- Name of the Society
- Objectives of the society
- Membership
- Obligations of membership
- Meetings of the society
- Government of the society
- Access to records
- Accounts and funds
- Property of the society
- Newsletter
- Extraordinary Meeting
- Winding Up
Rule 1
Name of the Society
This association shall be known as “Wigan Rugby Heritage Society” (hereinafter referred to as “the Society”).
Rule 2
Objectives of the Society
The Society may act only in pursuit of the following objectives:
a) To identify, catalogue and preserve material relating to Wigan Rugby League Club (“the Rugby Club”).
b) To act as a safe depository for material relating to the Rugby Club, and to accept donations, bequests or otherwise acquire such material.
c) To research and record all aspects of the history of the Rugby Club and persons associated with it.
e) To raise interest in, and awareness of, the history of the Rugby Club, and to assist the Rugby Club and others in such matters.
f) To publish material concerning the Rugby Club.
g) To hold meetings of members and other events and to publish items of interest to members.
h) To promote the Society.
To indulge in any other activity that promotes or increases the knowledge of the history of the Rugby Club, furthers the general welfare of members, or benefits the Society or the Rugby Club.
j) To raise funds to carry out the Society’s objectives.
Rule 3
Membership
a) Membership shall be open to anyone with an interest in the heritage of the Rugby Club who agrees to abide by the Society’s Rules. The Society will not unfairly discriminate against anyone on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.
b) Members shall complete a membership form and pay a subscription decided at a General Meeting. They shall receive a membership card if the Committee deems such a card to be of benefit or if such a card is requested at the time of completing a membership form (upon payment of a small fee).
c) Membership lasts until the end of the membership year, which shall coincide with the calendar year. Subscriptions shall be paid by 1st March, otherwise membership and all its benefits shall lapse. Members joining after 30th September shall automatically be included as members for the following year without further payment.
d) Any member found to be abusing the privileges of membership, breaking the Society’s Rules or bringing the Society or the Rugby Club into disrepute shall be liable to a penalty, which may include expulsion, decided by the Committee. Such member may appeal to a General Meeting of the Society, whose decision shall be final.
e) The Society shall maintain accurate records of membership. Details of membership shall not be passed to a third party without permission. Members may opt to have their contact details, together with an indication of their principal interests, published in a Directory for the benefit of other members.
Rule 4
Obligations of Membership
All members’ collections will remain the property of their owners.
b) Members should be willing to inform the Society of the contents of their collections for the purpose of cataloguing, but such information shall remain restricted if the member so desires.
c) Members should generally be willing to supply copies of items in their collection to the Society for the purposes of research, preservation, cataloguing, publication or exhibition.
d) Members shall not make unwanted offers for the purchase of other members’ material.
e) Members must treat other members with respect. They must conduct themselves in all circumstances when associated with the Society or with the Rugby Club in a responsible and respectful manner and must not bring the Society or the Rugby Club into disrepute.
f) Members must not resell match tickets purchased from the Rugby Club or any other club or obtained via the Society.
g) The Society may request in writing from a member to loan a particular item for a display or other society purpose. The owner of such an item has the right to refuse without prejudice.
Rule 5
Meetings of the Society
a) General Meetings of the Society, both Annual and Extraordinary, shall be open to all members and non members expressing an interest to join the Society. Only a properly convened General Meeting may make decisions binding upon the Society, which shall take effect as soon as they are passed. Other meetings may be called for the purpose of hearing guest speakers, exhibitions, etc.
b) Votes shall be conducted either by a show of hands or by secret ballot and postal votes shall be accepted on an approved form.
c) Notice of the time, date, venue and business of General Meetings shall be sent to all members at least 14 days in advance via email, phone or post by the members choosing. Notice of other meetings shall be given as soon as they have been confirmed.
Rule 6
Government of the Society
a) The Society shall be governed day to day by a committee. The Committee shall run the Society in a manner consistent with these Rules; with any resolutions passed at General Meetings; and with its own resolutions.
b) The Committee shall be responsible for the proper, efficient and lawful running of the Society. The Society shall indemnify the Committee and its members acting properly while running the Society against any personal liability incurred in the proper running of the Society
c) Minutes from all meetings will be taken and given to all committee members and kept for future reference.
d) The committee shall be responsible for maintaining membership records, issuing membership cards, collecting subscriptions and for related correspondence.
e) The committee members shall be responsible for the Society’s property and related correspondence. He/she shall keep accurate records of property and its whereabouts.
f) The Treasurer shall be responsible for the Society’s funds and related correspondence and shall provide a statement at meetings. He/she shall keep accurate records of all transactions by scrutiny by the committee members as appropriate.
g) The Society may, as it sees fit, delegate duties to any member of the Society and form sub-committees including any member of the Society. Sub-committees shall keep minutes and report to the Committee.
Rule 7
Access to Records
Minutes of meetings, details of transactions and accounts, and summaries of membership records shall be made available for inspection by any member of the Society upon application in writing to the Society. The Society shall respond within 28 days. No personal data shall be revealed.
Rule 8
Accounts and Funds
The Society shall operate at least one bank or building society account. All withdrawals or cheques must be authorised and provide details at each meeting.
Rule 9
Property of the Society
a) The Society is an unincorporated association. Its assets shall be regarded as being in the joint ownership of all society, to be managed by the society for the benefit of all members according to these Rules, and in accordance with any resolutions passed at General Meetings and with its own resolutions.
b) All property of the Society, or facsimiles thereof, shall be accessible to all members unless deemed to be of the utmost sensitivity. Members shall treat Society property with the utmost care and shall inform the society members of any change in its whereabouts.
c) Items on offer and deemed as available for purchase for historical importance will be decided by a voting system and dependent on the funds available at the time.
Rule 10
Newsletter
The Society shall endeavour to produce a newsletter, for members only, each quarter. Details of any major actions, decisions or expenditure by the Society shall be reported in the newsletter. The newsletter shall also contain details of any new property acquired by the Society and any other reports, articles, notices or items of interest to members.
Rule 11
Extraordinary Meeting
At each AGM, votes will be cast for positions of Treasurer and Secretary. If a member who holds a position steps down, an extraordinary meeting may be called to elect a member for any vacancy/ or vote at the next available meeting
Rule 12
Winding Up
The Society may be wound up only at a General Meeting and only if three-quarters of votes cast are in favour. No subscriptions shall be repaid. Any monies, property, records or other assets will remain and after the settling of all debts , these shall be given to organisations that will best look after or benefit from those assets.
