1. Club Governance

The Wodonga Croquet Club is a registered Association, subject to the relevant Victorian legislation, and is registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria. It has a Management Committee (Executive) whose members are elected by the membership at each Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is held in July following the end of the financial year on 30 June.

Committee Nomination forms can be downloaded by clicking here.

Apart from the AGM, regular meetings are held by both the Committee and the general membership. Members are advised by email of the dates of the meetings.  Agendas (along with supporting documentation) are supplied, and the minutes of the meetings are emailed to members.   

2. Committee

3. Association Rules

The Association

1. The name of the Association is the Wodonga Croquet Club Inc.

2. The purposes of the Association are:

a. to promote interest in and arrange facilities for the playing of croquet and other Malletsports, as is appropriate, and at all levels;

b. to adopt the Laws, Rules and Regulations governing croquet and other Malletsports in Victoria and Australia, as promulgated by the Victorian Croquet Association Inc. and the Australian Croquet Association Inc.;

c. to comply with such policies and regulations promulgated by the World Croquet Federation, the Australian Croquet Association and the Victorian Croquet Association as applicable; and

d. to maintain affiliation with the Victorian Croquet Association Inc. in the manner decided by that association from time to time, and through that association with the Australian Croquet Association Inc. and the World Croquet Federation.

3. The Association has power to do all things to help it to achieve these Purposes.

4. The Association and its Committee may only exercise their powers and use the income and assets of the Association for the Purposes of the Association.

Financial Year

5. The financial year of the Association starts on 1st July each year. Members

6. Anyone who supports the Purposes of the Association can apply to join the Association as a member.

7. The Committee can set or change classes of membership, which must be approved by members at a general meeting.

8. The Association shall have the following classes of membership: a. Full membership: these are members of Croquet Victoria whose affiliation fees are paid through the Wodonga Tennis Centre Croquet Club. These members have the right to debate and vote at all general meetings. And b. Student members: these are members who are full time students and who are under the age of twenty-five (25). Those aged between 15 and 25 have the right to debate and vote at general meetings.

9. The Committee can set or change joining fees and annual subscription fees for members. Changes to the amount must be approved by members at a general meeting.

10. A person can apply to join the Association by writing to the Secretary and paying the joining fee (if any).

11. The Committee can approve or reject an application to join the Association. If the Committee rejects an application, it is not required to give reasons for that decision, but it must return the joining fee (if any) and write to the person to tell them their application has been rejected.

12. A person becomes a member when:

a. the Committee has approved their application to join the Association;

b. the Association has received the person’s joining fee (if any)

c. the Secretary has entered the person’s name, address (or email address) and date they became a member on the members’ register.

The Association must inform the person when their membership has started, and if they have to pay an annual subscription fee (which may be calculated in proportion to the remaining financial year at the time they became a member). That fee (if any) must be paid within 28 Days.

13. Members can choose to stop being a member of the Association at any time by writing to the Secretary. The Association will not refund any joining and subscription fees already paid.

14. Members must pay the annual subscription fee (if any) within one month of being asked. If a member does not pay in time, their membership will be suspended (when membership is suspended, a member cannot exercise their members’ rights such as voting at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

15. Members have rights and liabilities as set out in the Act and in these rules.

16. Each member’s liability is limited to the joining and annual subscription fees (if any).

Members’ access to documents

17. A member may, subject to rules 19 to 21, inspect the rules of the Association, general meeting minutes, relevant documents (as defined by the Act) and the members register at a reasonable time.

18. Members can write to the Secretary asking for copies of these documents (with the exception of the members register). The Secretary can charge a reasonable fee for providing copies.

19. The Secretary can refuse a request to inspect or get copies of relevant documents, if the documents contain confidential, personal, employment, commercial or legal matters, or if granting the request would breach a law or may cause damage or harm to the Association.

20. Members cannot inspect or get copies of Committee meeting minutes, or parts of the minutes, unless the Committee specifically allows it.

21. Members can write to the Secretary to ask that the Secretary restrict access to their details on the members register if they have special circumstances. The Secretary will decide if there are special circumstances, and will write to the member outlining their decision.

The Committee

22. The Association is governed by a management committee (the Committee) that is made up of committee members (Committee Members).

23. The Committee can exercise all powers and functions of the Association (consistently with the Act), except for powers and functions that the members are required to exercise at a general meeting (under these rules or the Act).

24. The Committee can delegate any of its powers and functions to a committee member, a sub-committee, or a member; other than the power of delegation of a duty imposed by the Act. The delegation must be in writing and can be revoked by the Committee in writing.

25. Office Holders and Ordinary Committee Members are elected by members of the Association at the AGM by ballot.

26. The Committee is made up of the following roles:

a. the President;

b. the Vice President;

c. the Treasurer;

d. the Secretary;

e. up to 2 Ordinary Committee Members.

26a. The Committee may establish other positions it considers appropriate and include those elected to those positions by club members to become members of the Committee with full voting rights.

27. At the first Committee meeting after the AGM, the Committee will decide the responsibilities of each Office Holder.

28. The Secretary must be over 18 years of age, and live in Australia.

29. If the Secretary stops living in Australia, they cannot remain the Secretary.

30. If the Secretary stops being the Secretary, the Committee must appoint a new Secretary and must notify Croquet Victoria in 14 days.

31. Each Committee Member finishes their time on the Committee (term) at the next AGM after they were appointed, but they can be elected again.

31a. Any member can re-stand for nomination for any position other than the one they have held for the previous 3 years.

Under normal circumstances, all positions can only be held for 3 years to allow other club members to serve on the Management Committee. In the event that there are no candidates to fill a position that falls vacant, and the incumbent is willing to serve a second term, then the Annual General Meeting can approve the incumbent serving a consecutive term.

32. A member can nominate to be on the Committee by writing to the Secretary, and another member must support their nomination in writing. The supported nomination must be received at least 7 days before the AGM.

33. If the number of members nominated to be Committee Members is equal to the number of Committee Members, the AGM chair may declare these positions filled without holding a ballot.

34. If the number of applicants for the Committee is less than the number of positions, other members of the Association can nominate themselves at the AGM.

35. A Committee Member stops being on the Committee if they:

a. resign, by writing, to the Committee or the Secretary;

b. become insolvent (as the term is used in the Corporations Act 2001);

c. become a represented person (under the Guardianship and Administration Act 1986); or

d. die.

36. If a Committee Member stops being on the Committee before the end of their term in accordance with rule 35, the Committee can temporarily appoint a member of the Association to fill the vacancy on the Committee until the next AGM.

37. Among its other responsibilities, the Committee is responsible for making sure that:

a. accurate minutes of general meetings and Committee meetings of the Association are made and kept; and

b. all records, securities and relevant documents of the Association are kept properly.

Committee Meetings

38. The Secretary must give 14 days’ notice of a Committee Meeting to Committee Members unless the meeting is an urgent meeting.

39. The Committee can decide how often it meets.

40. Committee Members may attend meetings through technology (such as phone or video conferencing) so long as everyone can hear and be heard at the same time.

41. The Chair of Committee Meetings is the President, or if the President cannot attend, the Vice President, and if the President and Vice President cannot attend, Committee Member can choose who will be Chair.

42. If a vote of the Committee is tied, the Chair of the meeting has the deciding vote.

43. The majority (more than half) of Committee Members must be present (either in person or through the use of technology) for the meeting to be validly held (the quorum).

General Meetings

44. The Association must hold an AGM within five months of the end of the Association’s financial year.

45. The ordinary business of the AGM is to confirm the minutes of the previous AGM, receive reports and statements on the previous financial year, and elect Committee Members. The notice of AGM must include any special business or motions to be considered.

46. The Committee or a group of at least 10% of all members many call a Special General Meeting.

47. At least 10% of the members (a quorum) must be present at a general meeting (either in person or through the use of technology) for the meeting to be held.

48. Members may not vote by proxy at general meetings.

49. Notice of general meetings must be provided to members at least 14 days before the meeting in writing to each member’s postal or email address listed on the members register (in the case of email addresses, so long as the email address was provided for receiving notices).

50. Notices of general meetings must include proposed matters to be dealt with at that meeting.

51. The Chair of a general meeting will be the President, or if the President is not in attendance, the Vice President, or if the President and Vice President are not in attendance, the members at the meeting can choose another member to be Chair.

52. Votes may be held by a show of hands or written ballot, or another method determined by the Chair that is fair and reasonable in the circumstances. If a vote is held initially by show of hands, any member may request a vote be held again by written ballot.

53. If a vote of members is tied, the Chair of the meeting has the deciding vote.

54. The Chair may adjourn the meeting if there are not enough members at the meeting (see Rule 47) within 30 minutes of the meeting time, or if there is not enough time at a meeting to address all business. A new notice must be sent to members before the adjourned meeting (but does not have to comply with time notice for requirements, unless the adjourned meeting is more than 21 days after the original meeting date).

Grievance disputes

55. If there is a dispute between a member and another member, a member and the Association, or a member and the Committee, the parties involved must first attempt to resolve the dispute between themselves for at least 14 days from the date the dispute is known to all parties involved.

56. If the dispute cannot be resolved between the people involved, the following grievance procedure must be followed:

a. the party with a grievance must write to the Association and any other people affected, and explain what the grievance is concerned with;

b. the Committee must appoint an unbiased mediator to hear from all the parties involved and try to find a solution. The Committee must let the people involved know the time and place where the hearing will happen;

c. at the hearing, each party must have the opportunity to be heard and agrees to do their best to resolve the dispute, and

d. the mediator will not determine the outcome of the dispute. e. if the mediation process does not resolve the dispute, the parties may seek resolution with a professional mediator in accordance with the Act or otherwise at law.

Disciplining members

57. The Committee can discipline a member of the Association if it considers the member has breached these Rules or if the member’s behaviour is causing (or has caused) damage or harm to the Association.

58. The Committee must write to the member to tell them why disciplinary action is proposed to be taken.

59. The Committee must arrange a disciplinary procedure that meets these requirements:

a. the outcome must be determined by an un-biased decision maker;

b. the member must have an opportunity to be heard;

c. the disciplinary procedure must be completed as soon as reasonably practicable.

60. The outcome of a disciplinary procedure can be that the member must leave the Association, for a period of time or indefinitely. The Association cannot fine a member.

Funds

61. The Association must not distribute funds, income or assets to members except as reasonable compensation for services provided or expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation.

62. The Association may derive or general funds from joining and annual subscription fees, donations, grants, fundraising, interests, and any other sources approved by the Committee that are consistent with furthering the Association’s Purposes.

63. Cheques, EFT transfers or cash payments made from the Association’s funds must be authorised (signed) by two members of the Committee.

64. Financial records must be kept and stored for 7 years, and in accordance with any other applicable laws.

Alteration of rules

65. These rules may be changed, added to, or replaced by special resolution of the Association’s members at a general meeting.

By Laws

66. The Association may make By Laws and alter, amend or rescind the same as required. By Laws shall have the same force as these Rules but may not in any way be in conflict with or oppose these Rules. By Laws shall only be adopted, amended or rescinded by a special resolution at a general meeting, with 66% of members present at that meeting and entitled to vote, voting in favour of the resolution.

Winding Up

67. The members may vote by special resolution at a general meeting to wind up the Association.

68. If the Association is wound up, any surplus assets must not be distributed to the members or former members of the Association, and (subject to the Act and any court order) must be distributed to another organisation or organisations, so long as that other organisation or organisations are not carried on for profit or gain of its members.

Revised 12 January 2021
John McQuilton
Former Club Secretary
Wodonga Tennis Centre Croquet Club Inc.

 

4. Occupational Health and Safety

The club has a Health and Safety Officer, and a First Aid Officer, and follows the regulations set down by the VCA for adverse playing conditions. These include matters such as when play should cease if temperatures reach extremes at both ends of the scale. Members who have medical issues can fill in the Player’s Medical Condition form:

https://croquetvic.asn.au/documents/Adverse_Playing_Conditions_Policy.pdf

It is a confidential form, kept under lock and key, and would only be opened in a case of an emergency. Members playing at other venues are responsible for taking a sealed copy of the form with them if they if they believe that extreme conditions may affect their medical condition. The form will be returned, or shredded, at the close of play.

 

5. Useful Links

Wodonga Croquet Club VCA Homepage

https://www.croquetvic.asn.au/clubpage.php?clubnameclicked=wodonga

North Eastern District Croquet Association (NEDCA)

https://croquetvic.asn.au/regionpage.php?regionidsent=9

Victorian Croquet Association (VCA)

https://croquetvic.asn.au/index.php

Australian Croquet Association (ACA)

https://croquet-australia.com.au

World Croquet Federation

https://worldcroquet.org

Privacy Policy

https://croquetvic.asn.au/documents/Privacy-Policy.pdf

 

 

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(i) Note: “relevant documents” includes documents such as financial records, contracts and asset records of the Association.
(ii) A ballot is a written vote, like at a state or federal election.
(iii) These are the Office Holders.
(iv) By Law passed at the General Meeting, 21 January 2020.
(v) By Law passed at the General Meeting of 24 November 2020. This rescinds and replaces the By Law passed at the general meeting of 10 January 2017.
(vi) At an urgent meeting, only the issues for which the meeting was called can be considered.
(vii) To pass a special resolution, 75% of members present at a meeting and eligible to vote must vote in favour of the resolution. There are extra notice requirements when a special resolution is proposed. The VCA needs to be informed of any alteration to rules, an amended list of Association Rules submitted for display on the VCA’s website and a fee paid to lodge such amendments.