SARPA
Scottish Air Rifle and Pistol Association
Current Constitution March 2007
SCOTTISH AIR RIFLE & PISTOL ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION
1. The association shall be entitled SCOTTISH AIR RIFLE & PISTOL ASSOCIATION (SARPA being the accepted abbreviated title) hereinafter referred to as the “ASSOCIATION”.
2. Hereinafter “target shooting” shall refer solely to inanimate targets: shooting at live targets as an organised club activity shall be specifically excluded.
3. The objectives of the Association are:-
(a) To promote the safe use of air rifles and pistols.
(b) To support, encourage and promote all aspects of the sport of competitive target shooting with air rifles and air pistols, and to arrange relevant instruction courses.
(c) To encourage the formation of target air rifle and pistol clubs.
(d) To issue rules and regulations to be observed in the sport, and safety rules to be observed at all times by members.
(e) To arrange competitions and award trophies and prizes for such competitions as may be decided by the management Committee.
(f) To raise funds by means of subscriptions, contributions, donations or any other source for the furtherance of the Association and the sport.
(g) To obtain publicity for and recognition of the sport and the ASSOCIATION.
(h) To represent and safeguard the interests of its members in all matters connected with the sport.
(i) To co-operate with and to support any other shooting or sporting or associated body in any way to mutual interest or to achieve any of the foregoing objectives, but without such co-operation or support infringing in anyway the independence of the Association or any other body.
4. For the purposes of interpretation of the Constitution of the Association or the implementation of any Rules and Regulations made under clause 9, a ‘SCOT’ will be a person of Scottish birth or parentage or of continuous residence in Scotland for a period of not less than five years immediately preceding the date of the last AGM.
5. Membership of the Association may be applied for by persons engaged in or wishing to engage in target air rifle and/or pistol shooting.
Membership will be under one of the two following Classes:-
FULL MEMBERSHIP: open to any ‘SCOT’ as per Clause 4.
ASSOCIATED MEMBERSHIP: open to any ‘non-Scot’ and having the same rights and privileges as Full Membership exempt the right to vote at general meetings, or to be elected to the Management Committee. The Management Committee shall have the absolute right to refuse any admission to membership without giving reason or right to appeal, and no course of action shall lie thereby. In any such case any moneys paid in advance or in anticipation shall be refunded.
6.
(a) The financial and membership year for the Association shall run 1st January to 31st December
(b) All committee members shall be fully paid members of the Association. If any committee position is filled with a non-member of the Association, he/she will be a non-voting member of said committee
(c) The Office-Bearers of the Association shall be a Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer. Each shall be elected for a four-year term. All retiring Office Bearers are eligible for re-election. A vacancy arising among the Office Bearers may be filled immediately by co-option. Such co-option stands to be ratified at the next AGM whereupon the incumbent (or elected replacement) shall serve the remaining period of the original four year term of Office.
7.
(a) The business of the Association shall be conducted by a Management Committee which shall consist of the Office Bearers (3) and eight Committee Members. Committee Members shall be elected annually, one committee member shall be nominated by each properly constituted club and any remaining position elected. Vacancies occurring in the Committee during the year may be filled immediately by co-option. Any member so co-opted shall serve until the next AGM. The Committee may co-opt such other non-voting members as it deems necessary for any period until the next AGM. All retiring members shall be eligible for re-election.
(b) Each properly constituted club who has an elected committee member, if they so wish, name at the AGM a substitute representative. The purpose of the ‘substitute’ would be to allow club representation at Committee Meetings if for any “acceptable” reason the elected committee member is unable to attend. At no time would both the elected and substitute committee members be allowed to attend the meeting together.
(c) The funds of the Association shall be paid into an account operated by the Management Committee, in the name of the Association. The bank account should be of a type to give the best of benefits to the Association. All cheques drawn on the Associations bank account must be signed by two Office Bearers (usually the Secretary and Treasurer).
8. The Management Committee shall meet not less than six times per year of office at a mutually agreed venue and date. Five members shall constitute a quorum. In the event of any member of the Management Committee failing to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee the office of such member will be declared vacant and another member co-opted to serve until the next AGM. If any member of the Association, who is not a committee member, wishes to attend a committee meeting they must first have been given approval by the Chairman and Secretary. Any non committee member who attends a meeting without an invite may be requested to leave, if they are allowed to remain in the meeting they will have no input to the meeting and no voting rights.
9. The Management Committee shall make and members shall observe any Rules and Regulations which the Committee may decide necessary for the good governance and order of the Association. These may also cover any competition organised or supervised by or under the direction or approval of the Management Committee.
10. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be in February /March. Items for the Agenda other than proposed constitutional change must be submitted to the Secretary in writing not later than seven days prior to the date of the Meeting. Fourteen days notice of the meeting shall be given by the Secretary to the members. The verified accounts for the previous calendar year shall be available at the Meeting and on request from the Secretary up to 14 days before the Meeting.
The following business shall be transacted:-
- approve minutes of last years General Meetings
- receive the Annual Accounts and Reports of the Management Committee
- elect the Management Committee
- set the fees and subscriptions for the following year
- appoint an individual independent verifier
- any other competent business
A quorum shall be 6 members for any General Meeting.
11. The Annual Subscription shall be such sums as shall be agreed at the AGM and shall fall due before the commencement of the following financial year.
12. At each AGM the Management Committee shall appoint an individual independent verifier who shall examine the accounts of the Association at least once annually with the invoices and other supporting documents and who shall verify that such accounts are correct and truly represent the expenditure and receipts of the Association and its liabilities and assets. The verifier may at any time inspect any book or document or property of the Association in whosoever possession it may be. An Annual Verified Statement of the Association Accounts shall be prepared and published as required by Clause 10.
13. The Management Committee may pay accounts and incur any normal liabilities on behalf of the Association. The Committee are hereby indemnified by the Association against any claim or demand in respect of any liabilities properly incurred on behalf of the Association.
14. All property of the Association shall be vested in the Committee for the time being and the Committee shall have power to appoint Trustees to hold any particular item of property from time to time.
15. Any expenses reasonably incurred by any member of the Management Committee in attending meetings of the Committee or in pursuance of directions of the Committee shall at the discretion of the Management Committee be reimbursed at cost from the ASSOCIATION funds.
16. The Committee shall have the power to convene an Extraordinary Meeting of the Members when they deem such action necessary.
17. The Committee shall be bound to call an EGM on the request in writing to the Secretary of no less than 25% of the members. Upon such requisitioning being duly served and not complied with within 14 days the requisitionists may themselves convene an Extraordinary Meeting at the expense of the Association by giving 14 days notice in writing to the members, duly setting out the purpose for which such a meeting is called. Any resolution passed at such meeting shall have the same force and effect as if they were passed at a meeting convened by the Committee.
An EGM may deal only with the motion duly notified and is not empowered to consider change of the Constitution.
18. Any Office-Bearer, member of the Management Committee or other Officer of the Association may be removed from office by the majority vote of not less than two-thirds of all votes cast at any General Meeting convened under Clause 10, 16 and 17 whereupon an extraordinary election shall be held immediately to fill the vacancy so caused. Any member so removed from office shall have no claim on the Association.
19.
(a) Any complaint which the committee receives will be dealt with using the timescale per BFTA Disciplinary Procedures
(b) The Management Committee may at any time, by majority vote, suspend from membership of the Association any member or group of members where necessary for the reputation or good governance or order of the Association. Such suspension shall be notified in writing and shall be effective until the next AGM or EGM of the Association at which appeal against such suspension shall be only by personal appearance. Members present may by majority vote reverse the decision of the Management Committee or endorse it, thereby causing the instant debarring of the member or group of members. Such vote will only take place after address by the appellant(s) and the Management Committee. Any member so dealt with shall have no claim on the Association.
20. Alterations to the Constitution shall only be made at the AGM and only by a two-thirds majority of those Full Members present and voting. Notice of motion for Constitutional change must be given to the Secretary in writing at least 42 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
21. The Chairman of any Committee or General Meeting shall only vote in the event of a tie.
22. The Committee shall have power of legislation upon any item not provided for in this Constitution.
23. In the event of the Association being wound up the property and assets of the Association shall not belong to the members of the Association but shall be made over to the Officers for the time being of the Scottish Target Shooting Federation, failing whom the Scottish Sports Council, to be applied by them for the benefit of some other institution with objectives similar to those of the Association as the relevant body may determine.
Approved AGM 3rd March 2007
