent membership of the OCPF may requisition an EGM by sending a petition of their signatures and the matters they wish the meeting to deal with to= the Secretary. On receipt of such a requisition the Secretary should, where practicable, call an EGM within 1 month, stating which matters are to = be dealt with at the meeting.

At each AGM the election of officials will take place where required. Each member of the Committee = shall give a full account of their role during the previous year.=

For the avoidance of doubt, the proceedings at any general meeting (or, Committee meeting) will not be invalidated as a result of any failure = to give notice of that meeting or any failure to distribute minutes of th= at meeting.

Voting rights shall be apportioned as follows:

§      =    All members of the Committee shall have one vote

§      =    At General meetings each member will have one vote<= /span>

§      =    In the event of a tied vote the Chairman shall cast the decidi= ng vote

Inter-County<= /o:p>

The Men’s County Squad shall consist of up to 30 players, consisting of retained players, (al= l of whom must have met one part of the criteria set out in rule 48), successful trialists and pre-trial “Wildcard” players sele= cted by the Team Manager(s).

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The Ladies and Youth Squads (if applicable) shall consist of up to 13 players each, consisting of retained players (all = of whom must have met one part of the criteria set out in rule 48), successful trialists and pre-trial “Wildcard” players sele= cted by the Team Manager(s)

In exceptional circumstances and where fai= lure to do so would be detrimental to the County the committee may, by unanimous vote, give a player becoming available, a place in the squad= .

R= etained Players

Players may retain their place in the County Squad if;=

·      =    They have attained the required number of ranking points throughout the season as set prior to the commencement of the season

·      =    Score 18 or more points at the National County = Finals AND have a win percentage of 55% or above

·      =    Reach the quarter finals or better at the relevant National Singles= event.

·      =    Are a current International player or have been selected for the forthcoming international season

·=       =    Any youth satisfying the above criteria for his/her youth side in t= heir FINAL year as a youth will automatically qualify for men's squad next year<= span style=3D'color:black'>

*Additionally, players will only be retained as long as = they also meet the following requirements;

·         All subscription Fees have been paid by the due date, for the forthcoming seaso= n.

·         They participated in the National County Finals (dependant on Oxfordshire’s qualification) of the end of the relevant season. This clause may be waivered if the player concerned had given notic= e to the Committee of his/her unavailability for the Finals.

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Any player failing to meet the aforementioned requirements will lose their retained place

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Committee members will retain their place, if serving on the committee in the forthcoming year.

Men’s Matches=

Matches will be played over 3 sets of 9 frames, a total of 27 frames. The winning team will be awarded 2 points. For the purpose of the Season’s Individual player rankings, in Men’s A Team Match= es 3 points will be awarded per frame won. In Men’s B Team Matc= hes 2 points will be awarded per frame won. In each case if any play= er wins 3/3 then 1 bonus point will be awarded to that player. These ranking points will go towards the players’ end of season rankin= gs.

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Ladies’ Matches

Matches will be played over 3 sets of 7 frames, a total of 21 frames. The winning team will be awar= ded 2 points. For the purpose = of the Season’s individual player rankings, Ladies will be awarded 3 po= ints per frame won plus 1 bonus point for each player achieving 3/3.

Youth Matches

Matches will be played over 3 sets of 7 frames, a total of 21 frames. The winning team will be awar= ded 2 points. For the purpose = of the Season’s individual player rankings, Youths will be awarded 3 po= ints per frame won plus 1 bonus point for each player achieving 3/3.

Availability

The Team Manager(s) will inform all players of the d= ate and time of each match, the venue and any relevant transport arrangeme= nts. Therefore it is essential that players inform the Team Manager(s) of a= ny change of address or contact number

All players at all County Matches must wear full County Uniform= :

Black trousers (or skirt) (strictly no jeans)

Black shoes (strictly no trainers)

Collared County Shirt (if unavailable player= s must wear a collared shirt)

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At any single match no player can play for more than one of his or her County’s teams save that:

A youth can play for the Youth Team and either the Ladies team if femal= e or the Men’s A or B Team

A lady can play for the Ladies’ Team and the Men’s A or B T= eam

For the avoidance of doubt a player’s ranking points will be the to= tal points they have accrued from playing in a single category (Men, Ladi= es and Youth) such that if a lady earns points playing for a Men’s team, those points shall not be added to her points in the LadiesR= 17; Ranking Table.

Miscellaneous rules about eligibility for playing in County teams:=

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Any A team international players may only play for their County’s A Teams

There are to be a maximum of 3 B1 international players playing in any County B team in any time.

ANNEX

Definitions of terms used with= in the Constitution

Oxfordshire play= er; a player who lives in Oxford= shire, or playing 50% of matches for an Oxfordshire League team in the preceding season. (only applies to new triali= sts or persons no longer retained).