Constitution

The Constitution outlines the set of rules governing the day-to-day management of the the Umpires Association.

1. NAME

The name of the Association shall be the “South Australian National Football League Umpires’ Association Incorporated”.

2. OBJECTS

To promote Australian Football and Umpiring of Australian Football, to promote harmony amongst its members and in conjunction with the South Australian National Football League Incorporated assist in the development and presentation of the game.

3. DEFINITIONS

(a) The “Association” shall mean the South Australian National Football League Umpires’ Association Incorporated as constituted

(b) The “League” shall mean the South Australian National Football League Incorporation

(c) “Membership” as defined in this Constitution shall be 1st January to 31st December following the Annual General Meeting.

(d) “Umpire” shall mean any person who officiates as an umpire in a game of Australian Football.

(e) “Life Member” shall be deemed to include all Life Members who were granted Life Membership under the previous South Australian National Football League Umpires’ Association Constitution with all rights and privileges of Life Members appointed under this Constitution.

4. INTERPRETATION

In this Constitution masculine includes feminine. “In Writing” or “Written” means and includes printing or other means of representing or reproducing words in a visible form. Words importing singular include the plural and words importing the plural include the singular where the context permits.

5. MEMBERSHIP

There shall be three (3) categories of membership namely Full Member, Associate Member and Life Member. The Committee shall have the power to set such sub-categories of membership as it determines from time to time.

(a) Full Member – Membership of the Association is open to:

(i) All Umpires appointed by the League.

(ii) At the discretion of the Committee all other umpires.

(iii) All umpires’ coaches and umpires’ observers appointed as such by the League.

(iv) At the discretion of the Committee, Full Membership may be granted to any person who:

(i) Has been a member of the Association and has retired from umpiring.

(ii) Takes an active part in the fostering of umpiring and/or the welfare of umpiring.

(b) Associate Member – At the discretion of the Committee, Associate Membership may be granted to any person who:

(i) Has been a member of the Association and has retired from umpiring.

(ii) Takes an active part in the fostering of umpiring and/or the welfare of umpiring. OR

(iii) Is an Umpires’ Trainer.

(i) Been a member of the Association for at least fifteen (15) consecutive years and rendered distinguished service to the Association. OR

(ii) Died or has been permanently incapacitated while a Member of the Association.

(d) Rules for Life Membership

(i) Life members shall not pay any Membership Fee but shall have all rights and privileges of “Full Members”.

(ii) At the discretion of the Committee the qualifying period of Life Membership may be extended due to:

(a) Transfer of employment to the country or interstate.

(b) Overseas travel.

Should deferment be granted, the Member would be required to complete the outstanding period of time before consideration be given to Life Membership.

(iii) The Committee shall vote for each Life Member on a resolution proposed and seconded for each member, and each resolution shall cover one member at a time and the resolution shall be passed by not less than two-thirds of the Committee members present at such meeting and voting there on.

(iv) Any person who has been a member of the Association for at least fifteen (15) consecutive years who has not been granted Life Membership and has not been a member for a further period of two (2) consecutive years shall no longer be considered for Life Membership on the basis of those fifteen (15) consecutive years.

(e) Rules for Membership

(i) Any member may resign from the Association and such resignation must be in writing and forwarded to the Secretary of the Association. Upon any person ceasing to be a member of the Association for any reason whatsoever he shall not be entitled to the return of his membership subscription or any portion thereof.

(ii) Associate member shall be entitled to sit and speak at any meeting but shall not be entitled to move any motions or vote on any subject whatsoever.

(iii) Membership previously granted may be revoked if any Member’s conduct is discreditable or injurious to the character or interests of the Association. For membership to be revoked, it shall require a majority vote by members for such an action. Voting to be by secret ballot and to be conducted by the Association’s appointed Returning Officer at a General Meeting. Before membership can be revoked, the Member in question shall be given the opportunity to defend himself and to justify or explain his conduct and/or actions.

6. AFFILIATION

(a) Affiliation may, at the discretion of the Committee, be granted to any umpiring body.

(b) Conditions of affiliation shall be determined by the Committee of the Association. The affiliation fee shall be an annual payment fixed from year to year by the Committee of the Association.

(c) The Association shall furnish every Affiliated Association with information and assistance relative to matters which the Committee consideration will be of interest and benefit to them in the administration of their bodies and in the interpretation and/or the arbitration of their rules.

(d) Affiliated Associations may be represented at General Meetings of the Association, but only one (1) representative shall have a voting right.

(e) The Committee of the Association may cancel the affiliation of any Affiliated Association. If any action or conduct taken by that said body justifies such cancellation, no fee or part thereof will be refunded.

7. HONORARY APPOINTMENT

The Committee shall each year appoint an Honorary Solicitor to assist in any matter. The position shall be honorary unless otherwise determined by the Committee.

8. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

(a) The business and affairs of the Association shall be under the management and the control of a Committee, provided however, that except in the case of extreme urgency the Committee shall not take any action contrary to decisions made at a general meeting. The Committee may subject to the decisions made at general meetings, exercise all the powers of the Association and do all such acts and things as may be done by the Association or which it considers necessary or expedient to carry out the objects of the Association.

(b) The Committee shall consist of ten (10) persons namely:

(i) A President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Social Secretary (hereinafter called office bearers).

(ii) Six members of the Association elected at the Annual General Meeting.

(iii) The Secretary of the Association shall be the Public Officer.

(c) For appointment or election to the Committee persons must be a Life Member or become a Full Member of the Association for the term of their office.

(d) Should any vacancy occur in the Committee or office-bearers of the Association other than in the normal course of elections, the Committee shall fill such vacancy from the Full Members or Life Members of the Association and such member duly appointed shall hold office for the remaining period of the retired Committeeman.

(e) The Committee shall meet as often as may be required to conduct the business of the Association. The President, the Secretary or five Members of the Committee shall have the power to call a meeting of the said Committee.

(f) The President of the Association shall be the Chairman at all meetings. The Committee shall meet at the first meeting after the Annual General Meeting, elect from one of their number a Deputy-Chairman. Should the President not be present, the Deputy-Chairman shall become Chairman. If the aforementioned persons are absent, the Committee shall elect one of its number to take the chair. The Chairman at all Committee Meetings shall only have one casting vote.

9. ELECTION OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

(a) The Committee shall appoint a Returning Officer, who shall not be a member of the Association.

(b) The Secretary shall forward to each and every member of the Association at their last known address at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date nominated for the Annual General Meeting, the nomination form setting out the positions for which nominations are called and the name of the Returning Officer and his address.

(c) Nominations for vacant offices on the Committee shall be made in writing on the prescribed form, (Attached as appendix 1 to this Constitution). Nominees shall be proposed and seconded respectively by two members of the Association and such nomination to be forwarded to the Returning Officer, together with the consent, in writing of the candidate to act if elected.

(d) Retiring office-bearers shall be eligible for re-election and shall carry on business of the Association.

(e) (i) The President and Social Secretary shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting for a two year term.

(ii) The Secretary and the Treasurer are to be appointed by the Committee for a period of two years.

(iii) Six members shall be elected to the Committee for a term of two years. Three of these members shall retire at each Annual General Meeting, but shall be eligible for re-election.

(iv) Provided that if at any time it is resolved that any of the office holders specified in sub-clause (i) or (ii) hereof should be elected for terms so that any such office holders shall not retire at the same time then for the purpose of achieving this situation one of such office holders in sub-clauses (i) and /or (ii) may be elected for a one (1) year term only.

(f) (i) In the event of only the required number of the nominations being received for any office, the members nominate shall be declared elected.

(ii) If more than the required number of nominations are received, a secret ballot will be conducted at the Annual General Meeting during such hours and in such manner as the Committee may decide prior to the commencement of the meeting.

(iii) If a less number of members than required be nominated for any position, those nominated shall be declared elected and the vacancies filled by the members at the Annual General Meeting.

(iv) In the event of two or more candidates securing an equal number of votes for election to any office, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

(g) All offices shall be honorary. The President, Secretary, Treasurer and Social Secretary may receive an honorarium at the discretion of the Committee, subject to the Members’ approval at the Annual General Meeting.

10. DUTIES

(a) The Secretary shall carry out his duties under the direction of the Committee and keep a true and correct records of all Minutes of all meetings, attend to correspondence, issue notices for meetings, keep records and carry out such duties as the Committee may from time to time direct.

(b) The Treasurer shall receive all monies payable to the Association and give receipts for same. All monies so received shall be paid into the banking account of the Association. The Treasurer shall present at each Committee Meeting a balance of the finances of the Association and shall keep proper books of account of all monies received and disbursed and generally perform all such duties as are directed by the Committee from time to time.

(c) The Social Secretary shall be responsible to the Committee for planning of all social functions of the Association, shall pay all money collected by the Social Sub-committee to the Treasurer, shall submit to the Committee a statement of receipts and expenditure for each function and shall cause Minutes to be taken at the Social Sub-committee Meetings.

(d) The Auditors shall examine the Association ‘s Statement of Accounts and all accounts relating thereto and if they find the same correct, shall attach their signature to the same and make a report of same to the Annual General Meeting.

(e) The Committee may appoint one of its members to the position of Assistant Secretary. If so appointed the Assistant Secretary shall assist the Secretary in the discharge of his duties. In the absence of the Secretary he shall carry out all of the functions of the Secretary and possess all of the powers and authority of the Secretary.

(f) The Committee may co-opt any person to assist them in performing duties required by this Constitution and to form such sub-committees contained such co-opted people as considered necessary. The Committee may delegate powers to sub-committees as considered necessary by the Committee.

11. GENERAL MATTERS

(a) General Meeting

(i) The President of the Association shall be the Chairman at all General Meetings. Should he not be present, the Committee shall elect a member to take the Chair

(ii) At all meetings the Chairman’s decision on points of order shall be final.

(iii) The Chairman shall have only one casting vote.

(iv) If at any General Meeting there be no quorum within thirty (30) minutes of the time appointed for the Meeting, then the Meeting shall lapse unless a majority of the Members present decide to adjourn the meeting for a period not exceeding fourteen (14) days. If there be not quorum within thirty (30) minutes after the time appoint for such adjourned meeting then the meeting shall lapse altogether.

(b) Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of members shall be held in December in each year and members shall be given notice in writing at least fourteen (14) days before such meeting. The annual Report and audited Balance Sheet and Financial Statement shall be presented to the members at the Annual General meeting. The Annual General Meeting may make by-laws necessary for the proper administration of the Association. Any by-laws so made shall not be repealed, added to, or amended unless and until:

(i) Notice of intention to propose such repeal, addition or amendment is first given in writing by a member of the Association to the Secretary not later than thirty (30) days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting and included in the agenda for such meeting.

(ii) Such repeal, addition or amendment is proposed and seconded at such Annual General Meeting and is approved by not less than two-thirds of the members present at such meeting and voting there on. The election of Officers and Committee shall take place at the Annual General Meeting together with any business mentioned in the notice paper convening the meeting.

A special meeting of member shall be called at the request of the President or Secretary or any five (5) members of the Committee or at the written request of thirty (30) members of the Association. Such meeting shall be held within thirty (30) days of such request and all members shall be notified in writing not less than fourteen (14) days before such meeting.

(d) Quorum

The number of Full Members and Life Members required to make a quorum at any General, Annual General or Special General Meeting of the Association shall be 30 members.

12. VOTING

(a) At the General Meetings of the Association, members shall have only one vote unless otherwise stated herein.

(b) Voting by proxy and postal voting shall not be permitted.

(d) Questions for decision by the Committee at its meetings shall be proposed and seconded but unless a ballot is requested by a majority of members, may be a show of hands.

(e) At all General and Committee Meetings of the Association, the Chairman shall have only a casting vote.

13. STANDING ORDERS AT MEETINGS

(a) At Ordinary General Meetings, the order of business shall be as follows:

(i) Confirmation of Minutes of the previous Meeting.

(ii) Business arising out of the Minutes.

(iii) Correspondence.

(iv) Apologies.

(v) Secretary’s Report.

(vi) Treasurer’s Report.

(vii) Social Secretary’s Report.

(viii) General Business.

(b) At the Annual General Meeting, the order of business shall be as follows:

(i) Confirmation of Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.

(ii) Business arising out of the Minutes.

(iii) Correspondence.

(iv) Apologies.

(v) Adoption of the Annual Report and audited Balance Sheet and Financial Statement.

(vi) Notice of Motion (if any).

(vii) Election of Officers.

(viii) General Business.

(i) Apologies.

(ii) Business as defined under constitution 11(c)(i).

(d) At the Annual General Meeting, Ordinary and Special General Meetings and at all Committee Meetings, the following rules will apply:

(i) At all meetings the ordinary rules of debate shall be observed. No member shall speak to a motion more than once without the permission of the Chairman, except the mover of the motion, who shall have the right to reply.

(ii) No more than one amendment shall be accepted at one time, but notice of further amendments may be given.

(iii) A motion “that the question be now put” cannot be debated and if seconded such a motion shall be submitted without delay.

(iv) In dealing with correspondence, every letter after have been read shall be taken as formally received unless a motion to the contrary is submitted and every letter be dealt with immediately after the contents have been made known to the Committeemen.

(v) No discussion shall take place except on a motion of amendment, moved or seconded and put in writing, if so demanded by the Chairman.

(vi) If the amendment be carried it shall become the substantive motion, the original motion lapsing and there will be no necessity to put the original motion to the Meeting. It will be competent, whether the amendment is carried or not, to receive other amendments one at a time, to be decided in like manner until the subject before the Chair is finally disposed of.

(vii) (i) No member shall speak more than once upon the same question without the permission of the Chairman, except the mover of the amendment to the motion. Thereupon all discussion shall cease and questions shall be put.

(ii) Any member seconding a motion or amendment without remark shall not be held to have spoken thereon.

(iii) In the case of amendments being lost, the Chairman shall put the original motion to the vote without further discussions.

(viii) When a motion is moved and seconded that the Chairman’s ruling be disagreed with, the Chairman shall forthwith leave the chair and debate on the original question then before the Chair be suspended. The next senior Officer present will occupy the Chair and the question that the Chairman’s ruling be disagreed with shall be decided, after which the former Chairman shall resume the Chair and the debates on the original question shall be proceeded with as if the same had not been suspended.

(ix) A motion or an amendment having been moved and seconded, debate may ensue, but no more than two other speakers shall follow successively on the same side of the question. If two speakers have so spoken, there be no other speaker to take the opposite view, the question be then put forth.

(x) Any member, with the consent of the Chairman, may offer an explanation of any particular expression used by him, but must confine himself strictly to such

(xi) No member shall enter or leave the Meeting whilst a vote or division is being taken.

(xii) In all cases where a point of Order is raised, the member raising same shall state his point of Order clearly and distinctly and, if a member is speaking, such member shall take his seat until a point of Order is decided, the Chairman to decide the matter and not allow a discussion.

14. FINANCE

(a) The financial year shall be from 1st November to 31st October inclusive.

(b) All monies of the Association shall be paid into the account of the Association at such bank or financial institution as the Committee may from time to time direct.

(c) No monies shall be drawn from the Association’s account save by cheque, or other withdrawal form signed by any two signatories authorised by the Committee.

(d) The books and accounts of the Association shall be audited annually by an Auditor(s) appointed by the Committee for such purpose.

15. SUBSCRIPTIONS

The annual subscription for each category and/or sub-category of Membership shall be fixed at each Annual General Meeting by a majority of Members present. Subscriptions shall be paid no later than a date fixed by the Committee each year.

16. MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION

Members with ten (10) years continuous membership of the Association or the previous Association shall, subject to their personal conduct and observance of the objects stated herein, be awarded a “Membership Recognition Certificate”. This certificate, independent of conferring Life Membership of the Association, is awarded at the completion of ten (10) years of continuous membership and each subsequent five (5) years thereafter on the approval of the Committee. Entitlements to this certificate shall cease upon the member being granted Life Membership of the Association.

17. GRIEVANCES

Members shall have the right to complain about umpiring matters in accordance with the following procedures:

(a) All grievances shall be in writing and addressed to the Secretary.

(b) The Committee shall consider the grievance and, at the discretion of the Committee, use their best endeavours in the resolution of the grievance including requesting assistance from any relevant person.

(c) The Committee may assist the member in presenting his complaint to the League or the League Umpires’ Board as appropriate and may represent the member if considered appropriate.

(d) All members lodging grievances shall be advised in writing the result of their grievance.

18. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

This shall be the only Constitution of the Association and shall be come into force forthwith and shall not be altered, varied, added to or repealed unless two-thirds of members present at the Annual General Meeting or at a meeting specially convened for that purpose, are in favour of such alteration, variation, additional or repeal. Notice of motion of any alteration of these rules must be lodged with the Secretary thirty (30) days prior to the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Association.

19. NON-PROFIT CLAUSE

The assets and income of the Association shall be applied solely in furtherance of its objects and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to its members except as bone fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the Association.

20. DISSOLUTION CLAUSE

In the event of the Association being dissolved, the amount which remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, shall be paid and applied by the Committee in accordance with their powers to any fund, institution or authority, which is a non profit organisation.

Constitution Revisions

December 1991 - Rule 19 and 20

December 1993 - Rule 9(e) (iv)

December 1996 - Rule 5 (a) (iii), 5(a) (iv) (ii), 11(d), 14(b), 14(c) and 16

December 1999 - Rule 9(d)