BHCC Rules
1. The Club shall be called “The Benwell Hill Cricket Club.” The Club colours shall be maroon and white. The purposes of the Club are to promote the amateur sport of cricket in the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne and community participation in the game.
2a. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in February each year to receive reports and statements of accounts in an acceptable format; to consider alterations to rules; to elect officers for the ensuing season; confirm CIC Board appointments; and to transact any other business.
Notice of motions for the meeting must reach the Cricket Secretary at least a month before the meeting, and fourteen days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all full members, who shall, with the exception of associate members, have a vote at the Annual or a Special General Meeting.
Subscriptions are due for payment on 1st October after the current season. Members in arrears at 30th April following will be debarred from the privileges of the club until such arrears have been paid.
2b. A meeting of the chairman, treasurer and cricket committee shall be held before 31st October each year to consider options for the position of 1st XI captain for the following season. The selected member will be proposed, seconded and confirmed at the Annual General Meeting.
3. The Club shall be Managed by a General Committee consisting of President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Captains and Vice-Captains of all elevens, Ground Secretary, Property Secretary, Cricket Secretary, Membership Secretary, Two Treasurers, Assistant Treasurer, Squash Treasurer and eight other members, of whom at least four shall be playing members; five to form a quorum. The Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Club shall be elected annually, from and by the General Committee. The General Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members at their discretion. From 2020, Life Members will not automatically be members of the General Committee.
4. BH CIC and BH Ltd board members will normally comprise from the General Committee: the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and House and Bar Chairman. Where Board Members do not occupy these formal roles, they will be co-opted on to the General Committee.
5. The property and funds of the Club shall be vested in the Boards of the CIC and Ltd Company and such matters shall be the subject of oversight by the General Committee on a regular basis. The Club will not permit the distribution of Club assets, in cash or in kind, to members or third parties.
i. The property and funds of the Club cannot be used for the direct or indirect private benefit of members other than as reasonably allowed by the rules and all surplus income or profits are re-invested in the club.
ii. The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, away-match expenses, post match refreshments and other ordinary benefits of Community Amateur Sports Club as provided for in the Finance Act 2002.
iii. The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club:
a. sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment;
b. employ members and remunerate then for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Committee without the person concerned being present;
c. pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting teams and guests;
d. indemnify the committee and members acting properly in the course of the running of the Club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets).
iv. The Committee will have due regard to the law on disability discrimination and child protection.
6. The CIC and Ltd Co Boards shall delegate to the Treasurer of the Club all dealings with the current cash of the Club.
7. The General Committee shall have power to borrow money, mortgage, and sell Club property subject to the approval of the CIC and Limited Company Boards and a special resolution to this effect being carried by a majority of members present and voting at the Annual or a Special General Meeting.
8. A member of the Club shall on death or on ceasing to be a member, cease to have any right or claim against the Club, or its property or funds.
9. At any General Committee Meeting, the Chairman shall have power to move a resolution and vote, and speak on any subject under discussion; the Chairman of any Annual or Special General Meeting must remain neutral.
10. A Special General Meeting shall be convened by order of the General Committee, or within twenty-eight days of a requisition signed by fifteen full members, or by one-fifth of the total number of full members if this be less than fifteen, being received by the Cricket Secretary, fourteen days notice of such meeting shall be given to all full members.
11. The General committee will meet as business arises; notice of these meetings will be given by the Cricket Secretary.
12. Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religious or other beliefs. However, limitation of membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non-discriminatory basis. The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.
The Club Committee may refuse membership or remove it only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or the sport into disrepute. Appeal against refusal on removal may be made to the members. Any members whose membership has been suspended or terminated shall not be admitted as a guest of another member.
Full members with voting rights are Life Members, President, Vice Presidents and Playing Members (Cricket, Tennis and Squash). Associate Members without voting rights are Patrons, and members partners. No member shall be eligible to vote until he/she has attained the age of
13. The Committee shall have power to fix the Annual Subscription Rates.
Application forms for membership must be received the Cricket Secretary at least 7 days before a General Committee meeting. An interval of at least 2 days must elapse between application and admission to membership. The name and address of any person applying for membership shall be prominently displayed in the Club premises for not least than 2 days before admittance to membership (Omit) . A register of all members together with addresses, the date of registration and date of cessation of membership shall be left on the Club premises and available for inspection by members at all times.
Written nominations for Life Membership will be submitted to the Club Secretary by December 31st of each year. They will then be discussed by the CIC Board who will submit their recommendations to the Annual General Meeting for consideration. Nominations for Life Membership that do not conform to this process will not be accepted at the AGM.
Written nominations for the position of Club President when it becomes vacant will be submitted by General Committee Members to the Club Secretary. The club member receiving the highest number of nominations will then be submitted for consideration at the first available AGM.
14. The Selection Committee shall consist of the Captains and Vice-Captains of all teams together with three voting members, at least one of whom to be a non-playing member. At selection Committee Meetings the Captain of the team being selected shall act as Chairman and shall have a casting vote. Captains and Vice-Captains shall only attend at the selection of their respective teams but the Selection Committee shall have power to call in the Captain of the Second Eleven at the selection of the First Eleven and also the Captain of the Third Eleven at the selection of the Second Eleven, if this is considered necessary. Teams will be selected on the Tuesday night and will be posted on the Club Notice Board. Members chosen to play and are unable to do so, must notify their respective Captains. Any member refusing to play for the team which he has been selected will be dealt with by the General Committee.
15. A Licensed Refreshment Bar for members shall be managed by a sub-committee elected by the General Committee. The Club premises shall be open from 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. on any day. Intoxicating liquor shall be supplied on the Club premises to members and on their orders to guests in accordance with the permitted hours laid down in the Licensing Act 1964 and fixed by the General committee under the bye-laws of the Club. The hours so fixed shall be posted up in the bar at all times.
The Club shall be authorised to sell intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises to persons who have attained the age of 18 years, as follows:
a. Any person holding membership of Benwell Hill Cricket Club and the bona fide guest of any such person.
b. Players, Officials and respective Partners of any team or group visiting the club in connection with a bona fide pre-arranged sporting or social fixture between that team or group and a team or a group of Benwell Hill Cricket Club on the day of the fixture only, or on occasional pre-arranged representative matches.
c. Umpires and officers of Cricket Leagues and/or Cricket associations visiting the Club in their official capacity, in order to attend pre-arranged Cricket League or Cricket Association Meetings.
d. Staff in the employ of Benwell Hill Cricket Club.
e. Cricket match sponsors and their guests.
f. Guests visiting the club in connection with bona fide prearranged social events.
Before any such persons listed in paragraphs (b), (c), (e) and (f) above may be admitted to the Club such persons name and teams or group shall be entered in a book kept on the premises for that purpose, the whole entry being countersigned by an official of Benwell Hill Cricket Club. Any person admitted under paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) above,may only be sold intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises. A member may introduce guests. Guests shall sign their name and enter their full address in a book kept for that purpose, the member introducing guests shall endorse the entry by signing his/her name.
16. Winding Up
a. Following proposals from the CIC board, the members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present and voting support that proposal at a properly convened Special General Meeting.
b. The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs.
c. After settling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:
i. to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity and/or
ii. to another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered CASC (Community Amateur Sports Clubs) and/or
iii. to the Club’s governing body for use by them for related community sports.
17. The General Committee shall have the power to make, alter, or nullify bye-laws, but no bylaw shall alter or nullify any of these rules.
These rules shall not be altered or amended except at an Annual or Special General Meeting of the Club. Any matter not covered by these Rules will be dealt with by the General Committee as the occasion arises. Where an alteration is made to the Rules of the Club, the Secretary shall give written notice of the alteration to the Chief Officer of Police for the area and to the clerk of the Local Authority. If such alteration embodies a decision fixing the Club’s Sunday permitted hours, a change of Secretary or concerns the Objects of the Club, notice shall be given to the Clerk to the Justices. Such notice shall be given within 28 days of the alteration and such cases where notice is given to the justices, within 42 days.
18. Rules 1, 5, 12, 16 are expressed to be Key Rules and where there is any conflict between any of these Key Rules and any other rule or rules then Key Rules will take priority. Interpretation of all the Rules must be consistent with the statutory requirements of CASC’s as first provided for by the Finance Act 2002.
BYE-LAWS
1. An admission charge to members may be made on special occasions to be decided by the General Committee.
2. A guest shall be allowed to be signed in on a maximum of six occasions in any one year commencing the 1st October each year.
3. The permitted hours or the supply of intoxicating liquor to members under rule 14 shall be as follows:-
Weekdays
Monday: 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Tuesday: 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Wednesday: 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Thursday: 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Friday: 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Saturday: 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Sunday: 12.00 noon to 10.30 p.m.
Christmas Day and Good Friday; 12.00 noon to 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Normal bar opening times shall be as follows:-
Weekdays
Monday: 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Tuesday: 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Wednesday: 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Thursday: 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Friday: 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Saturday: 12.00 noon to 4.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
Sundays when there is no cricket match being played on the ground: 12.00 noon to 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Sundays when there is a cricket match being played on the ground:
12.00 noon to 3.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Christmas Day and Good Friday: 12.00 noon to 2.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Public Holidays (excluding Christmas Day and Good Friday):
12.00 noon to 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
4. To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club, the club adopts and implements the ECB ‘Safe Hands’ - Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children’ and any future versions of the Policy.
To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club, the club adopts and implements the ECB Cricket Equity Policy and any future versions of the Policy.
The club welfare officer is a member of the general committee.
CRICKET SECTION
1. New playing members shall not be eligible for selection until their subscription has been paid. New playing members joining after 30th June will be admitted for the current year upon payment of one half of the subscription. Subscriptions must be paid before the 30th April in each year. Members in arrears are liable to be debarred from participation in the privileges of the Club until such arrears are paid. Any player who has not paid his subscription by the first league game of the season shall not be eligible for selection.
2. A list of playing members, with their addresses shall be posted in the pavilion at the beginning of each season.
3. In exceptional circumstances, the captain of any team may at any time or place, take any member to play or his team, if such a member has not been selected to play for a higher team.
4. Any member disobeying the captain’s orders on the field will be dealt with by the General Committee.
5. Practice Rules are to be made by the General Committee and may be altered by them from time to time. Practice must be carried out in accordance with these rules.
6. In the event of the ground being unfit for practice, the senior officer present, or in the absence of any officer, the groundsman shall have power to forbid practice.