DUBLIN UNIVERSITY SWIMMING CLUB
EST 1897
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D U S C Club Constitution

1. Name, Colours and Status

1.1 The name of the Club shall be Dublin University Swimming Club, hereinafter referred to as "The Club", and may be abbreviated to D.U.S.C.

1.2 The colours of the Club shall be bottle-green, emerald green and silver.

1.3 The Club is a joint mixed Club.

2. Objectives

2.1 The Club shall foster swimming, water polo and water safety in all its aspects among its members.

2.2 The Club shall engage in all aspects of competitive swimming, water polo and water safety to the highest levels and to this end may legally acquire and hold any necessary property.

3. Affiliation

3.1 The Club shall be affiliated to Dublin University Central Athletic Club (D.U.C.A.C.), Swim Ireland, the Leinster Branch of the Irish Water Polo Association (L.B.I.W.P.A.) and the Irish University Swimming Association (I.U.S.A.)

3.2 The rules of D.U.C.A.C., Swim Ireland, the Irish Water Polo Association and the Irish University Swimming Association shall be observed in all swimming, water polo and water safety competitions and in the general running of the Club.

3.3 Only properly affiliated and paid up members may compete for the Club.

3.4 Swim Ireland's Code of Ethics and Child Protection Guidelines and the Irish Government's Good Practice in Children's Sport in Ireland shall apply to all members of the Club.

4. Membership

4.1 The governing body of the Club is the membership in General Meeting.

4.2 Ordinary membership of the Club shall only be open to undergraduates and postgraduates of Trinity College Dublin and to any member of D.U.C.A.C., all on payment of the annual membership fee and completion of the Club's registration form.

4.3 Membership is conferred ex-officio on all employed qualified Coaches and Teachers in the Club.

4.4 It is deemed that all members shall have agreed to abide by Club rules.

4.5 A member who leaves the Club must return all perpetual trophies in his / her possession belonging to the Club before he / she may be granted a letter of release or clearance certificate.

4.6 A resigning member shall obtain, upon request, a letter of release, to be signed by both Club Secretary and Club Treasurer, that there is no outstanding financial liability to the Club and that the resigning member is free to join another Club of his/her choice.

4.7 Each member shall be entitled to receive a copy of the Club's Constitution, Rules and Information Booklet upon written application to the Secretary.

4.8 Any member of the Club who disregards the rules of the Club or of Swim Ireland, or who brings the good name of the Club into disrepute shall be answerable to the Committee and to the Membership and may be liable for expulsion from the Club, forfeiting all membership fees.

4.9 Any member who has a complaint shall put this in writing to the Secretary and shall be answered in writing after discussion by the Committee.

4.10 In this constitution, where "notification of members" or similar is written, it is implied that the posting of information on the Club's noticeboard shall suffice.

5. General Meetings

5.1 General Meetings are either Annual or Extraordinary and shall be held during the college academic year.

5.2 Where an alteration to the Constitution or Rules is approved, the effect is immediate and a copy of the new Constitution shall be made available to any member within twenty one days after written application to the Secretary.

5.3 Motions without due notice shall not be discussed or voted on.

5.4 Each member present and entitled to vote shall have one vote on every question.

5.5 Where there is an equality of votes, the Chair shall have a second or casting vote to retain the status quo.

5.6 Motions to alter the Constitution and Rules of the Club require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

5.7 All motions, except those for which express provision is made, shall be passed by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote.

5.8 Votes on motions or amendments shall be taken by a show of hands, but any person entitled to vote may demand a ballot when tellers shall be appointed.

5.9 All motions passed in accordance with these rules shall take immediate effect unless otherwise stated.

5.10 The Club shall not be dissolved unless by a specific General Meeting where two thirds of the members present and eligible to vote so wish.

5.11 At dissolution of the Club, all funds and trophies shall be donated to D.U.C.A.C., unless an amalgamation with another Club takes place.

5.12 A draft copy of the minutes of all General Meetings shall be made available to any member within twenty one days after written application to the Secretary.

6. Attendance and Voting Rights at General Meetings

6.1 Members who shall be eligible to attend, nominate, propose, second and vote by right of paid up membership are :

1. Any undergraduate or postgraduate of Trinity College Dublin.

2. Any member of DUCAC.

6.2 Members who shall be eligible to attend, nominate, propose, second and vote by right of their office are :

1. Coaches and Teachers.

6.3 The Secretary shall keep an attendance list for voting purposes of all members at a General Meeting.

7. Annual General Meeting

7.1 The Club's Annual General Meeting shall be held during the first fortnight of May.

7.2 The quorum for a General Meeting shall be three Committee members and any other twenty ordinary members.

7.3 Members shall receive a minimum of fourteen days notice together with a copy of the Agenda and Standing Orders of the Annual General Meeting.

7.4 At this meeting, the Annual Report shall be presented which shall consist of a Men's Captain's report, Ladies' Captain's report, Secretary's report and Treasurer's report.

7.5 Notices of motion must be received by the Secretary seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting with the names of the proposer and seconder.

7.6 The order of business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting shall be :

1. Apologies

2. Adoption of Standing Orders

3. Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting and matters arising

4. Minutes of any Extraordinary General Meeting and matters arising

5. Annual Reports

6. Election of Committee

7. Election of Representatives to the Swim Ireland A.G.M.

8. Notices of Motion

9. Any other business

7.7 Guests may be invited by a member to attend a General Meeting with the prior approval of the Committee.

8. Extraordinary General Meeting

8.1 An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at the discretion of the Committee.

8.2 An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Committee upon the written request of ten voting members of the Club.

8.3 The membership shall be given fourteen days clear notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting.

8.4 The membership shall be notified of the Standing Orders, Agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting with the named proposers and seconders of the specific motions.

8.5 An Extraordinary General Meeting shall discuss only the business for which it is convened and no other business shall be transacted.

8.6 All motions shall be passed by a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

9. Committee

9.1 Between General Meetings the Club is managed by a Committee consisting of a President, Men's Captain, Ladies' Captain, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Co-ordinator, Sponsorship Co-ordinator, Fixture Secretary and Fundraising Co-ordinator. The Committee are elected by the membership to work together for the good of the Club. At no time shall the Officers exclude members of the Committee from correspondence, information or discussion concerning the Club.

9.2 Any Ordinary Club Member (at time of General Meeting) may serve on the Committee in any capacity, with the exception of President - whom must be a former student of Trinity College Dublin, a member of D.U.C.A.C. and have been a member of the Club for at least two years.

9.3 There is no restriction to the number of times an Ordinary Member can be elected to any Committee position, be it the same or a different position.

9.4 Any Ordinary Member, nominated for a Committee position, must commit themselves to working actively for the Club both in their specific capacity as an Officer of the Club and in attending Club events, functions, fundraisers and training sessions during his / her time in office. This commitment must be made clear by the Member at the General Meeting prior to his / her election.

9.5 Ordinary Members nominated and seconded for election to the Committee must be present at the A.G.M. and be nominated and seconded by other members who are themselves present.

9.6 The Committee takes office immediately after an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting.

9.7 The new Committee shall receive within seven days all books and records of whatever type from the outgoing Committee so as to facilitate the smooth transfer of office.

9.8 The Committee must notify the membership immediately of any vacancy arising, for whatever reason, and thereafter a period of fourteen days shall have power by majority Committee vote to co-opt a maximum of two members to fill vacancies during the year with the exception of the offices of Men's Captain, Ladies' Captain, Secretary or Treasurer.

9.9 The Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees to perform specific functions provided that at least one Committee member shall serve on the sub-Committee.

9.10 All positions on the Committee are honorary in that no salary, fee, stipend or emoluments are paid for the performance of the duties of office.

9.11 The Committee, in conjunction with DUCAC, shall appoint / employ a Head Swimming Coach, a Head Water Polo Coach and a Head Water Safety Coach to the Club for a specific period and appoint any other Coach in consultation with the Head Coach of a specific discipline. Terms of employment shall be issued and signed by the employee, two members of the Committee and a D.U.C.A.C. officer.

9.12 The Committee shall agree upon a Child Liaison Officer, who shall have no direct connection to the Club. This external person shall where possible be a volunteering professional, whose role is to be -contactable by any Club member if needed and deal with any serious matters in a manner he / she finds appropriate.

9.13 A Committee member shall be reimbursed for any expense wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred on behalf of the Club and incurred with the knowledge of and approved by the Committee.

9.14 Any Committee member absenting himself / herself from three consecutive meetings without reasonable explanation, shall be deemed to have resigned and the Committee shall co-opt a successor immediately.

9.15 The Committee shall meet on a monthly basis, during college term, and shall conduct its affairs where possible by consensus fixing the date of the following meeting as the last item of business.

9.16 All meetings of the Committee and Club shall be chaired by a Committee member. At the start of each meeting, the Chair for that meeting shall be agreed upon by a simple majority of the Committee present.

9.17 The quorum of a Committee meeting shall be five.

9.18 The Committee in managing the Club's affairs is answerable only to the membership in General Meeting, however the Committee shall keep the membership informed by timely communications or newsletters of matters referring to swimming, water polo and water safety and affecting the Club.

9.19 The Committee shall have the duty to uphold the Constitution and Rules of the Club, to warn any member of conduct unbecoming and to take what action is necessary to achieve this aim.

9.20 A Committee member is elected for the term of one year.

9.21 All decisions and recommendations taken by sub-committees shall be subject to the approval of the Committee.

9.22 Each Committee member has one vote on any question.

9.23 Where there is an equality of votes, the Chair shall have a second or casting vote to retain the status quo.

9.24 The Men's and Ladies' Captains, with the Secretary or Treasurer, signing in the presence of each other, have the power to sign contracts on behalf of the Club subject to ratification at the next General Meeting.

9.25 The Committee, in consultation with the Coaches, shall ensure that on trips or away competitions, there are suitable adults responsible in loco parentis.

9.26 Where the appointment of a Head Coach is being discontinued, the matter shall be referred to the membership at an Extraordinary or Annual General Meeting.

10. Functions of the Committee Members:

10.1 President :

 10.1.1 The President shall be the honorary head of the Club.

10.1.2 The President shall use his / her office to promote the interests of the Club at all times, to provide leadership in fostering unity and harmony within the Club.

10.1.3 The President may advise the rest of the Committee on any matter and shall be available for approach by the rest of the Committee if his / her views are required. Any advise given shall not be binding on the Committee.

10.2 Men's Captain

10.2.1 The Men's Captain shall share with the Ladies' Captain joint responsibility for all Club activities.

10.2.2 The Men's Captain shall share with the Ladies' Captain and the Treasurer responsibility for the Club's financial affairs.

10.2.3 The Men's Captain, in conjunction with the Head Coach(es), shall draw up lists of men's teams for forthcoming swimming, water polo and water safety competitions / events.

10.2.4 The Men's Captain shall himself be the Team Captain for each competitive team he is selected onto, and shall appoint other Team Captain's as appropriate for competitive teams he is not directly involved with.

10.2.5 The Men's Captain shall submit to the Annual General Meeting an annual report of the achievements of the Club's male members during the previous year.

10.2.6 The Men's Captain shall act as an alternate signatory of the Club's bank accounts.

10.3 Ladies' Captain

10.3.1 The Ladies' Captain shall share with the Men's Captain joint responsibility for all Club activities.

10.3.2 The Ladies' Captain shall share with the Men's Captain and the Treasurer responsibility for the Club's financial affairs.

10.3.3 The Ladies' Captain, in conjunction with the Head Coach(es), shall draw up lists of ladies' teams for forthcoming swimming, water polo and water safety competitions / events.

10.3.4 The Ladies' Captain shall herself be the Team Captain for each competitive team she is selected onto, and shall appoint other Team Captain's as appropriate for competitive teams she is not directly involved with.

10.3.5 The Ladies' Captain shall submit to the Annual General Meeting an annual report of the achievements of the Club's female members during the previous year.

10.3.6 The Ladies' Captain shall act as an alternate signatory of the Club's bank accounts.

10.4 Secretary :

10.4.1 The Secretary shall be responsible for the completion of the Annual Report and preparing any necessary documentation for any E.G.M. or the A.G.M.

10.4.2 The Secretary shall be the official spokesperson for the Club to outside bodies.

10.4.3 The Secretary shall notify all Committee members of all forthcoming meetings.

10.4.4 The Secretary shall carry on all correspondence on behalf of the Club or pass relevant items of correspondence on to the relevant member of the Committee who in turn shall deal with them.

10.4.5 The Secretary shall take minutes of all Committee and General meetings and distribute same at the following meeting.

10.4.6 The Secretary shall maintain an accurate register of all Club members.

10.4.7 The Secretary shall prepare a yearly report for the Annual General Meeting.

10.4.8 The Secretary shall prepare and circulate prior to each meeting the agenda for the monthly Committee meeting.

10.4.9 The Secretary shall place on the agenda of the monthly Committee meeting any item so requested by a member and shall report back to the member the decision of the Committee.

10.4.10 The Secretary shall ensure the attendance of the appropriate number of members at any meeting of the associations which the Club is affiliated to. These members shall report back to the Committee.

10.4.11 The Secretary shall have responsibility for liaison with D.U.C.A.C., Swim Ireland, the Irish Water Polo Association and the Irish University Swimming Association in the affiliation of Club members and their proper insurance.

10.4.12 The Secretary shall act as an alternate signatory of the Club's bank accounts.

10.5 Treasurer :

10.5.1 The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account for the Club.

10.5.2 The Treasurer shall ensure the prompt payment to the Club of membership fees and swimming levies.

10.5.3 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the forwarding of affiliation and other fees to D.U.C.A.C., Swim Ireland, the I.W.P.A., the I.U.S.A., and any other relevant body.

10.5.3 The Treasurer shall receive, account for and deposit all cheques and monies in suitable current or deposit accounts managing to best effect the finances of the Club.

10.5.4 The Treasurer shall act as an alternate signatory of the Club's bank accounts.

10.5.5 Upon the general or specific authorisation of the Committee, the Treasurer shall draw and countersign cheques in payment of the Club's items of expenditure.

10.5.6 The Treasurer shall report the current financial position of the Club at each Committee meeting and periodically forecast income and expenditure.

10.5.7 The Treasurer shall account to the Committee for the purchase, sale and control of the assets of the Club.

10.5.8 The Treasurer shall present to the Annual General Meeting of the Club, a complete statement of the accounts of the Club.

10.5.9 The Treasurer is responsible, with the approval of the Committee and D.U.C.A.C., for the financial negotiation of fees for Coaches, overheads and pool hire.

10.5.10 The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial dealings between the Club and D.U.C.A.C.

10.5.11 The Club's financial year shall be from the 1st May to the 30th April.

10.6 Publicity Co-ordinator:

10.6.1 Shall be responsible for advertising the Club’s events and schedules to the Club’s members and if it applies, to Trinity staff & students in general.

10.6.2 Shall be responsible for raising the Club’s profile within the College.

10.6.3 Shall take on any other tasks assign to him / her by the Committee  at it's meetings.

10. Fundraising Co-ordinator:

10.7.1 Working with the rest of the committee, shall organise fundraising events to raise money for the Club

10.7.2 Shall take on any other tasks assign to him / her by the Committee at it's meetings.

10.8 Fixture Secretary :

10.8.1 The Fixture Secretary shall keep all relevant members informed of upcoming swimming, water polo and water safety competitions.

10.8.2 Shall be responsible for ensuring that the club fulfils all its obligations with regard to fixtures imposed by the IWPA and the LB-IWPA.

10.8.3 The Fixture Secretary shall take on any other tasks assign to him / her by the Committee at it's meetings.

10.9 Sponsorship Co-ordinator:

10.9.1 Shall be responsible for seeking sponsorship from third parties for the Club itself, for particular events being held and for Club gear.

10.9.2 Shall take on any other tasks assign to him / her by the Committee at it's meetings.

11. Fees

11.1 Annual fees shall be initially set by the Committee and approved by the membership in a General Meeting.

11.2 Fees shall be payable to the Club in such manner as the Committee may determine.

11.3 The Committee shall set the costs and fees for both competing and non-competing members so that all operating costs are covered.

11.4 The Committee shall have the power to suspend on the advice of the Treasurer any member from swimming whose fees or portion thereof are not paid within three months of the date due.

12. Sponsorship, Fundraising and Subsidies

12.1 Any Committee member, with the full approval of the Committee, shall have the power to negotiate sponsorship contacts on behalf of the Club. However, the primary member of the Committee to seek sponsorship shall be the Assistant Treasurer.

12.2 The Committee shall have the power to disburse sponsorship monies at its discretion.

12.3 The competing members shall wear or display such insignia or attire as may be directed by the Committee relative to such sponsorship.

12.4 The Committee may from time to time need to engage in fundraising activities and shall have the full support of all members in their endeavours.

12.5 All monies accruing from such fundraising activities shall be disbursed at the discretion of the Committee.

12.6 Monies raised by fundraising or sponsorship shall be used by the Committee for specifically stated activities, sponsorship, events, member subsidy or Club development.

12.7 The Committee shall have the power to allocate financial subsidies to member swimmers or teams of member swimmers selected by the Club or by parent Associations to compete at home or abroad representing the Club, Leinster or Ireland.

12.8 Such subsidies are paid solely at the discretion of the Committee.

13. Interpretation

13.1 If, at any time, circumstances arise for which there is no provision in this Constitution, the Committee shall take such action as seems reasonable and necessary.

13.2 Such action shall be deemed valid until reviewed at an Extraordinary General Meeting or Annual General Meeting.

13.3 The Committee shall inform members of and implement any changes or new rules which Swim Ireland introduce between General Meetings.

14. Indemnity

14.1 Every Committee member, officer or servant of the Club shall be indemnified by the Club against claim, and it shall be the duty of the Club to pay all costs, losses and expenses which any such person shall properly incur, or become liable to, by reason of any contract properly entered into or thing done in discharge of duties in good faith duly authorised by the Committee.

14.2 The amount of which such indemnity is provided, shall, as far as funds of the Club allow, immediately attach as a lien on the property and assets of the Club, and have priority over all other claims.

Last Updated :

Extraordinary General Meeting - May 2003 - Rules 9.1 10.6.1 10.6.2 10.7 10.8 10.9 amended
Previous amendments made:
Extraordinary General Meeting - Thursday, 9th November 2000 - Rules 9.2 & 9.4 amended

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Last Updated: March, 14 2010.
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