The Club shall be called ‘Crowthorne Archers’, hereafter to be referred to as ‘the Club’ and shall be affiliated to the Berkshire Archery Association (BAA), Southern Counties Archery Association (SCAS) and Archery GB (AGB).

The aims and objectives of The Club are:

• To offer coaching and participation opportunities in the sport of archery.
• To promote The Club within the local community and the sport of archery.
• To ensure a duty of care to all members of The Club and the public.
• To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone.
• To ensure that all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment.
• To foster and promote the sport of archery at all levels, ages and abilities providing opportunities and recreation and competition.

• Demonstrate responsible behaviour.
• Comply with the rules and policies of The Club as set out in the Constitution and Code of Conduct.
• Are a member of AGB.
• Comply with AGB's 'Rules of Shooting', a link to which can be found on The Club's website.
• Have paid all relevant fees as requested by the club secretary (which may include amounts to be paid to other organisations, such as AGB, BAA and SCAS, as well as fees to be retained by Crowthorne Archers), prior to their membership expiry date.

• Adult 'FULL' Member
• Student 'FULL' Member (aged 18 to 25)
• Junior 'FULL' Member (under 18)
• Associate Adult Member (Archery GB member via another club)
• Associate Student Member (Archery GB member via another club)
• Associate Junior Member (under 18 Archery GB member via another club)

The Club welcomes archers from other clubs shooting at The Club but before shooting the visitor must:

• Show their AGB membership card on arrival.
• Sign the visitors' book.
• Pay a shooting fee of £5.

Visitors may only shoot up to 6 times in any calendar year. If they wish to continue, they must apply and pay for associate membership before the 7th visit.

The Club's membership year runs from 1st October through to 30th September. Members must have cleared payment of all fees due to The Club, AGB, SCAS and BAA before commencing shooting in the new year.

The General Committee may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring The Club or sport of archery into disrepute.

All disciplinary, child protection and poor practice concerns should follow the AGB guidelines which are available under Governance on the AGB website.

All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice or abuse of children, young people or vulnerable adults will be recorded and responded to quickly and appropriately by the Junior and Safeguarding Officer in accordance with the AGB policy for Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults. (See further details on The Club website)

The Junior and Safeguarding Officer is the lead contact for all members of The Club in the event of any safeguarding concerns. (For contact details, see The Club website).

All other complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Secretary in a timely fashion.

The General Committee will meet in a disciplinary hearing within 21 days of a complaint being lodged with the Secretary or report, allegation or concern of abuse being lodged with the Junior and Safeguarding Officer.

The General Committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership of The Club.

The outcome of the disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodges the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing.

There will be a right of appeal against the decision of the General Committee's disciplinary hearing. This request for an appeal may be made to the Secretary in writing within seven days following the decision of the General Committee's disciplinary action being notified to the appellant.

In the event of an appeal against the decision of the General Committee, the President of the BAA shall be requested to appoint an appeal panel of three independent individuals. No member of The Club may sit on this panel.

• Chairperson
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Records Officer
• Equipment Officer
• Tournament Secretary
• Junior and Safeguarding Officer
• Communications Officer (to include Webmaster)
• Coaching Officer
• Membership Secretary
• Course Administrator

All Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Club, from the Full Adult and/or Full Student Members, and by, the Full Members of The Club.

All Officers are elected for a period of one year, but may be re-elected to the same office or another office in succeeding years.

No one Member can hold more than one Officer position in the same year.

The affairs of the Club shall be controlled by a General Committee comprised of the Officers of the Club. 

The General Committee shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than six times per year. Minutes of meetings shall be kept by the Secretary and a quorum of 4 officers shall be required.

The duties of the General Committee shall be:

• To control the affairs of the Club on behalf of the Members.
• To keep accurate accounts of the finance of the Club through the Treasurer. These shall be available for reasonable inspection by Full Members and shall be audited before every AGM.
• To review a per meeting report from the Treasurer on the material transactions since the last meeting so as to provide periodic oversight to the general finances of The Club.
• To co-opt additional members to the General Committee as the General Committee feels necessary. Co-opted members shall not be entitled to vote on the General Committee.
• To make decisions on the basis of a simple majority vote. In case of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.
• The General Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect The Club.
• The General Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary to fulfil its business. Sub-committee members shall not be entitled to vote on the General Committee.
• To appoint an auditor to audit the accounts prior to the AGM.

All monies of The Club will be banked in an account held in the name of The Club.

The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of The Club.

The finance year of The Club will end on 31st December each year.

The Club shall maintain a current bank account, and transactions in excess of £30 (Thirty Pounds Sterling) shall be raised by the Treasurer and then authorised by the Chairperson, Secretary or another authorised Officer as agreed by the committee, and the two signatories shall not be related by blood, marriage, civil partnership or other romantic relationship.

In the event that the Treasurer is unable to raise the payment, this shall be raised by either the Chairperson or Secretary and then authorised by another Officer as agreed by the committee, and the two signatories shall not be related by blood, marriage, civil partnership or other romantic relationship.

The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held in January each year. 21 days clear notice shall be given to Members of the AGM, by the Secretary (or another General Committee member voted for by the General Committee if unavailable), by circulating a copy of the notice to every Member. Members must advise the Secretary in writing (including email) of any business to be moved at the AGM at least 14 days before a meeting. The Secretary shall circulate or give notice of the agenda for the meeting to Members not less than 7 days before the meeting.

Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) can be called for by the Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer or by a majority decision of the General Committee. An EGM will only be called where there is a matter which cannot be addressed by the powers of the General Committee. The agenda for these meetings will be on a single topic and not subject to any other business (AOB). 21 days clear notice shall be given to Members of the EGM, by the Secretary (or other General Committee member voted for by the General Committee if unavailable), by circulating a copy of the notice to every Member.

The business of the AGM shall be to:

• Confirm the minutes of the previous AGM and any EGM (together General Meetings) held since the last AGM.
• Receive the audited accounts for the year from the Treasurer.
• Receive the annual report of the General Committee from the Secretary.
• Elect the Officers of The Club and appoint them to the General Committee.
• Review The Club subscription rates and agree them for the forthcoming year.
• Transact such other business received by the Secretary from Members at least 14 days prior to the meeting and included in the agenda.
• The agenda could provide for AOB, but Members are encouraged to refer other items to the Secretary and give the required notice for important AGM business. The Chairperson can deem a matter raised in the AOB as requiring further investigation and/or consultation and may therefore state that the matter will be addressed by the General Committee at a subsequent General Committee meeting, or by the calling of an EGM to which all Full Members will be invited to attend and vote.

Nominations of candidates for election of Officers shall be made to the Secretary at least 14 days in advance of the AGM date. Nominations can only be made by Full Members and must be seconded by another Full Member. If no nominations are received in advance, nominations may be made at the AGM.

At all General Meetings, the chair will be taken by the Chairperson or, in their absence, by a deputy appointed by the Chairperson, or if unavailable a General Committee member attending the General Meeting and voted for by the General Committee members attending the General Meeting (in the case of a tie, the Secretary will have a casting vote).

Decisions made at a General Meeting shall be by a simple majority of votes from those Full Members attending the meeting. In the event of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.

A quorum for a General Meeting shall be 20% of Full Members of The Club who are eligible to vote as detailed in clause 9.8.

Each Full Member (excluding Associate and Honorary members) of The Club aged sixteen years or above shall be entitled to one vote per vote at General Meetings.

Proxy voting at General Meetings is only allowed through a written document (email accepted) sent to a General Committee member and which is available for viewing at the General Meeting. Proxy votes must be received by the General Committee at least twenty-four hours before the scheduled start of the General Meeting. Any proxy votes received after this time cannot be guaranteed as valid votes, but can be accepted at the General Committee's discretion.

In the event that proxy votes are received by the General Committee as per 9.9, these shall be added to the votes from those Full Members attending the meeting. Decisions made at a General Meeting shall then be by a simple majority of those combined votes. In the event of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.

Any proposed alterations to the Constitution may only be considered at a General Meeting, convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed by a Full Member of the Club and seconded by another Full Member. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of those Full Members present at the General Meeting. In the event of an equal vote the Chairperson will have an additional casting vote.

If at any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of The Club, the Secretary shall immediately convene an EGM of The Club to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.

If at that EGM, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the Full Members present at the meeting, the General Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of The Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of The Club.

After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Club, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Full Members of the Club, but shall be given or transferred to some other voluntary organisation having objectives similar to those of The Club.

Crowthorne Archers hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.